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Run-Off Elections Being Held

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — Run-off elections are being held today for the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council “Vaad”. Residents will receive two votes, to be cast between Shea Hecht, Fishel Brownstein, and Yossi Hackner; as ruled by Dayan, Rabbi Avrohom B Rosenberg.

These three candidates received the most votes in the Crown Heights elections earlier this month. However they didn’t receive a majority vote, required by the Vaad Hakohol’s bylaws.

Zaki Tamir was the only candidate in the elections to receive a majority.

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25 Comments

  • Rabbi Bogomilsky On The Run-Off

    In Lubavitch we say
    “מדארף לעבען מיט דער צייט ” [we must live with the times], this week in Crown Heights we will have a runoff election. There are three candidates that we could vote for, Shea Hecht, Yossi Hackner and Fishel Brownstein. I’m recommending to vote for Hecht, and Hackner. Do not vote for Browstein,

    I’ll explain:
    In this week’s Torah portion, Parshas Pinchas, the Torah only mentions the one event that took place with Zimri, but not about the others from the tribe of Simeon who also sinned with Midianite women. The reason for this is, being that Zimri was the Chairman of the tribe, he becomes responsible for the entire tribe and all that they do.

    The same applies to Crown Heights, from the four Va’ad members who entered into court Mesiros on people of our Shchuna and some Mosdos, it was Brownstein who was their Chairman. Brownstein is responsible for all that they did, and he is a Moser just like the others.

    Let me quote some history: in tractate Sota (Daf 22b) there is a story with King Yannai and his queen Shelomis, as follows:

    A little background; Yannai was a scion of the Chashmonaite dynasty and he served both as king and Kohen Godol in the latter part of the second temple period. However, Yannai became a Sadducee (Berachos 29a) and he massacred the Sages, and he was therefore hated by the Perushim [the term for those faithful to the Rabbis and meticulous in their Torah observance, fierce opponents of the Sadducees]. When he was close to his death, Queen Shelomis was worried that the Perushim will not allow her children to assume the throne because of their hatred to Yannai. So she asked Yannai to beseech the Perushim on her behalf in this matter [and to reconcile himself with them (Meiri)]. Yannai told her:

    “Do not be afraid of the Perushim, or from those who are not Perushim. Rather, Fear only the pretenders, those who look like Perushim, but in reality are not pious; for their actions are like those of Zimri, and they seek the reward like Pinchas.”

    Meaning: that Shelomis had nothing to fear from the true Perushim, because they were truly righteous and they will not retaliate against her or her children on account of Yannai’s actions. She had nothing to fear from the Sadducees because they were her friends, but he warned her that she did have to fear the colored ones, those whose
    appearance is not reflective of their true essence. Their color is only external, but they are very different on the inside. In other words they are hypocrites.

    Brownstein sent letters to the entire neighborhood declaring his accomplishments. He got money from so and so and he gave out scholarships for camps. Yet, he never showed us any reports of whom he gave money to, and which camps did he support, if there is no evidence, could it be that he is merely talking?
    What we do know for certain is that Brownstein’s participated as a signatory in the disgraceful act of Mesira, an “act of Zimri,” and now he asks us to vote for him and to give him the reward of Pinchas. These are the type of people we should stay away from.

    I don’t want to G-d forbid compare Zimri to Brownstein. We all know that before Zimri did the disgraceful act with the Midianite woman, he went to ask Moshe, and only after he didn’t like Moshe’s answer, did Zimri say “who permitted Yetro’s daughter to you?”

    But in our case, when I was served the subpoena last year, I got a phone call from Rabbi Schwei, he told me then: Reb Moshe, I never gave them permission to subpoena you! I can also assure you that from Rabbi Osdoba they also didn’t get permission to do this Mesira, in fact Rabbi Osdoba came out with a very strong letter calling them Mosrim. So which Rav did they ask that he gave them permission for Mesira???

    It is written in the Novi (Amos 2-6.)
    “Thus said Hashem: For three transgressions of Israel [I looked away], but for four I will not pardon them – for their selling a righteous man for money, and a poor man for shoes.”

    My explanation goes as follows: We got rid of three transgressors three weeks ago, now we must not look the other way, and allow in the fourth transgressor (by voting for Brownstein).

    I want to conclude, that if anyone thinks that Brownstein is as innocent as a lamb, and he doesn’t understand what a subpoena is, I must relate to you what I heard from a Rav in the city, that one of his Shul members who was a client of Brownstein’s, had a disagreement with Brownstein which led him to sue Brownstein in court. Mr. Brownstein went to this Rav of his client, and he begged him to convince the other guy to go to a Din-Torah instead of taking him to court.
    Mr. Brownstein knows very well what going to court means, and he surely understands the ramifications of Mossering on someone to court. Don’t vote for Brownstein.

    (Rewritten by members of the Shul- C.H. & S.B.)

  • Glad CrownHeights.info is back!

    VOTE HECHT & HACKNER!! You must vote for TWO PEOPLE!!!

    Remember the Shomrim Six? You can thank Brownstein as head of the Vaad for that & sending subpoenas to so many Mosdos.

  • Yossi

    A vote for Brownstein, is a vote for poltorak and Chanina he is their puppet, Rabbi Hecht did make some mistakes over the 30 years of service, but overall he will be a tremendous asset
    to our Community.

  • Dovid

    I woke up nice and early – went to the mikvah, learnd Chassiddus, davend,
    and then
    I went to vote!
    Hecht & Hackner!!!

  • Yankel

    I once had some respect for these four people (rabbi`s) Blizinsky, Reitzes, Willshansky, Sarabransky. I can`t have it any more. Based on the documents we have seen, and on the statement that Rabbi Rosenberg made at the last public meeting, that he was not forced to let Shea Hecht run, and that his running is not a conflict with the by-laws. These are the same four that are involved in every machlokis in C.H.

  • LOCATION CLARIFICATION!!!

    Voting is NOT in the Kolel (Union & Kingston), it is in the older men’s Kolel in the Veiber Shul of 770 (entrance on Kingston Avenue, opposite the shoe repair store.)

    Please tell your family & friends!

    Vote Hecht & Hackner!

  • mendel

    yossi hackner will only have more votes than anyone else is because one must vote for at least two. since it is a runoff between hecht and brownstein and ppl must vote for someone else they must vote for hackner. In other words I feel that I have been forced to vote for someone who I did not want to vote for.
    not saying Yossi is bad, but whoever made the rules flawed!!!!!

  • Yossel

    B-H

    How can we vote for a man, a rabbi, whose father Olov HaShalom was such a big Chossid of the Rebbe, this man who endorsed DAVID DINKINS for Mayor in ’93, AFTER the pogrom?

    I am frightened that Shea will use his political influence and power for his and NCFJE’s benefit, whether or not it is good or deterimental to the community…..

  • brownstein=court

    Brownstein has told members of this community to sue in court other local residents.

  • VOTE FOR HECHT

    DON’T LET THE POLLS FOOL YOU – AFTER 5 PM, MOST WORKING PPL WILL COME AND VOTE..SHEA!

  • WAKE UP!!!!!!

    as a out of towner i can only laugh at what is going on:
    it looks like color war in camp,vote for me team no my team
    kids it is time to grow up and stop fighting about stupid petty stuff.
    we have enough big issues in lubavitch to work on.
    look how kingston avenue looks,i am not sure which is worse miami beach or crown heights.
    look at our youth hundreds leaving us.
    AND ALL YOU GUYS DO IS FIGHT OVER STUPED THINGS!!!!!
    WAKE UP!!!!

  • who cares

    do these people actually do anything i mean this is jst something that is seriously not needed or maybe jst to add some “excitment” some peoples lives.

  • TT

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  • Impressed

    WOW I just saw the video with shots of Rabbi Hecht with many, many very important government official. He really knows the ropes! And it’s impressive — in the background of most of the photos is a sign: NCJFE. I fully trust that all of these government contacts will benefit our community exclusively and no other community or institution!

  • guliany

    HECHT never endosed dinkins even in his first run

    juliany was the hechts friend forever

  • Best Line

    “voting for Shea because Brownstein is involved in machloikes is like voting for Obama because McCain isn’t conservative enough.”

  • Names say it all

    Hecht & Hackner Team: HeHaw
    Bronstien & Hackner Team: Broha
    Kan Tziva Hashem Ess Ha “broha”!

  • mother in ch

    As far as the camp scholarship money I can vouch for myself and plenty of other large families- with the old vaad we DID receive it. If Mr. Bronstein was held responsible- THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! Note- this year we got very little- many children were held back from going to any camp. When OUR kids go off the derek because of political power plays and ego it will cost a whole lot more $$$$$$$$$ to bring them back. VOTE BRONSTEIN and Hackner!