Once the list of candidates was finalized, residents of the community were given the opportunity to challenge any of the candidates based on a set of criteria’s. Among them, a candidate must be religious and keep torah and mitzvos.

Two challenges were posed against candidates Chanina Sperlin and Eli Poltorak, on the Halachic grounds. Which more specifically cite that they both participated and perpetrated a Messira on Jews which directly resulted in their arrest and prosecution.

Sperlin and Poltorack Challenged on Grounds of Messira

Once the list of candidates was finalized, residents of the community were given the opportunity to challenge any of the candidates based on a set of criteria’s. Among them, a candidate must be religious and keep torah and mitzvos.

Two challenges were posed against candidates Chanina Sperlin and Eli Poltorak, on the Halachic grounds. Which more specifically cite that they both participated and perpetrated a Messira on Jews which directly resulted in their arrest and prosecution.

In a letter sent to the election board, which consists of representatives from both side of the fence; evidence pertaining to two separate cases was presented and accused each of messira.

In the letter, there is a claim against Poltorak claiming; “I am attaching the transcripts of where the Mosrim testified as to how Elie Poltorak helped them carry out this blood libel. I believe the transcripts speak for themselves.” Referring to the transcripts from the trial of the Shomrim Six.

Click Here to view the testimony of Schneur Rotem

Click Here to view the testimony of Elkon Gurfinkel

The letter goes on to claim that “Chanina Sperlin informed on us to the police and signed his name on the complaint and we were subsequently arrested and stood trial” referring to a 2001 incident in 770 in which a 4 were arrested.

Click Here to view the police complaint (4/27/01)

Click Here to view a letter between precinct commanders regarding the incident (5/1/10)

Click Here to view Sperlin saying he will not testify (5/1/01)

Click Here to view the screening sheet of the District Attorney where Sperlin actually testifies (5/30/01)

As of now the election committee has not given any attention to the issues this letter raised, and there was no official response to inquiries on the matter.

71 Comments

  • Remember remember Don-t Forget!

    Remember remember Don’t Forget!

    A history that might have been forgotten on Chanina Sperlin:

    1. Seforim Case:

    Chanina Sperlin recorded the Rebbe conversing with the Lawyers regarding the Seforim case. Sperlin then went ahead and forwarded these recordings to Barry Gorary.

    2. When Rebbe was not well:

    Chanina Sperlin installed a recording device (know as a bug) in the Rebbes room, inorder to hear Rabbi Kirisky conversing with the Doctors. Which later he was able to forward to Lable Groner.

    3. Chanina Sperlin Instigator of the Hatzala Machlokes.

    4. Chanina Sperlin Instigator of the Shmira Vs. Shomrim Machlokes.

    5. Chanina Sperlin is responsible for the Machlokes between Rabbis Osdoba and Scwei.

    Want more Machlokes, keep Chanina Sperlin around!

  • mendy

    dont vote for any one in the current vaad they pushed there way in under machlokis vote for the new guys vote for a fresh start

  • fed up resident

    Hopefully this is brought to the attention of R’Rosenberg as clear evidence of mesira etc.

  • good point

    good point – why would I want someone capable of Messirah to be responsible for the running of our Kehilla? Thank you for the food for thought…

  • Where is your shame , poltdrek

    E Poltdrek ruined 770 Rosh Hashana Kriyas Hatorah, he jumped like a monkey on the Rebbe’s farbrengen tish , disrupting the whole shul, he is condemmed to be a leader , never an apoligy or asked mechila from 2000 mispalelim that did not hear Kriyas Hatorah ON THE HOLY DAY OF ROSH HASHANA
    he should be deleted from any position , including the dumb Sperlin . who cant speak english what has he done for all these yearts besides bowing to Hertzmog and Sandhaund , who were told by Rabbonim to step down , . shame on this community who elects rishooim forany office

  • Libish Nash

    If libish nash the mosser endorsing them you know what to do.
    agian wirth the propoganda and misinformation.
    libish nash is dead horse fishel brounstein is a dead rat.
    chalila the mamzer need to go to bellvue in building G.
    poltrack jusrt a schmekele . and cacadaner he is very big nothing.
    what did this 4 do for crown heights ? nothing good.
    may hashem give brain to the Crown heighters and elect NEW vaad forget the nashes and the rest and start fresh NEW
    anewcrownheights.com

  • X-them

    Sperlin and Poltorack
    i never did and never will vote for these people

  • antimesira

    Libish Nash actually reminds us why we should not vote for the current Vaad.

  • Gaza Flotila

    all the propoganda from the hendel puppy’s
    are just like the hamas lead flotila all lies nothing is thruth .
    sperlin is mishiguiner and a mosser.
    poltodrek is garbage.
    no good can come from haters .
    all thier propoganda comes from the text books of the hamas an el quida teror.

  • proof is in the pudding

    i gotta hand it to this community, we always here about the ‘they’, like they said that berel massered on shmerel and everyone knows it.

    but i must say this is the first time ive ever seen allergations being alleged and backed up by documented proof!

    do they have no shame? sperlin, can we question your bris? have you no decency? to go to the police time and time again in the intereset of blatant political gain?

    and poltorak, lets not even go there! first you are what we people call a tzugekumener, who are you bichlal? who put you in any position to assert yourself as some kind of athority? were you not at the hospital? did you not see the obviuse farce that was going on? yet you still helped, many times, pushing the messira along! you together with your ‘good friend’ paul huebner.

    it is beyond me how the rabonim let these two candidates run.

  • we need a new crown heights

    great article its about time the truth is coming out
    vor for anewcrownheights.com

  • Maven

    Ever notice how Eli says nothing with lots of words? Typical sleazey lawyer.

  • Looking good

    Happy Purim, Elie.

    Thanks for letting us see another one of your ridiculous costumes.

  • joe the shmoe

    poltrack recently wrote a chilul lubvitch/rebbe letter to one of the chabad supporters in an effort to harm the rebbe and his mosdos and those that he entrusted to care for the mosdos..

    he has no shame! he posted his letter on his website dh

  • YUNGERMAN

    LETS NOT FORGET WHAT POLTRAK DID IN 770 WHEN A RABBI GOT UP TO GET A ALIYAH. HE STILL DID NOT GO UP AND ASK MECHILA FOR WHAT HE DID

  • Responsibility for the community

    To the web manager: Can you have a little higher standard of censorship on some of these really hateful posts? It’s such destructive chinuch for the young people looking at this. We complain of destroying our community through mesirah… but we are also destroying our community by teaching kids to say that “so and so is garbage.” Thank you.

  • Feivel

    Chanina may be a mosser, but the world recognizes him as the leader of Crown Heights Lubavitch: Paterson, Clarke, Adams, James, Bloomberg, Markowitz, Camara, Cuomo. Without his leadership, Anash of crown heights will have no power.

  • Rambam

    So and so is garbage. Check out what the Shulchan Aruch/Rambam has to say about a Moser.

  • Time for a NEW VAAD!!

    It is time for NEW BLOOD! It is not difficult for a NEW vaad to establish political connections. We do NOT need Chanina Sperlin for his political ties. As our neighborhood embraces change so has the rest of America. Politicians continuously rotate. As for Yvette Clark (voted against Israel), Bloomberg, Cuomo Markowitz etc. what have they actually DONE for this neighborhood?

  • Maven

    Feivel, that is a completely idiotic point of view. So Chanina is dictator or king, is that it? It is a fact that Chanina is not respected by the politicians, they consider him a moron and a tool. Elect someone else and they will be equally recognised as leader and not only that, get in somone normal and they will be respected.

  • elki

    To #1. Baruch Hashem I don’t know many details about all these politics and I don’t want to. But you threw some very hefty accusations at Chanina Sperlin. Maybe your’re right. I don’t even know Chanina personally. However, accusing someone of taping the Rebbe’s conversation must be backed up with facts and not just anecdotal. If it is true, Sperlin should be kicked out of Lubavitch. If it not true, regardless of his other “crimes” you have to ask publicly ask mechilah for public accusations.
    I’m on the side of truth, integrity, some dignity and a litttle bit of class for the community.

  • my vote is for zaki tamir

    i think zaki tamir is a serious candidate. its a breath of fresh air to finally someone professional who cares.

  • Who-s Challenging

    Who is challenging them, and why aren’t they challenging the whole new vaad?

  • Milhouse

    #19 Such a face the community has. Power? You want power? The sort of power that comes from having such a man at ones head is tomei, and Anash shouldn’t have it and shouldn’t want it.

  • Mendel

    Yechi hameech – we are standing almost 16 years since the 3rd of tamuz, in the year of shnas 770,
    Maybe if we all do just something extra, anything it can bring the geula. Its like a scale, one good thought, word, deed,
    can tip it for the good.

  • In the know

    To number 19
    what have we to show for all the so called conections?? That his brothers real estate company gets all violations removed? Or they get plenty of free apartments from HUD??and they get major tax benefits etc etc

    oooppsss I forgot we also get photo ops

  • me to #19

    to feivel 19
    may you enjoy such representation of someone who can voice his opinion in such a way. for me in 770 I have to run away from his Davening. I am sure that’s what the politicians say what a education these people receive cant even…

  • He belongs in the Village-s board

    Please remember that in the elections you will choose someone to REPRESENT you. For me purim is once a year, the rest of the year I expect to be represented by a conservatively dressed vaad, in sync with the comunity they shall represent.

  • to 19

    you are a true shm… All this people you call “the world” will get to know the new, normal leader representing our comunity, and we’ll be finnaly be taken seriously.

  • bury yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    its ridiculous when somebody writes negative about the other candidates that u supposedly endorse because we see there is no dirt on this site about them meaning that you throw it under the rug but all the dirt about the present vaad makes it to the screen and you call yourself fair and in general the comments you allow to publish shows that you the website has a third grade mentality and immature

  • Women Should Vote!

    Apart from Feivel #19, all the other comments are on the money.

    As far as Halachic disqualifications go, are Mosrim allowed to run? And clowns surely can’t represent us, unless you want City Hall & Albany laughing.

  • Chaikel

    To Faivel (19):

    That’s what makes it even worse, our leader is a Moser on people in our community?!
    Can you imagine what these politicians think of us?!
    This must change!

  • Boruch from CH

    Chanina is a clown, and better we cut our losses and replace him and in a few months, the new leaders can build bridges with NY state politicians [I believe] far better than Chanina had. Other than a couple decent things that he has done for community individuals (in the spirit of giving credit where credit is due), the rest of his connections were used to elect Democrats. They (NY politicians) use out Chanina to raise money and awareness to their candidacy, and Chanina has the gall to use that as a credential for leading kan tziva!! Helping to elect a bunch of pro toeiva marriage, pro abortion, anti school voucher etc. politicians helps us like a loch in kop. Yes we understand Chanina pats himself on the back for all these photo ops.

  • Lubavitcher

    Unless the rabonim validate that this wad Mesira you should not post accusations against any individual. In my yeshiva it is called motze shem ra, Loshan Horo Rechilus ETC…

    May be these people had a heter from rabanim for what they did ???

    Please don’t post any negativity against any Jew without getting information from Rabanim. Here we have five rabanim which all sides agrred to deal with elections bring your complaints to them. It does not belong on a Jewish site let alone a Chabad site.

  • crown heights resident

    what we need is a complete new slate. starting from new decent rabbonim, vaad, new community council staff etc. etc.
    then maybe ch can be a place that commands respect by both the frum world, the not frum world and the outside world.
    then maybe our kids will also respect us and our community
    we need to get lubavitch back up there. we are the best. we always in the past had standards. Go back in history and see where we have fallen, with machlokes, mesira etc.
    hashem yishmor.
    please get us normal leadership and normal rabonnim

  • Disappointed in the committee...

    The committee to lodge complaints against candidates did not act, period! Two members of anash lodged a complaint against a vaad candidate due to his questionable marital status. He does not have a NYS Legal divorce, but took a second wife anyway. Some would call it bigamy, which is a crime in NYS. He IS a candidate, don’t be fooled by his beard, and tzitzes. He is a law breaker and not fit to be on the Vaad.

  • Reading ch.info shouldn-t be this painfu

    From what I learned in school years ago, Hashem and His bais din are the ones who can publicly judge another Jew…not crownheights.info. If they aren’t fit to be candidates then take them out of the vote but let’s not publicize why on the Internet, on a Jewish, Lubavitcher website.

  • Fair and Balanced

    To all those who think a NEW vaad will be better than an old vaad, you are gravely mistaken. The machlokes will not subside just because there are new/young people on the vaad. A bochur who is not doing well in one yeshivah will usually fail in another yeshiva as well. The problem is the bochur, not the yeahivah. If the community can’t learn to deal with their differences in a menshliche way (unlike the example provided by many commenters on this site) then no amount of new people will change that. Stop trash-talking others, and start talking about differences with respect.
    Btw, look up the story of Rechavam in Melachim. He decided to follow the advice of the younger advisors, and the Jewish People were split because of that until Moshiach comes.

  • Sorry #41

    It is sad that we have to discuss unpleasant issues here, but the committe did not do their job. They did not reject anybody, so ethically challenged people are now on the ballot. A man with TWO WIVES should not have been allowed to run. You must be married, I don’t think that means to two people at once. IF THE COMMITTEE WASN’T SO FECKLESS, THIS MAN WOULD BE OFF THE LIST.

  • go tatty!

    go tatty!!!!!!!!!! you rock no matter what evreybody sais!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Shomrim Case Transcript

    Shomrim Case Transcript 11-2-09 ADA Weiss [Prosecutor] Opening (About Shuki Gur the translator)

    Elie Poltorak has an obvious bias against Shomrim and did everything he can to make sure they get locked up, this we all saw at the meeting.

    He might change course in defense of himself and say…“I just went down to help translate.”

    The following is part of page 6 (lines 8-17) of the ADA opening statements.

    ADA DAVID WEISS…
    Again, just like in any other school, in any other dormitory, in 749 there was a boy named Jonathan Gur, who he is known as Shuki. And Shuki is what we would call a resident adviser. He is one of the older members of the yeshiva, he has been there for awhile, and he speaks English. And he will tell you other boys looked up to him as this unofficial R.A. because most of them were not from America, they did not understand the language and he helped guide them along while they lived here.

    This Shuki Gur later testifies that he was at the hospital with his friends the so called “victims”, as far as translation was concerned, it was covered.

    So we ask again, what was Elie Poltorak doing at Kings County Hospital the night of December 29, 2007 with Paul Huebner?

  • Throw them in the Hudson & watch em sink

    They should never have got to first base. They are so dysfunctional, it’s not surprising we get zilch (except new garbage cans) from the city.

    Housing.
    Food.
    Employment/training.
    Education.

    Why aren’t we getting $$ like Willi & BP for these programs? And if we are, whose pocket is it all going into? Not yours, not mine. Try these Mosrim & their buddies

  • MENDY

    bsd
    bh
    AND YOU GUYS SAY MOSHAICH IS HERE?
    AND YOU GUYS SAY MOSHIACH NOW?

    OY VAY…

    AND WHAT IS THIS ARTICLE PUBLICIZED FOR THE WHOLE WORLD?
    DISGUSTING

  • boot the moser

    will mommy stop giving chanina a check to keep away from the family business if he gets booted from ch politics?
    1.. others can build up political relationships. Keep chanina out
    2.. chanina can support the new vaad and help THEM build themselves with the poiticians!

  • mosrim achutzah!

    to 50, mendy, yeh, lets reward messira with covering it up!

    NO WE SHOULD SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS AND CHASE THESE MOSRIM OUT FROM OUR MIDST!

  • to 19

    Who is Chanina leading? And where is he leading them?

    Posing for photos with politicians and patting oneself on the back for a job well done does not add up to “leadership”.

  • can-t read ivrit

    To #52

    is the website in English? i really wanted to read it.

  • C.H.

    I just came back from the ‘An Evening of Awareness – ‘Protect Your Child’
    http://www.crownheights.inf

    One can simply change the word Abuse to Moser and the lecture will make total sense.
    What Mesira is, what a moser is, who is a moser, the signs of Mesira, etc….
    The main point….Nobody is safe from Mesira…Today it was “only that guy”, tomorrow it is you!

  • M2

    I am a teenager who has lived in crown heights my whole life.
    When I read stories like this and all the comments it makes me sick
    To my stomach. No wonder moshiach isn’t here yet with all the fighting
    And loshon hora and sinchas chinam! I can’t say I’m proud to be a
    Lubavitcher right now.

  • Fitzel

    Friends you choose, unlike family. If Polatardrek chose as his good friend a creep like Paul Huebner YM”S that says it all. Enough said.

  • Milhouse

    #40, Does this person (whoever it is) have a get (or a heter meah rabbonim)? If so, he did nothing wrong. So what if he broke NY state law? Why should we care about that? How does that make him unfit to be on the vaad? The bylaws say that vaad members must be shomer torah umitzvos; they say nothing about keeping the state’s laws, and nor should they. Let the state worry about its laws; your job is to worry only about Hashem’s laws.

  • So sure of themself

    thay are so sure that all (or mojority) of crown heightsers
    are stupid and will vote for them again .
    so they Both laugh at us even before the elections

  • Cancel all elections

    no need for new rabonim or vaad.
    in tel aviv two guys sat down to play dominos. as they set up the game . yaakov stends up and tells shimon so lets fight now . shimon looks at yaakov and
    asked what he reffers to.
    yaakov answers why do we have to play and i will cheat you or you cheat me and then well fight . lets cut straight to the fight.
    There was a din torah about $250,000 was spent (more than a down payment on a house in ch)
    WHATS NOW ? the rabonim are not in one office the din torah is just a pice of paper . and the fight goes on .
    Yechi Anachnu

  • Crown Heights resident

    To Milhouse (#59)

    This is sarcasm right? Can anyone in USA 2010 really state that we don’t care if our community leaders are lawbreakers as long as they are cloaked in halacha? The world is not presently disposed to look kindly on frum felons. And that includes the people who hold government influence and pursestrings. And make no mistake — taking a second while while without being legally divorced from the first is a felony with potential imprisonment and disbarment attached to it. Is THIS the face of Crown Heights we need to present to the world?? We need to present ourselves as people who run a clean, LEGAL organization.

  • to millhouse #59

    to millhouse #50 wrote:
    you ask what difference does it make if a potential vaad member breaks the law as long as he keeps to halacha – first of all, we do not live in the shtetel anymore and we have a moral / legal responsibility to keep dina d’malchusa dina. but much more importantly, bigamy is not only a felony in new york ( grounds for disbarment) but is considered very shocking, grubbe, and anti-social behavior in the secular/political world. our vaad interacts with people OUTSIDE of the shtetel – we need to be able to show the government agencies and wealthy people that we are dependent on for FUNDING that we are clean people who run a clean organization – please check out post # 49 on this site on the previous article about the vaad meeting ( the one with the videos) and you will understand why we must be aware of certain candidates’ consistent ILLEGAL behavior and how it could impact the success of the vaad. we must show the world, both frum and secular, that Lubavitch obeys the law and maintains high standards – THIS IS THE REBBE’S HOME !!!

  • Dear Mr. Milhouse,from #40

    The state govt and feds distribute $$$$ to the Vaad for programs. We must have law abiding (the law of the Medina, which is al pi halacha) members otherwise we will G-d forbid watch more yarmalke wearing men hauled off in handcuffs. The govt is watching every one and every penny.

  • Renegade

    To #59 Milhouse:

    Yeah, you’re right. I mean it’s not like whoever needs to approve any funding to the council cares if it’s being run by felons, right?

    (for all those who missed it I’m being sarcastic. for the same point in a more serious tone read #63 above)

  • Milhouse

    To #63, no, it’s not sarcasm, it’s an honest yiddisher perspective. What do we care what the laws of NY State say? What has it got to do with us? We are bound by the Torah, but who put the NY legislature in charge of us? Where in the Torah does it say that we must comply with their marriage laws, especially when they’re perfectly happy to let people live together without marrying at all?

    Do you care about “the world”, or about Hashem? If “the world” doesn’t look kindly on something, so what? The world doesn’t look kindly at Eretz Yisroel either, and we know what the Rebbe taught us about that; we whistle at the world.

    “Government influence and pursestrings”: THIS is what you’re worried about?! No matter of principle, then, just how to get more money? And you think THAT attitude will endear you to “the world”?!

    Felony, shmelony; all these laws are suspect post-Lawrence. Nobody is going to prosecute a bigamy case, especially if the second marriage was just a religious one, so as far as the state is concerned it never happened. And yes, the face we need to present is one of loyalty to Hashem and Halacha, above all other considerations.

  • Milhouse

    PS: I have no idea whom we’re talking about, so there’s no point in guessing what “side” I’m taking, or in accusing me of being motivated by politics.

  • Milhouse

    To those who think that the officials who distribute money care one bit about lawbreakers, I present to you the case of Kevin Johnson, former mayor of Sacramento, who just a few years ago STOLE nearly half a million dollars from Americorps, and has now been invited to speak at the Corporation for National and Community Service conference. That’s how much they care. What matters to these creatures is connections, not honesty, let alone a mere law. Someone who (hypothetically) is doing nothing wrong, but is merely technically breaking a law, should have no problem with these people.

  • Milhouse

    I may be beating a dead horse here, especially since I have no idea which (if any) of the candidates is the alleged bigamist, but for those who think having a bigamist at the head of a communal organization will hurt the community in the eyes of the authorities, consider the case of Lakewood, whose decades-long rosh yeshivah has two wives (with a heter meah rabbonim). This has been the cause of much nasty politics within that sector of the Jewish community, but no outside authority has blinked an eye at it. There is no reason to think it would be any different in Crown Heights.

  • not motzei shem ra

    no 38, you ask how we know there was mesira, and it isn’t just motzie shem rah. I believe that Rav Osdoba wrote that it is mesirah, and that there is no heter for what they were doing, remember seeing such a letter.