I voted this past Sunday for Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky as I felt he was the best choice. My candidate lost so I feel I lost as well. I can go on and give all the classic reasons why I lost and why I think my candidate was better. But that will do no good for me or my community now.
Op-Ed: I Voted for Rabbi Bogomilsky – Now What?
I voted this past Sunday for Rabbi Moshe Bogomilsky as I felt he was the best choice. My candidate lost so I feel I lost as well. I can go on and give all the classic reasons why I lost and why I think my candidate was better. But that will do no good for me or my community now.
But now, like after every election I must accept the loss and look to the future of what I hope to see from the unified Beis Din. I will attempt this as an open letter to Rabbi Braun.
Lechvoid horav Braun Sheyichu
I would like to congratulate you on your election as a Rov to the Beis Din of Crown Heights. Although I did not vote for you, I still accept you as the new Rov in our Beis Din. Being a resident of Crown Heights all my life (over 45 years) and raising a family here. I would like to tell you what I hope your election accomplishes in our community. It can be summed up in a few words “respect for the Beis Din, Achdus in our community”.
Our community is coming off over 25 years of infighting, too many years for that, but when you look into all the issues that people are fighting about you will find that there is way more things that unite us then divide us. And that is what I would hope that you work on. Focus on the positive, things that unite us, on things that we all can agree on. Please don’t come here and get involved in all the machloikes that was going on. Because that will only get you dirty and you will be on one side of the machloikes.
Now people will say “what a stupid idea” if the new Rov doesn’t get involved in these issues then there will continue to be machloikes and there won’t be peace!!!
I say NO, to resolve a machloikes does NOT mean the Beis Din issues a Psak Din saying one side is right and the other is wrong!!! That only enhances the machloikes. When the Torah speaks of the greatness of Aahron Hakohen it was that he mad peace between husband and wife, between two people arguing. Not by telling the husband or the wife you are right and the other is wrong. Bringing peace involves working out the issues that both parties to an argument can live together and they both should feel they won.
Not an easy task.
And that is why I say focus on the things that unite us and build respect to the Beis Din then with that respect, with the confidence that was built up by a new and unified Beis Din you will have the currency to work out any remaining machloikes. Or as I hope many will fall away because there is a unified Beis Din.
Your election was to be the peacemaker, between the two Rabonim that we have now, they if left alone would be able to work together, unfortunately as I see it, the people around both of them are the ones that created the problems and will continue to create them.
My humble advice, don’t surround yourself by the people that created any of these machloikes, as we say every day, in one of the first parts of Davening before we eat. We ask Hashem to keep us away form bad neighbors and bad people. (I don’t mean to call anyone bad but to any side of the machloikes the other is bad) A person is judged by the company he keeps. This will of course then prove to all, the statements that you made that you are nonpartisan.
Another piece of advice that I will give, don’t sit on any Din Torahs !!!!
Now people will say “what a stupid idea” if the new Rov doesn’t get involved in Din Torahs what will our Beis Din be doing.
My humble idea. Always have other Rabonim from our community sit at din torahs. We have a lot of distinguished Rabonim that the Beis Din can use to help them. The reasoning behind this idea. After a din torah there is a winner and a loser. The winner won because he was right. The loser lost because the Rov “doesn’t know what he is doing” and that creates a dislike (I use a mild word here) to the Rov and after a few years the Rov builds up a list of people that “dislike” him. And to pay for this, people coming to these Din Torahs will be charged to pay for the time of the other Rabonim.
Wishing you a Gmar Chasima Tova,
A lifelong resident of Crown Heights Kan Tzivah Hashem Es Habrocho
Al CHEIT SHECHOTONU BEZILZUL MOIRIM
I think that this letter has a contemptous hue to it. It smacks of disrespect towards our new Rov. I VOTED FOR HIM. I AM DEEPLY INSULTED THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE IN ANY POSITION TO LECTURE MY ROV, AND OFFER HIM YOUR UNWARRANT ADVICE. Now would you please identify yourself, so Rabbi Braun will know whom to turn to for rabbinic advice? … And id this letter comes from good will, why don’t tou send it to Rabbi Braun personaly. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF FOR HAVING THE ZILZUL TOWARDS OUR NEWLY ELECTED ROV. I think you should write another “OP – ED” appologizing to Rabbi Braun and the 51% of the voters who chose him!
The outcome was hashgocha protis
You know what?
I don’t know who was truly the “best” candidate in that election.
But the number of phone calls, that disturbed the peace in my home on that election Sunday, reminded me of Mayor Bloomberg’s third election campaign. What a nuisance!
One thing I can say, to praise our community, is that we know that the winning Rov was NOT the one who phoned the most often, proving that we Crown Heights Yidden are ultimately NOT swayable with saturation advertising and phone call after phone call. Money still doesn’t necessarily buy a post on the Beis Din of Crown Heights, B“H.
I wish Rabbi Bogomilsky every brocha, and I know he can continue to help our community, and Yidden worldwide (via his great books!), by just continuing the teaching and wise poskening he’s been doing for his followers, for so many years.
And I wish Rov Braun, and our community, every brocha for success as we welcome him to real life in Crown Heights. His ”looking at it from the outside in” perspective and wisdom are sorely needed here. And I am happy for Ravs Schwei and Osdoba, that they finally have a third Rov to work with, and to share their incredible burden of responsibility with.
Gmar chasima tova!
upset resident who voted for R Braun
I wish it can be achieved what you wrote but we now hear that he doesn’t have Dayonus and has hardly sat in on any Dinay Toiro. If I would’ve known I wouldn’t of voted for him and probably 50 others wouldn’t of and RBO would’ve won. So I think there needs to be new elections for normal apolitical qualified Chabad Dayonim from around the world. There must be a few who would’ve ran if they would’ve known about it. I believe until that happens we’re doomed unless the Rebbe Maham is revealed now!
Chossid
I don’t know what the right solution is or isn’t, but the writer obviously put a lot of thought into this and the ideas are very, very good ones.
universal friendly observer from heaven
writer of the op-ed should be elected, such a gifted writer ah a real mensch
Fuggedaboudit!
Aside from the totally impractical & ridiculous advice you give, I want to say you’re wasting your time and you’re just dragging up the same garbage again. Let it go. We lost & there’s nothing we can do to stop the radicalization & demise of this community. MY advice to you: LEAVE. If you stay, you won’t be happy & we’ll have to read more of the same.
Once again, you’re going to get the same justified comments from everyone: sign your name if you want anyone to take notice.
inside looking in
huh?
we are in golus
The rabbi was elected by a party to serve the party .
lets not hold high hopes.
i dont think anyone expects a bais din in Crown Hights to do any good for the neighborhood or the people.
it is a very long time that rabbi’s in Crown Heights are involved with party and special interest groups that 1000 people elected machloikes and hope to achive it.
motti
Your idea that Rabbi Braun should not sit in on any Dinie Tiorah, is like saying that a Rov should not Pasken any Shielois, not always will a Rov be able to find a Hetter for something, henbce leading to the donclusion taht uyou pain in you article.
I say the way to move forward and as you have stated “respect for the Beis Din” is to have a strong Beis Din that can sit on Dinie Torah and Pasken with the strangth of the Torah. Unfortunately a Rav who tries to be on everyone good side is either a ineffective Rov or a politician or both.
AsayTov
I hope the new Rov will focus on making the Bais Din more available and approachable for shaalos. Focus on helping the people who elected you and ignore the other stuff.
short term memory
dear writer, how naive are you? have you already forgotten who celebrated r brauns victory?
hendel, spritzer, sandhause, hertzog, sperlin, poltorack.
have you not seen r brauns campaign headquaters?
yes it was inside mendy hendels beis moshiach/chabad.info offices. and it was where they celebrated their victory as well.
i for one know who comes from where, and where we are all headed.
cma
I think that our attitude should be that of the Rebbe’s after the first election. Then too, there was vicious campaigning and lots of negativity. But once the Rabbonim were elected, the Rebbe said that they must be afforded the greatest respect. Unfortunately, this OP-ED does not do that.
Peace upon the land
Maybe you could negotiate the peace between Netanyahu and Abbas.
shendel
It won’t be long before you can vote for Rabbi Bogomilsky again!
Daniel Botnick
Give it up! It’s over! Get a life! And sign your name(s) to the things you post; you’ll think harder about them.
A CONCERNED RESIDENT
BORUCH DAYAN HOEMES…..
Boruch Dayan Hoemes, This was my response & also the response of some others we have talked with upon hearing the results of last week’s corrupt elections.
Boruch Dayan Hoemes any chance of abolishing any of this machlokes & terror in our Shchuna.
Its not so much the Rov elected, it’s the way he got in….. v’da”l
May we all be blessed with a gmar chasima tova….
CH RESIDENT
a rav is elected is NO DAYANUS so what kind of Rav is he?? that is the 1st diploma he should have so so please think about, may be to late ?????????????
chaim
i strongly disagree rabbanus is not a accountability or responsibility that can be delegated to or with others a sharing of power or balance of authority
totally bakcwards
and just bc your candidate lost doesnt mean we should have another israeli system where people who are not elected seem to sit in power anyway like the vaad hakahal a democracy is democratic for a reason and a authority is a authority for a reason
BCH
If the new Rov, as was advertised, is really impartial, I will accept him. If he turns out to be a moshichist (as I strongly suspect based on who his supporters are), I won’t have anything to do with him and the Beis Din. You might say, “Wait, Rabbi Shwei is also a moshichist!” Well, I truly believe that Rabbi Shwei’s support for meohichisten stems from his misplaced chesed (and in large measure from his ‘handlers’). I had hoped that with two other rabbonim on the Beis Din and with his own place there no longer in question, Rabbi Shvei would come to see this cancer for what it is – a profound dishonor for Chabad and a mockery of the Rebbe and everything he built and taught! I was hopeful that respect would be finally earned by this Beis Din and sanity restored to our community.
Now I just don’t know any more…
On the other hand, perhaps time has come for our community to PEACEFULLY split along the ideological divide? Why not let each side have their own Beis Din, their own mosdos, etc. In the even of a Din Torah between two people from different ‘camps’ there is always ‘zabl”o’. Vesholom al Yisroel.
ch member who voted
there will not be any change in ch. The machlokes will only get worse. We know how he won. we also know that mendel hendel is smart. all along he said that mangel is yes running, not running, yes running not running, can’t be reached for comment etc. etc. this all, so that the last minute he comes up with braun who is an unknown and there is not enough time to check him out. then there is a blitz campaign to elect him. Who in their right mind votes for an unknown for life. a person who is a total stranger. The letters coming from sydny do not speak positive of him.
i voted for rabbi bogomilsky. it is our loss and australia’s gain. the hendel teams gain. the machlokes peoples gain.
i think at first it will be quiet and then it will start. osdoba will never go under braun’s thum.
ch normal people will either leave and leave ch to these kinds or we will split and have two different lubavitch and never will the twine meet.
gmar chasima tova and hashem yerachem
Irrelevant
I do not understand all the comments that people should leave.
No one has to go anywhere, they can stay where they are and the beis din could continue being as irrelevant as until now [if they cannot get along and Braun ends up being a political hack].
We deserve it for being stupid!
No Dayonus??? OK, my son just got Semicha B”H. I think he should run, he’s just as qualified & he probably remembers more about Semicha than this guy does who’s twice his age & learned it 20 years ago.
wake up
You need to look no further then the past Badatz, which as you claim was endorsed by the rebbe etc etc.
The only legacy which thay are know for is the non stop Machloikes in every arena political or otherwise. Not once had they done or been involved with anything positive.
Fisher. Kehos. Chanin. Lubavitcher yeshivah, Tzavah for ULY. Igros Hecsherim. Sidur Kidushin. 770. maschistin. Machon Chanah. Kapsos. Gan Menachem. And the list goes on.
I assure you it will be no different with braun. He is part of this cycle. That is why they chose him, they needed someone young wgo they can dictate to. Look…in the whole world, this was the only person willing to come here? Any answer you will give will not be a good one. If you say “yes he is the only one” then we need to think why is it that no one will come to CH? And if you say no, then you have a person who is beholden to them.
My only idea for Braun is, is to stay home, and wait a year or two.
This guy is going to need $200.000 just to move here. Plus who know what type of salary he will need to get? Who will pay for all this? He is has KYH a large family etc etc..
The kashruth self destructed, it will never be an income producing machine again. Unless they start charging huge amounts for Badtz product, and the we start the parade to Kolele store etc.
Anyway, we are screwed and that rabbi from monsey is laughing his head off with all the money he made from us.
meet the press
how about if Rabbi Braun issues a clarification, what he hopes to acheive here? Right now it’s a mystery. We haven’t heard from him yet! Why did he disappear so quickly?
Be honest
Be honest, would you have said the same thing if Rabbi Bogomilisky won the election?
A confused parent
To #19 you know that at my child’s first year at BR headstart she sang at the end of the song about our heilige Rebbeim “un der Rebbe, Melech haMoshiach” and at the second year she sang “un der haintiker Rebbe”? and at BR high school/seminary there’s a big Yechi sign there? Oh and at OT kindergarten the phrase is also prominently displayed in the information packet sent home? Our schools really aren’t THAT split right now. How would you propose splitting them, because I’m really curious.
To: A lifelong resident of C.H.
Dear anonymous lifelong resident,
I appreciate you post very much, though it would be better if it would not be anonymous. As you might have seen, I attempted to de-politicize this election with the pamphlet I publicized just prior to it, and urged everyone in my intro to ACCEPT the results no matter what they are.
I personally think the ‘jury is out’, as it would have been had the results been different, for the newly elected Rov to produce the results of being a uniting force which will uplift our community. It sounds to me that we both hope that when the jury comes back, it comes back with a vindication, for the benefit of our entire community and the future of our children.
You and I might be naive, but that doesn’t mean we should give up. I honestly believe we speak for the (up until now) silent majority of this community. While we might not all agree with everything you wrote, there is a lot more that unites us than that which sets us apart.
You stated the obvious, in that the problems of our community stem from the people “surrounding” the Rabbonim. My guess is that an overwhelming majority of the community agrees with that. And while many people have HUGE problems with the process we just had, it is all we have now, and we should try to make the best out of it.
I urge you to come out of annonimity, approach me and others that voted FOR or AGAINST rabbi Braun, so we can bring our perspective to him, without “surrounding” him.
Unfortunately, we will always have the naysayers, cynics and people who are so immersed in politics that nothing else matters to them, as is very evident from the comments, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing what we believe is right.
Please contact me so we can see how we can get organized, to give the silent majority that really wants an end to the Machloikes a loud enough voice, which will overpower the voices of those seeking to prolong and (chas v’sholom) eternalize the Machloikes.
Gmar Chasima Tova
Oren Popper
MGS
to #11, too bad that the group you mentioned were the only ones to celebrate the outcome of democracy. No one would have stopped you from doing the same, to celebrate democracy & to give due respect to the newly elected Rov no matter who he is.
MGS
to # 24 Too bad you did not attend the “meet the Rabbonim evening”. Rabbi Braun stated & clarified very well what he hopes to achieve. In other words we did here from him LOTS!
Please Explain - No Yodin Yodin?
WHAT?! Is it true that a candidate who ran for office of Bes Din, does NOT have dayonus???
How can a person possibly run for Bes Din, without having the necessary requisites of Yodin Yodin (Dayonus)?????
Would you take a Doctor who has no medical degree? (Would you accept the doctor is he says that “in the future” he will go and obtain a degree?)
And what about Shimush(experience)??
Have we been hoodwinked? IF that is so, the elections were a fraud based on misunderstanding, and we must vote again, with candidates that qualify for Dayonus.
Are we to remain the laughing-stock of the Jewish world?
Are we creating a ‘hatoras nidorim’ Bes Din, or the REAL THING? A REAL Besdin needs REAL Dayonim.
concerned mother
I think that its time that everyone takes a moment and thins about what they are saying! its right before yom kippur, lets try to be nice to one another, the first thing is to stop machlokes on the different crown heights web sites!!
anonymous
I am making a strong statement: If there are ever any future elections we should not be bothered with more than one automatized phone call for the day. I received over ten automatic phone calls, which is at first very annoying and after a while, more than aggravating. Then I received a live phone call telling me to tell my husband which Rav to vote for after I just told him my husband already voted. I was super, super, super annoyed. I was so glad the elections were over so that I wouldn’t get any more phone calls. It was way too PUSHY. I wouldn’t even know who to call to complain to. I should call that person ten times in one day to complain. If he won’t be annoyed, then I will change my mind.
Come to Chicago
Two sets of mosdos- the crazy meshicist ones, and the rest. You know what? Many of the meshichists came back (oh I wish they hadn’t) to the regular mosdos and are infecting them with their ideas.
Sign on the Dotted Line
He’s a Rov elect, but not a Rov here until he signs on the dotted line of his contract.
rfk
a rav that doesnt have dayunus, a rav who doesnt have expierence? he was a rabbi of a kehila, why cany rabbi yossi jacobson or rabbi baruch jacobson be a rav? it doesnt help that hendel+poltrack+sandhaus ect.setup a campgain headquarters to vote a unknown mashpia seminary teacher. it doesnt help that sb drizin bribed 150K a year for him to be a pupet. heck ill be a pupet for 150k…so what can i say yechi!!!!hey maybe rabbi braun will end up alright!….i will respect upon ones merits. let see….boy what a post.
Qualified rov and Dayan
Only a community like CH could vote in someone without qualifications to become a dayan and a Rov. To be a dayan, one needs to have been through Choshen Mishpot; something which takes most people 8 years of full time study. Would we use a person who never took the courses in medical school as a specialist just because he sounds smart? Rabbi Braun can have a million votes. as long as he remains unqualified, he has no spiritual power and his post is not valid according to Halacha. The concept of an elected Rov being binding upon the whole community applies if the person is a real rov that has learnt the necessary Halachos with Shimush; not a mashpia who has given shiurim in Halacha and knows how to give a good shabbos drosha.
The sad thing is that most people in CH didn’t even bother to look at shimush and yodin yodin as a criteria when putting him up as a candidate and voting. They just looked at his personality and political affiliation. This would never happen in another frum community. i can’t imagine watching a din torah in boro park where the dayan hasn’t learnt choshen mishpot.
chaim
Chevrah where in aseres yemay teshuvah stop it now
MGS
WHERE ARE YOU ALL GETTING YOUR INFORMATION AS TO WHETHER RABBI BROWN HAS DAYONUS OR NOT???!!! I am sure that Rabbi Rosenberg checked credentials b4 agreeing to Rabbi Brown’s nomination. Hearsay is definitely not a credible source.
CROWN HEIGHTS RESIDENT
yes you are rite to # 30 unfortunately we are puppets and do not know whom to believe, of course where is his degree…and Shimush…. + residents of Crown Heights prepare $200.000 to move and support him with his family NOT A BAD DEAL, DEAR RABBI!!!as mentionned, good luck DEAR RABBI.
To #33
Sign your name.
Chanoch
i believe that the election showed that about 50% of crown heights residence are left now with out a Rav, i therefore suggest that they go to Rabbi Bogomilsky & ask him to become the Rav of Anash of the neighborhood. not a Rav of the Shcuna, who have already Rabonim, but the Rav of Anash of crown heights.
what is your opinion about this
To Oren
The only think you will accomplish is to get another group to get involved in the machloikes. More split. Everyone thinks leshem shomayim I’m sure you do too. Let the Rabbonim do their job without any baale batim interference.
Dayonus
I don’t know the fact but one thing I do know; Rabbi Marlow and Rabbi Osdoba didn’t have Yodin Yodin when they where elected.
Another point I would like to bring up, just as a reference, is that in the election the above Rabbis where elected (Rabbi Marlow got the most votes) voters HAD to vote 3 out of 5 (ballot with less then 3 was disqualified).
When Rabbi Heller run there was only 2 candidates with an option “lo maskim”.
This election had 3 candidates. Although any of the 2 Rabbis had to approve the candidate and that may had limited to only 2 candidates, there was an option, as per the psak din, to seek approval from the Zablo Bais Din which actually approved Rabbi Chaviv.
Opinion for Chanoch, #41
Dear Chanoch (#41):
One does not have to be on a Beis Din to be a Rov.
As always, a Yid can go to any Rabbi or Rov they choose, to ask a shaaloh.
Anyone who considers Rabbi Bogomilsky their Rov has probably already been asking them shaalohs. I’m sure Rabbi Bogomilsky still welcomes them (and any new folks who wish to access his wisdom), as always.
If you consider him your Rov, then by all means, continue to go to him for guidance.
If you need a Beis Din for a matter, only then do you need to consider contacting the Beis Din of Crown Heights.
#41
#41 I like
HaHaHa
you guys in CH ihr hakoidesh are stuck in the same trash can that you’ve been dumped in for the last 30 years.
and you don’t even deserve better.
An out of town Shliach
a chassidshe bochur
i think now all those who voted for other will reagret it later watch and look
to #46 (HaHaHa)
I bave trouble believing you are a shliach, with the language you use.
Hashem help your congregants, if this is the example you set, especially during the aseres yamei teshuva!
Please remember that Crown Heightsers are your “fellow Jews” too! And all of your fellow Yidden are worthy of your following the Torah guidelines for giving tochacha — guidelines which you certainly did not follow here, R”L.
If you feel you have valid criticisms to make, surely you know how to deliver them more effectively than this. And, PS: your critique would probably be received more constructively, too, which would have a better chance of making your criticisms more effective.
Gmar chasima tova.
to #41
I think you should grow up and don’t be a sore looser.