By COLlive reporter
Maariv, Maariv… outside.
Crown Heights residents, visitors and Yeshiva bochurim who came to daven on Monday night at 770 Eastern Parkway needed to do so outside and in the cold.
The main shul of 770 was temporarily shut down by the New York Police Department over the violence and vandalism of a group of bochurim who identifies as “meshichist” and reject rabbinical and communal authority.
They breached the walls of 770 on Monday afternoon to fight the closing off of the tunnel they built to unilaterally expand 770, causing serious concerns over their actions and unsanctioned plans.
In a rare joint cooperation, Agudas Chassidei Chabad / Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch and Cong. Lubavitch Inc. (“the gabboim”) turned to the NYPD for assistance and close off the shul for the first time since it was mandated during the Covid pandemic.
Merkos and the gabboim are currently in legal proceedings over the ownership rights of the main shul. The gabboim currently operate it, leading Crown Heights Beis Din member Rabbi Yosef Braun to question why they don’t act.
Police were met with violent resistance by the aggressive bochurim and have made some arrests. Police didn’t say when the shul will reopen.
UPDATE: Yitzy Vail, manager of 770, along with workers were seen entering 770 with construction equipment on Monday night to start the repairs of the destruction. COLlive was told that the goal is to enable the Shul to open to the public as soon as possible.
RELATED ARTICLES:
+ 770 Bochurim Breach Wall to Prevent Tunnel Closure
+ “Horrible:” Rabbi Braun Condemns Bochurim’s Vandalism in 770
When will this gulas end, we’ve been through enough! unity is what brings us together as on
Moshiach now!
B”H
Not sure if we’re allowed to leave links, but the full story is covered at the Awtsmoos YouTube channel most recent vid
מי דארף אנקומען צו א גוי צו מאכען א סדר.
נעבעך. אוי מה היה לנו בגלות.
א בושה וחרפה, וואו איז די הנהלת הישיבה וואו איז די גבאים וואו איז די רבנים וכו.
אני לא לגמרי מבין. האם חסידות חב”ד בכללותה אינה תנועה משיחית? אני לא יודע על מה הכת הקטנה והמוזרה הזו של אנשים שמזדהים בעצמם כאנשים “משיחיים”. אבל המשיחיות עצמה נפוצה בקרב חסידות חב”ד, לא?
לא הבנת. כולנו יכולים להיות משיחיים, ועדיין זה לגמרי לא קשור למה שקרה. אדרבה- זו סיבה הכי טובה בשביל להגן על מעשים נפשעים אלה. שום חבדניק לא מזדהה עם המעשה הזה. מה שכותבים כאן שהאלו משיחיים ועם לבוש כזה זה אולי סימן לזיהוי אבל ממש לא מניע, אלא הפוך.
כמובן. אני לא חולק עליך בעניין הזה. רק תהיתי לגבי התיאור של הקבוצה הזו כ”משיחית”, בהתחשב בכך שחב”ד למיטב הבנתי היא מאוד משיחית. אבל כמובן שאותם בחורים נהגו בפזיזות ובחוסר כבוד לבית הכנסת. ההתנהגות שלהם הייתה פשוט בלתי מתקבלת על הדעת.
לקבל תירוצים על השאלות שלך תדבר עם ליובאוויטשער, אשכנזי, שליח, אמריקאי שגר .
בארץ. הוא יבאר הכל לך
הבנים של השלוחים האשכנזים הם גם יכולים לתרץ ולדחוק כל השקרים והמיץ עגבניות שהם ,מכרו לך בבת ים, בצפת או בהמנהרות של חמס.
רוב חבד לא משיחסטים, רוב חבד סולדים מהקבוצה ההזויה הזו שמעולם אפילו לא ביקרה באוהל (בקבר) של הרבי.
וכן, רוב חב”ד לא קשורים למשיחיסטים בכלל.
The videos and pictures circling are displaying barbaric actions! This must be put to an end, and those responsible need to understand that they cannot act without consequence. It’s a shame that it had to come to this.
And now every white supremacist on Twitter is talking about the “Jewish child trafficking tunnels”, so thanks for nothing, 770 “leadership”!
Have they clearly forgotten how upset the rebbe was about the bittul Torah when the s’forim came back to 770?
Not only that, but the Rebbe was once very upset about a simple alteration in furniture in the Zal Hakatan in 770 proper without asking him for permission. Al achad kama veKamah regarding DIGGING A HOLE!
They couldn’t care less about what the Rebbe actually wants
There are surely MANY hiding spots all throughout 770 and the adjoining tunnel mikvah building. It is all of our greatest responsibility to ensure no big lives or little lives are hiding anywhere before they start dumping the cement. With all the insanity that happened, lives could be hidden that are asleep or unconscious.
Please check.
Chas v’shalom
Someone should bring this important message to the crew that is fixing 770, to their attention.
אין כניסה ל 700 עם כיפה של *יחי* .
סוף לכל המשיחמס שהורסים ומבזים שם חב”ד
Such a stupid remark.
wow look what this has lead to
When going onto the livestream, the feed is nowhere to be found. Coincidence? I think not.
What an astute observation!
I heard rabbi Braun. He said where are the rabinim………
He said what happened to listening to rabbonim
I actually found that sadly funny
(If it was what it looked like and I am no judge of that), why not just expel them from whatever they are enrolled in and give them 3 days more in their dormitory to pack up and get a flight home? Then a Din Torah where they live to try and get compensation for damage- which even if they have no money would serve to further hold them accountable. That would be more effective than bringing in people who hate us, who are dying for an excuse to shut down a synagogue and a huge chilul H-shem and a… Read more »
All of bochurim involved should be permanently expelled from the yeshiva as of today. If they’re here on a student visa it should be immediately revoked.
This should be completed before Shabbos. Don’t debate, show some resolve for the dignity of 770 and our yeshivos.
Yes, please. Now is the time. Take action against them immediately. It is inconceivable that the destruction was allowed to continue and continue and continue. Now those in charge need to make up for this gigantic lapse in security and leadership.
From the river to the sea, 770 will be free!
You want to join the Satmar now? You think the Rebbe would approve of your attitude?
Why are you hating on Satmar?! This has nothing to do.
It’s Neturei Karta 🙄
Chassidim don’t talk bad about each other.
Jews don’t talk bad about each other. We need an extra measure of ahavas Yisrael right now.
We have enough enemies…
Let’s unite!
Your comment shows you have the same goal as the Pro-Hamas rallies — destruction.
Rather than use your energy to knock down a holy place, learn the halachos of respect for a shul, to say nothing of the Rebbe’s holy place.
It’s about time the city took control over this. Over the years unfortunately, 770 became out of hand.
Lehavdil, let the Goyim take control over this. “Until it becomes back to normal”
Very very shameful.
What would the Rebbe say?
The Bochurim should be LOCKED UP, for at least a decade or two.
Let the Goyim do their job.
Emuna.
oh that would make it better to lock up yiden so their family’s are upset im not saying they did the right thing they did something terible but there has to be a normal and long lasting way to deal with it
What other option is there?
Isn’t that what led to the churban bais sheini
I can’t believe that Bachurim in 770 would do that! Such a Chilul Hashem!
The meshecist bochurim have shown this kind of disgusting behavior in the past
is a term that is used without being able to give a proper definiton
most bochurim who you might call “meshichist” had nothing to do with this
It’s not meshechists. It’s a bunch of radicals
They’re tzfatim, not 770 bochurim in general. People need to get that right, Col included
I can not believe this is happening!
Really not right.
And its going to be in all the newspapers, disgusted.
We thank the police department for doing their job and helping the community
Please don’t pay attention to the comments these hooligans were making
Agreed, thank you, NYPD! You calmly and reasonably dealt with a situation that was volatile and dangerous. You are appreciated by many other members of the Jewish community!
Put them in chadgadye for a while
The biggest embarrassment is that 770 is the center of lubavitch and the fact that this got to the point it did is so embarrassing and shows many faults on lubavitch. This is unfortunately what happens when no one takes action and it will happen over and over again until people stand up. The shul is run by mentally sick adults and bochurim and frequented everyday by lots of people who shouldn’t be aloud in public. All other chassidim are laughing at us
Other big mosdos of chassidish and livishe have had worse… Serious physical fights between themselves = two sides of entire community
They may be excited to jump on this, and it doesn’t mean it’s not bad, but it does happen to be very serious fringe
People blaming the rabbonim, blaming the gabboim. Wht about the hanhola. Why can’t they control the yeshiva? Why do they allow such a large kevutza of delinquents to come in the first place? Because without this kvutza the incompetent hanhola would be unemployed. Send the delinquents home and bring bochurim who will sit al hatora ve’al hoavoda. Fire the hanhola and replace them with competent administrators and teachers.
Absolutely ridiculous. Your own people are your destroying your own shul. Shameful
Welcome to the site
Its time for Kratz to be replaced as well as anyone else I think it shigh time That Zarchi Maybe even Labkovski be immediately removed & replaced with 2 f/t a people who oversees & report to Mm Gluckowsky Any Bachur that was involved in this must be immediately expelled A vaad must be formed to plan & oversee new elections for New Gabboyimnoleftovers al new individuals at least 5 in my opinion to oversee everything rallies etc. that are to be held must be approved by them new managers must be appointed Kratz is too cozy with the Bachurim… Read more »
Agreed with everything except the photographs. Public humiliation is really really bad. Like better to be killed than humiliate someone in public (forgot the source, but maybe someone can reference)
The whole hamas kvuza must go back to Israel. You hear rabbi Zarchi?
Chanina must not get involved in getting those arrested out. We are watching you closely.
How dare you compare a jew to Hamas. And then call yourself a chosid??
Who is going to pay to fix this mess?
First of all, Thank G-d no one was hurt. They could have brought down the entire building R”L upon themselves ( and unfortunately, spiritually, they have probably done so). Where do you think these bochurim get these Middos? People here have been fighting since Gimmel Tammuz. No one is respected since they are ALL FIGHTING with each other and wasting funds on lawyers and lawsuits. And that’s not counting the sinas chinam – individuals fighting, fistfights in shul, disrespecting one another etc. I thought that the war brought us together. There has been so much achdus and love. But if… Read more »
It is a problem with the way the Gaboim were running it all these years. I hope Aguch takes it over and makes the place normal.
An democratic election for a new board of management is essential.
The election will need to be supervised by independent referees.
The legal entity which is the trustee of 770 needs to develop a plan to expand and renovate the entire property.
We hooe that all of this lead to unite the gabboim and merkos (sort like the rabbonim got together few years ago).
Also once they get together, they will be able to not waste millions on attorneys and use more productivity together for the things that matter, ths also including expanding 770 (in the right way)
Whatever happened today already happened, you can for sure do something so it doesn’t repeats itself, but “they” already won, since people will be talking about expandig 770 because of this…
Anyways, just a point of view from a more positivity angle
💯
Looking at this reminds me a little of what the Rebbe said about the hippies in the 60’s. I’m not quoting, but the just is the youth are sincere, seeking for the truth and have energy, unhappy with the status quo. They want to set themselves and those around them free of a narrow-minded way of thinking. These bochrim may have gone about things in an improper and wrong manner. However, we as a community should not just be pointing fingers at these bochrim, we need to rethink our “status quo” position on the state of the Rebbes shul. The… Read more »
The last expansion of 770 took place FIFTY years ago!!!
Of course the Bochrim who did it are wrong. But those who are preventing an expansion are at least partly to blame….
And the overcrowding is overwhelming… KAH the community has grown, and instead of serious leadership, we have politics… AD Mosay, Ad Mosai. The Rebbe wanted us to say Ad Mosay with our whole heart, let’s wake up at least NOW! Moshiach NOW!!!
Thank you for this fresh breath!
These are not ‘bochurim’, which implies people who are sitting and learning. They are high-energy boys with nothing to do and no plan. There is an institution which helps channel that energy and drive. It’s called the IDF. They should all enlist immediately, where they can learn some control.
We should definitely learn and grow from this, but I don’t think the bochurim are trying to get out of any narrow mindedness, quite the opposite I’d say
It was not closed by NYPD. It was closed by those in charge of 770 with assistance from the NYPD
THAT is what made this a worldwide chillul hashem for ALL Jews, not just Lubavitz. Now on Twitter, it’s all conspiracy theories about “blood-stained mattresses” and “child smuggling tunnels worse than Hamas!”
Same people who claim all sorts of crazy stuff about jews and covid vaccines. Not the brightest people in the world
The Rebbe’s shul! How utterly heartbreaking.
It’s Vital that the Hanhola make a statement condemning these Bochurim actions
They live in the shadow of those boys, they do not lead them, some sympathise with their messianic rantings
What a chilul Hashem!
The rebbe wanted 770 to be nice and new! 770 Isn’t supposed to be ugly and dirt.
It’s time just to expand!!
Start a fundraising campaign to build and expand 770.
We shouldn’t be squashed during תשרי
Other shuls opened up because most people want to daven in a nice and clean place.
Mashicha now!
Your actions are the complete opposite of what will bring Mashiach.
Chilul Hashem and chilul Lubavitch.
“The bochurim identify as meshichist.”
Doesn’t every Chabadnik identify as meshichist (messianic)?
They keep on getting it wrong, they’re tzfatim not meshechist. There’s a difference
Get it right COL
But you’d still rather have the gabboim in charge of 770 instead of Aguch because you know the first thing they’ll do is to remove everything meshichist from 770
I would hope so
No, absolutely not
NO!!
Deal with this calmly, and with decisiveness but also grace. No need to make gratuitous generalizations and insults. Just to restore order and leadership.
People all over turn to Chabad websites for inspiration and reconnecting. All the work that shluchim of the Rebbe do daily to further the rebbe’s holy work to disseminate Ahahvas Yisroel, has ben destroyed in an instant. Didn’t these self serving Yeshes Bochurim realize that videos will go viral bringing horrendous Chillul hashem. I’m afraid to think what will be the outcome…. All of CH needs to set a day of fasting and tehiilim to break any Geziera that can come forth from this Vildkeit; SHimu SHomoyaim, breaking walls of HekDesh, fighting with police, resisting police. Police had to walk… Read more »
yup. i think the worst part about all of this is the effect these stupid things have on Hafotzas Hamayonos Chutza. its harder to spread chassidus when there are such people doing such things, while claiming to be under the banner of Chabad
No, no. The work that the shluchim do is not destroyed. No vandalism or nonsense can destroy the good that the movement does, and it does more than any other Jewish movement in the world. The only thing that can destroy the spirit that the Rebbe and his predecessors instilled in the movement, is if we bicker. We should condemn but rise above this.
This should finally be the catalyst for an expanded and renovated 770.
This will make them believe they did a good thing. And then they will continue with their damaging ways.
Besides, the way they built/dug is dangerous.
So sad, but we need to take a play out of the IDF playbook – eradicate the terrorists so we can restore peace. It’s been getting worse for years it’s about time the normal people regain control of 770. YES, I mean the normal people.
How ironic we’re plugging up tunnels in Gaza and 770?
Haha, define normal?
the bad apples need to be thrown out.
First of all they’re tzfatim, not meshechistim. There’s a big difference. Col needs to get it right. Also the tzfatim have to be dealt with once and for all This is a huge chillul Lubavitch, and chillul Hashem, this has spread all over, it’s a disgrace to Lubavitch. The world needs to know that’s not who we are. Besides for that, there’s damage to the shul, tons of bittul Torah. I don’t think the Rebbe would be happy. As painful as this whole thing is, hopefully there will be good results to come out of this. Hopefully 770 will be… Read more »
ממש חילול השם
This will only fuel hatred for all Jews . The city needs to just seal up the tunnel and be done with it.
It’s a nes that part of the building did not collapse. There would have been many injuries, and possibly worse. The blase attitude about safety, holiness of a shul, and the concept of property that belongs to the tzibur seem to be entirely missing.
Where are the parents of these youths? (I refuse to call them ‘bochurim’, which is name for those who toil in Torah, not those who destroy it).
Its time to teach them a little less Chasiddus and a little more Derech Heretz. its really not there fault. they really dont know how to behave . you see them on airplanes they are the only ones causing trouble . the only ones to blame here are there rabbis . that dont understand that being a mentch is more important than going to the mikvah . priorities !!!!
The vandalism in 770 put Jewish lives in danger. Too many soldiers lost their lives yesterday.
All bachurim learning in 770 need rigorous background checks and mental health evaluations. Anyone showing a hint of extremism or instability should be barred from entering and not given a student visa. This rule applies to the hanholla and gabboim as well (who happened to be the breeders of these activities since It’s the only source of power, control, and money). Anyone encouraging tzfati behavior must be permanently removed from entering. 770 will then be cleaned up so it doesn’t look and smell the way it does, and will be renovated bezh. We’ll finally have a HQ that shluchim aren’t… Read more »
מה שקרה אתמול ב-770 ומה שקורה הרבה יותר מדי זמן הוא שנאה מוחלטת. מדוע אנו מאפשרים לקומץ של צעירים מוטעים וחסרי פיקוח לבצע נזק בלתי אחראי למוסד הקדוש ביותר שלנו. שלא לדבר על הנזק לקהילת חב”ד העולמית. מה שקרה אתמול ב-770 ומה שקורה הרבה יותר מדי זמן הוא שנאה מוחלטת. מדוע אנו מאפשרים לקומץ של צעירים מוטעים וחסרי פיקוח לבצע נזק בלתי אחראי למוסד הקדוש ביותר שלנו. שלא לדבר על הנזק לקהילת חב”ד העולמית. וחילול השם. ובעוד הנוער הזה פזיז לחלוטין, כך גם ההנהגה שלנו או היעדרה. בעוד שרב הקהילה שלנו הוציא הצהרה מחרוזת כל הפיאסקו הזה נטול כל מנהיגי… Read more »
What happened yesterday at 770 and what has been happening for far too long is an absolute disgrace. Why do we allow a handful of misguided and unsupervised youths to do irresponsible damage to our most sacred institution. Not to mention the damage to the global Chabad community And blasphemy. And while these youth have acted in a completely reckless manner, so too is our leadership or lack thereof. While the rabbinic leaders of our congregation issued a string of statements this whole fiasco is devoid of any true congregational leaders. Not a single member of the staff of any… Read more »
While young people their age are fighting and unfortunately dying in Eretz Yisroel, these hooligans have nothing better to do. If they want to build tunnels, ship them off to Gaza
You can not generalize these people by what you call “meshichist”. That’s not what the name means. These people shouldn’t even associate with lubavitch. 770 is a makom kodosh and must be treated that way.
This should be a wake up call to finally just make peace and expand!
Yes this was barbaric but it all starts at the top!
When there is a 20 year court case then the dregs of society lash out…