By COLlive reporter
Photos by Itzik Roytman
Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, the educational arm of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, called for an overhaul in the Yeshiva that operates at Lubavitch Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, NY.
Speaking at a Monday night farbrengen in Crown Heights, Rabbi Krinsky called for background checks to be made on students that enroll in the Central Yeshiva Tomchei Tmimim Lubavitch.
He was responding to recent bullying and harassment of bochurim by a small group of Israeli youngsters who are in the United States on an F1 student visa from the Yeshiva.
“I’d like to state that there are dear bochurim from all countries that learn here – and they are the majority,” he said in his speech at the Crown Heights Kollel. But, he added, “the world says that when there’s one rotten apple in a basket, the entire produce can be affected.”
Rabbi Krinsky, who served as the Rebbe’s secretary, revealed that the Rebbe himself “wasn’t happy” with the organized Kevutza groups of Israeli bochurim coming to New York to study for a year or more.
“The Rebbe once wrote a note that, ‘in general, he does not see the benefit of bochurim traveling here from Eretz Yisroel etc.’ He wasn’t happy about it,” Rabbi Krinsky told the crowd of residents and bochurim present.
Rabbi Krinsky said that he has repeatedly asked the “Hanhalah” administration of the 770 Yeshiva, led by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Zalman Labkowski and Mashpia Rabbi Shlomo Zarchi, to vet foreign students before accepting them.
“I know that by the women’s seminaries in Eretz Yisroel, France and Australia, representatives of their hanhala come to New York and meet with the students and their teachers. They look at records of attendance, order, behavior etc. And they choose. They don’t take everyone,” he said.
He said that he’s been asking the Yeshivas to do the same. “If you want to bring bochurim here from Eretz Yisroel or other places, at least you should check ‘Who and who are going.'”
“I asked if they do the same with the bochurim they bring from out-of-town. They said yes. ‘Yes? You do that?’ I asked. ‘You have traveled to Israel to bring the bochurim here? You spoke to the hanahlah, received their records about keeping time, order etc.?'” Rabbi Krinsky related.
Rabbi Krinsky said that the answer he then got was “no,” and that they were basing their decision on “They say they’re good bochurim…”
He went on to call the current situation, where police were called to settle a violent incident in the Yeshiva, an “outrage.”
Merkos and Agudas Chassidei Chabad International are in legal proceedings with the board of governors that run Cong. Lubavitch over custody of the 770 main shul where the Yeshiva operates.
Pointing out that violence is Esau‘s mode of action, he candidly asked, “when will the Yeshiva be run in an orderly fashion as the Rebbe wanted? How can we put such obstacles in front of the bochurim?”
Opening the event was Rabbi Schneur Zalman Goodman, Head Shliach of Ashdod and father of the 2 bochurim who were recently bullied. One of them, Shmaya Goodman, marked his birthday on Monday. They are relatives of Rabbi Krinsky.
The event included singing niggunim and words of Torah shared by 770 Gabbai Rabbi Zev Katz, Rabbi Chaim Baruch Halberstam and Rabbi Zarchi who focused his talk on the need to increase in learning with joy and spirit.
I passed by yesterday and its filthy. A chilul Hashem because everyone knows who lives there.
Yes every bachur should be looked into, and yes everyone that has no criminal record should be given a chance. This was the the Rebbes shita is speech, talks and action.
Maybe we should ban half the Rebbes teaching our children because of the danger and chillul hahsem that has come out from the abuse over the years. Lets address that first and foremost then tackle our children.
we are dealing with violence!!!
we are dealing with chilul hashem and chilul lubavitch in the greatest of forms!!!
perhaps we should have a disscussion on the rebbes opinion on domestic abuse? terrorism? murder?
whats wrong with u people?! u guys sound like obama re isis…
Pres. Richard Nixon once said, “The Great Silent Majority.” How apropos. L’havdil, ‘our’ situation here in Crown Heights central.
Not that long ago, 770 was such nice place.
Try not to focus on the speaker and whether he is biased or should have said this long ago. And try not to focus on whether there was or not a Rebbe answer many years ago that may or may not be applicable to the current situation. Try better to focus on what is currently happening and what you think is a logical approach. There seems to be inappropriate behavior occurring by yeshiva bochurim here in ny, and possibly particularly by bochurim from israel. Does hanhala have the ultimate say over what transpires in the Yeshiva? Does the hanhala have… Read more »
Translation of last photo in this article: 5787-5788 [1986-88] Answer of the Rebbe to a hanhala member at Yeshivas Toras Emes who wrote regarding the Kevutza: “We should endeavor to send more talmidim from Toras Emes than every year” – the Rebbe circled these words and wrote: “?! “Looks an error has occurred. “Aderaba – My opinion does not concur with [the idea] of sending talmidim to here from Eretz Hakodesh, may it be rebuilt, (also not from Tomchei Temimim) even in the numbers of up till now, and clearly – not to add [more talmidim]. “The reason – is… Read more »
This seems to be the source to what Rabbi Krinsky was saying: In Ymei Tmimim (v4 p271), in connection to the Talmidei HaKvutzeh’s traveling to the Rebbe from Pesach time (as they would some years for a half-year, or beginning their year from Pesach), the Rebbe responded to the hanhala of Kfar Chabad (via telegram – apparently for the urgency!) very sharply (7 Nissan 5730): תמוהה ומוזרה השמועה כאילו לא הזהירו כל אחד ממש מהתלמידים הרוצים לנסוע לכאן שזה תלוי בהחלטתם התקיפה ללמוד כאן בהתמדה וביראת שמים ובהנהגה חסידותית, ובוודאי יזהירו עתה ויודיעני בטח. Needless to say, Rabbi Efroyim Volff… Read more »
thank you, oh how i wish rabbi krinsky would have been allowed to do more in the past 20 years. instead bitter infighting has caused to sit on the side and literally be quiet. while other mazkirim run around speaking all day making themselves important, the one person who was actually helping the rebbe every day on anything that needed to be done is kept on the side and basically told to be quiet. i wish rabbi krinsky hatzlacha in getting back 770 into the hands of chasidim and when he does, i hope the yeshiva is not allowed in… Read more »
We all agree that one something is broken we need to fix it. ALL OF THE PROBLEMS START with bringing these guys here. Most go to work and live in 749 for up to 20 years without rent. Just last week a guy who is almost 50 was finally thrown out of 749. The entire 749 is full of israelis who do nothing but trouble. I say stop bringing them all both sides.
Needs major overhaul in behavior of many girls and staff.
I happen to learn rambam with a chavrusa daily between mincha and maariv. I mentioned this post to my chavrusa and he found this amusing. He recalls about 1970 when he was in the kevutza the Hanhala wanted to allow only 20 Bachurim from forty that wanted to come. The Rebbe reacted very strongly at the farbrengen and the hanhala got visas for the rest to come. So I ask in what context did the Rebbe supposedly say that the kevutza is ???? Maybe somebody did not understand Rabbi Krinski !!! I just hope nobody is taking the Rebbes words… Read more »
I’m #19. Didn’t realize that it was loosely worded. Only the comma shows that profiling was not the Rebbe’s horaah, but R’ Yudel’s suggestion. Many others probably misread it too. The Rebbe did indeed address a case of bochurim shlogen zich mit di hent “di yodaim yedai Eisav” and said clearly to R’ Dovid Raskin O”H on video “oder zei zoln zich nishtane zein min hakotzeh el hakotzeh oder zei zol zich uppaken un forn kein bnei brak – Either they should complete change (and stop using their hands like Eisav would or they should pack up and go to… Read more »
If this is the first time you saw “Lubavtich” yeshivas disregarding what the rebbe said then you obviously are not paying attention.
Rabbi Krinsky is a true Eved ne’mon.
No wonder the Rebbe chose him back in the 1970’s and 1980’s to be a part of his holy mazkirus:
Agudas Chabad
Machne Yisrael
Merkoz
And then chose him to be the executor to his will.
He is the last surviving member chosen personally by the Rebbe to be on his boards of directors.
Yaarich yomim al mamlachtoi!
I used to learn as a Lubavitcher in Litvish yeshivas, I am sorry but every Lubavitch yeshiva bchitzonius looks less orderly and learning focused, compared to a Litvish yeshiva. We talk more during davening and many yes many examples. Now I understand our maylos, but it took many years. I am not a Baal Tshuva, my parents have letters, dollars etc from Rebbe, also as chasidim. Please don’t underrate our homebase or our yeshivos bichlal. I also have seen extreme extreme unprovoked violence, from the 2nd opinion, the one Rabbi Krinsky, with all due respect, is not speaking against.I think… Read more »
Why is their no elections for Gaboim in 770?
Just because CHJCC has no elections even thought its past due by years. 770 should not suffer and overhaul is needed and terror must stop.
Rabbi Krinsky you should have arichas Yomim veshanim tovim
Yad of True chassidim will be on top (ol Elyoana)
We want Moshiach and the Rebbes shul back now!!!
#10 I AGREE with you.
Now, there are enough video clips of bullying going around.
Let the hanhala return those boys as an example.
Where & when did the Rebbe say this:
Similar to birthday yechidus for bochurim, the rebbe stopped it saying that its not productive.
The problem is not the Kvutzah. The Hanholo stated that those thugs were not even enrolled in the yeshivah. The problem is the hefkerus in 749, 1414, and yes, 770.
It is not about the bochurim coming to learn, it is about the tag-alongs. And that has always been an issue, even back in the Me”ms when i was in 1418.
there are 3 serious well mannered chassidishe Israeli bachurim who have their heads down in the sefarim in 770 almost 24/7. Empty vessels make the most noise. its not fair to put them all together. of course do the screening but that doesn’t mean the serious ones shouldn’t get that chance or get a bad name coz of the others. u don’t have to go to Israel to do it, you can appoint someone who lives in Israel,
The Rebbe founded kvutza, but later didn’t like how it was progressing. Similar to birthday yechidus for bochurim, the rebbe stopped it saying that its not productive.
if you say that it can’t be true because then hanholo would for sure stop it, your being naive. There are so many things hanholo doesn’t do according to the rebbes instructions. Take this story for example, the rebbe said in no uncertain terms not to keep a bochur who continues using hands. How about the story that made the rebbe take his name off the yeshivas leadership
Anybody who ever opened a sefer in the rebbes torah will know that the rebbe said countless times that its osur to leave e.y with some exeptions, one of them being to learn, and the rebbe was very upset when this condition was not fulfilled. People who come to 770 to fight their holy war against everything that lubavitch stands for, from the rebbes own daled amos, definetly should not be getting visas. These pople terrorise not only those in 770 but anash and shluchim around the world
Rabbi Glucowsky has copies of all the rebbe’s letters and answers regarding to not needing to have bochurim from out of town in the yeshivah/770 he shows then to ppl when they refuse to pay dues.
The svora to check into bochurim before may be good (the flip side is that it would inevitably exclude many decent ones and is usually a slippery slope. There’s some chaos now, which can be reigned in in other ways, but at least bochurim know that they have a place to go to. But here’s the problem. The article raised an objection of the Rebbe to bochurim coming from E”Y. I’d be very interested in seeing the note and the context. But the summary claims that the Rebbe said something which neither the Rebbe nor Krinsky said in the Rebbe’s… Read more »
I used to learn as a Lubavitcher in Litvish yeshivas, I am sorry but every Lubavitch yeshiva bchitzonius looks less orderly and learning focused, compared to a Litvish yeshiva. We talk more during davening and many yes many examples. Now I understand our maylos, but it took many years. I am not a Baal Tshuva, my parents have letters, dollars etc from Rebbe, also as chasidim. Please don’t underrate our homebase or our yeshivos bichlal. I also have seen extreme extreme unprovoked violence, from the 2nd opinion, the one Rabbi Krinsky, with all due respect, is not speaking against.I think… Read more »
The people who needed to be there and hear weren’t. Of course, they won’t listen to anything, they are too cowardly to stop the violence.
Rabbi Krinsky is constantly harassed, spit at and verbally abused by these bochurim , but only once it happens to others does he feel compelled to speak out.
This is an amazing human being.
Before you criticize why don’t you come downstairs yourself and see hundreds of Kvutza bocherim sitting and learning all day. Most of them end up on schlichus too, hastening the coming of Moshiach
Violence is 100% unacceptable and a chilul Hashem and chilul Lubavitch.
Thank you Rabbi Krinsky for addressing issues that need to be taken care of!
There are so many bullies that lurk in yeshivas and Jewish schools. I hope you keep your eyes on these monsters. Some of the worst come from frum families and Rabbis sons
One day as I was standing in 770 I feel a tap on my shoulder a non chabad fellow wanted to know if this was the main chabad yeshivah….. I wasn’t quite sure how to answer being that the scene in front of us wasn’t exactly as a yeshivah should look…. I hope that whoever has the power to help the situation will put their power into action and make the Rebbe proud of the central lubavitch yeshivah.
I find it hard to believe that the Rebbe MH”M would write such a note and the Hanhala refused to listen!!
There is something missing here.
Nachman S.
So why did Kvutza keep taking place if the Rebbe was against it?
The fact is, that this is untrue. The Rebbe told President Shazar that he wants bochurim to be in 770 for an entire year so that they can see the hanhogo of Lubavitch the whole year round. The Rebbe himself was personally involved with arranging permits from the Israeli and American governments so that the bochurim could stay here for an entire year, no less. This is all well known and documented.
Does anyone know what letter rabbi krinsky is talking about? And seemingly we see the opposite, that the rebbe really encouraged the kevutza bochurim. Also those bochurim aren’t the main problem, its the tzfatim which don’t come as part of the kevutza necessarily, and not just for one year either…
and further more, this second class treatment of bochrim from isreal is one of the worst things i have ever seen.
good morning
The hanhalah has the ultimate authority over the bouchrim, as arranged by the Rebbe. So long as they are the ones making final decisions, they can do all the background checks they like.
Thank you all who arranged this.
Lubavitch is with you!!!
Why has it taken this long already? Rabbi Krinsky should please back up his words with concrete action.
I am always in Awe of the humility, and humbleness of Rabbi Krinsky. He is a true, and dedicated chossid of the Rebbe.
I do not question your dedication to the Rebbe. But why are you finally coming out with this public statement now regarding kvutza bochurim? The article says one of the bochurim are related to you which makes you a negeah bedavar. Please publicize the Rebbe letter that you are referring to. so there no one can be choshed besheirm c”v.