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| {{Hatnote|This article examines controversial issues involving the '''Chabad-Lubavitch movement'''. For a more complete examination of ], see the main article.}} | |||
| {{Multiple issues | |||
| | POV=March 2010 | |||
| | weasel=March 2010 | |||
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| {{Ibid|date=December 2010}} | |||
| {{Chabad sidebar}} | |||
| '''Chabad-Lubavitch''' is a branch of ]. Its founder Rabbi ] was twice arrested by the Russians on trumped-up charges and later opposed Napoleon's emancipation of the Jews; one of his sons converted to Christianity. The movement achieved global prominence under the stewardship of the seventh (and last) Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi ]. The belief among some followers that Schneerson is the messiah and will return or that he never even died has led to some friction within the Chabad community. Since his death in 1994 the movement has split into competing factions. Ongoing financial battles between the factions since 1995, as well as the contested control over part of the headquarters in ] has led to strife.<ref> The Jewish Daily Forward, Nathaniel Popper, March 16, 2007</ref> | |||
| ==Shneur Zalman of Liadi== | |||
| ] | |||
| ] ], the founder of the movement, was twice arrested by ] on trumped up charges but released both times.<ref name="Schochet 1999">For a detailed account of this see ], ''The arrest and Liberation of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi'', 1964 (4th printing 1999) ISBN 0-8266-0418-8.</ref> In the face of ], Schneur Zalman sided with the ], believing that emancipation and freedom would lead to spiritual malaise. | |||
| During his life, the controversies between the ] and '']'' intensified in many ways. Some issues involved in the disagreements were the best type of knife to be used for ] as well as the appropriate conduct during, and phrasing of prayers.<ref>See ''The Hasidic Movement and the Gaon of Vilna'' by Elijah Judah Schochet. For a full treatment of this subject see ''The Great Maggid'' by ], 3rd ed. 1990,ch. X, ISBN 0-8266-0414-5.</ref> As a result, the Hasidim were subjected to bans, though these lessened during the lives of Schneur Zalman's son, Rabbi ] and grandson, Rabbi ]. Although Shneur Zalman and a fellow Hasidic leader, ] (or, according to the tradition in the Soloveitchik family, ]), once attempted to see the ] to persuade him of the legitimacy of Hasidism, the ''Gaon'' refused to meet with them.<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Arrests=== | |||
| In 1798 Shneur Zalman was arrested on suspicion of treason on trumped up charges and brought to ], where he was held in the ] for 53 days.<ref name="Schochet 1999"/> | |||
| Again in 1800 he was arrested and again transported to St. Petersburg along with his son ] who served as an interpreter, as Shneur Zalman spoke no ] or ]. He was released after a few weeks but banned from leaving St. Petersburg.<ref>See ], ''The Arrest and Liberation of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi''; ''On Learning Chassidus'', Brooklyn, 1959, p.24</ref> The elevation of ] a few weeks later led to Shneur Zalman's release. | |||
| According to some scholars Shneur Zalman's first arrest was not the result of anti-Hasidic Mitnagdim agitators fabricating charges, or officials seeking extortion monies.<ref name="wer"/><ref>''Kerem Habad'', Kfar Habad, 1992, pp. 17-21, 29-31 (Documents from the Prosecutor Generals archive in St. Petersburg.</ref> An accusation was made on May 8, 1798 by Hirsh ben David of Vilna, who accused Rabbi Shneur Zalman of trying to assist the ], by sending money to ] and the ]. It appears that there was no such person as Hirsh and the authorities were attempting to stir up internecine fighting among the ].<ref name="wer"/> | |||
| ===Shneur Zalman and Napoleon=== | |||
| While some Jewish leaders supported ] or remained quiet about their support, others including Rabbi ] openly and vigorously supported the Tsar. While fleeing from Napoleon, Liadi wrote a letter explaining his opposition to Napoleon to a friend, Rabbi Moshe Meizeles:<ref name="wer">"Should Napoleon be victorious...": ''Politics and Spirituality in Early Modern Jewish Messianism''. Hillel Levine, Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Thought 16-17, 2001</ref> | |||
| {{cquote|Should Napoleon be victorious, wealth among the Jews will be abundant. . .but the hearts of Israel will be separated and distant from their father in heaven. But if our master Alexander will triumph, though poverty will be abundant. . . the heart of Israel will be bound and joined with their father in heaven. . . And for God's sake: Burn this letter.<ref>''Napoleon u-Tekufato'', Mevorach, pp. 182-183</ref>}} | |||
| Some argue that Rabbi Shneur Zalman was impelled by Napoleon's attempt to arouse a messianic view of himself in Jews, opening the gates of the ghettos and emancipating their residents as he conquered. He established an ersatz '']'', recruiting Jews to his ranks, and spreading rumors about his conquest of the ] to make Jews subversive for his own ends.<ref>''Napoleon and the Jews'', Kobler, F., New York, 1976</ref> Thus his opposition was based on a practical fear of Jews turning to the false messianism of Napoleon as he saw it.<ref name="wer"/> | |||
| Others argue that Dershowitz's interpretation is correct, but that Shneur Zalman's "fears were borne out by the events of the next two centuries. When emancipation did come to European Jewry, it came as a gradual process, and the traditional Judaism had by then developed an array of intellectual and moral responses (most notably, the Chassidic and Mussar movements). Still, the spiritual toll of freedom was high: traditional Jewish life was all but wiped out in France and Germany by the upheavals spearheaded by the French Revolution, and while it persevered in Eastern Europe until the eve of the Holocaust, many fell prey to the winds of anti-religious "enlightenment" blowing from the west. We can only imagine what the toll might have been had Napoleon conquered the continent in the early years of the nineteenth century."<ref></ref> | |||
| ==Moshe Schneersohn== | |||
| {{Main|Moshe Schneersohn}} | |||
| ] David Assaf uncovered evidence that Rabbi Moshe Schneersohn (or Zalmanovitch or Shneuri), the youngest son of the founder of ], the '']'', had befriended an artillery officer. The officer then got Schneersohn drunk at a party and convinced him to convert to ]. Assaf also uncovered evidence that there had been a campaign by Chabad followers to erase this fact from the history books. Schneersohn had been a Rabbi in the ]n town of ]{{dn|date=July 2012}}.<ref name="ass">"New book reveals darker chapters in Hasidic history", Allan Nadler, ''The Forward'', August 25, 2006</ref> According to Chabad accounts, including the history of the Chabad movement written by the sixth Rebbe, "Rebbe Moshe" was forced to flee and spend the rest of his life in hiding after winning a disputation with the local priest (similar to ]'s forced move after winning the ]). Chabad accounts state that he was buried in an unmarked grave in ], ].<ref name="ass"/> | |||
| Documents found by ] ] document Schneersohn's conversion to Christianity. The original documents are located in the national historical archives in ]. These include a letter to the local priest in which he states his intent to convert, his baptismal certificate, which was dated July 4, 1820. The documents also show that after his conversion he worked for the Tzar to assist in the conversion of other Jews.<ref name="ass"/> In the letter in which he stated his intention to convert he wrote that the Jews had tried to prevent him from doing so by watching him constantly, beating him and threatening him. He wrote: "''I have remained steadfast in my desire to take upon myself the true faith of Jesus Christ, to which the holy books and all the prophets testify.''" After conversion he changed his name to Leon Yoleivitch. He returned to visit Lubavitchi, where his brother was the Rabbi, but fled, ultimately dying in a mental institution in ].<ref name="ass"/> | |||
| ==Dovber Shneuri== | |||
| {{Main|Dovber Schneuri}} | |||
| Although Rabbi ] succeeded his father as Rebbe of the Chabad movement, a senior disciple of his father, ], a popular and respected figure, differed with him on a number of issues and led a breakaway movement. | |||
| ===Strashelye breakaway=== | |||
| {{Main|Strashelye (Hasidic dynasty)}} | |||
| When Schneur Zalman died, many of his followers flocked to one of his top students, Rabbi Aharon HaLevi of Strashelye. He had been Shneur Zalman’s closest disciple for over thirty years. While many more became followers of the Mittler Rebbe, the Strashelye school of Chassidic thought was the subject of many of the Mittler Rebbe's discourses. R' Aharon HaLevi emphasized the importance of basic emotions in divine service (especially the service of prayer). The Mittler Rebbe did not reject the role of emotion in prayer, but emphasized that if the emotion in prayer is to be genuine, it can only be a result of contemplation and understanding (]) of the explanations of Chassidus, which in turn will lead to an attainment of "bittul" (self-nullification before the Divine). In his work entitled ''Kuntres Hispa'alus'' ("Tract on Ecstasy"), the Mittler Rebbe argues that only through ridding oneself of what he considered disingenuous emotions could one attain the ultimate level in Chassidic worship (that is, ''bittul'').<ref>Ehrlich, Leadership in the HaBaD Movement, pp. 160–192, esp. pp. 167–172.</ref> | |||
| ==Joseph Isaac Schneersohn== | |||
| The response of the sixth Rebbe, Rabbi ] to the ] has been condemned from a number of quarters. ] wrote his PhD thesis on the subject at ]. He quotes Rabbi Alex Weisfogel, secretary of Rabbi Avraham Kalmanowitz of the '']'' as saying that Kalmanowitz and ] were appalled at Schneersohn's focus on "bringing the messiah" while the war continued.<ref>''Rescued from the Reich'', Bryan Mark Rigg, Cambridge University Press, 2005</ref> | |||
| {{cquote|He was a moral failure at this time to condemn us and the Jewish people as a whole for the Holocaust when he in turn did hardly anything except rescue his books and few students' lives.<ref></ref>}} | |||
| Rigg argues that while "he employed every means possible to escape Europe, when he arrived in the US, he did not approach those very same people to help rescue those who had to remain in Europe. However, he did approach those people in the government to rescue his library, which he did get out in 1941. Also he started condemning people who were organizing amazing rescue efforts like rabbis Kotler and Kalmanowitz of the Vaad-Hatzala". | |||
| Others contend that Rabbi ] was using funds raised to rescue Jews to fund his ] and that is why the ] and ] withdrew from the Vaad after they discovered this. Rabbi Schneerson did not participate in his Vaad in the first place perhaps because Rabbi Kotler was his opponent back in Europe for whatever reason and told hundreds of Yeshiva students not to go to the Far East (where their lives would have been saved) reportedly because Rabbi Schneerson instructed those who would listen to him go. | |||
| He forbade his followers from leaving Russia in the 1920s and 1930s, declaring that those who did were "deserters". Chabad scholar Avrum Erlich writes: {{cquote|In Yosef Yitzhak’s case, the consequences of staying in the Soviet Union were disastrous for the obedient Hasidim; moreover, as there was little for those who stayed to do, their sacrifice was largely in vain. While he prevented his followers from leaving Russia, Yosef Yitzhak himself eventually migrated to the United States, long after it became impossible for many of his followers to escape Communist persecution.<ref>''The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present'', M. Avrum Ehrlich, Chapter 13, notes, KTAV Publishing, ISBN 0-88125-836-9</ref>}} | |||
| However, Chabad sources state that recently uncovered documents show that Schneersohn immediately began lobbying for assistance to Jews in the ]' path.<ref name=autogenerated2>, ''The Jewish Press'', August 31, 2007, p. 10</ref> According to Chabad he petitioned ambassadors and politicians in ] and ] for relief packages to be sent to the Jewish communities in the western parts of what is today the former ]. His letters were co-signed by Rabbi Jacob Rosenheim, then-president of the ].<ref name=autogenerated2 /> | |||
| ===The Malach=== | |||
| {{Main|Malachim (Chassidus)}} | |||
| Another incident which occurred was with Rabbi ] (haCohen), also known as The Malach (lit. the angel). He was the tutor of ] when the latter was a child, but personal differences caused Levine to break with Chabad. ], in order to inspire its students, used to encourage its students to visit knowledgeable rabbis and Levine was one of them. Eventually, some of the students styled themselves as Levine's followers. This quasi-Hasidic group, known as The Malachim, is antagonistic towards Chabad and only acknowledges the legitimacy of the first four Chabad rebbes. The Malachim themselves did not choose a successor to Rabbi Levine. | |||
| The dispute was apparently over the tutelage of Yosef Yitchok.<ref>B. Sobel, ''The M’lochim''</ref> According to the Malachim, Levine caught him reading a secular book and told his father about the incident. Rabbi ], the fifth Rebbe of Chabad, did not believe that his son would do this and summoned tutor and student to speak with them. When Yosef Yitzchok promised that he had not read the book, the father accepted his word, and Levine resigned his post.<ref>Ehrlich, Leadership in the HaBaD Movement, pp. 269–271</ref><ref>Jerome R. Mintz, Hasidic People, pp. 21–26</ref> | |||
| ==Menachem Mendel Schneerson== | |||
| ===Schneerson on the Holocaust=== | |||
| Schneerson was accused of comparing ] to the amputation of a rotting limb<ref name="wp"></ref> and arguing that the Holocaust may be beneficial on a deeper level of perception, that God can be compared to a surgeon who amputates a limb to save a patient's life. This accusation quotes Schneerson saying: {{cquote| "... is incurably diseased... The Holy One Blessed Be He, like the professor-surgeon... seeks the good of Israel, and indeed, all He does is done for the good... In the spiritual sense, no harm was done, because the everlasting spirit of the Jewish people was not destroyed."<ref name="wp"/>}} | |||
| Chabad emissary Eliezer Shemtov responded subsequently claiming that this is a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of Schneerson's letter.<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Rabbi Elazar Shach's critique=== | |||
| Rabbi ] issued a series of public criticisms of Schneerson, from the 1970s through Schneerson's death in 1994.<ref>See ''Mechtavim v'Ma'amorim'' : Volume 1, Letter 6 (page 15), Letter 8 (page 19). Volume 3, Statements on pages 100-101, Letter on page 102. Volume 4, letter 349 (page 69), letter 351 (page 71). Volume 5, letter 533 (page 137), letter 535 (page 139), speech 569 (page 173), statement 570 (page 174); see </ref> He accused Schneerson's followers of false ], and Schneerson of fomenting a cult of crypto-messianism around himself.<ref>{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> He objected to Schneerson's call for "demanding" the Messiah's appearance. When some of Schneerson's followers identified him as possibly being the Messiah, Shach called for a complete boycott of Chabad, its institutions and projects by its constituents.<ref name="Fate pg. 340">Berel Wein, Faith and Fate: The Story of the Jewish People in the 20th century, Shaar Press, 2001, p. 340.</ref> | |||
| In 1988 Shach explicitly denounced Schneerson as a ''meshiach sheker'' (false messiah).<ref name=Nadler>Allan Nadler. </ref> Shach also compared Chabad and Schneerson to the followers of the 17th century false messiah ].<ref> ('']'') February 14, 2001</ref> Pointing to a statement by Schneerson, in a passage referring to his predecessor, that a rebbe is "the Essence and Being placed into a body",<ref>Likutei Sichos vol. 2, pp. -</ref> Shach described this as nothing short of ]. His followers refused to eat meat slaughtered by Lubavitch shochetim or to recognize Chabad Hasidim as adherents of authentic Judaism.<ref>]. ''The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference'', Littman Library of Jewish Civilization (Portland), 2001, p. 7.</ref> Shach once described Schneerson as "''the madman who sits in New York and drives the whole world crazy.''"<ref>''The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present'', M. Avrum Ehrlich, Chapter 10, notes, KTAV Publishing, ISBN 0-88125-836-9</ref> | |||
| In addition to Shach's objections to some Chabad members venerating Schneerson as the Messiah, he also disagreed with Chabad on various issues of ] and ], but particularly ]. While Chabad strongly opposed peace talks with the ] or to relinquishing any ]i territory under any circumstance, Shach alternately supported both ] and ]-wing ] in the ]. During the 1988 elections, Schneerson encouraged Israeli Haredim to vote for ] over Shach's newly-formed ] party. Shach's newspaper, ''Yated Ne'eman'', ran several articles documenting various Chabad writings and statements that it claimed supported Shach's contention that Lubavitch was becoming a breakaway ] of Judaism focused on Schneerson as the Messiah. In a conversation that he had with an American rabbi in the 1980s, Shach stated, "The Americans think that I am too controversial and divisive. But in a time when no one else is willing to speak up on behalf of our true tradition, I feel myself impelled to do so."<ref name=autogenerated1>Berel Wein, ''Faith and Fate: The Story of the Jewish People in the 20th century'', Shaar Press, 2001, p. 340.</ref> | |||
| Shach stated in his letters<ref>Michtavim U'Maamaromim 5:533, p. 137</ref> that he was not at all opposed to chassidim and chassidus (including Chabad Chassidim from the previous generations<ref>Michtavim U'Maamorim 2:23, p. 31, 1986 edition</ref>); he recognized them as "yera'im" and "shlaymim" and full of Torah and Mitzvos and fear of heaven.<ref>Michtavim U'Maamaromim 5:534, p. 138</ref> | |||
| In the early 1980s, Shach, together with Rabbi ] (the "]"),<ref>Michtavim U'maamarim, volume 1, edition 2, p. 49, Letter of Protest signed by Rabbis Shach and Kanievsky</ref> issued proclamations strongly condemning the ] parades that Chabad has been holding around the world since the 1940s.<ref>Ibid.</ref>{{Full|date=December 2010}} | |||
| ===Other Haredi critiques=== | |||
| The claim has been made (based on a pseudonymous character called 'Saul') that Rabbi ] was opposed both to what he perceived as a "personality cult" built up around the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and to the public projection of both the Rebbe and the Lubavitch movement, by the movement, through public media—print and broadcast journalism, books, film, and the like.<ref>''From Berlin to Slobodka'' by Rabbi Dr. Hillel Goldberg, KTAV 1989 (pages 187–188)</ref> Significant evidence of Hutners deep respect for the Rebbe's scholarship exists in his published correspondence with the rebbe, and he occasionally sought his blessings.<ref>Mibeis Hagenozim, B. Levin, Kehot 2009, p.88-92</ref> Hutner corresponded with the Rebbe over the course of several decades, often seeking his guidance and input on a wide variety of halachic, kabbalistic, and chassidic subjects and texts. While most of their correspondence<ref>Igros Kodesh, M.M. Schneerson, Kehot 1998 Vol. 7, pp. 2,49,192,215; Vol. 12, pp. 28,193; Vol. 14, pp. 167,266; Vol. 18, p. 251; Vol. 25, pp. 18-20; and Vol. 26, p. 485.</ref> centers on academic matters, Hutner also maintained regular contact with Schneerson via a number of Rabbis serving as messengers between the two.<ref>Mibeis Hagenozim, B. Levin, Kehot 2009, pp. 88-98.</ref> When a keynote speaker at the ] convention in 1968 sharply criticized Chabad and their Rebbe (particularly the recently launched tefillin campaign), Hutner wrote a letter distancing himself from the convention, stating that he had neither been in attendance nor would he, and begging forgiveness for any pain his earlier letters (discussing halachic issues regarding the tefillin campaign) may have caused, stating that "my letter is absolutely personal...and should it have caused any pain, I hereby beg forgiveness from the bottom of my heart." He then signed his letter with the words "With a deep yearning to be blessed - Yitzchak ben Chana."<ref>Mibeis Hagenozim, B. Levin, Kehot 2009, p.89.</ref> | |||
| In an interview with Mishapacha Magazine, ] accused Chabad of having "become a personal cult centered on the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe", and said, "there's no room in Yiddeshkeit for a personality cult in which an individual is deified and glorified. Whether he was great or wasn't is immaterial. There have been many great people in Judaism. The personality cult of glorifying an individual person, giving him unique titles, elevating the shape of the building he was active in, etc., has no place in Yiddeshkeit."<ref>''Mishpacha'', April 2008</ref> Chabad Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg responded, in a letter to the magazine, "I can categorically state that none of the Chabad Yeshivas in any way, God forbid, 'deifies' the Rebbe. Rabbi Belsky's statement is totally libelous and falls in the category of falsehood and slander. The issue of the role of a tzaddik has always been a point of contention between Chasidim and non-chasidim. A perusal of the works of such Chasidic luminaries as the ''Meor Ainayim'', the ''Noam Elimelech'', and the '']'', to name just a few, underscores the central role that a Rebbe occupies in the life of a Chasid. Ultimately we have come to respect these differences of opinions between the two communities. For Rabbi Belsky to reiterate this opposition to what he considers to be an improper Chasid-Rebbe relationship only fuels the fires of baseless hatred."<ref></ref> | |||
| ===Chabad library controversy=== | |||
| {{Main|Library of Agudas Chassidei Chabad}} | |||
| A family dispute arose about the library of the sixth Rebbe which also brought an internal family rivalry between ] (supported by his mother) and his uncle the seventh Rebbe (supported by the "Rashag", Barry's father) into the public spotlight. Barry Gurary's grandfather, the sixth Rebbe, collected a vast library of Judaica, which included several rare volumes. As the sixth Rebbe's grandson, Barry believed he was entitled to a portion of the library and was supported in this belief by his mother and Rabbi Chaim Lieberman (the sixth Rebbe's librarian) as well as the will of his grandmother (the sixth Rebbe's wife). | |||
| In 1984, some 34 years after his grandfather's passing, Barry Gurary entered the library and clandestinely removed numerous Jewish books,{{citation needed|date=March 2010}} including a first edition ] ] worth over $50,000, and a ] (Jewish prayer book) that was said to have belonged to the ], founder of Hasidism, and began selling the books. One ] Passover Haggadah dating back to 1757 was sold for $69,000 to a ] book dealer who soon found a private buyer to pay nearly $150,000 for it. He claimed to have both his mother's permission, as well as the permission of his aunt, the seventh Rebbe's wife, to take the books. However, his uncle, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Chabad Rebbe, was infuriated by these actions. He demanded that the volumes be returned. When Barry refused, also refusing his uncle's summons to ], Schneerson pursued the case in the civil courts. On legal advice the Lubavitchers decided to obtain a temporary restraining order in the hope that this would resolve the matter. | |||
| Rabbi Schneerson argued that the volumes were not the "personal possession" of Gurary's grandfather, but the "communal property" of the Lubavitch Hasidim. In making this argument, basing himself on a letter from his father-in-law indicating that the books were the heritage of the entire Jewish community<ref></ref> he implied that possession of the books legitimized a succession claim; therefore Barry's alleged theft constituted a challenge to his long-undisputed leadership of the Chabad movement. The organizational body that represents Lubavitch Chassidim - ] (ACC), filed suit to retrieve the books. In 1986, the court ruled in favor of ACC, and that ruling was upheld on appeal in November 1987.<ref>Agudas Chasidei Chabad of U.S. v. Gourary, 833 F.2d 431 (C.A.2 (N.Y.), 1987)</ref> The volumes were returned to the library. The Lubavitcher Rebbe then proclaimed this day as a special time of rejoicing for Lubavitch which they called "Didan Notzach" (which basically means "our case won"). | |||
| ==Chabad messianism== | |||
| {{Main|Chabad messianism}} | |||
| ] | |||
| Chabad messianism is a belief by some within the ] ] movement that the late Rabbi and leader of that movement ] is the ]. Adherents to this belief are termed as '''''Mishichist''''' in ]. | |||
| Before Schneerson's death in 1994, a significant body of Chabad Hasidim believed that he was soon to be crowned as the Messiah - an event that would herald the ] and the construction of the ]. Books and pamphlets were written containing purported proofs for the Rabbi's status as Messiah, some of which Schneerson opposed.{{citation needed|date=March 2010}} | |||
| Attempts by his followers to persuade him to reveal himself as the Messiah were to no avail. Followers routinely sang the mantra "''Long live our master, our teacher and our rabbi, King Messiah for ever and ever''" in his presence - a chant that he often encouraged in his last years, after suffering a stroke, which left him unable to speak and paralyzed on the right side of his body.{{citation needed|date=March 2010}} During the later years of his life Rabbi Schneerson's teachings were interpreted by many to mean that he was claiming to be the ]. | |||
| His death in 1994 did not remove the messianist fervor. Believers soon developed new rationales to justify the belief the Schneerson was the Messiah despite being dead. Some argued that he had in fact not died at all and was still physically present. Others argued that though he was dead Judaism did not rule out the possibility of the Messiah returning from the dead.{{citation needed|date=March 2010}} | |||
| The development of this messianism and its impact on Chabad in specific — and ] in general — has been the subject of much discussion in the Jewish press, as well as within the pages of peer-reviewed journals. Nevertheless, the belief in the Lubavitcher Rebbe being the Messiah, is confined to a subset of the Chabad community and is not accepted by Jewish adherents outside of that community.{{citation needed|date=March 2010}} | |||
| ===Yechi=== | |||
| "'''''Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu v'Rabbeinu Melech haMoshiach l'olam vo'ed!'''''" is a phrase used by many Lubavitch Hasidim to pray and proclaim that the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, ] is the messiah. It means "Long Live our Master, our Teacher, and our Rabbi, King Messiah, for ever and ever." The phrase can be seen printed in various settings, it is chanted by many people at the end of daily communal prayers in Lubavitch congregations, including the main Lubavitch synagogue in Crown Heights. ''Yechi'' has a complex and controversial history dating back to the mid-1980s and is often viewed as a ] to differentiate the messianists from the anti-messianists or non-messianists. | |||
| ===Shaul Shimon Deutsch=== | |||
| Rabbi ], a former Lubavitcher, started a new Hasidic group, Chabad-Liozna. However he has failed to attract adherents. He assumed this title in a ceremony on December 5, 1996 at his synagogue on 45th Street in ].<ref name="rebbe">"Dissidents Name 'Rebbe'," ''The Forward'', December 6, 1996</ref> He took the name of the town of ] in ] where the early Chabad movement was founded with the intent of enticing Chabad followers away from the belief that their late leader was the Messiah.<ref name="rebbe"/> His actions have made him an object of derision within the mainstream Chabad community.<ref>Heinon, Herb, "Bigger than Death," ''Jerusalem Post'', August 15, 1997</ref> | |||
| In 1998 he was the victim of a campaign of character assassination via the Internet.<ref>Jolkovsky, Binyamin L., "The "Messiah Wars" heat up: Online gets out-of-line", ''Jewish World Review'', February 19, 1998</ref> A forged ] press release claimed that he had been arrested for ] and the ] of ten-dollar bills. He installed bulletproof glass in the windows of his home and synagogue.<ref>Segall, Rebecca, "Holy Daze The problems of young Lubavitcher Hasidim in a world without the Rebbe," ''The Village Voice'', September 30, 2000</ref> | |||
| ==Weinstock estate== | |||
| The "Weinstock estate" case, that dragged through the courts for ten years, divided the highest levels of Chabad administration into two irreconcilable camps.<ref name="b"/> | |||
| In 1978 Judah Leo Weinstock bequeathed a $32 million estate to the ''United Lubavitcher Yeshivot'' (ULY), a body that oversaw the funding of four Chabad ]s, under the direction of Rabbi ]. The donation had been solicited for the ULY by Rabbi Nachman Sudak, a Chabad emissary in London.<ref name="b"/> However, Weinstock had asked that the money be used to establish Yeshivas in Israel, something that ULY was not capable of. Gurary ordered that the monies be distributed evenly between ULY and ] (MLC) which maintained Yeshivas outside the US. In 1987 a board of trustees (including ]) was established that distributed the money on a discretionary basis between ULY and MLC.<ref name="b"/> | |||
| In October 1994, a few months after Schneerson's death ULY fell into financial troubles. The directors of ULY requested large sums from the trustees - eating into the principal of the estate. The directors of the MLC (some of whom were also trustees of the estate) objected to the requests, and the trustees of the estate refused to grant the money.<ref name="b"/> | |||
| Furious, the directors of ULY began claiming sole title to the estate, based on a strict reading of Weinstock's original bequest. The ULY took the MLC to court, having failed to agree on a mutually acceptable ''Beit Din''. The previously open relationship between the ULY, MLC and the trustees - while Schneerson was alive - complicated the case, as did the ambiguity in the bequest.<ref name="b"/> | |||
| ===Litigation=== | |||
| ] Michael Feinberg dealt with the case from 1995, when the dispute surfaced until 2000 when he ruled that there had been clear intent to share the money equally between the two organizations, once united but now at loggerheads.<ref name="b"/> | |||
| In 1997 the dispute had deteriorated, and a rival ULY board headed by Krinsky claimed to be the rightful representatives of ULY.<ref name="b"/> Feinberg ruled that until the dispute could be settled ]<ref>''How a Hefty Fee for an Ex-Governor Went Unnoticed'', Tom Robbins, The Village Voice, July 23–29, 2003</ref> would serve as the emergency receiver,<ref name="a">''Judge Hits Hasidic Group's Estate Claim'', Bob Liff, The Daily News, October 02, 2000</ref> a role he held till 2000. In 2000 Feinberg ruled that since the parties refused to attend any type of '']'' or arbitration,<ref name="a"/> he had to rule against the original board and for Krinsky since the original board had failed to cooperate with the court-appointed arbitrator. The judge noted that: | |||
| :{{cquote|There were no questions about the administration of the estate or the proper recipient of the funds with Schneerson calling the shots. With the rebbe's death in 1994, this consensus broke down."<ref name="a"/>}} | |||
| The ruling was a major blow for the ULY board, known as the ''Vaad'',<ref></ref> though their lawyers welcomed the decision publicly saying that they could now appeal.<ref name="a"/> | |||
| In a final judgement in November 2003, ] ruled that the original course of dealing before 1994 showed intent on behalf of the ULY to share the money evenly with MLC, and that course should continue.<ref name="b"></ref> Thus, after nine years of litigation, the original ULY board lost their claim for complete control of the Weinstock estate.<ref>"Decision of interest: Weinstock Estate", ''New York Law Journal'', November 13, 2003</ref> | |||
| ==Control of 770 Eastern Parkway== | |||
| The ] is currently being run by a team of '']m'' who are elected by members of the Crown Heights community every three years. For many years these people have been exclusively messianist and have set the tone for the building. In 2005, following the plaque disturbance (see below), the Gabbaim, who had incorporated themselves as "Congregation Lubavitch Inc." went to court challenging the right of Agudas Chasidei Chabad and Merkos L'inyonei Chinuch to control the building and the synagogue. In 2006 ACC and MLC won the case over ownership of the building<ref>''Who controls Lubavitch headquarters?'', David Berger, Jerusalem Post, April 22, 2006</ref> and served CLI with an eviction notice, and in December 2007 the New York Supreme Court upheld the eviction. CLI is expected to appeal this decision.<ref name="jewek"/> | |||
| ===2004 disturbances=== | |||
| On December 15, 2004 a disturbance erupted in Crown Heights between anti-messianists and messianists that led to nine arrests after the official movement attempted to install a plaque, noting that Schneerson was dead. Gil Schwartz explained the reasoning of the messianists: "He's alive - they are writing that the rebbe is dead!"<ref>''Cuff 9 in rabbi row'', The New York Daily News, December 16, 2004</ref> Another messianist, Meyer Romano, the next day said: "''The Rebbe is Superman and Yehuda Krinsky is Lex Luthor, you understand?''"<ref>''Rough and Rebbe Brawler - I fight for Superman'', Denise Buffa, New York Post, December 17, 2004</ref> | |||
| ===2006 disturbances=== | |||
| Further disturbances following the Annual emissaries conference in November 2006 led to a number of injuries and damage to the property according to the senior emissary Dovid Eliezire as quoted in the ''Jewish Week''.<ref name="jewek"/> He wrote an article on the events that was published in Chabad periodicals and online.<ref></ref> | |||
| ===2007 ruling=== | |||
| On December 27, 2007 Judge ] of the ] ruled that the ''Gabbaim'' did not have the right to control the synagogue and gave the Chabad organisations that own the building the right to evict the ''Gabbaim''.<ref name="jewek">{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> The ''Gabbaim'' expressed their intent to appeal, pending the transfer of a $500,000 bond and an undertaking to maintain the synagogue in the meantime.<ref name="jewek"/> According to the '']'', it remains unclear how the owners will exercise the rights the court has given them and some are predicting serious violence if any attempts are made to enforce the ruling. Edward Rudofsky, attorney for the community, warned of violence: | |||
| {{cquote|If people are provoked, I guess you can provoke anybody to the point where they don’t do what they should do and would do under normal circumstances. If they’re provoked enough I don’t want to speculate what will happen. I don’t want to sound like I’m condoning it, because I’m not.<ref name="jewek"/>}} | |||
| ==Local controversies== | |||
| ===Europe=== | |||
| ====Czech Republic==== | |||
| In ] in 2005 tensions developed between Chabad members and Rabbi ]. The ] in Prague's ancient ] became the scene of an emotional dispute between members of the Chabad movement and locals backing ], chief rabbi of the ]. The conflict led to violent brawls and hospitalisations on a number of occasions.<ref>{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> Sidon was eventually returned to his post.<ref name="stow">"Sidon is reappointed as Prague chief rabbi", Spritzer, Dinah A., ''Jewish Telegraphic Agency'', December 9, 2005</ref> In 2004 Tomas Jelinek the director of the community council fired Sidon as Rabbi giving the post to young Chabad rabbi Manis Barash. A grassroots campaign from community members led to the deposition of Jelinek as the community director. Jelinek then asked a religious arbiter in Israel to rule on the case who ruled in favor of Barash. Sidon's supporters argued that the case was void since Jelinek had lied to the Judge telling him that the community board had been behind his actions in firing Sidon and appointing Barash. However on 21 November 2005 he was reelected as the chief Rabbi of the city following the protracted dispute with ].<ref>"Little Jerusalem shul battle heats up", Lev Krichevsky, ''Jerusalem Post'', April 13, 2005</ref> | |||
| Community head Jacub Roth told the press: "this is part of the local Chabad’s striving to take over the community’s religious life. We have seen an ugly foray of Chabad in their attempt to take over the Old-New Shul."<ref name="stow"/> | |||
| ====Lithuania==== | |||
| In May 2004, the ] temporarily closed the ] synagogue following a disorderly dispute in the synagogue between members of the Orthodox and the Chabad Lubavich Jewish groups. The community closed the synagogue again in August 2004, following another disturbance. The synagogue remained closed pending resolution of the community's internal disputes.{{Fact|date=November 2012}} | |||
| =====Sholom Ber Krinsky===== | |||
| Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky (nephew of Rabbi ]) the Chabad emissary to Vilnius has been embroiled in a number of scandals. His ] was closed down because it served contaminated food. A scandal erupted when charges were made that he had stolen money from donors. Creditors took over the first floor of his Chabad Center to cover unpaid debts, and he remains indebted to his creditors. He collected money to maintain the Jewish cemetery in the city but never paid the $25,000 to the community which was his share in the maintenance.<ref name="yate">''Developments in Vilna's Jewish Community in the Past 15 Years'', '']{{dn|{{subst:DATE}}|date=July 2012}}'', December 12, 2004</ref> | |||
| Krinsky styles himself as Lithuania's "Chief Rabbi", though this was not widely accepted. His attempts to become the officially recognised chief rabbi included having ] – who has close ties to Chabad – write a letter to the Lithuanian President; he tried appealing to the ]; this also failed. On February 29, 2004, he held a meeting of 30 of his followers within the community and declared that they were the religious Jewish community of Lithuania. These people proclaimed him chief rabbi and documentation of the meeting was sent to the Ministry of Justice, but this failed to sway the government who maintained that choosing leaders was the prerogative of a religious community as a whole.<ref name="yate"/> In response 400 Jewish Lithuanians signed a document condemning Krinsky.<ref name="yate"/> | |||
| When the community appointed a Chief Rabbi, Chaim Burstein in early 2004 Krinsky and his followers began a campaign against him. In May 2004 some of Krinsky's followers attacked Burstein on the podium during prayers, and the police were called to break up what became a brawl. Burstein retreated to his home with some supporters to continue prayers but Chabad activists broke in and continued assaulting the worshippers.<ref name="yate"/> | |||
| The synagogue closed down and was reopened a few weeks later with security at the door to prevent the ingress of Krinsky and his friends. Krinsky attempted to enter and a brawl ensued.<ref></ref> Krinsky told the press that the security made him "feel like I went through a Nazi selection".<ref name="yate"/> The synagogue was again closed for the duration of the summer, Krinsky and his Chabad followers maintained an angry vigil at the scene that was covered regularly by the local media.<ref name="yate"/> | |||
| In June 2007 Krinsky was facing eviction from his premises for non-payment of rent, and was given an ultimatum by the community to "publicly acknowledge the community's ownership of the synagogue and its choice of chief rabbi; cease referring to himself as "chief rabbi"; and submit to "a sound, open and transparent financial management".<ref name="trt"></ref> | |||
| ====Russia==== | |||
| A bitter rivalry has been ongoing in ] for the past 10 years between ], chief rabbi for the Chabad-Lubavitch-dominated ], and Yevgeny Satanovsky, president of the pluralist ], over who represents the Jews of Russia on an official basis.<ref name="stan">{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> The ] officially recognized Lazar as the religious leader of the Russian Jewish community, pushing aside the congress’s Rabbi ], who until then had occupied the post.<ref name="stan"/> | |||
| Since the installation of Rabbi ] as the Chief Rabbi there have been a number of controversies associated with Chabad influence with premier ], and their funding from Russian oligarchs such as ] and ].<ref name="Russia">''No love lost'', Yossi Mehlman, Haaretz, December 11, 2005</ref> Lazar is known for his purported close ties to Putin's Kremlin.<ref name="prize">''Chabad Prize to Putin Spurring Debate Over Russian's Actions'', Eric J. Greenberg, The Forward, February 4, 2005</ref> | |||
| Putin became close to the Chabad movement, since it is the largest Jewish organization in the ] representing the majority of communities after a number of non-Chabad Jewish oligarchs and Rabbis including ] (the founder of the non-Chabad ]) backed other candidates for president.<ref>"Jewish media baron arrested in Moscow", Elli Wohlgelernter, ''Jerusalem Post'', June 14, 2000</ref> ], a chabad oligarch<ref></ref> supported Putin, and the close relationship between them led to him supporting the Chabad federation nomination of Lazar as Chief Rabbi of Russia, an appointment that Putin immediately recognized despite it not having been made by the established Jewish organisation.<ref>"Putin, Making a Gesture to Jews, Slips into a Factional Morass", Michael Wines, ''New York Times'', September 19, 2000</ref> Lazar was referred to by some as Putin's "]";{{citation needed|date=March 2010}} Lazar responded to these allegations: {{cquote|I do not know what a court Jew is. There are some people whose only purpose is to speak in condemnation of the government. I try to be objective. The situation in Russia has improved under Putin. People get pensions. The standard of living is rising. There are also negative phenomena, which deserve to be criticized. There is corruption at all levels, though that has been characteristic of Russia in the past 80 years. The reform is in bad shape and there are also many other ills.<ref name="Russia"/>}} | |||
| Rabbi ], who had been Chief Rabbi of Russia until 1998, argues that the Lazar is merely the appointee of Chabad and that he remains Chief Rabbi. What happened, he explains, "has nothing to with religion and everything to do with politics and business. The president invites him to receptions and does not invite me. I am not offended."<ref name="Russia"/> | |||
| Rabbi ] was expelled from Russia by order of the ], after having lived in Russia for fifteen years. According to rival oligarch ], Goldschmidt told friends it was Slusker who had him expelled over his <!-- whose?; clarify pronoun please --> opposition to Chabad.<ref name="Russia"/><ref></ref> Lazer made no protest at the expulsion of his rival, and within days was appointed to Putin's ],<ref>''Chief Rabbi of Russia Named to Public Chamber of the Russian Federation'', FJC News, October 6, 2005</ref> a controversial body that human rights groups have criticised as a window dressing exercise, packed with Putin acolytes to "''legitimize the government’s increasingly authoritarian policies''."<ref></ref> | |||
| According to an editorial in the '']'' the reason why Lazar has not protested Putin's arrests of Jewish Oligarchs and Goldschmidt's deportation is that "Russia's own chief rabbi, Chabad emissary Berel Lazar, is essentially a Kremlin appointee who has been made to neutralize the more outspoken and politically active leaders of rival Jewish organizations."<ref>Editorial, ''Jerusalem Post'', June 2, 2005</ref> In 2003 while many around the world criticised the arrest of ] Lazar praised the action saying that "''The future of the country shouldn’t be in the hands of one man who has money.''"<ref name="stan"/> | |||
| Rival RJC chair head Yevgeny Satanovsky said that Lazar’s endorsement of the actions was intended to develop a role as the special Jew for Putin in order to strengthen the position of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, which he said was built around the worship of Schneerson.<ref name="stan"/> Lazar responded that "it’s no secret that I have a very good relationship with the president."<ref name="stan"/> | |||
| =====Darkei Shalom synagogue===== | |||
| The ] is a major synagogue in northern ]. It was affiliated with Chamah, a religious and social welfare movement on behalf of former Soviet Jews with offices in New York and Israel, as well as Moscow. The spiritual leader of Darkei Shalom, Rabbi David Karpov, is a devotee of the late Lubavitcher rebbe, yet over the years he has distanced himself from FEOR, the Chabad rabbinical grouping in Russia that appointed and is headed by Lazar. Kaprov was telephoned by Lazar telling him that the synagogue was being gifted to the Chabad movement by its owners and that he would have to leave the synagogue, and resign his post to make way for the a new Chabad emissary.<ref name="lazar">"Hostile Takeover In Moscow? Critics of Chabad-led umbrella group angry as shul changes hands; AJCongress dragged into controversy", Walter Ruby, ''Jewish Week'', April 1, 2005</ref> Lazar suggested that if he fell into line with FEOR he may be allowed to stay. At the same time Kaprov received court orders over various technical and administrative issues, which Kaprov argued were due to Lazar pressuring Kaprov. In an open letter to Lazar, Rabbi ] and 16 other rabbis wrote:<ref name="lazar"/> {{cquote|We would like to express our deep disappointment and discontent with the recent attempt of FEOR to forcefully capture the Darkei Shalom Congregation, one of the most successful and respected Jewish congregations of Russia. This kind of attitude demonstrated by Rabbi Berel Lazar contradicts the spirit of Torah and is apparently based on typical methods deployed by Russian criminals.}} | |||
| Shayevich added in a statement to the press that {{cquote|they already have too much money and power, and are using it to destroy all Jewish organizations which resist Chabad’s total domination of Russian Jewish life.<ref name="lazar"/><ref>"Critics of Chabad-led umbrella group angry as shul changes hands; AJCongress dragged into controversy", Walter Ruby, ''Jewish Week'', April 1, 2005</ref>}} | |||
| ====Ukraine==== | |||
| Chabad maintain a Chief Rabbi in the ] in opposition to non-Chabad Chief Rabbi ]. A group of prominent secular Jews orchestrated the appointment of Rabbi ] - a ] to rival Bleich and another Chabad rabbi, Azriel Haikin who had been appointed by Chabad in 2002. His election as Chief Rabbi by a group formed by some wealthy Jewish businessmen in October 2005, caused considerable controversy in the ]. Azman's election was endorsed by a group of secular Jewish leaders attending a ] Jewish conference, but not by any rabbinical authorities.<ref name="bob"></ref> A group of rabbis from the non-Chabad ] attacked the appointment describing it as "illegitimate" and "insulting to the feelings of every believer".<ref name="bob"/> 150 secular Jewish leaders from 100 Ukrainian cities and towns later protested the vote as well.<ref name="bob"/><ref>''Recent election of third chief rabbi in Ukraine splits Jewish community'', Jewish Telegraphic Agency, October 24, 2005</ref> | |||
| According to the '']'', More than 30 Chabad rabbis affiliated with the federation issued a statement Sept. 15 saying that the election of another Chabad rabbi, ] of Kiev, to serve as Ukraine's chief rabbi was "illegitimate" and "insulting to the feelings of every believer. A chief Rabbi can be elected only by rabbis working in Jewish communities of that country," and argued that the election was invalid.<ref>''Chabad dispute escalates'', Baltimore Jewish Times, October 21, 2005</ref> | |||
| ====United Kingdom==== | |||
| =====Gaon Club===== | |||
| Allegations of financial irregularities led to the directors of the Lubavitch Foundation (UK) filing a '']'' suit against the club's director rabbis Mendy Vogel and Yosef Vogel demanding that they cease and desist from using the Chabad name.<ref></ref><ref name="iiiii"/> | |||
| Rabbi Shlomo Levin, director of Lubavitch UK said the Lubavitch Foundation had been "unable to meet its monthly commitments, amassing large debts in unpaid teachers salaries, bank loans and unpaid PAYE." He complained that the Club was responsible for swallowing a large chunk of the movement's budget.<ref name="iiiii"></ref> The Gaon club was opened by Chief Rabbi ] in 2006 and was located in rent-free premises in the ].<ref name="iiiii"/> | |||
| The club was closed and the ''Beit Din'' ruled that the Vogel brothers must not use the Chabad, Lubavitch or Gaon Club names for at least 6 months and that they should return any Chabad property that they had in their possession. Rabbi Faivish Vogel the father of the two men, who was the chief fundraiser of the "Lubavitch Foundation (UK)" which brought the suit, resigned following the ruling.<ref>{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> | |||
| The Vogel brothers expressed their intent to continue their activities despite the ruling: "''We are not going anywhere. Our dedication to Anglo-Jewry, and particularly its young people, was not just a job. It was our life, as taught to us by our father who was inspired by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.''"<ref>{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> | |||
| ====Rabbinical Center of Europe==== | |||
| Chabad established a rival rabbinical grouping (called the "Rabbinical Center of Europe") to the ], the primary ] rabbinical conference in Europe since the ]. The body is headed by Moshe Garelick, a Chabad Rabbi from ]. The executive director of the "Conference", Aba Dunner complained that the "center" was misrepresenting itself, deliberately confusing people and duplicating their work. Attacked their action as counter-productive he said:<ref name="yated">''The Council of Jewish Rabbis Conference'', '']{{dn|{{subst:DATE}}|date=July 2012}}'', July 23, 2005</ref> {{cquote|What are non-Jewish government officials to think when one group has been dealing with them on the issue for years and then suddenly another group wants to negotiate with them on the same agenda? We believe in the old ''shtadlonus'' methods rather than in conferences with low-level diplomats which may provide headlines but accomplish nothing.<ref name="yated"/>}} | |||
| While the organisation was set up as a Chabad group, they removed all references to Chabad after a few months, the Chabad Headquarters in New York still listed it as a Chabad organisation. The sister organisation of the "Center", the "European Jewish Community Center" uses the initials EJCC again similar to the initials of the ] - a major organisation with representatives in over 40 states. Cobi Benatoff, president of the European Jewish Congress siad "''We will certainly be confronting Chabad about this issue, this way of misleading people is not the Jewish way.''"<ref>"Battling for Europe's Jews (part 2) -In capital of European Union, Chabad wields great influence", Philip Carmel, ''JTA'', April 20, 2005</ref> | |||
| ===United States=== | |||
| ====Prospect Heights==== | |||
| In 2006 a dispute over territorial rights erupted in ]. Rabbi Kasriel Kastel appointed Rabbi Ari Kirschenbaum as an official shliach in the neighbourhood. Rabbi Shimon Hecht of neighbouring ] disputed his right to do so, claiming that Prospect Heights was within his "territory"; during the same time period Hecht's niece and her husband moved into the area, his son started a Chabad center of his own, and his wife opened another branch of her day-care center,Chai Tots in the area. Rabbi Kasriel Kastel, who supervises the New York–area Lubavitch emissaries, filed a lawsuit against Rabbi Shimon Hecht in rabbinical court alleging that he overstepped his boundaries by bringing his nephew into an area where another Lubavitch rabbi was already holding officially sanctioned activities. He attributed this case to gentrification of neighbourhoods, which present a tempting prospect to motivated Chabad emissaries<ref>"Mall Menorah Smackdown Dueling rabbis struggle over who gets to spread the faith to newcomers in the gentrifying area around Atlantic Yards", Debra Nussbaum Cohen, ''New York Times Magazine'', January 2, 2007</ref> In 2008 the Beit Din, ruled in favor of Hecht. | |||
| ====Woodstock==== | |||
| In 2005 two rival Chabad emissaries became embroiled in a public row over who was the bona fide emissary of Chabad to the community of ].<ref name="press">{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> Rabbi Yacov Borenstein, who opened a Chabad center in ] 20 years ago and has since launched smaller centers in ], ] and Woodstock was pitted against Rabbi Yitzchok Hecht who opened a specific branch for Woodstock in 2005. Borenstein told the press: {{cquote|Yitzchok is so upset he didn't get Woodstock, it is a wealthy place and he wanted to get real estate there... The Hechts are looking for power. They think they own ]. They think they own ]. And, now, they think they own ]... They told me they would bury me alive. I said, if that's the will of God, I will accept it with love.<ref name="press"/>}} | |||
| Borenstein, a messianist, was fired by the Chabad organisation in the 1990s, according to Hecht, and therefore had no right to establish a Chabad synagogue. Hecht responded saying "''he knows he is not authorized and is not part of the system. Anyone can call themselves Lubovitcher and say he is here to do the Rebbe's work, but that doesn't make you part of the system.''" The dispute came to public attention after both groups attempted to establish a ] on the village green, they subsequently agreed to take turns at lighting the menorah on an annual basis. Borenstein argued that a religious court ruling in 2004 had found that he was Chabad's sole emissary to ], Hecht argued that the ruling was invalid as the court did not have the authority to rule on cases out side of ].<ref name="press"/> Borenstein was involved in an almost identical dispute with the Chabad emissary to ], Rabbi Pesach Burston.<ref>"Chabad family feuds", ''Monroe Sunday Record'', May 28, 2006</ref> | |||
| ====Public menorahs==== | |||
| {{Main|Public menorah}} | |||
| In 1989, the ] with the support of Chabad defended itself in court all the way to the ] from the ] in ] over the display of a public Menorah owned by Chabad. | |||
| The city of ] denied the local Chabad chapter, headed by Rabbi Yitzchok Raskin permission to erect a ] in the city's main park during ].<ref>Mark A. Kaplan v. City of Burlington and Robert Whalen (12/12/89)United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, No. 89-7042; 891 F.2d 1024</ref> Raskin appealed the decision on two occasions after an initial hearing 1987 found the display to be unconstitutional under the ]. The ] assisted the city of ] in a final appeal in the ] in 1991, and the Menorah ban was upheld.<ref>Chabad-Lubavitch of Vermont v. City of Burlington, 936 F.2d 109 (C.A.2 (Vt.), 1991)</ref><ref>''New Twist to Old Fight: Menorah in Vermont Park'', Sally Johnson, ''New York Times'', December 20, 1987</ref> A similar case occurred in ] in 1990, and the court found the same way,<ref>Lubavitch Chabad House, Inc. v. City of Chicago, 917 F.2d 341 (C.A.7 (Ill.), 1990)</ref> as did a court in ] in 1986.<ref>Lubavitch of Iowa, Inc. v. Walters, 808 F.2d 656 (C.A.8 (Iowa), 1986)</ref> Another similar case in ] had the same judgement,<ref>Congregation Lubavitch v. City of Cincinnati, 923 F.2d 458 (C.A.6 (Ohio), 1991)</ref> as did a case in Georgia.<ref>Chabad-Lubavitch of Georgia v. Miller, 5 F.3d 1383 (C.A.11 (Ga.), 1993)</ref> | |||
| A similar case in ] led to the ] unanimously rejecting the display of a Menorah in a public space in the town with the support of many Jews, affirming a local tradition of keeping parks free of religious and political displays.<ref>"White Plains Council Blocks Electric Menorah for Park", Lisa W. Foderaro, December 3, 1991</ref> | |||
| In 1988, the ] produced a 28-page report, entitled "The Year of the Menorah", criticising Chabad's Menorah campaign and the litigation that went with it. It complained of the increase in the number of menorahs placed on public lands, arguing that it was causing tension both within the community and with non-Jews.<ref>"Menorah displays stir jewish rift", ''Miami Herald'', June 14, 1987</ref> | |||
| In 2002 U.S. Supreme Court last ruled that Chabad of ] were entitled to light an 18-foot menorah in Cincinnati's ]. Justice ] ruled that the city could not ban the chanukiah and other religious displays from the square.<ref></ref> | |||
| ====SeaTac Airport==== | |||
| In December 2006 a controversy emerged after Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky complained that the ] was displaying a ] but not a menorah.<ref name="lkl">"Christmas trees put back at SeaTac airport", Gene Johnson, Associated Press, December 13, 2006</ref> In response to this complaint the airport management removed the tree, and Bogomilsky was widely criticised in the press for "having the tree removed". After considerable press and ] coverage, the tree was replaced and Bogomilsky released the following statement: | |||
| {{cquote|"For many people, the Christmas tree is an important symbol of the season. Our goal was to include a menorah in the airport as well so that we could bring extra light with Hanukkah's universal message of hope."<ref name="lkl"/>}} | |||
| ====Satmar-Chabad disturbances==== | |||
| On a number of occasions through the 1980s, Chabad and Satmar Hasidim became involved in violent brawls over various issues.<ref>''Jew cleared in beard-cutting case'', Philadelphia Daily News, May 25, 1984</ref> In 1983 tensions were elevated and rioting ensued. Chabad spokesman ] blamed the ], saying that the attacks were "''definitely Satmar. Lubavitch is a victim of brutal attacks by Satmar. Their record of terrorism goes on.''"<ref>"Attack on Rabbi brings anguish to Borough Park", Ari L. Goldman, ''New York Times'', June 22, 1983</ref> In a letter to '']'' he repeated his allegations, arguing that it was false to claim that both groups were guilty.<ref>Letters to the Editor, ''Time'', August 1, 1983</ref> | |||
| ===Canada=== | |||
| ====Montreal ''mikveh'' dispute==== | |||
| In 1982 a new '']'' was completed in ] intended for use by women and for conversions from Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Judaism.<ref name="cjn">{{Dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> The mikveh was paid for by all quarters of the Jewish community. Rabbi Itche Meir Gurary, a local Chabad rabbi, became director of the mikveh. The Orthodox community used other, exclusively Orthodox mikvehs to perform conversions, but the pluralist stream were only able to use the community mikveh. In March 2007 Gurary announced that the mikveh would no longer be open for conversions. Reform and Conservative Jews complained that this was merely a pretext to keep Conservative and Reform converts out.<ref name="cjn"/> Conservative Rabbi Lionel Moses argued: | |||
| {{cquote|This is a Chabad-based cabal, this is a community built with community money ... this co-operation still exists between modern Orthodox and non-Orthodox rabbis, and they have gone to bat for us. This is clearly a move by Chabad to interfere with community harmony.<ref name="cjn"/>}} | |||
| Gurary responded that the non-Orthodox had "overstayed their welcome. If I let them in, I would have to compromise on cleanliness." He added that non-Orthodox congregations should construct their own mikvehs.<ref name="cjn"/> | |||
| ===Australia=== | |||
| ====Melbourne Chabad abuse scandal==== | |||
| In 2011, an alleged Chabad child abuse scandal has become public in ].<ref name="Haaretz1.453169"> {{cite web | url= http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/marred-by-scandals-australia-s-chabad-seeks-salvation.premium-1.453169| title=Marred by scandals, Australia's Chabad seeks salvation | author=Dan Goldberg | date=July 24, 2012| work= Haaretz| accessdate=July 24, 2012}}</ref> At the center of the controversy was New York-born Rabbi ], head of Chabad's Yeshivah Centre in Melbourne until his death in 2008. During a magistrates court hearing in 2011, Melbourne police “accused members of the Yeshivah community of lying to police and trying to cover up sex abuse claims”, adding that “they failed to act in any way to protect children”. Many of the charges relate to the 1980s and 1990s.<ref name="Forward151505"> {{cite web | url= http://forward.com/articles/151505/child-sex-abuse-scandal-in-australias-jewish-commu/| title= Child Sex-Abuse Scandal in Australia's Jewish Community Spills Into U.S.| author= Paul Berger| date=February 17, 2012| work= The Jewish Daily Forward| accessdate=July 24, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| David Cyprys who worked as a ] instructor at Yeshivah College, the Chabad boys school in Melbourne, and also supervised young males at the ] attached to the Yeshivah Centre,<ref name="Age20120507"> {{cite web | url= http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rabbi-ignored-warnings-on-sexual-abuse-say-parents-20120507-1y96m.html| title= Rabbi ignored warnings on sexual abuse, say parents| author=Jewel Topsfield| date=May 8, 2012 | work= The Age| accessdate=July 24, 2012}}</ref> was charged in 1991 with a sexual offense, after a child had brought allegations of abuse against him. In 1992 he pleaded guilty and was fined, but Chabad officials allowed him to remain at the school as a security guard.<ref name="Forward151505"/> In 2011, he was accused of 41 counts of child molestation and sex abuse including six counts of rape allegedly perpetrated on students between 1982 and 1991.<ref name="Haaretz1.431373"> {{cite web | url= http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/australian-sex-abuse-scandal-tars-name-of-venerated-chabad-rabbi-1.431373| title= Australian sex abuse scandal tars name of venerated Chabad rabbi| author=Dan Goldberg | date=May 19, 2012| work= Haaretz| accessdate=July 24, 2012}}</ref> He is to stand trial on July 29, 2012. Only two of allegedly twelve victims aged between seven and 17 have spoken publicly. During pre-trial proceedings, documents presented in court revealed that some parents confronted Rabbi Groner with the allegations, but that he reportedly failed to inform authorities.<ref name="Haaretz1.453169"/> In May 2012, Rabbi Avrohom Glick, principal of the college from 1986 till 2007, changed his testimony under oath to say that Rabbi Groner had told him on two occasions the names of individuals who were allegedly molested, after having claimed in a previous statement to the police that Rabbi Groner never disclosed the names of alleged victims to him. Rabbi Glick also admitted that an alleged victim reported his story to him.<ref name="Haaretz1.431373"/> | |||
| According to newspaper reports, another alleged victim claims he was sexually abused in the late 1980s by a Chabad-related individual who has relocated to the United States.<ref name="Haaretz1.453169"/> In a police report filed in 1996, the alleged victim claims that Velvel Serebryanski, the son of Rabbi Aaron Serebryanski, one of Chabad’s principal emissaries to Australia, molested him on several occasions when he was about 12 years old.<ref name="Forward151505"/> | |||
| On another occasion in the early 1980s, Mordechai Yomtov, then a student at Yeshivah College aged 16 or 17, “took advantage” of a boy several years younger, but the school refused to expel him.<ref name="Forward151505"/> He later moved to the United States, and was arrested in 2001 in ] on charges of sexually abusing three boys aged between 8 and 10 at Cheder Menachem,<ref name="LATimes"> {{cite web | url= http://articles.latimes.com/2001/dec/07/local/me-12480| title= Rabbi Accused of Molesting Young Male Students| author=Kenneth Reich| date=December 7, 2001| work= LA Times| accessdate=July 24, 2012}}</ref> a Chabad school. In 2001, Yomtov pleaded guilty to molesting the boys. He served one year in prison and was required to register as a sex offender. He has been in violation of sex offender registration requirements since March 2003, according to the ''Forward''.<ref name="Forward151505"/> | |||
| Aron Kestecher, a 26-year-old former Chabad youth leader was charged in 2011 with four counts of indecent acts on a minor. He is due in Melbourne Magistrates Court for a hearing on October 29, 2012.<ref name="Haaretz1.453169"/> | |||
| In 1993, David Kramer, a Jewish studies teacher at Yeshivah College, was reportedly spirited out of Australia by Melbourne’s Chabad leaders following abuse allegations,<ref name="Forward151505"/> and went first to Israel and then to the United States. In 2008, he was imprisoned in Missouri for molesting a minor and released in 2012.<ref name="Haaretz1.453169"/> Kramer was the focus of the probe into alleged sexual abuse at Yeshivah College, launched by ] police in 2011. He may be extradited to Australia to stand trial.<ref name="Age20120402"> {{cite web | url= http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/police-to-ask-us-to-hand-over-exteacher-20120402-1w8vv.html| title= Police to ask US to hand over ex-teacher | author=Jewel Topsfield| date=April 3, 2012 | work= The Age| accessdate=July 24, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| ===Israel=== | |||
| ====Involvement in politics==== | |||
| The Chabad movement in Israel, organised a number of right-wing political campaigns beginning in the 1980s. Perhaps most famously, bankrolled by ], a Melbourne-based mining magnate and Chabad rabbi, Chabad endorsed ] in the 1996 election with a poster campaign with the slogan "Bibi is good for the Jews".<ref name="Haaretz1.453169"> {{cite web | url= http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/marred-by-scandals-australia-s-chabad-seeks-salvation.premium-1.453169| title=Marred by scandals, Australia's Chabad seeks salvation | author=Dan Goldberg | date=July 24, 2012| work= Haaretz| accessdate=July 24, 2012}}</ref><ref>''Feeling Right at Kfar Habad'', Arieh O'Sullivan, Jerusalem Post, May 18, 1999</ref> The involvement of religious groups in endorsing candidates has long been controversial in Israel, with left-wing politicians such as ] bitterly criticising what she termed electoral interference. Rabbi ], an ardent messianist involved in a number of controversial campaigns, and has called for people not to celebrate ] in response to ]'s disengagement plan; he told a conference in Jerusalem that "''the remedy for the disengagement is to understand that the State of Israel is a terrible thing. We should not bless or praise the state that was founded by criminals and heretics like ].''"<ref>{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> | |||
| In 1996 ] leaders asked the Attorney General ] to investigate the links between Chabad and the ] party to see whether there had been any improper funding.<ref>''Meretz wants probe of Likud violations of 'Likud violations' of Party Funding'', Evelyn Gordon, Jerusalem Post, July 4, 1996</ref> In the 2006 election, Chabad declined to back any political platform.<ref>{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> They also protested the fact that much of the funding for Chabad's pro-Netanyahu campaign had come from a foreign resident, Australian mining magnate Rabbi ]. | |||
| ====Israeli Rabbinate conversion case==== | |||
| In December 2007 the case of a Chabad educated man attempting to convert to Judaism came before a senior conversion '']'' to authorize his conversion.<ref name="noc"/> During an interview before the panel of 3 rabbis the man espoused messianist views. The panel escalated the case to a group of four of Israel's most senior rabbis, two of whom were ] and two of whom were ] for arbitration. The Haredi rabbis were inclined to approve the conversion, while the Modern Orthodox pair were not, ruling that an exponent of messianist beliefs cannot be converted to Orthodox Judaism. The deadlock is to be resolved by leaving the final decision to Rabbi ], ] ].<ref name="noc">{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> | |||
| While Binyamin Ish-Shalom an educator at the centre that prepared the man for conversion argued that the beliefs were legitmate, a State Conversion Authority quoted the two opposing rabbis as arguing that Chabad messianism was "beyond the pale of normative Judaism":<ref name="jjjpost">{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> | |||
| {{cquote|They attribute to him supernatural powers years after he passed away. That is not Judaism. It's something else.<ref name="jjjpost"/>}} | |||
| Responding to the case ] criticised the rulings, arguing that messianism was not heretical. ] took a contrary position:<ref name="jc3">{{dead link|date=December 2010}}</ref> | |||
| {{cquote|This critical message of this rabbinical court is that observance is insufficient. Beliefs also are a necessary component to enter the faith. Has Orthodoxy deteriorated to the point where it is radical to argue that belief is a ''sin qua non'' of our faith community? Is observance of halachah as a dry legal code the only thing that matters any more?<ref name="jc3"/>}} | |||
| ====Chabad Youth Organisation==== | |||
| The death of the director of the ] in Israel, the de facto hub of the vast majority of Chabad's activities in Israel, Rabbi Shlomo Madaintchek led to a power struggle between messianist and moderates over the control of the group. The messianists were led by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Wilshansky, the '']'' of the Chabad Yeshiva in ], while the moderates were led by Rabbi ]. Wilshansky took Aharonov to court to prevent him making material changes CYO's foundation documents, signatory rights, directors, and membership, or making any other fundamental changes. The petitioners claim that this is an attempt to illegally take over the group and Chabad in Israel in general.<ref>''Lawsuit exposes Chabad power struggle in Israel'', Yitzhak Danon and Itamar Levin, Globes, 15 February 2006</ref> | |||
| ==Citations== | |||
| {{Reflist|2}} | |||
| ==Further reading== | |||
| {{refbegin}} | |||
| *Dalfin, Chaim. ''Attack on Lubavitch: A Response'', Jewish Enrichment Press, February 2002 (ISBN 1-880880-66-0) | |||
| *Marcus, Joel. , ''New Testament Studies'' (2001), 47:3:381-401 Cambridge University Press | |||
| {{refend}} | |||
| {{Jews and Judaism}} | |||
| {{OrthodoxJudaism}} | |||
| {{Chabadfooter}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Chabad-Lubavitch Related Controversies}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 02:22, 29 October 2017
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