By COLlive reporter
The rising numbers of panhandlers at the main shul of 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights has led the ones in charge to instate a new rule: Pay for your stay.
Charity collectors who roam around the large shul, its lobby or entrance throughout the day are now asked to pay a symbolic $5 a day from what they collect.
One outraged panhandler has told the New York Post. “Poor people collecting money have to pay? It’s like extortion.”
And some congregants like real estate owner Mendel Drizin refused to believe it. “It’s a lie from top to bottom!” he was quoted as saying. “These rabbis are not poor people — they don’t need the $5 for people to beg inside.”
The policy was created by R’ Avrohom Holtzberg, one of the 5 gabboim elected to the shul by Crown Heights residents (the role of Congregation Lubavitch Inc. as administrators of the shul is being contested in court by the Chabad establishment).
While Holtzberg was not reachable for comment, two of his colleagues told COLlive.com the move was more than justified.
“Many of the tzedaka collectors are not unemployed people,” one of them said, asking to remain anonymous as financials was Holtzberg’s responsibility.
“What we have here is an open shul that anyone could come, spend the whole day here and collect for himself or an institution, and we are left paying the maintenance and electricity bills each month,” he said.
He added that “what is being publicized is not honest.”
Another gabbai, also asked not to be named, said: “They get free shelter, coffee, cake, a chance to raise money – $5 is not a percentage.”
BH
BSD
IS THAT WHAT THE REBBE WOULD LIKE?
The coffee cost money,the restroom cost money come on!
Famous story you may all recall. Charging people to collect or not allowing people to collect has been done before as stated by Rabbi Levi Yitchok of Bardichiv “IN SEDOM.”
just make a rule no colekting during davening because it disturbes the mispalelim imagen you are davening shmona esrey an this guy is standing there wating for you to finish davening and then you cant concentrate and you start praying that he will go away
have we become sodom and amorah? I felt the same way when Guiliani said people could not panhandle. Im by no means a bleeding heart liberal. But you cannot take away nor charge for so basic a human right as to beg. Im sorry for all you that are disturbed by them or dont think they are ligit g-d help that you never should have to beg, its so sick to kick someone when they are already down. Like one poster wrote “i dont think avrohom avinu had that attitude” We have forgotten our roots and values.
Yes, of course that is true if the person is truly in need of tzedaka. But, what if the person is buying alchohol or drugs? Unfortunately, in this day and age, giving is sometimes aiding an addict. I am a soft- hearted woman who would always give anyone and everyone, because I felt the same, until one day… I saw one of the “usual” customers come into the liquor store where I was, plunk down all his assorted change, and ask for the “usual”.
Ask your rov to give you advice as to who is a true needy recipient.
The Post wasted a chance. It would have been so easy to get a great story by sending in a rookie reporter to try shnorring. Newspapers have the internet machala too — it’s only real if it’s bogged.
I wonder if Avrohom Avinu charged per day for a stay. Aren’t we the one’s carrying on his mesora. Apparently Chabad isn’t!
i know for a fact that some of these beggars have more money then the average big family of crown heights,but we still have to give-that is the law.so,i thnk it is fair to ask them to pay something back to the community,that supports them
I believe the chinese auctions charge admission to keep out the beggars.
since when do the gaboim pay for electricity?
thanks #7
if other shuls are free why do thay come to 770 and pay $5 ???
mabee its still whorthwile for them and shul gets income too
Just make it obligatory for the beggars to give their maaser money to 770. They’ll collect much moe that way!
I hold from what 770 is doing
why should u anyway agree with that?
that really doesn’t make sense al all, and anyway it’s not fair …
you cant let them get their parnossah in peace you have to find a way to get money out of them also like they dont have enough problems already without this???!!!????!!!!
If someone is really at the end of his/ her financial rope, there are numerous institutions that can help. This is new York city in the 21st century- not to be crass, but people generally dont starve to death. Theres food stamps, unemployment, wic, disability, chjcc food pantry, and more. I don’t feel sympathetic for panhandlers because with a little effort they can receive aid from a few different places, especially if they are legitimate and really do need the help. Worst comes to worst, even making a living as a garbage collector is better than collecting money- the gemara… Read more »
use the $5 to give these people a course in halacha
where in davening you can interrupt a mespalel that he should
stop davening and give them ….
as we see those who come with a Jewish education
do not disturb when they are not suppose to…
who is youre rov?
“have them “register” so you can check them out to see if they’re allowed to beg”
RIGHT ON!
most established jewish communities have a vaad atzdakah that gives certificates to collectors. The pay an $80 fee to obtain these cetificates and the vaad does research on these individuals as to verify why they collect. If they are not ligit they do not get a certificate.
Another gabbai, also asked not to be named, said: “They get free shelter, coffee, cake, a chance to raise money – $5 is not a percentage.”
with my russian background if someone was ask me before i read. i will answer sure, it always work in this manerr. any doubdt. especialy in rusiia and franse it going for hundred years. nobody can beg w/o pay. even in kotel maaravi (i see it in arutz2) it vos tah some sousand dollars in month to beg. and only after police enter agetn ti was inwestigate, but finaly nobody arested. why amaricans so naive? other side. it some place in CH that needed can get kosher food, you never see beggars asking for food, and real needed people beg… Read more »
there is this 1 scary looking guy who is seen collecting every morning in 770 and outside the mikva on kingston avenue late every friday. I have seen him eating and drinking at starbucks in park slope whilst on his ipad. he should be kept away.
I’ve heard it from their mouths…they earn more this way then by getting a real job…I have no pity for them…and when u give them ur own hard earned money and they don’t agree with the donation…some even throw it back at you….most don’t come from ch…and some go to all the jewish communities…maybe I should quit my career….and do this…I’ll make more money for my family….
Do they allow beggars to panhandle in Temple Emmanuel? What about Riverside Church and Patrick’s Cathedral?
there are quite a few phonies out there
ever “tom dick & harry” can come to 770…………& make afew bucks they can giv 5 or 10 dollars to the Shul…….
if you read it its so good becuse why not?????
b/c if you go over there you will see them and they will ask you for money that we dont have but we still have to give b/c they dont have and if they don’t have we should give then bet we dont have any thing to give then but these who can give shuld give GET IT BECUSE I DONT
There’s a letter from the Rebbe in Igros in which he writes that if one is not sure whether certain charities are really deserving, one should recognize that it could probably be argued that he himself doesn’t deserve the kindness bestowed upon him by the Airbishter. The solution, then, says the Rebbe, is to give to other unquestionable charities IN ADDITION to the questionable one. (Don’t remember the volume off-hand, but a quick look at the maftechos should resolve give you that info)
ask your Rov if giving these people $$ is being Mikayim the Mitzvah of Tzedakah… mine says no.
Either kick them out, let them beg for free or have them “register” so you can check them out to see if they’re allowed to beg but charging a fee is just wrong.
This will inevitably attract all major news stories since it is a very awkward and heartless thing for a religious institution to do.
if somebody has to beg for money chas veshalom why should they have to pay 5 dolars
The CHJCC should give the Real collectors a pass stating they are real just l.ike in other communities , These beggars are not from our community , They drive here to make $40.00 an hour Clean NO TAXES.
They are drug users , theifs, and outright troublemakers
They have been caught stealing Tefillin , money pushkes and disturb you during Davening all the time
as annoying as they are, where ever there is a shul there will be beggers, this is part of our culture… every chassidisher story we were told growing up ( well maybe not every;) involved a begger… to charge them is ridiculous !!
and on another note …. aren’t most shluchim (glorified) beggars too?? let start chargeing them to come to 770 too!
So give them all a dollar!
Some Of them Are Gypsie Women That have Men Waiting for them Nearby; Same thing goes For the Simcha Halls:
They Package Up & Take Loads Of Food; That is meant for the Guests In the Hall;
every frum shul in the world has a fee, plus you know those letters from rabbonim you see the beggars holding when they collect the money? well they need to pay anywhere from $200 to $1000 for that letter and it expires.
so why did you see this article in the NYP? because people who hate chabad and CH will find anything to write up about and send it to the papers and try and make us look bad!
This is the email I sent to the reporter. Dear Mr. Busio I read your article in today’s NYP online edition and I am totally shocked. I am usually a big fan of the NYP however you must have been under some pressure or this story was misrepresented to you. I pray in that synagogue several times a week and have never gotten the feeling or have heard any of the beggars complain about a synagogue fee. If anything there might be fight’s amongst the different factions of money collectors. let’s say, for arguments sake, that such a fee was… Read more »
Notice who is involved? Anything that Mr. Rosenberg touches stinks.
“Beggars told the blog Failed that they were being slapped with a $5 fee because the congregation is “losing too much money” to the panhandlers.”
These panhandlers are aggressive and swarm all over you. If you give a dollar to one of them, the others all attack!
thats not fair for them
is this really true?
sounds strange to me.
I cant believe this is really going on…
Thats really ironic. Why does it matter if they beg inside?? Just as long as they are not in the way. I just dont get it.
Please?