By Yosef Mendel Heintz, LMSW
As Pesach is coming up, I keep on seeing 2 things:
I see that Crown Heights has a lot of people who need to cover basic Yom Tov necessities.
A lot of Fundraisers.
The problem, you ask, is that if there are people in need and people are fundraising, everyone should be fine. Well, the fundraisers are 9/10 fundraising for people who don’t live in Crown Heights. “I have a Seder somewhere across the Ocean. Can you please help me reach my goal of $25,000?” “I am giving out matzah to People who otherwise wouldn’t get Shmura Matzah. Do you Know anyone?” Here I say my next-door neighbor doesn’t have any matzah. Can you help them? “No, sorry, we only give to people that otherwise would eat machine matzah if they are going to starve fine with me. I hope you find someone else who can maybe help them,” they say.
I am not here to criticize the many organizations that do a lot of good in our beloved community, such as Chamah, F.R.E.E., CSSY, and Aliya Inreach. However, we must acknowledge that we are falling behind other communities of similar size. This is because many locals are donating more to causes outside of our community than within it. This contradicts the Halacha’s directive that ‘the poor of your city come first’, a principle that should guide our actions and decisions.
The problem is not only visible in poverty issues but also in issues of education and other community functions. Ask an average Crown Heights yungerman to spend a few hours a week going on Mivtzoyim with you; you will get an immediate yes. Ask them to take a local teen out for one hour a week, and suddenly, you hear I don’t know if I am the right person. It’s not really my style, etc. Another example is an educator who educates non-religious kids outside of town who will stand tall and proud and tell you that they are a Shliach. On the other hand, the local educator will stand bent down and tell you, “Yeah, I know I am ALSO a Shliach.”
Looking ahead, I urge our community to shift our focus toward our own. While it’s important to extend our support beyond our borders, it should not be overshadow our local initiatives. By doing so, we can strengthen our community and ensure we are not turning a blind eye to the struggles of our neighbors. Together, we can make a significant difference.
Yosef Mendel Heintz is a Licensed Social Worker in NY and NJ. He graduated from Wurzweiler School of Social Work in August 2023. He works at Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services on the Mobile Outreach Team, providing short-term crisis intervention and referrals for individuals and families of all ages with mental health issues. He can be reached at [email protected].
It sounds like you disagree with the entire shlichus movement, which is something awfully wild for a Lubavitcher to do.
By stating what u just said, you are also saying that the lubavitcher way is to not take of our own first. Because that is all the author was saying.
He’s just saying that we should prioritize the poor of our community?
what he is saying is instead of us constantly, supporting “movements“ we need to also think about our “community“. Shluchim should fundraiser from their own community instead of the easy way out by hitting everyone up in Crown Heights.
It sounds like he agrees with it but is also looking at the other side. The people who aren’t zoche to go on shlichus and don’t have the shliach card to pull.
He’s not saying that at all. He’s acknowledging that organizations that focus on outreach are important but that we are neglecting the needs of our own. That is wrong. Besides, one can put energy and resources toward the needs closer to home and still continue supporting more typical shlichus efforts. Just don’t neglect the former.
He’s saying that yes shlichus is important, but the same level of importance is to help people from your community first.
He’s saying that yes shlichus is important, but the same level of importance is to help people from your community first.
I do not believe author is in anyway denigrating Shlichus, he is saying when it comes to charity, those in our own community take priority over those in other communities.
He didn’t say nor imply that he was disagreeing with the shlichus movement, just emphasizing that “charity begins at home”, and machanchim should be considered shluchim to the same extent as people on shlichus are. If we don’t focus on the young generation, who will go on shlichus after us??
Actually, the founder of the shlichus movement was clear that every Shliach must be supported and sustained by the local community.
I didn’t read of any disagreement with shlichus in this article. My understanding is the author is encouraging his community to prioritize properly. Although, I don’t live in CH, his article is accurate as I see a similar problem in my neighborhood. Even non-Lubavitchers have pointed this out to me which showed me how pervasive this issue is.
Halacha is to help your community first and that’s the moral and common sense thing to do,
this does not contradict anyone’s support for Shiluchim.
First time i see such a article, finally someone who is standing up for our own community members, crown heightsers lives matter.
I love this guy yosef mendel heintz with all the titles that come after, standing up for the fellow crown heights members.
Words well spoken!! May they lead to transformative action. Thank you!
Let’s hope!
Honestly i am shocked that a farmer who has not had the mesiras nefesh of the rebbes shluchim bechol katzvei tevel, starts blaspheming the beutifull work they do in the name of social work and care for the community. Yes the needs of the community matter, but dont downplay the holy work of the rebbes shluchim, whos constant mesiras nefesh is to be admired not to throw it in the trash because a citys aniyim come first. Honestly shocked how a so called chossid of the rebbe could blame his financial struggles on the rebbes shluchim. Umesayemim betov, Lshana Haba… Read more »
He’s not blaming them. He’s just saying that the aniyim here should come first?
Obviously you do not know who he is. I happen to know his father, a Shliach in the Netherlands, who was recently the victim of a vicious anti-Semitic attack. Yosef Mendel Sheyichye, whom you call call a “farmer”, has lived most of his life as one who has “the mesiras nefesh of the rebbes shluchim bechol katzvei tevel” together with his family in the Netherlands. He is the last person on earth who would put down the work of Shluchim.
Nothing wrong with advocating for people next door…
Honestly quiet shocked at this comment, all this social worker tried to do was defend the shechunas poor, while you launch a whole bunch of missiles at him. I wouldnt be suprised to hear that the author of this comment himself is not a shliach!
Keep it up Rabbi Heintz our community needs more people like you
Finally, after all these years of calling us, farmers and taking all our money to build yourself beautiful buildings, the only thing you can do is try to put us down instead of say, we will work within our own communities instead of milking yours dry.
A shliach who becomes so defensive when a lubavitcher is crying out on behalf of his neighbors he sees suffering? Nobody is blaming financial struggles rather saying that both are equally important a Lubavitcher in crown heights needs shmurah matzah as much as your mekurav.
He’s not besmirching shluchim or their important work. He’s pointing out a valid fact: sometimes we need to look in our own backyard and not neglect the problems there.
I am shocked that you sarcastically refer to a Chosid as a “ farmer”.
Please retract your insulting reference.
Further, your analysis of the authors comments is inaccurate and lacks balance.
You’re shocked?! Zol zein shocked….
He didn’t coin the term “aniyei ircha kodmin”.
While I disagree with most of the article it still helps to know facts. YM Heinz grow up on shlichus.
Shame on you for using the derogatory term “farmer” . Disgusting. You are not any better that anyone else. Your bitterness shines right through you. You are no better than anyone else.
also by the way farmers are very precious and honorable people. We all need to eat food! Bless the farmers. Thank you to all the farmers
Everyone chill
I wish you were in my city so I could give you the 2 extra boxes of shmurah that were shipped to me, we already have matzah so when people ship matzah to us we don’t end up using it.
While the author has a few valid points his basis of the article is completely off.
Lubavitch is one big “ircha”, how much money from outside CH comes into the local CH mosdos?
2nd people give to people they know, if I have a friend or family on shlichas that’s closer to a local organization
and respectful of the author. Moshiach Now
How much money comes from outside Crown Heights to Crown Heights mosdos? Not much. And it only offsets the fact that not nearly enough comes from CH. Many schools here don’t have the means to give their students a proper environment for learning because of the severe lack of funds. I have to tell my students with a runny nose to go get rolls of toilet paper, or paper towel, because tissue is too expensive. Often we learn with a lack of heat, lack of ac, or mice….
Is aniyei ircha literal or in the sense of “family and freinds”?
Nice article with a good point
Thanks for this. It’s so true
Yes, we all know this. We also know that there is a special price-tax on those living in Crown Heights and other Jewish Neighborhoods. That tax is that everything is overpriced. From Shaitels to Yogurt. We have come to accept this as reality when in fact our own fellow neighbors in the Shchuna are taking advantage of us. A sad reality in a dark golus.
Yeah yogurt is cheaper not in Jewish communities because you can’t get it at all so obviously it’s cheaper
Another beautiful mikvah built with all top amenities, another Sefer Torah with a beautiful event welcoming it to the shul, another expensive fundraiser event which probably cost 50% of the money raised at the event. We understand that they are important issues and everyone deserves to feel like they joined a nice event. But if COVID taught us anything, we are just fine with the bare bone events and we should focus on the help needed today, right here, right now.
Yasher koach to all who help out.
A school will go on about raising 500,000 and then spend that all on the hype for the students so what’s the point? Just to make noise?
Well said
Our, mostly wonderful, communities outreach first mentality doesn’t make common sense, isn’t in line with Shulachan Aruch. The baale boss of Lubavitch certainly a shulachan aruch yid. Please think of your children, their peers and homes before giving. Our schools need space, are understaffed, we rely on spotty O.T services and resource rooms aren’t even a dream yet. It’s not easy, not popular to prioritize our own but with some kabbolas ohel of following the halachik guidelines, each individual can turn the trend. Keep writing and posting about it. Our community has helped set up many successful shluchim, carried them… Read more »
Totally agree and yet when our own need help from our own, no one is there! Perhaps its time to fulfill one of the mivtzoyim that the Rebbe strongly encourged: love your fellow as yourself. Still not being done yet. Would you like to begin?
Finally! Someone stood up and said it the way it is.
Totally agree with every point in this article. I have been saying the same things for year. Just look at other communities Williamsburg/boro Park and see how much money is put into their own communities.
WE are the ones who have 14 cousins on shlichus soliciting funds. The attention to outreach doesn’t exist in those other places.
Well those places look better bgashmiyus and bruchnius and maybe the reason is because of the fact that we are to focused on doing so much shlichus are own children are falling thru the cracks. It’s not just a money issue. Halavy crown heights would look like Williamsburg or boro park
If families can’t afford NY move.
Undermining shlichus to help families making bad financial decisions is ridiculous.
Moving out is in many ways pricier especially with children who have special needs, the help ppl get through government programs dealing with such children you don’t find out of NYC. Also it’s sounds so easy to you to decide what others should do but you fail to realize or are immature enough to comprehend other people’s struggles.
He is not undermining shlichus chas v’shalom just saying that ppl have a hard time inventing in their own community and feel better about themselves helping out a shliach so that’s why the community is neglected.
While I agree with the points made in the article very much, one point to think about is that if many of these yungeleit were not on Shlichus they would also be struggling in CH and require help in that way.
Saying from experience, being in both situations….
But we definitely need to shift our focus on Shlichus to helping our own .. B’gashmius U’bruchnius!! As has been said on many occasions
The author seems to see the world in a very finite way forgetting that there is a creator who gave us a way of breaking out of the finite world, Hashem tells us that when we give Tzedakah we don’t lose the money we gave away, saying that by giving a shliach tzedakah there is less to give in CH is going against what Hashem says, people can give tzedakah to multiple places. Same thing with helping people spiritually the rebbe says that when we help someone spiritually we will have a bracha in our time so we will be… Read more »
Thanks for your support!
On point article!
Thank you for saying what we are all thinking but are too scared to say
1° he’s not critizing the work of shlichus. He’s saying that sometimes the priorities are not clear or the title comes first.
2° people need moré skills to have better jobs,so they shouldn’t have to rely on somebody ese, unless it’s necessary.
The better your job, the more you’re taxed, charged tuition, health care etc … Without any benefits.
Really what we need is universal school choice. (Funding for tuition is designated per child to be spent at the parents discretion to any cost of education….)
I’m not sure what the solution is but it is a very valid point that a huge amount of CH resources are being outsourced when our own community can use the help. My friend who is on shlichus tells me every year do not contribute to our campaign, shluchim need to fundraise outside of the crown heights community.
Our own fundraisers are struggling to just just make it. These are organizations that help our own community members. Something needs to change.
A huge amount of resources is stolen from our community. Ie: all our property taxes are not allocated to our tuitions. We shouldn’t have to send to public school.
it’s crucial to acknowledge the enormous financial burdens shouldered by those hosting large community events, such as the significant Shabbos my friend recently organized for 900 students. The event’s cost soared to over $40,000, illustrating the profound financial challenges faced by individuals like a shliach/Rabbi in their dedication to broader community service and outreach.While the emphasis on local charity and supporting our own community’s needs as mentioned in the article is undeniably important, it’s also essential to recognize the scale and impact of what individuals engaged in broader outreach have to manage. Hosting such a vast number of students not… Read more »
when wealthy students are attending I think the chabad houses should make it very clear to them that they need and want money donations, especially to their parents when possible.
They should charge their community the full cost.
As a shlucha who sends money regularly to CSSY… The Rebbe said that shluchim should feel that Crown Heights is their home, and Aniyei Ircha Kodmin.
The Rebbe clearly wanted local communities to support their Shluchim. Uniyei Ircha Kodmin is Shluchan Aruch and the Rebbe was a Shulchan Aruch yid.
I feel this is a bigger problem we are facing. Shulchan Aruch needs to be put back into the center of Chabad.
The problem is people are to focused on chassidishe chassidishe chassidishe and forget the shluchan aruch when the rebbe was the most shluchsn aruch type of yid
The article is right on!
Give your own and than give everyone else.
Crown Heights takes care of locals first so we are a good example!
Thank you to the generous donors in Crown Heights that give anonymously and generously before every Yom Tov.
To those contradicting the article, you obviously have problems with taking a moment to reflect how you could do bettter.
The Rebbe himself stated that Shlichus starts at home!
if you are planning on shipping matzah to people who aren’t poor, you might consider asking them before shipping it, if they already have shmurah matzah, if they don’t need any, and that way they can tell you if they don’t need it, and if they don’t, you can instead give the money to a place like the author of this post is talking about, or needy jews in Israel. We do appreciate your kind actions regardless but for the future we want money to be distributed most effectively to the most poor jews especially in Israel and this is… Read more »
Newly married and moved to CH. Despite being connected to fabulous organizations elsewhere I specifically wanted to mainly give here.