Injunction Lifted Against DC Campus Shluchim; 100 Students Join for Shabbos Dinner
The injunction levied last month against the Chabad Shluchim to George Washington University in D.C., which prevented them from engaging in any outreach activities within a 1-mile radius of the campus, was temporarily lifted by a judge last Friday. In a remarkable show of solidarity, over 100 students joined the Shluchim for Shabbos dinner that night.
From the GW Hatchet by Jacqueline Thomsen and Eva Palmer:
As students filed into the Virginia Avenue apartment complex’s stairwell, they heard the loud hum of Hebrew prayers and smelled chicken soup.
More than 100 students gathered inside the third-floor apartment Friday night, sitting at long tables lined with folding chairs and bottles of kosher Manischewitz wine. Though Rabbi Yehuda, known as Yudi, and Rivky Steiner have hosted Shabbat, or Sabbath, dinners for students nearly every week since they moved to Foggy Bottom six years ago, last week’s event was different.
The Shabbat marked the first of the semester, but it also could be one of the last that the Steiners are allowed to host on behalf of GW Chabad, the University’s chapter of the Jewish life organization.
The couple, who have led the organization’s GW chapter since 2008, were fired last semester for violating their contract and were ordered to leave campus. They refused to do so, prompting a legal battle and a groundswell of student support for the Steiners.
During a prayer, Rabbi Yudi Steiner thanked attendees for supporting his family’s stay at GW and reminded them to face the adversities life brings.
“Find the difficult parts of your life and don’t run away,” he said. “Challenge the challenges. When you do, amazing things happen.”
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who is the top Chabad leader in D.C., fired the Steiners in August, claiming that Yudi Steiner was in breach of his contract for failing to provide Shemtov with updates on GW Chabad activities, work required hours in the D.C. Chabad offices or share information about financial donations given to the organization and the couple.
The couple has operated independently – relying on alumni and student donations instead of their Chabad salary – throughout the fall semester. Students began to rally together in the past several weeks as the complaints made their way to D.C. Superior Court.
Creating a community
Students say the Steiners have been an integral part of the Jewish community at GW, taking students out for coffee, hosting dinners at their home or in the Chabad lounge every week, and teaching classes about Judaism.
After they were fired as the leaders of GW Chabad, students and alumni gathered support for the couple, creating a petition that has now collected almost 1,500 signatures.
Those students celebrated Thursday when a judge granted the Steiners a temporary stay, allowing them to continue their work until the next hearing at D.C. Superior Court, which is scheduled for Tuesday. The court put a hold on the previous decision to ban the couple from working within a one-mile radius of campus for the next two years.
Rivky Steiner said she and her husband’s only goals are to remain with the students and provide guidance.
“We feel like the students need it,” she said. “They can get lost in this big school. They can find a community and find their home, and we’re their home.”
She said when students live away from home for the first time, they can either lose touch with their faith or they may be inspired to explore it on a deeper level, and she said she hopes that she and Yudi Steiner can offer resources to help those seeking advice.
She added that while it was still possible that her husband will be replaced by another rabbi or they will move to another community, the outpouring of support they have received since news of their legal woes broke has encouraged them to stay in place for the foreseeable future.
“It’s more about what we have right now,” she said. “And we can’t leave it because of the support the students and alumni have been giving us.”
Junior Alec Zimmerman said when he transferred to GW, he barely left his room for his first month on campus. But when he met the Steiners, he said he found his place at GW.
Yudi Steiner was the first person he told when his grandfather passed away, and he said he has spent hours at their home, sometimes until 4 a.m., without anyone hinting that he should go home.
“I’m not very religious,” he said. “I didn’t come from a Jewish high school. I don’t follow any movement. But the Steiners have always opened their house to me and they’ve always been there.”
Jamie Weiss, a sophomore who has been involved with GW Chabad since she arrived on campus, said Shemtov’s attempt to remove the Steiners is the result of decisions that weigh the importance of Shemtov’s wants over the needs of the students.
“When one Jewish person is competing with another for power, it really upsets me because that’s not what our religion is about,” Weiss said.
A legal showdown
A judge will determine on Tuesday whether the Steiners are permanently allowed back at GW.
Shemtov said he believes banning them from campus is still the right move.
“I understand that there are a number of students who are quite upset,” he said. “But, like many others, once they learn the facts of the case, I believe that they will appreciate more of our position in this picture.”
Shemtov said students “don’t have the whole picture” and are left with incomplete information about their spiritual leaders, but he was prepared to continue an energetic presence on GW’s campus.
Dean of Student Affairs Peter Konwerski said while GW is aware of student concerns following the “recent changes within Chabad leadership,” the University is not part of the case. Like other religious institutions on campus, such as GW Hillel and the Newman Center, GW does not have any authority to vet religious leaders who work with students.
“GW supports a thriving interfaith community on campus and through the Center for Student Engagement will provide support and appropriate resources to address students’ concerns,” Konwerski said.
go yudi and rivky
keep up the great work
Embarrasing
This says it all!
“When one Jewish person is competing with another for power, it really upsets me because that’s not what our religion is about,” Weiss said.
levi
#jesuisyudi
Sruly Clapman : to the above
The Rebbe wants Jews to come closer to Judiasism not necessarily Coroporate Chabad!!! If that means that young couples are safer going on on the Rebbes Peulos and don’t use the name Chabad, cause later on some Washington Politician will claim he owns the name by all means don’t use the name Chabad.
I’m not even referring to the great Chilul Hashem this case caused. It’s irreparable damage.
#jesuisyudi
I second that.
Every Shliach should start forming a new organization not using Chabad name. Chabad has been Highjacked.
How dumb do we have to be?
This is clearly a power struggle & just shows the Shemtov’s pettiness. But what do you expect, the son isn’t the father & the only way he can be big man on totem pole is to squash someone who beats him at his own game. It’s not only pathetic, it’s dangerous. Onl;y lousy Shluchim need apply. And don’t you just love that Shemtov goes to court?
Shliach
Kinderlach we are losing too many Anash and mekurovim just this week two babies r”l. Let’s think of a solution including everyone who wants to do the Rebbe’s shlichus, according to the Rebbe’s horoo’s (emphasis on Rebbe exclusively. The Rebbe wants Shlichus to be organized under one entity, and united. Can we give him nachas on this?
Celebrate Jewish GW
Call Levi Shemtov and ask your question,
he apparently has one goal in mind and nothing else matters.
to Shliach
under one entity if and when it works!!! If it’s not working, that’s a different story. I don’t know enough of this particular story to comment.
YMG
Why couldn’t a proper Beit Din handle the situation behind closed doors? That’s what I think would have been proper.
Anonymous
Shemtov refused
I wonder
Why couldn’t a proper beis din take care of this behind closed doors??
Because rabbi levi Shemtov CHOSE not to go to bais din and CHOSE to take another Shliach to secular court.
If you’re an honest individual you’ll come to your own understanding of whose to blame for all this
For the simple reason
This issue was by the BD few years ago and clearly Steiner had no intention to listen
Rather do what ever he want
Ch
Wow Shemtov shows how much you really care about what the rebbe wants! All you want is money
Piekarski
There WAS a Beis Din. But Steiner’s didn’t listen.. so what should Shemtov do? Rabbonim said he can go to court. So he did.
what????
Shemtov wanted to go to court first, but steiner wanted a beis din, steiner won and shemtov brought him to court and went against anash.
Nebach
Sounds like the rabonim forced shem-tov to take Steiner to court. Poor guy had a gun to his head.
Pharaoh
When the Jews finally left Egypt, do you think anyone else agreed to take their place in serving the cruel dictator Pharaoh?
No one of sound mind would replace the Steiners and work for Shem Tov (how ironic the Hebrew translation of his name!). GW would be left Authentic Juden-rein.
The name Steiner is connected to rocks. May they have the strength to connect to the strength of My Rock.
Welcome to Chabad
Dear “Pharaoh” (why would a Jew pick such a user name?),
You clearly come from another background, outside of Chabad (and maybe, as I suspect, also outside of Orthodoxy).
Therefore you have trouble digesting the dispute. You may find it disgraceful and despicable.
In Chabad, we are brothers and as brothers there is sibling rivalry.
Please don’t judge the character of the siblings by their internal disputes. .
At the end, the blood of brothers is thicker than water (under the bridge).
Continue growing and learning never ends.
shliach
it could not have happened to nicer people.
Kmaim ponim el ponim.
SEREL MANESS
IT DOESN’T REALLY MATTER WHAT PROPER TO STEM TOV,IT’S A PITY,MAKES YOU CRY
Rabbi Levi SHemtov
DOES NOT A HETER FROM THE VRL in writing to go to court. Vaad Rabonei Lubavitch gave no heter.
Remember if you get married to someone once and divorce and marry again and divorce and then try again I wonder whos fault it is when it went wrong.
Levi Shemtov had his own capable cousin BS working for him them he attacked him and tossed him like a dog. Now Steiner becomes successful and tosses him so can you guess who has the problems here the people being tossed or the tosser.
Levi SHemtov in COurt Berel SHemtov in Court and those are the only 2 shluchim in Civil COurt?
Out of 4000 thousand shluchim?? only the shemtovs?
I wonder whothe public opinion is with.
Steiner please stick it out!!!!
yossi
L. Shemtov: what a chillul lubavitch your causing. All you care about is $$$$$$ an fame.
dl
The truth will surface! Yasher koach steiners
Sad!
Let us weigh in on the damage, and chillul HaShem that this has caused. That campus students and faculty hearing about the “shmutz”. What is going through their heads…? I’ll tell you in case your imagination is temporarily crippled by the madness. They see the antitheses of what has been taught to them. That the ways of the Torah are those of just and kindness, peace and tranquility, those that are honest and upright. Yet it could not be settled in Bais Din and had to spill out into Superior Civil Court.
The real story
Shemtov and Yudi went to beis din, and Beis din allowed yudi to stay. Yuduwas then basically forcedinto signing a unfair contract. A few years later shemtov found another complaint which can be explained by yudi. There was a request for Beis din but shemtov refused. He then took yudi to court which is not allowed! He continues to do everything in his power to destroy yudi even at the price of his integrity(the little bit he had)
Stay strong yudi
Correct
Shemtov is right the students don’t know the true story. They only know shemtovs point of view and all the lies he made up about yudi.
P.s. to Levi shemtov, ur dealing with gw here it’s a top university so the students are smart they won’t fall for ur lies, and they will iy”h continue to support yudi
this is when shlichos becomes a business,
let the guy do his shlichos in peace,this is a total embarrassment to chabad.
“breach of contract”
since when is chabad so contractually bound, its just an excuse to let him go, perhaps jealousy.
"...perhaps jealousy."--BINGO!
I’ve seen something similar happen in the Chabad house I first started attending way back when. A too-busy shliach finally hires another couple to help. And this second couple ends up being very, very popular among the congregation of the Chabad House. Meanwhile, the second couple continues to show every bit of respect possible to the original shluchim there, whose work made it possible for the Chabad House to grow big enough to need the help of the second couple.
Nevertheless, the jealousy, or whatever it is, continues to infect the original couple. When they were building the Chabad House by themselves, the task was impossibly stressful, but at least they had autonomy, and didn’t have to share accolades with anyone when great things happened under their leadership.
Meanwhile, couple number 1 may not exactly be “experts” in personnel management, and may not treat couple number 2 so skillfully. Couple number 1 may even treat couple number 2 like lackeys, c”v.
Couple number 2 is so happy to be on shlichus that they do whatever they’re told by couple number 1. But eventually couple number 2 starts to feel the strain and stress of having way too much to do, and they might (horrors!) ask couple number 1 to sit down and more clearly define what is couple number 1’s job, and what is couple number 2’s job.
Hard feelings set in. Couple number 1 feels: How dare couple number 2 act like they have a right to know what the limits are? How dare they, when we (couple number 1) had sole responsibility for building EVERYTHING, ALONE, with no help whatsoever????
And couple number 2 is now not only stressed out by a never-ending workload with no way to question anything, but they are baffled by the colder and colder shoulder that Couple number 1 is showing to them.
All the while, the two couples are carrying on a good “show” for the congregants, but it’s all getting worse and worse. Some of the congregants start to pick up on subtle things they notice going on between the two rabbis and/or the two rebbetzins, etc.
Eventually, couple number 2 was given the boot, over something that was not good but was not really horrible; but it was just the straw that broke the camel’s back, in this super stressful situation.
WHAT’S THE ANSWER???? It’s not easy: Couple number one does need to maintain their authority; they are “the boss” by right. And couple number two is not served by being made to feel their job is impossible. Like I said, it’s not easy.
I think there should be more attention paid to easing and defining the transition for both couple number one and couple number two. Merkos could work on getting experts and veteran shluchim to help address this problem.
The Shliach to...
How can anyone who is the slightest bit mekusher to our Rebbe put a stop to all the beautiful Peulos that this wonderful couple are doing. Especially when you see all the outpouring of support from the students.
Rabbi Shemtov, please, please, put the Rebbe before your ego… I assure you that you will come to a different conclusion.
From a Shliach point of view
Steiner GO HOME !!!
you knew before you moved there that shemtove will be your boss and his not an easy boss
It was your desicion to accept his contract no one forced you to go on shlichus or to go to DC in particular
If you really want to do yidishkey the where many many campus’s and cities back them, and there’s still more campuses and cities
Yudi we are good Freinds but honestly I’m telling let it go stop fighting and making the all Lubavitch ww pay the price
Stop Beeing selfish ! Stop fighting ! GO HOME!
Shemtov his your boss to bad but that was your choice.
Love :/
A Shliach point of view??!??
I wonder what kind of Shliach you are!
What kind of Shliach can justify such behavior?
What kind of Shliach can tell a successful Rabbi to “go Home”?
What kind of Shliach can support efforts to stop hundreds of students from seeing, speaking, and learning from their beloved rabbi?
What kind of Shliach can enjoy a Shabbos meal when there is a campus unable to go to their beloved Shabbos meals they so love?
What kind of Shliach would tell another Shliach to stop doing good work??
And even more than that, how can you call yourself a friend?
If you are able to sleep at night, when so much yidishkeit can be lost, then how can you call yourself a Shliach?
Think my fellow Jew, think before you speak and more importantly before you act!
A real friend
How crooked can ones logic get? Well, after reading your comment, I see there is no limit.
How can you place Shemtov’s chilul hashem on Steiners shoulders just because he’s not walking away!?
And you call yourself a Shliach / Friend!?
Just trying to be open minded here...
No one here likes when the world reads biased news reports on Israel which skews facts, and judge based on them that Israel is in the wrong, without questioning or bothering to look up the facts. Well, here we are doing the same thing. Has anyone actually spoken to shemtov or heard his side of the story? Maybe there is more to the story than you choose to think? And if you say, “what could possibly be more to the story, it’s pretty obvious what’s going on here, there’s nothing that could justify such a thing” well, that’s what the world says too when they read articles about Israel at face value and (insanely) believe that Israel is doing exactly what the terrorists are doing.
Shliach
#7 here again. #8,I know that answer. BTDT. I address my frustration to him and his clan, but also to the “mushrooms” sprouting like crazy lately. And for one reason only: the Rebbe’s rotzon that everything be in a seder mesudar and not a hefker velt.
But it’s not the mushrooms’ fault. Or is it? Very hard to say. A couple wanting to go on Shlichus and out of favor with someone upstairs-especially if outspoken about the unmentionable M word-will become mushrooms sooner or later.
So to those sitting in the exec chairs upstairs in 770, how can you keep this up when not only Anash, but also mekurovim are experiencing tragedies. (I’m not playing Aibishter but do a check on all Lubavitch oriented websites by googling “Boruch Dayan Hoemes’ Chabad, and you will be shocked.)
How many Shluchim are called upon to help families who lost young loved ones in tragic situations? Even that poor beheaded journalist’s parents had some connection. Just this week we experienced an overflow of tragedy. Connect the dots please and stop the madness.
So please wake up, come to terms with wonderful couples who devote their lives to the Rebbe, include them even if you have to swallow a frog or too.
Umesaymim b’tov, Moshiach NOW
to #32 AS A SHLIACH 2, I AGREE
there is clearly an inordinate amount of Chabad people involved in tragedies for the last few years. EVERYWHERE. what is the percentage of Chabad world wide and look at how many tragedies Chabad seems to be involved in. MAKE THE MATH.
during the last war in Israel
in France
with children
with younger adults
" they don`t know the facts"
How often have we heard that. It`s the excuse most authoritarian leaders hide behind. People are not stupid: not in the Chabad world nor at GWU. It`s all about power. My way or the highway,no matter the cost or consequences. For shame. No matter what the court ultimately rules, in the court of public opinion this can be considered a loss.
Just trying to be open minded here...
Yes, that’s exactly what the world says about Israel. Without bothering to look up the facts.
Shemtov Ideaology?
Is there a shemtov brand of chabad Ideaology tht lands them in secular court more than other chabad shluchim? Or is it just coincidence that two shemtovs are involved in court cases now?
President Obama
Dear Vice President,
Please have a word with your pal Rabbi Shemtov. Tell him to smarten up and appreciate the good work of his colleague (the way I appreciate you :-).
If you can’t talk sense into the stubborn man, please find someone else to light the Menorah with next year. I’m thinking we should side with the Macabees and not the Greeks.
Go yudi go
We can’t afford loosing this one! Keep it up and may the truth prevail!
we love you yudi!!
from cloverlawn crowd
INTRESTING OBSERVATION
Years ago in Detriot, a Shemtov (relative) closed the Chabad school for girls because Rabbi and Rebetzin Werner were successfull in monetary areas as well as positively impacting the students. They walked away and some of the girls had to go to public school.
Here is a similar case, however Yudi won’t and nor should he back away. Shemtov should retire. If he has the chutzpah to make such a chilul Hashem and even worse if the Steiner family does (bli eyan harah) leave the campus, the students may reverse.
Ultimately how can we allow this (excuse the language/lack of a better word) CRAP to continue??? We have a successful Shliach and shlucha spending their days trying to help support students with everything as best they can and they are being harassed by an individual who is bored and needs power, and gets his fix when people talk about him.
So as Lubavitchers we should petition with the “leaders” of the shluchim, to stop this before this get completely out of whack! Before we are banned from our jobs and businesses, because HE fired us for not paying him taxes………after all HE is the BOSS……
100 students
100 students isn’t a crazy amount for rivky and yudi, they have it often and sometimes even more.
(Just a sidepoint when the shemtovs host even a few guests the food is catered while rivky serves homemade food to 50 times more people)
Go rivky ur the best
Student of History
A once beautiful legacy of kohanim doing avodah in kodesh quickly turns to tzidukim and ultimately to the destruction of the bais hamikdosh. Power corrupts.
Parent and child once part of a beautiful legacy of misaras nefesh for klal yisroel. Time to author an Aicha on shlichus. Oy, mah haya lonu?
John
Wonder what the true story is, who didn’t want to go to BD or who really won if they did.
Anonymous
Why is there no rules and regulations for Shluchim that are written down. There should be a class action lawsuit by all Shluchim that were abused by the system. The grey area ie: the beis din world is completely subjective. There should be rules of what a head shliach can ask for. If not this is the most oppressive and potentially abusive system. This is worse than a cult. In a cult someone will tell you your ina cult and you need to get out. Here the system was set up by the Rebbe and a normal Shliach feels terrible hurting the system and will accept untold abuse because they have no where to turn. We are afraid to go to the courts. The beis din could uproot out families and out lives. And the head Shluchim are banking on our sheeplike adelkite to stay silent. Ad masi.
Anonymous
I don’t understand. Your job as the head Shliach is to bring someone to an area to spread yidishkeit. I could understand if he went and destroyed your ability to make a living and you got into an argument. Any normal Shliach would be humiliated for this story to get out. And yet not only does it get out but it goes to the public courts. What did this young Shliach do? Dear head Shliach your job is to bend over backwards to make sure that someone gets the job done. He is doing the job. Get out of his face. When enough young Shluchim get together and demand that there are rules that empower not oppress, stiffle and not enslave Moshaich will come. Oh head Shluchim, remember that the Rebbe gave you pride do as to others as has been done to you.