Merkos Wins in Court Again, 770 Under Their Control

by CrownHeights.info

“Merkos” has won again.

Ending what appeared to be a never ending dispute over the building of 770 Eastern Parkway, Kings County Judge, The Honorable Harriet Thompson made her decision granting full rights of 770 to Merkos Linyonei Chinuch.

The Judges decision was published in a 144 page opinion.

The win marks a string of such victories under the name of Merkos Linyonei Chinuch, with Rabbi Avraham Shemtov and Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky at its head.

The Gabboim of 770 had claimed in civil court that the the building at 770 Eastern Parkway had been given to the congregation in a charitable trust, and therefore their appointments as Gabboim gave them caretaker rights to the building.

In her response, Judge Thompson wrote that “In this case, the Respondents (Gabboim) have not presented any scintilla of evidence to prove any of the elements shown to constitute a charitable trust. The Rebbe’s plan for the corporations show the exact opposite of the claims made by the Respondents.”

The Judge ended her opinion granting all rights of the building to Merkos, and ended with a powerful statement.

“Rebbe Menchem Mendel Schneerson determined the power and authority granted to the owners of these properties, not this Court.”

It remains to be seen what actual changes will come to 770, as in the past, such civil judgments have made little impact to the day to day workings of the shul.

[pdf-embedder url=”https://crownheights.info/assets/2020/04/ד׳-אייר-•-דידן-נצח.pdf” title=”ד׳ אייר • דידן נצח”]