Posted to Communal Matters on

Oholei Torah Asks Two Staff Members to Step Down

After the recent fallout over the participation of several students and faculty members in the Call of the Shofar program, the executive board of Oholei Torah had a meeting yesterday, the conclusion of which was written up in a letter to be sent out shortly to all the school’s staff and parents of its students.

CrownHeights.info obtained a copy of the letter, which says that after exhaustive research into the matter the board has concluded that any teacher who had actively promoted participation in the ‘alternative healing program’ would be asked to step down from their position.

Sources have confirmed with CrownHeights.info that two faculty members have already been asked to step down: Rabbi Zalman Goldstein, principal in the school’s elementary division, and Rabbi Shlomo Sternberg, Mashpia in the ‘Zal.’

We present to our readers the letter in its entirety:

To the Parents and Faculty of Oholei Torah,

The Executive Board has conducted a thorough and ongoing inquiry into the recent issues that have come to light regarding members of our faculty promoting an alternative healing program.

The first and foremost concern of Oholei Torah is for the wellbeing and welfare of its talmidim. Upon hearing these allegations, Oholei Torah immediately sent out a directive to ensure that any recommendations of outside therapy are professional and appropriate for the talmid.

Furthermore, we have spent these last few days intensely learning and investigating all the particulars surrounding the above-mentioned matter. We have been working with halachik authorities, professional and medical personals to guide us appropriately.

Faculty members that were actively promoting these programs to our faculty and talmidim were asked to step down from their post. There will be full accountability and reckoning with each and every faculty member involved. However, further actions can only be done through a thorough full investigation and by not acting in haste.

In due course further steps will be implemented to ensure the safety, security and education of our talmidim, and see that such situations do not happen again in our institution.

The current steps taken were based solely on our own internal investigations, with professionals in these matters. All this was done in a most discreet and responsible manner, as is needed is such cases.

As the Executive Director, I further wish it to be known that no individual or group of faculty have the right to speak in the name of Oholei Torah with regards to these issues.

May we be זוכה לתלמידים הרבה, and fulfill the Rebbes brochos of ראו גידולים שגידלתם, and march אנקעגען משיח צדקנו.

Rabbi Joseph Rosenfeld
Executive Director

shlomo-sternberg
Rabbi Shlomo Sternberg, former Mashpiah in Oholei Torah Zal.
zalman-goldstein
Rabbi Zalman Goldstein, former principal in Oholei Torahs Elementary Division.

Related Articles

187 Comments

  • Not lubavich

    I doubt the rebbe would have wanted two yiddin to loose their parnasa over this and definitely not to have there pictures posted for everyone to see!

    • Rabbi Rosenfeld you are the best

      I could not agree more with rabbi Rosenfeld. He has truly saved out community and the future of lubavitch. One does not begin to understand the sever ness of COTS and the negative effect that it can cause. In every generation there is a challenge this obviously is our we must stand up and fight the bad influences it can have on u. If u look and the golus of yuvon u will see it started with a small yud and slowly strengthen to a long nun don’t let the yud go farther we must stop it now!!! Rabbi Rosenfeld I must thank you for the care and concern and loss of sleep that goes into every yeshiva decision and I want u to know I really appreciate it. Rabbi Rosenfeld thanks to you every child that walks into OT walks out better than before without u I don’t know what crown heights would be today and I’ll guess it would be crazy chaotic
      So thank you

    • Somebody trying to understand

      I totally understand the concern of the Bochurim and many others, being that most of the information that is going around is either from rumors or coming from online (which is usually rumors as well) and from there their imagination only grows.

      I didn’t realize how far people’s minds take them,
      Oholei Torah is a yeshiva which has been successfully running for years now, it’s not the first time they have had to deal with big issues such as this, so it only makes sense to say that they thought it out a bit before, and they didn’t just wake up on the wrong side that morning, without thinking about it they wouldn’t fire a mashpia of 40 bochurim and a principle of two grades in the middle of the year, so they obviously thought about before hand.

      Rabbi Rosenfeld is one of the most respected individuals in chinuch today (running a moisad of well over 1000 students) he is an individual who spends day and night thinking about and working for the yeshiva it’s staff and it’s students to make it the best possible that he can, he is no longer a young man and still doesn’t stop for a second to improve the yeshiva and keeps that his life’s goal, a man like that wouldn’t make a quick decision of firing two of his staff.
      (Here would be a befitting time to give Rabbi Rosenfeld a brocha for arichus yomim veshonim tovos him and his wife happy and healthy years ad bias goeil tzedek)

      And pressure from online wouldn’t be a decision maker being that they had pressure from both sides for a decision both ways, and they obviously know that either way a big deal would be made out of.

    • NOT RIGHT

      It’s SO unfair to fire someone who was trying to better himself. The fact that Rabbonim have NOW banned the program they participated in, should have no reflection on what happened in the past; especially since they were never Warned NOT to go.
      These teacher’s are ehrliche, chassidishe mentchen, and firing them is a true crime.

    • Halacha

      Here are 2 Mareh Mekoimois that it is ASSUR to fire a Mechanech without the Psak of a Beis Din

      אגרות משה חו”מ ח”א סי’ ו
      אגרות משה חו”מ ח”ב סי’ ח

    • You are right - they CANNOT fire

      Here are 3 references that a Mosad Chinuch CANNOT fire a Mechanech unless they get the Psak of a Beis Din:

      אגרות משה חו”מ ח”א סי’ ו
      אגרות משה חו”מ ח”ב סי’ ז
      פסק”ד ירושלים, דיני ממונות ובירורי יוחסין ע’ קעו

      PDF of the Mekoirois:
      http://www.scribd.com/moshe667/documents

    • Agreed

      This shows how hypocritical they are. It angers me and it should anger everyone else as well. These are two good that are getting fired without even a warning. this is why so many people are leaving the derech. because so many Lubavitch organizations, leaders, and followers are making a horrible example of what yiddishkeit is supposed to be about.

    • Great Dane

      I doubt the Rebbe of blessed memory would have wanted two chassidishe young men to lose their jobs over this…

    • let's be careful not harmful

      Mr, Devoted Chossid, you need to prove your words. What did those 2 do to deserve curse from you. end EVEN MORE – in Rebbe’s name! When Shoul decided to finish up with Dovid haMelech, Yonoson asked his father “מה עשה”. Let me ask same question about those 2. Unless they were looking for a reason to fire those 2 anyway!

  • Sad day

    Both of those people seems like nice people.

    Sadly, they got trapped into something they are not even aware of.

    Please read this:

    http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/15/style/the-psychology-of-the-cult-experience.html

    Understand that you were involved in a cult (read that NYT article), and that someone was using your weakness to gain control over you.

    Please find a way to clean yourself and go back to the normal path, of normal people.

    Seek help. And IYH in due time you can maybe even get back your jobs that you love, this time as an example of someone who managed to learn from their past and get better.

    With much sadness.

    A shliach.

    • chayim mendelsohn

      if this is how the Rebbes shluchim are practicing ahavas yisroel, no wonder people are looking else where. like these people are going to take advice from the comments section. if you are really concerned, call em up, go over there and offer a hand, send him some gelt. thats the kind of help these guys need, not some empty, passive/ aggressive comment about how they need to clean up their act and get back on the path

    • Moshe

      show me the סעיף in shulchan arucu from where you פסק’נד on someone else .
      one thing is sure, youre a שופך דמים

  • Hippocratical

    That letter and those measure are signs of a cult, by not allowing anything differnt to get in the way a specific teaching and way of life!! Actions are very extreme and I’m turned off by these cultish measures

  • supporter

    Hello

    I would like to make a statement that I believe all readers should read. I have been a supporter for yeshivas and cheders for our community for several years.
    I am shocked how they will throw out two teachers for going out and helping there way of life and others.
    I cant believe the community is so closed minded.
    I myself have gone to the call of shofar , and hss changed my life and others , I know famous rabbinic people that have gone as well.
    I see why people stop caring about what Rabanim say , they focus on this, while there are bigger concerns out there .
    I Will still support the schools for the kids.
    But shame on these Rabbis and whoever speaks ill of this, You dont know and have know right to judge.
    Only G-D has that power.
    Thank you for reading this and I hope people start making a stand ( the way they did for this ) for more important things such as child molestation.

  • Go on with your lifes

    Yesterdays news is todays fish paper Zalman and Shlomo you meant well H-shem will find you new position that appreciate your talents. shame on you for posting this article with photos it is 100% against the ways of Torah no need for photos no need !!!!

  • wrong!

    Reb zalman is at the forefront of professional development and improving the chinuch of our children.
    big mistake
    haters gonna hate.
    how sad that people have stooped to such a low.

  • YMSP

    The op-ed from the parent was scary. But numerous bochurim posted that no candle-light basement meetings took place and that it was a regular Tanya shiur. R’ Shea Hecht himself sent individuals who he felt could benefit from it there.

    It’s almost impossible to tell what’s really going on and whether this crazy Call of the Shofar is bad or just a waste of time. But if Sternberg was only recommending the kind of people who Reb Shea Hecht would recommend, that wouldn’t call for firing. It seems like a rushed decision made out of convenience in any case.

  • WOW

    We sure love each other!!!
    Let me get this straight. Yidden, that were
    ‘misdirected’, yidden that maybe made a bad choice or decision, to get some help in an area of their life,
    get fired! Hashem save us from ourselves!!!!
    Were they warned BEFORE they attended?
    So you fire a teacher that maybe has a wife and kids. Even if he doesn’t, he’s a human being!!!
    So you expel, throw out a few students that are kids on top of it, that made a maybe stupid decision…they were looking for help for GDs sake!, and we wonder why kids go fry in our communities!!! Idiots!
    I only wish I would of found out about all this stuff about Lubavitch before I got into it! You guys take the cake!

  • Sounds like CYA

    If I am understanding the consequences at hand, it seems like this is what it boils down to.

    Clap your hands & pound on the table and declare the Rebbe Moshiach – You are okay.

    Smack kids around in class because you have no real educational training and don;t know how to deal with them – You are okay.

    Throw children out of school because they do not fit into the desired standard learning ability/program – You are okay

    Send someone to an alternate person/group for assistance, because your best efforts have not been able to help them- You must resign immediately.

    Glad to see things have not changed and OT still has their priorities in order.

  • please Oholei Torah

    Please do not act impulsively. Please take into consideration the tremendous amount of care and effort that has been put into the school and into individual students by these educators.
    We are told to judge others favorably. is this reserved for when someone is otherwise irreligious or on a different page completely? Surely, this must be applied to when someone just like us, who cares about the same things as we do, makes a misjudgment.
    It behooves us to consider for a moment, whether we truly believe there was any malicious intent involved or whether we are comforting ourselves and our own shortcomings by finding fault in others. Every one of us has botched up before. Indeed, we’ve even messed up at the expense of others. Somehow, we manage to overlook all of our own mistakes and find justifications for them. Don’t you think that these dedicated teachers who give their heart and soul over to their students and their student’s progress deserve at least as much?
    Perhaps it pays to reflect that the whole reason this story came to pass is precisely because these teachers went beyond what was strictly demanded of them. they tried with utmost sincerity to impact and change our children’s lives. Yes, they messed up, but let’s at the very least afford them the opportunity to make amends.
    I highly doubt that Oholei Torah is going to change any decisions based on my little comment, but being that this seems to be the platform which is controlling this debate, I give it a try and beseech you: do not judge anybody harsher than you would like to be judged yourselves.

  • Sad day in Lubavitch

    I strongly disagree with this move.

    The Hanhala were doing the best for their students and would only do the best. this is a slippery slope of backwardness that Oholei torah specializes in.

  • The smell comes from the head

    The buck stops at Rabbis Rosenfeld, Lustig etc. But instead they pick sacrificial lambs on the alter of public opinion.

    In the real world, when a corporation messes up, heads roll from the CEO, President, Senior Manager. In OT they chose the low level staff.

    • Anonymous

      That is where you are mistaken a mashpia in zal is no low level job it is the top because it is suppose to affect the kid directly and it is where you must be most careful

  • mendel

    I never thought I’d see the day when you couldn’t tell Boro Park and Lakewood apart from Crown Heights. I thought we were different. I thought we did things differently. Chochma, Binah, Daas? No? What Kaltkeit.

    • Yitzchok Halevi

      What gave you the idea, to begin with, that C.H. is different than any other frum community? There are anshei emes and not so anshei emes in all communities.
      Trust me, C.H. is neither superior or inferior.

  • Yosef

    The death rattle of a witch hunt–a desperate gamble by the institution to remain relevant.

  • Rabonim

    They should investigate what Rabbi Dovid Schochet said about all this, this past Shabbos in his shul in Toronto.

    • Moshe B

      You were obviously not at shul to hear the dvar torah. I was there and I heard a beautiful speech on how we need raise up the city to be in a way that would make the rebbe proud. That we are not done with the work that is needed and we need to continue to do all we could to help the community. Rabbi D Schochet said that chassidus has the answers to all the questions and that we should not judge our fellow man until we have walked in their shoes.

      You were either not there or you have a really hard time paying attention. In the future, listen to the Schochets, they have wise things to say.

  • A lynching

    What a lynching! In a sorry attempt to cover themselves OT is using these guys as scapegoats.

  • Start a New School

    Rabbi Sternberg and Rabbi Goldstein who are out for the spiritual AND emotional well-being of their students are fired??

    Dear Rabbi Sternberg and Goldstein,

    If you would like to start another school, I will send all my boys there. I support you through this whole saga. Additionally, I would like to thank you for indirectly persuading my husband to go to COTS, our relationship between each other, our kids, and Hashem is stronger than ever before.

    –A parent who’s also concerned about her children’s well-being.

  • double standard!

    I know another principal in OT who promoted and told others to go yet he is not fired because he is related to r rosenfeld!

    how sickening!!! THIS is the problem in OT

    This is what you call looking out for your talmidim?
    Sorry. Thats what I call looking after your own and shoving others under the bus.

  • be fair...

    this is not a fair conclusion.
    others in administrative positions were active in sending their staff to COTS, yet they still hold their positions… why is that???
    Because they are related to Joseph Rosenfeld.
    Aha!
    Who knew? All along I knew that this was not Leshem Shomayim…
    Oy! What will be with us?

  • devora

    what a shame to lose two such excellent people for the mere closed mindednes of the few shame on the hanhala for alowing this to happen

    • Pick on the weak of the herd

      Nachman Shapiro is too protected – related to too many people. The bully picks on the weak in the herd, those he can get away with.

  • Shame on you OT

    Shame on you CH.info going out of your way to post pics. These are chassidim, anash, fathers, respected mechanchim…can’t wait for a new yeshiva to finally open in this neighborhood based on AHAVAS YISROEL, true caring for each other, our KIDS, our future….enough with the bull shoving, I see dollars not each child an individual, with personality, skill, potential, the current school system ROBS our children of who they are and could be…..Ad Mosai! Moshiach needs to come NOW!

  • sad

    They don’t deserve this as this was all done leshem shomayim. A counseling or some time off would be more appropriate.

    They are the seir lazozel for oholei torah – I hope that they are reinstated.

    • He has protectzia

      Nachman has protectzia…Na Nach Nachman related to too many people in Crown Heights.

  • AD MATAI?

    DISGUSTING! THERE ARE MEN WHO ABUSED CHILDREN WHO ARE TEACHING IN THAT YESHIVA!!!! THIS IS INSANE! HASHEM AD MATAI?!

  • Levi Rapoport

    Two innocent victims of the Crown Heights lynch mob. Many people will have healthier relationships with their wives and children thanks to you. Time will vindicate you; it always does. Much Hatzlachah.

  • Yisroel MA

    As a friend of both of them, this is so painful to read about and it sounds like a very knee jerk reaction to satisfy the public outcry. They are both truly Ibergegeben to their students and this is a terrible blow to everyone and will help no one.

  • accountability

    Why is Nachaman Shapiro not out yet,
    He’s “THE” Mashpia, so by him going to COTS he made the most damage, permitting everyone to go to “fremdeh felder”,
    HE MUST go

  • Yitzchak

    What did Rabbi D. Schochet have to say this week in Toronto, can someone enlighten us?

    • Moshe B

      You were obviously not at shul to hear the dvar torah. I was there and I heard a beautiful speech on how we need raise up the city to be in a way that would make the rebbe proud. That we are not done with the work that is needed and we need to continue to do all we could to help the community. Rabbi D Schochet said that chassidus has the answers to all the questions and that we should not judge our fellow man until we have walked in their shoes.

      You were either not there or you have a really hard time paying attention. In the future, listen to the Schochets, they have wise things to say.

  • OT alonmnos

    As a alumina of oholai Torah, I feel that this decision is perfectly consistent with the mindless way that abomination is run.
    Shame on the administration for this, and shame on the administration for the half of my life wasted!!!!

  • not fired

    Step down for a while is not the same as being fired
    They are going to be ,IYH reinstated at the proper time
    They need to deprogram, the damage is there, specially if they went many times
    it is like someone who says “I stop smoking today”, you need a while for your lungs clear out
    Other teachers should be also take a vacation cleaning process

    They are affected, this doesn’t go away in 1 day
    They need to replace the auto suggestions for chassidus auto suggestions that are exactly . the opposite, bittul, ahavas Ysrael, wellbeing of other jews
    I think that teachers should continue be paid until they heal and then come back

    • clueless

      you obviously have no idea about COTS.
      halevai you have the very midos you espouse to have others learn

    • CORRECT!

      EVERYONE PLEASE READ THAT COMMENT IT IS PERFECTLY TRUE.
      Plus…No need to post pictures-That is just disgusting!
      Crown Heights is one messed up place…
      Oh Hashem this is the darkest time PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BRING MOSHIACH ALREADY!

  • Tuition

    Oholei Torah is hardly the institution is purports to be.
    They claim to that they hold students even when they cannot pay tuition. A lie. They throw kids from the neediest families OUT irrespective of their scholastic abilities and achievements. Irrespective of if they are Jewish boys in the Rebbes so called yeshiva.
    But hey, why not throw out two scapegoats while they are at it.

    We ought to band together and stand up to these tyrannical directors who have no care for the wellbeing of our kids or the ethos of the moisod they are meant to safeguard

    • chaya

      thats not true we couldnt pay and they worked with us tremedously dont talk before u know facts

  • fall guys

    these 2 are fall guys & the sacrifical lambs for higher ups who don’t want to deal with the real issues facing OT.
    Rosenfeld hopes that by throwing these devoted teaches to the lions, the tumult will go away and everyone can go back to wasting bochurim’s years and continuing the OT shiur daled shlichus mill, which is really a way to suck $$$ from out of towners.

  • Jason

    Participants who “got it” came out of est with a new vocabulary of incomprehensible and ultimately meaningless psychobabble that was supposed to “transform” their lives, or something. It consisted of stringing phrases together like “personal space”, “world working”, “creating context”, “manifesting”, “generating principles”, and other meaningless bibble-babble. These phrases could be randomly strung together in any order and still be equally meaningful to an est initiate and meaningless to everyone else. Participants were also instructed during the last part of the training, after they were supposed to have “gotten it”, to go out and actively recruit others to empty out their bank accounts for this experience, speaking of course in incomprehensible babble so the person wouldn’t have a clue what est actually was but bubbling with so much enthusiasm that it must be something good.

  • Chaya

    Sternberg is true chassidishe person. OT you are making a big mistake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Mechanic he's

    I hope that the schools who asked their hanhola members to step down from their jobs have provided adequate training and policy statements to their staff. Schools must have policies as to teacher protocol and job descriptions.
    There is plenty of good literature to guide educators into interventions that help the students who are falling through the cracks. Our schools are not alone. Although I disagreed with the sitra achra in our midst, for the yeshivos to fault the mechanchim and mashpiim, and not to take full responsibility for the irresponsible job that they do is unacceptable and again irresponsible. Let our children see that the hanholas will undertake the sweeping changes that are necessary in our schools to make them models of the name of the Rebbe that we say is upon them.

  • The bad old days

    Are back with a vengeance.
    I remember the mass expulsions of students and the beginnings of the “off the derech” movement that resulted from throwing students into the street.
    Now, despite that the Rabbonim asked that no one should be judged harshly and no fights should ensue over this ridiculous shofar program, we are throwing the Rebbes into the street.

  • They had to go

    Congrats OH you have principles and have stood up for the rabbonim and the rebbe. These rabbis made grave mistakes, they are not evil and will come back stronger bec of this. They need time to get the real help they were seeking.
    I also afraid bec zalmons brother is a principle in ULY I hope he has no been compromised by the cult.
    This is sad but had to happen, we need to save our youth and their pure souls!!

    • ???

      rabonim never said to fire anyone!
      No one made grave mistakes…

      ULY will never fire because they do not act hot headedly

  • We Created A Monster

    These Crown Heights sites are monsters we helped create.
    Over the past few weeks I watched them create a mob.
    Now I just witnessed a lynching.

  • JJ DUCHMAN

    Who are you?? U know bochrims needs? U know the mind of a teenage lubavitcher? He’s a himan being who genuinly care fpr us. HE IS THE REASON WHY IM STILL IN THE SYSTEm of ot…so everyone shut ur mouth. Think of his six kids. His wife. His students. Despicable.

  • to 24 and 45 what DID horav shochet shlita say?

    i’m a hugh colts fan….vdal vAkamal…..btw is manning still manning their helm?

    p.s. #9 thats the wisest comment i’ve seen in the past few years…………………………………………………..

  • CHelm...

    Seems like this whole saga has exposed some real dark demons (no pun intended), and bad blood, that was lying dormant, awaiting its opportunity to emerge. This is just the beginning…

  • When will be the Din Torah

    I can’t wait for these two to call OT to a din torah and clean up.

    No, forget the din torah. There is no din and no torah in CH.

    Hire good employment lawyers and SUE in court – for severance AND the HUMILIATION and the slander.

    You guys will make enough to retire or open your own school.

  • Refund

    OH has admitted big mistakes
    They must offer a full refund of tuition for this year –this would happen in every other area of life

  • What!?!?!?

    Kick out the aggressive, mean and terrible teachers.,
    This is so twisted.
    Seems like a Cult just kicking these guys out into the cold, winter streets without a parnossah un the middle of the year.

  • plenty where that came from

    oholei torah has a plenty big pool to pick from to get more “mashpiim” and principals. They have no reason to give a hoot. They are probably really getting a nice high off of this whole fiasco. Finally a power-play there they can feel morally superior and justified in the letter of the law just passed by the Rav’s. This is classic religious zealousness used for personal gain. Woohoo. I think the people in charge are drinking the kool-aide at this point. We fired the guys corrupting your children!! sleep soundly tonight dear parents. Don’t be fooled people. This all comes down to dollars and cents $$$$$$$$. This whole fiasco from the beginning is a laghable and has now really affected these two teachers. Oh well. Life is like a box of multiflavor kosher lepeysach macaroons. Some will taste gross. In the end if you choose to live and word in a community of extremist religiousness you will have to abide by all the stuff that comes from such a system including this jihad.

  • The long letter from Rabbis Schwei and Braun

    I read the full letter by Rabbis Schwei and Braun regarding Call of the shofar and it seemed clear to me that the jury is not in on the issue. Therefore, how can the board of Oholei Menachem come to a conclusion so strict as to deny the livelihood of 2 or more people????

    • Politics at its best

      Both of these rabbis are shady. Schwei has been supporting the crazies of our cominity, the ones causing the world to distance themselves from chabad and the cause of many fight and chillul hashem incidents. Braun was the rabbi in Sydney where he divided a whole community, opened a competition shul which was called the Tzemach Tzedeck shul, basically a mushroom rabbi turned into leading the main chabad community which is divided already.

      Why are we listening to these guys. There is a vad harrabonim in lubavitch, lets here from the acceptable rabbonim.

  • FIRE THE ROSENFELDS

    …for causing untold Tzar to low income or no incme families
    for leading with an iron fist
    for being unsympathetic and unmentchlich
    Im not for COTS, but im certainly against this old school despotism

  • Toronto Dude

    Rabbi Schochet this past Shabbos said publicly that the Toronto community do NOT have to abide by the Psak of the CH rabonim and you can go to a Call of the Shofar weekend. I know people have asked and a said they could go….

    There is a weekend coming up in TO and Rabi Shea Hecht has been trying to get Toronto Rabonim to not allow it.

    • Moshe B

      You were obviously not at shul to hear the dvar torah. I was there and I heard a beautiful speech on how we need raise up the city to be in a way that would make the rebbe proud. That we are not done with the work that is needed and we need to continue to do all we could to help the community. Rabbi D Schochet said that chassidus has the answers to all the questions and that we should not judge our fellow man until we have walked in their shoes.

      You were either not there or you have a really hard time paying attention. In the future, listen to the Schochets, they have wise things to say.

  • miri f.

    הרב רוזנפלד,
    אני אמא גאה בהחלטה שלך לנקות את האורוות.
    בחורים, תתביישו לכם
    מי אתם בכלל ללכת להפגין?
    מה זה פה איראן או סוריה
    אתם לא מתביישים? האם הייתם מעיזים לעשות את זה לפני ג’ תמוז?
    ממתי הבחורים מפגינים נגד ההנהלה, וכותבים מכתבים נגד ההנהלה?
    הרב רוזנפלד, אל תתפעל מכל העליהום שעושים עליך.
    ההורים שאיכפת להם מהילדים שלהם ולא מאף אחד אחר, כולם מאחוריך. חזק ואמץ!

  • I don't believe the comments here

    Ot finally takes responsibility for wrong doing and people critisize them? Zalmen Goldstein wasn’t good from the get go, has no experience and is not liked by most parents. The only reason this two are being fired is because not only were they part of the cult but also promoted it. Others will hopefully do tshuva. They CANNOT be my children’s mechanchim, period.
    And don’t bring other issues, like abuse here, they are two separate issues, and the board is on it.
    And if you think proteksia is keeping Shapiro, think again, sternbergs father is on the board of directors and it didn’t help him.

    • the sign of a good mechanech

      is not if parents like him
      he has just as much as experience as lustig lustig shimshoni etc… if not more.
      even the picture posted is of him at a chinuch workshop.
      havent seen lustig or shimshoni there,…

    • Not Liked?!

      Please stop spreading lies.
      I am a mother and I’m very impressed with what this principal instilled in my son.
      One example: My son cleans up after himself every supper! Impressed, I asked him where he got this from, he said, “Rabbi Goldstein reminds us to clean up after ourselves every lunch”
      I couldn’t believe it! Raising our children to be real Mentshen.
      Keep up the good work Rabbi Goldstein, I hope you’re back soon

      With appreciation,
      Sara L. (you know who I am)

    • YYM (Hakoton)

      If you say he has no experience, it means you don’t know R Zalmen Goldstein!
      I see him at every Chinuch workshop etc.
      In fact, as the other comment pointed out, the picture posted of him was taken at a Chinuch workshop!

      He knows everything about Chinuch.
      And you know nothing about R’ Goldstein

      You should feel bad that you are spreading such comments, both from a Ruchnius point of view, and from a humane point of view.

    • i can see why you don't agree

      But in Goldstein’s world, it’s all about him, not the children. Yes, he obviously did some good, but i know him since he was a mashpia in 7-8 grades. Not a good person, holds very highly of himself, speaking to parents that are way older than him, wise and respected people in the comunity, that have been in chinuch for 30 years and are extremely involved in chasidus, by putting them down, cause he knows best, that’s is not how you get respect.
      I happened to ask everyone of my friends if they agreed with the hanolos decision, and they ALL said, he got what he deserved.
      let him and sternberg make a public statement, explaining how they realized what they did was wrong, why and how they are planning to cleanse themselves in order to be back in chinuch. it will be good for their neshomos and ego.
      untill then, i assume they still think that it was a great place, which they attended lots of times, and liked, to the point they were sending other teachers and students there. please educate yourself about the dangers of this cult, its influence is very damaging, and you dont want them teaching your kids that way.

  • Confused?

    Yesterday, all I saw was criticism towards OT for allowing such people to continue being mechanchim, which pressurized OT into firing them, now, however, after they got fired, it seems that everyone is on their defense?

    • why confused

      yesterday people were still hot headed.
      sign of a chochom is not to act while in anger

  • Former student

    Shloimy is the best Mashpia in Oholei Torah. Big loss for them. The school will fall tremendously

  • One of the bochurim

    Just Bc someone is nice doesn’t mean he is a good teacher so that’s no reson to bring him back anyways all my yeshiva there always nice teacher that were bad teachers but they could not fire them Bc he such a nice guy and his family WE need GOOD TEACHERS not nice teachers that we could have a good system

  • Unbelievable!!!!

    I’m ill from what one OT principle has put me and my son thru and he gets to stay just because he’s related!! I’m NOT a fan of COTS but neither of hypocrites!!!

  • Oh dear....

    “Shofar” seems to offer a way to deal with some inner issues that have not been given the care and attention that some have needed. (Notice I said A way, not THE way.) Why is that so terrible? Things change. Ways change. Approaches change. Responses sometimes need to change their tones. It doesn’t have to mean that the CORE changes. It can mean that given the complex world and new circumstances, there is a need for a responsive leadership, one that does not choose condemnation as a response. That response is a reason that some of us needed to go to something like “Shofar”. Where is the rachmoness? Can you not find a way to talk together without fearing that it will lead to losing many of “your own”? I don’t get it….

  • Sternberg

    I was in his class, I was about to leave yeshivah and Torah umitzvos, Shloime understood me and helped me, b”h I’m a chassidisheit yungrrman with 3 children

  • "Professional"

    First of all, This continuos reference to “professional” help is an oxymoron to me. I guess, if i would have an issue to stay frum, i would need “professional” help. Psychiatrist for a start?

    Secondly, COS was created to address certain issues in frumkeit. I personally don not know which ones since I heard of COF just last week. It seems to me that the Lubavitch establishment failed to effectively address those frumkeit issues using CHABAD Chassidus. What really puzzles me that OT Establishment prefers using “professionals” i.e. goyshkeit trained people to address yiddishkeit issues. Tell me if i understand it wrong.

    Following OT logic, I should not, G-d forbid, listen to our Holy Rabboim because they weren’t “professionals”

    Lastly. As far as I know, COF became “treif” just last week. Prior to that, I guess, It was “Ok”. Following this logic, Firing RZG and RSS has no real basis, but “scapegoating” and “cleansing”. If this is the case, fire Rabbi Lustig and Rabbi Rosenfeld as well…. just to be fare.
    Unless I am missing something (i.e. lawyers involvement)

  • Anonymous

    why do people think shlomie sternberg is anyworse then anyone else that teaches there???

    any one?

  • Father

    Oholei Torah elementry was finally becoming a goo school, thanks to zalmen Goldstein. It seams that rabbi rosenfeld wants the school to run the same way it did for the past 40 years. Good luck to them! I will have to find a different Mossad for my kids

    • I am with you!

      He is an honest, hard working menahel. Does what is right no matter what the cost…

    • Agree

      Kudos to Rabbi Goldstein for putting the school in place.
      Shame on Oholei Torah for dismissing him.

  • Sheesh

    Everyone seriously!!! Outcry for them to be fired. OT Fires. Outcry about the unfairness-Honestly get your act together crown heights!

  • B"H

    Sternberg should have been fired 2 years ago, when he addressed the Crown Heights community and uttered the words, “Tanya doesn’t work”. What kind of mashpia says that!? Why is this man responsible for our temimim?

  • Dumb move by OT

    R Sternber and R Goldstein are good people. This is uncalled for. These firings will cause alot more damage than the COTS thing.

  • Confessions of a Shofar Addict

    Shofar Attendee: Rabbi, I need help
    Rabbi: Sure, please tell me the problem
    SA: I’m in the Shofar Cult and need help getting out
    R: Oy vey, hashem yishmor
    SA: Ever since this whole storm began I’ve been feeling so guilty and afraid. I feel used and taken advantage of, violated. How they fooled me and brainwashed me and I didn’t even realize. I’m trying to get out of it and cant. I think I’m so brainwashed that I don’t even see the terrible effects on me.
    R: Yes, this is very typical of victims of cults. Don’t feel bad. You’ve done the most important step to getting deprogrammed and I’ll help you.
    SA: Thank you rabbi! I fell safer already
    R: The first thing you must do is stop going to their “workshops” and…
    SA: Huh?
    R: The retreats – you must make a hachlota that you’ll never go again, or else they’ll keep their hold on you.
    SA: Um, ok. But I don’t go to any more workshops. It was a one time weekend last year…
    R: Oh – Ok, then. Next you must cancel all bank accounts that you have given them the number for automatic cash withdrawals and cancel any credit cards they are charging you on.
    SA: What do you mean?
    R: One of the biggest dangers of cults is their ongoing milking of their victims until they have no money left and get into debt and end up selling anything they have to keep feeding their dependency on the Guru.
    SA: But rabbi, I don’t give them any money.
    R: Never?
    SA: Well, not never, last year when I attended the workshop, I paid for the weekend. It wasn’t cheap, but my wife told me that she usually pays almost the same for her Nshei Shabbatons, so I …
    R: But at those Nshei weekends they get fancy hotels and lots of food. They don’t starve them and deprive them of sleep by making them lie on the floor in a dark basement.
    SA: Um, we had 5 star accommodations and the food was actually very good, with lots of snacks at every break.
    R: Ok, whatever. But the point is you have to break their hold on you.
    SA: Yes, that’s what I need your guidance on. So what should I do?
    R: Tell me, do you have to live in their commune?
    SA: What?
    R: Nothing, nothing, um, let’s talk about a different aspect. I want you to give me all the materials that they’ve given you. All the literature and ritual readings that you’re required to read everyday. Bring it here and we’ll burn it together. This will help you symbolically break their hold on you. As you see the books and papers go up in smoke you will feel liberated from their clutches and…
    SA: I don’t have any books. They don’t give out literature, except for a little pamphlet that they gave us last year at the weekend. I think I left it there.
    R: Oh…well…you must stop speaking with the Guru. When he calls you tell him you do not want him to call you anymore and if he calls you again you will report him for harassment. You can even block his numb…
    SA: He never called me. I don’t think I’ve seen him since last year.
    R: Ok, that’s not the main point. The main thing is the damage that results from your neglecting your children, family and work obligations. Victims of cults get so engrossed in their cult and false beliefs that they end up loosing touch with reality, often destroying their marriages and estranging their children. So we need to clear your mind from the rituals that they’ve accustomed you to and get you to start being more present and aware of the needs of those around you.
    SA: Ok. That sounds important. One of the rituals they indoctrinated me with is a deceptively named technique called “Listening”.
    R: Yes, their techniques are very sneaky and usually named in a way to hide their true significance. So tell me how this technique works and I’ll try to help you out of it.
    SA: Ok, here’s how it goes: For example, when My wife starts to tell me something she’s concerned about, my job is not to give her solutions right away, or tell her that it’s no big deal, or try to fix the situation for her, but rather …
    R: I know. At that point when she’s vulnerable you tell her she must go to the workshop to get helped, right?
    SA: Well, not really.
    R: So what do you say to her.
    SA: Well, it’s not really what I say, but rather that I try to understand her and let her feel that I understand the challenge she’s going through.
    R: Ok, let’s talk about a different point.
    SA: Alright Rabbi. I’m here for you to guide me because I’m not sure how to get out of this cult. And since I’m in it I don’t realize my sickness, so please help me. What’s next? I’ll do anything to get out of it!
    R. Well, in cults, one of the ways the manipulate you is by limiting who you’re allowed to socialize with and talk to. (Don’t worry, no one will know that you’ve come here today, this is strictly confidential).
    SA: But rabbi, the Guru helped me understand that the reason I was upset with people may also be partially my insecurity and not just their fault. He says that once I understand that wisdom, I will be able to come closer to them again. He encouraged me to speak with you and try to learn from you.
    R: It’s a trick. They tell you that, but since you’ve gone to their rituals you don’t really find so much in common with non members anymore, right? You probably feel like “No one understands me except for my Shofar friends”, right? It’s ok, it’s very common. You probably find yourself saying “they just don’t get “it””. And “if only they would go they would understand too and see the light”. So even though they tell you to stay in touch with others, they make you feel aloof and your relationships end up weakening.
    SA: But Rabbi, I don’t know, maybe they’ve got a hold on my mind – but it feels like my relationships with friends and especially my wife and kids is much deeper since I’ve gone. My wife seems more at peace and says that I’m more like I was when we first got married.
    R: I see…
    SA: But Rabbi, I know that all this is just the trance they’ve got on me. Please help me get them out of my head! Please save me. I don’t want to be in this cult! I want to be normal again!
    R: Well, let me think. You don’t go to their rituals, you don’t send them money, you don’t talk to your guru, you find your relationships with those around you very strong and fulfilling, you don’t practice any regular rituals or mantras and don’t read or distribute their literature…. What do you do for this cult? Why did you come to me?
    SA: Because the Rabbis all said I’m in a cult and it’s banned and I must break away from them. But I don’t know how to get out of it? Please rabbi! If you cant help me then am I doomed to be a zombie forever??? Please help me!

    • Chanie p

      Haha.. Love this! I never went to a COTS retreat but I have a friend who did. She feels like it helped her immensely. You are so right about people foolishly crying “cult!” when the primary characteristics of a cult are clearly nonexistent here. If I was a teacher, principal, administrator, writer, rav, or someone thinking of recommending or banning COTS, I WOULD GO MYSELF to check it out. Unless of course their brainwashing ability is so potent that I could become “programmed” after only one weekend (which is, of course, impossible).

    • Talented

      Cute.
      I can’t remember when’s the last time I read a long comment.
      Yours was entertaining

    • Chutzpah

      Mocking rabbis like that! You are still brainwashed, trying to prove it was all great.
      Therapy works, that’s what you need. A licensed professional.

  • change your mind now!!!

    for argument sake if the fact would be that after getting rid of two teachers the school would be clean of all problems ok but the fact is many teachers went to the program and the school has many different problems and there are more teachers that they can get rid of even if they were not part of the program so here is the deal they should reinstate those teachers or they will eventually have to deal with DOE and the DOH etc. don’t take the gamble be smart before parents really get involved.

  • Politics at its best

    Funny how the winds blow. Should the articles been written a little different everyone would love the program. The original articles were written by people that were never there and were clueless on the program. The winds started blowing and it become poison. They call this the “wag the dog” affect when the masses follow shepherd blindly.

    There are a few questions that need to be asked:

    1) Are the people who are coming out yelling and screaming, were they there? Rabbi Stenberg was there as an observer, not participant. He wanted to get the facts right. Can’t say many of the others have done this.
    2) Why are teachers being fired for helping their students, sending them to a program that they think can help? This was when everyone was going, including prominent rabbonim and shluchim. You would like that they would get an award for going the extra mile, unlike many of the other staff there.
    3) Why has COL been out to get the public against Rabbi Stenburg, from day one that has been their agenda from articles and comments, carefully mining the data to get the correct response from the masses.

    The rebbe has built us to be leaders, not cattle. We are raised to be able to leave our homes of comfort, go to a strange land and build a community. We were built to be leaders. Why are we thinking like cattle just following where the political wind blows?

    Time to get the facts right before we start the lynching.

  • Rabbi Manis Friedmam

    OT should bring in rabbi manis Friedman to have a series of serious chassidishe farbrengens. He was the Rebbe’s translator and has a very good rapport with the younger generation.
    He would bring a new emesdikeit to the yeshiva.

  • hey!!!

    wasnt the other principal of older grades also present? and AN ACTIVE RECRUITER???
    OHHHHHHH! RIIIIIIGHT!
    He is a grandson…
    Sorry.
    Wrong number.

  • Mendel D from CT.

    Joseph, JOSEPH!
    Wake up from your dreams!
    Your own grandson has bowed his bundle and gathered others to bow to the bundle…

    Your double standard is exposed.

    Shame on you.

    “we will not act in haste…”
    Save your lies for your day in court old man.

    I fully support you in your HONEST evaluation and decision.
    Not your self serving, impulsive, rash decisions…

    I am ashamed to have ever answered your phone call and given you money…

    You won’t be hearing from me before you reinstate these fine young men, or fire your grandson.

  • Rabonim...

    does ANYONE listen to the rabonim?
    Because the Rabonim CLEARLY stated NOT TO PUBLICIZE the names of the people who went…

  • too late

    OT is scared of what they don’t understand…close minded…way to push even more kids off the derech by getting rid of people who actually care about our children. I’m sure the Rebbe would be super proud of u OT

  • gone gone gone

    Thank you crown heights.info for posting this. It’s important for everyone to be informed of OTs cowardly act. WAY TO GO ROSENFELD…COWARD…as usual u hide behind “What the Rebbe would have wanted.” U are the reason I (and countless others) have left LUBAVITCH. You are just a pathetic coward hiding behind a beard. I hope they throw u out!!!

  • Fresser Rebbe

    BH

    Midah K’neged Midah, i remember some years back when the Yeshivah told one faculty member that he was no longer wanted in the Yeshivah (a big mistake by the way, that OT will never recover from) at that time it was known to all that Shlomo Sternberg was the main person behind that disaster.

  • Good work! :)

    This whole thing is playing like a Shakespearean comedy!

    You have these weirdo hustlers, that are looking to make some shekels by duping people into paying $1,000 for the privilege of being abused.

    Comes along the Chelmer maggid, who nobody was paying attention to anymore, and sees an opportunity to be the “savior” again, while basking in his 15 minutes before his slippery slide back into irrelevancy.

    So the Chelmer issues a grand proclamation “Yidden, ratevet zach, the kishkes er.. the COTSES are back to kidnap our children!” (maamer hamusger, what would he think of reb nissans methods in brunoi!)

    Sheriff Sydney (with a Hollywood smicha no less) is monitoring all this and spies an opportunity to extend his devious mind control over OT and the Olem Golem. As it is well known, that he who controls OT, specifically shiur daled of OT, controls the world!!. (Mr Maggid, here’s a thought, maybe the real threat (cult) is Sheriff Sydney and his Posse)

    Sheriff Sydney comes riding into Dodge on his (Sch)veiser ferd and issues a grand condemnation “He who has was will be involved in COTSES is condemned to kaf hakela. The posse will be gathering on the corner of EP & Brooklyn @ 9PM.”

    Mr. Heppe Heppe hears about the gzeira (and the posse), and sees an excellent opportunity to get rid of a bone in every parents throat, a certain “holier than thou GoldStone”.

    Mr Heppe also doesnt want the Posse to pry away his gnarled hands from the shissel…not to mention all his progeny out of jobs!!

    Now he once heard from a friend of a friend that Rabonon Chas al mamono shel yisrael is a good heter bshas hadchak for issur vheter.

    So invoking the dictum “Habah l’hargecha hashkem l’hargo” he preemptively fires anyone that even uttered the words COTSES.

    Problem is that certain senior baal agalas in Heppes august institution, seemed to have made a wrong turn and were “observed” entering and leaving COTSAS “against their will”.

    So the Senior, senior baal agala, threw the Junior senior baal agala under the bus and pranced off into never never land!

    CANT WAIT FOR THE NEXT INSTALLMENT……

    (havent had this much fun since Homeland….)

    Talk about cult behavior, this is classic, you couldnt make this up!

    CUT AND PRINT

    Shalom Aleichem everyone……

  • Many people here guilty of...

    One should be extremely careful to never shame another in public.

    This sin is akin to murder; just as blood is spilled in the act of murder, so too when one is shamed the blood drains from his face.

    One who publicly embarrasses his fellow loses his share in the World to Come. This sin is considered more severe than a borderline adulterous act.

    Bava Metziah 59a.

  • Hurting

    I am with # 99,
    Why IS Velly Karp still a Teacher, a Melamed who phisicly abuses kids, throwing us against the wall, my best friend Rabbi Karp held him by the hands and hung him out the window like a chicken on the way to be Shechted

  • R' Sternberg is the Man

    He taught me some of the most complex concepts in Chassidus and was amazing to talk to. His shuirim were much clearer and better presented than the other mashpim there.

  • It happened just as I said!

    Crown heights has finally gone up in smoke!
    I’m a resident – get me out of here!!!!!

  • Kalman Ha'Ksil and Boruch Ha’Batlan

    We are looking for jobs. Where do we send our resume’ for the position? Neither one of us went to cots, we never slept in a cot and we would never suggest anyone sleep in a cot. We don’t even drink Cott Soda.

    Our mission statement in chinuch al tahas hakodesh is to keep bochurim in Chinuch Oholei Torah School (COTS) and away from College Of The State (COTS). Our salary expectations is low, we are Cheap Of The Shelf (COTS).

    When bochurim need therapy we will only send them to our friend Homer at Call of the Simpsons (COTS).

    We will call OT tomorrow from a Coin Operated Telephone System (COTS) for the job.

    We are Cwalified.

  • Rabbi rosenfeld

    I strongly believe that the young buchrim in their frame of mind have some point; but they completely taken out of hand and made an absolute chillul lubavitch. There is a reason rabbi Rosenfeld had to do what he did cots can have such a negative effect on the boys as as well as the mechanchim it’s a dangerous epidemic that we must put a stop to. Rabbi Rosenfeld for sure did not decide this out of the blue he is a smart man and must have put sleep on hold till coming to this point. I have to agree to what he did he had in mind what would be the best for his Talmudim and other staff and did what he needed to only because with the future of lubavitch on the line that was the right thing to do. I would like to say a public thank you to rabbi Rosenfeld for all his care and concern he has put into OT without him our community would be in the dump. THANK YOU REALLY APPRECIATE IT

  • to 108

    Awesome!!! Thank you ! Haven’t had such a good laugh in a long time ;)
    Can’t wait for your next installment!!

  • in support of rabbi goldstien

    my family moved to ny last year and we enrolled our 9 yr old boy in oholei torah. rabbi goldstien went out of his way and made him feel very welcome. bh we attribute his success to his rebbi’s hard work along with rabbi goldstien’s constant involvement. our family is indebted forever and we hope he gets his job back.

    a grateful mother
    chaya c.

  • Why

    Oholei Torah, Learn from Ohr Menachem, They did not throw from the ניהול those who participated

  • Finally!!

    It had to take something like this to get rid of him???? He should have gone long ago the way he treated us parents and our kids!!!!
    Now I will consider sendings my next kid to OT! Thank you!

  • Mendy Hecht

    A couple of brief points:

    1. From what I understand, from what I was told by the administrator of one of the many “alternative” (i.e. technical/vocational/OTD/etc. yeshivos) out there, there is nothing treif about COTS. They just make you do, he told me, bizarre things but with a goal in mind. For example, they’ll serve one delicious course–but then take it away, to drive home the point of wanting something and not being able to get it.
    2. I don’t know if any kids became frei because of this, but my administrator acquaintance (who’s not Chabad, BTW) told me that he knows of Lubavitchers who came out of COTS, in his words, “more mekusher to the Rebbe.”
    3. As one of the posters satirically pointed out, this is not a cult, because they don’t take away your money and make you live on a commune, etc.
    4. As for the massive asifah, and now, this letter and firing, I suspect that this is one colossal misunderstanding. I’m not going to criticize all the rabbonim and OT leadership, and certainly not in public, but I think that they either did not do enough research, or were not provided with sufficient info. But more likely, and I say this with respect, is that this is using the “company response” of the old days for a modern problem. In the old days, whenever something new was introduced, the wagons were circled, the “new” was thrown out, and things stayed the same. The same thing may be happening here. It’s the old standard response to threats to the system–and thus, what’s really at stake here may not be whether COTS works or not or whether it’s a cult or not, but whether the chinuch system works or not. And if COTS is helping where the chinuch system isn’t, that’s a scathing indictment that some may not be willing to face.

  • DOVID

    MIDA KONEGED MIDA….. HE PUSHED ONE OF THE BEST OUT OF OT ZAL NOW HE IS TASTING HIS OWN ACTIONS.

  • Chanie

    If only OT fired abusers and molesters with such pomp and ceremony! Emergency meetings with thousands of ppl! Multiple articles, complete with pictures! Hundreds of passionate (if anonymous) responses in the comments! This kind of code red response should be saved for when there really is a fire.

  • הוא לא השתחרר מהקליפה ויבזהעצמו וישמיץ אחרים.נזכה ונראה

    עכשיו אני יודע זקול השופר הוא לא רק כת אלא קליפה ממשי

    הכניס ריב ומדונים בין החסידים
    ויש עוד אתו שמאשימים א רוזנפלד

    לפי השבחים שכותבים על ההולכים לשופר
    השאלה גדלה
    היתכןןן?????
    התירוץ פשוט כשמגיע לפופיק שלו כל החסידות תהא בצד ו אני ינצח
    זה מה שמכנחים בשופר וזה מה שהוא מעשה

    יס

  • Ch resident

    The sad thing is that with all the hysteria about COTS and firing teachers, there is a deafening silence about a burning issue we have in our community: our chinuch system!! (Particularly for our boys). We need to take a hard look at how and what we are teaching our children – it should not be information to regurgitate, but rather skills and critical thinking, and an inspiration to a)maintain interest in learning throughout Yeshiva b)inspire our boys/Bochurim to continue learning after they are no longer required to by the confines of the Yeshiva structure.

    How many of our sons/graduates of our Yeshiva system leave with a hunger to keep on learning???

    Is learning made to feel relevant to our children? If Chasidus and Tanya has all the answers to keep us all from straying, why is it not being taught properly?? Starting from Divrei Torah our children bring home to read aloud at the Shabbos table, not understanding a word they’re saying!! Yiddish Dvar Torah with no translation? Who are we kidding for the majority of our community? Learning the deep Chasidus on the Parsha without even knowing the basic Pshat? Parsha learning fails on so many grade levels in our schools – whether lower elementary, higher elementary.
    Maintaining the level of Chumash at the most elementary level? Why do our Bochurim not learn the wealth of Meforshim on Chumash? Inspiration for Torah appeals to different people via different routes! Why are our boys spending such enormous amounts of time only on Gemara, which does not reach every student, or inspire them in their learning/Yiddishkeit? There are basic tenets of Yiddishkeit which are being glossed over by neglecting to delve into Tanach – after all, it is the basis of Torah.

    We need an overhaul of our Yeshiva system.
    a) the curriculum needs to be considered seriously to address gaps in learning/Hashkafa (from ALL sources of Torah, including, (dare I say?) traditional sources eg Mikraos Gedolos, in addition to Chasidus
    b)Our teachers need training in teaching not just content, but skills! Together with that, they need to understand different learning styles of various students so that children don’t get punished for not being able to learn in one way only (eg memory and rote repetition)
    c) We need to create learning groups/levels within classes, so that each child/Bochur can work towards his best – not a one size fits all for everyone! – There are schools that employ this model – eg in a school with 2-3 classes of same grade, split up kids and spread out the teachers according to levels. It’s even possible to create groups across 2-3 grades!
    d)We need more than one teacher per class, especially in the upper elementary classes. Teaching is hard work and our teachers get burned out easily by teaching full time six days a week!

    Blessing our community with Hatzlacha and the wisdom and courage to make changes for the better!!

    • Mother of young Bochor

      Omein. You have hit the nail on the head. Until we fix the broken chinuch situation in our schools our children are at risk, from within.
      Sadly I think the mindset of so many is “it worked amol, we don’t need to change it.”

  • All based on the big lie

    Started with the major exaggeration about what shofar was about.

    Not one professional or rov has actually said that Shofar for a fact involved any s’rach of AZ.

    No one responsible has shown that people who went there are “brainwashed” and need to “de-programmed”. The only source for that is anonymous commentors.

    Has Dr Aharon said that?

    Has Shea Hecht said that?

    Have rabbonim said that?

    No-one. It is just the same people shouting into the echo chamber and getting everyone panicked.

    I didn’t go to this thing. I never liked it when I heard about it.

    But show me one valid source (not guesses and hypothesis) that says: a) they used AZ techniques. b) people who went are “brainwashed”?!

    The problem is that there are no facts here. It is all based on fear, panic and paranoia. And based on that they are firing people and “od yodum (shel hakano’im) netuya” to destroy more lives ch”v.

    Anash: wake up. Kano’im are using your tacit backing to destroy innocent lives. Won’t anyone speak up?

  • shmuel lichtman

    Im not shure what call of the shofar is but i think they should not loose therw jobs and ive seen to much stuff like this for thoose in power to just keep there power and hurt children i was hurt by crazy non understanding religion was in chabad till grade for till they kicked me out cause a bissle yidish it fed up my life bad

  • Larry

    Them and a lot more should be fired and a long time ago parents are clueless to whats going on in OT sorry no time to write it all.someone from with in.P.S there is no need to put their pics.

    • hypocrite?

      pics no good, your comment ok?
      why not pick up the phone and speak to the school instead of resorting to cheap loshon hara

  • its all a power issue

    The real reason the “leadership” of the community has suddenly taken such swift and severe action about the COTS issue is that they are fearful of losing power. They realize that the people of CH are not turning to them for help, which causes them to loose control over the people. They are fearful of outside influences taking over and lessening their control..
    Have you ever seen the leadership move so fast on any other issue?? Or call a sudden “urgent community meeting” to emphasize that the only place for us to find hope and salvation is from within? Never before!!. We do have to look inside the Tanya etc for guidance, but where does the Tanya give direction for someone who has suffered abuse? or is in a difficult marriage? or maybe has tyrue emotional issues? Sometimes people need a licensed professional (and not a “Rav” or “mashpia”) to help them with issues. The Rav’s job is Kosher or treif, where does your mezuzah go or can I do this or that on Shabbos. The Rav (or Mashpia etc) is not a marriage counselor nor is he (yes, never a she, so tough luck for you women who would rather speak with a female) trained to recognize clinical depression or is able to help one recover from any type of abuse. Just like you don’t go to the Rav when you have a medical issue; you go to the MD. Let each person stick to his area of expertise. But those that rely on us for their power (and funds etc) realize that if we turn to others: their base of support will shrink and others will fill the void.
    That, in my opinion, is the REAL reason this issue got such a huge and swift response. As is usual; it’s all about the money and power and control over the people of our neighborhood.

  • Very uplifting to see

    I am very uplifted to see that the younger generation in CH has a straight and strong moral compass. This is good news!
    The young people are protesting against rechilus, motze shem ra and lashan hara. They are protesting against lies and hysteria.

    Thank G-d! There is hope in the next generation.

    The old generation is like the Yidden in the midbar who wandered for 40 years. The younger generation is the generation that has a clearer moral compass. If it was the reverse, I would say ‘ma yihyeh’. But for now, we just can watch as the older generation withe politics, infighting and very small minds who are ‘panicked’ over a”z and a supposed ‘cult’ are being shown intelligent, centered thinking by the younger generation!

    This is great! May they go from strength to strength and show their misguided, infighting pathetic elders the way.

    The Rebbe always believed in the youth. ThEY are the future!

  • dnt mess

    I AGREE! and have seen it first hand!!
    DONT MESS WITH BOCHURIM!
    1) its YOUR 1 brain verses 50 bochurim + brains.
    2) they will one day be the ones running the show
    3) they might be “naive” but they do see truth and will hold accountable later on in life
    4) Lubavitch is changing period just like the world is changing
    5) and so are the bochurim, i think its about time the bochurim stand up, its SOOO hard to find an educator who “cares”
    6) back in the day the town revolved around the yeshiva, now bochurim are treated like cr@p

  • Yeshiva bochur

    אגרות קודש כרך ז ב’ו

    … בנוגע לתוכן מכתבו הנ”ל. הנה אמרתי לו בשיחתנו כאן, שבכלל אינו נכון כלל וכלל כשתלמיד ישיבה – איזה ישיבה שתהי’ – אינו מכיר (אנערקענט ניט) בהמרות של הנהלת הישיבה, והכרח מוחלט שיתנהג מתאים לסדרי הישיבה… שזה גורם בלבול גדול הן בהנוגע להתלמיד עצמו והן בנוגע לחבריו בהכתה. וידוע סיפור כ”ק מו”ח אדמו”ר, שבהיותו מנהל פועל ישיבת תו”ת ליובאוויטש, לא הי’ אביו כ”ק אדמו”ר נ”ע, מתערב בהנהלת הישיבה, כ”א על ידו שהוא הוא המנהל פועל, ופעם אחד כשעכ”פ מקרה הי’ באופן אחר, הנה תומ”י תיקן וסידר פקודתו ע”י כ”ק מו”ח אדמו”ר. מובן מעצמו ופשוט, שאיני מדמה הנהלת הישיבה לכ”ק מו”ח אדמו”ר כמו שאיני מדמה אותו לכ”ק אדמו”ר (מוהרש”ב) נ”ע. – להבדיל בין חיים לחיי החיים – (אלא שהוא ע”ד יבמות קה, ב). וא”כ מוסר השכל הוא בשביל כאו”א מאתנו, שכאשר בן או קרוב נכנס לישיבה, אז מוכרה וא”א בלא”ה, להניח – אפלייגן – רצון עצמו… אלא… להשתמש בכל כח השפעתו על הבן שיקיים את פקודת ההנהלה בכל המאה אחוזים, ואף אם ישנם ענינים שאינם נראים לאבי הבן או להקרוב הנה: א) ספק בדבר עם מי הצדק, עם הנהלת הישיבה או עם האב.

    ב) לו גם יהי’ שהצדק עם האב, הרי לההנהלה ישנו הסיוע של מייסד הישיבה ושל זה שמינה אותם על משמרתם, ובמילא ניתנו להם כחות שיהי’ בהצלחה ואפי’ השגיאות שלהם, וע”ד גם זו לטובה (שזהו עוד יותר ממה דכל מה דעביד רחמנא לטב עביד).

    … נוסף ע”ז הרי הדרך הוא להודיע הטענות להנהלת הישיבה ולבקשם שיעיינו בהם, ואם גם אחרי העיון ישארו בדעתם, יכולים לסמוך על השי”ת שבתו”ת ישיבה הנה סוכ”ס וועט זיך אויסלאזען לטוב… ואז יוכל להיות חזק בבטחונו שיצליח בנו בלימודו הן בנגלה והן בחסידות… ותקותי שיקח על עצמו הוא לנסות בזה עכ”פ משך חדשים אחדים בהנהגה דבלתי התערבות כלל וכלל ואדרבה לעשות יותר קל לבנו שי’ המשמעת וההנהגה בסדר הישיבה.

    בברכה לבריאות הנכונה ולכל טוב בגו”ר, המחכה לבשו”ט.

  • What on earth? Huh?

    You fired 2 innocent staff members because of something they recommended because people like Michel Twerski and Rav Kamenetsky and others backed the program long before this whole machloikes came about…. They saw big Rabbi backing it and heard success stories… You guys should be ashamed of yourself. That’s why I can never send my kids to your school, you guys are way to extreme in your actions and don’t really think. It’s not like they went recommending and supporting the call if the shofar after the scandal. Give them their jobs back! Don’t try to ruin the reputation…you will only ruin your own OT

  • there are other option

    Should take a lesson from Lamplighters , every child is treated with love and respect . Every teacher is appreciated. Amazing Yeddishkit. Yeshivas in CH are controlled by groups of power thirsty individuals who will hold on to it for dear life. Yeshiva institutions are supposed to be solely for the purpose of nurturing our kids and give them skills in which ever path they choose. Shlicuse, Rav, Moel, teacher, Dr., entrepreneurs. They all have a place in this world. Instead it’s a power house so certain individuals can feed their egos, like they’re so special. Take their positions away and they’re nobodys. This is not how its supposed to be.

  • Kol Tuv

    Shame n you OT!!! they were never warned and firing them just like that is wrong, they have families to feed and you will bare the responsibility!! shame on you!!

  • A Chossid wannabe

    Is it a wonder that the Tanoim didn’t want to be around in Moshiach’s tzeiten? Confusion reigns, instead of holding on to the klamke people run off to some programs and claim how wonderful etc. We have the diamonds and exchange them for balote at best. Let;s give the Rebbe some nachas on this one!

    MOSHIACH NOW

  • Objective Observer

    Rabbi Rosenfeld absolutely made the right decision.
    What if one of the bochrim was improperly treated by one of shofers unlicensed staff.. Think Weberman counseling and treating yeshivah girls. Rabbi Rosenfeld and OT would be completely responsible and legally libel.

  • rabonnim wrote

    to # 5+6– during the years that we had a united BAIS DIN-RABBIS MARLOW OSDOBA HELLER , there were firings of magidei shiurim and subsequently there were din torahs about the legalities … The PISKEI DINIM of those Rabbonim (ABIR SHEBEABIRIM) became an authoritative guidance to the HANHOLO of O.T. One of them was a clear psak that according to the sefer NETZACH YISROEL (SIMAN CHES) the hanholo has the right to fire even if he was not negligent and was doing his job properly (but compensation is due). in the case of negligence (or damages caused by the worker) then the hanholo has the right to dismiss even in middle of the school year.This was written by Rabbi HELLER and signed by the other 2 rabbis.This doesn’t mean that there is no grounds for a din torah but to say that the hanholo is doing things without directives of Rabbonim is totally incorrect. BUT–what bochurim are doing in a disrespectful,rebellious manner is certainly a clear violation of the open clear instructions of the REBBE-NOSIH DOREINU.

  • ymg

    Wow, it’s not like they hired some Mexicans with fake papers or something ghastly heinous like that!!! Then again, that’s not worth 27 years and 26M either! We have to make peace with all our Jewish people, tolerate, bring correction where necessary, be compassionate, love each other. Let’s make a fast and break our yetzer down and humble ourselves. Let’s not perpetuate victimization! We need to try to merit Moshiach Tzidkeinu.