The following email was sent to Chicagoanash.com and also to the Bnos Rabbeinu administration. The author, who of course hides his true identity, visited the ChicagoAnash web site (why?) and decided to send some hate-mail based on a simple congratulatory message he saw there. I usually simply delete such anonymous emails, but this particular evening I decided to respond. My responses are in blue sans-serif font.

-----Original Message-----
From: Y A [mailto:yitzchoka@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 7:46 PM
To: webmaster@chicagoanash.com; admin@bnosrabbeinu.com
Subject: Mazel Tov

On 2/20/06, webmaster <webmaster@chicagoanash.com> wrote:

It's the poor souls like you, always hiding your face in shame behind anonymous emails, ignoring the Rebbe's directives, and spreading hatred, that cause "destructiveness."

You have nothing better to do than monitor web sites that you hate, in order to find fights to pick. Why go to the site if you don't like what you see there?

You have to state "A Lubavitcher" under your name because otherwise no one would recognize you as such... and sorry to say, they'd be right!

Hershel Belkin (on behalf of ChicagoAnash.com)

From: Y A [mailto:yitzchoka@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 11:13 PM
To: webmaster
Subject: Re: Mazel Tov

I am not ashamed, rather I fear the backlash from the Mushchosim (read:Moshichistim) terrorists that are affiliated with you and your tzfati comrades. Despite the fact that your friends have turned it into a fairground, I want to be able to enter 770, my Rebbe's shul, unharmed.

The only shame I have is when people who don't know better associate me and the Rebbe with people of your ilk.

I do not spread "hatred", I simply disassociate myself from your group.

For example, which other shul do you know of anywhere that has a picture of a human being on the front window? This is similar to a church with, lehavdil elef alfei havdolos, yoshke hanging on the front! This is certainly NOT Lubavitch!!! This is an absolute Chilul Hashem and in my opinion and in the opinion of many passers-by tantamount to Avodah Zoroh!

This is one small example (and there are many, many more) why any normal thinking Lubavitcher that grew up in Lubavitch prior to 3 Tammuz, will correctly conclude that you guys have gone off the deep end and although you may be similar to us in some ways and customs, you are no longer Lubavitch. It is only a matter of time, when, if c"v Moshiach has not come, it will become even clearer that this is the truth.

Regards,

Yitzchok

PS YOU would not recognize me as a Lubavitcher, because you unfortunately have a warped imaginary view of Lubavitch! In reality you are living in a dream world that could not be further than Lubavitch. Thus I signed "A Lubavicther".

The reality is that most of Anash in Chicago and in general Anash outside of the cocoon known as Crown Heights, (and perhaps in CH too) do not subscribe to your meshugaas.

So don't look at yourself and then say that I am not a Lubavicther, you are using the wrong measuring stick.

I don't even know why I'm bothering to reply. I guess I'm a bit bored tonight.

In Chicago it's only been your side that have committed acts of terrorism. I just spent a week in 770, along with many thousands of others -- from both "sides", none of whom were "harmed". That's such nonsense and you know it. That there may be a few misguided individuals who are extreme on both sides is true. So what? There always were.

A "fairground"? The shul in 770 is closer to the way it was when I was there 30 years ago than it was just a few years ago. There is excitement, learning, davening. It's quieter during kriah than it was many years when I was there with the Rebbe in the room.

The only difference between what you believe and what I believe (assuming that you may in fact BE a Lubavitcher) is that I believe completely what the Rebbe said in the last few years of his sichos. You choose to re-interpret, putting your intellect above the Rebbe's words. I'm too simple for that -- I'll go with the Rebbe's words.

If all you did was "disassociate" yourself, you would not have visited the web site, nor would you have sent your message of hatred. So you're also a liar.

The Moshiach Center of Chicago is NOT a shul. That people happen to also use it for davening doesn't make it a shul. There is plenty of learning going on all day and night in there. There is distribution of literature, information, tzedokah. There are meals, farbrengens, simchas. It is an organizational edifice that happens to include daily minyanim. If you choose to consider it a "shul", that's your loss. (And just for your information the Rebbe is not just some "human being", he's a great tzaddik and Nasi Ha'Dor.)

Every Chabad house that I've ever been in has a large prominent picture of the Rebbe in the entrance hall, for all to see as they enter. Even many here in Chicago! And so they should have.
The Moshiach Center is (thus far) too small to have an entrace hall, sorry!

Aha! There's the key.. you're a "thinking" Lubavitcher!! As I stated above, while there is merit in using one's intellect, there is also great risk. You've allowed yourself to think that you can reason more than the Rebbe. That you can somehow create your own theories in the absence of new sichos. That you can define a new reality in the light of what you perceive with your eyes.

I prefer to look at the world through the Rebbe's eyes, using his words to guide me. Your words have just defined the Rebbe's vision as a "warped imaginary view of Lubavitch!", c"v.

As for your stated "reality" about Anash... First of all, that "cocoon" of Crown Heights is the Rebbe's community. And the vast majority there subscribe to the same "beliefs" as I do. The same is true in Chicago by the way, whether you'd like to admit it or not. And in Eretz Yisroel. And in Australia. And in California. And in France. Should I go on? You can try to fool people into believing that it's just a small minority, but that's nothing but a deception.

So what of people like you? I for one have no problem with you subscribing to what I consider misguided views. I believe in "live and let live"; I believe in diversity. As long as your crowd doesn't use it's power, money, and influence to try to squash the other side. Problem is, you do. And it's that I'll fight against.

If you could just adopt a "live and let live" attitude, you might actually enjoy a shiur at the Moshiach Center. How about sitting down there and debating some of those sichos that you re-interpreted? I have no problem attending events, shiurim, simchas, etc. in all varieties of Lubavitch establishments. How about just showing some tolerance of differences, and let's leave it to Moshiach to correct us both?

Hershel

PS. I still stand by my criticism of the anonymity of you and your ilk. Anyone who lashes out like you do but hides behind an anonymous email is a coward. You are not afraid of consequences, you are afraid and ashamed of your stance and your own words.

At this point, our hate-monger gives up. Although he sought out conflict by visiting a site he hates and then sending his unsolicited hate-mail, he is incensed at my posting of the initial exchange, trying to claim that I am looking for a fight (in fact, if you peruse the NEWS page, you'll see that the last posting of anything at all inflammatory was back in January 2005.)

Before he even received my second response (above), he sent me the following personal attack. In his twisted sense of reality, he accuses ME of picking a fight! (Sort of like kicking 40 kids out of school, and then claiming that the alternative school that was founded to provide those kids an education is an illegal competing school!)

My simple reply follows his rant.

From: Y A [mailto:yitzchoka@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 11:49 PM
To: webmaster
Subject: Re: Mazel Tov

"02/20/06: Sad to report that there are still hate-mongers among us. I report this only so that I don't have to bear the sadness alone."

You are so full of BS, you didn't report this because YOU are a "hate-monger"? Is it because you are such a peace-loving person???

Nebach, I feel bad for you that you might have to "bear the sadness alone".

Just as I did not have to visit your website you could have deleted the e-mail.

You are the biggest hate monger and machlokes maker in the city, going way, way back. Your whole website, shul and school is predicated on hate, strife and most of all anti-establishmentism. You love spreading machlokes, which is why you posted the exchange between us. You could have deleted it or simply said I don't repond to people I don't know who they are. You just love machlokes!

(You probably also love showing your "chochma" with your "brilliant" answer, in reality it is just your foolishness and love for machlokes.)

On 2/20/06, webmaster <webmaster@chicagoanash.com> wrote:

May I remind you that you started this exchange? Sorry that my words of truth hit such a sore nerve.