Jews living in Brooklyn is nothing new, but what’s attracting non-religious “Hipsters” into Crown Heights where Chabad is headquartered? The Jewish Chronicle has an interesting article about how the two groups have collided.
While I believe that divergent ideologies can learn to co-exist in many cases, it’s not always the wisest choice, nor is it the easiest. The difference between the Secular and Orthodox lifestyle is like night and day. Since neither group is likely to switch sides, it will be a miracle if they can learn to live together in harmony.
It will be interesting to watch and see what happens with this. I’ve had very positive experiences with Chabad (when I was in a difficult situation), so I do wish them the best!
Chabad gets a lot of flack, but they are doing more outreach than any other Jewish group. I don’t agree with everything they do, of course, but I do support their efforts to reach every Jew, regardless of their background.