Israel

May 10, 2011

Chabad rabbis denounce one of their own for lighting torch at Israel Independence Day ceremony

by Julie Gruenbaum Fax

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A group of Chabad rabbis in Israel this week signed a letter denouncing one of their own for lighting a torch in the State of Israel’s official Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration.

While Chabad has a strong presence in Israel, the movement has complicated relationship with modern political Zionism that varies among its different factions, from refusing to recognize the state to serving in the army.

This year, Israeli officials invited Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg, whose daughter was the Chabad rebbitzen killed in the Mumbai terror attacks in November 2008, to light one of twelve torches Monday evening at the Mount Herzl military cemetery. The candle lighting is part of an annual ceremony that separates Remembrance Day from Independence Day. Rosenberg, who lives in Israel, is raising his grandson, Moishe, who survived the attack.

Rosenberg accepted the invitation and told the Israeli radio station Arutz Sheva:

“This whole event is very exciting. To light the torch on such an auspicious day, especially this year, when the theme uniting the torch-bearers is ‘all Jews are responsible for one another.’ For me, this is a special Shlichus [mission]. The fact that they chose me is not a simple thing. I am not representing myself, rather, all the Shluchim [emissaries] of the Rebbe in Israel and the Diaspora.”

Twelve Jerusalem Chabad rabbis, including six members of the Chabad Rabbinic Court in Israel, signed a letter denouncing Rosenberg’s torch lighting. The letter was printed in the Charedi newspapers Hamodia and Hamevaser Monday morning.

“Let it be known that the participation of a Chabad Chossid (R’ S. R.) at a ceremony which is foreign to the spirit of traditional Judaism, is at his own initiative, and does not represent the Shluchim or Lubavitch Chassidim. The Chabad Beis Din opposes his actions.”

The Chabad Rabbinic Court itself did not sign the letter, and a spokesman at Chabad international headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, said the organization was not involved in the decision.

“There were various opinions from the rabbis, and headquarters was not consulted and did not weigh in on the decision to issue an opinion on this,” Yaacov Behrman, media liaison for lubavitch.com.

The rabbis who signed the letter eventually backed off their demands that Rosenberg withdraw from the ceremony, saying it would be a “Chilul Hashem,” desecration of God’s name, according to reports on kikarhashabat.co.il. They advised Rosenberg to participate as an individual, not as a Chabad representative, and Rosenberg inserted the word “Eretz,” “land of” into the official text, rendering it “L’tiferet Medinat Eretz Yisrael,” “For the glory of the State of the Land of Israel.”

S. Crombie, who edits the blog Chabad.info, denounced Rosenberg. Chabad.info is not an official Chabad Web site, according to the Chabad media office in Brooklyn, and is run by adherents to the belief that the deceased Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the Messiah.

“Unfortunately, as the days went by it became clear that this was not just a horrible nightmare. Indeed, it became known, that for the first time a Chabad Chossid was to take part in a ceremony which stands for, first and foremost, the denial in Hashem and His Torah,” Crombie wrote. “Now there is no choice, but to publicly declare to the world: You do not represent the Shluchim of the Rebbe! This act is a public war again Hashem and his Moshiach [Messiah]!”

Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie, director of Orange County’s North County Chabad Center in Yorba Linda and a staunch supporter of Israel, said Chabad’s stand on the modern State of Israel is complex and nuanced. Early in the history of Zionism, Chabad was concerned that Zionism would replace Jewish identity based on spiritual values with one rooted in secular nationalism. But when Israel became a reality, Chabad made the decision to actively engage in Israeli society, while many other Chasidic sects opted to distance themselves.

Eliezrie said Chabad men serve in the army, and Chabad is engaged in religious outreach and social welfare projects that reach all sectors of Israeli society. The Lubavitcher Rebbe was a confidante of nearly every prime minister and president of the State. Chabad, which does not have a political party in Israel, takes a strong stance against giving back any strategic land the loss of which might endanger Jews.  Some Chabad schools celebrate Yom Haatzmaut, Eliezrie said.

“We have tremendous support for and involvement with Israel. At the same time, we want Judaism to be the cornerstone of the Jewish state, not secular nationalism,” Eliezrie said. “We try to be good citizens to the best of our ability, we contribute to the society on many levels, our children serve in the army. Still we would like to see Israel be more than it is today, a society enriched with Jewish values and ideas, and we are still awaiting the arrival of Moshiach.”

An essay on Chabad.info offers another perspective. Rabbi Dovid Meir Drukman, a signatory on the letter and chief rabbi of Kiryat Motzkin near Haifa, notes Chabad’s extensive involvement in Israeli society, but he said that does not translate into support for the state. 

He notes an instance in which the Rebbe protested the singing of Hatikvah, the Israeli national anthem, at a Chabad gathering, and says the Rebbe refused to use the words “Medinat Yisrael,” the State of Israel. Drukman reports that the Rebbe forbade the Star of David from being printed on Chabad books.

“We are Zionists. But not the so-called Zionists who created the State of Israel, rather we are Zionists who pray thrice daily that ‘G-d lay His eyes upon Zion,’ “ Drukman wrote. “The difference is immense.”

A version of this article appeared in print.

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Sounds like someone needs some good ol-fashioned Kook philosophy vis a vis the founders…

Comment by Davidwag on 5/10/11 at 2:24 pm

Sorry, I’m not a great talmudist.  But as far as I understood readings of Rabbi Kook, he was the one who accepted Zionism in the way that it is a life development of the Great Book, and only dead does not develop. 
I’m not insisting on my understanding, but it is as far as I remember readings of long ago.

Comment by Arkady on 5/10/11 at 5:17 pm

The division among Chabad rabbis is evidence enough that this is not a cohesive organization.

That many do not support the State of Israel but take its benefits is further evidence of intellectual dishonesty among the Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox.

There is no such thing as traditional Judaism, and Chassidism is a northeastern European cultural tradition.

The battle is not about the supremacy of a single Jewish ideology, but how all those choose to call themselves Jews may perpeturate their mutual right to believe and practice as they wish as long as it harms no one.

Comment by The Logician on 5/10/11 at 8:55 pm

I have met many Chabad people who are kind, sincere, decent loving and generous.However, those who believe that their Rebbe, now dead, is the Moshiach have no idea how crazy that assertion is. You’d think that after Shabtai Tzvi, Jews would know better. There were Jews, two millennia ago, who believed that the Messiah had come, had been martyred and rose from the dead. They believed his return was imminent. Their followers are still waiting, but any day now….Yeah right. Now they have a bunch of Chasidim who can keep them company for the next 2 millennia. Hey, it could happen.

Comment by Manny on 5/10/11 at 10:58 pm

Kol ha-posel be-mumo posel. The rabbis who denounced R. Rosenberg, whose daughter was murdered in the very sort of anti-Semitic atrocity against which the State of Israel was established to protect Jews, ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Comment by Shira on 5/11/11 at 2:53 am

Note that in additon to adding the word “Eretz” to the prepared text, Rabbi Rosenberg made another very important change.

The prepared text included the following phrase (and this is how it appeared in the ‘subtexts’ on the TV broadcast):

“משיח צדקנו בוא יבוא ושעת גאולתנו קרובה”

Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg inserted the words: “והרבי” before the phrase.

(Video clip appears on Ladaat.com: http://htC.ly/4RVqI)

Joel Katz
http://religionandstateinisrael.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/religion_state

Comment by Joel Katz on 5/11/11 at 3:37 am

Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie said it best.  His opinion is mainstream Chabad.  And yes, Chabad is splintered.  Here in the US, Rabbi Dovid Eliezrie is the majority, but in Israel, sadly the opposite seems to be true.

Comment by Sam on 5/11/11 at 9:17 am

see the post today at haemtza.blogspot.com on the virulent anti-zionism [ not different in theory than satmar] that chabad actually believes in , as propounded by the last 3 Rebbes.
but this fact must remain secret, lest it interfere with chabad’s tshuva aims….

Comment by aloeste on 5/11/11 at 11:05 am

Zionists and other Jews across the world know that the best way to get Chabad to show just how much it’s part of the Jewish mainstream is to offer the local Chabad rabbi the honor of leading “Hatikva” at any Israel-oriented community event.

Comment by Ussiker on 5/11/11 at 11:47 am

Does it not occur to some that denouncing the right of a minority of Chabadniks to interpret the Torah literally (as they see it) is itself intolerant. It is one thing to gently comment that one thinks they may be in error. That is the Jewish, and the Chabad way. It is quite another to attack individuals or Chabad itself and suggests more about the attacker than the attacked.

What counts is deeds.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/11/11 at 12:25 pm

How can they get all these rabbis to sign a letter of condemnation of this insignificant nonsense, but they cannot get them to sign to denounce things like Rabbis dancing on TV with intermarried actors like Cunin, rabbis that write sex books a la Boteach, or to denounce the wildest claims of the dead Rebbe still alive and being part of G-d?

Comment by Sam trager on 5/11/11 at 1:31 pm

Sam: “How can “they” get all those rabbis to sign…..”. Who, specifically are ‘they’?

Jewish males dancing with non-Jewish males is celebratory, not an endorsement of everything the non-Jew thinks or does.

Rabbi Boteach brings Jewish values to his book on dating, love, sex, marriage and family. So does the Talmud.

As to denouncing the BELIEFS of a minority about the Rebbe, confronting people about their beliefs is not the way to encourage change.

As to confronting DEEDS, the leadership of Chabad has already taken the “Moshichists” to court over the ownership of the synagogue at 770, and won. That issue is now a dead letter, except by those who wish to defame Chabad.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/11/11 at 2:06 pm

Unfortunately Chabad today is a purely messianic movement. Not only did R.Rosenberg alter his prepared text to include the words “Medinat ERETZ Yisrael” but he also made reference to the “Rebbe Moshiach” in his improvised statement. the Mumbai tragedy notwithstanding, the Israeli state looks ridiculous trying to embrace anti Zionists at independence day ceremonies.

Comment by Moish Gerson on 5/12/11 at 9:16 pm

Chabad is no more Messianic than orthodox judaism, which prays for the coming of Moshiach daily.

I have visited the Rebbe’s grave, and as far as I can tell he is still there.

Rosenberg may be one who believes in the ‘Rebbe Moshiach” but he does not speak for Chabad. Only the Vaad at World Hq. in Brooklyn does, and they are the ones who sued the Moshichists and won over control of that synagogue.

Some Democrats, or Republicans may be “birthers” but that does not make either party so.

Your use of “purely” suggests a chip on your shoulder. Did someone do something bad to you? If so, address that, and not “Chabad”.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/12/11 at 9:37 pm

...and another thing. Calling Chabad “anti-zionists” is a prejudicial smear. The Rebbe was close to many Prime Ministers of Israel, who visited him often. Perhaps you are confusing Chabad with Naturei Karta,

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/12/11 at 9:43 pm

Finally, as someone close to Rabbi Cunin of Chabad, I just discovered in going through my things today a commemorative pen from the Prime Minister’s Office of Israel, which I use with pride. I have personally met with several Israeli Prime Ministers during my time as a member of the (U.S.) Council on Foreign Relations. I have been deep into Chabad’s infrastructure and what you say is simply false.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/12/11 at 9:48 pm

“Now there is no choice, but to publicly declare to the world: You do not represent the Shluchim of the Rebbe! This act is a public war again Hashem and his Moshiach [Messiah]!”

Why don’t they ask their dead messiah to send down fire from the sky to light the torch, as God supposedly did for Elijah’s when he went up against the priests of Baal?

“We are Zionists. But not the so-called Zionists who created the State of Israel, rather we are Zionists who pray thrice daily that ‘G-d lay His eyes upon Zion,’ “ Drukman wrote. “The difference is immense.”

Yes - it certainly is.

Comment by JDE on 5/13/11 at 8:41 am

That simply reinforces my point. These individuals speak for themselves, not for Chabad. What will you try to argue next? That every extreme statement by someone who happens to be a Democrat represents the party? That SEIU thugs mean the Democratic party is a bunch of thugs?

The Rebbe forbade any attempt to deify him. Those who wouldn’t give up (every group has a few “true believers”) once asked him after he was unable to speak, if he was Moshiach. They then interpreted what could have been, given his condition, a slight tic, as assent, and nothing will convince them otherwise. They are a minority, though unshakeable, and do not speak for Chabad.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/13/11 at 11:56 am

“The Rebbe forbade any attempt to deify him.”

Yet he had multiple opportunities to say definitively, while he was still able, whether or not he believed himself to be the messiah. He never availed himself.

I understand that in their youth, Rav Hutner and the Rebbe were study partners. There’s a story - supposedly, when R. Hutner heard the Rebbe’s first public speech after he had become Rebbe, he said, “This man is meshugge. He thinks he’s moshiach.” I’m sure you’ll either impugn R. Hutner, or you’ll say it never happened.

Comment by JDE on 5/13/11 at 1:59 pm

One more thing - when you have a faith-based organization with a centralized authority, be it one individual or a governing body, you’re responsible for the pronouncements of your constituents. You don’t get simply to dismiss them with, “Well, they’re just a bunch of fanatics.”

Comment by JDE on 5/13/11 at 1:59 pm

What IS meshugge is to claim someone should gratuitously deny a role not even attributed to him. It’s as if I should deny that I’m President of the United States. And if someone were to claim I was, I’d just shrug my shoulders; such nonsense does not deserve engaging with.

As to third hand accounts, such as the alleged Hutner story, that’s not credible, since it is a reference to a reference we have no hard evidence for.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/13/11 at 6:02 pm

Finally, the Rebbe might, let us suppose, have claimed that he was going to bring Judaism back from the ashes of the Holocaust. While such a claim might have been seemed extravagant at the time, evidence since (including the award of the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom/Congressional Gold Medal, suggests the Rebbe went a long way toward doing just that. Chabad today has vigorous synagogues, social and educational services in just about every significant city throughout the globe. No other Jewish group can make that assertion, and it drives many non-Torah “Rabbis” crazy.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/13/11 at 6:03 pm

In closing, I have made it clear that only the Vaad speaks for Chabad. Yet Chabad is not the Catholic Church, and does not excommunicate those who wish to believe one thing or another about the Rebbe.

Good Shabbos.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/13/11 at 6:04 pm

Yes, I expected as much.

“Non-Torah” rabbis. Please. Now comes the part in which you resort to the perennial defense mechanism of the frum - “You’ll all soon assimilate out of existence! Your grandchildren won’t be Jewish!”

Your delusion would be laughable, if it weren’t so pitiable.

Comment by JDE on 5/14/11 at 12:28 am

“Now comes the part in which you resort to the perennial defense mechanism of the frum - “You’ll all soon assimilate out of existence! Your grandchildren won’t be Jewish!””

Your apparently believe your mind-reading abilities are greater than those vouchsafed to ordinary mortals. I can recommend a good therapist to help you deal with such delusions.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/14/11 at 8:25 pm

Didn’t Chabad notice that Rabbi Rosenberg did not light the torch to honor the State of Israel, but rather to honor the Land of Israel?  That should have satisfied Chabad.

Comment by judith on 5/15/11 at 3:08 am

The Chabad, Haredi, ultra Orthodox, whatever they are called these days, are a thorn in the side of every modern thinking Jew, not to mention a complete embarrassment.  They are no better than Muslim clerics and how Israelis even tolerate them I cannot fathom.  What?  They don’t want an Israeli state till the Messiah comes?  Here’s a clue.  The Messiah isn’t even going to phone.

Israeli Jews may end up once again fighting for the life of the country and these people run religion in the state?  This is a tragedy that is ongoing.  No wonder so many Israelis emmigrate to America if they can.

Comment by Eleanor on 5/16/11 at 3:56 am

And yes to the person who wrote above that our grandchildren won’t be Jewish.  They won’t.  It’s of no use, this religion.  We are many religions in one but the majority are not Orthodox and those Rabbis don’t help, they hinder. And guess what, my grandchildren in America will not care that they won’t be Jews…that’s the point here.  In a modern world I have nothing to offer them in religion.  Plus I won’t donate to a country that allows Orthodox to rule the religion.

Comment by Eleanor on 5/16/11 at 4:02 am

To David Sternlight above:  Well, when your women don’t have educations but rather are breeding machines and there is no Holocaust to kill them off, then it makes sense that the Chabad would be on the rise while we would be on the decline.

Comment by Eleanor on 5/16/11 at 4:09 am

“Well, when your women don’t have educations but rather are breeding machines and there is no Holocaust to kill them off, then it makes sense that the Chabad would be on the rise while we would be on the decline.”

“My” women have Ph.D.‘s and are doctors, lawyers, business executives, computer experts, scientists, AND mothers. I, myself have degrees from two of the best universities in the world, including a Ph.D.

If you are searching for ignorance and insularity, perhaps you should try omphaloskepsis.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/16/11 at 10:54 am

“I, myself have degrees from two of the best universities in the world, including a Ph.D.”

Yet you work for Chabad. What a waste.

Comment by JDE on 5/16/11 at 11:22 am

Apparently you think those who don’t share your baseless prejudices are wasting their time.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/16/11 at 12:06 pm

It isn’t baseless, but more to the point, it isn’t a prejudice. It’s a vehement antipathy.

Comment by JDE on 5/16/11 at 12:26 pm

“Vehement antipathy” is an oxymoron.

Q.E.D.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/16/11 at 12:32 pm

No, it isn’t. Stick to economics.

Comment by JDE on 5/16/11 at 12:37 pm

Antipathy is a deep-seated dislike. When it becomes vehement it suggest the kind of prejudice described in Eric Hoffer’s book, “The True Believer”. This phenomenon is well-known to the mental health profession.

As to “It isn’t baseless” feel free to email me if you want to discuss it. Perhaps I can assist.

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/16/11 at 12:44 pm

From Webster’s:

Definition of ANTIPATHY
1 obsolete : opposition in feeling
2 settled aversion or dislike
3 an object of aversion

“Vehement” is an acceptable qualifier.

“As to ‘It isn’t baseless’ feel free to email me if you want to discuss it.”

I was merely referring to many years of observation and experience. In any case, we’re speaking different languages.

Comment by JDE on 5/16/11 at 12:51 pm

I go with google’s first hit, Wikipedia, on this one:

“From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antipathy is dislike for something or somebody, the opposite of sympathy. While antipathy may be induced by previous experience, it sometimes exists without a rational cause-and-effect explanation being present to the individuals involved.
Thus, the origin of antipathy has been subject to various psychological explanations, which some people find convincing and others regard as highly speculative. Sigmund Freud has treated this subject.”

Comment by David Sternlight on 5/16/11 at 1:15 pm

BH. Mr. Sternlicht, are you Jewish or not, and if you say,
you are, then, who told you?

Comment by Hirschel Pekkar on 5/25/11 at 12:40 am

BH. What does being JEWISH mean?

Comment by Hirschel Pekkar on 5/25/11 at 12:46 am

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