By COLlive reporter
The unsettled controversy surrounding the election of a new rabbi in Crown Heights is spilling over to the community’s kosher supervision.
Demands are being made of Rabbi Avraham Osdoba, member of the Crown Heights Beis Din, to hand over the CHK kashrus agency which he has headed for close to a decade.
The calls came from two of his collegues Rabbi Yaacov Schwei and Rabbi Yosef Braun, who Rabbi Osdoba challenges the validity of his election this year.
Sam Chanin, a businessman hired by the community’s elected body Vaad Hakohol to run its operations, called the three rabbis to discuss handing over the reins.
He wrote that he was following up on the agreement of Rabbis Osdoba and Schwei to obey any resolution of the Zabla Beis Din – the rabbinical court of five meant to resolve communal gridlock.
“It is clear from the psak of the Zabla that one rabbi should not have a sole hold on the kashrus, but should be under the supervision of the Beis Din as a whole,” Chanin wrote.
The CHK, established in 1979 by volunteers, currently supervises approximately 45 companies, and employs about 75 mashgichim and shochtim, according to its website.
Rabbi Osdoba did not attend Chanin’s meeting and instead wrote a letter pointing out that questions about Rabbi Braun’s qualification are still under question.
At the heart of his concerns is the authenticity of the Smicha rabbinical supervision Rabbi Braun presented from his father and Rabbi Gavriel Zinner, a known Boro Park authority.
The document from Rabbi Braun’s father was written with two colored pens raising the suspicion that it was forged and Rabbi Zinner says the said document was a recommendation and not an official ordination.
The Vaad Hakohol is holding back his pay until he agrees to sit on the Crown Heights Beis Din alongside Rabbi Braun (and Rabbi Schwei who backs him), Rabbi Osdoba’s supporters told COLlive.com Wednesday.
Chanin is claiming that the Zabla Beis Din said, “Should there be any doubts or disagreements about the psak, both parties should return to the Zabla Beis Din.”
Technically that cannot happen as the leading force behind the Zabla was Rabbi Binyomin Rosenberg of Monsey who resigned from the position, refusing to stay involved.
Before leaving, Rabbi Rosenberg dismissed doubts over the documents, giving the go ahead to the Vaad Hakohol to begin employing Rabbi Braun. (Both of Rabbi Braun’s documents were reportedly torn by one of his supporters in “an act of confidence” in the rabbi.)
Rabbi Osdoba’s demands for an inquiry is backed by two of Rabbi Rosenberg’s colleagues who permitted him to go to another Beis Din to resolve the matter.
Rabbi Moshe Havlin of Kiryat Gat and Rabbi Binyomin Kuperman of Ramat Gan wrote in Sivan 5771: “It is clear that you cannot force one dayan to sit with another after he claims there is a fear of forgery in connection with the other.”
They said, “All the complaints and accusations should be promptly heard in a Beis Din and clear everything until there will be an absolute and clear result.”
Both parties have not agreed upon a neutral Beis Din and ignored summons commissioned by either side.
Why should r. osdoba not have to obey the ruling of a dintorah that HE HIMSELF agreed to?!
CHK should be boycotted until such time that RESPONSIBLE rabbonnim can oversee ALL aspects of it’s functioning, the hashgocha, the kashrus etc. etc.
How any normal person can read the contract between the Vaad & Sam Chanin, and not be revulsed is beyond me. This contract is a SHAM. It is crooked. Who elected the Vaad to give such decision making power– regarding things we all regard as sacred– to a single individual. Is the Vaad so sick as to appoint a virtual dictator to run our community matters? Do they have the right as officials elected by us to relinquish control over their elected responsibilites without our (the CH Jewish community’s) say so????? How much damage has to be done before we… Read more »
A mentch, Chossid and Yirei Shomayim. Please leave thus man alone to do his Heiliger job.
Stop the Russian mob.
I’m glad to hear the kashrus is still under Rabbi Osdoba’s supervision. I feel more trust in Rabbi Osdoba than the others. I also think the Vaad had no authority to sign the contract with Chanin. The Vaad was elected to hold positions, but was never given authority to delegate in such a manner.
We need Ahavas Yisroel, dont you see the YETZER HARA Fighting us? All we want, is Kosher food. Food so we can serve the Aibishter, nothing else. We are all simple Jews, Yidden are beautiful and we must love each other with a burning fire. Power and Kovod are just manipulations. Remember about what we are arguing here, and NOTE: Please dont spread Loshon Hara over this!!! Why must we fall into the hands of evil when we can all do so much good 🙂
From #1 FACT!
How many innocent people are chronically ill in CH???
Who is this benefiting?
First we hear: We are having elections to help Rabbi Osdoba. Really? Second: Harav Hagaon R’ Osdoba has hashgacha experience since the ’70s. Which other Rov has that under his belt??? Third: we are doiresh piles and piles of every word the rebbe said. However when the rebbe supported the election and said was very happy with the choice, we all sadly seem to forget. Fourth: The Rebbe said before the elections that the reason he wants elections that no one will be able to say I don’t like this rov. You voted and this is what you got. Fifth:… Read more »
Even more concerning than the in-fighting between the Rabonim is the fact that from the agreement posted here, it seems that SC has almost complete control of all decision-making in this community (because he is managing/raising the funds). Who is this person? How did this person gain so much power over our community? Other than promising $, what qualifies him as a community leader of Crown Heights? Did the community elect him? We are arguing so much about which Rav was elected, but the real power is not with the Rav, but with UNELECTED people who are using the vacuum… Read more »
Victimizing a Rov and causing tremendous pain are such serious actions that everyone in this community should be trembling with fear.
Why Doesn”t Rabbi Ozdoba listening to the Din Torah??? , That told him to return the Hechsher to the CHJCC ,
this is the all fight !
i voted for rabbi braun but after seeing all the machlokos, i think its time for him to go back to sydney
…and you know this…how? Opinion or fact or Pashkvil?
isen’t rabbi azdaba a lo tzayes ldina, of the zabla, and way dont rabbi kuperman and rabbi havlin come bake to the states and finish buisnes with rabbi rosenberg. not weite letters from israel.
ask any shochet/mashgiach in postville what they think about Zalman Osdoba ,Lebertov & Rabbi segal. then u will know why we need change !
12: He DID have his day in court. He asked Rabbi Rosenberg to research the smicha, which led to Rabbi Rosenberg’s psak. You can’t have your day in court…and then have it again…and again. 13: Stick it. Your arguments are inane. Truly inane. (But I can’t help my curiosity: who doesn’t eat kosher?) 15 and 16: Actually, since R’ Braun came here, R’ Osdoba has put out like 10 letters against him, whereas Rabbi Braun hasn’t even so much as replied. This is NOT a letter against Rabbi Osdoba. This is a letter demanding that the Kashrus be a badat”z… Read more »
to a change of administration of kashrut in our community
I didn’t support Rabbi Braun Shlita in the election. But since he election, he is doing great work. I also noticed that there is only ONE member of the Beis Din who constantly oppose peace to happen in the shchunah, and it’s Rabbi Osdoba Shlita. With all due respect, Rabbi Osdoba: if you don’t want to work for the well-being of the shchunah, please do us a favor: resign and leave the Badatz. It seems that we will be better without you. I supported you for so many years and I would have never though that one day, I wouldn’t… Read more »
I have supported him through thick and thin, but enough is enough! He is tearing this community apart!
and besides r. Osdoba is the only one that was elected without machlokes… and the rebbe said they stay for life..
This article is not very clear. 1) There was a Zabla of 5 Rabbanim. All parties signed that all the issues will be heard ONLY by this Zabla, and no other Beis Din in the world can intervene in any of these issues or interpretation of the psak after the psak. Also all further issues arising from this must be decided ONLY by this very zabla. 2) The Din Torah was held. The Psak – actually 2 Psakim were issued. 3) Rabbi’s Havlin and Kuperman signed a letter that they certify that these 2 Piskey Dinim were in the name… Read more »
I have a headache…too much!
I hope, BE”H the whole mess is solved in a peaceful way, NOW!
Because he is no longer useful to them, now he is fodder to them. Shame on them!!!!
How sad when the beardless and bearded balei batim walk more in the derech of Torah and Chasidus than Rabonim mit langeh burds. Coming off of 9 B’av it remind me of some of the things we read about in aichah.
🙁
I am sure its worth giving up his salary for the hashgacha business, I mean otherwise why would he fight for the hashgacha rights
who ever worked in kashrus or shechita plants knows how Rabbi Osdoba blindly listens and follows to political information without listening to the “victims” of his representatives. Rabbi Osdoba at the very least needs 2 rabbonim to keep him straight!
am with rabbi ozdoba 100%. this is so sad how the other 2 are treating a rov who the rebbe put in place until the coming of Moshiach
can someone explain why they give a hechsher to 45 companies and have 75 mashgichim??? why so many mashgichim???
Based on his track record :
Osdbaba should be designated as the Avi Avos Bais Din,
CHK used to be one of the most trusted hechsherim in the industry. Today the giants, ou, ok,chof k, all use chk products on a case by case basis. Rabbi Levertov, told my husband that everything is status quo because there is no bais din. OY Meh Hoya Lonu 🙁
do you respect rabbonim, period. or not? or do you only respect them if they do what you want them to do, or if you agree with them? it’s amazing how people run to praise the newly rabbonim, shwei and braun, rabbonim who the kohol wanted, and elected (say even that is was legal), saying how they are ‘rabbonim,’ etc. etc. and then use disrespectful language against HoRav Osdoba. if you were 1% honest with yourself, compare the election of Rabbi Osdoba, which was clearly undisputed, and received the brochos of the Rebbe, etc. (and also consider the track record… Read more »
the CHK is nothing worth anyway, open a new hashgacha
I think that the Rabbi Rosenberg, Rabbi Yurkowitz & Rabbi Hecht) clearly dispute the claims made in the letter by Rabbi’s Havlin and Kuperman.
When you have a Beis Din, the majority rules. If these 2 Rabbonim don’t agree, it’s their privlage, but you must report the accurate facts. The majority of the Beis Din (zabla) heard the arguments about “2 different pens”, and dismissed it out of hand. Read Rabbi Rosenberg’s letter to Rabbi Osdobo where he lays this out quite clearly…
Who is telling the truth?
There’s a letter from Rabbi’s Havlin and Kuperman stating that the discussion of the 2 different pens in Rabbi Braun’s fathers semicha began only AFTER the psak.
On the other hand there was this letter of Rabbi Rosenberg dated 21 shvat 5771. In this letter, he writes that they clearly discussed it prior to the psak…
Interesting….
now everyone can see the plan, there was never a plan for achdus in the shvei camp, all they wanted was to get braun on their side so they can fight osdobo
I know Rabbi Braun my whole life back in his Sydney days.
I was waiting for this day.
I knew it was only a matter of time till he attempts taking over everything and manipulating things to suit him…
we need rabbonim that people respect….a rav needs to stand on his own two feet and not act like a pupet….a rav needs smicha and simush and have lots of common sense….thats a rav that is respected…..
Looking at these comments one can only hope that they are unaware that only one of these three was given a brocha by the Rebbe (remember him?!) to be on the Bais Din!
I know that most of Crown Heights have already rejected most of the Rebbes teachings, but so blatantly?!
I and most of my friends will not eat from a Hechsher run by someone who doesn’t even eat kosher, and where there is only ¾ of a Rov as Rav Hamachser!
IS THIS WILLiAMSBURG OR CROWN HEIGHTS.
ITS QUITE SIMPLE: LET RABBI OSDABA HAVE HIS DAY IN BEIS DIN. IF A FORGERY HAS BEEN COMMITED THEN HE IS VINDICATED, IF NOT HE IS DEGRADADED.
get it straight. If someone is not being yashar, then get out. Please show the community that you deal with these situations in a way that you believe in Torah.
Read Rabbi Havlin’s letter and you will see otherwise.
MAKE A REFERONDUM FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS IF THEY EVEN WANT RABBI OSDABA IN OFFICE.
IT LOOKS LIKE ALL MACHLOKES IN CH COMES FROM RABBI OSDABA.
PEOPLE IN CH ARE SICK OF OUR RABBIS FIGHTING.
LOTS OF PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY DONT RESPECT THE RABBIS.
HOW CAN YOU RESPECT THEM, THEY ARE CONSTINTLY FIGHTING.
RABBI OSDABA IF YOU CANT GET ALONG WITH OTHER RABBIS GET OUT, GO RETIRE.
How can we rely on this hashkocha???
About Time!!
Where are these Rabbonie Hazablah when there are issues with their ruling???
just another excuse for rabbi osdoba. when will the rabbanus stop being about politics and start being about the community?
Another beardless individual who will dictate to rabbonim what to do
Just wondering why R’ Osdoba negate to mention R’ Rosenberg’s psak, which followed his investigation, that the smicha was, in fact, valid… Second, you say that it’s impossible for the BD to sit together because R’ Rosenberg quit. R’ Rosenberg was clear that if the other dayanim came to the States he’d be willing to reconvene. He was just tired of playing broken-telephone and in the process being trampled by Rabbi Osdoba’s side. Finally, who gave it to Rabbi Osdoba in the first place that would allow him to hold it hostage pending his own acceptance of Rabbi Braun as… Read more »
you forgot one very important detail that all these supposed “questions” on the Smicha, were already brought to the Zabl”a and they Pasked that there is nothing wrong with Rabbi Brouns Smicha! to miss this detail and to continue to act as if there are still valid issues, is a blatant twist of the truth! the fact is, there is no real argument that wasn’t heard and ruled on by the Zabl”oand only the Zabl”o can decide if there is anything substantial. so what to do? attack the Zabl”o itself and demand to go to a NEW Bais Din yup,… Read more »
That’s what happens when people who know nothing about modern day halachik kasharus take over a kasharus company for monitary reasons.
Some will remember the scandal which took place many years ago, where the entire country was eating treif when one kasharus company took an account from another without having any idea of how to manage it. This will be much worse for Lubavitch because your talking about handing a kasharus company over to people who know absolutly nothing at all and have no experience in modern day kasharus.