mentalblog.com comments:
Correction: The plaque was originally put up 10 years ago, and almost immediately someone came in the middle of the night and chiseled out the 'offending' lines ("ZTzVKLLHH NVGM ZYA", and "of blessed memory"). When I first saw the vandalism I was convinced that Satmar had done it, but it wasn't Satmar, it was people who called themselves the Rebbe's chassidim.
The original plaque, with the vandalism, remained undisturbed for 10 years, like the "green line" between 1949 and '67. Nobody was happy with it, but nobody was prepared to start a war in order to change it. Until, 2 months ago, the Tzfatim decided to poke the sleeping giant, and removed the plaque entirely, replacing it with one of their own. That's when the current conflict began. They could have left well enough alone, but they had to start up, and in the end it will cost them dearly.
When they did this, Yudel had no choice but to respond, and he replaced the original plaque, ZTzL and all, and hired a guard to make sure it isn't vandalised again. I'm not so happy that people's tzedaka money is being spent in this fashion, but I don't see what choice he had. And I suppose the guards do make the block safer. Back when the Rebbe was there, there was always a police car outside, making things safer (I remember the protests when Koch removed the car, and the way the community didn't rest until it was restored). So think of this as a replacement for that police car.
And Shneur Zalman, there is no attempt to evict the congregation; the attempt is to 'evict' the corporation "Congregation Lubavitch Inc", an entity that claims the exclusive right to run the shul and to decide what plaques, if any, go on the outside walls of the building. Merkos's brief makes it very clear that everyone remains welcome to come and daven at 770, as mispalelim, not as owners.
Milhouse, thank you for the clarification.
Did you see this post on "770reality" blog. I copy it here in full, it is rather funny:
BH reinforcements have arrived!
A group of 40-50 Bochurim from the world-renowned Tzfas Yeshiva have arrived in 770 Bais Moshiach for a 25-day stay in our Headquarters. The younger Tmimim arrived over the past several days,
According our sources, the Yeshiva in Tzfas decided that due to the exciting situation in 770 Bais Moshiach, it would be appropriate to send the Tmimim for Yud Shevat, and for a time before and afterwards.
The purpose of the trip is to applaud and salute our brothers in arms already in 770 Bais Moshiach who are fighting for truth, and to hopefully gain experience and practical knowledge from the veteran Chayolim.
Of course all Milhouse suggests Krinsky is doing is being done in secular courts . Obviously there are no Batei Din in Brooklyn, NY.No such courts in the US either.
If what he writes is true , Rav Yudel & co. have borrowed a page from the Yevsektzia in their war against the Jewish religion in Rusia. There too Synagogues were closed as "their legal ownership" was proven to be illegal. They of course too claimed the gabbaim were thieves and the rabbis were not the baale batim in the synagogues.The local Communists welcomed all Jews to daven there too , but by the time the battle was over there was no synagogue.
Let's wake up , this is a power play by Krinsky to take over Lubavitch completely agianst the will of the vast majority of Lubavitcher chasidim. And cetainly this "baaylus" was never indicated in any of the rebbe's final instructions.
Where is Ag"Ch in all of this? In the recent property tax documents on Ramblers site the owner of 770, 784 and 788 is "Agudas Chassidei Chabad"; not Merkos, Machane Yisroel, not CL, not the Tsfasniks. Will the real owners of the property please stand up and act like adults?
Also, Schneur. You castigate Yudel Krinsky for acting not in accordance with the Rebbe's wishes. The same can be said for CL. Here an organization appears two years following the executions of the Rebbe's will. I was present when the will was read aloud in 770. It clearly read that all of the Rebbe's property is to be turned over to Agudah. CL is not affiliated with Agudah in any way but appeared out of the blue.
Again, where is Aga"CH?
Also, Schneur, the libel you posted above making comparisons to the Yevsektzia is beyond the pale and is a desecration to the NKVD's millions of victims.
There is no parallel between the current legal battles over a functioning shul and those Mosrim of generations past whose mission was destruction of all Jewish religious activity. Their actions directly led to the deaths of thousands of people. Nothing like that is going to happen here.
I urge you to rethink your thesis.
Can Mr. D read English ? did I say Krinsky was a yevsek , did I accuse Aguch of trying to destroy Judaism. Did I call them Yevseks . Did I make any such comparisons ? I repeat: in their fight against the 770 shul they have borrowed a page (in their tactics)from the Yevsektzia. Did I compare Krinsky to the Yevsektzia ? Is this called a libel ?As you may note in my concluding remark I do not accuse Krinsky of trying to destroy Judaism , just of attempting to dominate Lubavitch.
Do you believe in fredom of speech ?There are no great ideas in my comments that need to be re-thought.But my friend you need to read carefully and not rush to judgement .
It is interesting to note that D claims that CL apeared out of the blue 2 years after the rebbe's death.I suppose this is accurate.But not unusual in the world of Chabad politics.
What about AGUCH itself . From 1951 until the Gourary court battle AGUCH existed only on paper as a funeral - cemetary body and was responsible for placing an annual ad in DER TOG MORGEN ZHURNAL on the yarzeit of Rabbanith Nechama Dina Schneersohn.
The 7th rebbe replaced Aguch with ZaGUCH, which together with Merkoz was the vehicle of the Rebbe's work. AGUCH simply did not function until 1986 or so when upon legal advice it was hastily re-activated " Mechaye Mesim geven" And with the afixing of a sheild declared to be owner of 770 .And under the able leadership of Rabbis Avrem'l Szemtow and Yudel Krinsky it became the vehicle of baaylus in contemporary Chabad leaving Zaguch under its leader Rav Mulleh Butman way behind.
By the way why does Chabad love acronyms and abbreviations like Aguch, Rashag,Zaguch, Melach,KehoTh,RazA. Are other Chasidic groups into this too ?
I think abbreviations are not unique to Lubavitch, starting with Rambam, Rashi and virtually all the poskim. It is also very common in the modern American English.
>Can Mr. D read English ?
Yes he can. And he can spot an obscene ad-hominem inference concerning "borrowing a page" from the apparatchiks of Josef Stalin. Next stop, somebody will post that the bochurim cooperating with the police in the plaque situation have "borrowed a page" from the Kapos by reporting their bethren to the SS...er NYPD. I stand by my characterization that you belittle the YevSektzia's real victims when you use that reference in a manner so devoid of it real historical context.
You have the right to say anything you want. I have just as much right to call it a gratuitous cheap shot.
:-P
This might be a subject for different post but I will point out to you that in upper echelons of Lubavitch Krinsky stands out as an American bourn. His father was a shoychet here in Boston. I think his style and aspirations are that of an American CEO. I don't think he knows about Soviet political culture. Rebbe on the other hand borrowed freely from the Russian and Soviet political jargon and style. Take a look at this exmaple: "About The Staff"
770 Reality seems to have disappeared. I go to to the link you provide, and get a Not Found message from Blogger.com
By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
I was arested for telling a cop to return a Moshiach flag he confiscated with no legal cause from another bochur.I was released in half hour with a ticket charging me with disorderly conduct and an invitation to come to court to answer charges.When I came to court I was told all charges against me were dismissed by the judge when he read the acusations of the police.The gave me copies of the relevant documents.Which you can see on my site http://www.www.torah.5u.com see updates Dec28 thru Jan 21
brocha ve'hatzlocha
Ariel Sokolovsky
Long Live our Masterour Teacher and our Rebbe King Moshiach Forever and Ever!
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