Grok says:
Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin
Role: Director of Chabad of California and West Coast Chabad-Lubavitch.Influence: Rabbi Cunin is the undisputed heavyweight of Chabad in Los Angeles and beyond. Sent by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, to LA in 1965, he laid the groundwork for Chabad’s West Coast expansion. Under his leadership, Chabad of California has grown to oversee 79 centers statewide, with a dense concentration in LA, including major hubs like Bais Bezalel and the Westwood headquarters. His oversight of the annual Chabad Telethon, a multimillion-dollar fundraiser broadcast nationally, amplifies his clout, connecting him to Hollywood, political figures, and donors. Cunin’s strategic vision—replicating 770 Eastern Parkway in Pico-Robertson and pushing developments like the proposed mixed-use complex—shows his blend of spiritual and pragmatic power. At over 80, his tenure and family dynasty (many sons are shluchim) cement his status.
Context: His influence spans decades, making him a linchpin for Chabad’s growth from a small outpost to a regional powerhouse.
Rabbi Zushe Cunin
Role: Director of Chabad of Pacific Palisades and a key figure in Chabad’s LA network.Influence: As Rabbi Boruch Cunin’s son, Zushe carries the family mantle into specific communities. His leadership during crises—like the January 2025 Palisades Fire, where he evacuated Chabad’s Early Childhood Center and coordinated community support—highlights his operational authority. Running a prominent center in an affluent area, he bridges Chabad’s grassroots outreach with LA’s elite, enhancing its social capital. His visibility in such events underscores his rising prominence within the next generation of Cunin leadership.
Context: His role exemplifies how Chabad’s influence often passes through family lines, maintaining continuity and loyalty.
Rabbi Joshua B. Gordon
Role: Former Executive Director of Chabad of the Valley (retired 2020, passed 2023), with his legacy carried by successors like Rabbi Yochonon Gordon.Influence: Rabbi Joshua Gordon built Chabad of the Valley into one of LA’s largest Chabad networks, with over 20 centers serving 15,000 Jews across Encino, Tarzana, and beyond. His 40-year tenure established a model of community-building—synagogues, schools, mikvahs—that rivals Pico-Robertson’s density. Though he stepped down before his death, his son Yochonon and others sustain his vision, managing a $10 million headquarters opened in 2016. Joshua’s national role as a Chabad executive committee member tied LA to global Lubavitch strategy, amplifying his posthumous influence.
Context: The Valley’s Chabad network reflects his enduring footprint, showing how regional leaders can shape entire sub-regions.
Rabbi Mendel Schwartz
Role: Executive Director of the Chai Center and a leader in Chabad’s entertainment outreach.Influence: Schwartz taps into LA’s unique Hollywood ecosystem, making Chabad a spiritual home for Jewish celebrities, producers, and industry figures. The Chai Center, founded by his father Rabbi Shlomo “Chuni” Schwartz in 1980, hosts high-profile events—think Shabbats with A-listers—and leverages the Telethon, where Mendel has been a fixture. His book From the Midwest to the Middle East and media presence extend his reach beyond traditional shul walls, blending Chabad’s mission with cultural relevance.
Context: His power lies in bridging Chabad’s Hasidic roots with LA’s secular elite, a niche that amplifies Chabad’s soft power.
Rabbi Dovid Levine
Role: Rabbi of Bais Bezalel Chabad in Pico-Robertson.Influence: Levine oversees one of Pico-Robertson’s busiest centers, offering four daily minyans and serving as a communal hub in LA’s Orthodox epicenter. His leadership reflects Chabad’s ability to dominate even in a neighborhood packed with shuls (over 20). Bais Bezalel’s strategic location on Pico Boulevard and its replica of 770 Eastern Parkway symbolize Chabad’s physical and ideological imprint. Levine’s influence is more local but potent, anchoring Chabad’s street-level presence.
Context: He represents the shluchim who execute Chabad’s vision on the ground, sustaining its grassroots strength.
Broader Observations
Cunin Family Dynasty: Rabbi Boruch Cunin’s sons (e.g., Zushe, Sholom, Levi) run key centers, creating a familial power structure that ensures cohesion and loyalty. This mirrors the Rebbe’s model of trust in emissaries but centralizes influence in LA.Institutional Reach: Chabad’s 40+ LA centers (e.g., Chabad of Mt. Olympus, Cheviot Hills, UCLA) are run by shluchim who report to Cunin’s umbrella organization, giving him unparalleled oversight.
Contrast with Non-Chabad Hasidim: Unlike Satmar or Bobov rebbes, whose power is dynastic and insular, Chabad leaders like Cunin and Schwartz engage outwardly, leveraging media, real estate, and politics (e.g., ties to figures like Jared Kushner nationally).
Community Size: Chabad likely serves 30,000–40,000 Jews in LA, dwarfing other Hasidic groups, with influence bolstered by schools (e.g., Bais Chaya Mushka) and developments.
