Blind Willie McTell on cost per Neshoma

Blind Willie McTell commenting to The not so subliminal message of Berl Lazar post:

The so called peaking of the BT movement in tandem with the spiritual decline at the end of the 70's - 80's is precisely why we need the shluchim - in those days it was shooting fish in a barrel - now it's a challenge - ironically you reject the corporate model for Chabad but then try to wedge them into a cost benefit analysis of the CPN (cost per neshama) would you like the Shluchim to get up at next years Kinnus and say "I made X number of BTs at $ per kiruv?" yes while accountability is important the model doesn't necessarily translate. BTW the huge donors aren't in the habit of getting hoodwinked (remember that�s why they have amassed large amounts of money in the first place) they see hardworking Shluchim living modestly driving old cars, doing without on many fronts - to them (and to many of the uncynical) that represents Mesiras Nefesh which they are glad to underwrite - yes kiruv has become harder but that's when you really have to step up to the plate.

Tzemach Atlas: Dear Blind Willie McTell, we do not reject the corporate model. True in the past we have argued against the rotten institution of Head Shluchim. Then we discovered this letter: Secretariat of the Referent Hodakov. Meaning that the Rebbe probably agreed to the Head Shluchim model (doesn�t make it less rotten in our eyes). We also subscribe to free market model of Chabad delineated here: Simon Jacobson - the proof is in the pudding. We only offer the following observation; despite rigid corporate rules Chabad remains an anarchy on the local level. Corporate management did not translate into strategic vision. The central committee will not interfere with local affairs and more importantly there will be no decision made to concentrate an effort in certain area for the benefit of the common cause (in line with Rebbe�s tradition and practice). Shluchim will continue to populate abandoned Russian villages while large metropolitan areas like Boston will continue to be neglected (strategically neglected even considering the inflows of the number of aggressive Shluchim). So we get the worst of both worlds, rigid central committee organization and anarchy at the local level.

Reb Sholom, gevalt!