Jewish News UK Outreach organisation Chabad-Lubavitch
this week took legal action to publicly distance itself from an
unrelated group called Chabad UK, following a drugs bust involving the
latter in Stamford Hill.
Police said two men were arrested after
a dawn raid on Monday “on suspicion of money laundering, fraud and
supplying misleading/false information to the Commission (Charities Act
2011)”. They have been bailed to appear in January.
One of the three addresses raided was
Oldhill Street in Hackney, from where Chabad UK is run by 62-year-old
Rabbi Chaim Yitzchok Cohen, director of the Beis Moshiach/Beis Menachem
Community Centre.
Police confirmed this week that the two
men arrested were aged 62 and 34 years. They were widely reported to be
Cohen and his son Dudi, although these reports could not be
substantiated and Chabad UK could not be reached for comment. [...]
Chabad can do no wrong!
ReplyDeleteWell it doesn't seem that way! So many recent serious scandals involving Chabad around the Globe!
Outreach they call themselves?
Abuse of children in Australia, covered up until convicted! Sales of illegal sex and slimming medicines that could kill vulnerable people. Yes they prey on the vulnerable for financial reward! Millions of
£ s!
We all know thar Rabbi Biderman gave a false voluntary statement to the court In Vienna saying that the children are doing well? How can this be when Benji was self
harming? Has Rabbi Biderman tried speaking to the children recently, because
at 5 they are unable to have any sort of conversation in any language!
What is happening in Vienna is a another
"cover up"!
If Chabad shieldtheir bad, they will continue
they will cause themselves big problems!
Chabad Lubavich UK need to be
questioning Biderman and getting answers, or the good reputation of Lubavich Chabad may not be saved!
It's time for serious questions and truth for the credibility of Lubavich/Chabad UK. to continue!
Rabbi Biderman needs to be .made to stand
up and be counted. There shouldn't be a problem if he has nothing to hide. I suspect otherwise!
I too read with sadness the latest scandal resulting from an interpol investigation where Rabbi Chaim Yitzchok Cohen from Hackney, London – the director of the Beis Moshiach/Beis Menachem Community Centre – and his 34-year-old son Rabbi Dudi Cohen, have been taken into police custody.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it is nothing new to read about Rabbis being charged (and in some cases found guilty) of a wide range of criminal activities, and this is certainly nothing unique to Chabad.
This story was widely reported and even published on a Chabad news site:
http://crownheights.info/chabad-news/451934/two-lubavitchers-arrested-in-london/
On closer inspection, the handling of this scandal by the UK Chabad leadership (if such a thing exists) is very unusual:
A spokeperson told Jewish News: “A fundraising letter sent out on 1 September from a group calling itself Chabad UK is just the latest in a string of incidents which, in our view, could amount to a misleading of Chabad Lubavitch’s supporters.
“It is an entirely separate organisation from us with important theological differences. Despite numerous attempts by us and our lawyers to stop them fundraising without making it clear they are not a part of the official Chabad Lubavitch organisation, they have ignored our appeals.”
The Chabad spokesman in the article talks of two separate unrelated organizations:
http://www.chabad.org.uk/
http://www.chabad-uk.com/
In truth, it is far from clear just how unrelated they are. I invite someone to provide more background on these "important theological differences"? Some online reading hints at the notion that the Beis Moshiach constitution believes Rabbi Schneerson is Moshiach. I have yet to read of any senior Chabad Rabbi publicly declaring anything to the contrary. Furthermore, if there are such inherent theological differences, would it make sense for them to teach in each other's schools. Imagine a conservative Rabbi teaching Kodesh in a Chasidish school? Yet, Rabbi Dudi Cohen is listed as a teacher in a 'recognized' Chabad school in London (Lubavitch Boys School) :
http://www.chabad.org/centers/default_cdo/aid/117824/jewish/Chabad-Lubavitch-UK-Hdqts.htm
http://lubavitch.com/centers/detail.html?id=287
Perhaps what we are seeing is a change in Chabad PR tactics. Perhaps they are finally coming to the realization that brushing scandals under the carpet just makes them look foolishly in denial and damages any trust/confidence in Chabad. This new methodology appears to involve distancing themselves from the Rabbis causing embarrassment and claiming that they are somehow not affiliated to them. If this is the case, it would be yet another PR disaster. People may be fooled in the short-term, but as events unravel, they will feel misled at the underhand manipulation of the situation.
The correct approach is to face up to what has happened, publicly explain that one of their ranks "has now been dismissed/suspended pending investigation" and look to repair what damage has been caused. Any strategy that doesn't involve the acceptance of rogue Rabbis, and ability to deal with them, will ultimately create further distrust.
As a final point, we continually hear how autonomous every Chabad center is. How many times have we been told that no Chabad Rabbi can question another Chabad institution due to their independence. I have not seen any declaration from Chabad-Lubavitch UK to distance themselves from Chabad in Australia or Biderman's Chabad in Vienna? Perhaps now is the time for Chabad-Lubavitch UK to write one!
Once again, another Chabad scandal has surfaced and Chabad refuse to face it.