Arad, Israel – For the second time in less than a month, Arad police were called this past Saturday to deal with disturbances between Chabad and Gerrer Chassidim at the city’s Ashkenazi central synagogue.
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The religious Zionist synagogue had few worshippers for years due to population changes and had asked Chassidic groups to send worshippers to join its services. At first, this was a successful exercise in merging different types of observant Jews.
After the death of long-time Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Arad, Rabbi Ben Tzion Lipsker, a Chabad Chassid who frequently spoke at the central synagogue’s Sabbath morning services until his illness, the committee running the synagogue decided to merge with the city’s Chabad-Lubavitch community. Arad’s Chabad synagogue had recently received orders to vacate its premises and agreed. The new synagogue rabbi is Rabbi Lipsker’s son-in-law, Rabbi Yaakov Mendelsohn.
The Gerer Chassidim in Arad insist their greater numbers in the city entitle them to the building.
For several weeks, increasing numbers of Gerer Chassidim have been swamping the synagogue for Sabbath services in what seems like an attempt to achieve a de facto takeover. Worshippers report that the new arrivals engage in various provocations, force their tunes and customs on everyone by praying loudly, prevent the cantor from praying according to the synagogues’ tradition, insult the Chabad group’s members.
The incident that prompted a neighbor to call the police this past Sabbath morning allegedly began when Gerer Chassidim blocked a small girl from entering the men’s section to go to her father. When other worshippers tried to stop him, the dispute deteriorated into a fight.
Police issued a restraining order against several Gerer Chassidim Monday night, blocking them from approaching the building in an effort to avoid further disturbances.
The tensions that have surfaced at the city’s central synagogue may be a reflection of reactions to a wider phenomenon. Gerer Chassidim have come to Arad in increasing numbers due to the low cost of housing. They have become a significant force in the existing government structure; a community center, medical center and the Arad fundraising website, as well as building an educational complex. They are also becoming increasingly influential in the city’s Arad Rabbinate kashrut supervision division.
Non-involved observant residents who spoke to an INN reporter noted that Chabad’s attitude towards the State of Israel is compatible with the central synagogue’s tradition and that its outreach orientation suits the synagogue which has always extended a welcome to the secular and immigrant community. They felt that a takeover by Gerer Chassidim would end that.
Acting like this is no problem, the main thing is being a “Sharfer Ungerman” and have an ego till the sky.. & of course the rebetzin can go out in the street dressed like a Shiksa R”L, but again, as long as we don’t walk together.. listen, only my own “Yidishkeit” that really matters, so who cares if the Rebetzin is Machshil other people in the street? and besides isn’t the whole issue of Tzniut by women merely an hungarian issue?……
Why do religious people always fight? Isn’t that against halacha? its the same “isur” as most other “isurim”, or worse, its a shame and a busha.
Again, those tzioni police cause trouble
This reminds me of the stories my grandfather a’h used to tell.
During WW1 many Chassidim from Galicia escaped to Oberland Hungary. My grandfathers Kehilla took in a large number of Galicianers, raised money for the refugees ,and helped them settle. Ten years later the Galicianers decided that the Kehilla with minhagei Ashkenaz wasn’t good enough and the Rav wasn’t good enough and started harassing the Rav the shul the Talmid Torah,the shochet,the Chevra Kadisha…etc.
This is no fight its a takeover. Please adjust the headline.
Story would make any chiloni become a baal tshuva instantly, not to mention, generate great respect for separate bus lines, avoiding army, etc.
This is Pshat in Posuk Me’Har’Sayich U’Me’Char’Vayich Me’Meich Yei’tzei’u, we don’t need any outside help
this is so stupid. why can’t they all just get along and share the shul?
if i’m not mistaking there was a similar battle taking place recently in Chaifa between the gerers and the belzers.
i was always under the impression that the rebbes of these kehillos have strong control over there chasisim, so i guess this is going on with their Haskome.
what a shame!
If the Hassidim are fighting as the report claims (of course the report may be biased and not accurate), maybe they need to take a Litvak for a Rav. 😉
Ger has enough money. Build your own Shul! Problem solved.
The chabad should seek a legal restraining order against the Gerer chassidim who seek to provoke violence and disrupt the davening. If they don’t agree to stop this chilul hashem, they should be put in charem like those renegade chassidim in Australia.
$$$$$$$$$$$$ as my dad always taught me, follow the cash and you will understand all events and issues. The Central Shul and the Chief Rabbinate of any city gives the person/people/group lots of CLUT, and Ger decided it wants that financial power instead of Chabad. What abut the other 70% of the city? What works for them?
I want to see a good fight. The smart money is on Ger. This is better than Paquiao Mayweather.
this is a clean yiddishe machloika which will end up in din tora – what are you all lo-lifers on about??
Oh so now the Chabad doesn’t like it when the shoe is on the other foot.
This has been their M.O. for years, and now they complain.
Now you understand why the Ebeshter looks favorably on misnagdim. There would NEVER be such a busha if the kehilla were say a mix of Ungareshe and Litvashe yiddin. Only when the chassidus and their ego-driven rabbonim get involved do we see this kind if fighting. Its like they moved Monsey to Arad.
“What abut the other 70% of the city? What works for them?”
Probably most of them look at this infighting and say “a pox on you both!”. At least I would were I a secular resident.
My grandfather a”h for health reasons moved to Arad in the 70s . In the eighties urged by the Gerer Rebbe of that time that use to go to Arad for vacations/health etc, sold all his properties and gave the money to start the Gerer kollel in Arad. My uncle is one of those from the central shul board that followed the late Rabbi Lipsker and now took Rabbi Mendelsohn as the new Rabbi. The board of the Shul did the appointment of Rabbi Mendelsohn legally according to the shuls bylaws. This is a takeover attempt that it is a disgrace.
Very sad to read this. Ger and Lubavitch have a history of mutual respect and affection. This is a local political issue – and it should stay local. Let’s not drag the entire Chabad and Gerrer Kehillah’s worldwide.
Let the local population and Shul board work this out.
Sholom Al Yisroel.
If all these different chassidishe groups believed in unity within klal yisroel they would quickly merge into a single group under a concensus rebbe and that would hasten the coming of the real moishiach (not the joke of the late rebbe those Chabad leaders in Australia proclaimed recently).
Rav Lipsker ztzl was a very respected individual in Arad. As long as he was alive there was sholom between Chabad and Ger. The Chabadniks have no appreciation for what Ger has done for Arad. Rav Lipsker did. Vayokom melach chodosh b’chabad arad asher lo yodah es ger and what he did for them.
this is shameful. instead of worrrying about something so trivial why not unite and tackle bigger problems in arad. like the jews for j and the missionaries who plauge the city. gerrer chussidim seem to be dealing with them well.
its amazing that jews can always make things so difficult. We have enemies all around the world. We cant afford to make new enemies, ourselves.
At a time of such hostility towards jews worlwide, we as a people must try to attempt to not make enemies within Klal Yisroel. The Chilul Hashem that has been created over the shul is unexcusable. Many secular Israeli’s have very negative views on orthodox jewry. Having the media report on 2 chareidi groups in middle of a public fight will definitely not help that view. Secondly, the orthodox community itself should be attempting to have better relations within themselves. A very small amount of jews today are religous to our standards, and therefore we cant make hostilities within the orthodox community. May we find peace with our selves and have moshiach come quickly in our days.
Im a Lubavicher Chusid that used to live in Arad before going on shlichus to Europe all I can say that the Gerer chasidim there in Arad are great people they did there for yidishkeit much more then Chabad in Arad now that Rabbi lifskir is gone I understand them why should you import a rav from kfar Chabad that doesnt even know the name of the street where the shoul is when there are a lot of gerer chasidim that thanx to them there are a lot people that come to daven keep shabos teharat hmishpoche not all over do we need to take the creidt there r in arad 15 fam from chabad while 500+ from ger