Posted to PSA on

A Letter From R. Yisroel Shemtov:

Dear Friends:

How wonderful it was this year to celebrate Simchas Beis Hashoeva once more as a united community – thanks to the blessed initiative of the Vaad Hakahal of Crown Heights!

Every evening, thousands of Crown Heights residents and guests who were here for Tishre came to rejoice in unity with true Ahavas Yisroel. On Chol Hamoed, many thousands of Jews came from other neighborhoods to participate in and enjoy the Simchas Yom Tov, which has become renowned throughout the greater New York area, making it a great Kiddush Hashem.

The Simchas Beis Hashoeva celebration has always been very close to the Rebbe’s heart. Since the Rebbe started this tradition in 5741 (1980), he mentioned it in all the Sichos which he began to give, that year, on every night of Sukos, and again every year following until 5752 (1991). The Rebbe regularly called on everyone to participate without exception, and often showed his deep interest by asking for reports about the Simcha Beis Hashoeva celebrations.

This year’s Simchas Beis Hashoeva cost $31,000, of which $10,000 was generously covered by the Vaad Hakahal. Still to be paid, however, is the remaining $21,000 debt.

Just as we danced together so joyously in unity, so do all of us, to whom the Rebbe’s heartfelt requests are so dear, have the responsibility now to work together to cover this debt – as the Rebbe often asked of us regarding his various requests and campaigns. Every member of Anash is asked to participate generously to help pay for these expenses.

Once we have paid the expenses for this year, we can start planning an even greater Kiddush Hashem for next year – may it be in the Beis Hamikdosh together with Moshiach!

We would like to hear your comments and feedback.

Wishing every member of Anash, among the entire Jewish people, true Simcha in every aspect of our lives throughout the year,

Sincerely,
Yisroel Shemtov

P.S. Please make checks payable to I. Shemtov. If you would like it to be tax-deductible, then please make the checks payable to LYO. All Checks should be mailed to 1594 Carroll St. Brooklyn NY 11213.

Related Articles

26 Comments

  • Chayim

    Yasher Koach, Reb Yisroel.

    No questions are due as the job you’ve done in uniting all factions of the community together was superb. We commend you in this activity of yours and hope that you shine as a living example for all others to emulate of how the possibility really exists, if people only want to, to bring everyone together in achdus. It’s beyond the time already that we all put aside our very many political agendas (which serve to only divide us further more and more) and work on bring back the concept of sheves achim gam yacahd to all of our brethren, members of anash.
    Perhaps, you should take over the arrangements for the hisvadsin for all yamei dipagra. Then, hopefully we will all sit together and merit that the ext keynote speaker be our dear Rebbe as he would be greeted the he’d prefer to be with community unity.

  • CHer

    What united community? Half the community want nothing to do with the event. It has become the opposite of a kidush hashem and lubavitch. There was a time when people would come to ch for simchas beis for the beauty of it all. Now they come for a good laugh.

  • CH Mother

    I could not have put it any better than Chayim, kol hakovod to you, Rabbi Shemtov for the hard work you put in for a pretty much thankless job
    May we continue to grow in our achdus, and show the eibishter that we are ready to stand together to greet the Rebbe (regardless of titles, etc)

  • Moshe

    Finally we see a nice article, talking about achdus. Thanks AND CHECKS goes to Rabbi Shemtov…

  • givealittle

    Hey I don’t live in CH and was not there for simchas beis hashoeiva. But what a z’chus to join in a mitzvah such as bringing people joy in the Rebbes shechunah!! so I am sending a check anyways. I guess that is my way of joining in the mitvah all the way from the west coast!

  • YW Editor.

    From a non-Lubavitcher: I will I"H be sending a check to Rabbi Shemtov.

    It was a true Kiddush Hashem! I had my children there every single night.

    I"H next year in Yerushalayim.

  • true jew

    next year i will sponsor the whole event if we make it a private party and not allow the chamas and taliban to join with there flags

  • chaim anemones.............

    Thank you yisroel for your timeless hard work your a great person not only for simchas beis. pepole i want you to know that i live on rabbi shemtovs block and he is out night after night. after night helping pepole may g-d bless you with long years chasidshe nachas etc.etc.etc. please i sent a check and i hope you do to

  • meir rhodes

    yes isroel you’re terrific however next year would you stay off of the band stand. why do you want to take energy from the musicians ,just so people will look at you? you’re not that important!

  • WHAT A SUCCOS!!

    Give credit where credit is due. Simchas Beis Hashoeiva was an amazing inspiration for the entire year. It was heartwarming to see not only the achdus amongst our own but the sincere joy "outsiders" felt in being able to join with us. For people to dance with such gusto thru such a downpour as on wednesday night of Chol Hamoed is a most beautiful testimony of the Rebbe’s Koach and extraordinary leadership. Nothing can say it better than the young man in his shtreimel who made his way up to the bandstand to sing his own chosen song, Shluchei Adoneinu! It is truly a wonder that after such a succos Hashem still doesn’t grant us our fervent wish of the final Geulah so tht we would remain b’Achdus forever. Wishing all a wonderful happy and healthy year

  • UPSET

    Reb Yisroel,

    I would like to pay for all your addvertising from now on. BUT

    you must take off "mingiling will not be tollerated"

    or

    TAKE CARE OF THE MINGILING…

  • Great work

    but why do you wake up for donations a month after Simchas Beis Hasho’ava is over?

    Don’t get me wrong, its great stuff everyone should contribute, but next time I would suggest fundraising prior to the event.

    Hatzlocha.

  • CH resident

    boy, you guys (commenters), always find something to complain about (Meir, I’m surprised at you, if U dont have something nice or constructive to say, just keep it to yourself)
    To "true jew": if you were one, you wouldn’t make hateful comments just because you disagree with another Yid. As for the people that can’t bring themselves to dance like the Rebbe asked, because someone else is dancing with a flag, they should stay home and figure out a way to justify it to their kids.
    As far as the mingling and atmosphere, I and many of my friends do feel that it was somewhat improved this year – althought there is far to go yet. If more ‘mainstream’ people are there, the oisvarfs will be less comfortable…
    Yisroel, keep it up, Moshiach is on the way!!

  • Sensitive ears

    A groisen yasher koach!

    I personally did not enjoy Simchas Beis Hashoeva, though, because the music was WAY too loud for me (when I can’t hear myself scream…) and going a few blocks down to where the volume was tolerable meant I was right in the middle of all of the taaruvos.

  • normal person living in ch

    CHer….why do you always have to put in a bad word? it was such a positive event and there were antis there and mishichistim there and we all danced and celebrated together…cut out all the negative!!maybe it will make u a happier person!

  • yoseph yitzchak

    Yasher Koach to Rabbi Shemtov but I TOTALY agree with what CHer, true jew and UPSET wrote.

  • s b y

    to mr great work
    talk is cheap , lets c u write,that you will give a donation to the cause and actuly do so

    s b y

  • Cher

    At risk of being repetative I’ll say it again, it realy was something special. I have lived in Crown Heights my entire life but have been away for sukkos the last few years. I was so impressed with the possetive differnce (this is not an invitation for people to kvetch about what they didn’t like)in atmosphere. I’m embaressed to say that I didn’t realy belive things could improve but B"H I was wrong.
    As far as raising money after the event, dunno if it was planned with this in mind but I think it’s brilliant! After seeing what an amazing amount of work went into organizing it I know that my money is going to something possitive.
    again, yasher koach for all the amazing work.

  • Rebbes soldier

    it was very nice this year, but why do we normal people have to be subjugated to loonies chanting that the Rebbe created us and he will redeem us. The Rebbe would not be happy with this we know, where were the organizers to throw these loonies away. It was an embarrassement to the community as a whole.

  • FlatbushYid

    With all this you still had time to put the right bottons on my kapote. Yisroel is the man indeed. Everyone should participate as this is a noble and obviously very popular Chabad event, and we can use nice events here in the CH.

    to above with the flag comments…give it up. Everyone knows we have a number of mishugoyim, justlike every sect has, I have no problem with them whatsoever and neither should you.

    to the other yodel who commented on the kids as oisvorf or something like that. Shame on you, they are likely our kids and even if not the rebbe had no distinction for different yids. Instead why don’t you get up from your well used recliner and do something for them instead of silly lip service which does nothing at all. You know who you are :(

    Hamayvin Yavin.

    Webby thanks for making this site a must read. Wow how things have changed :)

  • A FELLOW JEW-NOT CHAMAS OR TALIBAN

    ATTN: TRUE JEW
    With such friends, who needs enemies? Where is ur Ahavas Chinam you always preach?!??!?!?!

  • mendy w.

    I thought the music was excellent this year.Although there was some "mingling" going on , it was much better than previous years, and much less violence on the sidelines.

    And to the other comments about flags.
    Calling another jew a ‘hamas’ or ‘taliban’ for believing in the concept of moshiach is shameful.

    Everyone has the right to believe whatever they want.

    Personally , I would not wave a flag, but I fully support my brothers who wave moshiach flags.