“They All Must Go”

Let me begin by saying that I have no doubt as to the sincere motivation of all who are serving in community posts today. That includes the rabbonim as well as the netzigim, gabboyim and vaad hakohol, Shomrim and Shmira etc.

However, something is just not working in Crown Heights. I have not lived there in some time, but even when I left, the beauty and kedusha of Kan Tziva Hashem es haBrocho, of the Rebbe’s Daled Amos, was obscured by physical decline that mirrored the societal and spiritual decline which is sadly gaining a greater and greater foothold in Crown Heights.

We are beset by problems of children going off the derech, of adults who are barely hanging on physically as well as spiritually, of rising crime, and of a general atmosphere of decline. Then there is the problem of tznius which deserves separate mention, though sadly it is a problem throughout Chabad and not only in Crown Heights.

770, Beis Chayeinu, Beis Rabbeinu ShebBovel, is in a horrendous physical state, and it has sadly become the venue for weekly, if not daily, machloikes and infighting that has even ended in violence. Imagine the impression this makes on people who come to seek Yiddishkeit and true spirituality in Crown Heights, especially if they are sent to the shchuna by shluchim of the Rebbe throughout the world who remember what 770 and Crown Heights once were and know what they should really be.

And one of the reasons given by those who are in spiritual decline, no matter their age, is that if our so called leaders are spending all of their time arguing and involved in shady deals (real or imagined), then there really is chas vesholom no reason to strive in ruchnius because in the end it is chas vesholom all a scam.

This must stop, and sadly anyone who is now involved in community leadership through certain institutions is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a part of the problem, even if his honest and sincere intention was to be part of the solution. That includes candidates in today’s contested elections, whether or not they have served in the past and no matter their records during past service.

Therefore, the only solution is a complete and radical overhaul of the leadership structure of Crown Heights, or, in plain street English, we need to throw them all out and start over again.

I know that this will be very difficult, but we cannot go down the same slippery slope of destruction that we have been descending for all too long now. For some reason, the present structure is not working, and the present system has to be changed to allow fresh faces to stem the decay.

So, as radical as it sounds, EVERYONE must be removed from their present positions and an interim leadership, beholden to no one and strictly accountable to the community, must be established.

Yes, the whole Beis Din must go; I know that in the case of one dayan whose service goes back to the time before Gimmel Tammuz, this is very difficult but as his name is so tarnished at this point, he must be at the very least given a paid sabbatical and a position of rabbinical advisor which would entail serving the community without any particular authority.

An interim Beis Din, consisting perhaps of rabbonim from outside Crown Heights or of qualified rabbonim who have not held official positions in the shchuna, would have to be established to hear dinei Torah and to clean up the present problems with kashrus (or, hopefully, to declare once and for all that the CHK hechsher is indeed up to standards and to make it clear that political statements against it are simply loshon horo with no basis in halacha, and therefore ossur). It would be monitored by a community body which would be responsible for paying necessary salaries as well as being sure that shylas are being answered in a timely manner by accessible rabbonim and that no questions of being nogeia bedovor arise in the case of particular dinei Torah.

The community body would be made up of volunteers who would represent groups with a real stake in the success of Crown Heights, such as respected local Anash merchants, mechanchim, rabbonim of the newer shuls who do not have a history with the Netzigim, successful businessmen with no record of shenanigans having to do with local property, civil servants with connections in the city, state and federal bureaucracy, and just plain Anash with ahavas Yisroel and a desire to serve. An outside body would have to screen the volunteers for various reasons; this body can be made up of shluchim and rabbonim from out of town or even be a professional firm or psychology practice which handles screenings (if such a thing exists).

This body would be responsible for taking care of the physical aspects of the community; paying the rabbonim as mentioned above, attracting any available government aid to beautify the shechuna, assisting the most needy members of the community through well administered tzedoko and gemach funds as well as through proper dealings with Jewish and general poverty and medical relief funds, immigrant aid and the like. It would also set up programs for youth in distress and for adults who are questioning or falling through the cracks – in short everything the Vaad HaKohol tried to do but never quite did. And it would foster a spirit of “ish es reehu yaazoiru,” or volunteerism, where people would know that they could put their talents to use in bettering their community in various ways, from assisting a family that is following to even physical work repairing an old community building that could become a lounge for youth etc. This body would also have to deal with the infighting between Shomrim and Shmira, and appoint a police liaison who presents a unified voice and leads a new, unified patrol, made up of the best members of the present forces as well as new volunteers. Ideally, every block would have a volunteer street patrol, under police auspices and with police training, and if it included decent Black residents of Crown Heights as well, it might even be more effective as they have less patience for hooligans than we do.

As for the netzigim and gabboyim, the former would need to be replaced by the body above so as not to breed too many organizations, and the latter by a volunteer and grass roots “Vaad Beis Chayenu”, representing both Yechi and non-Yechi daveners and including those who are concerned about 770 and can be of assistance even if they do not live in Crown Heights. The Vaad would be charged with the task of returning order to 770, removing the elements which cause physical damage and violence, and somehow setting up a schedule which allows for both Yechi and non-Yechi daveners to feel comfortable. Ideally, cleanup would make it possible to fundraise for an enlarged 770 that would allow for separate minyonim that would be the responsibility of community mashpiim who would in turn set the tone of their particular minyonim with shiurim, speeches, kiddushim etc.

I would also hope that the new bodies would spearhead the formation of a cadre of real Chassidishe mashpiim who would take it upon themselves to raise the spiritual level of Crown Heights through shiurim and other activities that keep the flame of Chassidus going and help people internalize it in these days of doubled darkness that must be turned into light.

What is most important is that all the kingmakers, no matter their intentions, must be removed from the system during this period. Everyone who serves must be accountable only to the community at large, or to a specific segment of the community that truly has special needs, such as immigrants or youth at risk. And anyone who even thinks to use his volunteer position as a way to personal gain would have to be removed very quickly and very decisively.

Assuming this is feasible (and I know that some of the details are sketchy; I left Kan Tziva several years ago and do not remember all of the various functions, or malfunctions, of the present leadership bodies in Crown Heights), it would ideally be a temporary, 2-5 year situation which would then make it possible to hold elections for elected versions of the new leadership structures. And elections would mean term limits, audits, open book policies, referendums and all other checks and balances needed to ensure a well functioning community.

I know that what I propose is very difficult. Maybe I have some or all of the technical details wrong; I don’t mind someone correcting me so that we can come to another, more workable plan. But we Lubavitchers have done many things that the world had deemed impossible when it comes to helping our fellow Jew. Now it is time to direct our special Lubavitch koichos inside, to the Rebbe’s very own shechuna.

Disclaimer: I do not live in Crown Heights anymore and have no family there. I have no vested interest in the present system or in a new system; I just want to see the heiliger Yidden who live in Crown Heights living in the atmosphere that the Rebbe wants for us, so that when Moshiach stands up on the gag bais hamikdash, he will see what a great job we did to bring him here!