Op-Ed: Is This Really The Rebbe’s Shul?

by Menachem Cohen

On the morning after the Yud Shvat farbrengen – Thursday, 11^th Shvat, 5783-2023 – as one entered 770 at around 9:30 a.m., the scene was revolting.

On the one hand, it was inspiring to see the great shul full of so many guests from all over the world, who had come to celebrate the glorious date of Yud Shvat, Yohrtzeit of the Rebbe Rayyatz and the start of our Rebbe’s nesius-leadership in 5711-1951.

But the experience on entering was far from glorious.

The whole shul had a stench of spoiled food. The floors were black with dirt, with garbage lying everywhere. Plates of left-over food – rice, vegetables, scraps of chicken, even banana peels – were on the tables and the floor. Everywhere were pretzels, Bamba and potato chips crushed underfoot by people stepping on them. The floor was wet with unrecognizable black liquid.

The bima was filled with empty liquor bottles and more left-over food. Between the Aron Kodesh and the bima was littered with torn cardboard boxes. Garbage piled up in the corners under the ezras nashim, entire boxes of cookies littered the floor, crushed from repeated stepping, and empty water and soda bottles flattened as if to calm someone’s rage. And bags of tefilin and taleisim lay between the garbage.

Those entering had to search hard for a clean “parking space” to daven. Those leading minyanim had to yell for their voices to be heard.

Could this be the place our Rebbe called a Mikdash M’at – Beis Rabbeinu Sheb’Bavel – a sanctuary similar to the Beis Hamikdash? Is this where, as our Rebbeim say, Torah and avoda can be imbibed from its very walls? Do we truly believe that, three times a day, the Rebbe is with us during our prayers here?

Isn’t it a direct insult to our holy Rebbe to let his palace descend like this to the level of a pigsty?

Many times we heard the Rebbe speak about the holiness of 770, even criticizing the fact that the towels for keeping our hands clean were dirty. He himself would stoop to pick up even a cigarette butt lying on the floor, for the shul’s cleanliness and proper order were of utmost importance to him.

Is it any wonder that so many of our youth are loath to walk into 770? Often even Chassidishe Yidden who cherish 770 no longer daven there because of the above and similar conditions.

The purpose of this letter is not to point fingers of blame at anyone. This is a collective breakdown and responsibility, and every one of us should feel the need to do whatever we can to rectify the situation.

Certainly we should demand of the shul’s gabbayim and officials, and from those who organize farbrengens, to make sure this should not happen again. But all of us should be vigilant and call upon those participating in making a mess in our shul to realize the chillul Hashem they are causing.

Then, when Moshiach is soon revealed, we will be able to point proudly to the way his palace has been kept, physically and spiritually, as the world’s most special place. May we be zoiche very soon!