Modern orthodoxy beNusach Chabad

Schneur Zalman of NY commenting to the On the surface post:

There was little machlokes after the petira of the Zemach Zedek in terms of hashkofa. It was personality issues. Basically between Reb Leib and the Maharash. Today its all in Hashkofe. There are no central spiritual personalities fighting for spiritual leadership. It seems to me that a large group of Chabad chassidim mostly the shluchim are acculturating themselves to American lifestyles. Their dress is no longer Chasidic except on Shabbath. Some trim their beards. Many have fashionable hair styles. Most do not speak Yiddish at home. I suspect that within 10 years many will be sending their kids to college (some already do). In essence they are on the path to Modern orthodoxy beNusach Chabad. Also one suspects that the BT commuity in Lubavitch imported a lot more than the Geza people exported to them ...

Others centered in CH and Montreal wish to remain charedim, use Yiddish dress Chasidic and stress Chassidic lifestyle etc. This also relates to the role of "lernen" and avoda. Its this group that may some day chose a leader if only as a way to retain their identity. I doubt such a leader will be called "Rebbe". By the way I prefer to classify today�s Chabad people as Modern vs. charedim rather than Anti Messianists vs. Meshichistin. Because on one level all Lubavitchers pay lip service that the Rebbe is (was ) the Messiah. On another more fundamental level few Lubavitchers really believe this in the sense of any immediate Hisgaluth.