By COLlive reporter
Better safe than sorry.
The gabboim of the main shul at Lubavitch World Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights began implementing safety precautions that will clear the large Shul’s exits and doorways.
Benches and tables that are usually stacked at the side entrance (under the office of the Mazkir Rabbi Leibel Groner OBM) were stacked and moved to the side on Friday.
“Warning! Danger! This area must be kept a clear walkway,” read the signs that were hung there by the gabboim.
Gabbai Rabbi Yosef Losh said it was just the beginning of changes to come following the deadly crushes of crowds on Mount Meron on Lag BaOmer which cost the lives of 45 people and the collapse of bleachers in the Karlin-Stolin shul near Jerusalem.
“We can’t take chances,” Losh told COLlive.com about their efforts ahead of Shabbos and other ones that will be made in the coming week.
“We won’t be allowing any bikes or scooters to be parked inside the shul or anywhere in the entrance,” he said. “Besides for the danger of people bumping into and tripping over them, there’s the problem of them blocking the exits – and that just can’t happen.”
He said that any items placed in the doorways or parked there will be removed, without any responsibility of the gabboim.
As reported on COLlive.com, people have been commenting about the congested nature of gatherings at 770 and asked that safety measures are taken, especially during the month of Tishrei when thousands of guests arrive from around the world.
not exactly safe, but I guess it’s a good start
Great first steps. The real issue here is, how can we limit the number of people coming into 770 during Tishrei? I think that at least the schools from Israel and around the world should stop the programs that bring so many young boys and girls to 770. It’s pashut sakanas nefashos. And I feel like this year, being the year after Corona when many couldn’t come, will be more packed than ever.
There is no danger at anytime because of that exit. This is pure paranoia
Hope they move the benches that are always in the way at the entrance inside the shul. Its a fire hazard
Lol, the pictures show clutter that in a stampede will get knocked over making the situation worse
exactly what the satan wants, to make chaos. what happened to good old emunah and bitachon in Hashem & the Rebbe??
its a quarter of the size for almost the same number of people.
Yes, Hashem wants us to do teshuvah but also safety first.
I remember that close to 30 years ago, they were bringing the Rebbe into the main shul for the first time after the stroke. There was a stampede in 770 and it’s a miracle all recovered and survived. The Rebbe never came down to the main shul again thereafter.
more to do!!
Gabboyim, please address the issue of bringing baby carriages of all sizes, often wide double-strollers, inside the Ezras Noshim, creating terrible congestion, and tripping hazards, and no pathway to get through . Some young women just roll their eyes when you’re asking them to allow you to get through by moving their carriage. In general, the air-conditioning issue needs to be addressed as well. Sometimes the a/c turns on only after the tefillos are well underway, even up to kerias haTorah! especially in the first room of the EN, and also the Kingston Ave. EN. Another serious problem is that… Read more »
thank you for taking this seriously!!! I am happy to hear that this is just a small beginning. There should be a new exit on the opposite side, what is under the woman’s kingston side, can there be doors with stairs going up to kingston?? even an emergency exit that is only for this. Bh lubavitch is growing and it needs to be safe. I think all of us has felt unsafe in a crowd at some point, and that should not be.
Strongly encourage continued support and funding of this effort towards safety. This is a great chance to set and example and be world leaders. I agree with the points many have made about Tishrei.
Would the community ever be open to working with city authorities to get assistance? That’s one way to ensure safety, those rules are made to protect people. Failure to follow them is rolling the dice with human life.