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Chabad Couple in India Accused of Espionage

Jerusalem Post

A Lubavitch couple in the southern Indian city of Kochi, who do outreach work but are unaffiliated with the official Chabad movement, vehemently denied a report that appeared in local media earlier in the day accusing them of being part of an Israeli covert operation.

Rabbi Shneor Zalman and Yaffa Sheina Bernstein said they were stunned by a story run by the Times of India in which unnamed Indian security officials said they were secret Israeli agents that would soon be deported from the country.

“I was invited here by the Jewish community of Kochi with the full knowledge of local authorities,” said Zalman, a 27-year-old rabbi from Jerusalem. “I have no idea how they got the impression I was part of a Mossad operation.”

He said he and Yaffa Sheina ran an outreach center catering to Jewish travelers in the popular tourist destination as well as to the city’s remaining 50 Jews, part of a once much larger community whose origins date back to the 16th century. Zalman insisted their sole motivation for being in the country was to provide religious services to local members of the Jewish community and had nothing to do with Israel.

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18 Comments

  • HASHEM SEND MOSHIACH NOW!!!

    Sounds like an evil American plan to throw nice Jews out of India

  • I was there!!

    He is doing great work and a real mesiras nefesh yid call him mishechist or anything else he is giving the rebbe nachas!!!!

  • To #2

    I thought EVERY shliach is a meshechist. Otherwise who are they shluchim of? We surely don’t need to teach Torah & Mitzvot any more. Anyone can learn from all the info in books, internet, etc., about Torah & Mitzvot. Shabbos, kashrus, tefillin. That’s not necessary any more, that’s “Old Hat” Judaism. That’s O. K. for some other jews to teach those simple lessons. But a shliach. That’s not his/her job, unless that’s all that it is, a JOB. That’s not a shliach of the Rebbe of Lubavitch whose whole “KOCH” passion, is in Moshiach & Geulah. What the Jew’s “Koch” is, is not important at ALL. A Chossid & shliach of the Rebbe, his/her passion is what the Rebbe “KOCH’S in”. Wake up Yidden.

  • kochi

    Koshi means “my strength” as in the verse “My strength and the might of my hand”.India needs to get rid of its idolatry and turn to Hashem.

  • Say NO to meshichism

    There should be ONE chabad shlichus mosdos and not two, each one w/ their own agenda. If the meshichistim get in trouble this is solely their OWN doing for starting their selfish and boorish MACHLOKES.

  • to #5 (AVODAH ZARAH)

    India is not the only one that needs to get rid of idolatry. Just walk into 770 at 10 am near the Rebbe’s bimah and you will find avoda zarah in full view

  • Hasgacha pratis?

    If you look closely at the door’s you will see the form of a CROSS. Makes you wonder…

  • Reuven

    Don’t be foolish–that’s not a cross in any way: It’s just the sliding door lock/handle. There are plenty of reasons to dislike the Mesichists without looking for crosses where there are none.

  • moshiach now

    I just hope that they know how to teach traditional chabad chassidut. the yellow pin sometimes shows that they are teaching yechi before teaching general hashkofeh.

  • Lach mich.

    It’s the lapel pin that raised suspicions. Some kinda secret AV communications device.

    The proof: It does broadcast the message.

    Long live the pins.

  • Shayna

    oh my gosh I just really cant believe what people are writing here???? It makes me want to cry that it is lubavitchers writing this, it all seems very misnagdish!!!!!!!
    I may not be a meshichist, but kol hakavod to him and his wife for going on shlichus, even if they dont get all the “fame”

    to #4 what exactly are you saying??? What the Jew’s “Koch” is, is not important at ALL. The whole idea is to redirect a jews koch towards Hashem and Torah and Mitzvos, to say he is to devote everything to the rebbe and not towards torah and mitzvos at ALL, seems very twisted!!

  • To #14 from #4 Gedaliah Goodman

    Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. ‘HaNasi Hu HaKal’. The Jews Koch is not important as he is not the Neshamah C’Lalis, the Nasi IS, not me & not you. The Rebbe MHM used to send out letters which were K’Laly & letters P’Raty, general & private letters. Some letters were K’Laly P’Raty, general letters sent to a private person. One person received a K’Laly P’Raty response from the Rebbe MHM. When he picked up the letter in the office, he made a ‘face’ of dissapointment. R. Groner asked him,’Why the “face? He said he wanted a private letter from MHM. R. Groner told this to the MHM and MHM said to R. Groner, ” I overestimated him. I thought that as a chossid he would be interested in what I ‘KOCH’ in, not what he “Koch’s in”. That’s the story and the whole truth. It is what we who learn chassidus call ‘BITTUL’. Difficult for most, yes, but that’s our choice to be ‘BITTUL’ or not. When you find people who are truly bittul, you will find truly, ‘Shayna’, beautiful, people. Try it. You’ll love it. Chag Sameach, from Gedaliah Goodman

  • motti

    to #16 freudian slip “Hanasi hu hakal” – kal means – light, insignificant – in these people’s eyes the nasi is nothing and his wishes are nothing

  • copyleft

    To all the regular geniuses who discovered a “cross” on the door:-
    a) that is not a cross.It is door latch -the kind of which has been in use for ages, before modern door locks came to the fore.
    b)That is not the Rabbi’s home.This is the home of one of the members of the local Jewish community.( I personally know for sure, because I am resident of Cochin and am intimately aware of the matter at hand.)