Detroiters

I read an article on the train this evening that really got me thinking, so I did the obvious and asked on FB, "So how many shluchim have ever done this?" Unexpectedly no one responded to this provocative question, possibly because of its ambiguity, though I'd like to think that clarity is the enemy of FB thought. Regardless, I think the question bears repeating. Have there been any reported cases of shluchim who left their shlichus because of theological reasons? You could point to Shmuley Boteach, of course, though one gets the impression that his leaving had more to do with ego than religion, even if it was cloaked in Lubavitch orthodoxy asserting its primacy. Otherwise? Shlomo Carlebach comes to mind, as do the names of (more than) several former California Shluchim, but those cases seem a bit different: Shlomo because he was never really a shliach, and California because, well, it's to be expected. And how about the people who haven't gone on shlichus, like Yossi+Simon Jacobson and Chaim Miller?

Meanwhile, in other news, this touched on some excellent points, which if this were four years ago I'd write a whole post about Chassidishkeit and sports and Friedmans (just kidding!) and what not.