Heard in shul .....

Two interesting (unconnected) conversations heard in shul over Shabbat Bereshit:

A friend who was brought up in Chabad, and still studies Habad Chassidus (although no longer a Chassid) was lamenting the current state of the movement. "The shluchim are the elite, in every way - ideologically, financially. There is nothing left for the others, the simple hassidim. For many of the younger generation, all bets are off. They reject the mashichists entirely, and have no focus whatever. It is almost nihilistic. They either want out of the movement -- they dropout or want education, or they just rebel from within. Acoholism among they disaffected young is a huge issue." The objective book on Chabad still has to be written, but it will be fascinating when it is.

Another group was lamenting the fact that they are feeling increasingly uncomfortable as our shul gets more and more Yeshivish or, worse, would-be Yeshivish. Is it only a matter of time before the shul bans people in blue shirts?