Chabad Rabbi Charged

Rabbi Mendel Rubin, the Director of UAlbany's Chabad Jewish Student Center, is charged with "unlawfully dealing with a child" after police say an underage UAlbany student drank and was taken to the hospital after a gathering at the rabbi's home.

Rabbi Charged
Kristin Lowman • Fox 23 News

A local rabbi charged with unlawfully dealing with a child after police say an underage UAlbany student drank and was taken to the hospital after a party hosted at the rabbi's home.

Rabbi Mendel Rubin, the Director of UAlbany's Jewish Student Center faces a misdemeanor charge after police say he hosted a party at the center called Shabbos House and a student who attended was taken to the hospital. Police say this happened back on February 5th.

According to the police report at the scene the underage student was unconscious and blew above a .4 into a blood alcohol screening device, but the rabbi's lawyer says that number isn't accurate.

Guilderland Police Captain Curtis Cox says, "our emergency services got a call for someone sick almost unconscious on Fuller Road, so our department responded with our EMS department.

Police responded to 320 Fuller Road, Shabbos House, the Jewish Student Center at UAlbany.

Cox says, "EMS reported the person to be highly intoxicated and it appeared he had been sick. Thats when officers started their investigation."

According to the police report, Rabbi Mendel Rubin was hosting a party at the house where alcohol was provided. Police say the sick person, an underage student, had consumed alcohol at the party.

He had to be transported to St. Peter's Hospital and according to the report the student blew a .459.

Cox says, "at that BAC you are highly impaired its even life threatening."

Rabbi Rubin's lawyer Peter Gerstenzang says that BAC can't be accurate. By phone Friday night, Gerstenzang told FOX23 the student was attending the rabbi's birthday party which was only an hour long.

Alcohol was provided for the adults attending.

Gerstenzang says the student helped himself to the drinks adding the rabbi and his wife never served the minor.

Gerstenzang said by phone tonight that the Rubins are horrified by the charge. "This was a complete aberration that has shocked the Rubins and has resulted in an advisory committee being formed to supervise the issue. They have also instituted an absolute ban of alcohol at Shabbos House."

Gerstenzang says the Rubins didn't know the young man was drinking until he threw up and the ambulance was called.

He added the student was back at Shabbos House the next day.

Rabbi Rubin was issued an appearance ticket, he is due back in Guilderland Town Court at a later date.

February 5 – the 22 of Shevat on the Hebrew calendar – may be Rubin's birthday. But the 22 of Shevat has special significance to Chabad: the yahrtzeit of the Rebbe's wife, Chaya Mushka, who died on the 22 of Shevat 1988.

Chabad customarily hosts gatherings – farbrengans – in her memory.

In other words, this was a Chabad religious event at which Chabad supplied copious amounts of alcohol to a minor.

Comments

[Dave]

News Flash: Underage students drink a lot regardless of location!

I understand you can criticize Chabad and even Hillel for giving students alcohol for festive occasions and for Kiddush, but you can hardly blame them for a student drinking too much. I doubt the Chabad rabbi was plying him with alcohol. The kid probably thought it would be funny to get wasted at the Chabad house.

[harold]

In other words, this was a Chabad religious event at which Chabad supplied copious amounts of alcohol to a minor

If one goes to a wedding where alcohol is being served and a minor drinks too much are the chosson and kallah guilty of supplying alcohol to a minor?

[Dr. Dave]

I was at his upsherin too many years ago when his father was the shaliach at Albany and I was a medical student.

I kind of remember it being around tu b'shvat so it may just be a coincidence as far as the date.

[Yerachmiel Lopin]

Harold,

The wedding hall proprietor is responsible and some have been convicted or lost large civil suits. The Chabad House and its director are legally liable.

Besides, it is common knowledge that Chabad uses alcohol to lure kids.

[Dr. Moe]

Sounds like "he said she said!!!"

[chabadnik attorney]

I went to a Chabad Simchas Torah party for college students this year. The Rabbi hired a bartender to ensure that no underage drinking would take place. ID was required to drink.

I hope all Chabad Houses will follow suit.

[simon]

If one goes to a wedding where alcohol is being served and a minor drinks too much are the chosson and kallah guilty of supplying alcohol to a minor?

If it is Chabad then yes.

[randomthought]

This is pretty minor... no pun intended.

[concerned]

law enforecement agencies are very strict on this. If minors are present and there is booze and a kid gets drunk or G-d forbid hurt, the owner is responsible. This would also apply to a private residence or party. In one city a kid got drunk in a church, fell to his death and the pastor was charged by the DA. Chabad events often have booze and I have seen minors get drunk in the presence or rabbis. sad but booze control in some Chabad houses and Yeshivas is lax and in viloation of the law.

[harold]

The wedding hall proprietor is responsible and some have been convicted or lost large civil suits. The Chabad House and its director are legally liable

All that I know is that EVERY single wedding that I ever attended had liquor on the chossen tish with no one checking IDs.

[harold]

This is pretty minor... no pun intended

No negative story about Chabad is minor here.

[Yosef ben Matitya]

some people who post comments here, are litterally devil's advocates. r'l.

Yerachmiel Lopin, sums up the situation beautifully when he said:
Besides, it is common knowledge that Chabad uses alcohol to lure kids.

[Paul Freedman]

Were there strippers? No strippers, no story.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Harold, if someone under 21 drank at those weddings you attended, and then drove his car and got into a fatal accident, or became ill from overdose and died, then that catering facility would be in huge legal trouble.
Just because most places don't bother checking ID's doesn't make it ok. Eventually, banquet halls and synagogues are going to have to get the message about this, hopefully not the hard way.

Although some folks are using this as a knock on Chabad (what else is new here), I think Chabad has a safe track record of having gatherings for kids on Shabbos/Yom Tov, and at least at the 3 campuses where I've attended such gatherings (UMass at Amherst, BU/Northeastern, and Rutgers), only the rabbi is allowed to pour booze for kids, and he makes sure nobody is out of control. Technically, I think it's legal for kids to drink as part of a 'religious ceremony'. College kids will go where the booze is, and Chabad is known as a place for a hot home cooked meal, a few shots, and a lot of camraderie.
I think their presence on college campuses is a wonderful thing, and the shulchim I've met on campuses are terrific. I'm sure Rabbi Rubin is shaken by this, and other shluchim will get the message.

[Shmarya]

Well, on plenty of other campuses, Chabad booze-pushing is out of control.

If you hunt around a bit, you'll find some of the related articles posted here.

[WoolSilkCotton]

Shmarya,
I'm sure you're right, since shluchim quality is highly variable.

I just hope this incident gives others a wake-up call.

Parents of Jewish college kids (including me) give a lot of money to Chabad Houses at their kids' schools. When they hear of such incidents, then shluchim will hear from angry parents.

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

Shabbos House is an OFF-CAMPUS Chabad facility (immediately adjacent to the University) and Mendel Rubin is not employed by the University nor by Hillel nor by the Jewish Community. He might want to call it the Jewish Student Center at U Alb, but there's a Hillel with its own rabbi, with an ON-Campus office at Chapel House; the rabbi also teaches in the Judaic Studies Dept.

Peter Gerstanzang specializes in defending drunk drivers.

[who knows?]

In most places Chabad regularly supplies alcohol for under aged kids.

[Drunk in Postville]

I heard about some guy in Postville still lures boys to his home every Friday night and Shabbos after shul, and almost drenches them with alcohol!

How come parents STILL allow their sons to go to that guy's house, and how come he was never challenged by anyone on that??!!!

[Paul Freedman]

Yeah yeah yeah, those Chabad jooz forcing booze down the throats of well, whomever. First thing when the weekend hits, you know the jocks at Delta Epsilon Kappa grab their togas, high five each other, shout "SHABBOS" and head out for the nearest Chabad house.

[Simcha]

A God fearing Jew would admit he made a mistake, "chatasi" and take his punishment. As a misdemeanor if he has no record it will probably amount to no more than a fine.

[levi]

what's new?? ive drinking at farbrengens since 13. lebedik lebedik. tait iz der ailom, tait iz der ailum, tait iz der ailom, ayeiyeiyei. s'iz doch altz hevel havolim. puke on kingston avenue and stumble home, knocking into a few trees on the way. It's a rite of passage here. We pride ourselves on the iron stomachs of our Russian heritage. nyezhe rizhe chloptshi, shto is nami budyet - just wait till we reach the next town, there is more booze there. How many certifiable alchoholics live in the rebbe's shchuneh, kan ziva hashem es habrocho? what is the brocho (ad bli dai)? un mir trinken yayin azoi vi mayim

[R]

Yes it's the only way they will get the students interested in coming to their chabad dos.
Also if they are not the official student chaplains for the university they lure students from then they should stop trying to take over someone else's job.

[al Farabi]

In the city where I live, at one of the many chabad houses, the following happened: this particular shaliach has a mandate to prey(pray) on the wealthy members of our community. On Friday night, the father of one of the barmitzvah boys was plied with alcohol by the rabbi. He went home, vomited,aspirated, went into an alcohol- induced coma, and spent the next few days with aspiration pneumonia on a ventilator in the intensive care unit of the local hospital - and of course missed his son reading his parsha. This is par for the course for chabad. I'm already distressed at the prospect of my children having to see the chabad rabbi who has infiltrated our shul stumbling around in a drunken stupor. I'm seriously considering not taking them to hear the megillah because I do not want them to be exposed to a bunch of drunks in the shul as I've seen year in and year out since chabad has infested our community.

[Paul Freedman]

al Farabi, the investigative press is on these issues in a spirit of righteousness and zeal--the systematic depredation of children by these "Chosen People" will be unmasked!

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/images/sturmer/dsrm34.jpg

[george]

Yup, Chabad, boozing it up with teens, teaching them weird prayers (what's this Jewish crap anyways), engaging in outreach; obviously evil incarnate.

[Chayim HaKohen]

Just as an FYI - Rabbi Mendel doesn't teach at UAlbany.

Another point of reference - for all the frumkeit that claims to be here..there's a pretty large amount of Lashon Harah.

[A E ANDERSON]

Ah, the soft underbelly of the Chabad beast!

Without drunken farbrengens, maybe they'll have to sober up and realise that Rebbe Schneerson is as dead as a doornail and ain't comin' back.

The first thing Krinkski, Shemtov and Kotlarsky need to do is adopt, publish and publicise a movement-wide policy on the use of alcohol in outreach and educational activities. The policy should differentiate between sacramental and non-sacramental use. And it should specifically bar Habad student missionaries ("Merkos shlichoos") from distributing alcohol except in valid, sacramental situations (קידוש, ארבע כוסות).

Or, maybe they should go dry, and farbreng on tea.

[who knows?]

Chabad without Vodka is not Chabad.

[Sholom]

Here's the e-mail I sent to the Director of Public Safety at my University.

Mr. [Ploni],

Attached is a news story from the University of Albany, where the local head of a religious sect is being charged for providing alcohol to a minor.

http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story/Rabbi-Charged/AXw9nYkRlkibN74YWopfrA.cspx

The young man in question was taken to a hospital with a BAC of .453

That was not a typo.

I am bringing this matter to your attention because the sect in question, a Judaism-affiliated group known as Chabad, maintains a facility in the vicinity of the [University], their synagogue/frat house is located at [address].

I am quite familiar with this sect, having grown up as a full-fledged member. I am not exaggerating or engaging in hyperbole when I say that binge-drinking (usually of Smirnoff Vodka, the preferred drink of their deceased messiah, Rabbi M. Schneersohn) forms an essential part of their religious practices. Males are encouraged to drink regularly, beginning at the age of 13.

The drinking takes place at a type of ecstatic religious gathering called a "Farbrengen", accompanied by snacking, singing, yelling, dancing, kissing, and talking. Farbrengens tend to take place on: Thursday nights; Friday nights; Saturday afternoons; Saturday evenings; Jewish holidays such as Purim, Simchat Torah, and Chanuka; Chabad-specific holidays such as the 19th of Kislev, the 10th of Shevat, or the 3rd of Tamuz; when someone has a birthday; or when someone has a Yahrtzeit (death-anniversary).

It is also possible that they receive university funding.

-[X-Chabadnik with a 4.0 GPA]

[Paul Freedman]

Sholom, what is your take on how many Lubavitch who are still affiliated have given up on taking seriously Schneersohn as Moshiach (either don't think he could be or really don't think it matters--was a mistake)

?

[Out of Towner]

I have fine memories (of whatever I can remember )of my childhood when i was staying for shobbos with my relatives in Flatbush, they went to Frankel when they serve very expensive whiskey (Chivas Regal, Blue Johny Walker etc).

[Paul Freedman]

folks booze

[al Farabi]

PF you need to read "Two nations in your womb..." by Yuval and then we can talk again about blood libels etc. In the meantime, chabad outreach does far more harm to the jews than good - forget about the non-jews, we are our own worst enemies.

[rebitzman]

News Flash: Underage students drink a lot regardless of location!

Whether it's Hillel or Chabad doing it - it remains against the law for an "adult" to provide alcohol to a minor.

Hillel also has a very strict policy concerning who may, and under what circumstances be served alcohol at Hillel functions. Does Chabad? (he asks - expecting the answer "no")

[harold]

I just came back from a very meaninful Chabad event. This was the conclusion of a Torah written in memory of Levi Yitzchak Wolowik OB”M the 9 year old son of Rabbi Zalman and Chanie Wolowik who passed away a year ago on Feb 28 in his sleep. The final letters were written at the home of Rabbi Zalman and Chanie Wolowik. Following that was a procession attended by a few hundred people the the Jean Frishman Chabad Center of the Five Towns. There they had Hakafot and dancing. This was folowed by a Dessert Reception. Sorry guys - no liquor!

http://www.chabadfivetowns.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/1111582/jewish/Hachnosas-Sefer-Torah.htm

[FriendofJews]

Keynote in the story: the sick student continues to attend Shabbos House events. This story has been blown out of proportion. The fact that the student was able to attend an event the very next day is a testament to the fact that his BAC could not have been .4. Had that been the case he would have had a substantially longer hospital stay. It is sad that people are stereotyping Chabad on this website. Isn't there enough hatred towards Jews in this world?

[Paul Freedman]

al Farabi--Chabad is who Chabad is. Your language ("infested" etc.) describes a level of evil and predation that any organization would be hard put to live up (or down) to. But, yes, my basic prejudice is that en toto the impact of Chabad on non-orthodox is minimal for all the outreach--that's my prejudice--it gets their schluchiim out of the hood and puts services in place for orthodox but I don't buy that they are making a permanent impact one way or the other compared to Hillels, Conservatives on campus etc.

[Jared]

It's great that everybody comments as if they know and make assumptions... actually it is gross for this site to consider itself journalistic and to make an assumption...

The Shabbos House in Albany serves less alchohol than any other Hillel or Jewish Home for that matter, they SERVE GRAPE JUICE (!!!) on friday nights for kiddush. NOT WINE....

This one time, there was a party, not a regular event, it was an oneg attended by older grad students and Alumni (and in fact his birthday) and one kid got in and took some alchohol...

but for those of you that sruvive on bahsing... that's your life, so keep doing it...nothing will stop you even the truth.

Rabbi Rubin is the most eidel person around and a talmid chochom and a chosid for those of you who know him. Certainly, not a drunk or supplier of alchohol.

[george]

Thanks Jared: your post has the ring of authenticity.

[Reb Doniel]

I am a very impartial observer of things, but I think that charging this rabbi with anything is sinful. He did not serve the minor alcohol. I hope and pray that this rabbi be exonerated speedily. While I have many disagreements with how they view things, nonetheless, I support Chabad's hospitality and efforts to create a loving and homely environment for all those who come to their doors.

[Chicago Sam]

Well look on the bright side; at least he didn't take the young man to the mikveh like the other Capital District Chabad rabbi.

Tough lesson for him to learn.

[Mr. Apikorus]

To the fellow who said that a BAC of 0.4 would require a long period of hospitalization, that's not correct.

Kids have remarkable recuperative powers, especially when it comes to recovering from a bout of drinking. As a member of a well-known drinking fraternity, I know this first-hand.

Ironically, binge drinking is more of a problem now than it was when I was in college during the 1960's. At that time the legal drinking age was 18 in NY State, so it was legal. Sure, there were plenty of drunks, but the "forbidden fruit" aspect was absent -- even in high school where most seniors were 18 and drank.

If the drinking age were lowered to 18 you'd see less of this, whether in a farbringen or even at the DKE house.

[Paul Freedman]

Mr. Apikorus: those DKE guys are world-famous party-hearty bros--I think they'd give any farbringen Mountain Dew champeens a run for the money. Binge drinking is a serious issue for sure--when I went back to college in the mid 90's at George Mason here in Virginia there were several major incidents ... alcohol is a powerful chemical...

[al Farabi]

Paul, as you are surely aware, behind the veneer of hospitality that chabad presents to the outside world, lies one of the most racist and elitist organizations that has ever existed. Go and check out for example on youtube a video clip made by the white supremacist organization stormfront.org. Those creeps have used shneerson's racist, vicious drivel to justify their antisemitism. What makes chabad truly despicable is their deception. So, with chabad it is certainly not a zero-sum game. The non-jews have seen through their lies and deception and are using this against the jews. All that remains is for the jews to wake up and realize what a dangerous hoax they are.

[Chamor im daas]

I notice that the vosizneias" reporting of yjis incident has endless comment by people claiming to go to this Chabad House who claim that such things never happen/ Are we to believe that every other attendee at the pkace sat down and wrote such a message? to a web-site which I dare say is unfamiliar to the average Jewish SUNY student? Does anyone know if other websites are full of comments claiming that Chabadniks are practically teetotalers?

[Paul Freedman]

al Farabi, as I surely know Chabad is not particularly racist, and due to the Rebbe's decisions, it for sure isn't particularly elitist if it ever was. I don't know why you should choose to derive anything much from nazi propaganda as little white boys with their Hitler memorabilia don't require any excuse to repeat their juvenile blood libels. Jews do believe that Jews are special. And traditional Judaism had its own doctrines of the superiority of the Jewish nefesh. So what? By non-Jews you mean naziis and people who don't like Jews. And? Maybe you are Jewish maybe not. Myself, I believe there is a God of the Universe. I don't know what his precise relationship is to the rest of his children but He loves His Jews and wishes them well.

[Paul Freedman]

oh, by the way, despite what you may have read in this blog, we Jews have, in our non-egalitarian Ashkenazic supremacist way quite a history--we established a real kingdom, just like it says in the Bible, way back in the days of King David and King Solomon, in Jerusalem, East and West, when those aryans were still in the stage of deciding whether to grunt with their armpits or their pieholes and trying to figure out whether they should use their fingers to count with or pick their noses.

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/tobin/242826

[Paul Freedman]

If anyone's interested, here's another citation about that ancient Israelite kingdom wall and the excavation;

http://www.vosizneias.com/49869/2010/02/22/jerusalem-wall-built-by-king-solomon-discovered

I know I know I know we should be more concerned with the drinking habits of Lubavitch and their campaign to force the nations to kiss pictures of the Rebbe and follow the Noahide laws. And those darn yellow banners. And yechi. And they lied about weapons of mass destruction. And their lack of fashion sense. And that dancing.

[Paul Freedman]

When that movie Twister came out I personally applied to our local Stormfront chapter out at Front Royal. I thought the membership committee was dressed kind of strange for a meteorology appreciation society and there were German shepherds all over the place snarling over hamburger patties and pooping on the floor. Not to mention their dogs.

[annonymous]

i went to ualbany. alcohol comes out at chabad 2-3 times a year. shabbos house just built a new building because they have been literally busting at the seams for several years. explain to me how this is chabad luring students with alcohol? today is purim and as i walked around brooklyn, i was more reminded of a college bar scene with disgusting drunkeness from people of all ages, including those who are underage. are you planning to attack all of brooklyn the way that you are attacking chabad? on another note, keep in mind these are college students. said student could have arrived already drunk from alcohol obtained elsewhere. college students drink. this is a fact of life.

[annonymous]

o and yes i really did go to ualbany. if you google rabbi mendel rubin, this site comes up. o and before you judge the entire student body to be completely secular and therefore unable to comprehend the elevated lashon hara spoken here, i should also mention that i am also religious and am disgusted by the sinas chinam and clear lack of understanding and discrimination against chabad.

[Menachem (from Israel)]

I know many people who were educated by Chabad, they all drink a lot, specially vodka, and constantly get drunk. Here in Israel, Chabad is not considered part of Judaism, Chabad is a messianic cult. They obviously use alcohol (and drugs) to get new recruits...

[L. Young]

Chabad bashing, jealousy will get you somewhere, but not necessarily where you should be.