Crisis: Satmar Group Evicts, Sues Chabad
Twenty-eight years ago, my brother in law and sister, Chaim and Rivky Brikman, the Rebbe’s Shluchim to Seagate, NY, were hired as the rabbi and rebbetzin of Congregation Kneses Israel of Seagate, a synagogue with a storied past dating to 1924 • Full Story, Video
Written by Brochi
Twenty-eight years ago, my brother in law and sister, Chaim and Rivky Brikman, the Rebbe’s Shluchim to Seagate, NY, were hired as the rabbi and rebbetzin of Congregation Kneses Israel of Seagate, a synagogue with a storied past dating to 1924. It was a perfect fit. B”H they have succeeded in building a beautiful kehila of local yidden l’sheim ultiferes.
Twelve years ago, they were approached by a Satmar Yeshiva from Boro Park to rent space in the building adjacent to the main shul. Because the shul building sufficed for the shul’s needs at the time, they rented the space to them.
Then came Hurricane Sandy and destroyed the lower level of the synagogue. Recently, an electrical fire wrought havoc and forced the community out, leaving hundreds of Jewish families without a building and a place to daven.
Left without a home, the shul chose not to renew their tenant’s lease on the school building after it expired. While verbally agreeing to vacate at the end of the school year, the Satmar Yeshiva reneged on the agreement, fabricating a lawsuit against the shul, the first step in what would become a pattern of deceit trying to bankrupt the shul and initializing a hostile takeover of the shul’s property.
They have fabricated horrific accusations against the Brikman’s as well as the local community members. UTA of Boro Park spearheaded by Mr. Gary Schlesinger (a satmar “community activist”), hired armed guards to station themselves in front of the shul to stop community members from entering. They even went as far to insist that the judge order my brother in law, Chaim, to be arrested for hosting a Shabbos Kiddush in the building!
They are well aware that their fabricated allegations will not hold up in court, they have therefore engaged in delaying tactics hoping to exhaust the community’s resources through the legal proceedings.
The legal team hired by the Shluchim are confident that Kneses Israel/Chabad will win in court as soon as the case is heard (which can take some time). They are therefore in dire need of funds to defend themselves and the community in court.
We ask you as friends of ours and people who care about the Rebbe and his Shluchim, give with an open hand so that they can overcome this darkness.
For the next 36 hours all donations will be matched. Please visit CrisisInSeagate.com to donate. Please encourage your friends to help out.
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As far as I know Satmar and Lubavitcher have been on good terms.
Why don’t the Seagate Schluchimcontact them?