49 Comments

• Here we go Again

  And another Chilul Hashem and Chilul Lubavitch!!

• Serebrianski are REAL shluchim

  Rabbi m serebrianski is an unbelievable and dedicated shliach, ask any yg shliach who go to him for tishrei or peasach, there is no reason why rabbi gurevitch cannot work with him, yes it is true that rabbi m.s. Does much more and that’s probably what’s bothering rabbi n.g. (and ultimately jealousy) but there is so much to do in surfers and rabbi m.s is perfect for all the tourist and community people who come by, fact is, he doesn’t even mind if rabbi g. even calls himself head shliach of the entire gold coast, rabbi m.s. Just wants to do his job and the job of a shliach…

  Much hatzlacha rabbi and mrs serebrianski, and may Hashem bless you with much success!

• A member of worldwide Chabad

  To Bad that egos take over. There is plenty room for both to do good woork.

• Chabad house?

  The picture is not of his cya ad house HE DOESN’T HAVE a cya ad house, that’s his house, he is the rabbi of the Shultz, not until serebrianski come down did he realize that he needs to be more open…

• A rule is a rule

  What?! Bc you don’t like what senior shluchim/beis din of of melbourne say, you go to ny? That’s how problems start! Rabbi g. You are headed down the wrong path, sorry

  Cya ad headquarters in ny don’t even know how much rabbi serebrianski does, and besides it was prob rabbi g who told them about it, and I think it’s very clear that rabbi gurevitch is the rabbi not shliach

  I never heard of that chabad policy… And besides even the Shul doesn’t want him to be chabad, this is an old story, he was once taken off chabad.org website already bc of this… Check up the history this is a long and stupid fight, it’s pure jealousy,there is no reason why they can’t work together, that what chabad is about and many shluchim work together, if you can’t work together then you should not be a shliach, rabbi serebrianski is a devoted shliach and has a great dedication to shlichus

• Levi

  Gurevitch feels like he is being pushed aside and that the official chabad house isnt doing anything different from what he is doing in his non-denominational shul.

  Serebryanski feels that there is more room for doing things in proper Lubavitch style and to be able to farbreng about the Rebbe and other things that a community rabbi would need to think twice about.

  None of this explains why Serebryanski cannot set up shop further away. If Gurevitch was there first, then he is in charge and should be considered the head shliach. I think thats what it really is about.

• moshe

  how was he personally sent by the Rebbe 18 years ago?? please do some investigating as to what that means exactly.

• ceo

  oy veh. thats the last thing we want to hear now.
  lets daven that its resolved quickly

• no one special

  Wow! I wonder if such a situation ever happened in the past.

• Toshav Hashechunah

  What about the old adage about every town needs one and a half hassidim?

• Levi

  18 years ago the Rebbe wasn’t able to speak…

• me

  there is so much more to this story.

• avrohom

  Unfortunately, people haven’t learnt from recent tragedy’s that we need to be more B’Achdus.
  With having a superficial understanding of the Machlokes, it seems to me that it is a Mishechist/Anto Mishechist Machlokes. It is about time people stopped squabbling and started practising Ahavas Yisroel, instead of just preaching to rich fryer Yidden. I just hope the powers to be, dont stick up for the Non Mishechist party, just for the party’s sake.

• spent a holiday there

  guevitch are amazing shluchim!!!

• CHABAD RABBIS MACHLOKES

  It seems to me that the Gold Coast community is now ready for an AISH representative to settle in.

• mark

  He hasn’t operated as the Shliach, but rather as the Rabbi. The Shul (his employers) say that he is the rabbi and not the shliach. He has never used the name Chabad and is prohibited from doing so as per his contract with the shul. His only claim is that he was living in the city first.

  The most pathetic part of this story is how the VRL sitting in crown heights even accepted such a case without any investigation of their own. Anyone doing any investigation realizes how baseless and how far from reality the claims are.

  But the VRL have a history of corruption. Nothing new.

• What a great chilul Lubavitch

  What a great chilul Lubavitch
  to send it to the jewish news

• Nir-s Buddy

  shroom, shroom, shroom, shroom,………

• Iron sharpens iron

  Rabbi Hama ben Hanina said: What is the meaning of the verse: ‘Iron sharpens iron?’ (Proverbs 27:17) This is to teach you that just as in the case of one iron sharpening the other so also do two scholars sharpen each other’s mind.

• head shluchim

  Announced by Merkos last year, there are now officially three head shluchim in Melbourne.

• David

  Shame on them – They do not embody the spirit of the Rebbe, so neither of them should head anything of significance.

• From chabad.org

  You searched for“serebryanski” Page 1 of 1
  Serebryanski, Hendel and Shoshana
  Balaclava, VIC Australia

  Serebryanski, Yossi and Chanie
  Denver, CO USA

• BORUCH

  I am buying a surf board and coming to open a third Chabad House! HEY! If I would live in Aus especially in surfers paradise I would CHIL MAN!

• 3 head shluchim!?!?

  how does that work?

• noach

  please please everyone leave their two sense to themselves .nothing is accomplished by you thinking who/what is a shliach or not.merkos right/or wrong decides.if you want to be in their system ,that is.
  if moshe doesn’t,oychit gut.just do what you want.
  but if he wants to stay in the merkos system,he must follow what MERKOS wants,simple.
  is nir right,who cares ,no one is saying he is.nir is just making a CLAIM.merkos has decided it has enough merit to be presented to a beis din.;moshe disagrees …..
  that’s the story in a nutshell
  all arguments and counter arguments will eventually have to be heard by those who can possibly make a difference………

• nachasmacher

  chabad vs chabad ….. much nachas im sure

• Melbourne Anash

  While some of the information here is correct there is a great amount of distortion of reality in this story. This has nothing do to with the Shluchim office but with Merkos and Vaad Rabbonie Lubavitch. These are the facts:

  1. Merkos has a system that follows the orders of the Beis Din as per the Rebbe’s instruction. No one has the right to refuse a subpena from Beis Din. For instance Rabbi Krinsky had to appear in Beis Din due to a demand by a Shliach in a another state.

  2. Nir Gurevich has a conflict with Moshe Serebranski who has refused any effort to settle this outside of Beis Din. As in conflicts like this all over the world he asked issue to be settled by Vaad Rabonie Lubavitch, the body the Rebbe appointed to settle disputes between Shluchim.

  3. Moshe has refused to appear, he has made up an excuse of the financial cost. There is an expense but that is but smokescreen. He is using it for an excuse.

  4. The Beis Din followed the procedure in such cases. If a Shliach refuses to appear in Beis Din he is removed from his status as a Shliach. After Moshe refused time and again the Beis Din wrote a letter to the board of Merkos in New York asking that Moshe and his uncle, who also refused to come to Beis Din, be removed from their official positions as Shluchim until they come to Beis Din.

  5. The fact that a head Shliach who refuses the authority of Beis Din, which the Rebbe stated time and again should settle such issues, and can be sanctioned is a sign that the system has the courage to be fair. Many of those on the Merkos board have deep personal relationships with Reb Arele, and some are family. Its amazing that they agreed to the request of the Beis Din. However they also have had much experience with such turf conflicts and they know that if someone does not respect the system the Rebbe set up then there is no choice to remove them until the person agrees to follow the rules of the system.

  The bigger question is how does a system such as Lubavitch resolves conflicts. Of course the first preference is direct negotiations. Failing that every Shliach has he right to a Din Torah. No one has the right to refuse the authority of a Beis Din. The Rebbe himself set up this system. There are many conflicts around the world that have been adjudicated by Vaad Rabbonie Lubavitch.

  If we do not have a system of adjudication then the result will be chaos. Every Shliach can do as he pleases, encroaching on the turf of another, chasing his bala batim. Head Shluchim can abuse their employees etc. etc. The system is not perfect, but at the least the Beis Din can check the abuse of power, settle disputes etc.

  The issue here has been the refusal by Moshe to settle this issue first by negotiation and now by Beis Din. His refusal is the cause of this conflict.. No one knows the outcome of a Din Torah, in the case mentioned above the Beis Din ruled against Rabbi Krinsky.

  In this case friends, family members and others have asked Moshe to settle this. Sadly he has refused all of these efforts.

  The solution here is simple. Moshe Serebranski needs to follow Shulchan Aruch and the Rebbe’s long standing instructions and guidance. Go to Beis Din and let the best man win.

• Gurevitch is the real shliach

  As a member of Anash who has been a frequent visitor to the Gold Coast over 23 years I fail to understand where some are coming from. I know both Moshe Serebryanski and Nir Gurevbitch well. For those who don’t know, Nir Gurevitch came with a specific Bracha from the Rebbe 18 years ago to the Gold Coast. He had three offers for shlichus and locations around the world and the Rebbe instructed him to take the position on the Gold Coast.

  For those who don’t know, beside serving the relatively small congregation which is as the central communal centre in that area, Nir with Mesirus Nefesh also serves the general community as a true Chabad Shliach. Kashrus is under his guidance and both Kosher Australia and NSW Kashrus Authority rely on him as their representative. He has built a Mikvah with R’ Arel and Yossel’s support that serves locals and interstate visitors. He is the Sydney Beis Din representative for all matters of Giyur, Gittin and other related issues. He runs Camp Gan Israel camps, delivers on-going shiurim, brings out Bachurim from time to time, carries out the Rebbe’s 10 mivtzoim, in charge of his local Chevra Kadisha, visits universities, teaches public schools, runs a Hebrew school and opened a communal school in 1995 with the help and support of many. (although that school has now joined forces with Sinai college in Brisbane) In short, he doesn’t only serve his shul but the ENTIRE community and this well known. He is down to earth, approachable, learned and respected person in his community and throughout Australia by almost all Raboney Anash and communities. He is on the executive of ORA and constantly makes Kiddush Lubavitch for the hundreds and thousands who pass through the Gold Coast.

  Nir is a person who is far from Mechloikesen. To set the record straight, he brought out Moshe Serebryanski to his community to teach in his school with a verbal agreement that if it doesn’t work out Moshe will NOT open a local Chabad house, which he agreed too. This is well known and can be verified. At the conclusion of the school year the board of the school informed Moshe that they will not renew his contract for the following year. Not long after we discover that Moshe without the consent of Nir as the pre-existing and only shliach opened ‘Chabad of the gold coast’ next door to the communal shule with a Minyan, undermining instead of joining forces with Nir.

  Whether Nir or Moshe are right in allowing Moshe to be called ‘Gold Coast Chabad’ and be a recognized shliach stands to be seen, but in all such disputes the Rebbe instructed shluchim in black and white that when all negotiations and arbitrations have failed the parties should attend a Din Torah and resolve their issues. Nir has undertaken from the beginning to adhere to whatever outcome will be delivered by the Zoblo in the hope to bring shalom and move forward. Moshe Serebryanski however, for some odd reason (and believe me it’s not the gelt, as a few gvirim are happy to lay out a few thousands on his behalf to cover the cost to settle this dispute) he refuses to attend. This is why to date, Vaad Raboney Lubavitch have instructed Merkos to delist them until the matter is heard. If any of the readers wish to assist in bringing this case a step closer being resolved, pick up the phone and implore Moshe Serebryanski to abide by the call of the Beis Din and attend the Din Torah planned to take place in Australia at any time.

• Agreement

  The Melbourne 3 Head Shluchim have an agreement between each
  other that all decisions made must be unanimous.
  The agreement also says that all authorized Chabad Houses have to ensure that they respect the geographical boundaries.

• Austrlia Anash community

  BH

  There is no question that many Rabonim are ALSO shluchim, this is the majority of cases in England, South Africa and Australia. Nir Gurevitch is the Australian recognized shliach on the Gold Coast for the last 18 years doing the Rebbe’s shlichus in an amazing way, this is well known. Its unfortunate that someone can come along and establish himself as “chabad” in that same town. No wonder he is no Moshe Serebryasnki is longer listed as a shliach in Chabad.org or Lubavitch.com as he was removed by Merkos

• Shalom

  What is the issue here. The fact is Merkos Headquarters in an unprecedented move DE-LISTED moshe serbryanski as a shliach representing Chabad on the Gold coast. The rest is history….

• Ram from Israel

  i and so many others have been at Nir Gurevitch’s chabad house on the Gold Coast and he does an amazing job in that community. Chazak Ve’ematz. NO to mushroms

• Shaliah

  Shaliach oseh shaliach ad meah shluchim.

• Head shliach -

  Any decision from the new Vaad of Melbourne shluchim doesn’t pertain to Nir who has been there for 18 years in Australia under Head Shliach to Australia Rabbi Yitzchok D.Groner

• head shluchim vaad

  The 3 head shluchim made a decision. Nir and Mottel Feiglin are not happy with that decision, therefore decided to turn elsewhere.

• shliach florida

  vaad rabbonei lubavitch is not the offical bais din of the shluchim the REBBE never set them up for anything of the sort he in fact said about them MI BARA AILEH ??? WHO CREATED THEM ???? THEY REPRESENT NO ONE BUT THEMSELVES fought the rebbe at the time when the rebbe wanted an elected bais din and have continually twisted psak dins for their cohorts BEING over on the Lav of lo SAKIR PANIM bamispat ETC. ETC. THE POLICY OF MERKOS AND OF THE REBBE WAS THAT DISPUTES SHOULD BE SETTELED IN FRONT OF A LUBAVITCH BAIS DIN WHEREEVER THE PARTIES LIVED.THERE IS AN EXPLICIT LETTER OF RABBI HODAKOV ABOUT THIS.IN FACT THAT IS ALSO THE DIN IN CHOSEN MISHPAT THIS SO CALLED VAAD wAS NEVER ACCEPTED by anyone and one should stop misleading the people and the shluchim…….

• Blind Freddie-s Dog

  This is all nonsense. Nir Gurevitch went to Surfers as the rabbi of the local shul, and NOT as a shliach. He never once used the name Chabad or did any work of shlichus; he was just the local rabbi, doing rabbonus work that has NOTHING TO DO WITH LUBAVITCH. He’s the Sydney Beis Din’s liason for giyur? Mazel tov; what has that got to do with Lubavitch or with shlichus? On the contrary, the Rebbe didn’t want shluchim to get involved in giyur. He represents Kosher Australia? Again, what’s that got to do with Lubavitch? KA is Mizrachi, not Chabad. He runs a Hebrew school? That’s his job as rabbi! What did he do as a shliach? Did he ever reach out to those who never come to shul? To the Israeli backpackers, for instance? He was never interested in shlichus work until he started having problems with his shul. Now he’s afraid for his parnossoh, so suddenly he wants Moshe out.

  And who appointed Nir a shliach in the first place? The Rebbe? A nechtikn tog. Rabbi Groner? Who gave him the right to appoint shluchim in Surfers? Reb Arel has a ksav yad from the Rebbe addressing him as “BO-KOIACH HAMALACH BEAUSTRALIA VENEW-ZEALAND”. That is all that needs to be said, and no so-called “Vaad Rabbonei Lubavitch” has the authority to summon him to account for himself, let alone to remove him.

  As for Moshe, Reb Arel appointed him as the shliach of Merkos for the Gold Coast, so that is what he is. Where in Shulchon Oruch is it written that someone must spend thousands of dollars on a din torah just because some nudnik thinks he has a claim? Where is he supposed to get that money? Who will repay him when he wins his case, as he must if the beis din are not corrupt?

• Resident from Florida

  reply to Shliach FL

  You sound like a very bitter person. But since you call yourself shliach I believe you are equally as evil as the people who you accuse. Shluchim today think they are above the law. You mention Beis Din well your very own brothers – Shluchim in the state of FL do not follow the rule of beis din but hide behind Beis din and then go to court. Therefore please stop with your negative attitude and bitterness it shows. I am not making up the facts look up Simcha Connection v Harambam Congregation by the way that is Faivish Dalfin and you will see how he was recently evicted IN COURT. he will say he went to beis din but it was a big lie he just used other people to circumvent beis din. Oh and as far as Lubavitcher beis din goes he chose in a zabla the biggest misnagdim in Miami and he finally settled on Rabbi Gross the rosh kollel who continues to fight lubavitch. And you call yourself shliach shame on you and all the other shluchim who hide behind the title shliach and lubavitch. Take a good look at your behavior and ask if that is really what the rebbe wanted

• Frustrated with the System

  This is not a new problem, I have a friend who was A shliach in a state in the USA that has a full time paid Rabbi of a non Chabad synagogue who is also the so called head Shliach and this city has had many Shluchim with family’s come and go, and every time the head Shliach was right! always? something is wrong with this system, Don’t tell me MERKOS has no agenda! and yes I am frustrated with the system!

• who gives a flip??!

  a joke:
  two shluchim are having a horrible dispute.
  Q: who’s right??
  A: who cares?!
  why bother covering this stuff??!

• levi

  I didn’t grow up in this community and I’m relatively new & the first thing that striked me as an outsider was the amount of shules & a sea of black hatted frumer yidden. ..how wonderful.

  and yes, there are a lot of positives to this community.

  However, scratch the surface here and there and one might also reveal a downright ugliness. As an outsider and being ignorant to the politics and inner working of this community, I’ve nevertheless sensed all along the hatred and contempt (down right sinyus hinum) that people here have for each other. Unfortunately, its not only limited to the Chabad community of melbourne…Crown heights doesn’t fare any better. No wonder so many kids are frying out – there’s no one to look up to, no one to set an example.

  This blog was apparently set up in response to a lack of leadership. Yet, it seems that rather than solving the problem, you are merely adding to it. You claim to be “journalists”? Well, this is certainly tabloid style trash talk journalism @ its very best. However, with trashy tabloid journalism, the identities of the people who write, publish and edit are also revealed and published along with the trashy material. Yet you chose to remain anonymous.

  I’m not taking sides in this gang-land dispute which involves politics, greed, money and envy, but merely pointing out that the “fifth helek” is part of the problem not the solution. You are stoking the fires of hate.

  There has to be achdus, the community needs to heal some how…yet you are not providing any answers to the problems…just creating more strife with your loshen hora and Motzi shem ra.

• Fifth Chelek

  Levi,

  “all of us” are the people who started and run the Fifth Chelek site.

  We feel very let down by the Rabbonim and leaders. Lots of people in the community feel the same way. Our response is to expose them through this site. Some of it is unpleasant. It is very sad that what we publish is true. The ugliness under the surface as you say. We think that by exposing them, it will lead to action, and make it harder for leaders to hide and cover up. Has it fixed everything? Noch nisht. Maybe its a yerida letzorech aliya?

  You want achdus and healing “some how”. Do you have any better ideas

• law to be used for cyber bullying

  The Australia government will use Brodie’s law – which amended the Crimes Act to allow 10-year prison terms for bullying

• To 42 Number

  To 42 Number

  Who appointed the Fifth Chelek to be the policemen of the Melbourne Jewish Community.
  Especially when they don’t show their identity, which is shows cowardelynice, we have
  Rabbi Telsner as our Rabbi and a confident Executive committee

• WE DO KNOW WHO THE FIFTH CHELEK ARE

  Ah bander am-ho’ratzim,anshay korach amolaykim.

  The sign of a person who really cares and who seriously looks for improvement is that if you ask them if they believe in ANYTHING or please pray tell me a long lasting sustainable SOLUTION ,i.e. a plan based on SHULCHON ORUCH or the Rebbe’s tora.;they become simply mute.These people never ever sat by a chassidisher farbrengen for more than a half-hour in their life,never ever showed up to tehilim shabbos mivorchim in the first half hour,and wouldn’t know what beis iyar is if you gave them 1000 dollars for it.
  The only good thing to say about them is that the gemoro says that before moshiach comes “CHUTZPA YASGI” -chuzpa will increase,so boruch hashem ,moshiach must be very very close,if people who have zero substance can mock rabbonim,graduates with degrees in ridiculism only skilled in the destruction business,dwell among us iz uch un vay……
  My immediate hope is,that it says that moshiach’s coming also will mean a time of “yisbarriru v’yislabnu”–this will become clarified ,the truth will be revealed;so let’s hope more and more people will see the fifth chelek for what they are….ONE BIG (HARMFUL) JOKE………..

• to #45

  You mean the ones, who ARE’NT serious become mute;i.e.scoffers are just experts at knocking,very good with asking “questions”,but totally clueless as to finding practical good answers.Good point.
  People who are serious about helping any matzov are not bashers,and they must believe in SOMEONE,a person,people,anyone who CAN make a difference.
  Maybe it would be a good idea to make a web site ,which though it would bring to light problems in our community and in anash ,still,it would establish certain rules,maintain a level of integrity,whereby it would be quite clear that the whole point is CONSTRUCTIVE criticism ,and with a spirit of chassidim AIN MISHPOCHO,it’s OUR problem,we’re ALL hurting and we’re ALL trying to find ways to improve things……..
  Alas, this is NOT the fifth chelek,pure misnagdim in the classical definition of the word,experts at being argumentative ,a “force” of opposition ,rebels against everything and everyone.

• WWMN

  Exactly who appointed Nir as a shliach?
  If he is the head shaliach then what is the head of? Other shluchim?
  Can the GC Hebrew Congregation fire Nir? If so, then he is no shliach of the Gold Coast unless he runs a separate entity and moisod. His home, if it is paid for by the congegration does not a chabad house make.
  Besides all the above, why can’t the two of them,Serebransky and Gurevitz each have their own programmes? Isn’t the Gold Coast big enough for them?
  I think that there are powers behind each that are pushing their own egos. Doh!!

• Yankel

  For all you Tzadikim out there ranting “Merkos” “this is the sysstem” “the Rebbe instituted” Merkoz this Merkoz that, just know that Rabbi Y. D. Groner who was always recognized by all as the “head Shliach” (whatever that means) of Australia, went out on Shlichus (1958?) NOT under Merkoz, and always refused to be under Merkoz (for reasons obvious to the hundreds of Shluchim who have had rough times…) -all with the Rebbes full knowledge, respect and blessing. So much for all this talk of Merkoz as the king of all.

  The Rebbe wanted more being done -hamaase hu hoikar. Instead we all fight and NOTHING gets done.
  Some shluchim it seems are more worried about they’re silly “territories” (sounds like the “west bank”!) than they are about the avoda they were sent to do. If an Aish Hatorah showed up one day, who are they going to complain to? Yudel?
  B“D Rabonei Ch’? Ahhh, to Reb Moishe K! Right?
  Abbeee, its aish and not a Lubavitcher, because they may Ch”v take away they’re “territory”!! Wow, too funny, so Narish, but so sad!

  Maybe if mushrooms start opening up under the Aish brand, maybe then we will all have final peace!!
  After all, you don’t see Shluchim taking they’re local Aish or Ohr Someach or NCSY to B“D, only if your a Lubav.

  Mind you, all this Machlokes comes under the guise of Hasogas Gvul, while if any Am Ho’oertz opens up a Shu”A they can see B’feirush that there is no issur of Hasogas Gvul when it comes to Shuls or Chadorim or the such, and even a retail store acc. to the Shu“a Adh”z may open right next door to another one in the SAME field of business!!
  Of course that is all Min Hadin and L’fi minhag hamokom and if hes not taking away parnoso, and Lifnim M’shuras haDin a Y’rei Shomayim should avoid.., but then again see above re. Mosdos Chinuch/shuls etc..
  BTW, talking about the matter at hand, i haven’t ever met M.Serebryansky, but having met Rabbi Nir, i must say he is a moyradige Talmid Chuchem and a super-nice guy, extremely refined -to say the least.

  אמר רבי אלעזר אמר רבי חנינא תלמידי חכמים מרבים שלום בעולם
  ??????????????????
  !ה׳ יברך את עמו בשלום

• Meadow St

  Fifth Chelek their lies and misrepresentation of the truth.
  chilul Lubavitch