Why Doesn’t Chabad Get the Hell Out of Vilnius?
The JTA reports on
“the power struggle between those in the Vilnius Jewish community who support Krinsky and backers of Rabbi Chaim Burshtein, a Litvak rabbi who came to the community in 2004 and shares its traditions and customs[…] Meanwhile, local leaders continued to look for a rabbi, a Litvak like them. They found Burshtein, a St. Petersburg native and former refusenik who estimates that he was detained by the KGB some 40 times before immigrating to Israel.
Burshtein was elected chief rabbi by leaders of the country’s religious Jewish communities. His installation at the synagogue sparked an eruption, beginning with fisticuffs in the shul between pro-Krinsky and pro-Burshtein factions during Shavuot services in 2004. The fracas was covered extensively by the local and foreign media.
Burshtein later reportedly was roughed up by Krinsky supporters. Krinsky and his followers were barred from the synagogue; they countered by holding vigils in the courtyard for months.
The community took Krinsky to court, the rabbi retreated to his Chabad center and the synagogue was closed for more than a year.
It reopened in August 2005, and morning and evening services are now held daily — without Krinsky, who presides over his own services in a first-floor room at the Chabad center that after two years he still describes as “temporary.”
At stake in the power struggle is which side will benefit from the long-awaited restitution of Jewish communal property, which in Lithuania eventually will include at least 200 buildings and an estimated $60 million in compensation for property that cannot be returned.�
In targeting Vilna, the home of their ancient antagonist, the Vilna Gaon, Chabad seems motivated by money, power, and a desire for revenge through domination, and the symbolic ironic triumph such domination of Vilna’s Jewish community would represent.
And still, even now, Vilnius’s Jewish community valiantly resists and struggles, while the Orthodox Union and the Agudath Israel is silent. The Agudah I understand — they are only interested in haredi communities. The normative Litvish Jewish communities have nothing to do with them.
But the Orthodox Union? How dare they remain silent!
I would beseech all Chabadniks to remember that Vilnius is not yours. This is very bad form on your part, and we are all watching you misbehave there. Why not respect that not every Jewish community needs to be Chabad? Why not leave the capital of Lithuanian Jewry’s religious leadership to Litvaks?
Full background on Failed Messiah.
Update: The Anti-Tzemach weighs in, dismisses Litvish Jews who want to retain ancient communal norms and traditions as “Cossacks.”
7 comments
if not for Chabad there’d be no Judaism in Vilnius. The idea that it’s only for revenge is preposterous and juvenille. Who cares what the JTA says, the facts are quite the opposite. Burshtein should get the hell out.
Burshtien is no Litvak, he’s from S Petersburg, so spare us the “Litvak” jive. You have no idea about the facts, nor do you bother to find out. What’s the Agudah got to with it? Burshtein doesn’t belong to them.
“if not for Chabad there’d be no Judaism in Vilnius.”
FWIW, Vilna did just fine in its past without Chabad.
“Burshtein should get the hell out.”
And leave Vilnius to Chabad to institute an ideology and nussach that has nothing to do with Vilna’s own wonderful history? Why? Seriously, how do you justify that? I mean, to non-Chabadniks like me?
“What’s the Agudah got to with it? Burshtein doesn’t belong to them.”
I agree.
“Burshtien is no Litvak, he’s from S Petersburg, so spare us the “Litvakâ€? jive. ”
He wants to preserve Vilnius’s nussach and traditions.
Does Rabbi Krinsky?
DK
These are classic Lubavitcher tactics.
They want to be the only ones in town and will enforce it anyway they can.Did you follow their attempt in Kiev, where Rabbi Yaakov Bleich had set up large schools and communal institutions, had been the Chief rabbi of the Ukraine and Lubavitch brought in their own guy, self appointed him as Chief Rabbi?(Chaikin)
Actually their ‘Chief Rabbi’ Lazar is also a self appointed one.They decided to open up their own Jewish Russian organization, which in reality was a Lubavitcher one, than ‘appointed’ Lazar.Now he has Putins ear and the rest is history.
This happened in Prague as well, where the Chabad rabbi attempted to take over the famous Alt-Neu Shul and depose Cheif Rabbi Karl Sidon. Interestingly, the community rallied around Rabbi Sidon and had him reinstated. Perhaps this too can happen in Vilna.
Anyway its the same old Chabad song and dance. They ‘own’ Vilna becaus they were their ‘first’. Following their logic, Krinsky has the rights to become the new Ayatollah of Lithuania.
Where were the Litvak’s before 2004 they now see that there is money to be made so they come running saying “what are chassidim especially Chabad doing here?” Get a LIFE. Chabad is the only one picking up there family’s moving to all this far out places just to help Jews physically and spiritually.
Leave a Comment