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Raw information (to add to that above): Lubavitch is a mystical Jewish group, one of many groups of Hasidim, all of whom broadly base their practices on the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov (1698 – 1760) (also known as the Besht) an itinerant Eastern European Rabbi and healer/teacher. He used a mixture of early Kabbalistic texts, and mystical practice, to bring an experiential, spiritual Judaism to the masses.
This was very much in the historical context of (a) the Chmielnicki anti-Jewish massaces of 1648-9, and (b) two false messiahs, Shabbetai Zvi (1626–76) and Jacob Frank (1726 - 1791).
Lubavitch is the most vocal of the Hasidic groups, and they make full use of modern PR and technology, and they are only interested in "bringing Jews back to the fold", hence their "are you Jewish" question. Lubavitch/Chabad base their teachings on the work of Shneur Zalman of Liady (1745-1812), one of the generation following the Besht.
The Mitzvah Tank (mitzvah means "good deed", more or less) is part of their marketing campaign. I've never seen a Mikveh (ritual bath) Tank. They effectively want to bring people the "good news", and encourage men to "lay tefilin" (wear phylacteries), which is traditionally done during morning prayers. The tefilin have four parchments with bibical texts relating to the oneness of G!d and the commandment to wear tefilin (Exodus 13: 1-10, Exodus 13, 11 – 16, Deuteronomy 6, 4 – 9, Deuteronomy 11: 13-12).
Women are not required to wear tefilin, but Lubavitch encourage them to light Sabbath candles on Friday night.
Like many Hasidic groups/sects, leadership is passed on through families, and their was much debate towards the end of the last Rebbe's (leader) life, Shneerson, as to what would happen, as he had no children. Since his death, there has been much discussion both within and outside Lubavitch about whether he was the messiah: there is a small, vocal group within who believe he was, but the majority of Lubavitchers believe he was a very holy man who died. This is similar to the Breslov sect of Hasidim, whose Rebbe, Reb Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810), died with no heirs.
In terms of the scale of Lubavitch's current mission, my guess would be that they hot-up their activities around the major festivals, and the first day of Passover was on Monday. They are also active around New Year in September/October. They also like the minor festivals that have good rituals (Chanukah, the menorah, Purim, dressing up). With a longer festival, like Passover, there are two holy days at the beginning and at the end, and then four days in the middle where more religious people don't work, and that's an idea time to go out and do this kind of "ingathering".
An Eruv (legal fiction of a fence, that creates a virtual walled city so that Jews can carry on the Sabbath, which is generally forbidden) is built by many observant communities. The main reason is that without it, women with small children who can't walk yet, are unable to go out on the Sabbath. Most communities that have an Eruv organise a hotline/website, so that people can check it just before Shabbat, to ensure it is operative.
While there's no "right" way to spell words translated from Hebrew/Yiddish, Shabbos is more normative than Shabbas, if you're going to have a Shabbos Goy character.
Sorry if I've been a bit too-much-information. I've got a degree in this stuff, and it so rarely comes up in conversation... |
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