Bochurim Blackmailed by Denial of Winter Coats

For many years now, the Kupas Bochurim of the Yeshiva in 770 has been distributing hats, jackets and coats to the hundreds of students, most of whom come from Israel and lack suitable winter attire. This distribution has been funded by Sholom Ber Drizin of Crown Heights.

Update: Reb Yoel Kahan releases letter encouraging all Bochurim to refuse to sign.

Update 2: 770 Hanholah puts a stop to the discrimination until S.B. Drizin can be reached.

As reported previously, in a desperate attempt to bolster Mendel Hendel‘s floundering Eshel-Hachnosas Orchim, Drizin has threatened that all participants in the activities of the “Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim” will no longer receive any part of the assistance he provides for the Bochurim.

Now, he has made good on that threat; all Bochurim in 770 are now being required to sign a letter to Drizin, in which they declare their allegiance to Mendel Hendel’s organizations and denounce the activities of the Vaad, as a pre-condition to receiving a coat for the winter.

Rabbi Shlomo Zarchi, head Mashpia of the Yeshiva, has been made aware of this scheme, yet professes his inability to exert any control over the Kupas Bochurim.

A free translation of the letter:

Dear Rabbi Sholom Ber Drizin,

First of all I would like to thank you for your well-known ongoing support of the Tmimim for many years. The Dor Deah Mivtza that assists thousands of Tmimim to come to the Rebbe, distribution of hats and jackets to thousands of Tmimim, the activities of Eshel – Hachnosas Orchim, that generously hosts all of the Tmimim irrespective of their opinions and Yeshiva etc.

In the past year “Vaad Talmidei Hatmimim” has been established and has begun providing accomodation to the Tmimim’ and to organize learning Sedarim of their own, thereby inciting Machlokes and fights, for no justified reason.

I wish to clarify, that irrespective of the Yeshiva that I attended previously, I have no connection whatsoever to matters of Machlokes and fighting between the Tmimim. I do not understand the need to establish an organisation competing with Eshel – Hachnosas Orchim, that has been hosting all of the Tmimim without exception for many years irrespective of their opinions. I therefore hereby declare that I will not participate with them in any way and will not be a participant in Machlokes.

I am aware that any Bachur that participates in these programs will lose his right to recieve hats, jackets or coats etc.

I hope and wish that peace and unity will return among the Rebbe’s children and cause him much Nachas, speedidl bringing about his immediate revelation.

Name and Signature

Yechi Adonenu…

Update: Under orders from Rabbi Zarchi, Rabbi Sholom Ber Brod kicked the distribution out of the premises of 1414.

At Reb Yoel Kahan‘s urging, a significant number of Bochurim are refusing to sign the discriminatory declaration. Many of them did not participate in the vaad’s programs, but nevertheless refuse to participate in the divisive tactics that are being used against their fellow Temimim.

Update: Reb Yoel Kahan released the following letter urging Bochurim not to sign the paper – even if it means not receiving a coat. “Don’t sell your birthright for lentil soup,” he writes:

Update: The Hanholah of 770 published the following notice to the students of the Yeshiva stating that they believe that there has been a misunderstanding regarding Drizin’s demands for the distribution of winter coats.

The Hanhala writes that they have not yet been able to contact Mr. Drizin, who is not in New York at the moment, and therefore the distribution will continue in the meantime without the Bochurim being required to sign the letter of support for Mendel Hendel.

In the event that Mr. Drizin does notify that he refuses to provide for those students that do not share Mendel Hendel’s extremist views, the Hanhala is powerless to intervene.

As previously reported, a Crown Heights gvir has pledged to purchase winter coats for any Bochur who did not receive one due to participation in the Shiurim and programs of the Vaad.

43 Comments

  • Shmerel

    Nobody is forcing them to sign anything and take a coat. As far as Drizin is concerned the other Vaad came into the game later as an Anti alternative and is causing machlokes.

  • Every DOG has his day

    Drizin/Hendel now you think you are on top of the horse, remember the Rebbe Rashab said never to forget that the world is round like a spinning wheel, whoever is on top is destined to come down, while the guy on the bottom is destined to come up.

  • CHLEAKS.COM

    It’s seems Menachem Mendel Hendel has to much time on his hands….Time to keep him busy with self-preservation!

  • disappointed

    disgusting whether one says yechi or not is irrelavent if zarchi (Aka santa?) won’t or can’t do anything then fire him & get someone with a set that will sb drizin should be told to go to hell! anyone who plays games like this is not a chosid of the rebbe only a gangster & gangsters need to be dealt with I am sure many of anash have a extra coat that they don’t use if the community joins together & tells s,b. & co where to go they will fall deep & quick I am willing to give a way a coat in good condition to a needy bachur are you?

  • Barack

    Dear Mr Drizin,

    While we appreciate you donating your hard earned money, we now have a new system enacted under my presidency in the USA, where we can tell you how and what to do with YOUR money.

    Therefore, going to into effect immediately, you MUST provide coats for every man woman and child in the entire USA in addition you must immediately make a payment of $50,000,000 to help fund a last minute effort for my re-election campaign so that we can continue another 4 years of telling people what to do with THEIR money.

    Best,

    Barack Hussein Obama

  • Drizin will meet his maker soon

    I wish him long years, but his age makes it appear that he’s closer than most in meeting his maker. I wouldn’t want to meet the maker with these types of things on my rap sheet. It’s his business and if he’s not worried then so be it. It’s just an opportunity for another gvir to receive the mitzvah and donate supplies to the bochurim who Drizin is refusing his charity from.

  • CATASTROPHIC

    I support having the Israeli bochurim here (though some don’t behave appropriately) and I ABHORE drizin and all his low life shtick. But this whole issue has made it VERY CLEAR to me why we were hit with such a devastating storm and threaten to be hit again. I guess when people like old man drizin get the message these catastrophes will cease.

  • Drizins SELEKTZIA

    I davend once in drizinzs shul on crown st and hear him yelling at another jew in shul calling him a nazi and that he was practicing ‘selectzia’.

    look who is doing it now….

    STOP THE SELEKTZIA!

  • said

    non scence!
    if you wish to get stuff from the vaad… food acomadation ect. then let them give coats to the bocherim as well! you are either with or against me..

  • I am wondering....

    Is this drizen such a sick….

    Or it Hendel throwing some weight around without drizens Permission?

    Did who ever created these papers even plan to show them too him?

    I guess we will get this answer when we see how drizen reacts to this article.

  • dude

    tochus leckers!

    I bet avremel lokshin can cover for the rest – probably puts him in his back pocket.

    What a loser!

  • awacs

    Well, it’s his money, and this is how he chooses to spend it.
    The folks that don’t like it – why don’t they put together a fund?

    I guess it’s easier to complain than to actually do something. I choose to do neither. :-)

  • moshe drizin

    To #1

    Didn’t drizin fund the fake kinus that started after the real one?! U can’t crow fowl to the new hachnosis orchim came along later when h came along after to pay shluchim to come to the fake kinus!!

  • rebbe is alive, not in a slogan

    this is an amazing move on he drizin/hendel/sperlin/shaglow/slavin/hertzog etc etc group

    now the vaad will give coats, hats and much more to the true lubavitch bochurim

  • strpbc-

    no self respecting “big Lubavitcher” gets his name shmeared in internet websites. this is just another attempt to make the general chabad public feel meyayesh. how obnoxious. just what we don’t need

  • Mendy

    I dont get it! You make like drizin owes them something! They opened their own org to fight his, and now they come crying! What were they thinking when they started this whole thing?

  • Take YOUR money and shove it

    Dear mr Drizin take YOUR money and shove it.
    interestingly enough in a time of poeple waking up and helping the unfotunate This Deranged individual flashing HIS money.
    send him to Belvue they are about to reopen.

  • This past Shabbes

    in the parsha this shabbes we read about the sedom and Amorah
    and the MASHCHISSIM .
    what we can say to this Reshoim in the time that every person in New York is busy doing good deeds.
    you really found time for Hate.

    SHAME SHAME SHAME ON YOU

  • moshe der g

    hey people

    i disagree with what he is doing
    but god gave him the money and not you and me. and in a free country he has the right to do as he pleases with his money. he earned it and he may do as he pleases

    if we do not like it. then we should donate to the vaad hatmimim and they will have money to give out coats and hats.

    if there is a website for them to donate please post i would like to donate to them

    sb drizin is a big ball tzedakah and helps many families in crown heights quietly and without fanfare. so he deserves credit for all he does (on those good things)

  • Shmuel

    Who is Drizin already, someone with no brains just a couple of dollars, so far his money is doing too much damage and may not be worth the good things he does???

    He built the Eshel building which discriminates against not meshichist shluchim, Maybe his kids will be smarter

  • Avrahom

    Have 3 anash make a din torah against Hendel that what he is doing is against Shulcan Aruch and let the bais din decide what to do with him.

  • chaval...

    Its a shame such a person who does so much good can stoop so low, he has helped many shluchim, business men and needy in crown heights but this is just uncalled for and outright mafia.

    Sholom Ber – you are a jew just like the rest of us, a chabad chossid who has the obligation to do what the rebbe would of wanted. Instead of using your wealth to help people you are using it to fuel machlokes.

    Woe is to you and all involved, what go’s around comes around and you or your money are no different.

    Its never too late to do Teshuvah and as im sure you know, “Bemokom shebaal teshuvah….”

  • Kupas Bachurim

    as far as i can remember there was kupas bachurim before this crazy Ksav Hiskashrus to Money and meshugoim with money.
    and i promise you all there will be for everyone long after this mishugener and every mishugener will be Yechi.

  • Barack

    Dear Mr Drizin,

    “I Actually Believe In Redistribution” this of course includes coats hats $$$ and everything else you own. were i a believer in god, i would make the argument that “he gives and he takes” therefore its not really yours, however being that i cannot make up my mind about where i stand on religion i.e. Islam, Christianity and even Judaism as some have said, i simply base it on a MORAL belief as the a jewish sage once said “whats mine is yours, whats yours is yours, he is a tzaddik” and “whats mine is mine, whats yours is mine, he is a BARACK”.

    Sincerely,

    BHO

  • mother in Crown Heights

    Let Drizin give the coats he won’t give to the Bochurim to those Yidden who last everything in Sandy. Let him do some good with his gyvah. I will personally buy a coat for a Bochur who does not wear a Yechi yarmulke or a yellow pin.

    What??? That’s discriminatory? Really?????

    I am so disgusted with this man, I feel so sorry for his nice children some of whom I know. They don’t deserve the embarrassment, no matter how they hold negeiah Yechi etc.

  • mrmoose

    Please tell me this is not a true story but some sort of slander some made up to make Chabad look as stupid as possible

  • SBD

    Wake up! Drizin has nothing to do with this. He lost the plot ages ago.

    There are people in charge of his money and they say where it goes.

  • Achdus

    Reb Shlome has been tirelessly raising funds for the bochrim for years.He can not “force” anyone to do anything with “their own money”! Knowing him he will forge forward and will make sure the bochrim have coats,hats…. With Drizin ( hopefuly) or with other generous donors.

  • Vinegar the son of Wine

    Does this make your holy father proud or does it shame him in his grave?

    It is no wonder that there are no good fruits from this poison tree.

    I think you smoked too many cigars.

  • nobody is feeling anyone to take a coat

    Ummm, you may want to check the dictionary for the definition of the word “blackmail”.

  • such and such

    I don’t live in your community. From this disgusting article and comments I can see why Crown Heights is going nowhere fast.
    The disunity destroys the community and allows muggers etc. to have a shlichus over the Yidden in Crown Heights Lo Aleinu.

    Bring the Unity back in Comm Unity and you’ll have a successful one.

  • chaim

    His illustrius father is turning over in his grave.
    Shame on you sholom ber the peasent!

  • Concerned

    G-d blessed Drizin with billions, but sadly also cursed him with bi-polar, and he is vulnerable to being controlled by Hendel. Money tends to make someone arrogant. Vos ken men ton?

  • sholom

    all you people passing judgment are sick in the head. if its true at all it makes no difference he can do as he pleases with his money. get off your high horse and stop judging!

  • Hendel hendel nyne

    R’ SBD is being used. He is indeed getting older and was always a bit of a character. Mental Hendel is twisting him and turning him and picking his pockets.

    Mental Hendel is proof that his zayde A”H was indeed from Chelm.

  • Son of Abraham

    In last weeks sedra even Avram Avino refused to give free food (or coats)to the antis who refused to acknowlege the existence of Hashem or Moshiach. He told them either thank hashem or pay for the food.

  • Matisyahu Miller

    ya dude this is all a waist of time…got better stuff to do?!?!
    You think your sitting and writing comments help?!?! Dont give me that Bull…..

  • To 37

    You are a moron. He gave everyone regardless of belief food and hadn’t made them sign a contract. All he said was thank G-d for the food or pay for it. Your analogy doesn’t compute.

  • To Son of A

    you mean A K who refused to give food to bochurim who learnt in Tomchei Temimim during WW2.
    Well SBD is not the first.

  • Gd Can Play Your Games Too!

    All,

    From today forward, those who will not give their full allegiance to Gd, as outlined in His Torah, will receive no blessings of Gd.

    “In the way you judge, you will be judged.”