Prophetic Words

This meeting of NY Mayor David Dinkins with the Rebbe at "dollars" in Elul 1989 struck me as prophetic. Coming almost two years before the Crown Heights Riots in August 1991 the Rebbe appears to be showing Dinkins how to avert that situation. The Rebbe emphasises that, as New York is considered a "melting pot" of all different nationalities, the Mayor should work to emphasise that we are all one under G-d and not different groups. My point is that if the Rebbe's advice had been taken then maybe the riots would not have occured - or at least not have been so severe.

Wikipedia has a good summary of the events of August 1991 here.

Crown Heights

Another video...This one of Crown Heights is interesting in general. I assume that the company that made it isn't Jewish or at least not frum. It tends to concentrate a bit too much on Kapporos for my liking but I suppose it was filmed at Tishrei time and schechting chickens in the street does tend to draw a crowd...

Thanks to SS.
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A White Chanukah in New York

As these photos from COL show New York has had some snowfalls. It always looks so nice and clean after the first snow and before the streets become muddy and slushy. In any case I prefer our sunny and warm Chanukah weather.

A freilichen Chanukah to all.
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Siyum Sefer Torah

Rabbi Yerachmiel Benyominson, Director of Tzivos Hashem,
and Rabbi Eli Gutnick

The Jewish Children's museum in Crown Heights held a Siyum Sefer Torah last Sunday. "The Torah was dedicated by the Hoyda family in memory of Mr. Hoyda's parents, Leo and Lotte Hoyda and Ari Halberstam, the sixteen-year-old yeshiva student killed in a terrorist shooting on the Brooklyn Bridge in 1994" according to the article in COL here. What makes it newsworthy for me is that the sofer who completed the Torah is Rabbi Eli Gutnick of Melbourne who is married to Ari's sister. See more photos in Shmais here.
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Just in Time for Gimmel Tammuz

The final verdict was just issued in the court case between Agudas Chassidei Chabad and Congregation Lubavitch Inc. The Order and Judgement of Federal Judge Ira B Harkavy can been seen on Shturm.net here.

From my limited understanding of legal documents it appears that Aguch has been granted control over the 770 shul and the plaque outside. Whether this actually stands up and the divisive elements that have effectively taken over "downstairs" can be tamed is still to be seen. I would like to think that this is the end of the problems in 770 and that all can live and daven together in harmony - but,unfortunately, I cannot see this happening any time soon.

I originally this report on COL here.


In a related matter, I have recently seen this letter of Rabbi Yosef Avraham Heller of the Crown Heights Beis Din on a few blogs. The letter is supposed to be a translation of a letter that Rav Heller wrote to someone in 1995 to explain his take on the "Moshiach issue". I find the opinions interesting but am not sure that I agree with all of what he says. As Rav Heller says at the end of the letter, these are his personal opinions and he does not expect everyone to agree with them - "A Dayan can only judge a case in accordance with his understanding."

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The judgement and the letter from Rav Heller are pdf files. If you can't read them you can download Adobe Acrobat Reader from here.
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New York Snowstorm

New York is experiencing the biggest snowstorm in many years. Photos of Crown Heights in the snow can be seen on Shturm.net here.


COL has some of photos of R' Laibl Groner at the Ohel here. And lots of photos of Crown Heights here.

and, if you haven't had enough, some more photos are on Crownheights.info here and here.

(Click on the photos above for a larger view)
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Crown Heights 1976

Jake from Jerusalem has sent me an email about an accomplished photographer Claudio Edinger who he met in the mid '70s. Jake says it best:

Claudio Edinger was a recent young arrival from Brazil when I met him in Crown Heights in 1976. Already then, his photographic skills were apparent. He shot some remarkable photographs of the community.
Even without knowing his subjects personally, he had the ability to capture their character in a single black & white print. Some of his photographs from that time can now be seen at his website.

His website is here and the portfolio of photos of chassidim can be seen here.
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Famous Speaker in 770

The ubiquitous Charlie Buttons on the speaker's podium at the Rosh Chodesh Kislev farbrengen "downstairs" in 770. It appears to me that he fits in well with the yellow flags and other assorted mishegas there.

See more photos at Chabad.info if you dare...
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Werdigers in Crown Heights

I love this article in COL with photos - the English is quite entertaining (but then again my Hebrew is woeful). It is actually a very nice idea for the Werdiger family to make dedications in Reb Zalman's name.

Australian Millionaire Visits 'Campus Chamesh'

The Jewish Australian millionaire, Reb Nosson Werdiger, visited the Campus Chamesh Beis Rivkah Complex last week in Crown Heights. The philanthropist of Melbourne is considered one of the richest Australians and he his known to support Chabad institutes in Melbourne and in other locations. Werdiger and his wife, who participated in the festive dinner of Campus Chamesh in the Hilton Hotel were greatly impressed with the wide array of guests and resolved to visit the place. "You are very privileged to get your education at Beis Rivkah", he told the girls in his address.

The Werdigers were greeted by Rabbi Avrohom Shemtov, chairman of the executive committee of Aguach and administrators of Beis Rivkah, Rabbi Lime Minkowitz and Rabbi Benji Stock and were deeply impressed with the comprehensive efforts exerted by the dedicated staff. The visitors were was happy to recognize teachers who had formerly been on a shlichus mission to Melbourne and would be regular visitors at their home. At a shared meal, a suggestion was made to dedicate a section of the campus in the name of their parents, the renowned shliach, Rabbi Zalman Serebransky, a"h, one of the founders of Chabad in Australia. On their return route, the couple was hosted by their friend, U.S. ambassador to Italy who arranged an official reception for them in the embassy, which was also attended by Silvio Berlusconi, Prime Minister of Italy.

Aussies at Simchas Beis Hashoevo

Thanks to "Micael Shmidt" who sent me these photos of Simchas Beis Hashoevo in Crown Heights this year. I don't know who is organised the flag but I prefer this flag to the yellow one that is sometimes seen around town.

Thank you to "In N.Y." for his comment:

The flag was danced accompanied everynight by over 50 people who are from Australia or learnt in Australia including non frum Australian uni students learning in the U.S.

Building the Rebbe's Sukkah

I enjoyed these photos on COL of the Rebbe's sukkah being built - see them and more here. There are also some nice photos of Crown Heights personalities.

More photos of the Sukkah construction are on Chabad.info here. They also have a number of photo galleries of Ellul and Tishrei events in Crown Heights here.

1000 Daven in the Rebbe's House

According to COL nearly one thousand bochrim davened in the Rebbe's house on Sunday, Vov Tishrei.

Photos can be seen here and bring back memories of being menachem ovel the Rebbe after the Rebbitzen was niftar, and davening and receiving dollars there at other times during that year. What struck everyone when they first entered the house was the simple way the Rebbe and Rebbitzen lived. The kitchen in particular was extremely neat and clean but contained an old fashioned fridge, stove etc. The Rebbe's physical lifestyle was certainly in stark contrast to the way many of his chassidim aspire to live.