Posted to Chabad News on

Did Petty Fighting Lead to Posul Tekios in 770?

On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Sholom Tenenbaum took his place on the Bimah of 770 to blow the Rebbe’s Shofar. After the Tekios were blown, a crack was found on the Shofar’s exterior, likely rendering the Tekios heard by thousands to be insufficient for fulfillment of the Mitzvah. The question on many people’s mind was: Why wasn’t the Shofar inspected beforehand by Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba? In fact, why wasn’t he present on the Bimah during Tekios as usual?

A source informed CrownHeights.info that a few days before Yom Tov, a meeting was held between the Gabo’im and Rabbis Schwei and Braun. Only two Gabo’im showed up – Avrohom Holtzberg and Zalman Lipsker.

At the meeting, several demands were made of the Gabo’im: 1. Rabbi Osdoba would lose his Aliyah on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, being called up on the second day instead. 2. Rabbi Osdoba’s seat would not have his name on it (instead it was to be labeled with Rabbi Marlow OBM’s name). 3. Rabbi Osdoba would lose his privilege of being “Makrie” the Tekios (pointing to the next sound for the Baal Tokea, as is the Chabad custom). 4. That Rabbi Shlomo Segal, a Dayan on the Beis Din, be denied a seat and aliyah altogether.

All these changes were intended to cause disrespect for the senior Rov and the Dayan who supports him, and showed a departure from the customary procedures which had been in place since Rabbi Marlow’s passing over 10 years ago.

The Gabo’im discussed these demands among themselves and responded to Rabbis Schwei and Braun that they would only comply with these directives if they were put in writing and signed. Rabbis Schwei and Braun declined to do this, and so the Gabo’im informed Rabbis Osdoba and Segal that things would commence as usual this year.

One Gabbai, however, decided to take matters into his own hands. Without the consent of his fellow Gabboi’m, Zalman Lipsker went ahead and fulfilled all of Rabbi Schwei and Braun’s demands.

Since Rabbi Osdoba did not want to get into another physical confrontation with Rabbi Braun (as had transpired last year when the younger Rabbi Braun physically pushed the elderly Rabbi Osdoba away and inserted himself alongside the Baal Tokea to seize the honor of being Makrie), he did not take his usual place on the Bimah to ensure that the Tekios were done properly – for the first time in ten years.

The result was that the Tekios were very likely Posul; a brocha L’vatolah was made and thousands of Jews thouht that they had fulfilled the Mitzvah of Shofar on rosh Hashanah – when in reality it is very probable that they were ‘Nichshol.’

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58 Comments

  • rabbi osdoba

    rabbi osdoba is so highly respected! how could this happen!? ever heard of sinas chinam?!?!?

  • chleaks.com

    770 downstairs is for the losers who can’t find a community.

    All the rejects are still “davening” there.

    770 downstairs is NOT a place to be Mechanich children to Daven and respect a Shul; Rov and the Rebbe zt”l.

    In regards to the post at whole.

    We must only defeat these people!!!

  • the truth

    Really the crack has been there for a number of years and now finally this year with Rabbi O not being there Hashem helped and the problem was finnaly discovered and everyone was able to hear tekios on a different shofar.

    in any case i am sure that the defenfer of israel the holy Rebbi Levi Yitzchok of berdichev is kvelling up in heaven from this wonderfull article you chose to put up.

  • disappointed

    do we need more proof? Zalman needs to be ashamed of himself & needs to resign or be fired! additionally isn’t it extremely clear by these actions & demands that Braun is not a Rov & even If he he has Smicha he is unqualified to be anything more then a cleaner in 770 or any shul! Unfortunately Schwei is Just a puppet & has no self respect it seems

  • sholom

    What is your enjoyment to attack Rabbi Braun . did he ever do anything to you , when ever you find a chance you attack and embarass him , and you stireup a Machlokess , why do you do that.

  • daniel altman

    Generally I am more inclined to Meshehistism(pardon my spelling) and nobodies actions will put me off-the principal has to be seperated from the actions of the few but still Rabbi Braun pushing R Osdoba (if that indeed transpired) devalues him as a ROV has to be a Rov we start with basic’s first such as not assaulting people physically.

  • OY REBBE

    The essential mitzvah (commandment) of Rosh Hashanah is to hear the sounding of the shofar

    but in crown heights Broin and the cabal have other ideas
    if broin make a qeustion of the rebbes mikvah the rebbe made sure to take away HIS SHOFAR

  • Where is our ahavas yisroel?

    Why does this need to be posted??? why does the whole crown heights and outside crown heights need to read all the politics? all it brings is pure loshon horah! We just finished Rosh Hashana and we are already starting with posting of machloikes and getting involved in such things?!? What a shame! PLEASE think twice before putting up such articles!

  • ruvi l

    Braun is just as schwei did before him not smart enough to lay low and just answer simple shaalos.

    He sticks his 2 cents everywhere… One day his base will turn on him and he will also need a new place to daven.

  • I agree with #2

    And this is why I haven’t been in 770 in years. I heard Kosher Tikyos from a Yiras Shomayim & beautiful Tefillos from other Yirei Shomayim. Good luck to all you sheeple out there.

  • CHLEAKS.COM

    DISTRACTIONS DISTRACTIONS

    Don’t let the corrupt cabal at the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Inc. distract you with stupidity.

    Attention corrupt cabal at the CHJCC, where are the millions of dollars you received over the years by way of our tax dollars to assist the needy of the Crown Heights Communities?
    STOP THE CORRUPTION STOP THE FRAUD!!!

  • Stop whining you bunch of loosers

    Why are you guys whining? Isn’t this what Rabbi Braun promised us in his famous speech?

    “Bloot Zol Zich Gissen, Nor Sholom Zol Zain – blood should be spilled, but peace it will be” (Rabbi Braun on Yud Shvat 5771 (Jan. 15, 2011) during his acceptance speech to be rav in Crown Heights)

  • the real truth

    i think the reasson the rebbes shofar was taken away is because of the whole machlokis witch comes for lack of covid for rabbonim

    5746 there was a psul in sefer torah in 770 the rebbe said it is because of the lack of kavod harrabonim. 5772 the rebbes rov (who was elected 5746) was not in 770 rosh hashana for “some reason”….

  • moishe

    its all a bunch of BS both sides are losers and all you guys in CH have nothing better to do thenh fight its rabbis are losers and so is the neigberhood

  • hint

    the shofar between braun and Rabbi Osdobo the place where you put your mouth is by Rabbi Osdobo and the place where you hear is by braun maybe that has somthing to do with the fact that we need to let Rabbi Osdoba speak and braun could listen for a change and realize hes a bit younger

  • CHLEAKS.COM

    They (The Meshichist Mossrim faction) can not WIN over our hearts and minds, so they attempt to take it by force!!!

    They (The Meshichist Mossrim faction) will attempt to take our hearts and minds by force but they will FAIL!!!

    They(The Meshichist Mossrim faction)will FAIL because we are not sheeple, we are people, we are people who will stand for our rights and fight!

    We (Chabad of Crown Heights faction) are tired of trying to convince you (The Meshichist Mossrim faction)of your wrong ways.

    We(Chabad of Crown Heights faction)are currently focused on defeating you (The Meshichist Mossrim faction) and we will be VICTORIOUS!!!

    The stronger one will be VICTORIOUS!!!

  • Ahavas Yechi. Ahavas Osdoba.

    I am a ‘mishichist’. I support Rav Osdoba. I hate violence. I despise politics and devise tactics.

  • visionary

    lipskar has got to go .someone who did what he did as a bochur should be living in australia, never to set foot in crown heights, there is simply something really wrong with him.if he were in satmar his hands and feet would be broken, and when they would heal ,they would break them again ,when you see him in 770 yell sheigitz arois.

  • classmate of his

    zalmen was, is, and will never be normal,he must be thrown out, for good.always a baal machlokes, he is mentally ill, a mental midget,g-d save us all.

  • ONLY RESPONSE:

    MOSHIACH IS URGENTLY NEEDED IMMEDIATELY, NOW, THAT SHOULD BE OUR ONE & ONLY RESPONSE TO ALL THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • News in a Flash

    Ch.info Please Write an article saying that Rabbi Osdoba status and title is not the one in question ITS MR.Bruans!!!! Who Does this guy think he is to waltz in and consider himself an equal he 100% is NOT equal to Rabbi Osdoba Who Severed as a ROV when the Rebbe was hear.

    As for Zalman Lipskir I am pretty sure he was the one that put a tape recorder in 770 on Shabbos and the Rebbe spoke against it, now we gave some power to this guy who only gave the Rebbe Agmas Nefesh and he thinks he can say what happens in 770????

  • Your fellow Jews

    CrownHeights.info, don’t you see the need to filter the articles and comments! This article causes a chilul sheim lubavitch. In honor of Rosh Hashana and the message the shofar teaches us – to do teshuva, how about publishing articles that promote ahavas yisroel!

  • disturbed by comments

    STOP!!!!!!!!!!!
    LET’S ALL LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SEE WHAT EACH ONE OF US (NOT THE NEXT PERSON) NEEDS TO DO LEMA’AN HA’SHOLOM,LEMA’AN HA’EMES …and plead with Hakodosh Boruch Hu for a Gemar Chasima Tova, for the Geulah Shelema.

  • Go Rabbi Osdoba!

    I never, ever thought I’d say I support Rabbi Osdoba, I don’t like him as a person but here i am. For all his faults and not nice way of speaking to people i think he is a true chosid and a lamdan. Braun and Shcwi are the problem if they go we will have sholom. Can’t we ship Braun somewhere else?

  • Avrahom

    If the above is true, then they must leave. Since they were elected to their posts. there is a simple way to remove them. If a petition is signed with over 1,000 signatures and presented the Vaad Hakahal there will have to leave. In the way they were elected, that is the way they can leave.

  • What happened??

    Can someone please clarify what happened LAST year at the tekios? Was Rabbi Osdoba the Makri for the tekios, or otherwise?

  • to #9

    To: CH.info in respond to no. 9 (Where is our ahavas yisroel? wrote:
    Why does this need to be posted??? why does the whole crown heights and outside crown heights need to read all the politics?) DO you think that if ch.info want write about it then it did not happened they are only reporting the News not making the news

  • YOSSI A

    TO #1

    Sure we heard of (AND READ )about sinas chinum!!!!!

    just read all the vile comments from oure bretheren (on both sides)in the Rebbe’s shuchina.
    Why do use a fake name???

    CHASSIDIM WE ARE STANDING BEFORE YOM HADIN YOM KIPPUR STOP WITH THE SINAS CHINUM

    MOSHIACH NOWWWW

  • Some answers

    1) Last year Rabbi Braun physically pushed away Rabbi Osdoba from the Bima and didn’t let him be Makrie and he was Makrie instead.

    2) Zalmen Lipsker broke into the Rebbe’s holly room and installed a tape-recorder to listen in to the Rebbe’s private activities and the Rebbe spoke about it with great pain and the Rebbe called him “a chick that hasn’t opened his eyes”. (5727-8)

    I guess Zalmen needs a good eye doctor….

    Oh, and by the way, Zalmen is in good company, Chanina Sperlin who is in coo-hoots with Lipsker did the same in 5753-4.

    I guess its the philosophy that runs the Braun & Schwei party.

  • equalizer

    let us all make a collection and ship braun back to where he came from, he must go ,shwei is not a bad person , but not so sharp, he should be more involved with his immediate family , they need help.

  • To #39

    Nobody is saying that Crownheights.info is creating the news, but by putting up the article they are spreading Loshon Horah. They are asking for people to comment and look where it went!! So much negative about people and the Rabbonim is being written here right after Rosh Hashana! Why do we need to read about this??? It’s nobody’s business what Rabbi Osdoba or Rabbi schwei or anyone did a bunch of years ago either. Lets keep away from Loshon Harah!

  • Why all the Fuss

    Unfortunately it’s a fact 770 has been relegated to just one of the sixty shuld there are in CH ( & not the largest of local CH baalebatim). There were about 400 Taleisim in 770 on RH. when you take into account some of these were Israelis that doesn’t leave a very respectable number. Anyone can challenge these figures but if we say that the average minyan had 50 that accounts for 3,000 outside of 770. Ohel Nosson had 500 people. Bais Shmuel 350, Empire Shtiebel 225 and these are primarily Baalebatim. so Golus is here and 770 is under siege and serves the tourists who waste 5 million dollars plus coming here. BTW, Braun & Schwei are not community rabbis. they serve their relatively small number of constituents. Beis Shmuel & Ohel Noson have more families. It’s really sad.

  • Rabbi Heller Where Are You?

    Rabbi Heller Where Are You?
    With all this political mess how come you don’t get involved and help this community? You where also chosen during the Rebbe’s lifetime to be Rov. This Beis Din Chilul Hashem is horrible for our community, children and spiritual state as a whole while. How come you choose not to put your foot down while the Crown Heights Beis Din, Rabbonos and ensuing Machlokos just escalates? It’s time to wake up and realize that you are needed now, disparately!

  • vein potzeh peh umetzafzef

    Since the so called Rabbi’s Schwei & Braun have come here we have lost neshomos RACHMONO LITZKLAN and nobody says anything the fish stinks at the top

  • Sign Reader

    Since they, the Meshugena Meshichistim, believe the Rebbe zt“l didn’t die, why don’t they just be Mechabeid the Rebbe himself to blow the shofar, just as he always used to do?

    Since they argue that if people would only ”open their eyes“ they would see him standing there, so too if they would only ”open their ears“ they would surely hear him blowing the shofar? (Kind of like the joke of giving him Hagboh.)

    It seems that there is a clear lesson in these events, that Hashem and the Rebbe zt”l do NOT approve of and do NOT bless the Meshichist congregation. Let the truth be known, this is a sign that indeed the entire Meshichist congregation and everything that they do is completely “cracked” and “Posul.”

    Gemar Chasima Tova to all Chassidim who strive to honor the Rebbe zt”l’s memory in the proper way. Have the courage to stand up against all the Meshichist foolishness, nonsense, and brutal tactics. It is time for some serious Teshuva and corrective measures.

  • ashamed

    the frierdiker rebbe said that nowadays a chossid is someone who davens with a minyan 3 times a day and doesnt hurt people, nowadays a rov in ch doesnt qualify for a chossid

  • For #36

    I do not think that one can be a true chasid if he does not talk nicely to people. To me, that is not possible. A true chasid speaks to others with compassion, love, care, and other mature and spiritual attitudes. What IS your definition of a chasid? Furthermore, how many calling themselves chasidim are really that? There is a lot to think about during these holy days, but not everyone will be able to be honest with themselves to actually improve their lives. Many are so caught up in what is on the outside, what they want to control, how much money they must have beyond their need, pushing people aside…….for what????!!!! Who IS a Jew? WHAT is a Jew? What are the spiritual elements a Jew aspires to? What will it take for so many to stop and look inside, rather than thoughtlessly repeat the same old habits of mean-spirited behavior? I just don’t get it. Why say you are something you clearly are not? Why?

  • I LUV CH.INFO

    I LOOK HERE AT THE COMMENTS AND THANK THE GOOD LORD THAT HE GAVE ME THE WISDOM AND ABILITY TO THINK LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN BEING, THIS IS WHERE MY INSPIRATION TO BE A REAL FOLLOWER OF THE REBBE, HIS BAIS DIN (INCLUDING RAABI SCHWEI, RABBI OSDABA AND RABBI BRAUN)AND DO ALL THAT THE REBBE ASKED FOR…
    ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WAS SHOLOM IN THE SCHUNAH JUST BTW, AND TO ALL U HATERS GET A LIFE RABBI BRAUN WON AND ITS OVER SO JUST LISTEN TO REASON AND FOLLOW THE LAW OF TORAH.

  • To #51

    Rabbi Osdoba seems to have mellowed as he got older. I think he is more approachable now probably because he sees the damage the other two are doing to us and so he listens more and is less harsh when he answers. I had a very important shaloh that affected the community (a mikvah) and he was very patient, listened and paskened. It’s a shanda that there’s such machloykes here and we are in gehakte tsuris. If these 3 can’t be civil to each other and be tolerant and work together is it surprising the rest of us have problems? As for being a chasid, I don’t think you can say Braun is mekusheh to the Rebbe, he’s his own chasid, he’s dishonest (remember that little problem called NO SMICHA???) and Schwei is controlled by other people. I don’t know how we will ever get past all these problems unless we elect a complete new Bais Din.

  • coming from Rosh Hashana.....

    start the year clean
    no loshon horah, no fights
    this is hats going to bring moshiach

  • halacha is not therapy!

    To #51. Please stop confusing the issues. Did anyone dare to infer that Rav Zalman Shimon Dworkin z“l or for that matter Rav Marlow z”l were less than qualified as Rabbonim because of their “bedside manner” although it’s no secret that they were both known to be abrupt at times?

    Rabbonim are rare masters of Halacha and extensive Torah scholarship,they are the perpetuators of the links of the Oral tradition to all successive generations and for that, the qualification is Semicha; however, they are not therapists or social workers!

  • Kadosh Kadosh KadoshYom Kippur is coming

    l’ll follow Hashem Ruah Ha Kodesh any day king david said it is better to place your trust in Hashem rather than puny man Psalm 118:8 . Amen ve Amen.

  • Time

    I do not think I actually am confusing issues. Yes, they are Halacha masters and Torah scholars; however, neither on of those entitities excludes proper behavior to our fellowmen. Neither one of those precludes an ethic of behavior in a given situation. I do not expect therapy. I do not look for a social worker here. I look for basic, compassionate, caring examples of leadership. And if that has not been the case, then I do not wonder why so many are acting the way they do. I do not believe in “do as I say, not as I do”. I think that is outdated and inadequate. It is time to know better. It is time to take stalk. It is that time of year, so I suggest we get to it.