Lag BaOmer Parade in Boro Park
Borough Park, Brooklyn — It was a beautiful day in Borough Park today. At 2:45 in the afternoon, Chabad of Boro Park held a parade on 18th Ave, starting at 50th St where they gave out caps to all the kids, ending at Gravesend Park where a rally took place. The event, which was organized by Rabbi Aaron Ginzburg, had singing, dancing, and all kinds of fun for the kids.
More pictures in the Extended Article!
yosef
what a kiddush lubvitch, finally!
chrup!
major major kiddush lubavitch! wow!
anonymous
go yankee tevel!!!!
Luby
Beautiful! Keep up the good work in Boro Park!
Same Chicken
That looks like the same chicken I saw in Crown Heights.
Alec S.
Here’s my take:
You guys are good.
You know how to present yourselves differently to different venues.
Look at those pictures:
No huge “yechi” signs.
No conspicuous “yechi” yarmulkas.
No huge Rebbe pictures.
No noticable Moshiach paraphernalia.
Why not?
Where is the pride in what you hold dear?
Is there a reason why those items appear at certain venues and not others?
Are you nervous about letting Boro Park see the same type of stuff that Chabad reps. so gladly show off & distribute elsewhere?
What are you embarassed/ashamed/afraid of?
Can anyone offer me an honest answer?
john
rabbi ginsburg take over the world through boro park and flatbush!!
SDR
Alec,
It has nothing to do with shame.
The Rebbe told the Shluchim in 5752 to publicize that Moshiach is coming B’ofen Hamiskabel – In a way that will be accepted. That means that the best way to publicize the message in one community is not necessarily the best way to publicize it in another.
mendel
Dear Alec,
most Lubasvitch Chassisimin feel that Yechi signs are not the way to go about prompting Mivtzas Moshiach.Many Chabad Chassidim are allienated by the Meshigistin who walk around all day waving their Yechi flags and distributingtheir “memerobilia”. However, I must inform you that a Tzfati girl did arrive in middle of the rally and began giving out yechi cards at the entrance to the park (those cards send such a negative message and it really makes the Rebbe look terrible). I happened to hear one woman say “so this is what it is really all about I knew that Lubavitch is crazy.Fourtanetly, i had the opportunity to tell this woman that this girl came on her own and had nothing to do with the parade. Boruch hashem she left the park after standing there for only a few minutes and being asked numerous times to leave by the organizers of the parade (who realize how damage the Tzfatim can do).
I also think that you should realize that this is the way many Lubavitchers wish Chabd could be projected. Unfortunately, it is very hard to contol the meshigistin in most circumstances. It is essential that you learn Chabad Chassidus so that you can get a real taste about what Chabad is really all about.
Mendel
B-Ofen Hamiskabel
Thanks SDR for clarifying that to Alec, however I do want to clarify to you that the phrase B’Ofen Hamiskabel has been so twisted – B’Ofen Hamiskabel means ‘in a way that will be ACCEPTED’ – means, to teach it, bring it, explain it, in a way that they will actually accept it, means, that the end result is they should get it and accept it, not ‘to ignore it’. People today dont put Moshiach into the pic. at all bec. it has to be ‘B’Ofen Hamiskabel’. That makes zero sense! The Rebbe said that they SHOULD accept it! It should be done in a way so that they will accept it! Think about the words, about what it means!
GO BIG!!!
Next Lag Ba’omer parade, Bus in the Boro Park kids to CH and make a huge parade throughout CH, one to be proud of! If the Shvartes, lehavdil, can close off Eastern Parkway, we can close off 3×5 blocks!! Lets unite not just us lubavs, but as many Jews in NY and make a parade fit for Moshiach!!!
wow
wow what a kiddush lubavitch
Berel
My own two cents with regard to the Yechi/Moshiach issue:
1: Many, if not most of the signs that the kids were given to hold during the parade had Moshiach slogans. Ani Ma’amin was sung at the beginning of the Program. Moshiach was more than “noticeable”. (Besides the fact that just seeing a Lubavitcher reminds people about Moshiach (specifically, our fanaticism re moshiach).)
2) A huge picture of the Rebbe would be counterintuitive. The Rebbe wanted there to be parades for all Jewish children on Lag b’omer. A huge picture of him would turn people away from the parade. (“Lubavitch is coming to impose their agenda…”)
The Rebbe did not tell us to post huge pictures of him (or any other Rebbe for that matter.) We do what the Rebbe tells us.
(The picture at the parade in CH is understandable; it served to remind of the spiritual presence of the Rebbe at the parade which the Rebbe attended before 3 Tamuz.)
3) “Yechi” is an expression of Lubavitcher Chassidim’s belief/hope that the Rebbe will be Moshiach. This is based on Chabad Chassidus, but primarily on personal feeling, hence it should definitely not be “imposed” on anyone, certainly those who do not identify themselves as Chabad Chassidim. It should seem obvious that Yechi has no place at such an event.
This has nothing to do with how “Lubasvitch Chassisimin feel that Yechi signs are not the way to go about prompting Mivtzas Moshiach” [sic] or with how they wish Lubavitch should be projected. If yechi was indeed something that should be spread, feelings and wishes could not stand against it. It has no place to begin with.
Nor does Yechi have anything to do with “b’oifen hamiskabel” which the Rebbe said regarding the campaign to prepare the world for the coming of Moshiach by teaching about Moshiach.
I speak only for myself. I hope this clears things up.
(sorry if this went off the topic of the news)
Motty
to alec:
When it comes to our own community, we can be tolerant of conspicuous “yechi” yarmulka wearers, how ever wrong they may be. (This is out of a love that is parallel to the love of one’s self — it covers over one’s wrongdoings). However, when we come to do a program in another community, we ought to ensure that everything is done properly. Otherwise in what right do we come?
When we do things properly, we come with the Rebbe.
the real B-ofen Hamiskabel
“B’ofen Hamiskabel” doesn’t mean change our views, or hide them.
it means that you SHOULD GIVE OVER our views B’ofen Hamiskabel!!!
if it is not excepted this way, find another way, but not to shy away from it!
Alec S.
I don’t buy the whole “mainstream chabad vs. those few maniacal mishichisten” argument.
There are just too many facts on the ground to seperate the two.
For example, the official tzivos hashem paraphernalia distributed at the carnival at young israel of queens valley in kew gardens hills, was loaded with the yechi message, and other moshiach issues, etc.
What kind of excuse is the “ofen hamiskabel” argument? Sounds like Malcom X’s “By any means necessary” approach.
Come on. No one is falling for the phony neutral chabad image that you want to portray.
Just take a look at so much on this very site.
So again, how about an honest answer, where was all the regular chabad / moshiach / rebbe paraphernalia at the boro park event?
What are you trying to hide? Where’s your pride?
Sarah
Thank you to the Ginsburgs for outdoing yourself all the way! In a chassidishe way!!!!
Your hard work really comes through and is B’Hatzlocha when done al pi Torah and b’haskamus of the Rebbe! No pritzus, no taruves, no meshugasen! B”H you did it in a way to show the derech the Rebbe would have wanted it. He didn’t ask us to post pictures – yechis etc… He wanted something to bring the children and klal Yisroel closer to H’! He wanted something that will make a Kiddush H’! He wanted us to bring the beauty of Torah and Yiddishkeit to one and all! He wanted us to be Mekadesh Shem Shomayim! And that is what you did! For a change someone is making a kiddush Lubavitch! It’s high time! The Rebbe deserves it! In this zchus may we be zocheh to Moshiach Now!
yontel
@the real B-ofen Hamiskabel: B’ofen Hamiskabel was said with regards to teaching about Moshiach. Nothing else. What does it have to do with the matter at hand?
Levi
I’m with Alec.
It’s just not cool to put on a different act in order to impress Boro Park.
We ought to be proud of what we stand for.
I hide my pride for no one – and don’t pin what’s mainstream on the Tzfas crew – everyone sees right through that one.
I think people lose respect for us when we try to blend in with the “velt” and hide from what makes us unique.
Berel
Alec S:
1) Who brought up the “mainstream chabad vs. those few maniacal mishichisten” argument? (BTW there indeed happens to be a maniacal few who have strange customs outside the boundaries of Halacha-a group of perhaps 30 in NY. However, we are not discussing them as their place is outside of Judaism.)
2) In my opinion, Tzivos Hashem of Kew Garden Hills is wrong for promoting Yechi at all (for the reason I explained in my earlier comment (Yechi=private feeling). Aside from Yechi and proclaiming the Rebbe as Moshiach, what kind of “Moshiach issues” were they promoting, and what would be wrong with them?
3) Again, Ofen Hamiskabel is no excuse for promoting Yechi or the Rebbe as Moshiach. It was simply a directive of the Rebbe to teach the concept of Moshiach as it is found in Torah in an “ofen Hamiskabel” bechoma bina v’daas, in a manner that is accepted by the intellectual faculties of a person. It does not connote “by any means necessary”, but rather specifically by means of intellect. This directive was exclusive to the Moshiach campaign.
4) I believe that the “phony neutral image” was rather authentic. And what would I glean from this site to the contrary?
5) The regular Moshiach paraphernalia was there (it may not have been yellow this time, which explains why you may have missed it.) Moshiach was not limited to paraphernalia. It was also spoken of, and sung of.
I explained earlier why the “Rebbe paraphernalia” was largely (but not completely) missing – it would be counter productive and against the Rebbe’s wishes.
I feel that there was no attempt to hide anything. If yechi wasn’t said, it was not because it was hidden, rather because it was wrong to have it altogether. And there is no need to “pride” in our person feelings when it runs contrary to our mission given to us by the Rebbe.
Berel
To Levi:
The parade in Boro Park was not to impress anyone. It was because the Rebbe instructed that we should make parades on Lag b’omer.
We are proud of what we stand for. We are on a mission from Hashem lesaken olam bmalchus shakay, to make a dirah bitachtonim. That’s what the parade in BP was about.
Good for you that you don’t hide your pride. But if your pride is (in something that is) contrary to the Rebbe’s will, would you dare to continue to display it?
The “tzfas crew” are the ones that feel obliged to publicize their personal “belief” that the Rebbe is Moshiach (vaday), and better yet that he is alive physically just as before 3 Tamuz, all in the name of the Rebbe, and in the name of a weird “psak din” which is a story of forgery onto itself.
The Rebbe made no campaign to identify Moshiach, as they would have you believe. 3 Tammuz did happen. It is Halacha. It is mainstream Chabad, mainstream Judaism.
Of course, according to Chabad Chassidus, the Nosi hador is the same as Moshiach shebeDor. We consider the Rebbe to be our nosi, so automatically we believe him to be Moshiach. However, there is NO campaign WHATSOEVER to publicize that. It is a private Hergesh that was always held by Chassidim.
So there is indeed a clear distinction between the tzfatim and mainstream Chabad. One is mainstream judaism with the plus of Chabad chassidus (no need to pin anything on anyone but ourselves), the other is utter foolishness born out of denial of 3 Tamuz.
We do not try to blend in with the velt. We do not hide what makes us unique. On the contrary, it is our mission to spread the wellsprings of chassidus, which we are so lucky to have, to bring about the coming of Moshiach NOW!
Berel
Sarah: Your words Kiddush Hashem, Kiddush Lubavitch have a slight hint of PR motives. The Boro Parkers already have the beauty of Torah and Yiddishkeit. Rather, the motive was, as you said, to bring the children of klal yisroel CLOSER to Hashem.
I also despise of you choice of words: as the Rebbe would have wanted it. Any way you slice it, it is what the Rebbe WANTED or WANTS and not what the Rebbe WOULD HAVE WANTED.
This is not the place to get into technicalities, however I wanted to clarify those points so that the ideas should be clear.
Alec S.
Berel,
Nice try.
Do you mean to tell me that all of the moshiach campaign paraphernalia (posters, stickers, signs, yechi yarmulkes worn and sold by lubavitchers the world over, printed & distrubuted on official tzivos hashem items, etc.) are the ideas of those few misguided tzfasim & not mainstream Chabad?
Give me a break.
No one will ever fall for your PR attempts at “sanitizing” chabad’s sullied image to the rest of the world.
If you want to correct it, do some serious house cleaning (& don’t just pin it on the tzfasim who’ve gone beyond what you find acceptable – most of the world is taken aback by mainstream chabad’s behavior as you are by the tzfasim’s antics). But don’t insult our intelegence by trying to make the claim that this moshiach campaign is not accepted by mainstream chabad.
Why not just be honest & stop trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes.
The facts on the ground are there for anyone with their eyes open to see.
Yoni K.
Alec,
What I noticed was the picture of the seforim being awarded as prizes.
Did you see how neutral they were? A set of Shas!
When’s the last time tzivos hashem gave away something like that? No Tanya’s, Chitas, etc.?
The message of the toned down boro park campaign was clear: “Other than the fact that we daven nusach ari, there aren’t any real differences between us.”
IT was so obvious.
Berel, your apologetics are pathetic. Give it up.
setting it straight
Alec and Yoni C.
I would say that about 1/3 of Chabad in the U.S. are meshichistin who say Yechi (of coures they range from mild to extremists). In the month of Tishrei many more of meschistin come in from Israel, hence the overwhelming Yechi display during that month.
The organizers of the boro park parade are not meschistinand were trying to bring a parde to the Boro Park community which they could appreciate, They therfor organized a parde which catered to the community and by the way they did mention the 12 psukin andthey spoke about Lag B’omer in and Ahavs Yisroel according to Chassidic viewpoints. The Rebbe always spoke about the importance of prompting Yiddishkeit and if the need be given not to mention his name. I would like to comment that in every bag that was handed out o the children attending the parade there was a picture of the Rebbe inside it explaining the significance of the La’g B’omer parade.
It is also important to mention that the vast majority of the 4,000 Shluchimdo not say yechi. The shluchim are what really define Lubavitch.
In conclusion, though the meschistin are a larger force then acknowledged on many of the posts. Most of Chabad is unhappy with the way the Meschistin behave.
By the way no one was trying to convert the parde goers into being Lubavitch. The purpose was to make a Kiddush Hashem with so many children marching together.i myself attended the parade it was really beautiful.
By the way if any of you have a chance to be out of town ,state or country, just step into one of the Chabad houses and you will see what Chabd is really about. Last but not least see the good in other Yidden. Don’t be so negative.
Berel
to setting it straight:
It is the Rebbe who defines Lubavitch.
Yoni K.
To Berel & s.i.s.,
While both of your posts are loaded with apologetics, s.i.s. seems to have a bit more of a sense of reality.
However, some of the shluchim that I’ve come accross have been the furthest from your description.
I have stepped into chabad houses in the midst of major jewish centers & was shocked to see a yechi rekidah take place btwn mincha & ma’ariv in one of them.
When you’re in the middle of things – like you both seem to be – you get used to the things you see as being normal. You have a hard time understanding why an objective outsider sees much of your shtick as bizzare.
Berel, might understand that better, maybe that’s why he’s so scared of the truth in his posts.
Berel
I made no attempt to conceal any truths. Most of what I was saying were ideals that I believe Lubavitch SHOULD hold.
Setting it straight
Yoni G,
Yaou have just proved my point You said that you went to a few chabad houses and saw a rekidah in “one” of them. Like I said “most” shluchim do not, and again “most” of the shluchim do not. Unfortunately you stepped into a Chabad center that did.
By the way I do not see any of the Yechi bussiness as being normal. I did respond to what you wrote about the B.P parade which was my point in the first place.
These were my main points:The organizers of the boro park parade are not meschistin and were trying to bring a parde to the Boro Park community which they could appreciate.
2) by the way they did mention the 12 psukiandthey spoke about Lag B’omer in mand Ahavs Yisroel according to Chassidic viewpoints.
3)The Rebbe always spoke about the importance of prompting Yiddishkeit and if the need be given, not to mention his name.
Yoni K.
setting it straight,
do you not see anything wierd about point #3 that you make?
“if the need be given, not to mention his name”?
Are you aware of ANY event that promotes torah & yiddishkeit EVER feeling the need to promote anyone’s name?
Will you ever see any lifesize pictures, etc. of any leader at any event interested in promoting torah & yiddishkeit?
It doesn’t happen outside of chabad.
We’re all very taken aback at this need that you seem to have to shove your rebbe down anyone’s throats.
this occurs in no other venue of jewish outreach.
The thing is, you are so used to this that you can’t even understand why the rest of the jewish world sees this as bizzare behavior.
“promte yiddishkeit, & if the need be not to mention his name”
OK, if that won’t help, then b’dieved, you can just promote yiddishkeit, but l’chatchilah, it’s best to promote yiddishkeit & the rebbe!?
Berel, thanks for finally being honest.
You’re advocating what chabbad SHOULD be. Not to be confused with what it has unfortunately become. Do you realize in fact that you are living in a fantasy world? The chabad utopia that you envision no longer seems to exist. It’s been hijacked form the top down, and all of their yeshivas are indoctronating the youth to be far from what you say things SHOULD be like.
Do others see it like you?
Where is the public outcry?
Where are the alternative chabad institutions where none of this outlandish behavior is advocated or even tolerated?
Until the rest of the Jewsih world sees something like that, we’ll continue to believe that all of this bizzare activity is trully mainstream chabbad. Why else is it being tolerated?
motti
lubavitchers say that the rebbe is nesi doreinu. the rebbe said it about the previous rebbe. (This was due to the outreach that he did in the u.s.) the rebbe also said that we should publicize to all the people of the generation that hkb”h was mezakeh us that we have someone in our gen. who is a baal bechirah, he is a shofet and yo’etz, and he gave a nevua that the time of the redemption has arrived.
Lubavitcher _have_ to publicize the rebbe.
btw, that thing about not publicizing in the rebbe name – i believe it was in regard to a specific campaign that the rebbe considered very important.
hirsh
no one else sees it like chabad.
there is public outcry, rav shach for starters.
chabad in bp is alternative chabad institution where none of the outlandish behavior is advocated or even tolerated, so you can stop believing that all of this bizzare activity is truly mainstream chabbad
Berel
I am not living in a fantasy world. I am well aware of the facts on the ground. I believe that chabad utopia never existed, and it will not exist until the coming of Moshiach.
However, these are not “taynes” on chabad Chassidus.