New Ruling, Jingle & Yarmulkas

By COLlive reporters in Crown Heights

After accusations hurled at the candidates forum and on blogs, a key player came out in defense of current members of the Vaad Hakohol – CHJCC who are up for reelection next week.

In an email sent Wednesday, June 9, Rabbi Avrohom Rosenberg who presided over the Crown Heights community Din Torah, said Elie Poltorak has complied with his ruling.

Poltorak, an attorney associated with Crown Heights Bais Din member Rabbi Yaacov Schwei, was accused of not withdrawing court actions against the previous Vaad.

But Rabbi Rosenberg wrote that Poltorak did get the stipulation signed to withdraw the case 2 months ago, and with that “Rabbi Swei Shlita’s party has fulfilled paragraph 56” of his ruling.

Rosenberg added that Yosef Katzman, representing fellow C.H. Bais Din member Rabbi Avrohom Osdoba, “wanted the cancellation of the court actions be combined with a confirmation of the Psak Din (which was never ordered, it was only allowed).”

And from there, it seems, a ping-pong game began with each party blaming the other for the delay (Vaad members opened a website to prove this – AchdusTeam.com).

To solve this, Rosenberg now writes: “I’m ordering the parties to do it the way it was initially intended, and Rabbi Ozdova Shlita’s party shall see that their attorney shall co-sign the attached stipulation to withdraw, so it can be filed in court without delay.”

At 12:37 AM on Thursday, June 10, Katzman sent COLlive.com a copy of the stipulation with the signatures of his side’s lawyers.

“We listened and acted in a second!” he wrote. “That’s the difference between us and them. Yes, we have huge taanos (complaints), but that’s not for disobeying an actual psak. They will play and play and play.”

He added that Rabbi Shlomo Segal, a dayan at the Badatz, was not given an office or a salary as Rosenberg instructed.

Katzman: “The heat of their vicious Mesira caught up with them so 2 days before election they went ahead and took it out of court after playing games for two months.”

In response to Katzman, Poltorak said: “This psak serves as further proof?if anyone still had any doubts?that our critics lack credibility. They will exploit any good-will gesture we make against us. Had they obeyed the psak, the court case would have been closed months ago. I have no doubt that Katzman will now concoct another accusation. The bottom line is that so far, all of our actions have been vindicated by the beis din.”

Lawyer Vs. Lawyer

While Poltorak and his incumbent running mates make the case for reelection for supporting the Din Torah to solve the community’s issues, a fellow attorney and candidate Meir Schreiber claims the opposite is true.

“Can they point to one election document from that time stating that as their intended purpose,” he asked in an email to COLlive.com highlighting “The Short Comings of the Psak Din” and blasting the last 3 Vaad administrations for infighting.

Schreiber says he spoke to Rabbi Mendel Gluckowsky of Rechovot, Israel who spearheaded the efforts for a Din Torah and heard that the “process had already begun prior to the elections.”

“The present Vaad, and I quote, “fought against it”, “opposed it”, etc. What is particularly disturbing to me is that their handlers “were even more vehemently against it”. Finally, upon realizing the futility in not agreeing to it, to his credit, one particular member, agreed to arrange participation in the Din Torah.”

(Poltorak told COLlive.com in response: “It is unfortunate that Mr. Schreiber allows himself to be used as a tool against us. Mr. Schreiber’s letter is replete with fantastical fabrications. Our record speaks for itself. We take particular offense at the false quotes attributed to Rabbi Gluckowsky. I urge anyone who is inclined to entertain the possibility of their authenticity to pick up a phone and call Rabbi Gluckowsky. He will quickly disabuse you of the notion.”)

Schreiber, who calls himself a centrist and independent, said the Psak “has not brought about peace. One cannot Paskin feelings. In spite of the Psak Din, not much has changed. In fact, it seems that the gap between them has widened.”

In order to achieve that, he suggested that “the influences that play on each side be removed once and for all” and that “a neutral, fresh new secretary should be shared by both of them.”

Elections to add a third rabbi to the C.H. Bais Din will take place after the Vaad Hakohol and 770 Gabboim elections on June 13.

Is Shea Hecht Game?

Several readers sent us a link to a new website VoteForShea.com which is selling red velvet Yarmulkas – the kind candidate Rabbi Shea Hecht is known for wearing on his head.

The Yarmulkas are going for $8.99 and the website stated it has only 999 items for sale. 3 were sold as of now (Wednesday night).

Proceeds, the website promises, will go to help for “education, food and rent for the families that are in need.”

A source in Hecht’s NCFJE offices told COLlive.com the website does not belong to the campaign. In fact, he added, “we are trying to find out who is behind it.”

A Whois Records look up said the website was created on June 8, 2010 and is registered by “Shea Fan” at the address 770 Empire, Brooklyn, New York 11213.

Meanwhile, Hecht himself released a statement responding to “accusations made against my character and qualifications as a candidate for the Vaad” at Sunday’s candidates forum.

He attests that he worked closely with both Rabbis Osdoba and Schwei and that he had tremendous respect for the late Rabbi Yehuda Marlow OBM, “who was my rebbe in yeshiva and the rov that I approached for my questions in halacha.”

Talk About Fluff and Trash

Another candidate who didn’t like the proceedings at the candidates forum in the Lubavitcher Yeshiva hall was Michoel Chazan, Chaplain of Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and a former chairman and member of the Vaad.

“Most of what was said there was fluff,” he told COLlive.com. “You had people speaking there with zero knowledge on how things really work and run.”

As an example he mentioned a candidate’s promise to change the annoying alternate side parking regulations for street cleaning.

“When we were in the Vaad we said the same thing and tried to fix it. City officials showed us the statisties on how much garbage the neighborhood produces and how it not practical to change the dates.”

Chazan, who was in the Vaad from 1996 to 2002, said he should be voted back in based on “my experience and integrity” and mentioned building projects he developed during his tenure.

Zaki’s Got a Jingle

And the entertainment does not stop there. Candidate Zaki Tamir sent COLlive.com an audio track that he says is his official “campaign song.”

The heavy metal song titled “Ad Mossai” was composed and recorded at some studio by his brother Shevach Tamir of Miami.

Its length is 1:49 minutes. Enjoy.

AUDIO: Ad Mossai by Shevach Tamir

COLlive: 2010 Election Coverage:

+ The Candidates Answer COLlive
+ Candidates at Heated Forum
+ COLlive on the Election Trail
+ 7 Election Facts to Know
+ Candidates Honor NY Senator
+ Hecht, Wilhelm Can Now Run
+ Candidates Agree: No Dirt
+ Candidates for 770 Gabboim
+ Candidates for Vaad Hakohol
+ Last-Minute Signing
+ No New Candidates Yet
+ Election Commitee Reps Chosen
+ Op-Ed: The Psak is Out, Now What?
+ The Ruling on Crown Heights
+ Community Din Torah Ends

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