By COLlive reporter
Several iconic red bricks recently went missing from the courtyard wall of 770 Eastern Parkway causing officials at Lubavitch World Headquarters to issue a public warning.
A sign posted in Hebrew on Tuesday, read: “The bricks on the courtyard wall belong to the Agudas Chabad – 770 building and are needed to return it to its former beauty (we can’t get similar stones).”
It added that, “Don’t think that 7 missing stones are not so bad… Taking stones (or any other part) of the wall, will cause that when the wall is being fixed, we will be forced to install new and not original stones.”
An official at Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, which operates 770, told COLlive.com the wall is in a decrepit shape because of a water drainage problem.
“To avoid anyone getting hurt from stones, we removed the cement block on top, leaving the bricks exposed. It seems like a person or two thought that the bricks are now available for anyone to take,” he said.
He told COLlive.com that since there are no companies who make such bricks today, they need to retain all of the bricks in order to properly restore the wall.
“The cost of fixing the wall will already cost upwards of $20,000, and the cost to replace any missing bricks will raise the price even higher,” he said.
Constructed in 1920 in a Gothic revival style, the building at the address 770 Eastern Parkway was purchased in 1940 by Agudas Chasidei Chabad on behalf of the Chabad Lubavitch movement and as a home for the Rebbe Rayatz.
It has since become an iconic and holy site as the Rebbe’s shul and base of Chabad’s global operations. It attracts thousands of visitors from around the world every year and is considered one of the busiest synagogues in America.
#chassidishehgneivah
A “chassidishe geneivah” results in, for example, people being able to learn a maamar Chassidus that wasn’t previously available. (Like “stealing” a flame from someone else’s candle, where now both he and you have light.) Not like in this case, where taking the bricks means that they’re unavailable to anyone else, and that money has to be spent to replace them.
If you know exact dimension, you can search by this dimension on demolition sales. Those bricks are too old to be common, but not too old for demolition sales. for instance, these are 100 year old bricks. Just need dimension to search:
https://www.ebay.com/i/192832823828?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=192832823828&targetid=593772122373&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9060351&poi=&campaignid=2086088136&mkgroupid=80059919711&rlsatarget=pla-593772122373&abcId=1141016&merchantid=6296724&gclid=CjwKCAjwqZPrBRBnEiwAmNJsNh0YVmkbO2dtOBsHH88a44UJ2yP3Yi6VcruwOJtx8giOpexWBGVJ-BoCZi0QAvD_BwE
When the wooden doors were changed recently
https://www.bricksalvage.com/ is excellent resource that lets you find old bricks by size from demolition sites.
Probably some Bochurim felt that it’s Chasidish to have those bricks
It is but only in the case house of the Rebbe is destroyed. Lots of people collected bricks from the destroyed house in Nikolayev
Why would we assume that it is someone who reads Hebrew?? Maybe it’s one of the “locals” or from a different ‘hood.
Bricks cost around .50 cents, people don’t steal bricks. Now the Rebbe’s bricks, those are another story.
Bricks could of been taken by goyim as they have uses to goyin like to prop up a leaking a/c for instance. Why assume its a jew. Also arent there cameras there???
3 were already returned as a result of the outcry. Missing 4 more.
Suggestion: While they are repairing the wall, They should make the railing on the side of the Rebbe’s sukkah, removable, so that people do not have to cram into the walkway for chasunas.
Money allowing – repaint the white part (of the shul building) on Eastern
Parkway side, wash the bricks to restore their splendor. The exterior on Eastern Parkway is not befitting such a glorious place.
Why don’t they check the videos. Maybe its an anti-Semitic act.
you would think with all that is going on in the world they would have heavy security cameras around the building.
they should put this in one of those “Top 10 unsolved mysteries” on youtube.
This is a רמז that the bricks missing here are going to be speedily transferred to the walls of the חצרות קדשיך בבנין בית השלישי מקדש אדנ-י כוננו ידיך!!!
770 doesn’t have security cameras panning the front??
770 belongs to the Rebbe. The Rebbe said things stolen from the Rebbeim are bombs! If you care about your health and your families health return the bricks immediately!!! Many of the Hanochos connected with the theft of the Seforim are not available because of they’re sharp sensitive nature. Ask people what the Rebbe said about Beit Shneerson in Chevron and posessing any of the stolen Seforim! Return the bricks for your own good!
Sell the bricks as a fundraiser for the repairs, many people would pay well for them.
I’m more concerned of the possibility that a black person took the bricks for “later use”.
the answer seems to be good archivable cameras mounted on the building the entire outside front and back