“With rates of suicide and drug abuse as high as they are in America, Chabad.org recognizes that these are the moments when they have a chance of connecting to, and helping, a specific audience”

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There is a cliché that “There are no atheists in a fox hole.” Chabad has recognized that this cliché, which links personal crises with the search for G-d, has merit and truth. Their site provides immediate responses to questions and access to resources. Once Chabad has been a resource for people in need, they may give back or find meaning in a Hasidic lifestyle. With rates of suicide and drug abuse as high as they are in America, Chabad.org recognizes that these are the moments when they have a chance of connecting to, and helping, a specific audience. This is a way to attract new members by reaching out to people at their lowest point and bringing them to G-d.

Rachel Schiff, “Jewish Subcultures Online: Outreach, Dating, and Marginalized Communities” (Master’s thesis, California State University, Fullerton, 2016), 26.

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