By COLlive reporter
The main shul of 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, which has been the target of vandalism by a rough group of bochurim, has undergone repair and inspection and is projected to reopen for Shabbos.
A construction crew has been working the past few days, to seal off the breach in the wall and tunnel that was dug by the bochurim in a unilateral effort to expand the Rebbe’s Shul.
Officers of the New York Police Department were stationed around the complex of Lubavitch World Headquarters on Eastern Parkway, Kingston Avenue, and Union Street to ensure the workers and inspectors wouldn’t be harmed. The entire building, including both the Shul and the offices upstairs, had been closed pending safety inspections after the discovery of the unsanctioned construction work was feared to have damaged the structural safety of the building.
In a notice to the community on Friday, the Gabboim of the Shul, Avrohom Holtzberg, Zalman Lipsker and Yosef Losh, announced to the community that repairs have been completed and they are anticipating opening the Shul for Shabbos, which they said will open at 3:00 PM on Friday.
Security guards have been hired, and the NYPD will be there to ensure order, they said.
To ensure security, the Shul will be closed overnight from 9:30pm until 6am on Friday night. Other nights it will be closed from 1:00am to 5:00am.
They also announced a series of rules for those in the Shul, barring any violence, intimidation, or threats to others. The Bochurim accused of causing mayhem in the Shul have been seen for years threatening others and using physical violence on others in the Shul.
The Gabboim also put out a list of names of those who have been arrested and/or seen on video damaging the Shul. They have been banned from entering the Shul at all.
Read the full letter below:
We are happy to inform the community that the repairs have been completed in the Shul and we anticipate that we will receive permission to open the Shul for this Shabbos. If so, the shul will open at 3pm.
To ensure security, the Shul will be closed overnight from 9:30pm until 6am on Friday night and every other night from 1:00am to 5:00am.
Only individuals who agree to abide by the rules established by the Gabbaim may enter the Shul. Those individuals named on the following page and others who damaged the walls of the Shul are not permitted to enter. Security guards and police officers will be there to ensure order.
By entering the shul, you will be demonstrating that you will abide by and accept all the rules posted by the Gabbaim and including the following:
-You may not damage any property of the shul or any part of the building. You may not raise a hand to, hit or willfully push any person in the Shul.
-You may not intimidate or threaten any person in the Shul
-You may not move any tables benches or other furniture without the direct permission of the Gabbaim
-You agree to obey all instructions of the Rabbonim, Member of the Beis Din of Crown Heights, with regard to the Shul
-You agree to abide by all directions of the Gabbaim with regard to matters relating to the Shul, including the conduct of services and programs in the Shul
-You will not make any public announcement (also including times of service or of persons to be called to the Torah reading) without the permission of the Gabbaim
Sincerely,
Avrohom Holtzberg
Zalman Lipsker
Yosef Losh
יחי אדוננו מורנו ורבינו מלך המשיח לעולם ועד
Put pict of these hooligans so we know who they are
The hanholoh said these boys are not students in the yeshiva
Where do they eat and where do they sleep?
1414, 749….
“So obviously, Jewish people digging secret tunnels is going to set off alarms for people — even if the purpose of the tunnels turns out to be completely anodyne. The damage these theories do isn’t limited to the Chabad community, though. It casts all Jewish people as shifty, secretive, and clannish; doing strange things under cover of darkness for unknown purposes.” On X, however, the story took off, with verified accounts known for pushing misinformation, such as that of QAnon conspiracy theorist Stew Peters (who has more than 520,000 followers) and far-right wing figure Dom Lucre (who has almost a… Read more »
I know one of them. They are really something . You can NOT reason with them. They are the ones putting Messia stickers at 3 am in Manhattan. They rent a basement somewhere not part of the yeshiva. They were part of the Yeshiva a few years ago when they came and are not full citizens.
For any one pointing fingers saying the Gabboim should do something, it is NOT POSSIBLE TO DEAL WITH THESE PEOPLE. Its just not. I urge you to try.
Yeshiva should have better vetting process, instead of just trying to bring as many Israelis as possible. If they were in the Yeshiva, they are responsible. Otherwise they would not have gotten visas.
Hanhala tried to not take responsibility by saying they arent their students. Maybe as of now they arent their students
It’s so sad that this is even necessary. This community has reached an all time low
Hooligans from Israel
Not right to besmirch the community because of the actions of a handful of lunatics.
All of these rules are obvious, what we really wanna know is how they will be enforced?
The earlier night closings will be a big change for 770
BH
A gut shabbos filled with ahavas yisroel and ahavas Hashem
Why close a shul yeshiva beis masim tovim
Disgrace guards 24/7 like any building in manhattan
They should have added in the letter absolutely no smoking cigarettes or vaping inside the shull ever
No smoking outside as well. The amount of poison that women, children and babies have to breathe in on Yom Tov is horrendous!!!
It’s time they take 770 back. I just hope they are really prepared to enforce the rules, and are actually trespassing the troublemakers, not just hoping they won’t come.
How about, “Everyone must clean up after themselves, whether that be books, food, or trash.” I think that will make a WORLD of difference and bring glory back to 770!
You agree to behave like a decent human being … what is the purpose of all the frumkeit if the basics are not there?
I have high doubts as to how long the gaboyim will enforce these rules as they have let these hooligans go unchecked for way too long. Suddenly they are enforcing rules?!
They aren’t Jewish bchlal if you are buttul Torah drabim should be thrown out of 770 no more Tzvatim.
Be careful with your words. A Jew is a Jew no matter what. You wanna say they’re not acting Jewish, that’s true. But that doesn’t make anyone not Jewish as it’s not possible for anybody’s Jewish status to change no matter what they do. The Rebbe spoke out against what certain people were calling some other Yidden “Goyim” etc.
I am sure they mean well! I wish them much luck! If they’re not cut out for this job let them make way for the right leadership!
The Bochurim…..have been seen for years threatening others and using physical violence on others in the Shul.
Why was nothing done until now?? I’m sure the new rules will really help when nothing is enforced.
The Rebbe would never allow a shul to close. That’s the end of chabad in crown heights.
The reason why this will fail is because nobody is as motivated as the buchorim. Oh, until somebody gets as motivated as they are good luck.
what is going to happen with all the pieces of the wall that was torn down, I believe they should be buried.
It will feel like 770 was greatly expanded
Of course the boys who ruined 770 have to be taken care of. However, let’s not forget that everything that happens, is for a reason. When the shul was damaged, Hashem was trying to tell us that we need to get down to business and do what the Rebbe asked – to renovate the shul. If this lesson is not learned, it’s a wasted lesson and G-d should help that we shouldn’t have to be taught it again. Whoever is in charge, I beg of you. Get down to business. You need to read the writing on the wall. Have… Read more »
Is the kingston side of the shul open shabbos yet?
Give me a few days most of the rules will be ignored as for the names there’s one name on there that’s either mistake or they need to be specific as there was another person with that name who normally does not attend 770 is not Israeli and definitely not affiliated with them. We know the Hanhalah is lying about them but that’s another story in addition The truth that almost everybody knows is there is only one f/ t Gabbay. How do you put somebody’s name to any list of stationary that no longer lives in Crown Heights moved… Read more »
Being a CH resident or not isnt the issue. What they did in 770 is the issue
Yeah can’t wait to see Yud shevat
And what about no giving out dollars on Sunday?
They are literally in 770 right now
DO YOU REALIZE THE MIRACLE? See how Rebbitzen Chana watches out for us! This all happened on the eve of, on her birthday and on her birthday repairs were ordered and being madeFor the purpose of the discovery of how unsafe the tunnels were making 770. Everyone davening , and in there over the year were on miracles! The inspectors even expressed that! B”H repairs were made and everyone is working on unity, new normal rules, and trying to find out how to fulfill the Rebbe’s directives now!
However this not any other Shul its Beis Rebbeunu Shebavel and nobody has the right to close it except the Rebbe.
The Rebbe wanted people in charge.
The Rebbe wanted shuls opened 24 hours!!!
He also didn’t want his shul to be destroyed. Follow the rules and maybe things will go back to ” normal”
You are Halachicly allowed to destroy a shull to make it larger
Going back in years, 770 was closed in the early morning hours regularly.
No way for the police to check each person walking in to make sure they’re not on the list. IDs? Not on shabbos.
Hope that the Rebbes shul will return to being a nice peaceful calm shul!
Their are “ladies” who attack and bully other women when the other women try to daven. Many women have stopped coming to 770 as a result
Maybe they can do something
Gabboim tried to do something to stop the bullies who took over the ladies shul until they got their lives threatened by friends of the bullies. So the bullies remainef
There’s that older single Israeli woman who terrorizes the second shul (and outer area) of the eastern parkway shul.
I have been personally threatened by her and had her try to call the police because, get this – I walked in and tried to daven – how dare I! I know of others she has threatened, too, I think it’s time for authorities to step in.
I’m sure there are more like her, this is just the one I’ve encountered.
I don’t know if it was the same lady, but I once got physically pushed out of 770 by a mentally ill woman who was yelling gibberish at me for no apparent reason.
Agitators have been seen and been filmed previously, going into ladies section, to throw things like eggs down at the men below.
There should be security by ladies section as well
What did it help
The Jewish world is on Fire, The land of Israel is in danger, Jews are being killed!! And yet people are coming down so hard on a few Israelis in 770, we need rules in 770, but people chill, again The Lubavitcher Rebbe pushed the MOSHIACH AGENDA!! I was there, don’t punish a movement for the bad actions of a few.
Remove all the pin wearing and flag waving hooligans and guess what? So much more room. Remove the chometz
if you don’t teach your kids to respect property, then the police will do it for you later…
👍Bh
Dont make 770 a victim place.
Better to focus control on the agitatores/ and keel CH safe, then to close 770.
Hmmm,
Still with the Yechi on the official letterhead?
Makes you think, no?
Think, yes, and then come to obvious conclusion that the issue is not yechi in this fiasco – it’s vandalism and bullying and commandeering more than one’s own 4 amos. Believe or don’t believe. Say to yourself whatever you want. But property and physical space is not a yechi conversation.
9 more people ,now that those trouble makers are gone.
Please forward list of these 9 scoundrels to every Shadchan[it], not just to Chabad Shadchonim, but to every Shadchon & dating website.