Follow ChabadInfo & Never Miss an Update!

Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our WhatsApp status and broadcast Follow us on Tiktok Follow us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on Google News Subscribe on YouTube

Mas HaKohol held its biweekly raffle on Thursday. The lucky winners are Rabbi and Mrs. Peretz and Shaindel Blasberg of Crown Heights who won a $25 gift certificate from Mendy’s Glatt Kosher Delicatessen and Restaurant. The gift certificate was generously donated by Rabbi & Mrs. Natti Bukasis, owner of Mendy’s.

Proceeds of Mas HaKohol go to fund the Crown Heights Community’s obligations for the Rabbonim shlit”a. The assessed cost for each Crown Heights resident is $180 a year.  To give your share or even just to give: http://www.chcentral.org/payment-site/

Mas Hakohol was put in place to support the Beis Din of Crown Heights. The idea of making a communal tax, was instituted around the time of the original elections for the Rabbonim of the Beis Din of Crown Heights in the 1980s. In a show of support, the Lubavitcher Rebbe would always personally contribute as well. The Rebbe emphasized that paying Mas HaKohol is not a charitable effort.  Rather it’s a personal obligation incumbent upon each and every Jewish family in Crown Heights.

Historically, assessing a community tax has its precedent in the Jewish towns and cities in Europe, where a yearly tax would be levied on each family. That tax was then used to pay for the guest house, soup kitchen, the Rov and various charities.

Mas HaKohol is under the Vaad HaKahal of Crown Heights, with its own bank account. As in most communities, the Jewish Community Council of Crown Heights hosts the Mas HaKohol effort, but they aren’t able to pay for fundraising and salaries for the Rabbonim.  This is a misunderstood point.

Mas HaKohol Is Not The JCC

“People think that just because our desk, computer and telephone are in the Jewish Community Council, so they think the JCC is rich and can fund the Rabbis too. That’s not the case at all. Each person in the Crown Heights JCC is funded by Federal, NY State and philanthropic grants that exactly fund that person and her or his efforts. There is simply no extra money for the $392,000 cost of a Rabbinical Court Staff. We are talking about the salaries of three Rabbonim, a secretary, a fundraiser, paperclips, copier, court recordings, filing and other costs to ensure confidentiality and the time to hear and deal with problems. This all comes out to around $400,000 yearly.”

This is why each individual counts. “It’s the little donations that count most”. Isseroff says. “Most people do a recurring payment of some smaller amount each month because they know how behind the community is in paying our Rabbonim”.

The Rabbonim are very busy 24 hours answering shaylos and saving shalom bayis. How many times have do people call in the middle of the night with a niddah question? They pushut save lives. They save marriages.  And not just from Crown Heights. From around the world shluchim are calling the Crown Heights Rabbonim too.

To give your payment. To give even more! Or even just to give:  http://www.chcentral.org/payment-site/

To make your payment recurring each month, choose: “recurring” when you pay- Then adjust it in your PayPal.

To call in a credit card, dial: (718) 771-9000 ext 7729

To mail a check, make out to: MAS HAKOHOL and mail to:

Mas HaKohol

392 Kingston Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11225

269