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Dispute Leaves Congregation Without a Home

Members of a Crown Heights Shul discovered that their temporary place of worship had been destroyed, after a yearlong dispute with their landlord reached a boiling point, leaving them without a place to pray.

Congregation Sosnitz is a Shteibel which was founded by Polisher Yidden at a Crown St. home in 1956. For many years the Shul thrived, but by the 1970s the Shul – like many others of its type – was struggling to get a Minyan and was about to close its doors. The Shul was saved in 1979, when a group of Lubavitchers began to daven there, after a Sicha in which the Rebbe encouraged his Chassidim to Daven in these Shuls and keep them afloat.

About a year and a half ago the shul’s home began to undergo construction, forcing the members to temporarily find a new place to congregate. After searching for some time, they made an agreement with Machon Chana to rent half of a first floor apartment in the Moisad’s building on the corner of Crown St. and Albany Ave. for $1,000 per month. The other half of the apartment was used as an administrative office by Machon Chana.

Months went by and the Shul’s original home remained unavailable. Machon Chana – under the impression that the Shul’s stay would be short – began to pressure the Shul to move out of the apartment so that it could be renovated. Machon Chana reckoned that the apartment would be worth $2,000 after renovations, so they felt they were losing $1,000 every month the Shul remained.

According to Machon Chana, the Shul promised to be out by Tishrei, but each month the Shul said they needed more time. Six months later Pesach came around and the Shul was still there.

After Pesach, the building manager met with the Shul’s representatives and told them they had to either move out or double their rent. The Shul’s members insisted that they be allowed to stay. Machon Chana offered them a different place to Daven upstairs, but the Shul rejected this because most of their members are elderly and cannot climb the stairs. (An Administrator of Machon Chana pointed out to us that their permanent home is up a flight of stairs).

Last night Yossi Avtzon, a member of the Shul, went over to the shul to drop off some food for the Kiddush, as he usually would, when he discovered to his shock that the entire place had been destroyed.

The entire apartment looked like it had been hit by a wrecking ball, with all the furniture cast aside, the walls torn down and the bathroom smashed to bits.

“I’ve never seen something like this happen to a Shul, it looks like kristalnacht,” said his brother Yonah Avtzon, also a member of the Shul.

A Machon Chana Administrator was reached for comment, and he said that after losing $12,000 in potential revenue, the Moisad had no choice but to unilaterally go ahead with renovations.

The Congregation now unexpectedly finds itself without a place to daven on Shabbos, for the first time in almost sixty years.

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74 Comments

  • confused

    Isn’t that like cutting off your nose to spite your face? Dont they have to pay for the damages? Why not just change the locks?

  • Annoyed

    Well that was stupid. If the shul wanted to, it could probably go to secular court to sue for damages(and they might now get a heter since he didn’t agree to go to a din Torah). In American law, lack of a contract does not give the right to destroy the premises while the tenant is still occupying the premises, it gives you the right to go to court and try to legally evict them and claim damages. I hate how these big Rabbis will make claims that they don’t need to go to a Din Torah because it is a legal matter and not halachic, but would then complain about someone being a moser if you take them to court for the same issue.

  • Perplexed

    Why didn’t they move out when they said they would? Some people think that despite saying that hey will only be there for a short term, and constantly pushing off when they will move out, they can just go to a din torah and ask that a rabbi rule that their landlord who only let them in short term keep them there…

  • To Be Fair

    The article says they gave them several months to relocate and that the apartment was going to be renovated. It seems like Machon Chana was nice enough to let them use the space temporarily until they found other arrangements. It doesn’t sound fair to Machon Chana and their constituents to not let them get the most value out of that space for their mosad.

  • Chana

    Know your Facts
    Machon Chana gave this shul ample time to find a new place and even offered them another spot in their building even though they themselves needed the space. This shul took advantage and tried every delaying and threatening tactic to get what they want. No tenant can play with a landlord the way these congregants did. the Chutzpah of them to refer to this as Kristalancht when machon chana bent over backwards to accomodate them and find them a new place. just goes to show who Machon Chana was ddealing with……

  • Just saying

    What do you expect??
    The building belonged to fisher stolen by vadd hakall sold for a song under the tabel to gurari who are the only pepole who can get away with this kind of behavior.

    Incidentally the president if the shul is pikearski who helped the vadd hakall steal the builduing

  • Shmuli from next door

    These Avtzons should learn a lesson, you can not scream your way into everything you want. When someone is nice to you, don’t take advantage of them. This shul has no right to the premiss. They were not tenants! the apartment was used for offices all along and will continue to be that way. They had it only for shabbos, so courts cannot do anything.

  • old timer

    it’s experiences like this that drive home just how much crownheightsers live in denial. the meaning of Lubavitch is “city of brotherly love”. but we are preventing the arrival of moshiach by putting the pursuit of money before Torah Values like ahavas yisrael, kavod zekainim, and kavod makom Torah.

    truly sad how we are so quick to sing the Ahavas Yisrael Song and then turn around and attack our brother because he is doing something that is not convenient for us…

    wake up, people, and see what a Chilul Hashem you are causing!!

  • Feel bad

    I feel bad for any landlord who has to resort to such measures to evict people who should not be there.

  • Hurt

    This is the price one pays for doing a favor. Six months turns into a year and a half. Shabbos turns into a whole week half an apt into three quarters, and a need of a shul turns into a private use.

    The loss of a mossad money means nothing and a falsified slander becomes the thank you.

    Lesson: please beware and on alert before you do a favor to certain people.

  • smashed

    From the looks of things, I would say,a good piece of advice would be: Don’t use the toilet.

  • Miami

    More behavior from Crown Heights that ensures I will never live there again or chas v’Shalom expose my kids to such a disgusting display that extends the delay of Moshiach, chas v’Shalom.

  • old timer

    it’s experiences like this that drive home just how much crownheightsers live in denial. the meaning of Lubavitch is “city of brotherly love”. but we are preventing the arrival of moshiach by putting the pursuit of money before Torah Values like ahavas yisrael, kavod zekainim, and kavod makom Torah.

    truly sad how we are so quick to sing the Ahavas Yisrael Song and then turn around and attack our brother because he is doing something that is not convenient for us…

    all this discussion of politics and courts should make us feel ashamed– we’re talking about a shul, not a bike lane!

  • Aaron Roitblatt

    I think this 60 year old dying shul should merge with one of the six shuls on that corner. They have no money and it’s becoming a family business. It’s time to face the truth. Machon Chana should be applauded for letting them stay so long rent free.

  • Sam

    MC wants a Din Torah! It is Avtzon who refuses to go. It’s about time someone stood up to Yonah. They should throw him out of 770 as well!

  • Rebecca

    If the landlord had gone to secular authorities in the first place the tenant would have been removed by bailiff.
    Since they don’t; they take matters into their own hands.
    Hence.

  • I Don-t Understand...

    If “Machon Chana offered them a different place to Daven upstairs,” then why does “the Congregation now unexpectedly finds itself without a place to daven on Shabbos?”
    And with all due respect to Yonah Avtzon, please refrain from comparing this to Kristalnacht. That’s a blatant insensitivity to the victims of the Holocaust.

  • Yonah Avtzon

    I AGREE THAT IT’S THE SHUL’S FUALT.

    This Shul is at 534 Crown Street, was there and should always have been there. MC has its school and offices at 556 Crown. They gave them a temporary place ONLY for shabbos. They abused it and stayed for over a year and a half!!!! Time to leave.

  • Anan Amos

    I don’t care what anyone has to say – but one thing I know as a JEW => this is not how you treat a “place of worship” = even Goyim – LaHavdil – would agree that this is not the way to treat a house of God…

    It is a very sad day indeed.

    I personally that both parties have their “cheshbon” with heaven who is surely weeping at this atrocity

  • this is police bussiness

    Stop all nice talks and call the police
    in the USA there is a system and to evict someone there is court

    lets find out How did this building “Became” the lapkowski’s building who paid ETC.

  • Majesky

    “Machon Chana offered them a different place to Daven upstairs” So why are they complaining???? Just say thanks you and move upstairs.

  • kleiner Rebber

    Is this a joke? It is sick how much jews only care about money these days, especially in CH.

  • To #14

    Yep, much, much better to live in Miami with all the convicted pedophiles and crystal meth dealers in the U.S.

    Who are you kidding, you fool!

    At least CH has some positive things too.

  • joseph ezaqui

    i would never do business with a chabad lubavicher…for sure, i would get screwed over…………..i’m glad rubashkin has to be in jail for 27 years………….he’s a mutt……his salami sucks…………..long live HEBREW NATIONAL

  • to kleiner Rebber number 26

    This is not personal money. this is money of a institution that the lubavitcher rebbe said “where are the people that are mekusher to me when machon chana does not have money”.

  • more than upset

    WHY do these things have to come and make us feel like people don’t go by halacha. why does it do that, we just don’t need this.
    another of these “everyone thinks they know whos right.
    this is so low. and #30 is one of the comments which is trash just plain hatred, just so dopey We’re worrying about why the Siyum didn’t treat Chabad right? can we treat ourselves right? this is so despicable.

  • a shanda

    and they say “what should be done about the kids in crown heights?”the kids are ALLtzadikim compared to these guys, who are the “groise mentchen”in our society.shame on all of you-it takes two to tango and you are both a shanda to have in our community.NO MATTER WHAT as frum yidden, as lubavitcher chassidim-THIS is unheard of. and the kids know -its all ok for a few dollars on any side.the holy buck is greater than the torah greater and more important than any of the principles you all pontificate.
    SHAME< SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!!!!! and then ill probably see you at the oihel on sunday shokling and bein very righteous.shame shameon you

  • Disgusting

    It’s sick how Frum Jews cheapen the Holocaust by using the word Nazi or Kristelnacht whenever there is a fight. Yonah, are you trying to say that you experineced Kristelnacht last night? You are a sick person.

  • KRISTELNACHT???

    Whatever the dispute is about, is irrelevant but to compare this to KRISTELNACHT where 91 jews were KILLED and 30,000 jews were ARRESTED and INCARCERATED in concentration camps, is the most digusting thing ive ever heard a JEWISH person say!

  • DISGUSTED

    To all those that are writing any personal comments slandering other people, DONT WASH YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY IN PUBLIC!
    If you have an issue with someone, deal with it on your own DON’T go on a public site and SLANDER people by writing these filthy LIES and your own personal issues.
    This is an argument about a shul deciding that their TEMPORARY rented APARTMENT is their PERMANENT shul!
    This is about tenants that OVERSTAY their rent and think that by posting it online they’ll get some sympathy!

  • Question to Yona Avzon!

    R’ Yona Avtzon – What is your opinion, where the landlord Aguch/Merkos owns a building (770-788) and there are people there illegally either because they daven there by taking over the Shul or have offices there….can they be thrown out?!

    Just curious?

  • A SHUL ???

    Mr. Avtzon you surely are a old and respectable guy, but do you really remember how KRISTELNACHT looked? This looks more like the beginning of RENOVATIONS just like the first day after your shul’s REAL HOME on 534 crown st. looked after the first day that you KINDLY moved out so that the house can be renovated!
    I surely don’t remember you taking pictures of that house and posting it online saying “our shul is being destroyed it looks like kristelnacht” or “This is the first time our shul has no place to daven because it is being renovated”!
    You overstayed your lease so it doesn’t belong to you anymore!
    It wasn’t a shul that was destroyed, it’s an apartment being renovated!
    It’s not YOURS, it’s the MOSSAD’S!

  • TIRED OF THE SAME STORIES

    NOTHING JUSTIFY VANDALISM. THIS IS A SHUL!!!!!THIS IS CRIME!!! GO TO COURT!!! GO TO BEIS DIN!!! BE A MENTCH!!!
    BELONGS TO HECHTS AND WAS STOLEN BY GURARYS?
    WHO CARES? THIS PEOPLE ARE ALL ONE POT!
    MOSHIACH WILL NEVER COME LIKE THAT!!!!!
    THE BEIS HAMIKDASH WAS DESTROYED BECAUSE OF PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
    ALL THIS PEOPLE ARE CRIMINALS.
    AND THEY GO AROUND TEACHING CHASIDUS WITH FULL POCKET WHILE FAMILIES IN CH CANT AFFORD TO SEND KIDS TO SCHOOL/CAMPS!!!!
    GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!

  • Close down the Kiruv movement

    Machon Chana is the school that is teaching Jews how to be “Jewish?” This is SO pathetic.

  • PRESCRIPTION FOR PATIENT # 30

    #30

    WHOMEVER YOU ARE YOUR LANGUAGE AND BRAIN NEED A GOOD OVERHAUL.

  • Srulik from Troy

    Agreed – looks like Kristalnacht. You should all be ashamed.
    Du bist aller vee vilda chayas!!

  • in the know

    A COMPROMISE HAS BEEN REACHED!

    Davening this shabbos will be in Yossi Avtzon’s house for this Shabbos only. Entrance from street, so no stairs.

    From next Shabbos and on, the minyan will rotate homes of the members on Crown Street until 534 Crown is finally finished.

  • to 46

    Just because I do “kiruv” does not mean you can park yourself in my home, and refuse to leave.

  • AM I MISSING SOMETHING?

    As far as i can see from the pictures, the room of the shul is INTACT! The room that has the bimah and the aron kodesh doesn’t show any damages at all!
    It’s the rest of the apartment which the article pointed out and i quote: “The other half of the apartment was used as an administrative office by Machon Chana.”
    that’s the part that is being renovated! the shul was never touched or vandalized nor kristelnachted! the offices are being renovated!

  • just reading

    Sorry but you don’t do that to someone a shul before shabbos like that No matter what they did

  • landlord

    there is something called eviction – there is a 30 day notice, you go to court, and the sherriff enforces the eviction, whereby the locks are changed. it is illegal to destroy the place until eviction takes place.

  • -Shul withuot home-

    There are so many shuls in Crown Hights.
    Everyone that wants to be a macher opens a new shul or takes over a closing one.
    Join a Shul that has a home, or daven at home, but dont use it as a excuse to make machlokes in CH.

  • Grateful

    In the name of the thousands of Jewish women and their families who have been given a chance to study at Machon Chana though we had no money to pay for room and board in a beautiful dorm and for the outstanding education that helped us build beautiful Jewish homes, thank you Mrs labkowski and thank you all Crown Heighters for your financial support.

  • MMB

    RABBOSAI, THERE’S A BEAUTIFUL 80% EMPTY SHUL HERE IN CH. YOU’RE ALL WELCOME TO JOIN US. WE CAN USE THE PEOPLE. YOU’LL GET PLENTY OF ALIYAS AND OTHER KIBBUDIM. ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE POLICE PRECINCT AT 450 NY AVE CORNER MALBONE STREET.
    WELCOME – PLEASE JOIN US

  • Weve completly lost the moral authority

    In the same week you have 90,000 Yidden finishing Shas and you have Lubavitchers destroying a Shul “in the name of the Rebbe” and we think we have anything to teach the Jewish world? Other than in Gush Katif can you show me one instance of someone vandalizing a Shul to such a degree since Kristalnacht?

  • Growing up in sosnitz

    I grew up on Crown St. and remember old Reb Yankel taking such good care of the shul. This isn’t a fancy shul that brings in lots of money for membership but rather a group of neighbors who davened there to keep a minyan going so the shul shouldn’t close down. Please stop bad mouthing and name- calling each other when everyone just wants to daven in peace.

  • To Yona Avtzon

    Yona Avtzon now how would you have dealt with it if it were to be your place?

  • Yona Avtzon

    It seems as Yona Avtzon had NO business occupying this space and he put up a fight so he can get his way, it played its toll and expired. The end.

  • To #49

    Which moisad exactly was the rebbe talking about at the time?

    You are really an ingonrant and stupid fool to say that R’ labkowski would build a multi million dollar building just to get a good deal on contracting on a house that was already built at the time!

    Shaya boimelgreen built it? How much of the few million dollars, that it cost to build it, did he give? He fundraiser all that money?

    You keep writing lie after lie just to slander other people. Every part of this moisad starting from the founders up to the current state, you seem to have a stupid opinion about. How did 1414 get into all of this?

    If you really have something smart to say just say your full name MAJESKY and don’t hide behind “chaim” or “in the know”.

    If you have a problem with the moisad then don’t be a part of it, don’t lie about salaries or anything else!

  • To number 49

    Its because of this shul and others like it, that the staff haven’t been paid! Paying half or less than the current value is what reduces the chances for the moisad to pay its mortgage and workers!

  • To #49, confused?

    First you say that r’ labkowski built 1414 just to get a good deal on contracting on his home (which btw was already built at the time) Then you say that Shaya boimelgreen built it?
    I feel sorry for Shaya boimelgreen that this stupid guy, who is trying to write a stupid comment, had to mix him in.

  • Look at #51

    Why don’t they just park in the home of one of the members for 6 months just like they did to machon chana? Why can’t the illustrious avtzon’s take the shul into their own home for more that one week only?
    Don’t do to others what you don’t like to be done to you! If you don’t want any shul parking in your home, don’t park in others!

  • machon chana helped so many of us

    How could the people affiliated with this ‘shul’ steal and lie to mochon chana for so long?!

  • Go-ds right hand man

    All along it is a story of Halacha gone awry !
    Mishnah brura and the Schulchan aruchs have detailed guidelines where a Shul can be !
    Many Shuls don’t qualify, their ” rabbis sleep and eat above the Aron and Sefer torah !
    Clearly the minyan and divine presence that dwelled there lost the respect of their neighbors !
    Deceit isn’t respectable, Jacob was deceived and his children dwell on the land of israel !
    The votes of many do not determine Halacha, the book of life – the Torah does !
    I can continue for hours, it isn’t worth it !
    Ciao !

  • rrrr

    there are TWO other shuls AT LEAST, in CHts which are having issues. This is just way too much, and nobody is ever going to know the truth, because thats how alot of you misplaced people are. Judgements, and quick unthought out ideas. very discouraging, and very despicable actually. thanks for nothing, we don’t need this for the Rebbe’s shechuna

  • No excuse

    Fyi: many teens at risk say that they are turned off to yiddishkeit because our leaders and rabbi’s are not nice to each other and there are machlokes everywhere they turn.
    There is NO excuse to do something like this to ANY shul no matter the circumstance.
    We need to learn to work things out peacefully. Dont fool yourselves. We are loosing kids left and right. and YES its OUR FAULT.

  • disappointed

    2 words Illegal Eviction a crime! while both sides are not innocent Machon Chana is totally wrong & additionally the contractor renovating the house /shul is also responsible Hey Mr.Braun what ya gonna do??????? answer I predict nothing!

  • to landlord

    this is an extremely disgusting thing to do especially to a shul extreme animals.

  • DESTRYING A SHUL?!?!?

    THEY MAY HAVE GIVEN TIME, BUT THAT DOES NOT EXCUSE DESTROYING A SHUL!!! GO TO BEIS DIN IF YOU FELT YOU HAD TO DO SOMETHING

  • Embaressing for Crown Heights

    The shul paid its full rent for an entire year, ..it is used by them on ly on shabbos and machon chana uses it the rest of the week.. $1000 is more than enough.
    Its not a matter of right and wrong.. but a shul is still a shul and and thowing seforim and an aron kodesh around is not how we teach our children respect for kedusha.

  • Some1 who davens in the shul

    I take this as a personal offence cuze i daven there i set up the place and its sick some1 did that every shabbos i help make the minyan and everything is for nothing
    disgusting!

  • Go-ds right hand man

    The minyan shouldve moved before it would be called a Shul, yet they didn’t. So they lost the peace they stood for and had/have to merge or act humbly with neighboring minyans and Shuls.
    Capisce !

  • Mendy Hecht

    on one side of the coin you have kavana/aliya and on the other side you have “director’s” (owners) and a tax free status allowing your building to grow in value and accumulate torah and silver, in the name of the community……….tzeduka ?..yea,to the humane society……..

  • chabad

    to nu 28 i realy dont think you are jewish and if you are are you will realy have what to do tshuvah on this year yom kipor , its just to bad we cant see your name here ,well im sure you will do what you have to and ask mchilah from all the rubaskins