Ten years ago I put this picture online, I am a founding member of the expand 770 project in recent years. I'm yosef Edery.
Chapter 1
Private property or communal center?
The chabad chassidus has a rich history and marks certain days it remembers that teach a collective lesson.
One such day is the 5th of Teves, there was a court case and a internal fight over books from the chabad library, and the position of the Rebbe came clear, the rebbe, the library, the holy books, and the 770 shul, belong to the chasidim!
This line of fulfilling the rebbe's wish was also used to create the "gaboim" an independent body who actually run the shul of 770, they are supposed to be representing the chasidim.
Why do I say all this? Because if we use this line of thought, it's understandable that what the students did is in line with 770 belongs to the chasidim. And it's clear that the tmimim are the most "chasidim" in comparison to the gaboim and community leaders.
Chapter 2
The community leaders
Many crown heights Jewish community leaders unfortunately are not well vesred in the teachings of the Rebbe, many of them have children who are not religious, many of them don't know how to even read Hebrew or Yiddish properly and some are converts or baalli teshuva, why is this important?
While for the tmimim the "lagallity of their actions" primarily leans on jewish Halacha and Chasidish costom, these community leaders are driven by the "sanctity of the secular law of the United States of America".
This is exemplified by their use of the police, and their disregard to the initial idea of the expansion.
They worry of legal issue with the US system but seem not to integrate jewish Halacha law or the wish of the leader of the jewish people the Rebbe King Moshiach Shlit"a.
I might add that there might be a jealousy between all the ignorant CHJC Because they wish their kids would be as devoted to the rebbe's way, instead their kids might of married out of the jewish faith and are on drugs and live a life of meaninglessness.
So perhaps instead of seeing how to mend these issues, they take their frustration out on the tmimim.
The reason my speculation is not articulated in specific terms is I really have no intention of embarrassing my fellow jewish brethren, rather I'm trying to read into what is going on, I might add that my speculation is based on true facts I am basing this on.
For the CHJC the correct course of action would be:
1. Bring 3 rabbis together to 770 rabbis that have Smicha and Dayanus or are of the caliber of Torah that the Tmimim/Students would respect.
2. Have the CHJC promise bli neder to adhear to whatever the rabbis give as verdict, and likewise the Tmimim should do the same, and them let the Rabbis hear both sides argue their case and the Rabbis will give a psak din which takes into account the jewish law, the Chasidic tradition and the law of the USA.
Of course if any party has issues with the verdict they can request sources to cross check the legal jewish law and ask from where did you give me this verdict to see for themselves weather the sorce of Halacha has been properly translated.
Chapter 3
Judges and police of Eisav/Edom
It's embarrassing that the jewish people, people of the book and law, need to invite police and/or justice systems not of the Torah, to resolve issues of the jewish people, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A LIGHT UNTO THE NATIONS teaching Torah law and it's ways of manifesting the law. The fact that NYC police are invited by the CHJC to get involved in a resolution of jewish people is a disgrace to Torah law and the Chasidic traditions.
Chapter 4
The Gaboim a story of Money hungry, curruption, and Elitism
The "representative staff" of 770 known as the Gaboim have made a reputation for themselves,
Recently a student was beaten almost to death by his fellow students, when charges were pressed on the bully students, the GABOIM did not side with the student who was beaten a inch of his life, but rather with the aggressors, what's worse, some of the boys who beat up the non violent student were family members of the GABOIM and in a stroke of Elitist entitelment, the Gaboim "went to war" against the victim denying him rights to the torah and other issues that he was entitled to. Some of the family members of said victim cursed the Gaboim that being they have lost the justice element they should have been able to upkeep "they should count their days before Rabbi Krinsky gets 770 back from them".
According to jewish law, telling local authorities on fellow Jews is a great violation, however in cases were dangerous violence to another Jew is involved like the case with the students beating their fellow student, and being that the aggressive party doesn't seem to "fear g-d" calling the local police on the aggressive party is a Mitsvah.
However, in the case of the expansion of 770, being that the nature of act is not violent, it is against the Torah law to involve the secular system in this affair so long the torah path resolution has not been tried.
Unfortunately, the Gaboim are not sensitive people to the students, their interest is money money money and money, this is sad and leaves room for issues just like what unfolded here with the tunnel system. They didn't see money so they said "shut it down".
When you have people worshipping "the golden calf" (money) in the camp of Moses and the seventy elders (the Rebbe and the Jewish Beis Din court) it inevitably creates issues.
Chapter 5
Krinsky! Were are you??
In regards to saving the Rebbe's life, Rabbi Krinsky, Dr. Trappler and Rabbi Ganzburg were light years ahead of Rabbi Groner Dr Rosen or others, it seems that Mr Krinsky never had a chance to explain himself to chabad, always in the shadows, never making public statements lest they be held against him in a court of law.
As the one who made sure to line up all kinds of paperwork to prove the secular USA courts to "inherit" the home of the Rebbe as well as the 770 structure, he has been a relatively absent person as far as interest in the shul on a personal level.
I will say that him leaving 770 might have been due to the frustration of the students which many years ago threw a bench at him in frustration.
The issues of the chabad political system are emense and deep, and most importantly painful, on one hand, chasidim love each other, see each other as family, look out for each other and support each other as much as possible, on the other hand, the group herd style creates loop holes for taking responsibility, the hard tasks of law and order are passed around from person to person without any one really taking responsibility to resolve the issues.
Krinsky having this default settings of being absent from all that is going on might be a result to being neglected as a child by his parents, perhaps he thinks that neglect is a normal thing, I'm not sure.
Chapter 6
Let's put things in proportions.
Who is responsible for what?
The students are teenagers, young, full of energy, naive, and innocent in their simple way of thinking and hoping to resolve issues.
So on them I do not place the responsibility of leading the community.
The CHJC is helpful to the community yet EXTREMELY CORRUPT!!! millions of dollars that were supposed to be to support the community.... Were stolen by the Ashkenazi Russian Mafia like CHJC, I did not make a thorough investigation but that's the word on the street and that's the feeling I got as a child in crown heights.
Yet, in a healthy world, they ARE to be held responsible to:
1. Allocate funds from the government to the needy in the jewish community fairly honestly and with open books.
2. Work with the jewish courts and Jewish Shmira and Shomrim to resolve any community issues WITHOUT THE NEED TO BRING THE POLICE OR COURTS into the community.
The Gaboim's role SHOULD BE:
1. to run the shul in a profitable way that covers their own financial and family supporting needs while in return cleaning and maintaining the shul and taking care of the needs of the students and the guests.
2. They should work with the local jewish court if they need justice on any issue, and work with the CHJC when they need money for assistance with expenses of the shul.
3. The Gaboim should invest time to understand the needs of the students and "feel the room" (something they clearly are not doing well with, as these tunnels have been being dug for the last 10 years!).
Chapter 7
The Beis Din - Jewish Court
The Elaphent in the room is that here too there is a issue, Rabbi Yosef Broin according to the Rebbe's instructions, is not fit to be in the crown heights beis din. As he did not fit the qualifications of being a candidate at the time of his election.
He needs to be released.
Next, elections should be held in crown heights and people like rabbi yosef Paltiel, rabbi yosef Yitschak Keller and others who are torah, rabbi Manis Freidman should be elected to the Beis Din.
The Beis Din should also be reachable by the Students , Gaboim and CHJC, and the Shmira and Shomrim community watch groups and Hatsalah should be directly under the Beis Din.
The common denominator between all parties involved needs to be a adherence to Halacha and Jewish traditions and Chasidic traditions.
This is the way Crown Heights can redeem itself.
With blessings.
Yosef
Head Advisor to the Sanhedrin Establishment Initiative.
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