Lubavitch-Chabad v Northwestern University Complaint Shows Chabad Lied

"Northwestern had no legal reason to disassociate from the Tannenbaum House. The University knew that its proffered reasons [serving alcohol to minors and serving alcohol by a campus organization, both violations of university policy] were specious and based upon innuendo and falsehood," Chabad's complaint reads – even though its rabbi has already admitted that he did, in fact, repeatedly and regularly serve alcohol to minors.

Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein

Northwestern University no longer recognizes Chabad as a campus organization, and Chabad's rabbi, Dov Hillel Klein, is no longer an official university chaplain because Chabad got caught serving alcohol – including whiskey and vodka – to minors in violation of Illinois law and university policy.

Chabad and Klein are suing Northwestern for violating Chabad's civil rights.

The complaint filed by Chabad in Federal court earlier this month contains the following language:

"Northwestern had no legal reason to disassociate from the Tannenbaum House. The University knew that its proffered reasons were specious and based upon innuendo and falsehood. The reasons offered for that disassociation were wholly pretextual and meant to single out Chabad against all other faiths for removal from Northwestern University. Even if the reasons offered for that disassociation were not false, many other campus organizations including religious organizations, had committed the same acts for which Rabbi Klein stood falsely accused. The University was aware of this, and chose only to disassociate with Chabad. Those actions constituted discriminatory and disparate treatment taken solely on the basis of Rabbi Klein’s, LCI’s and the Tannenbaum Chabad House’s affiliation with Chabad Chassidism. Northwestern University would not have taken this action if Plaintiffs were not adherents of Chabad Chassidism."

The university's "proffered reasons" were serving alcohol to minors and serving by a campus organization, which are both violations of university policy. Additionally serving alcohol to minors is illegal in Illinois.

Students who support Chabad have said publicly that Chabad regularly served alcohol and that it did not card.

And Chabad's rabbi, Dov Hillel Klein admitted this in an interview with the Daily Northwestern, claiming that as a religious organization serving alcohol during a religious service – Shabbat dinners – was legal, and therefore the university's policy against serving alcohol to minors could not apply to it.

In other words, Klein – the man who served the alcohol to underage students – lied in his federal court complaint by claiming that Northwestern's "proffered reasons were specious and based upon innuendo and falsehood."

Here is the entire complaint by Klein and Chabad as a PDF file:

Download Chabad v Northwestern 9-21-2012

Klein and Chabad also filed a petition with the federal court for a temporary restraining order to prevent the university from banning Klein from performing various official functions. The court will deal with the petition late next month. Here it is as a PDF file:

Download Chabad v Northwestern petition for temporary restraining order 9-2012

Related Posts:

Chabad Forced Off Campus Due To Underage Drinking.

Chabad Claims Shabbat Dinners Are "Religious Rituals" That Therefore Legally Allow It To Serve Alcohol To Minors.

Comments

[Yosef ben Matitya]

was there ever any doubt?

[Jason Goldstein]

Oh no a 19 year college kid had some kiddish wine or a shot of vodka at a shabbas table. Oh the horror to think some innocent 19 year old who never saw alacohol in his life had some at Chabad, per shame. Imaigine how fooled he felt, he could have been at a party were they never would have exposed him to such dare I say it "influences" Chabad should hang its head in shame.

[joseph]

As I understand, serving alcohol to minors is legal in Illinois at religious institutions for religious purposes. That leaves the door open for a lot of course, but it also has left the door open for other campus groups to serve alcohol, including Catholics and other Jewish organizations. Most campus seders include wine, served to minors.

[Yerachmiel Lopin]

Jason. Get a grip. Also get a 1 gallon measuring cup. The lousy sweet wine for kiddush is merely the appetizer. The copious quantities of sacred vodka and other whiskey is their real come on. In addition, research has shown that vodka is a gateway drug that can lead to meshichism.

Seriously, Chabad routinely uses heavy whiskey to recruit their kids.

[Eli, what me messiah?]

to only think of the thousands of gallons of cheap vodka that will go to waste because of this. what a shame...

[SatmarRebbe]

I agree with Eli. It is clear to anyone what the real problem is. Nobody is complaining about a little kiddush wine. It is the vodka and scotch that is the concern. It is the kids getting drunk.

[Fleishike Kishke]

It's about time Northwestern disassociated from the repugnant Chabad cult.

[rebeljew]

Does anyone have evidence that the Chabad House offered significant amounts of vodka to minors or is that conjecture? It is true that Chabad Houses have been known to serve vodka, however there is a moderation built in, and that one is not become drunk. Some shluchim are heavy drinkers themselves and do not care if others join them. However, many serve alcohol in moderation.

Several comments have stated that they get kids drunk. Serving moderate amounts of alcohol and "getting kids drunk" are different things. Does anyone have any evidence that the latter is the case at Northwestern?

[Shmarya]

Posted by: rebeljew | September 28, 2012 at 01:21 PM

Legally, the distinction you're drawing doesn't matter.

Serving alcohol is against university policy. Period. End of story.

SCOTUS has long since ruled that religious services, religious needs, or religious wants do not trump laws forbidding the use of peyote and other illegal intoxicants and the principle is clear: if society bans use of a drug or substance that ban applies to religious groups, too – unless the law carries an exemption.

In this case, alcohol can legally be served to minors under Illinois law if it is served as an integral part of a religious service.

That may allow Chabad to serve a small amount of kiddush wine to minors *off* campus by a non-campus organization and non-official personnel, but not whiskey and vodka.

The university also has the legal right to forbid any practice it considers dangerous or detrimental to its students.

In simpler terms, a Chabad House with no campus affiliation that is located off campus could probably serve a small amount of kiddush wine to minors.

But a Chabad House with campus affiliation probably cannot, and it certainly cannot serve those minors whiskey and vodka.

[Charity begins at Home.]

Two Jewish members of Scott's community are shot dead in the middle of the day at their place of work and no mention of it at all? This is going on in Scott's community, does he not care about his own community? If not, why not?

[ML]

Charity,
What does that have to do with this topic?
Nothing.
Carry on.

[dd]

it's a shame that northwestern is doing this to a the sweetest man i've ever met .
shame that this gentleman, rabbi klein represents the evil sect chabad . he is too good , too honest for them .

rabbi klein is doing his shabbat diners in the campus premises . 95 % of shabbat diners for college students take place at the chabad rabbi's house , not in the college campus , where chabad rabbis serve tons of vodka and are not caught bc no college official comes to check alcohol consumption at the rabbi's house .
bc the shabbat diner is served at the rabbi's house, chabad rabbis do anything they want .

[dd]

i remember very well , how 'rabbi' sh L
of hofstra university threw up on the floor
friday nite in the presence of hofstra students , bc he drank so much vodka , to the embarrassment of his wife .

[Rebitzman]

The reasons offered for that disassociation were wholly pretextual and meant to single out Chabad against all other faiths for removal from Northwestern University

Well, since Hillel is on campus at Northwestern and is facing no such sanctions.......we can conclude that Chabad in the above statement is acknowledging that Chabad Lubavich is not a branch of Judaism.

I can live with that.

[Rebitzman]

bc the shabbat diner is served at the rabbi's house, chabad rabbis do anything they want .

Actually, providing alcohol to a minor can be a felony in the state of Illinois. Doesn't matter where. You do it.

[Yochanan Lavie]

What is ironic to me is that drinking heavily has stereotypically been seen as a gentile trait. There is even a Yiddish song "A shiker iz a goy."

"Shiker iz a goy; shiker iz er. Trinkn muz er, vayl er iz a goy. Nikhter iz a yid; nikhter iz er. Davnen muz er, vayl er iz a yid." [A gentile is drunk; he's a drunkard. He has to drink because he's a gentile. A Jew is sober; he's sober. He has to pray because he's a Jew].

http://www.jewishfolksongs.com/en/kings-and-queens

[dd]

@rebitzman, ...chabad is not a branch of judaism '....... you are absolutely right about that.

also, chabad does not care about anything . they do what they want .
they don't care for secular laws .
secular laws do not exist for chabad .

[Charity begins at Home.]

ML,
A senseless act of violence and death occurs in the same community as Scott, yet he directs his attention to matters outside of his own community. If he is so caring and concerned, why does he not pay attention to his own backyard? This is on topic and on point. Did he know the members of his community? If not, why not?

[dd]

@charity begins at home,
you sound like a nut . you must be a chabad/lubavitch .

[GlassHouse]

Lubavitch-Chabad v Northwestern University Complaint Shows Chabad Lied

Horrible! Good thing that we never lie, I know I don't.

[Rocky]

Underage binge drinking is a serious problem on college campuses. No rabbi should be promoting illegal drinking on any college campus. Read about some of the consequences of binge drinking here:

http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/the-college-experience/2011/11/02/know-the-facts-about-college-binge-drinking#recent_posts

and here:

http://www.dosomething.org/blog/chatterbox/student-death-resurfaces-issue-binge-drinking

"Allowing minors to consume alcohol at a private residence (in Illinois) – A fine between $500 and $1,000 and/or up to one year in jail" See: http://www.tombruno.com/articles/alcohol-minors-and-illinois-law/

[WoolSilkCotton]

Of course the rabbi will fight it. Being an official part of the university means Chabad gets NU money.

It also means the university is responsible for what the rabbi does. Imagine the legal implications of someone less than 21 drinking at Chabad then getting himself injured or in a car accident. The university will also be legally accountable.
Try telling a police officer at the scene of an accident that you are under 21 but you only had 'one drink' at the rabbi's house.

Remember, you frumma trolls here, serving ANY alcohol to anyone under 21 is illegal, even if they don't get drunk. Maybe the religious exemption will let you get away with serving a sip of Kiddush wine.
Other than that, you don't have a legal leg to stand on.

[Joe Field]

Posted by: Yochanan Lavie | September 28, 2012 at 03:45 PM

Thank you, you just brought back some interesting memories, the song was a way to brainwash the kids.

[Rebitzman]

@WoolSilkCotton

Sigh........

OK - I'll put the vodka away. (And I was SO looking forward to obeying this long lost hallachah with dinner tonight)

[WoolSilkCotton]

Rebitzman, I suspect you ain't a kid anymore. L'Chaim, enjoy!

[Yosef ben Matitya]

is this now the most recent campus standard issue costumes of these clowns?
they dress up like hells angels?
mind u, I don't know which is worse, hells angels or their other uniform of shabbes ravens!

[simple jew]

B"H

3 articles w same Loshon Hara.

I guess good no other dirt for this site to publicize.

Any word on what oter campus organizations allow? That is what the rabbi is claiming, no?

Many if not all campus sluchim are very careful or more careful about drinking issue.

Alcohol abuse at college is MAJOR problem. Drugs also.

Another reason college (especially living away from home in dorms etc) is not good place for 17 18 19 year olds.

[Shmarya]

…Another reason college (especially living away from home in dorms etc) is not good place for 17 18 19 year olds.

Posted by: simple jew | September 29, 2012 at 08:33 PM

Right. And all those Chabad yeshiva dorm rooms with gallon bottle of vodka stored under beds and in closets?

The problem, as always, is that you are dishonest and you are far too simple to understand even the simplest facts.

And that, BTW, is why college was not a good place for you and probably never will be.

[Reese]

Worse yet I have seen a Convicted Registered Sex Offender in a shul with a Chabad rabbi ask for and receive a full unopened bottle of wine at a holiday meal inside the shul and promptly knock off the bottle all by himself.

[spacedout BT]

If there was a culture of vodka drinking in CH during the seventies then BT yeshiva Hadar Ha Torah in Crown Heights was a glaring exception. While some of R. Yisrael Jacobson's (z"l) boys were socialized into the nuances of 770 quite a few of the bochurim were teetotalers complete with berets, celestial seasoning tea, earth shoes, and containers of granola with raisins. The latter group (myself included) did not fit in well with the surrounding lifestyle and eventually left to find themselves in various levels of commitment to other Jewish communities.Morristown was quite a different experience for BT's and I can't give any accounts based on my visits there. All I can say that R. Lipskier and I would have had differences.

[Darth Zeidah]

Worse yet I have seen a Convicted Registered Sex Offender in a shul with a Chabad rabbi ask for and receive a full unopened bottle of wine at a holiday meal inside the shul and promptly knock off the bottle all by himself.

Posted by: Reese | September 29, 2012 at 10:37 PM

Was this person (a) below the age of 21 years, and (b) a registered student at North Western University?

If he/she does not meet both of those criteria then your comment is totally irrelevant to this discussion.

[rebitzman]

a registered student at North Western University?

The issue is the unfettered distribution of alcohol by Chabad on college campuses. Whether the campus is North Western, Northwestern or another school - it seems relevant.

Many if not all campus sluchim are very careful or more careful about drinking issue.

Fact not in evidence.

[dh]

NU gives this Chabad money? Is there an accounting? Does any of it end up going for, let's say, Rubashkin defense?

[dh]

Is anyone else experiencing difficulty posting? I have to untangle the word puzzle at least twice each time.

[Sarah K]

A Chabad rabbi lied? To quote Bogey in Casablanca: I'm shocked.

[WoolSilkCotton, rock star and sports superstar]

DH, same here, I keep getting the word puzzle. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the effort!

I too wonder how much money from Chabad shuls, that people like me donate to, ends up being sent to the Rubashkin 'fund'.

[uncle sam]

Another day, another anti Chabad posting. Meanwhile, it's Chabad that's saving Judaism. Carry on.

[Sparky the Wonder Dog]

who cares? Christ. To paraphrase the old joke, what did one Chabadnik say to the second Chabadnik when the vodka ran out?

Oy. This Chassidus sucks.

[Yosef]

I was at Northwestern to visit a couple of times. Tamest Chabad campus drinking I've ever seen.

It's pretty clearly discrimination. There are all sorts of other organizations that drink like fish on campus.

Anyway, Chassidic drinking is VERY different from fraternity drinking. Fraternity drinking is based on forgetting yourself and doing something stupid. Chassidic drinking is more about fully investing oneself in the moment.

[Simple Jew]

B"H

http://newvoices.org/2012/10/24/how-i-got-the-story-of-chabad-at-northwestern-wrong/