By the standards of the Hasidic Chabad community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Ben Nash was a rebel. At yeshiva, he studied the Talmud to the exclusion of all other subjects. When he returned from two years of study in Europe, the 17-year-old dropped out of school, disenchanted with the curriculum.
“I was never good at following the rules,” he says.
Video – Ben Nash, A Rising Star in Business World
By the standards of the Hasidic Chabad community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Ben Nash was a rebel. At yeshiva, he studied the Talmud to the exclusion of all other subjects. When he returned from two years of study in Europe, the 17-year-old dropped out of school, disenchanted with the curriculum.
“I was never good at following the rules,” he says.
Instead, he followed the money. He landed a job at Midtown Distributors, selling cell phones at a starting wage of $300 a week. Determined not to be a burden to his parents, who were supporting his eight younger siblings, he quickly became the highest-paid salesman. When the bosses moved to cut his pay, he left.
He ended up at global cell phone distributor PCS Wireless, then a $1 million operation, and rapidly boosted sales. A year later, in 2003, he was named CEO. Revenue has since soared to $165 million.
Still not satisfied, Mr. Nash has added a new business to his portfolio. Using a nest egg he built by investing in Bedford-Stuyvesant real estate, Mr. Nash plans to build two hotels in Brooklyn. He has broken ground on the smaller project, which is self-financed. A larger upscale hotel will require financing, and even this optimistic salesman knows that his project will be a tough sell in this economy.
Mr. Nash realizes that his success offers him the opportunity to help others.
He says he gives $500,000 annually to charity. And he admits, “I have no life outside of work,” ruing the fact that most of his Chabad peers have been married off by now. When pressed, though, he says he doesn’t expect his status to change anytime soon.
cp from dm
$500,000.00 to Charity, YES he does, and he is smart and good about it.
he is not a Rebel, he is a kind man with a real heart, he is not the next rising star, he is a shining star, some one whom i wish at least 10 percent of ch would be like.
good luck benny in all that you do.
and thanks for your past present and future support.
Yossi B
C.T., do you remember the time you davened Musaf in mesivta, trying to get the right tune?
huh!!
did i read the first sentence right? In chabad community it is standard to be a rebel?? what is that sapposed to mean??
Change status.
Well, let’s help his status change to happily married! Amen.
crownheights.info
very educational… i wonder how many lubavitchers saw this and said “hey, maybe i dont have to be a shliach after all. and a beard? the heck with it! i wanna be like ben nash. has money, everyone likes him, and he’s still lubavitch…!”.
very unimpressed…
Thanks!
Mr. Nash has helped us so much and we’ve never even met him. An incredible Baal Chesed! May Hashem continue to bless you with a ton of hatzlacha!!!!!
Thank you.
Get a Jewish Life
Why are we glorifying this kind of thing. Koda Kovod for the tzedakah, but someone has their priorities mixed up.
Aussie
and this is newsworthy because???
who cares
who cares
Zeldy
If a person has money B”H and he involves himself in tzeddaka – what more can you want! AND he learns EVERY DAY. Now THAT is a good recipe (never mind what other chassidishkeit he may lack at this time).
Here come the excuses
He is who he is, hes not telling me or you what to do,
he’s doing good things, he’s on the Right PATH/the right direction. He’s more to the Right (of Yiddishkit) then to the left.
My point is, he’s not trying to fool anybody (by dancing at both weddings, meaning, wearing a Kappata without a beard etc…Vda’l).
No harm done!
if all the “drop outs” or “rebels” end up like him, it won’t be the wourse thing, atleast they will be doing something, and not hanging out and smoking drugs.
If your not in Yeshiva, go get a job or learn something else and become something!
crownhieghts.info
If good is good is better not better?
Everyone has things to improve in,and it doesn’t
make his good acts ungraceful.
Thank you Ben others.
Sara
How Lovely!!(NOT)- – Call yourself Lubavitch, walk around without a Beard- Giving ‘Nachas’ to the Rebbe- drop out of Yeshiva- – – but if you make LOTS of MONEY and give Lots of Tzedaka, then you’re kosher??!!
The image of Chabasd falls further still because this guy is being glorified!
Yes, if you can’t make it in Yeshiva, you Should get yourself a job and make something of yourself.
But the Community should NOT glorify you.
You’re an embarrassment to the Rebbe.
But you’re a nice regular guy
Crown Heights Resident
Chaim Tzvi is an amazing person. He gives an amazing amount of tzedaka in the best way possible – quietly and certainly not looking for any recognition.
For those who have complaints, you misunderstand him. He is not pretending to be a great chasid. He did not label himself at all. Others are doing the labeling. He also not telling anyone to try and copy his example. He would be the first to encourage other young people to continue learning in Yeshiva. Now, he is doing what he feels is the best he can in the situation that he is in, by Divine Providence.
G-d should continue to bless him with a great amount of success.
me
Give the guy a break! So what if he doesn’t have a beard? I’m sure he’s a mentch unlike most of you jealous people commenting. And commenter #3, practice your spelling and comprehension before you comment in a public forum, lol.
Angry
I never comment on here, I usually just laugh at the absurd comments people write but this really ticks me off. These comments are absolutely pathetic!!
The guy has done well for himself..good for him. You do not have to have a beard to be Chabad…unless you’re one of those people that don’t keep shabbat properly, aren’t that frum…but wear a hat and kapota if married and have a beard just to keep up appearances of being ‘chabad’…for whatever reason.
And for someone to say he’s an embarrssment to the Rebbe is disgraceful. How do you know what the Rebbe would think ofh im?? In my opinion he probably does a lot more good and mitzvot then most of us.
Reading these comments on here is enough to make anyone that is lubavitch, not want to be one. You’re all so judgemental, after every story all you do is critisize and it’s disgusting. Like my parents always told me “if u have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything’.
Dini
We live in such a fake and judgmental world. Its frightening how narrow minded and cynical people can he. With all what’s going on in this day and age, how messed up the youth of lubavich is, and here comes alone one guy who instead of becoming a bum on the street because he didn’t have a major interest in learning, he turned to something that can benefit him and make actually DID something with his life, and the part I admire about him the most is hes not trying to be anyone else except for what he is. He’s real, he’s genuine an sincere about whathe does, and for that people redicule him, criticize and put him down..
And yes like one person mentioned above this makes me ashamed to be part of such a society!
Do you know how many lubavitch guys wear the full garb and beard,,they and the rest of the lubavich world consider them to be chasssidish guys, when inside they’re totally something else…wake up people and see what’s really going on here!!!
a yid
why all the negativity?
let the man lead his life so what if he has no beard he is still a good person who gives lots of tzedaka
huh
and why is this on the news…?
koolchossid
BEN NASH is amazing!
he is a real ,sincere guy who is making a difference in his life and others
the fact that he does not have a beard ,does not make him less than anybody,everyone has to improve one way another,(special some ppl here expressing their jealousy), and this guy is doing a lot of good. in fact he is showing that he is much better than many
Yes, he is in the news, and it is good and I care , b/c he is a Jew and I am very happy with his success,Hashem is blessing ppl who start from scracht , and Ben Nash appreciates this, giving lot of tzedaka, recognizing the real Bal Avos.
I give you a blessing to the many loosers, jealous, commenting here, that they too should be bless with a great parnossa, and the test should be, to see, who gives more tzedaka
Lesson on where to be dramatic
I wanted to write something dramatic like the rest if you guys but when I actually think about it who cares. Don’t argue over spilled milk. Ok he “rebeled” but what’s going to change. I say he’s doing great both begashmius and beruchnius.
THINK TWICE
Who are you to say that
A)He has his priorities mixed up?
B) He doesnt give the Rebbe Nachas?
Just keep in mind that the name “LUBAVITCH” is originally from the town lubavitch and was given this name BECAUSE OF THE BROTHERLY LOVE that they had to one another.
So if its easier for you to call a bearded “CHOSSID” who does ONE NEGATIVE ACT TO ANOTHER then maybe you have your priorities mixed up.
AND ON VIDEOS YOU CAN SEE THE REBBE CALLING PEOPLE LUBAVITCH AND THEY DIDNT HAVE A BEARD THEN!!!
0)0
These comments tick me right off!
You guys are just jealous, because this man is something from nothing, while you are sitting at home and having the jewish community support your family. so unless you are known as a “talmed chachum” of our time, keep your lips zipped. This is the exact thing that turns people away from Chabad.
get a real job and proper education!
Millhous
The negativity is just unbelievably scary!
The number of “oomfarginners”shocking.Suddenly all the yukels who find interest in “shliach in hotzenplotz twiddled his thumbs” find this post boring?!
Nowhere is Nash claiming to be “Horav Hachosid” He is a bright fellow, still frum, who can teach a lot of the guys with long beards and “zaideneh zupitzes” how to be a honest shomer mitvos and tremendous baal tzedoko. Mimenu yiru’u vechein ya’asu!
OY VEY!
jealousy leads to Sinas Chinam……………
Nechama
On a Lubavitch website, the heroes that are portrayed should be those with exemplary yiras shomayim and chassidishkeit. Since when is our goal to drop out of yeshiva and make a lot of money?
I do not, chas veshalom, mean this as a personal affront.
But our heroes should be erliche chassidim.
A reader from Brooklyn Ave.
It’s great that despite having dropped out Ben Nash has been able to turn himself around. Hashem gave him the ability to be successful in business.
That said, traditionally being a Lubavitcher chossid and being a man means having a beard. If you look at the tzach list it usually has a half page ad talking about how our Rebbeim were against trimming beards; hence the men wore beards. Can you be Lubavitch without a beard? I would say the person has a Lubavitch background, is probably a great person but I have to wonder why they don’t want to wear the levush? And then I remember it’s not my business anyway and perhaps I should look inward rather than outward.
My one objection however, is the argument that because there are some chassidim who wear the levush but inside apparently aren’t acting so chassidish that makes it more chassidish to not wear the levush. It doesn’t add up. In the end we all have to make out own cheshbon hanefesh, however. I say concentrate on inwardness and ahavas chinam.
excher
Leave the kid alone…. He never asked for recognition for anything. Don’t thank him if you don’t want to, but don’t trash him either. He’s done only good.
bracha
to whom it may concern
its very likely that your brother/son/friend/cousin was able to continue learning in yeshiva with out the rebbes striking due to chaim tvi discreetly paying there salaries.
100 of talmidim learnt torah without inturuption due to his generousity.
Maybe it-s all in the adjectives?????
B“H
Maybe Crain’s (crownheights.info is just reprinting Crain’s here!) should have just said he’s an ”Orthodox Jew.”
Then would you kvetchers be happy?
Suppose he was Litvish with a love for Lubavitch and chasidus; there are people who fit THAT description, you know. Would you be upset then? OK, then what?
shocked at the lack of ahavas yisrael
Some of these comments are literally shocking, especially now in the middle of sefira. Are we never gonna learn?? I will never be able to understand why people with a holier then thou attitude (that alot of the people commenting here portray) really believe that they themselves are more chassidish. This guy is doing great mitzvohs, there is alot us ‘perfect frum lubavitchers’ can learn from him. First of check out his kippa, it is sharing a very important lesson for us all that speaks for itself! Thank you Ben!
lubab with trimmed beared
im amazed at how judge mental people on this blog are-especially those from ch! i grew up lubavitch in ch too. like ben i went to yeshiva and then decided to work. sorry not everyone is cut out for shlichus-as its well documented the many people of anash, who the rebbe advised to go into business-because he felt that was they were better off for them. besides u people in ch should look urself in the mirror brfore u judge other people because they dont have beards or wear hats n jackets.. i was at this lubab organized party at this club on purim and to my amazement there were a number of anash there with their beards and kappottas!! as well as some guys with yechi yamulkes!!! now since when is it excepted to go to clubs on purim not to mention like 3/4 of ch guys n girls who were there dancing to the goyshe music there as well as the anash and the bochurim with the beards and yechi yamulkes!!!!! u guys are all frauds in my opinion!!!!!! thats what im not proud of being a lubab and living in ch u all think ur better then the next..when in reality underneath ur a bunch of frauds!!!! talk about giving the rebbe nachas..i guarantee u the rebbe is cringing at ur judge mentalness and utter jealousy of mr nash-who built himself up and gives so much tzedakah and chessed and all u people can say is-is he lubab?? but wait he dont have beard..so what! if having a beard makes it ok and lubab chosid to go to night clubs in the guise of purim, then i dont wanna be associated with u chabbad crown heights jude mental phonies!!!!!!!
yelena
Benny Nash is the most caring, giving and understanding person I have ever met! He has a brilliant mind and a heart of gold.
Susan Addelston
Seems to me that any person who brings honor to the community and consistently obeys the Jewish values he learned from his parents is a worthy human. Judgement is best left to God. Externals – beards,kippa,style of dress are just that-externals. I was taught that Judaism concerns itself with what is inside a person. Chaim Tzvi provides jobs, owns a socially useful company, pays taxes, donates to tzedakah, and follows the commandment to honor his father/mother (and siblings)…seems to me that the inside must be in harmony with the Rebbe’s values. He surely wouldn’t have achieved the secular success he has without someone Up There helping him out! We’re blessed to have him among us.
Chaim Leime Teleshevsky
CTN Told me when we were in Yeshivah together that he plans on working hard to support shluchim all around the world.
Turns out he had a vision and fulfilled it.
Meaning every moment that he spends doing business is L’shem Shamayim!