By Chaim Zavdi
Brooklyn, NY
An article on COLlive suggested that the “smartest” response to the planned anti-Israel protest is to stay home and stay silent.
With all due respect — that could not be further from what Chabad stands for.
The Rebbe taught us to confront darkness head-on — with strength, with action, and with proud Jewish visibility. When Jews are attacked, we don’t hide. When Israel is cursed, we don’t shrink. And when the world wants us silent, we sing louder: Am Yisrael Chai.
Telling people to stay home sends the wrong message — to our children, to ourselves, and to the world. It says we’re afraid. It says we’re uncertain. It says we don’t believe we can win.
But Chabad was built on the opposite.
Under Soviet persecution, the Frierdiker Rebbe sent chassidim to build mikvaos, teach Torah, and put on tefillin — under penalty of death. He didn’t tell them to stay home. He sent them into the streets, into the danger, armed with faith and mesirus nefesh.
And the Rebbe — our Rebbe — demanded more visibility, more mitzvos, more light. Not silence. Not retreat.
If they are filling the streets with hate, we must fill them with life. If they shout death, we respond with Jewish joy. If they try to scare us, we show them that the Jewish nation cannot and will not be broken.
And to be clear: showing up proudly as a Jew does not mean being reckless. It means being smart, calm, prepared, and organized — with confidence, not chaos. Shomrim has made it clear: we can and should defend ourselves if needed, always in a safe, legal, and responsible manner. We don’t provoke, and ch”v we don’t cause a chillul Hashem. But we also don’t cower.
We are not victims. We are proud Jews.
Tomorrow is not the time to hide. It is the time to stand taller, walk prouder, and sing louder. Even one Jew showing up with a yarmulke and a smile is a living answer to generations of hate.
We are not afraid. We are not silent. We are not going anywhere.
And with full confidence — this is what the Rebbe would expect from us.
Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with me by sending a personal email: [email protected]
I agree with the sentiment, and definitely agree that being a light to outshine the darkness is the Jewish way. But it is also undeniable that these low life protestors are coming here to get a reaction. What would happen if they showed up to our neighborhood and were completely ignored? The protest would last an hour to two hours at most and they’d go home, or they’d act like maniacs and get arrested. These protesters and Hamas loving weirdos thrive off of controversy, drama and headlines. They WANT a fight, they want attention, they want us to react. Just… Read more »
They want a reaction.
Let’s not give them that.
Let them have their little pathetic protest with no attention from us.
Yalla. No news.
OK, then. How about confronting pro-cHamas darkness with very bright light?
Flood cHamasniks mamish with light — with FLOODlights.
Well said!
Show up.
Mentshlich and calm, but like a proud Jew!
Let’s sing proud jewish songs, pesukim, am yisrael chai, show them WHO WE ARE
A light unto the nations
Let the contrast between us and them be clear as night and day.
Last time the Arabs came and started shouting pro-Hamas slogans, the Jews started shouting DEATH TO ARABS and throwing things at the Hamas supporters. We need to avoid violence
Every word.
Also let’s just remember that this whole thing is just a prep, could be they won’t end up making it into crown heights and all is good
They want Jews who shout racist stuff and who fight back violently and theyre not getting that from Jewish college kids – now theyve found a community they can get that from
Look at NYT article published yesterday.
is a cesspool
The issue is they are hitting us
Now the issue is maybe the media will find us being violent back,
Why should we care EITHER WAY they will hate us a. If we fight back b. If we don’t fight back
I still say no violence today
But it’s just ridiculous that this became the normal calculation
NYT, for shame. Shame on you for reading that RAG !
Thank you to all the organizers endangering the lives of our families.
Please kindly move out of our community.
We are a Jewish community not a political team opening ourselves as targets to terrorists.
Please get your adrenaline rush else where.
There are young families who need to live here.
This was big mistake and we don’t even know the consequences.
It was the PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS who brought the danger. Not our fellow Jewish community. Let’s remember who the real enemy is.
Yes, some people acted irresponsibly and made a chillul hashem. Very unfortunate. But the majority of people (I was there) were just being proud jews, singing, saying pesukim, and not provoking.
Ok good now we all learned what to do even better.
But let’s not pretend that this the problem of our community. The problem is dangerous, unhinged, masked, pro-terrorist people who come in.
is that NY and US law, and the very officials- including the mayor of NYC, that are meant to protect the innocent, allow these violent, hate-filled, bored people to just gather almost wherever they want and bring havoc
it’s like bringing a bunch of bullies into your school, allowing them to spew hatred and violence, and then disciplining the kids in school- the very kids you’re supposed to protect, the kids whom no one asked if they wanted these hate filled bullies descending upon their school
what a false world we live in
Galus
This incident followed a certain individual, a controversial individual being invited to our community where our families live women and children.
Our enlightened community leaders need to be more careful.
At the moment, there is provocative darkness entering our community. Your advice is misguided — you are deliberately paying attention to darkness. Sure, the Rebbe wanted us to fight darkness with light. But what is light? To pay attention to the darkness? To leave the holy seforim (remember Hey Teves?) and shout at it with songs of Am Yisrael Chai. No! To spread light – we ignore darkness, we light public menorahs. We learn, say tehillim, do mitzvos or even, yes even, go to sleep. Staying home is not cowardice. It’s giving the darkness no power. The darkness is coming… Read more »
The rebbe was very against the demonstrations for Russia
Saying that the rebbe demanded more mitzvas and more light means no retreat and make a chilul hashem is insane
We need to stand higher not go down to their level
All the people who were standing outside 770 fighting and hitting and giving in to what the demonstrators wanted
You think the rebbe wanted that!!???
the crown heights riots. The Rebbe didn’t address it.
It’s very obvious that anything that takes us away from Torah study and mitzvos is from the ‘other side’.
Good points.
But I think our way to spread light might just be by ignoring them.
Treat the darkness like it doesn’t exist.
Go about our regular day. Doing good things. Say an extra kapitel of tehillim. Spend time with your family. No need to go give these bored idiots some excitement. Let them have the most boring protest ever. We don’t need to go bring the action. We are above that.
(If someone is chas veshalom harmed, then yes absolutely defend yourself) but let’s not go and give them the reaction that they are looking for.
Where is Daas Torah ?????
Against the Rebbe’s wishes, we have jettisoned Daas Torah ages ago. Take a look around you and see how the Rabbanim are treated. All of a sudden you want to hear from them? Do you think they are a jack-in-the box? Scream something on the internet and they magically take care of your problems? Maybe the community needs to develop some respect first and then you will be zocheh that they will lead you.
if a Yid asks for Rabbanim’s help who are you to decide that they don’t deserve it
a Rav should be respected, but if they are a true rav, they will lead and answer sha’alos to any Yid who sincerely asks
who are you to accuse the writer of the comment that they have done those things you write about
Blame it on the whole and give up on a community as a whole,how nice.
Our one only leader.
The Rebbe strongly supported the founding of the CH Beis Din and wanted the community to listen to them.
See Sicha of 2 Adar 5748.
Women should go in mass to 770 say tehillim men should have an outdoor minyan for Minch Maariv but the men should come armed. Don’t speak to them and only fight if necessary. Stay focused on mitzvos but remember first strike and self defense are in the torah
pretty dumb idea. every one should just live their lives as normal and pretend there’s not even a protest and then Sholom al Yisroel
CH is turning into a community of teenagers looking for fun, don’t pull the Rebbe card cause you’re looking for some evening entertainment.
You’re selling yourself a boat by writing this article.
Meanwhile Shluchim around the world have to explain their communities why Chabad is fighting outside 770.
We might be in the right, but nobody asked you to come and watch like it’s a baseball game.
Guys, get a life.
Hold up. Thursday night when people were going to Maariv and anti jew/ terror sympathizers were attacking us, we should just “go home”? Were not PRE WWII jews. We are the POST WWII jews. We dont back down EVER. NEVER AGAIN, means NEVER AGAIN.
If you were going to shul last Thursday night to Daven Maariv, why did you not just go into shul annd ignore these animals? By responding, you are giving them exactly what they want. I ignoring them you would have shown them that they don’t even count, not that you are cowering but that you are above, lowering yourself to an animal
The Shluchim don’t need to apologize, and if anyone has any issue, I wonder if they also are wondering why these hoodlum demonstrators came in the first place, or do they just like to read and agree with hate filled articles about Jews that literally turn these demonstrators who literally come shouting about how the Jews should be killed, into the innocent victim
It’s 770 israeli bochurim,israely mentality, this behavior and rhetoric isn’t a big deal for them,they don’t take as seriously as we do
I love when people use the Rebbe for their own personal project. whilst it’s true that that the Rebbes attitude is that we do not cower, he definitely would not agree with having anything to do with this protest or any protest. yes, you can go to Shul to Daven Meirev or to learn. We’re going to the store if you need to that does not mean to go and stand and confront these idiots. If no Jew would show their face at any of these hateful protests, but we’ll just go about doing what they normally do. It would… Read more »
The issue here seems : what’s the best way to fix this pending problem? Do we co front it ( and fix them) or do we ignore them ( and fix them by them having a war that no one came to fight)? How about putting up a huge screen in front of 770 and put together sichas the Rebbe has said on Eretz Yisroel and blast the volume At the same time fortify the perimeters of CH as the experts see to do ( as it says in 329 in Hilchis Shabbos) and in those perimeters hand out an… Read more »
It’s NOT hiding . It’s not giving compete utter idiots attention
We HAD to stay home and pray first and then we HAD to go to war to defend ourselves. This war is not about destroying our bodies like purim so war is needed. HOWEVER like the previous article said “lubavitch is not a free for all” and unfortunately that is exactly what chassidim believe they are. They can do what they want and how they want it behind closed doors. And that attitude goes into the streets. So you can’t have 2 opposite that contradict eachother. 1 – you are standing up yet 2. It’s a free for all with… Read more »
Why does is ‘noise’ gravitate to our community and not others?
they came last week b/c of Ben Gvir
they want to come again because they thrive on agitation and are bored souls
Yes, Chabad believes in standing up to darkness, and Chabad has a history of persevering against persecution, but the rebbe was pretty clear about being non confrontational, about the uselessness of protest (in most scenarios) and about caring how Lubavitch presents itself to the world.
It would be one thing if this guy brought some backing from a specific sicha, story or maaneh, but reading this article alone (with all due respect to Mr Zavdi), I get the impression of someone who only knows Chabad from Telushkin’s Rebbe book.
Yikes
It doesn’t work to fight with the Yetzer Hara, you have to schlep him to the Bais Medrash. I’m not suggesting that people go to the protest, but would like to suggest that if the protesters c”v come to Crown Heights, that instead of fighting, we educate them regarding the Sheva Mitzvos Bnai Noach. If anyone would like cards, my husband Daniel will give them out today between 5 and 7 at 1533 President St. Send him a WhatsApp message at 6464645685. OK to publicize.
Thank you!
Everyone has to be there and show that we aren’t cowards
I feel a lot of outsiders will join the counterprotest.
Lets make sure everyone is safe and no one gets hurt today.
No one can speak with certitude about what the Rebbe’s position would be on this. I’ve seen nothing from the Rebbe publicly advocating for confronting protesters in the street. I’ve seen plenty of occassions when the Rebbe advocated increased spiritual activity to counter actual or potential physical or spiritual darkness. And there’s personal opinion too, without arbitrarily using the Rebbe to support whatever position you own. My opinion is, these rented protesters thrive on attention. They are only what we make of them. You think they’re a metzius, then they will be. The police should make sure they break no… Read more »
If everyone stays home and totally off the streets they will see clearly that they have had an affect on the community because it’s not normal for the streets to be completely deserted either. Don’t be afraid to go about your usual routine because that’s how they will interpret it for sure!
Don’t hide in your homes in fear.
I think the point was not to go away from what you are doing in order to join the chaos
How stupid you have to be
Don’t make them a Metzia
That is exactly what they want
They are NOTHING by them self
And they will be destroyed by themselves
Best case scenario no one shows up to counter protest, the protesters are thoroughly disappointed when they don’t get the action and drama they crave and go home feeling like idiots.
Problem is, facts on the ground are, that there will be many many people who show up and fight for the Jewish community.
All hell is about to break loose. First on the streets of crown heights,then give it a few days and social media will be aflame.
Mark my words. This won’t end well in the long term.
The world has once again started to turn against us. First it was the fringe. Then it started to slowly move towards the middle. It’s only a matter of time before mainstream American society will turn against us.
We are living on borrowed time.
We have alot of people on our side, more than them
That’s now it looks from a טבע perspective. We’re jews, and we believe in our existence as a nation that is not dependent on how the world sees us, or even more, how we see ourselves based on how the world sees us.
They are coming AGAIN coz of the reactions. Just ignore them and they won’t have any friction or attention, it will get boring and they’ll go home and not come again.
My father was a partisan. This is not a war. Let the police do their jobs, and we should be home. The enemy wants nothing more than a reaction and confrontation from and with us. Gam Zeh Yaavor.
Fight, fight, fight, don’t spare yourself, its finally a chance for a selfless bravery on the level of soviet Chasidim and Maccabees. Go nuts for Hashem and Am Isroel!
Why don’t you fight by going to the beis medrash pick up a sefer and actually try to learn it
I am very nervous about today,
Should I be scared?
Will there be protection on every block?
Someone should talk to the guys in 770 not to start violence!
Have a massive video screen blaring the Rebbe’s Sichos about Eretz Yisroel and playing Farbrengens
Jews are News….that is the way it works. So saying that will there be NYPD in a Mayoral election year with everything and crime on the front page. Stay safe stay strong and most of all remember One Farther of us all, One Rebbe, One Torah……Am Yisroa’l Chai….it would be nice if there was a strong Rov in Crown Heights….
There is no comparison between Torah under adverse and hostile circumstances. In those situations there was and is a clear benefit in ignoring the hostile circumstances and teaching Torah anyway. In the current situation there isn’t. What would be accomplished by confronting the thugs coming into the neighborhood? The Frierdiker Rebbe did not look for confrontation with the Soviet Police. He tried to avoid them s much as possible but there was a limit to how much he could do so he was moser nefesh for Torah. Now we have no need for that mesirus nefesh.
pretty dumb idea. every one should just live their lives as normal and pretend there’s not even a protest and then Sholom al Yisroel
Read the words! It doesn’t say to fight, it doesn’t say to protest, all it says it to be there and show that our community is alive and won’t give into hate.
Show them we don’t fight, show them we don’t protest, and with this we have a chance to fix up the past.
The world is watching and jf everyone stays home and a few maniacs go and fight this will be the biggest chilul hashem possible
This is an Islamo-fascist communist revolution underway. Everyone knows the Rebbe led an ARMED brigade against the communists during their revolution against the Tzar.
These terror supporting freaks need to know that Jews don’t back down and that they can’t control our streets. When we cower in our homes, they control the streets and win. The next thing they’ll be making public prayer in our streets and shutting down our streets. We cannot let them invade our neighborhoods. I think paint bombs and or skunk water would be a good response to them.
This is such a wild Israeli way of thinking here in America we aren’t trying to piss everyone off the whole time. The Israeli mentality is go show them….. god help us!….
The BOLDNESS of building mikvaos in Russia has nothing to do with this situation.
The Russians were HOLDING US BACK from doing MITZVOS to which we did NOT respond – rather CONTINUED fearlessly doing OUR PART.
(The Rebbe in fact strongly opposed Americans protesting the Russians)
The claim here is baseless. Adveraba, if you have a source from the Rebbes words (showing that “המתאבק עם מנוול..”, “תפקידנו להוסיף באור”, etc does not apply here) present it!!!
One need not show up for every fight they are invited to.
=====
This time, don’t give them the narcissistic supply they got from us last week!
Help me understand the comparison of our situation and the situations of the Macabies or the soviet union. When people prevented us from doing Mitzvos we did not respond rather simply continued doing our thing, fearlessly… are pro Hamas protesters the Greeks or the KGB? They may even be worse, but it is just not the same situation and can not serve as precedent. A better precedent would be the Rabbis march in Washington in 1943. Its just that this happened to be much more formal and dignified. Seriously, where exactly does it say that Chabad is here to fight… Read more »
Thank gd for the shomrim and shmira volunteers and all the licensed gun holders. We cannot allow a pogrom to happen if the nypd looses control of the rioters. I’m not advocating fighting with the scumbags with masks BUT if they start attacking us and our children we must defend ourselves We are law abiding citizens that respect everyone but we can’t be bullied or abused. NEVER AGAIN
Your desire to express Jewish pride in the face of protesters is understandable but misguided. These protesters aim to distract, provoke, and capture negative soundbites to use against us. They are accusers and adversaries, and engaging with them is a mistake. Young people, often impulsive and inexperienced, may fall into their traps. Instead, let us be a true light: let bochurim redouble their Torah study, women and children recite Tehillim, and all engage in meaningful mitzvos, not folly. Let the protesters reveal their own malice and cowardice, and let them bear the consequences of their actions.
I to was thinking, it would be best to ignore them….. nothing worse than the silent treetment
These articles and comments are like the 4 groups of yidden by kriyas yam suf. One said to fight, another said to surrender, others said to go in the sea, and others said to daven. We need our Moshe rabbeinu and most importantly Hashem to show the world the truth, and bring moshiach now!
“When fighting monsters, one should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster…”