By COLlive reporter
Calls are being made to regulate the mass gatherings over the month of Tishrei at Lubavitch World Headquarters – 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights following recent deadly crushes.
45 frum Jewish men were killed during the annual Lag BaOmer celebration on Mount Meron 3 weeks ago, and 2 young men were killed when bleachers collapsed in the Karlin-Stolin shul near Jerusalem last week.
Jerusalem District Police chief Doron Turjeman told Israel’s Channel 12 that the gathering at Stolin was “an event that involves negligence and irresponsible conduct.” The shul was reportedly unfinished and temporary bleachers were set up.
These recent tragedies, which shocked the Jewish world, have led some Lubavitchers to question how the large assemblage of Chassidim and bochurim at the main shul of 770 is planned and orchestrated.
“What happens during the Tishrei holidays at 770, Chabad center in New York, needs to undergo an urgent change,” commented Mendy Gruzman, a resident of Kfar Chabad and broadcaster for the Kan Moreshet radio station.
He said that at 770, “a crowd of thousands is crowded without escape routes on the sides and without a professional who will be present and supervise the movement of the crowd.”
Gruzman stated that he has nothing against the gatherings per se. “(We) just want everyone to return home safely,” he said, adding that one possibility is to schedule the visitation of groups at different times of the year.
Tzvi Tessler, a health reporter for Radio Kol Chai who lives in Kiryat Malachi with his family and has regularly visited 770, wrote this past week in the Kfar Chabad magazine about the need to implement security measures.
“We must demand and make sure that the caution of Venishmartem is maintained with regard to the safety of those staying in 770 and at the Ohel,” he said, referring to the command of the Torah to protect human life.
“With all the pain, when there is no safe way to do it, it is better to travel with the children at a different time of the year, rather than going into a question of endangering life,” wrote Tessler.
There are packed crowds in several large shuls in the US and Eretz Yisroel, why are they singling out 770.
Because their kids travel to 770 and they care! Not everything is a which hunt.
Because they are Lubavitchers
Maybe because these two people are lubavitchchers and they care for their fellow lubavitchchers?
Because they are Chabad people.
This not a criticism. It is a reminder to take safety precautions, so that no family has to mourn the loss of a loved one on Yom tov.
Expand 770!!!!!
And who said that there was anything wrong with the way it is? Not that I have anything against it 😉
I dont think Hashem is trying to tell us to stop gathering together…
No but maybe we should be more mindful when we do before anything happens cv
Youre right. 770 is bederech hateva very very unsafe. But nothing major ever happened as far as I’m concerned. The Rebbe watches over his chassidim.
Nothing happened in Miron for hundreds of years either. Why do we have to wait until something happens c”v.
There was an accident in Meron in 1911 where people were killed when a railing collapsed. Whereas there has been no such thing in 770, B”H.
There were a few serious incidents in 770, for example:
Sukkos 5730: R.Y.K. Marlow obm
Sukkos 5753: R.M.M. Hendel
Baruch Hashem these ended OK…
Around 100 years ago also happened a tragedy in Meron. We DO HAVE to make our part and protect ourselves
look, the rebbe constantly encouraged people to come for tishrei. i think this a classic case of the rebbe taking responsibility for what ever happens. however some level of precaution should be taken
It was always a נס nobody was hurt until now. אין סומכין על הנס
It is very true when you say that the Rebbe watches over 770.
There is a known saying.
Don’t rely on a miracle.
Just BTW.
There is NO ONE to talk to in 770.
Last night the Gabbai saw the bochurim putting g benches on top of tables.
He just turned his head & continued on his merry way.
We have ability to expand- the rebbe approved of it 30 years ago – let’s do it!!!
The party who’s made these observations is a member of anash. He is not negatively singling out 770. 770 is indeed singular in the most complimentary sense of the word and is, therefore, worthy of singular attention. Why would anyone object to making physical conditions in Beis chayenu safer than they have been thus far, even if only a little? Why do some folks perceive everything as grounds for a quarrel?
This is a good time to use a wake up call to follow the plans.
Last year was great by the way. Lots of people bt no insane pushing and overcrowding. For the first time we were able to actually get into and enjoy our own shul. Why not keep it that way and limit guests?
The Rebbe referred the the guests as his guests. It’s not the rebbe’s way to limit guests. But it is important to expand, to accommodate people safely
because the rebbe wanted guest to come.
Police r the ones who barred the exit in meron
I dont think we should be too worried
But some shuls in boro park are bigger then 770 and I dont think because of what happened they’ll be thinking of expanding or going to change for tishrei. Also belz yidden travel to eretz yisrael from new York every year, will they change anything? Doubt it. What happened was a tragedy and I believe ahavas yisroel needs to be increased for such misfortune to stop from happening like rabbi akivas talmidim.
the ahavas yisrael part 100%!
What’s the connection? If some don’t take simple steps to make sure people don’t die during davening, does that mean no one should care? This is for everyone’s safety and there’s no reason to wait for something to happen before we act.
The call for safety precautions is just common sense. It’s not a criticism. It’s about protecting our community. 770 is singled out because in our community it is the main gathering place. The call is only to have good safety precautions, to have proper emergency exits, and to have someone to guide the situation so that we do not have any tragedy r”l. I would hope that this is something everyone can agree on.
Parentches/bleachers are a relatively new thing. It used to be that chassidim came to listen and not to watch…
Simply false
770 had bleachers for years… actually more than they have now
Hard to believe something will change
(Unless you convince the bochurim who control 770…)
770 does not have real bleachers and there are big exit’s nothing to worry about
Of course we have to take precautions, “ushmartem me’od es nafshoseichem.” The cavalier attitude about safety rules has already cost many human lives. There is no excuse for this.
At the farbrengen on shabbos chol hamoed sukkos 5730, there was intense pushing and things collapsed. Rabbi Marlow had crushed bones from this.
Ever since then the rebbe did not farbreng in the sukka. The previous year, the rebbe said if the pushing wouldn’t stop he would not continue the farbrengen.
I was there for Rosh Hashana few years ago, it was very crowded, it was hard to breath and I almost fainted. Please everyone be careful and use your head. ( I didn’t by then, I stayed thinking ” this is so holy, I won’t feel this anywhere else, what an opportunity, if more people come there’s gonna be a miracle this place will expand etc ” : I was very mistaken, crowds can be dangerous.
It would seem the main problem in Stolin and in previous incidents in 770 was bleachers and no having them properly set up.
Extra precautions must be put in place to make sure bleachers are set up properly by Farbrengens and Hakofos.
Does 770 have a sprinkler system and working smoke alarms? I was in the women’s section once a number of years ago and someone thought they smelled smoke. There was pushing to get out. It might be good to even have fire drills.
Look at the “certificate of occupancy”. Seems like 770 isn’t approved for too many people and things that it is supposed to have do not appear to be checked. http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/PropertyProfileOverviewServlet?boro=3&houseno=770&street=Eastern+Parkway&go2=+GO+&requestid=0
Years ago on rosh hashana baby carriages didnt fill 770. Without the carriages and without all the talking you could hear tikeyos and get in and out of 770. When i went to 770 a fe00w ye0ars ago i couldnt even hear when tikeyos pwere blown because of non stop talking of visitors. When the rebbe blew tikeyos you could hear and the shul wasnt blocked with carriages
Not sure what this is all about? 770 does not have bleachers, They use to have them before Gimel Taamuz. Now unfortunately there is no need for it. There is no danger now whatsoever. Most of Crown Heights inhabitants done daven there anyway. Only Tishrei when guests come it fills up. But no need for tall bleachers.
It would also be great if measures are taken to make simchas beis hashuaiva safer. I haven’t gone there for years since i was terrified of the large crowds pushing me and people jumping over my stroller ignoring the fact that theirs a human in there!
About 15 years ago, our Rebeim put us on a bus to CH. After davening by 770, I called the Brooklyn Fire Marshal”s Office. No escape route to the south, north and south exits small and poorly marked, and the main, west entrance can be bottled up by fire or other fore, G-d forbid. Very dangerous, nothing changed. Hopefully, lessons learned. I don’t remember ever hearing The Rebbe say that any particular Physical object or structure should never be changed or improved upon. This is safety, life, we are talking about.
This is a very dangerous setup. Two tiny exits, on the street side only, the aisles are packed with people, literally no way to get out in an emergency or otherwise. I stopped going because I felt unsafe.