I have lived in Crown Heights for decades. When new leadership ran for the Vaad Hakohol and Community Council, I voted, encouraged others to vote, and believed—sincerely—that after years of inertia, something would finally change. Two years in, it’s time for an honest accounting.
Why are so many Chabad bochrim struggling in, and potentially at risk of leaving Yeshiva? A complex question with an assuredly complex answer. I don’t claim to possess it. What I do know is that it is not the Israeli army.
Sometimes a child carries their father with them in ways nobody else can see.
Aside from the lack of time, the most common challenge to properly learn any idea in Chassidus is a lack of clarity.
“I’m not ready yet,” he whispers – not with words, but with his entire body. Understanding their world through the child’s eyes changes everything.
May Hashem help that soon, before it’s too late, for the sake of our children, and for the sake of the legitimacy of Lubavitch, our rabbis and leaders will have the courage to publicly declare what needs to be said.
I think we can all agree that concerts are a blast; however, there are some – myself included – who do not do mixed seating.
Recently, I completed the registration process for four of my children in a single school. The collective financial burden we’re expected to carry is simply not realistic. By any standard, it’s not normal. The emotions I felt as this reality set in were complex—and conflicting.
The simcha of Yom Tov doesn’t come from what is in the glass. It comes from the Torah in our arms. From the circles we make. From the joy we bring with our own voices and feet.
The question is simple: do we continue to allow chaos, or do we finally find the backbone to keep Crown Heights clean, respectful, and worthy of the name it carries?
The Op-Ed is right to sound the alarm. What happened on Rosh Hashanah — seats thrown into the street, a Rabbinic table upended, Rabonim ignored while chaos reigned — was intolerable. But responsibility without clear thinking will get us nowhere.
Who is hosting these individuals? We are. Where are they eating? In our homes, or In the lunchrooms of our mosdos. Where are they building their sukkahs? On our school grounds. Where are they sleeping? In trailers on land provided by our community members, and in our own homes.
I asked someone for advice on how to see if she’d want to join a Shabbos meal, and the answer was simple: “Just ask her. What does it hurt?”
I’m a Crown Heights single male pushing 40, and I aspire to be a Frum, Chasidishe person. I recently had a conversation with a non-observant colleague about our mutual dating lives. After describing how dating works in our community, he had an eye-opening observation: “You live on the planet with no women“.
The shocking murder of Charlie Kirk, carried out on ideological grounds, should set off alarm bells for all of us. This kind of violence is not confined to faraway streets. Right here, in 770, we are witnessing the same phenomenon – not in murder, but in raw violence, threats, and intimidation.
When receiving an invitation, the time to share major dietary or lifestyle restrictions is before saying yes — not after.
In today’s competitive business environment, Jewish local businesses often face a difficult choice: hire Jewish workers or opt for less expensive non-Jewish employees for competitive advantage or even employ remote workers. While the latter may seem financially beneficial, it poses significant ethical and communal issues.
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