Chabad-Lubavitch is a branch of
HasidismHasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew: , Hasidut, meaning "piety") is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith. The majority of Hasidic Jews are ultra-orthodox....
. Its founder Rabbi
Shneur Zalman of LiadiShneur Zalman of Liadi , also known as the Baal HaTanya, , was an Orthodox Rabbi, and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi, Imperial Russia...
was twice arrested by the Russians on trumped-up charges, and later opposed Napoleon's emancipation of the Jews; one of his sons is alleged to have converted to Christianity. The conduct of the sixth leader, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn during the Second World War was criticised by some of his contemporaries. Some interpretations of its seventh leader, Rabbi
Menachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe amongst his hasidim, was a prominent hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch movement...
's theology has been disagreed with by a few of his contemporaries; he felt very strongly that Israeli law should follow Jewish law and ethics, and was criticised heavily by Rabbi
Elazar ShachRabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach , was a leading Eastern European-born and educated Haredi rabbi who settled and lived in modern Israel.He was the rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak the pre-eminent yeshiva of Lithuanian...
for many of his policies, including his messianic focus. The belief that Schneerson is the messiah and will return or that he never even died has led to some friction within the Chabad community. Since his death in 1994 the movement has fragmented into competing factions. Financial battles have been ongoing between these factions since 1995, and the contested control over the headquarters in
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
has led to strife.
Shneur Zalman of Liadi
Rabbi
Shneur Zalman of LiadiShneur Zalman of Liadi , also known as the Baal HaTanya, , was an Orthodox Rabbi, and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi, Imperial Russia...
, the founder of the movement, was arrested by
Tsar Paul IPaul was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801.-Childhood:Paul was born in the Palace of Empress Elisabeth in St Petersburg. He was the son of Elizabeth's heir, her nephew, the Grand Duke Peter, later Emperor Peter III, and his wife, the Grand Duchess Catherine, later Empress Catherine II...
on two occasions on trumped up charges but released both times. In the face of Napoleonic invasion, Rabbi Schneur Zalman sided with the Tsar, believing that emancipation and freedom would lead to spiritual malaise.
During his life, the controversies between the Hasidim and
Mitnagdim intensified in many ways. Some issues involved in the disagreements were the rules for
ritual slaughterShechita is the ritual slaughter of mammals and birds according to Jewish dietary laws. The act is performed by cutting the animal's throat by drawing a very sharp knife horizontally across it and allowing the blood to drain out....
as well as the conduct and phrasing of prayers. As a result, the Hasidim were subjected to bans, though in part due to the changes made to Hasidic thought this lessened during the lives of Rabbi Schneur Zalman's son, Rabbi
Dovber SchneuriDovber Schneuri was the second Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. Rabbi Dovber was the first Chabad rebbe to live in the town of Lyubavichi , the town for which this Hasidic dynasty is named...
and grandson, Rabbi
Menachem Mendel SchneersohnMenachem Mendel Schneersohn also known as the Tzemach Tzedek was an Orthodox rabbi and the third Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement.-Biography:...
. Although Shneur Zalman once attempted to see the
Vilna GaonElijah ben Shlomo Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra , , was an exceptional Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic world Jewry of the past few centuries...
to persuade him to legitimize the Hasidim, the Vilna Gaon refused to speak with him.
Arrests
In 1798 Rabbi Shneur Zalman was arrested on suspicion of treason on trumped up charges and brought to St. Petersburg where he was held in the Petropavlovski fortress for 53 days.
Again in 1800 he was arrested and again transported to St. Petersburg along with his son
MosheMoshe Schneersohn was the youngest son of the founder of Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidism, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. According to some scholars he converted to Christianity and died in a St. Petersburg asylum...
who served as an interpreter, as Rabbi Shneur Zalman spoke no Russian or French. He was released after a few weeks but banned from leaving St. Petersburg. The elevation of Tsar Alexander I a few weeks later led to Rabbi Shneur Zalman's release.
According to some scholars Rabbi Shneur Zalman's first arrest was not the result of anti-Hasidic Mitnagdim agitators fabricating charges, or officials seeking extortion monies. An accusation was made on May 8, 1798 by Hirsh ben David of Vilna , who accused Rabbi Shneur Zalman of trying to assist the
French RevolutionThe French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based...
, by sending money to Napoleon and the Sultan. It appears that there was no such person as Hirsh and the authorities were attempting to stir up internecine fighting among the Jews.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman and Napoleon
While some Jewish leaders supported Napoleon or remained quiet about their support, others including Rabbi
Shneur Zalman of LiadiShneur Zalman of Liadi , also known as the Baal HaTanya, , was an Orthodox Rabbi, and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi, Imperial Russia...
openly and vigorously supported the Tsar. While fleeing from Napoleon, Liadi wrote a letter explaining his opposition to Napoleon to a friend, Rabbi Moshe Meizeles:
Some argue that Napoleon had been attempting to arouse a messianic view of himself in Jews, opening the gates of the Ghettos and emancipating their residents as he conquered. He established an ersatz
SanhedrinThe Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Land of Israel.The Talmud states:GEMARA. Whence is this derived? — R...
, recruiting Jews to his ranks, and spreading rumors about his conquest of the Holy Land to make Jews subversive for his own ends. Thus, Rabbi Shneur Zalman's opposition was based on a practical fear of Jews turning to the false messianism of Napoleon as he saw it.
Others argue that Rabbi Shneur Zalman's "fears were borne out by the events of the next two centuries. When emancipation did come to European Jewry, it came as a gradual process, and the traditional Judaism had by then developed an array of intellectual and moral responses (most notably, the Chassidic and Mussar movements). Still, the spiritual toll of freedom was high: traditional Jewish life was all but wiped out in France and Germany by the upheavals spearheaded by the French Revolution, and while it persevered in Eastern Europe until the eve of the Holocaust, many fell prey to the winds of anti-religious "enlightenment" blowing from the west. We can only imagine what the toll might have been had Napoleon conquered the continent in the early years of the nineteenth century."
Dovber Shneuri
Although Rabbi
Dovber SchneuriDovber Schneuri was the second Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. Rabbi Dovber was the first Chabad rebbe to live in the town of Lyubavichi , the town for which this Hasidic dynasty is named...
succeeded his father as Rebbe of the Chabad movement, a senior disciple of his father, Rabbi Aharon HaLevi of Strashelye, a popular and respected figure, differed with him on a number of issues and led a breakaway movement.
Strashelye breakaway
When R' Schneur Zalman died, many of his followers flocked to one of his top students, Rabbi Aharon HaLevi of Strashelye. He had been Shneur Zalman’s closest disciple for over thirty years. While many more became followers of the Mittler Rebbe, the Strashelye school of Chassidic thought was the subject of many of the Mittler Rebbe's discourses. R' Aharon HaLevi emphasized the importance of basic emotions in divine service (especially the service of prayer). The Mittler Rebbe did not reject the role of emotion in prayer, but emphasized that if the emotion in prayer is to be genuine, it can only be a result of contemplation and understanding (hisbonenus) of the explanations of Chassidus, which in turn will lead to an attainment of "bittul" (self-nullification before the Divine). In his work entitled "Kuntres Hispa'alus" (Tract on Ecstasy), the Mittler Rebbe argues that only through ridding oneself of what he considered disingenuous emotions could one attain the ultimate level in Chassidic worship (that is,
bittul).
Joseph Isaac Schneersohn
The response of the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn to the Holocaust has been condemned from a number of quarters.
Bryan Mark RiggBryan Mark Rigg born 1971, is an American author and speaker who received his PhD from Cambridge University. He is based at Southern Methodist University in Dallas....
wrote his PhD thesis on the subject an Cambridge University. He quotes Rabbi Alex Weisfogel, secretary of Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz of the
Vaad HatzalahVaad Hatzalah was an organization to rescue Jews in Europe from the Holocaust.It was founded in November 1939 by the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada...
as saying that Kalmanowitz and Aaron Kotler were appalled at Schneersohn's focus on "bringing the messiah" while the war continued. Many Chassidim were deeply distraught by the discriminatory policies of the Vaad Hazalah in its distribution of funds. The policies of excluding Chassidim were traced by some directly to the historic hostility of Kotler to Chassidim. There were reports during the war that in particular the students in the Chabad Yeshiva in Shanghai suffered due to the unwillingness of the Vaad to transfer funds to them, with some even dying of starvation.
Recently uncovered documents show that Schneersohn immediately began lobbying for assistance to Jews in the Nazis' path.
He petitioned ambassadors and politicians in London and New York for relief packages to be sent to the Jewish communities in the western parts of what is today the former Soviet Union. His letters were co-signed by Rabbi Jacob Rosenheim, the then-president of the Agudath Israel World Organization.
After the war ended, in 1945, he set up a relief organisation to assist the survivors of the holocaust.
The Malach
Another incident which occurred was with Rabbi Chaim Avraham Dov Ber Levine haCohen, also known as The Malach (lit. the angel). He was the tutor of
Joseph Isaac SchneersohnYosef Yitzchok Schneersohn was an Orthodox rabbi and the sixth Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement. He is also known as the Friediker Rebbe , the Rebbe RaYYaTz, or the Rebbe Rayatz...
when the latter was a child, but personal differences caused Rabbi Levine to break with Chabad. Torah Vodaas, in order to inspire its students, used to encourage its students to visit knowledgeable rabbis and Rabbi Levine was one of them. Eventually, some of the students styled themselves as Rabbi Levine's followers. This quasi-Hasidic group, known as The Malachim, is antagonistic towards Chabad and only acknowledges the legitimacy of the first four Chabad rebbes. The Malachim themselves did not choose a successor to Rabbi Levine. Today, the Malachim are a marginal group.
The dispute was apparently over the tutelage of Yosef Yitchok. According to the Malachim, Levine caught him reading a secular book and told his father about the incident. Rabbi
Sholom Dovber SchneersohnSholom Dovber Schneersohn was an Orthodox rabbi and the fifth Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch chasidic movement...
, the fifth Rebbe of Chabad, did not believe that his son would do this and called tutor and tutee to talk with him. When Yosef Yitzchok promised that he had not read the book, the father accepted his word, and Levine resigned his post.
Terminology
In 1950 Rabbi
Menachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe amongst his hasidim, was a prominent hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch movement...
described his father-in-law the sixth rebbe, and Rebbes in general, as being "the essence and content of God, as it put itself in a body". This is mentioned in his collected sermons
Likkutei SichosLikkutei Sichos, lit. "Collected Talks," is an anthology of essays relating to the weekly portion of the Bible and special occasions in the Jewish and Hasidic calendar. These essays were informal lectures given by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, in the context of Hasidic...
He asks how one can make a request of a rebbe - isn't that a problem of speaking to God through an intermediary? (Which is anathematic to Judaism.) He answers that "One cannot ask [this] question. . . since a Rebbe is
Atzmus u'mehus alein vi er hat zich areingeshtalt in a guf"--"the essence and substance of God as it put itself in a body". This is the common description in Kabalah for humans, a fusion of soul and body, G-dliness and physical.
In recent years some critics, notably Rabbi Dr.
David BergerRabbi Dr.David Berger is head of the Jewish Studies department at Yeshiva College, Yeshiva University, as well as dean of Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School...
and Rabbi
Chaim Dov KellerChaim Dov Keller is a Haredi rabbi,Talmudic scholar, co-founder and co-rosh yeshiva of the Telshe Yeshiva in Chicago. He is a posek and writer in Haredi newspapers such as the Yated Ne'eman in the United States....
, have opined that this is a major innovation by Schneerson that in their view "deifies" the Rebbe, which is contrary to Orthodox Judaism. Chabad writers counter that these reactions are based on misunderstandings of Kabbalistic terminology used by Rabbi Schneerson, and that similar expressions can be found throughout non-Chabad Hasidic and Kabbalistic literature.
Defenders point to similar statements attributed to the Baal Shem Tov, the Ohr ha-Chaim, and many others. They point to a quote from Rabbi
Shneur Zalman of LiadiShneur Zalman of Liadi , also known as the Baal HaTanya, , was an Orthodox Rabbi, and the founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism, then based in Liadi, Imperial Russia...
that "He who breathed life into man, breathed from Himself". Therefore a person's soul is "truly a part of HaShem above". They argue that in the light of these statements Schneerson's 1950 comments are not a departure from normative Jewish thought.
Schneerson on the Holocaust
When Schneerson wrote a letter rejecting all theological explanations for the Holocaust, he was accused of comparing the Holocaust to the amputation of a rotting limb.. Upon further analysis, however, it becomes clear that Schneerson's letter stated precisely the opposite. The "rotting limb" analogy was used only to illustrate how things are often different than the way they first appear.
Rabbi Elazar Shach's critique
Rabbi
Elazar ShachRabbi Elazar Menachem Man Shach , was a leading Eastern European-born and educated Haredi rabbi who settled and lived in modern Israel.He was the rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh yeshiva in Bnei Brak the pre-eminent yeshiva of Lithuanian...
a long-time leader of Lithuanian Judaism was involved in a number of public disputes with Rabbi
Menachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe amongst his hasidim, was a prominent hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch movement...
the
RebbeRebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the identical Hebrew word Rabbi. It mostly refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
of the
Chabad-LubavitchChabad-Lubavitch is a Hasidic movement in Orthodox Judaism. One of the world's largest Hasidic movements, it is based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York...
movement from the 1970s through Rav Schneerson's death in 1994. Rav Shach accused his followers of false Messianism. When certain elements in Chabad actually identified Rabbi Schneerson as the possible Messiah, Rabbi Shach advocated a complete boycott of Chabad, its institutions and projects by its constituents. He objected to the call for "forcing" the Messiah's appearance, an idea advocated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Pointing to an assertion by the Rebbe in a passage dealing primarily with his predecessor that a rebbe is ‘the Essence and Being [of G-d] placed into a body,’ Rabbi Schach spoke of nothing less than Avodah Zara [idol worship]. His followers refused to eat meat slaughtered by Lubavich shochetim or to recognize Chabad Hasidim as adherents of authentic Judaism.Rabbi Shach also compared Chabad and Rabbi Schneerson to the followers of the 17th-century false messiah
Sabbatai ZeviSabbatai Zevi, was a rabbi and kabbalist who claimed to be the long-awaited...
. Chabad representatives dismissed the comparisons, noting that whereas the Sabbateans deliberately violated religious laws on the assumption that a "new Torah" would emerge during messianic times, Chabad preached that only strict adherence to tradition would bring the redemption. Chabad also claimed that its veneration of the rebbe was not at odds with Jewish tradition.
Rabbi Shach once described Schneerson as "the madman who sits in New York and drives the whole world crazy."
In addition to Rabbi Shach's objections to some Chabad members venerating Rabbi Schneerson as the Messiah (both before and after his death), the two also disagreed on various issues of Jewish law and philosophy, but particularly politics. Chabad strongly opposed peace talks with the Palestinians or to relinquishing any Israeli territory under any circumstance, while Rabbi Shach alternately supported both left and right-wing parties in the Israeli elections. During the 1988 elections, Schneerson encouraged Israeli Haredim to vote for
Agudat IsraelAgudat Israel began as the original political party representing Haredi Judaism in Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all Haredi Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine...
over Rabbi Shach's newly-formed
Degel HaTorahDegel HaTorah is an Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox political party in Israel. For much of its existence it has been allied to Agudat Israel under the name United Torah Judaism.-Ideology:...
party. In response, Rabbi Shach's newspaper,
Yated Ne'eman, ran several articles documenting various Chabad writings and statements that supported Rav Shach's contention that Lubavitch was becoming a breakaway
sectThe historical usage of the term sect in Christendom has had pejorative connotations, referring to a group or movement with heretical beliefs or practices that deviate from those of groups considered orthodox....
of Judaism focused around Schneerson as the Messiah.
Chabad characterized Rabbi Shach's opposition to Rabbi Schneerson as being personal in nature, and stemming from private disagreements between the two leaders, but Rav Shach's supporters defended his harsh criticism of Chabad, saying the movement represented a very real threat of turning religious Jews to apostasy. There have been similar concerns regarding
Chabad MessianismChabad messianism, or Lubavitch messianism, is a term used to describe a spectrum of beliefs within the Chabad Hasidic movement regarding their late leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and his purported position as the Messiah...
that have since been raised among Haredi and
Modern OrthodoxModern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular, modern world....
communities in Israel and the United States.
In a conversation that he had with an American rabbi in the 1980s, Rabbi Shach stated, "The Americans think that I am too controversial and divisive. But in a time when no one else is willing to speak up on behalf of our true tradition, I feel myself impelled to do so."
It should be noted that in spite of his pitched battle against Lubavitch, Rabbi Shach nevertheless recited Tehillim when Rabbi Schneerson became sick. At the time he was asked for an explanation, and he obliged, “My battle is against his erroneous approach, against the movement, but not against the people in any personal way. I pray for the Rebbe’s recovery and simultaneously, also pray that he abandon his invalid way.”
Rabbi Shach made clear in his writings that he is not at all opposed to chassidim and chassidus (including Chabad Chassidim from the previous generations ) ; he recognized them as "yera'im" and "shlaymim" and full of Torah and Mitzvos and fear of heaven .
Rabbi Shach often clarified his stand, both in speech and in writing, that the slander spread against him about his persecution of chassidim was something he could never forgive, for it had transformed him into a baal machlokes, a hate-monger, at a time when he loved peace and pursued it to the nth degree.
In 1980, Rabbi Shach and Rabbi
Yaakov Yisrael KanievskyYaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as The Steipler or The Steipler Gaon , was a rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and posek ....
(known as the "Steipler") protested the Chabad
Lag Ba'omerLag BaOmer , also known as Lag LaOmer amongst Sephardic Jews, is a Jewish holiday celebrated on the thirty-third day of the counting of the Omer which is on the 18th of Iyar.-Etymology:...
parade .
In 1988 Shach explicitly denounced Schneerson as a
meshiach sheker (false messiah).
Rabbi Shach is quoted as saying, "Even if I knew for certain that they would burn me alive, I would still not desist in my campaign against false messianism, for this is bona fide avodoh zorah."
Rabbi Shach is quoted as saying, "We are fighting against secularism in the yeshivas. Today, besiyata deShmaya people are learning Torah in both Chassidic and Lithuanian yeshivos. In my view there is no difference between them; all of them are important and dear to me. In fact, go ahead and ask your Chassidic friends with us at Ponevezh if I distinguish between Chassidic and Lithuanian bochurim."
Other Haredi critiques
Rabbi
Yitzchok HutnerYitzchok Hutner was an Orthodox rabbi and American rosh yeshiva born in Warsaw, Poland, to a family with both Ger Hasidic and non-Hasidic Lithuanian Jewish roots. As a child he received private instruction in Torah and Talmud...
was opposed to what he is reported to have perceived as a "personality cult" built up around the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and to the public projection of both the Rebbe and the Lubavitch movement, by the movement, through public media—print and broadcast journalism, books, film, and the like.
Chabad Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg responded, in a letter to the magazine, "I can categorically state that none of the Chabad Yeshivas in any way, G-d forbid, "deifies" the Rebbe. Rabbi Belsky's statement is totally libelous and falls in the category of falsehood and slander. The issue of the role of a tzaddik has always been a point of contention between Chasidim and non-chasidim. A perusal of the works of such Chasidic luminaries as the Meor Ainayim, the Noam Elimelech, and the Tiferes Shlomo, to name just a few, underscores the central role that a Rebbe occupies in the life of a Chasid. Ultimately we have come to respect these differences of opinions between the two communities. For Rabbi Belsky to reiterate this opposition to what he considers to be an improper Chasid-Rebbe relationship only fuels the fires of baseless hatred."
Chabad messianism
Chabad messianism is a belief by some within the
Chabad-LubavitchChabad-Lubavitch is a Hasidic movement in Orthodox Judaism. One of the world's largest Hasidic movements, it is based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York...
HasidicHasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew: , Hasidut, meaning "piety") is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith. The majority of Hasidic Jews are ultra-orthodox....
movement that believe that the late Rabbi and leader of that movement
Menachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe amongst his hasidim, was a prominent hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch movement...
will be the
Jewish MessiahMessiah Messiah Messiah is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with the holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
. Adherents to this belief are termed Mishichist in Yiddish.
Before Schneerson's death in 1994 a significant body of Chabad Hasidim believed that he was soon to be crowned as the Messiah - an event that would herald the
Messianic AgeMessianic Age is a theological term referring to a future time of peace and brotherhood on the earth, without crime, war and poverty. Many religions believe that there will be such an age; some refer to it as the "Kingdom of God"....
and the construction of the Third Temple. Books and pamphlets were written containing purported proofs for the Rabbi's status as Messiah, some of which Schneerson opposed.
Attempts by his followers to persuade him to reveal himself as the Messiah were to no avail. Followers routinely sang the mantra
"Long live our master, our teacher and our rabbi, King Messiah for ever and ever" in his presence - a chant that he often encouraged in his last years, after suffering a stroke, which left him unable to speak and paralyzed on the right side of his body.
During the later years of his life Rabbi Schneerson's teachings were interpreted by many to mean that he was claiming to be the
MessiahMessiah Messiah Messiah is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with the holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
.
His death in 1994 did not remove the messianist fervor. Believers soon developed new rationales to justify the belief the Schneerson was the Messiah despite being dead. Some argued that he had in fact not died at all and was still physically present. Others argued that though he was dead Judaism did not rule out the possibility of the Messiah returning from the dead.
The development of this messianism and its impact on Chabad in specific — and
Orthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism is a formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim.Orthodox...
in general — has been the subject of much discussion in the Jewish press, as well as within the pages of peer-reviewed journals. Nevertheless, the belief in the Lubavitcher Rebbe being the Messiah, is confined to a subset of the Chabad community and is not accepted by Jewish adherents outside of that community.
Yechi
"Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu v'Rabbeinu Melech haMoshiach l'olam vo'ed!" is a phrase used by many Lubavitch Hasidim to pray and proclaim that the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe,
Menachem Mendel SchneersonMenachem Mendel Schneerson , known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe or just the Rebbe amongst his hasidim, was a prominent hasidic rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch movement...
is the messiah. It means "Long Live our Master, our Teacher, and our Rabbi, King Messiah, for ever and ever." The phrase can be seen printed in various settings, it is chanted by many people at the end of daily communal prayers in Lubavitch congregations, including the main Lubavitch synagogue in Crown Heights. In Oholei Torah/Oholei Menachem, the largest Lubavitch yeshiva outside Israel, Yechi is recited during the service, and an administrative directive declared that any student who cannot behave respectfully during the recitation should go elsewhere.
Yechi has a complex and controversial history dating back to the mid-1980s and is often viewed as a
litmus testA litmus test is a question asked of a potential candidate for high office, the answer to which would determine whether the nominating official would choose to proceed with the appointment or nomination...
to differentiate the messianists from the anti-messianists or non-messianists.
Shaul Shimon Deutsch
Rabbi
Shaul Shimon DeutschRabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch, the Liozna Rebbe , is a rabbi and author from New York City. He wrote and self-published a biography of the Chabad-Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson entitled Larger than Life, which proved extremely controversial in Chabad circles...
, a former Lubavitcher, started a new Hasidic group, Chabad-Liozna. However he has failed in attracting adherents. He took this title in a ceremony on December 5, 1996 at his synagogue on 45th Street in
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
. He took the name of the town of
LioznaLiozna or Liozno is an urban type settlement in Vitsebsk Voblast, Belarus, the capital of the Liozno District. It is located close to the border with Russia by the Vitsebsk-Smolensk railroad branch and highway, on the Moshna River...
in Belorussia where the early Chabad movement was founded with the intent of enticing Chabad followers away from the belief that their late leader was the Messiah. His actions have made him an object of derision within the mainstream Chabad community. He failed in attracting any adherents. He has enlisted almost no supporters having a small synagogue in Boro Park Brooklyn.
Weinstock estate
The "Weinstock estate" case, that dragged through the courts for ten years, divided the highest levels of Chabad administration into two irreconcilable camps.
In 1978 Judah Leo Weinstock bequeathed a $32 million estate to the
United Lubavitcher Yeshivot (ULY), a body that oversaw the funding of four Chabad
yeshivaYeshiva or yeshivah , or metivta or mesivta ) also frequently referred to as a Beth midrash, Talmudical Academy, Rabbinical Academy or Rabbinical School is an institution unique to classical Judaism for study of its traditional, central texts...
s, under the direction of Rabbi
Shemaryahu GuraryRabbi Shemaryahu Gurary, also known by his Hebrew initials as The Rashag, was an Orthodox rabbi belonging to the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. His father was Rabbi Menachem Mendel Gurary. He was the son-in-law of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn , known as Rebbe Rayatz, the sixth Rebbe of the...
. The donation had been solicited for the ULY by Rabbi Nachman Sudak, a Chabad emissary in London. However, Weinstock had asked that the money be used to establish Yeshivas in Israel, something that ULY was not capable of. Gurary ordered that the monies be distributed evenly between ULY and
Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch (MLC) which maintained Yeshivas outside the US. In 1987 a board of trustees (including Yehuda Krinsky) was established that distributed the money on a discretionary basis between ULY and MLC.
In October 1994, a few months after Schneerson's death ULY fell into financial troubles. The directors of ULY requested large sums from the trustees - eating into the principle of the estate. The directors of the MLC (some of whom were also trustees of the estate) objected to the requests, and the trustees of the estate refused to grant the money.
Furious, the directors of ULY began claiming sole title to the estate, based on a strict reading of Weinstock's original bequest. The ULY took the MLC to court, having failed to agree on a mutually acceptable
Beit Din. The previously open relationship between the ULY, MLC and the trustees - while Schneerson was alive - complicated the case, as did the ambiguity in the bequest.
Litigation
Surrogate JudgeThe New York Surrogate's Court is the court that handles all probate and estate proceedings in the state of New York, and the term also refers to the court's historical building. All wills are probated in this court and all estates of people who die without a will are handled in this court...
Michael Feinberg dealt with the case from 1995, when the dispute surfaced until 2000 when he ruled that there had been clear intent to share the money equally between the two organizations, once united but now at loggerheads.
In 1997 the dispute had deteriorated, and a rival ULY board headed by Krinsky claimed to be the rightful representatives of ULY. Feinberg ruled that until the dispute could be settled
Mario CuomoMario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994. Cuomo became nationally known for his keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention and the subsequent speculation over the next decade that he might run for the Democratic Party nomination for President of...
[How a Hefty Fee for an Ex-Governor Went Unnoticed, Tom Robbins, The Village Voice, July 23 - 29, 2003] would serve as the emergency receiver, a role he held till 2000. In 2000 Feinberg ruled that since the parties refused to attend any type of
Beit Din or arbitration, he had to rule against the original board and for Krinsky since the original board had failed to cooperate with the court-appointed arbitrator. The judge noted that:
The ruling was a major blow for the ULY board, known as the
Vaad, though their lawyers welcomed the decision publicly saying that they could now appeal.
In a final judgement in November 2003,
New York Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of the State of New York is New York State's trial court, and is of general jurisdiction. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
ruled that the original course of dealing before 1994 showed intent on behalf of the ULY to share the money evenly with MLC, and that course should continue. Thus, after nine years of litigation, the original ULY board lost their claim for complete control of the Weinstock estate.
Czech Republic
In
PraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Nicknames for Prague have included "the mother of cities" , "city of a hundred spires", or Stověžatá Praha in Czech and "the golden city" or Zlaté město in Czech.Situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, Prague has been the...
in 2005 tensions developed between Chabad members and Rabbi
Karol SidonRabbi Karol Efraim Sidon is a Czech Rabbi, writer and playwright. He is the current chief rabbi of the city of Prague and of the Czech Republic.-Life:...
. The
Alt-Neu Synagogue in Prague's ancient Jewish Quarter became the scene of an emotional dispute between members of the Chabad movement and locals backing Karol Sidon, chief rabbi of the Czech Republic. The conflict led to violent brawls and hospitalisations on a number of occasions. Sidon was eventually returned to his post.
In 2004 Tomas Jelinek the director of the community council fired Sidon as Rabbi giving the post to young Chabad rabbi Manis Barash. A grassroots campaign from community members led to the deposition of Jelinek as the community director. Jelinek then asked a religious arbiter in Israel to rule on the case who ruled in favor of Barash. Sidon's supporters argued that the case was void since Jelinek had lied to the Judge telling him that the community board had been behind his actions in firing Sidon and appointing Barash. However on 21 November 2005 he was reelected as the chief Rabbi of the city following the protracted dispute with
ChabadChabad is an acronym for Chochmah, Binah, and Da'at, the three levels of Sefirot related to cognition according to the Kabbalah....
.
Community head Jacub Roth told the press: " this is part of the local Chabad’s striving to take over the community’s religious life. We have seen an ugly foray of Chabad in their attempt to take over the Old-New Shul."
Sholom Ber Krinsky
Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky (nephew of Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky) the Chabad emissary to Vilnius has been embroiled in a number of scandals. His
soup kitchenA soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
was closed down because it served contaminated food. A scandal erupted when charges were made that he had stolen money from donors. Creditors took over the first floor of his Chabad Center to cover unpaid debts, and he remains indebted to his creditors. He collected money to maintain the Jewish cemetery in the city but never paid the $25,000 to the community which was his share in the maintenance.
Krinsky styles himself as Lithuania's "Chief Rabbi", though this was not widely accepted. His attempts to become the officially recognised chief rabbi included having
Yona MetzgerYona Metzger has been the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel since his appointment in 2003. His counterpart is Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel.-Background:...
– who has close ties to Chabad – write a letter to the Lithuanian President; he tried appealing to the Lithuanian Ministry of Justice, but this too failed. On February 29 2004, he held a meeting of 30 of his followers within the community and declared that they were the religious Jewish community of Lithuania. These people proclaimed him chief rabbi and documentation of the meeting was sent to the Ministry of Justice, but this failed to sway the government who maintained that choosing leaders was the prerogative of a religious community as a whole. In response 400 Jewish Lithuanians signed a document condemning Krinsky.
When the community appointed a Chief Rabbi, Chaim Burstein in early 2004 Krinsky and his followers began a campaign against him. In May 2004 some of Krinsky's followers attacked Burstein on the podium during prayers, and the police were called to break up what became a brawl. Burstein retreated to his home with some supporters to continue prayers but Chabad activists broke in and continued assaulting the worshippers.
The synagogue closed down and was reopened a few weeks later with security at the door to prevent the ingress of Krinsky and his friends. Krinsky attempted to enter and a brawl ensued. Krinsky told the press that the security made him "feel like I went through a Nazi selection." The synagogue was again closed for the duration of the summer, Krinsky and his Chabad followers maintained an angry vigil at the scene that was covered regularly by the local media.
In June 2007 Krinsky was facing eviction from his premises for non-payment of rent, and was given an ultimatum by the community to "publicly acknowledge the community's ownership of the synagogue and its choice of chief rabbi; cease referring to himself as "chief rabbi"; and submit to "a sound, open and transparent financial management".
Russia
Since the installation of Rabbi
Berel LazarRabbi Berel Lazar is an Orthodox, Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic rabbi. He is presently one of two claimants of being the Chief Rabbi of Russia, and chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities...
as the Chief Rabbi of Russia who was elected by Jewish communities and rabbis from throughout the Former Soviet Union. He is involved by Chabad
Federation there have been a number of controversies associated with Chabad influence with premier
Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich Putin was the second President of Russia and is the current Prime Minister of Russia as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus...
, and their funding from various Russian oligarchs, including
Lev LevievLev Avnerovich Leviev is a Chabad Orthodox Bukharian Jewish billionaire businessman, with a net worth of roughly $1.5 billion following the 2008 global financial crisis. He was once hailed by New York Times as the wealthiest Jew in the world. Leviev has been a major philanthropist for Jewish...
and
Roman AbramovichRoman Arkadyevich Abramovich is a Russian billionaire and the main owner of the private investment company Millhouse LLC. According to Forbes magazine, as of 11 March 2009, he had a net worth of US$8.5 billion, ranking him as the 51st richest person in the world...
. Lazar is known for his close ties to Putin's Kremlin.
Putin became close to the Chabad movement, since it is the largest Jewish organization in the FSU representing the majority of communities. Some say it was after a number of non-Chabad Jewish oligarchs and Rabbis including
Vladimir GusinskyVladimir Aleksandrovich Gusinsky , a Russian media baron, is known as the founder of Media-Most holding that included Most Bank, the NTV channel, the newspaper Segodnya and magazines....
(the founder of the non-Chabad
Russian Jewish CongressNon-profit charitable fund The Russian Jewish Congress is the greatest secular organisation of Russian Jews. It was established in 1996 by the initiative group of the Jewish businessmen, active workers and religious figures for revival of the Jewish life in Russia...
), backed other candidates for president.
Lev LevievLev Avnerovich Leviev is a Chabad Orthodox Bukharian Jewish billionaire businessman, with a net worth of roughly $1.5 billion following the 2008 global financial crisis. He was once hailed by New York Times as the wealthiest Jew in the world. Leviev has been a major philanthropist for Jewish...
, a chabad oligarch supported Putin, and the close relationship between them led to him supporting the Chabad federation nomination of Lazar as Chief Rabbi of Russia, an appointment that Putin immediately recognized despite it not having been made by the established Jewish organisation. Some have gone so far as to describe Lazar as Putin's
Court JewCourt Jew is a term for historical Jewish bankers or businessmen who lent money and handled the finances of some of the Christian European noble houses. A corresponding historical term is Jewish Bailiff...
; Lazar responded to these allegations:
Rabbi
Adolf ShayevichAdolf Shayevitch is one of two competing claimants to the title of Chief Rabbi of Russia. Despite his claims to the position, Adolf Shayevitch is not recognized by the Russian government as the leader of Russian Jewry....
, the Communist appointee, who had been Chief Rabbi of Russia until 1998, argues that the Lazar is merely the appointee of Chabad and that he remains Chief Rabbi. What happened, he explains, "has nothing to with religion and everything to do with politics and business. The president invites him to receptions and does not invite me. I am not offended."
Others argue that Shayevich is a just an hold over from the Communist regime and no influence or support in the country.
Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt was expelled from Russia by order of the government, after having lived in Russia for fifteen years. According to rival oligarch Vladimir Slutsker Goldschmidt told friends that it was Slutsker that had him expelled due to his opposition to Chabad. Lazer made no protest at the expulsion of his rival, and within days was appointed to Putin's "Public Chamber", a controversial body that human rights groups have criticised as a window dressing exercise, packed with Putin acolytes to "legitimize the government’s increasingly authoritarian policies".
According to an editorial in the
Jerusalem Post the reason why Lazar has not protested Putin's arrests of Jewish Oligarchs and Goldschmidt's deportation is that "Russia's own chief rabbi, Chabad emissary Berel Lazar, is essentially a Kremlin appointee who has been made to neutralize the more outspoken and politically active leaders of rival Jewish organizations."
The facts are that today Lazar is head of the largest Jewish group in the FSU, which has over 300 rabbis. They operate the largest network of educational, religious and social service programs in the Former Soviet Union. Their recognition is the result of the fact that they are the leading Jewish group in the country.
Darkei Shalom synagogue
The Darkei Shalom synagogue is a major synagogue in northern
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
. It was affiliated with
Chamah, a religious and social welfare movement on behalf of former Soviet Jews with offices in New York and Israel, as well as Moscow. The spiritual leader of Darkei Shalom, Rabbi David Karpov, is a devotee of the late Lubavitcher rebbe, yet over the years he has distanced himself from FEOR, the Chabad rabbinical grouping in Russia that appointed and is headed by Lazar. Kaprov was telephoned by Lazar telling him that the synagogue was being gifted to the Chabad movement by its owners and that he would have to leave the synagogue, and resign his post to make way for the a new Chabad emissary. Lazar suggested that if he fell into line with FEOR he may be allowed to stay. At the same time Kaprov received court orders over various technical and administrative issues, which Kaprov argued were due to Lazar pressuring Kaprov. In an open letter to Lazar, Rabbi Adolph Shayevich and 16 other rabbis wrote:
Shayevich added in a statement to the press that "they already have too much money and power, and are using it to destroy all Jewish organizations which resist Chabad’s total domination of Russian Jewish life."
Ukraine
Chabad maintain a Chief Rabbi in the
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
in opposition to non-Chabad Chief Rabbi
Yaakov BleichYaakov Dov Bleich is an American-born rabbi and member of the Karlin-Stoliner Chassidic group. He has been widely recognized as chief rabbi of both Kiev and Ukraine since 1992....
. A group of prominent secular Jews orchestrated the appointment of Rabbi
Moshe Reuven AzmanRabbi Moshe Reuven Azman is the Chabad chief Rabbi of Ukraine, one of three rabbis with a claim on the title, and one of two Chabad rabbis with a claim. He is the Rabbi of the Brodski Synagogue in Kiev....
- a Chabad messianist to rival Bleich and another Chabad rabbi, Azriel Haikin who had been appointed by Chabad in 2002. His election as Chief Rabbi by a group formed by some wealthy Jewish businessmen in October 2005, caused considerable controversy in the Ukraine Jewish community. Azman's election was endorsed by a group of secular Jewish leaders attending a Kiev Jewish conference, but not by any rabbinical authorities. A group of rabbis from the non-Chabad
Russian Jewish CongressNon-profit charitable fund The Russian Jewish Congress is the greatest secular organisation of Russian Jews. It was established in 1996 by the initiative group of the Jewish businessmen, active workers and religious figures for revival of the Jewish life in Russia...
attacked the appointment describing it as "illegitimate" and "insulting to the feelings of every believer". 150 secular Jewish leaders from 100 Ukrainian cities and towns later protested the vote as well.
According to the
Baltimore Jewish TimesThe Baltimore Jewish Times is a subscription-based weekly community newspaper serving the Jewish community of Baltimore.Baltimore's oldest and largest Jewish publication, it has been described as "the largest weekly in Maryland and one of the most respected independent Jewish publications in...
, More than 30 Chabad rabbis affiliated with the federation issued a statement Sept. 15 saying that the election of another Chabad rabbi, Moshe Reuven Azman of Kiev, to serve as Ukraine's chief rabbi was "illegitimate" and "insulting to the feelings of every believer. A chief Rabbi can be elected only by rabbis working in Jewish communities of that country," and argued that the election was invalid.
Gaon Club
The financial troubles at a central London club aimed at attracting professionals, consumed a third of Chabad's total Uk budget. Allegations of financial irregularities led to the directors of the Lubavitch Foundation (UK) filing a
Beit Din suit against the club's director rabbis Mendy Vogel and Yosef Vogel demanding that they cease and desist from using the Chabad name.
Rabbi Shlomo Levin, director of Lubavitch UK said the Lubavitch Foundation had been "unable to meet its monthly commitments, amassing large debts in unpaid teachers salaries, bank loans and unpaid PAYE." He complained that the Club was responsible for swallowing a large chunk of the movement's budget.
The Gaon club was opened by Chief Rabbi
Jonathan SacksJonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks, Kt is the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth. His Hebrew name is Yaakov Zvi....
in 2006 and was located in rent-free premises in the
West End of LondonThe West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, businesses, headquarters and the commercial West End theatres. Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
.
The club was closed and the
Beit Din ruled that the Vogel brothers must not use the Chabad, Lubavitch or Gaon Club names for at least 6 months and that they should return any Chabad property that they had in their possession. Rabbi Faivish Vogel the father of the two men, who was the chief fundraiser of the "Lubavitch Foundation (UK)" which brought the suit, resigned following the ruling.
It emerged that the foundation is now £1.5million ($3 million) in debt to banks and other individuals. The Vogel brothers expressed their intent to continue their activities despite the ruling: "We are not going anywhere. Our dedication to Anglo-Jewry, and particularly its young people, was not just a job. It was our life, as taught to us by our father who was inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe."
Rabbinical Center of Europe
Chabad established a rival rabbinical grouping (called the "Rabbinical Center of Europe") to the
Conference of European RabbisThe Conference of European Rabbis is the primary Orthodox rabbinical alliance in Europe. It was founded in 1956 on the initiative of British Chief Rabbi Sir Israel Brodie, and its current executive director is Aba Dunner...
, the primary Orthodox Jewish rabbinical conference in Europe since the Second World War. The body is headed by Moshe Garelick a Chabad Rabbi from
MilanMilan in Italy, is the capital of the region of Lombardia and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while the urban area is the fifth largest in the E.U. with an estimated population of 4.3 million...
. The executive director of the "Conference", Aba Dunner complained that the "center" was misrepresenting itself, deliberately confusing people and duplicating their work. Attacked their action as counter-productive he said:
While the organisation was set up as a Chabad group, they removed all references to Chabad after a few months, the Chabad Headquarters in New York still listed it as a Chabad organisation. The sister organisation of the "Center", the "European Jewish Community Center" uses the initials EJCC again similar to the initials of the
European Jewish CongressThe European Jewish Congress, , was founded in 1986. It is based in Paris, with offices in Brussels, Strasbourg, Berlin and Budapest...
- a major organisation with representatives in over 40 states. Cobi Benatoff, president of the European Jewish Congress siad "We will certainly be confronting Chabad about this issue, this way of misleading people is not the Jewish way."
Public menorahs
In 1989, the
County of AlleghenyAllegheny County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,281,666. The county seat is Pittsburgh...
with the support of Chabad defended itself in court all the way to the United States Supreme Court from the ACLU in
County of Allegheny v. ACLUIn County of Allegheny v. ACLU, 492 U.S. 573 , the U.S. Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of two recurring holiday displays located on public property in downtown Pittsburgh. The first, a nativity scene , was placed on the grand staircase of the Allegheny County Courthouse...
over the display of a public Menorah owned by Chabad.
The city of
Burlington, VermontBurlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. With a population of 38,889 at the 2000 census, the city is the core of one of the nation's smaller metropolitan areas, and is also the smallest U.S. city to be the largest city in its state...
denied the local Chabad chapter, headed by Rabbi Yitzchok Raskin permission to erect a
MenorahThe menorah , is a seven-branched candelabrum which has been a symbol of Judaism for almost 3000 years and is the emblem of Israel. It was used in the ancient Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Lit by olive oil in the Tabernacle and the Temple, the menorah is one of the oldest symbols of the Jewish people...
in the city's main park during Chanukah. Raskin appealed the decision on two occasions after an initial hearing 1987 found the display to be unconstitutional under the
Establishment Clause of the First AmendmentThe Establishment Clause of the First Amendment refers to the first of several pronouncements in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, stating that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion". Together with the Free Exercise Clause, The Establishment...
. The ACLU assisted the city of Burlington in a final appeal in the
United States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
in 1991, and the Menorah ban was upheld. A similar case occurred in Chicago in 1990, and the court found the same way, as did a court in
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of...
in 1986. Another a similar case in Cincinnati had the same judgement, as did a case in Georgia.
A similar case in
White PlainsWhite Plains may refer to:Places* White Plains, New York* White Plains, Georgia* White Plains, Kentucky* White Plains, Maryland* White Plains, North Carolina*White Plains , listed on the NRHP in South Carolina...
led to the
Common CouncilCommon Council may refer to:* The Court of Common Council, an elected body of the City of London Corporation* Buffalo Common Council, the legislative branch of the Buffalo, NY City Government...
unanimously rejecting the display of a Menorah in a public space in the town with the support of many Jews, affirming a local tradition of keeping parks free of religious and political displays.
In 1988, the
American Jewish CongressThe American Jewish Congress describes itself as an association of Jewish Americans organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad through public policy advocacy, using diplomacy, legislation, and the courts....
produces a 28-page report, entitled "The Year of the Menorah", criticising Chabad's Menorah campaign and the litigation that went with it. It complained of the increase in the number of menorahs placed on public lands arguing that it was causing tension both within the community and with non-Jews.
IN 2002 U.S. Supreme Court last ruled that Chabad of Southern Ohio were entitled to light an 18-foot menorah in the city's
Fountain SquareFor other fountain squares see Fountain Square.Fountain Square is a city square in Cincinnati. Founded in 1871, it was renovated in 1971 and 2005 and currently features many shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices.- History :...
. Justice
John Paul StevensJohn Paul Stevens is the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He joined the Supreme Court in 1975 and is the oldest member of the Court. He was appointed to the Court by Republican President Gerald Ford. Stevens is widely considered to be on the liberal side of the...
ruled that the city could not ban the chanukiah and other religious displays from the square.
SeaTac Airport
In December 2006 a controversy emerged after Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky complained that the SeaTac Airport was displaying a
Christmas TreeThe Christmas tree is a decorated artificial or living tree, a popular tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. Normally an evergreen coniferous tree that is brought into a home or used in the open, a Christmas tree is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during...
but not a Menorah. In response to this complaint the airport management removed the tree, and Bogomilsky was widely criticised in the press for "having the tree removed". After considerable press and TV news coverage, the tree was replaced and Bogomilsky released the following statement:
Satmar-Chabad disturbances
On a number of occasions through the 1980s, Chabad and Satmar Hasidim became involved in violent brawls over various issues. In 1983 tensions were elevated and rioting ensued. Chabad spokesman Yehuda Krinsky blamed the Satmars, saying that the attacks were
"definitely Satmar. Lubavitch is a victim of brutal attacks by Satmar. Their record of terrorism goes on." In a letter to
Time magazine he repeated his allegations, arguing that it was false to claim that both groups were guilty.
Shalom Dov Wolpo
Shalom Dov WolpoRabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, also Sholom Ber Wolpe, is a prominent religious author and political activist in Israel and a Chabad-Lubavitch rabbi....
called for the state execution of the prime minister of Israel
Ehud OlmertEhud Olmert is an Israeli political figure, and former Prime Minister of Israel having served from 2006 to 2009. Olmert was the mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003. In 2003 he was elected to the Knesset and became a minister and Acting Prime Minister in the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon...
and a number of senior ministers at a gathering of senior Israeli rabbis in
Tel AvivTel Aviv-Yafo , usually called Tel Aviv, is the second largest city in Israel, with an estimated population of 391,300. The city is situated on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline, with a land area of...
. He argued that they should be "hanged from the gallows" for giving "these Nazis [Palestinian terrorists] weapons and money".
Menahem Mazuz opened an investigation into the comments. In comments to the
Jerusalem Post, Meretz
MKmk is the build tool replacing make in Version 10 Unix, Plan 9 from Bell Labs, and Inferno. It improves upon its predecessor by introducing a completely new syntax that is both easier to read and more powerful...
Haim OronHaim "Jumas" Oron is an Israeli politician and former Minister of Agriculture. He is currently head of the political party New Movement-Meretz, for whom he serves as a member of the Knesset.-Biography:...
called on Defense Minister
Ehud BarakEhud Barak is an Israeli politician, former Prime Minister, and current Minister of Defense, deputy prime minister and leader of Israel's Labor Party....
to prevent the Chabad movement from providing religious services on
IDFThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are Israel's military forces, comprising the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
bases until it distances itself from Wolpe. Binyamin Netanyahu and Chabad spokesperson
Menachem BrodRabbi Menachem Brod is a senior Chabad rabbi in the Israel. He is the spokesman of the Chabad youth movement center Tze'irei Agudas Chabad in Israel. After the passing of previous Chabad spokesman Berke Volf, Brod became almost the only official Chabad spokesman in the Israeli media...
also condemned the comments. Brod argued:
His comments were also condemned by a number of religious MKs and by the
Orthodox UnionThe Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States...
The row threatens to split the movement, with the messianists faction at risk of being distanced from the rest of the Chabad movement.
Wolpo has a long history of controversy in Chabad that in the past has resulted being chastised by the Rebbe in an unprecedented fashion. In Iyar 5744, 1984 the Rebbe told Rabbi Wolpo in reference to his repeated statements about Moshiach, "I am warning him to stop speaking, writing to spread or print anything about the ideas of Moshiach. In his name or in the name of others, or in whatever "kuntz" or style and way. And if G-d forbid he does something he should know clearly he is making a battle against me."
After bringing the Chabad Yeshiva to the edge of bankruptcy in Kiryat Gat he was removed as its director and replaced by Rabbi Havlin, now chief rabbi of Kiryat Gat and Rosh Yeshiva-Dean of the Chabad Yeshiva.
Chabad Youth Organisation
The death of the director of the Chabad Youth Organisation in Israel, the de facto hub of the vast majority of Chabad's activities in Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Madaintchek led to a power struggle between messianist and moderates over the control of the group. The messianists were led by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Wilshansky, the
Rosh YeshivaRosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of the Chabad Yeshiva in
SafedSafed is a city in the Northern District of Israel. At an elevation of 800 meters above sea level, Safed is the highest city in the Galilee. Since the sixteenth century, Safad has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias...
, while the moderates were led by Rabbi Yosef Aharonov. Wilshansky took Aharonov to court to prevent him making material changes CYO's foundation documents, signatory rights, directors, and membership, or making any other fundamental changes. The petitioners claim that this is an attempt to illegally take over the group and Chabad in Israel in general.
Control of 770 Eastern Parkway
The synagogue is currently being run by a team of
Gabbaim who are elected by members of the Crown Height community every three years. For many years these people have been exclusively messianst and have set the tone for of the building. In 2005, following the plaque disturbance (see below), the Gabbaim, who had incorporated themselves as "Congregation Lubavitch Inc." went to court challenging the right of Agudas Chasidei Chabad and Merkos L'inyonei Chinuch to control the building and the synagogue. In 2006 ACC and MLC won the case over ownership of the building and served CLI with an eviction notice, and in December 2007 the New York Supreme Court upheld the eviction. CLI is expected to appeal this decision.
2004 disturbances
On December 15, 2004 a disturbance erupted in Crown Heights between anti-messianists and messianists that led to nine arrests after the official movement attempted to install a plaque, noting that Schneerson was dead. Gil Schwartz explained the reasoning of the messianists: "He's alive - they are writing that the rebbe is dead!" Another messianist, Meyer Romano, the next day said:
"The Rebbe is Superman and [Rabbi] Yehuda Krinsky is Lex Luthor, you understand?"
2006 disturbances
Further disturbances following the Annual emissaries conference in November 2006 led to a number of injuries and damage to the property according to the senior emissary Dovid Eliezire as quoted in the
Jewish Week. He wrote an article on the events that was published in Chabad periodicals and online.
2007 ruling
On December 27, 2007 Judge Ira Harkavy of the New York State Supreme Court ruled that the
Gabbaim did not have the right to control the synagogue and gave the Chabad organisations that own the building the right to evict the
Gabbaim. The
Gabbaim expressed their intent to appeal, pending the transfer of a $500,000 bond and an undertaking to maintain the synagogue in the meantime. According to the
Jewish Week, it remains unclear how the owners will exercise the rights the court has given them and some are predicting serious violence if any attempts are made to enforce the ruling. Edward Rudofsky, attorney for the community, warned of violence:
Further reading
- http://chareidi.shemayisrael.com/archives5766/pinchos/olubavtchpnc66.htmOn the Spectrum of Messianic Belief in Contemporary Lubavitch Chassidism, David Berger
David Berger may refer to:* David Berger , deputy district attorney, Los Angeles, California* David Berger , former member of Canada's Parliament and ambassador to Israel...
]
- Chabad and Messianism, Adam Dickter, Hadassah Magazine and Hadassah's apology for printing it.
- The Once and Future Messiah in Early Christianity and Chabad, Joel Marcus
- Dalfin, Chaim. Attack on Lubavitch: A Response, Jewish Enrichment Press, February 2002 (ISBN 1-880880-66-0)
- Yanover, Yori. Attack on Chabad Is Called Unredeemable The Forward
The Forward is a Jewish-American weekly newspaper published in New York City.As of 2008, the Forward is published as a weekly news magazine in separate Yiddish and English editions. Each is effectively an independent publication with its own contents. Jane Eisner became Editor in June, 2008. The...