Latest news with #ChabadLubavitch
New York Times
28-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Rabbi Sholom Lipskar, 78, Dies; Transformed Miami and Helped Jews in Prison
Rabbi Sholom B. Lipskar, a charismatic and visionary figure in the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement who helped transform South Florida into a vibrant center of Jewish life and founded a national organization that supports Jews in prison and the military, died on May 3 in Miami. He was 78. The cause of his death, in a hospital, was heart failure, said Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin, a spokesman for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. Rabbi Lipskar, the son of Soviet exiles who smuggled him across the border in a suitcase, was sent to Miami in 1969 by Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher rebbe and one of the most influential Jewish leaders of the 20th century. At the time, the Jewish community in Miami consisted primarily of affluent retirees who were not particularly religious. The city also still had neighborhoods that enforced restrictions about where Jews could own property. Rabbi Schneerson saw a different future for South Florida: as a thriving showcase for American Jewry, especially for Jews emigrating from Latin America. Rabbi Lipskar's first rabbinical role in Miami was as principal of a Jewish day school. In 1974, with help from his wife, Chani, he started the Landow Yeshiva‑Lubavitch Educational Center, which offered classes for students in preschool through high school. In 1981, he opened his own synagogue, the Shul, in the basement shopping arcade of the Beau Rivage hotel in Bal Harbour. On Tuesday evenings, he offered free lectures on Judaism — a mix of stories from the Torah and discussions of Rabbi Schneerson's insights into its applications to modern life. Rabbi Lipskar's talks initially drew fewer than a dozen people, but within a year, hundreds of Jews began showing up. Many had not been to a synagogue since their bar or bat mitzvahs. Some came in search of romantic partners. Others were seeking meaning. 'It helps me learn a lot and connects me intellectually and socially,' Rivka Brenners, 28, told The Miami Herald in 1989. 'I feel I've gotten in touch with what's mine as a Jew.' Rabbi Lipskar's stature in South Florida grew to the extent that Sara's Kosher Pizza, a popular North Miami restaurant (now defunct), named a dish after him. Listed below the Nova Platter on the menu, the Rabbi Lipskar Salad was topped with shredded carrots, beets and turnips and garnished with toasted pita bread. The same year he opened the Shul, as if he wasn't busy enough, Rabbi Lipskar founded Aleph Institute, an outreach organization for Jewish prisoners, named after the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. He was inspired by hearing Rabbi Schneerson talk about the religious isolation that Jewish inmates experienced behind bars. The purpose of Aleph, Rabbi Lipskar told The Miami Herald in 1984, was to ensure its clients understood that 'there are Jews in the community that do not judge them and do not want them to feel like second-class citizens. We want to help them in their anguish. We want them to realize that, while they are rectifying their mistakes, they don't have to stop functioning as human beings.' Aleph, which now has 75 full-time employees, sends rabbis into prisons to lead Sabbath and High Holy Days services. The organization also provides inmates with prayer books, Jewish educational materials and supplies for Passover seders. (The program expanded to include outreach to Jewish military service members in 1995.) 'Aleph became my lifeline,' Madeline Villeneuve, who used the organization's services while in prison, told The Miami Herald in 1991. 'When you are in jail and you are Jewish, it is so difficult to find help. You feel so alone. It took going to jail for me to learn about the organization.' After she left prison, Rabbi Lipskar performed her son's bar mitzvah ceremony. 'His objective was to give people back a sense of their dignity and humanity,' Rabbi Aaron Lipskar, the chief executive of Aleph and Rabbi Lipskar's nephew, said in an interview. 'He'd say, 'Now that you're here, what is the purpose?' And he would build them up and say, 'Because you have a unique ability to be here to accomplish whatever light has to be brought into a dark environment.' Sholom Dovber Lipskar was born on Aug. 1, 1946, in Tashkent, Soviet Uzbekistan, during the perilous times for Jews following World War II. His father, Rabbi Eliyahu Akiva Lipskar, taught in Jewish day schools. His mother, Rochel Baila (Duchman) Lipskar, was a nurse. When he was just 20 days old, his parents fled the country for Poland. Lacking proper paperwork, they crossed the border carrying him inside a suitcase, with small holes punched in the sides so he could breathe. The family lived in displaced persons' camps in Germany until 1951, when they immigrated to Toronto, where Sholom studied at the Eitz Chaim yeshiva. In 1961, he moved to New York to study at the Lubavitcher yeshiva in Brooklyn. In 1963, he joined the yeshiva at Rabbi Schneerson's synagogue in Crown Heights. 'As you observe the rebbe, you are challenged and charged to perceive the world in a different way,' he once said. 'You start seeing the physical world in the way that it was intended — to serve man instead of man serving it. Instead of working to achieve a materialistic goal, you start looking at how the materialistic aspects of the world are there to allow man to reach a higher-level goal.' In addition to sending rabbis into prisons, the Aleph Institute arranged for lawyers to work pro bono on clemency appeals and requests for sentence commutations. 'He realized long before many others did that the criminal justice system in our country needed compassion and not just punishment,' Alan Vinegrad, a lawyer with the firm Covington & Burling who works on Aleph cases, said in an interview. 'He also thought passionately that criminals should not only be defined by the crimes that put them in prison.' Some of Rabbi Lipskar's clemency work was done on behalf of politically connected individuals. In 2021, The New York Times reported that of the 238 pardons and commutations granted by President Trump in his first term, 27 went to people supported by Aleph; by the Tzedek Association, a criminal justice advocacy group founded by Rabbi Moshe Margaretten; or by lawyers and lobbyists connected to them. The charitable foundation of Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump's son-in-law, donated more than $188,000 to Aleph from 2004 to the end of 2017, The Times reported. Rabbi Lipskar married Chani Minkowicz in 1968. She survives him, along with their children, Rabbi Zalman Lipskar and Devorah Leah Andrusier; several grandchildren; and three siblings, Rabbi Mendel Lipskar, Rabbi Yosie Lipskar and Sheva Schochet. In an interview with Moment magazine in 2023, Rabbi Lipskar recalled his arrival in Miami. 'It was a community that not only had zero Judaism, but an anti-feeling — against Orthodoxy, against traditional Judaism, against what I consider to be the honest truth, the Torah way of life,' he said. 'Most people, their initial reaction was, 'Who asked you to come here? Why are you upsetting the status quo here? We don't need you.'' Times change. So did Miami. The Shul is now housed in a stunning 125,000-square-foot building on Collins Avenue and is a tourist attraction for visiting Jews. Rabbi Lipskar 'created a Jewish community which right now is one of the most intensely engaged, committed and active Jewish communities in the world,' Jacob Solomon, the president and chief executive emeritus of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, told The Miami Herald earlier this month. 'He was a visionary.'
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
What happened at Crown Heights? Brooklyn woman chased, attacked by hundreds of men after protest at Chabad Lubavit HQ
A Brroklyn woman has alleged that a mob of Orthodox Jewish men chased her, kicked her, spat at her and threw objects at her after mistaking her as a participant in a protest against Israel's far-right security minister. The assault was recorded by a bystander near the global headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights on Thursday, April 24. Clashes took place between pro-Palestinian activists and members of the neighbourhood's Orthodox Jewish community following an appearance by Itamar Ben-Gvir. This protest was one of many other similar protests against Ben-Gvir held in recent days. The ultranationalist settler leader is reportedly embarking on his first US state visit since joining Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet three years ago. He was convicted in Israel in the past of racist incitement and support for a terrorist group. He has urged his supporters to confront Palestinians and assert 'Jewish Power.' The victim of last week's assault, in her 30s, is a resident of the neighbourhood. She told the Associated Press that she got to know about the protest after she heard police helicopters over her apartment, and walked over to see what was happening. It was around 10.30 pm and most of the crowd had already dispersed. The victim said she covered her face with a scarf as she did not wish to be filmed. 'As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me,' said the woman. 'They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting 'death to Arabs'. I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene.' One police officer tried to escort the woman to safety as the chats grew, but hundreds of men and boys kept following them, jeering in Hebrew and English. Two of the men kicked the woman in the back, and another threw a traffic cone at her head. A fourth man pushed a trash can into her. 'This is America,' one of the men can be heard saying in a video shared online. 'We got Israel. We got an army now.' At one point, the woman and the cop were almost cornered against a building. 'I felt sheer terror,' the woman said. 'I realized at that point that I couldn't lead this mob of men to my home. I had nowhere to go. I didn't know what to do. I was just terrified.' The woman and the officer walked several blocks before the cops hustled her into a police vehicle. One man yelled, 'Get her!' before the crowd cheered as she was driven away. The woman, who has been a New Yorker all her life, said she was left with bruises and was traumatised after the incident. She stressed that the episode should be investigated as an act of hate. 'I'm afraid to move around the neighborhood where I've lived for a decade,' she said. 'It doesn't seem like anyone in any position of power really cares.' A police spokesperson later confirmed that one person was arrested and five others were issued summons after the demonstration, The Guardian reported. However, they did not reveal if anyone was charged in connection to the woman's assault. Mayor Eric Adams later said that police were investigating 'a series of incidents stemming from clashing protests on Thursday that began when a group of anti-Israel protesters surrounded the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters – a Jewish house of worship – in Brooklyn.' He added that cops had spoken to a different woman on the pro-Palestinian side of the protest, who was allegedly harassed by counter-protesters and was left injured. 'Let me be clear: none of this is acceptable, in fact, it is despicable,' Adams said. 'New York City will always be a place where people can peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence, trespassing, menacing, or threatening.'
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Eric Adams urges women threatened at NYC protest against Israeli official Itamar Ben Gvir to file complaints
NEW YORK — Two women who were threatened and harassed during a protest outside a Brooklyn speaking appearance by controversial Israeli official Itamar Ben Gvir Thursday night were urged to come forward and file complaints, Mayor Eric Adams said on X. One of the protesters was hurt, with the other subjected to 'vile threatening by counter protesters,' Adams said in the Sunday post. The incidents were caught on video and posted on social media as the NYPD looks for the suspects. Various videos show one of the victims, her face covered by a scarf, being escorted by a police officers, with young men or teens trying to get in her face or spit on her. 'Let me be clear: None of this is acceptable,' the mayor added. 'In fact, it is despicable.' Both incidents, as well as several others for which police issued five disorder conduct summonses and arrested one man for assaulting another, happened outside the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights. A crowd of more than 200 Hasidim had gathered for an appearance by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler leader once on the fringes of Israeli politics, has sparked controversy in both New York and Connecticut on his first official U.S. state visit since joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet in 2022. Prior to the Brooklyn episode, Ben-Gvir was speaking to a small crowd at a Manhattan steakhouse Thursday afternoon when a man who had been hiding in a bathroom for two hours stormed into the private event. 'Get the [expletive] out of New York!' cried the protester. The NYPD on Monday was bracing for another demonstration scheduled for 7 p.m. involving a pro-Palestinian group that will march from Barclays Center to Crown Heights. _____
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Adams urges women threatened at NYC protest against Israeli official Itamar Ben-Gvir to file complaints
Two women who were threatened and harassed during a protest outside a Brooklyn speaking appearance by controversial Israeli official Itamar Ben-Gvir Thursday night were urged to come forward and file complaints, Mayor Adams said on X. One of the protesters was hurt, with the other subjected to 'vile threatening by counter protesters,' Adams said in the Sunday post. The incidents were caught on video and posted on social media as the NYPD looks for the suspects. Various videos show one of the victims, her face covered by a scarf, being escorted by a police officers, with young men or teens trying to get in her face or spit on her. 'Let me be clear: none of this is acceptable,' the mayor added. 'In fact, it is despicable.' Both incidents, as well as several others for which police issued five disorder conduct summonses and arrested one man for assaulting another, happened outside the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters on Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights. A crowd of more than 200 Hasidim had gathered for an appearance by far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler leader once on the fringes of Israeli politics, has sparked controversy in both New York and Connecticut on his first official U.S. state visit since joining Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet in 2022. Prior to the Brooklyn episode, Ben-Gvir was speaking to a small crowd at a Manhattan steakhouse Thursday afternoon when a man who had been hiding in a bathroom for two hours stormed into the private event. 'Get the [expletive] out of New York!' cried the protester. The NYPD on Monday was bracing for another demonstration scheduled for 7 p.m. involving a pro-Palestinian group that will march from Barclays Center to Crown Heights.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Mob of Orthodox Jewish men chases woman after protest at Brooklyn synagogue
A Brooklyn woman said she feared for her life as she was chased, kicked, spit at and pelted with objects by a mob of Orthodox Jewish men who mistook her as a participant in a protest against Israel's far-right security minister. The assault, recorded by a bystander, unfolded Thursday near the global headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights, where an appearance by Itamar Ben-Gvir set off clashes between pro-Palestinian activists and members of the neighborhood's large Orthodox Jewish community. The woman, a neighborhood resident in her 30s, told the Associated Press she learned of the protest after hearing police helicopters over her apartment. She walked over to investigate around 10:30pm but by then the protest had mostly disbursed. Not wanting to be filmed, she covered her face with a scarf. 'As soon as I pulled up my scarf, a group of 100 men came over immediately and encircled me,' said the woman, who spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because she feared for her safety. 'They were shouting at me, threatening to rape me, chanting 'death to Arabs.' I thought the police would protect me from the mob, but they did nothing to intervene,' she said. As the chants grew in intensity, a lone police officer tried to escort her to safety. They were followed for blocks by hundreds of men and boys jeering in Hebrew and English. Video shows two of the men kicking her in the back, another hurling a traffic cone into her head and a fourth pushing a trash can into her. 'This is America,' one of the men can be heard saying. 'We got Israel. We got an Army now.' At one point, she and the police officer were nearly cornered against a building, the video shows. 'I felt sheer terror,' the woman recalled. 'I realized at that point that I couldn't lead this mob of men to my home. I had nowhere to go. I didn't know what to do. I was just terrified.' After several blocks, the officer hustled the woman into a police vehicle, prompting one man to yell, 'Get her!' The crowd erupted in cheers as she was driven away. The woman, a lifelong New Yorker, said she was left with bruises and mentally shaken by the episode, which she said police should investigate as an act of hate. 'I'm afraid to move around the neighborhood where I've lived for a decade,' she told the AP. 'It doesn't seem like anyone in any position of power really cares.' A police spokesperson said one person was arrested and five others were issued summons following the demonstration, but did not say whether anyone involved in assaulting the woman was charged. Eric Adams said Sunday that police were investigating 'a series of incidents stemming from clashing protests on Thursday that began when a group of anti-Israel protesters surrounded the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters – a Jewish house of worship – in Brooklyn'. He said police had spoken to a different woman on the pro-Palestinian side of the protest who suffered injuries after she was harassed by counter-protesters. Photos shared online showed that woman with blood streaming down her face. 'Let me be clear: none of this is acceptable, in fact, it is despicable,' Adams added. 'New York City will always be a place where people can peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence, trespassing, menacing, or threatening.' The protest was one of several in recent days against Ben-Gvir, an ultranationalist settler leader who is embarking on his first US state visit since joining the cabonet of Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, three years ago. Previously convicted in Israel of racist incitement and support for a terrorist group, he has called on his supporters to confront Palestinians and assert 'Jewish Power'. A Chabad-Lubavitch spokesman, Rabbi Motti Seligson, denounced both the anti-Ben-Gvir protesters and the mob that chased the woman.
