A heated discussion in the comments of leading Chabad community news service COLlive.com has led the Jewish Orthodox daily Hamodia to publish a clarification.
Chabad readers were furious over an apparent omission of Chabad’s crucial role in the building of the Jewish communities in North Miami Beach, Portland, Las Vegas and other cities.
166 comments were submitted to COLlive.com (not all published) and letters were sent directly to Hamodia as well.
What sparked the uproar was an interview they held with Rabbi Moshe Katz, Dean of Yeshiva Day School of Las Vegas – a Litvish institution opened as a rival to the Chabad stronghold in Nevada.
Katz was quoted as saying that “despite a few shuls and kosher restaurants, there was very little in the way of a Torah infrastructure in place.” His words were seen as a disregard to 9 Chabad Rabbis and their families who currently serve the Las Vegas area.
While Katz arrived in Vegas 4 years ago, Rabbi Shea Harlig and his wife Dina were sent by the Rebbe in 1990 and spearheaded the establishment of 5 thriving centers, with its headquarters housing a Day School, Preschool, Hebrew school, summer day camp, synagogue, adult education center and state-of-the-art mikvah.
Criticism was directed to Hamodia for not editing the article and correcting Katz’s attempt to re-write the history of Jewish life in the Silver State. COLlive readers pointed out that past articles also allowed other Litvish rabbis to do the same.
In response, Hamodia asked Rabbi Katz to clarify his words.
“I would like to clarify some of my statements and the context in which they were intended,” he wrote Wednesday.
“Considering the fact that we live in one of the fastest-growing Jewish communities in the country, and have one of the highest assimilation rates in the country, we all agree that there is still much that needs to be done.”
He added, without mentioning the word Chabad or Lubavitch, “This is not meant to denigrate or nullify the wonderful actions and accomplishments of the dedicated marbitzei Torah and organizations throughout our emerging community.”
Hamodia also printed two letters from local Jewish community members setting the record straight about the infrastructure of Jewish life in Las Vegas.
“We are grateful to the readers who brought this issue to our attention. The article was exclusively based on an interview with one person who recently moved to the area to run Yeshiva Day School of Las Vegas, which is actually located in the nearby suburb of Henderson. The Desert Torah Academy, which is run by Chabad, is located in Las Vegas proper.”
Hamodia’s editor’s note added, “We regret any misunderstandings that may have emerged from this interview and, as we have in the past, will b’ezras Hashem continue to report on mosdos and organizations that span the spectrum of Torah Jewry.”
The first printed letter titled “Chabad Pioneered Yiddishkeit in Las Vegas” was written and signed by Phil Scheinman, a resident of Henderson, NV.
“As a resident of Henderson, a suburb of Las Vegas, I was astonished to read the interview in Hamodia with Rabbi Moshe Katz claiming that in Henderson “there is absolutely nothing in the way of Yiddishkeit.” Our community is rich with Judaism.
“The flourishing Chabad-Lubavitch center under the leadership of Rabbi Mendy Harlig has created an oasis of Torah, tefillah and tzedakah in a spiritual desert. There are daily minyanim, Torah classes and a growing community.” The claims in the interview that there was “very little in the way of Torah infrastructure” in Las Vegas were equally disingenuous. Two decades ago, Chabad pioneering work in Torah education began when Rabbi Shea and Mrs. Dina Harlig moved to Las Vagas.
“Recently they completed a beautiful new $10,000,000 school for 200 children. A network of five Chabad Centers, four community-based shuls and one campus outreach center are the lifeblood of Judaism in Las Vegas. There are mikvaos, shuls and learning. Las Vegas has seven kosher restaurants under Chabad supervision, all of which are either glatt kosher or chalav Yisrael.
“Shaarei Tefillah was the first Orthodox shul in Las Vegas. Some years ago, Young Israel opened, and there is an Israeli shul called Ohr Bamidbar. All have made important contributions to our community. The catalyst for the major transformation of Las Vegas has been largely due to the pioneering efforts of Chabad in the region. They came when Jewish life was small and tenuous. Now after two decades of mesirus nefesh we have a vibrant community.”
A second letter signed by L.R. was titled “And More on Las Vegas”:
“While I have been anxiously awaiting some recognition for our beautiful community in Las Vegas, and I appreciate your wonderful article, I was slightly disappointed. I understand that you were interviewing Rabbi Katz, who is only affiliated with the Yeshiva Day School, but there was a glaring omission in the article – Chabad’s work in Las Vegas, mainly its school, the Desert Torah Academy. Established twelve years ago, D.T.A.’s enrollment is pushing 200, ka”h.
“Rabbi Moshe Rodman, principal of the school, is a talmid chacham and world-class educator. He and his highly-qualified Judaic and secular staff have been providing the finest Torah education a parent could wish for.
“This past September, the school opened the doors to its brand new, 65,000-squarefoot, state-of-the-art building. Under directors Rabbi and Mrs. Shea Harlig, D.T.A. and Chabad have provided educational services, tzedakah funds, hospitality, kosher food, minyanim, and mikvah (to name just a few), to any Jew in need.
“There are now five Chabad centers in Las Vegas, including one in Henderson (est. 1998) under the direction of Rabbi and Mrs. Mendy Harlig. Visitors to Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon (of which there are many) have several kosher restaurant and shopping options, thanks to the Vaad Hakashrus of Las Vegas, a project of Chabad. Thank you again for your inspiring articles and stories, and may you continue to grow and have hatzlachah.”
A Chabad person who was in touch with Hamodia told COLlive.com: “We don’t believe Hamodia has anything against Chabad. They have written about the Rebbe’s Torah, the Shluchim’s work and recently has the Kinus Hashluchim on their cover.”
He said it was more an issue with the writer who pens the above mentioned articles directly based on interviews with people and not fact-checking it before publishing.
(Source: COLLive)
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30 Responses
Kinas sofrim tarbe chochemah.
Regret isn’t acceptable from THE so-called heimishe publication. while even Yated is is praising chabad all the time (for past few yrs) Hamodia is ONLY worried about Pollard
ok they regret it but tell me: what does Hamodia have against chabad? really? what?
Chabad builds Chabad. Show me where Chabad publications praise anything about the Litvishe velt.
Chabad does a lot of good things but when they make ba’alay tshuva, they make Lubavitchers.
When others are m’karev people, they make yiddin.Thus the addition of Chabadniks isn’t news to the ha’mon am of Vegas.
Just sayin’
midwestener: Chabad has no reason to discuss any other community’s just like Belz doesn’t need to talk about Vitznitz and Satmar doesn’t talk about Tzanz. the point is that Hamodia which is supposed to be APOLITICAL has become the most political publication. who are the Rabbunim who authorize their publication on every matter? who? NOBODY!
this rabbi katz doesn’t even now mention chabad! Hamodia: according to the torah Political Correctness isn’t accepted as a qualified apology
Midwestener – Chabad does build Chabad and a Chabad publication geared toward Chabad chassidim has no need to promote anything outside their chassidus, that’s not what they’re there for. But Hamodia, on the other hand, is a publication that has shown itself trying to cater to the frum population at large. And I don’t think it’s about a possible issue that Hamodia has with Chabad, as much as the dismissal of specific individuals’ very impressive accomplishments.
and then we want to know why moshiach hasnt come….
They are being hypocritical, everyone knows that Chabad would NEVER mention in any of their own publications anything happening in the charedi world that’s outside Chabad.
Hamodis is not a wealthy publication, with a large staff. It is a small organization, with limited ability to original research, and it must publish daily, on a deadline.
It is unfair to criticise them for an omission, especially when it was not done intentionally.
They printed a correction, and that’s all any reasonable person can expect.
I think it’s kind of funny that this is seen as only a Chabad slight. There has been an Aish Las Vegas for approximately 15 years as well a Young Israel shul. Those weren’t mentioned either. Where is the outrage that Hamodia hates Aish Hatorah and Young Israel? Maybe it’s wise to realize not every oversight is an insult.
Come on, the Chareidishe publications are party newspapers – the Pravda of this hoshkafa or that. Only when caught with their bloomers down would Yated or Hamodia say anything nice about Chabad, REITS or anyone else who fails to pass their muster as “authentic” – This is news to anybody?
Inthe Goyise velt, certain countries hold themaselves gross. If anything was done, or invented, they claim to have done it first, whether or not that is the truth. In the Yiddishe velt, the same is true. There are certain Mosdos who claim that nothing is done until they do it. “There were no Yeshivos in America until we founded our Yeshiva in the 1920’s ” REally? Then how ist it that other Roshei Yeshiva in America did fundraising for that Mosdos to open its Yeshiva. If you know the pattern of that Mosad, then you know why it is insulted when it is not mentioned as being the forerunner of everything Jewish Everywhere.
YWN is once again adding fuel to an almost non existant flame.
Thanks “Y”WN!
You’ve outdone yourself…again.
Lets talk about yiddishkeit in LV PRIOR to Chabad.There was and still is an Orthodox Shul,Shaarie Tefila led by Rabbi Wasser, 15 minutes 7 minutes from the Convention Center with a daily minyan, daf yomi shiur as well as mikva.There was even a Torah Umesorah Yeshiva that closed down because Chabad opened their school in Las Vegas. The community could not support 2 schools and Chabad was able to get support since they were Chabad in LV but TU yeshiva depended on the little tuition they were given. Chabad opened up and the yeshiva closed. This is still when western LV where the YI/Aish Hatora shul was still desert.The restraunts are under the hashgacha of Chabad as well as Rabbi Wasser of Las Vegas. Rabbi Wasser was in LV prior to Chabad as a Rebbi in the TU yeshiva and then ascended to the Rabbinate as Rabbi of the Shaarie Tefilla shul.
I am not related to Rabbi Wasser and actually have nothing against Chabad (I attended a few catered events at Chabad yeshiva in LV over the years) – but the truth must be told – that Chabad did not bring Yiddishkeit to LV – Frum jews brought yiddishkeit to LV – under the banner of reaching out to any Jew who wishes to practice the avoda of their forefathers
(Note to editor: Please feel free to use this as a separate article, not just as a comment.)
I am a product of the Lubavitcher Yeshiva system, and I am forever indebted to Chabad for helping to make what I am today. It is particularly for that reason that I am utterly dismayed at both the tone and the content of the responses of supporters of Chabad to an interview of Rabbi Moshe Katz, dean of Yeshiva Day School of Las Vegas, in a recent edition of Hamodia.
The kiruv work done by both Chabad and non-Chabad organizations is wonderful and is deserving of the greatest praise. I am at loss to understand why self-proclaimed defenders of Chabad choose to view a non-Chabad Yeshiva as a “rival”. There is no rivalry except that which percolates in the hearts of the individuals who appear to feel that kiruv organizations somehow have exclusive territorial rights.
It is my impression that Hamodia’s interview of Rabbi Katz intended to focus primarily on his Yeshiva, and that Rabbi Katz responded to the questions asked of him. I did not detect any intention on the part of Hamodia or Rabbi Katz to denigrate the efforts of any other organization. If Las Vegas Chabad felt slighted by Hamodia, a dignified and respectful reaction would certainly have been proper. Instead, however, some individuals chose to lash out with a blizzard of letters, e-mails, internet postings, and telephone calls – many of them laced with loshon hara and sinas chinam. That is not the proper response. It is contrary to the Torah and contrary to the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
The Rebbe taught boundless ahavas Yisrael for every yid, tolerance, patience, and forgiveness. I have no doubt that he would have been appalled by the conduct of some of his followers.
@yosher
Great valid points!!!!
To #6: The names of the specific chassidus that you mentioned allow me to strengthen my point. Do you know that the Belzer Rebbe and the Satmar Rebbe (R’ Ahron) are brothers in law to each other? And that they’re both sons in law of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Bnai Brak? Those chassiduses to mix together and share in each others news. My point was that Chabad lives in their own world. They do not join with any other segment of Klal Yisroel for anything, except on their terms. If they don’t recognize anyone else, why should anyone else recognize them?
And as far as who their rabbanim are, the publisher of Hamodia is a member of the mishpacha of the Gerrer Rebbe. The Daas Torah that they consult is in the general Chassidic world, including the Gerrers.
Similar response to #8. Hamodia actually does reach out to Chabad and cover their events quite fairly. But if Chabad wants to be accepted in the greater frum world, then they should do a better job of recognizing us.
Chabad publications never ever refer to other Chassidus.
Chabad does a lot of good all over the world, but to attack a publication for not mentioning them is poor taste to say the least. Hamodia is an exemplary newspaper and magazine that is a pleasure to have in one’s house, and open for all the kids to read and enjoy!
the closeset religion to judisam …
ask anyone out of town thay do this all the time they opened a “kollel” in colombus and sent out fliers to the jewish comminity a first in columbus- a kollel but there has been a litvish one there for 17 years lots of other exampels in cincinaty cleavland atlanta maimi baltimore and chicago they act as if any other comminity doesnt exsit case in point birchas hachama were all small comminits had a comunitty wide event and seprate by chabad
Regardless of what did or did not exist in the greater Las Vegas area, and Henderson is, as the article said, 20 minutes away from Las Vegas proper, I think it is distasteful and wrong (and kafuy tov) to accuse Hamodia of having something against Lubavitch.
From what I’ve seen, Hamodia covers Lubavitch events with the same dignity and respect that they do for those of any other chassidus and they don’t mention any “sensitive” topics such as Chabad’s Moshiach-related matters and the like but treat Lubavitch well, just like any other Chassidic sect.
On a related topic, I think Hamodia also deserves credit for also covering both Satmar Rebbes and giving each equal kavod and matching coverage.
Hamodia seems to be rodifai shalom and ohavei shalom and free of petty politics, and they should be lauded for this, not criticized.
AFTER THE BIGGEST EVENT IN BORO PARK FOR SHOLOM RUBASHKIN WHICH WAS A HUGE KIDDUSH HASHEM, THE HAMODIA HAD AN OP-ED BY RUTH LICHTENSTIEN “WHAT ABOUT JONATAN POLLARD?” NOW INSTEAD OF PRAISING THE EVENT (which btw brought in over 500k) THEY HAD TO FIND SOMETHING TO CRITICIZE??? WHY? I DON’T KNOW IF THEY HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST RUBASHKIN OR IS IT AGAINST CHABAD IN GENERAL!
@Fiftyseven- An OP-ED is her opinion ,not Hamodia’s- get your facts straight. Hamodia wasn’t “criticizing” the pro-Rubashkin event, but Ms. Lichtenstein was pointing out exactly the “problem” being discussed. Rubashkin is in Jail for less than a year- What about the Pidyon Shvuim for Pollard who is in jail for , what?- 23Years? Ommissiion is not abuse.
Why does no one mention Elchanan(Anthony)Bock the Streten Rebbe in Las Vegas? He is the drive for more Yiddishkeit in Las Vegas. Elchanan is the one that brought Torah Umesora and Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim to Las Vegas. He is the President of Shaarei Tefilla shul and the biggest donor to the shul and to Yeshiva Day School. Elchanan had a dream and now he is seeing the fruits of his labor.
I don’t know how #23 (or is it 57?) can extrapolate from anything about Rubashkin to an attitude about Chabad. Anyone who knows anything about Rubashkin knows that Pinny Lipschutz and the Yated were way ahead of everyone, even Chabad, on that issue. Yes, the Litvishe Newspaper was the first to stick up for a Lubavitcher.
You said that when Modia asks about Pollard, you take that as a slight against Rubashkin specifically and Chabad in general. That just confirms the stereotype that Chabad’s concerns start and end with Chabad and don’t extend to Klal Yisroel in general.
24. Just so you should know, Mrs. Ruth Lichtenstein IS the Modia. I don’t know if it was OP-ED or editorial. Either way, if its Ruth, then its HaModia.
Its a very messy subject, but I think Chabad has nothing to complain about.
Ive often, in order to shake Lubavitchers who were rodef me to come learn ‘chassidus’ with them, and to try and steer them away from talking about themselves and their Rebbe whom the majority of them consider Mashiach even though he is dead, will ask them to name some Gedolei Yisrael, some Poskim that are alive. This usually stuns them, and they should be embarrased. They are not concerned with any Judaism but their own. They usually have never heard of Rav Eliashiv, or Rav Steineman!
They are concerned with only their own Judaism, and feel we all must too.
If they really want coverage in HaModia, lets have a good long article, where other jews can share their qualms about Chabad, the things they dont like. Lets interview some Lubavitchers at their Rebbes Kever, asking them why they take their shoes off at their Rebbes Kever, and how that is not an afront to all the Sages that came before their Mashiach. Lets have a whole issue devoted to all the issues surrounding Chabad!
As someone who is here in PORTLAND first hand it is obvious that the KOLLEL here has done its job in putting this community on the map. Lubvatich has been here for 25 years and have tried to usurp everything that everyone has done here. It is typical of that organization!….The Kollel has put us on the map, continues to teach and is what makes Portland a place that we BT want to live. Lubavitch it is important that we know what you do and why you do it…..dont try to be what you are not……yesher koach to the kollel of portland and continue to do what you have done to make this town a place for frumkhit.
This thread was pointed out to me and, although I never am on these sites, I cannot help but adding.
As a member of the Portland community, and as a member of the Portland Kollel – the views presented here are not, nor have they ever been the opinion of either myself or my chavayrim (particularly 29). I have only HaKaros HaTov for all the the accomplishments, and many years of Miseras Nefesh and caring Chabad has put into the Portland community (and on a personal note: the school’s delicate care and genuine interest in my children). And I must add, that if you would have the opportunity to live in Portland (yes, you are all invited to move here!) you would indeed witness how dedicated and personable the members of Chabad in Portland are.
Lman HaShalom – let this thread – and loshon hara – end here.