Saturday, May 06, 2006

NEW, Post Election Letter by the Vaad Hakohol members: Leibish Nash & Chanina Sperlin









בס״ד

LEIBISH NASH CHANINA SPERLIN
Members of the Vaad Hakohol
of Crown Heights

7 Iyaar, 5766


To All Anash:

The community has spoken forcefully and overwhelmingly, and rejected the Moshe Rubashkin/Yossi Brook cartel’s attempt to force their choice of Rabbonim on us. We reject their dictatorship! We will never accept their attempt to force Rabbonim upon the community against its will—contrary to the Rebbe’s instructions. We respect the candidates that stood for election, but we hope that they have the self-respect to face their rejection by the community, rather than attempt to force themselves upon us. Of over 2,300 eligible voters, by Sunday night less than 600 people voted (and 350 of them voted only in order to weaken the Beis Din – see below). That means that over 1,700 people stayed home and chose not to participate in this mockery of elections. The Netzigim, the real Netzigim, will now undertake the difficult task of finding suitable candidates and running a fair and honest election.

The Rebbe taught us that we must turn the negative into something positive. Indeed, the experience we have just gone through has taught us much:

• Both Rabbonim, on their own demonstrated that they are interested in making peace and they both signed an agreement to make fair elections. (It was only when pressured by individuals with self-interests and personal agendas that one of the Rabbonim changed his mind.)

• The organizers of the election showed their true colors. The election materials they distributed were transparently distorted and manipulative. They were full of personal attacks on some of the most prominent people in the community, and they brought down the level of public discourse to a new low.

• The election propaganda, and the election workers, were paid for with community funds. It is now high time that there is financial accountability by Mr. Rubashkin. Should he continue to ignore hazmonahs to Bais Din, then we will use legal pressure to have him comply with his responsibilities to the other members of the Vaad HaKohol and to the community at large.

An analysis of the election results, is as follows:

• 350 plus long-term enemies of the Beis Din, those who never participated in the elections even when the Rebbe was distributing dollars, came out to vote in force. They have always been interested in harming the institution of the Beis Din and they have refused to recognize or support it. Their interest here is to weaken the Beis Din by encouraging internal fighting.
To them we would point out that there has been enough fighting and machlokis in the community. By weakening the Beis Din they are weakening respect for all authority figures in our community – Rabbonim, teachers, parents, and ultimately creating disrespect, chas v’sholem, for Torah and Halacha. This is destroying all our families, including, G-d forbid, their own.

• 100 or so voted because they bought the argument that this is a war and they must defend “their side.”

To them we say that we are one community and we cannot allow ourselves to be split. If one side “prevails” over the other, we are all destroyed. The machlokis must be dealt with by mediation and resolving the dispute, not by layering additional splits and fighting on top of the existing problems. When the community clearly expresses its zero tolerance for continued fighting, the Rabbonim will be greatly encouraged to negotiate, just as they did this past motzei Shabbos, until certain people mixed in and interfered.

• A number of people who were intimidated/harassed/embarrassed into voting.
To this group, and the many others who have complained about all the irregularities in voting, we have requested a lawyer to look into the issues, to ensure that nothing like this happens again.

• The remaining individuals voted because they are so outraged at the present situation in the community and they desperately want a change.

To them we point out that no good can come from an edifice built on a faulty foundation. This election was designed to continue the machlokis, not resolve it, as many in the community do not recognize the validity of the results and do not accept the Rabbonim as part of the Beis Din.

As we said, the Netzigim will now begin the very difficult process of identifying proper candidates, with Hashem’s help, and arranging fair elections. In addition, we request the community’s help for the following projects:

First, we must remove those with personal, selfish agendas from positions of influence in the community. They have violated the community’s trust and placed all of us in harm’s way, may Hashem protect us. When the opportunity arises to remove them, please step up to the plate and do the right thing. Otherwise they will continue to destroy the Rebbe’s shchuna and mosdos.

Of utmost importance, we must encourage the Rabbonim to make peace. No one should side with one Rav over the other, as this simply encourages the dispute. The details of the arguments are not our affair, nor are the terms of resolution. We must all resist the temptation, and help our family, friends and associates resist the temptation, to take sides. Instead we must all ask and plead with the Rabbonim to negotiate to resolve their differences. It can be done if we work together. It must be done if we are to survive as a community.

With heartfelt prayers for peace and healing in our community,



Leibish Nash Chanina Sperlin
Senior Member, Vaad HaKohol Executive Vice President

7 Comments:

At May 07, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

the propblem with this community is that unfortunatly the young new fresh blood doesnt want to get involved, becuase they are busy protecting their families form all the crime on the streets and dont want to have to deal with all these old babies fighting all day long, forgetinng that we have a bigger problem on our hands and that is the crime, but instead choose to bicker and hate, we need to throw everyone over the age of 40 out of any decision making post and bring in fresh blood people who do not hate each other for 40 years and who are just strating their lives here in the rebbes shchuna, but sadly nobody realizes this cause they are just trying to topple the other one shame on all of you!!!!!

 
At May 07, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The problem with the younger is that they don't have any perspective. This isn't about two sides in a turf battle. This is about the money interests vs. truth and justice.

If you only see this as a turf war then you are missing what is really happening. I don't want to criticize individuals in print if I don't have to. But ask your mashpia, or if you don't have one, ask A MASHPIA who you can trust to know how the Rebbe looked at these things.

Vaad Hakohol is supposed to be a selfless group of people who work for the community's interests, not a selfish group who work for themselves. That is what this fight is about. If you don't see that, then you are missing what is happening here.

 
At May 07, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

the younger community does have perspective, and we know that the vaad hakohol should not be working for themselves, and should not be working for the money intrests either , but comeone do you think for your one second that BOTH sides arents being controlled by money BOTH SIDES ARE and not one sode, and the younger community sees that, so we know that its not only a turf war, however see for yourself why nobody who is below a certain age level has kids and is trying to make it here in the neighborhood wants to get involved, cause you ahve certain people throwing all their money at their people who they want to use to make wars with others and thats all, and you dont need a mashpia to tell you that, both sides in this particular fight are being controlled by money not one side.

 
At May 07, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with those comments about us yungelait.

We are just starting up our lives, we are learning what married life is all about, it's about getting along, forgetting and forgiving, amongst the other many joyous aspects of life.

We would love to have someone to look up to and show us an example of how one should live in peace, but unfortunatly we cannot look to the elders of this community for such guidance (not all but most).

Therefore, we choose not to involve ourselfs in this machlokes which is mainly among the older generation of people, and we try to live our lives independent of all this nonsense. We try to earn an honest living, raise a family of children shomrei torah and mitzvos, and hope that they dont learn from the others that fighting in crown heights is a way of life, even though it's been this way for many years, even before we ever had official rabbonim here.

Thank you for listening, i hope my message was undestood!

 
At May 07, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

A young member of the shchune said...

->Therefore, we choose not to
->involve ourselves in this
->machlokes which is mainly among
->the older generation of people,

Young as you are, you are being a little naive as our "Anti War Protesters" in the USA who never allow the USA to fight the forces of Eval in the world.

It's Naive, because as the Alter Rebb explains in Tanya, that this is a world "Shehaklipos Govrim Boy" which means that whether you realize it or not, this is world where generally the forces of Eval are constantly at work to overpower the forces of Good.

Being Naive, while not realizing that the forces of evil are about to conquer, is a naive Sellout to Eval to allow them to "take over", while you choose to be fast asleep, because it's "not nice to fight".

If we don't "FIGHT" for democracy, Communism will definitely take over while you are fast asleep.

Sweet Dreams!

 
At May 07, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said that:

both sides in this particular fight are being controlled by money not one side.

I think that is dead wrong. If you are referring to "the community gevir" on the R. Schwei side, that is a major mistake. He never volunteers himself, he is always asked to give. On the other side, the money-men push themselves in because they have something they want.

You can't compare the two sides for that - one is corrupt, the other is not.

 
At May 09, 2006, Anonymous Anonymous said...

emes now,

you must be of your mind, there are many gevirim in our neighborhood kein yirbu, but to say that he doesnt do it on his own he does it only after he is asked is liike nuts cause that is not true, anyways if he is doing it than he is an accomlice to the bad things that happens regardless, so please make sense when you post something

 

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