Editor Of The Journal Of Halakha And Contemporary Society, Chabad Caught Illegally Screening Movie

Rabbi Alfred Cohen, editor of the Journal of Halakha and Contemporary Society, and the Chabad Center in Wayne, New Jersey are both caught illegally screening the movie Ushpizin without paying its distributor or filmmaker or receiving permission. Rabbi Cohen claims to have sought permission before the screening. Chabad does not. Both settled out of of court:

The Chabad Center, in Wayne, N.J., thought the film would make a perfect draw for its Dec. 10 Melava Malka, a dinner celebrating the Sabbath. "You are cordially invited Saturday night to Café Chabad for a private screening of the acclaimed 'Ushpizin' and a Middle Eastern buffet dinner," the invitation read. The admission fee wasn't for the movie but covered the cost of the meal, said Michael, the director of the center, who declined to give his last name.

"What's the difference between showing the movie to 25 people in my home or showing it at the synagogue?" he asked. Advised that DVDs contain a strict prohibition against publicly exhibiting the product, he said he hadn't read the fine print.

On Tuesday, Chabad arrived at a settlement. The event will go ahead as planned, but Picturehouse will get a percentage of each ticket sold — as in theaters.

"I'm not interested in a fight with anybody," Michael said. "I'm the chaplain of the Passaci County prison. You think I want people to visit me there? I'm happy. They're happy. Everything is fine."

Comments

[David Kelsey]

Vat? It's just a movie. And it's Kiruv, so there must be a heter.

[Marvin S.T.]

heter ? i wonder if it was the other way around !
like aish screening the movie of the minim for example .
in any case hona-ah and achizat einayim is their middle name .
keiruv ? to what ? to be-er shachat ?

[Shmuel Sophar]

It suprises me that any rabbi that does not by the video ushpizin or borrow it has know idea that it is illeagel to view this movie in public. And sell tickets to a dinner thereby profiting from the movie. I wounder what halachah they learn in yeshiva. Theft Is Theft no justifacation. I payed my $22 for the video Chabad should pay theres also.

[sandman]

the ushpizin jerks sent copies to every rabbi and rabbinic organization in the country - we got three of them - with a plea to promote it heavily etc. we deposited ours in the circular file - I didn't read the literature, but I can certainly see it being screened in lots of places...

[Yekhoniahu]

Sandman ,
the producers are not jerks .
those who screened the movie without payment and collecting a fee to boot , are thieves .
As to others , well , it seems that they did not read the attached literature .

[sandman]

it would seem to me that prosecuting people for the miniscule sums these synagogues collected - after having sent literature galore begging them to shill the movie to their congregants - is pretty tacky, and , yes, jerky...but I'm happy to see all of the comments from the great tzadikim on this board who of course always cross at the light and are paragons of virtue ...

[RebbeGod.blogspot.com]

By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
Before you condemn either of them go look how the copyright laws are viwed in halochah...
I personaly think that Chabadniks as Chassidim should follow the spirit of the law on this which seems to be to let others have parnossa from their work...on the other hand I'm told by a friend of mine that his Rabbi haGaon Rabbi Farkash Shlit"a (who I think is a satmar turned Chabadnik correct me if I'm wrong)paskened that software is "dovar she ein bo mamash which is not something that can be stolen al pi halocha" and one can copy it...
And my friend thus has software mostly shareware it seems that he is not paid for long past the expiration date and I screamed ahim many times that he shouldn't rely on this psak din because it makes no ethical sense -it goes against the spirit of Chassidus...
Also I saw type of "halachik" rulings on frumteens website and on soimething called kashrut.org (which ironicly bashes Chabad for pushing Jews away from Yidishkeit thru doing kiruv dressed in frum clothes etc. which removes hope from some Jews to ever achieve "this level" etc and the frumteens also bashes Chabad for various "sins"

With blessings
Ariel Sokolovsky
RebbeGod.blogspot.com
Yechi Yehovah Tsidkeinu!