Essay: “The sandwiches will be delivered in an hour”

Today marks two years since the lives of six precious Jews who were murdered al kiddush hashem in the terror attacks in the Chabad House in Mumbai. Rabbi Gavirel and his wife Rivkah Holtzberg, the Shluchim that ran the Chabad House, Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Teitelbaum, Norma Schwartzberg Rabinowitz, Yochved Orpaz and Rabbi Ben Tzion Korman.

Op-Ed: Inspirational moment in Crown Heights

Last week at a Chof Cheshvan Lchaim-Farbrengen, I had the privilege of sitting with Rabbi Ephraim Piekarski, a well known Chosid and Tamid Chochom here in Crown Heights. We had a very nice pleasant warm Chasidisher Farbrengen, Baalei-Batim style.

After a few Lchaim’s Rabbi Piekarski announced that he’s on a high, he is very inspired by what he witnessed in the last few hours.

Op-Ed: When Less IS More

This government and indeed, this State, is all about more. More taxes. More spending. More debt. More unemployment. More crime. More corruption. More misery.

As long as Democrats are running the show, one thing is certain: we can continue to expect more: more of the same.

Op-Ed: “I Never Imagined It Would Happen To Me”

Yesterday was a beautiful day in the city. The sun was shining bright, the leaves were whirling in the street corners, and the birds were chirping. Everyone was doing their errands, be it on Kingston Ave. or Fulton Street in Manhattan. I even talked to a very friendly officer as I was going into the subway.

So why does everyone feel and think that there is so much bad in the world? Why today did I not feel or see any of it? Well the reason is because there is lots of good in the world, but there are a bunch of problems too. Just like people, a person is mostly good but they can have a couple of problems which can make a relationship not work. The same applies to a job, for example being a police officer. For the most part they are doing their job, but there are some glaring issues as well.

Op-Ed: I Voted for Rabbi Bogomilsky – Now What?

I voted this past Sunday for Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky as I felt he was the best choice. My candidate lost so I feel I lost as well. I can go on and give all the classic reasons why I lost and why I think my candidate was better. But that will do no good for me or my community now.

Op-Ed: A Rov is not Subject to Public Opinion

Recently there appeared an article on one of the websites, suggesting (and seemingly tying to pressure) Rabbi Rosenberg, to change his Psak, and make a “tryout period” from the third Rov of the Bais Din of Crown Heights – Kan Tziva Hashem es Habrocho.

The writer does bring up some good points, on the shortness of time being given to the community, to get to know the candidates. There most certainly should have been more time, no one is disputing that, and an Op-ed by Yitzchak Wagshul to that affect was published some time back.

But the medicine (a tryout period), the writer is suggesting, is way worse then, the disease (not enough time).

Op-Ed: Solution to the Shidduch Challenge

Most people agree that there is a major shidduch challenge in Lubavitch, and that unfortunately it’s only getting worse. However, although many ideas have been suggested, no tachlis has come out of all this yet.

In this article, I’ll try to outline what I believe are the major causes of the shidduch challenge as well as propose some potential solutions. My goal is that something concrete should come out of all our kvetching, as in the end, what we all want is to end this frustrating and sad issue ASAP.

Please feel free to comment and add any solutions you think may be helpful. I believe if we are to fix the issue, all of Lubavitch has to come together to do it, from all the factions, geographical locations, etc. Achdus is the only way! Besuros tovos!

Op-Ed: Please Think Before you Spam!

Like all Mosdos, our small day school is struggling. Many more of our students require financial assistance, and the donations that in the past were difficult to procure have now become next to impossible. I’m sure you are familiar with what I am talking about.

Re: Are There Any Lines for Chabad’s Ahavas Yisroel?

Dear Crown Heights Residents,

I wrote an op-ed a couple of weeks ago titled “Love Your Fellow Crown Heightser As Yourself” and hope it was well received. Another piece, “Are There Any Lines for Chabad’s Ahavas Yisroel?” recently responded to it. This is my response.

The article concluded by asking two questions:

1. “Do not the individuals who walk here at home in Crown Heights and call themselves Lubavitchers also deserve rebuke?”
2. “Are there any lines for Lubavitch’s Ahavas Yisroel”?

Op-Ed: Are There Any Lines for Chabad’s Ahavas Yisroel?

I waited until after Tisha B’Av to respond to the letter, Love Your Fellow Crown Heightser as Yourself, lest I be accused of inciting sinas chinom on Tisha B’Av. Other websites and individuals have now taken up the issue as well. Sinas chinom is not the goal of this letter. Rather, this is a wakeup calls to the Lubavitch community to remedy the situation in a way that is both effective and sustainable. Acceptance is beneficial for peace and improving society, but it does not better the lack of tznius and observance in Lubavitch.

The assertion that it is the Lubavitch way to do things with Ahavas Yisroel is correct. Ahavas Yisroel should guide how individuals in the community act toward one another, especially to the point of helping others achieve a better level of spirituality. Even when correcting the bad actions of others, Ahavas Yisroel is mandatory.

Op-Ed: One Standard Of Justice?

A front-page story in The New York Times of July 10 reported that federal immigration authorities in the Obama administration have adopted a “new strategy” to replace the military-style raids that were conducted in the Bush years to find and arrest illegal aliens.

Op-Ed: Stop Bugging Me!

“Stop asking me to vote–bug off!”

That’s what someone told one of my colleagues yesterday when asked to vote for a school to win $500,000 in the Kohl’s contest.

My first reaction was, “Wow, is it really that annoying? Now that I am on the asking end of it I didn’t think of that.” But then I remembered back to a year ago when Devorah Benjamin asked people to vote for her amazing organization, Keren Simchas Choson V’Kallah.

Love Your Fellow Crown Heightser As Yourself!

In response to the recent op-eds on CrownHeights.info, a resident emailed us a letter addressed to the whole community. She reminds everyone, as Lubavitchers we must love every Jew, whether we understand or agree with them.

Op-Ed: Thank You Shomrim!

From the inbox: Rabbi Bentzion Elisha writes of the horror of being awakened on a Friday night, and being informed that his 2-year-old son went missing, and was found by a volunteer in Shomrim. At 4:00am.