Chabad-Lubavitch And Thanksgiving: Chabad Rabbis Allegedly Take Extreme Steps To Prevent Jews From Celebrating America's Holiday

How does Chabad honor or celebrate Thanksgiving? It doesn’t – a fact most American politicians and others who support the hasidic missionary group likely do not know. And what they also do not know is that senior Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis allegedly ordered Chrown Heights butcher shops not to stock freash turkeys this week in a bid to stop hasidim from celebrating America's holiday of freedom.

Above: The late rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Updated at 2:53 pm CST

Chabad-Lubavitch And Thanksgiving: Chabad Rabbis Allegedly Take Extreme Steps To Prevent Jews From Celebrating America's Holiday
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

How does Chabad honor or celebrate Thanksgiving?

It doesn’t – a fact most American politicians and others who support the hasidic missionary group or who are lured into it likely do not know.

To what extreme will Chabad rabbis go to make sure Jews do not celebrate Thanksgiving?

A reader, Sfek-Sfaika, tells me that the two main butcher shops in Crown Heights, House of Glatt and Raitports, had no fresh turkeys available for purchase for Thanksgiving.

Why?

It wasn’t a supply issue or an ordering issue. There was no snafu from suppliers or by local butchers, and it wasn’t because there was a mad rush of Crown Heights Jews buying out the existing supply of fresh turkeys.

Instead, to make sure hasidim can't have fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving – frozen turkeys take a day or two to defrost before they can be cooked, and cooking itself takes many hours – the two butcher shops only had frozen turkeys because the slaughterhouse the Crown Heights Kosher supervises would only ship frozen turkeys this week, allegedly on the orders of the Crown Heights Beit Din rabbis to prevent Jews from eating fresh turkey on Thanksgiving. Crown Heights Kosher is run my the completely Chabad-Lubavitch run and staffed Crown Heights Beit Din (religious court).

Butchers told customers that instead of Thanksgiving, they do have fresh turkeys available for Hanukah – which is a Jewish religious holiday that should be celebrated. In contrast, Thanksgiving is a “non-Jewish” holiday that should not be celebrated, according to many, if not most, haredi rabbis – including Chabad-Lubavitch rabbinic decisors. (One of the two butcher shops, House of Glatt, is selling defrosted formerly frozen turkeys to get around the rabbis semi-ban.)

According to this reader, Kosher Palace Supermarket on Avenue U and 28th Street in Flatbush – a non-Chabad-Lubavitch neighborhood – did have fresh turkeys available for purchase.

But the price for a 15-pound fresh turkey with OU and CRC (Satmar) kosher supervision was $68, which is almost triple what a non-kosher turkey would cost.

Related Post:

Should You Celebrate Thanksgiving? According To Haredi Rabbis, Probably Not.

Comments

[Moshe from NJ]

"But the price for a 15-pound fresh turkey with OU and CRC (Satmar) kosher supervision was $68, which is almost triple what a non-kosher turkey would cost."

Which is about the same price relationship between any kosher and non-kosher meat.

[dh]

About 15 years ago I was sitting in a Chabad rabbi's office when he received a call from his very loud wife on speakerphone.

She ordered him to bring home a turkey. He was visibly startled. Not with being ordered. He was used to that. He had never purchased a turkey. He had married one, but that didn't count. Haha. She told him how many pounds and where to pick it up, on the way home from fetching the children from yeshiva. He remained confused as he wrote down his instructions.

It was several days before Thanksgiving.

[Moshe MS]

Slow news day at Failed

[Kipkin]

My wife bought a turkey. In Crown Heights. Today. It wasn't frozen.

[David]

These guys make it up as they go. The pilgrims based the Thanksgiving holiday on the biblical "feast of tabernacles" which we know as Sukkot and specifically rejected any English festivals as they were usually pagan in nature.

There is nothing not kosher about Thanksgiving.

[Shmarya]

Kipkin –

It was defrosted by the butcher shop from frozen. CHK does not allow its slaughterhouse to sell fresh turkeys to stores in Crown Heights this week.

[Moses Kestenbaum ODA]

I just finished a big huge with my family Thanksgiving seudah and I had fresh turkey that was purchased in Williamsburg in the Satmar butcher store. I would rather that these so called rabbis uphold the laws of the land all year round and thank god for being able to live in this country as a Jew , I really don't care if this rabbi eats a turkey or doesn't eat a turkey , what I do care is if he is a mentch of the cloth and makes a kidish Hashem or he is just a pervert who peeks up women's asses in the mikveh or even fcks them outright like some recent stories. Have a happy thanksgiving everyone

[AndrewMelville]

I understand that Chabad rabbis have forbidden couples from f#cking while standing up - lest it lead to dancing!

[A Yid]

The Rebbe said some very positive things about thanksgiving: http://crownheights.info/something-jewish/461999/video-the-rebbes-take-on-thanksgiving/

[Moshe]

Lie
I purchased very large Turky st House of Glatt
It was the best

[Reality Check]

Scott you're not just a scumbag liar but also an idiot. I personally heard the Lubavitcher Rebbe extol the virtues of thanksgiving and that's why many in Chabad do celebrate it. Plus I bought a turkey on Tuesday ... fresh ... In Crown Heights. You're a deceitful swine.

[gree]

Trader Joe was selling ou whole turkeys for around $2.49 or something close to that. or $38.00 a bird.

[gree]

$2.49 a pound

[m]

lubavitchers must be the first ppl in America to celebrate the national holiday
Thanskgiving .

their rebbe should have ordered it .

Thanskgiving is not a Christian holiday ,and not a jewish holiday, either .

every person who suffered from oppression
or any kind of suffering should celebrate
freedom in the land of the free and thank G-d for it .

[Leah]

Regardless of any rabbinic decisions Jews don't need to celebrate Thanksgiving. Why should you when the holiday came into being after each massacre of Native Americans? The day being declared a day of 'Thanksgiving'. We have Chanukah, which is our day to thank Hashem for giving us the miracle of the oil and for freeing us from our enemies. For us to observe a holiday with such history as Thanksgiving has and to celebrate it with such a joyous heart would be like Christians celebrating Yom HaShoah.

[Leah]

Although there are christians that enjoy Jews being killed so...

[tucsonjew]

Leah needs to get a life. In the meantime,pass gravy please.the

[Shmarya]

Reality Check –

The Rebbe did not endorse eating turkey on Thanksgiving or holding a joyous banquet on that day. That you may be too stupid to know this, or be a liar (or, likely, both) is just another wooden peg in the rebbe's coffin.

Moshe –

What you bought was a defrosted, previously frozen Turkey – not a fresh turkey.

[Hayyim Rothman]

The local shaliach in my hometown comes to my parent's home for a kosher Thanksgiving meal every single Thanksgiving and has done so for many years. If this were in conflict with his beliefs, I am quite certain that in all this time he'd have found a way of politely getting out of it by now.

[A Yid]

The Rebbe On Thanksgiving
On the 19th of Kislev 5747 (1986), the Rebbe delivered a Sicha explaining what the holiday of Thanksgiving is all about, and what lessons we should learn from it:
http://chabadinfo.com/beis-medrash/the-rebbe-on-thanksgiving/

[Reality Check]

Scotty Scumbag. You said the Rebbe never spoke about eating turkey. Maybe so. But you also wrote and the thrust of your article is that Chabad are against celebrating Thanksgiving - well you've now seen the evidence to the contrary from the Rebbes quotes.

So whose stupid now?

Would Be nice to see you stuffed ... Amber buried 6 feet under.

[Shmarya]

Please.

The rebbe says nothing about Jews observing Thanksgiving, and you're either lying by omission or truly foolish.

Much of Chabad has always paskened that it is wrong to eat Turkey on Thanksgiving or do other things that are part of the 'goyishe' celebration of it.

Furth, the rebbe calls it a religious holiday as you can see from the asinine link you posted. And that means that under halakha – you know, the Jewish law you claim to follow but know very little about – it is FORBIDDEN to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Lastly, the rebbe's little talk is mostly about the US making it possible to put large, incorrectly designed Chabad menorah is public spaces everywhere – not about Thanksgiving. The rebbe uses Thanksgiving – which he incorrectly depicts as a holiday specific to one religion – and uses it to try to get his menorahs put up. It's a political talk, little man – not accurate halakha or a reflection of what the rebbe and Chabad really thought about Thanksgiving. But I suspect much, if not all, of this is way beyond you.

[Anti-kike]

Several Orthodox Jews have told me their rationale for not celebrating Thanksgiving. They said since Jews are thankful to G-d everyday as reflected in their prayers and barachas, they don't feel a need to celebrate a secular holiday focusing on thankfulness. I think this argument has some validity but an important point is missed. Thanksgiving surely involves gratitude towards G-d, but it also is a day to celebrate and appreciate family and friends. It seems many people in the Frum community miss the concept of an American community.

[Reality Check]

Scott lies and videotape. Well transcript anyway.
See if you could read: "This holiday has become tradition and every year ""we"" offer sincere thanksgiving to the Al-mighty for showing those early settlers His abundant kindness."

Also there is no reference to it belonging to it being a religious holiday other than it was about thanksgiving to "the Almighty" which is was.

Finally, the lessons derived were not only in relation to menorah but also prayer in school and all forms of religious freedom and expression.

You are dishonest, a bleeding liar and the only thanksgiving we will all celebrate is when we too can thank the Almighty for taking your soul - - - no scrap that - you don't have one - - - taking your last breath away.

[Reality Check]

He only ever gets defensive on those posts he puts up where he gets caught with his pants down.Here's another news item to discredit the lying buffoon.

http://crownheights.info/shlichus/462199/picture-of-the-day-thanksgiving-meals-for-the-homebound/

Listen Scott for the benefit of the 6 and half readers you have left (cue "I have thousands of hits") and the irrelevance of your site (cue "do you know how many news stories I broke - 100 years ago!") you should stick to your copying and pasting from other news sites as you do so well and stop trying to make stuff up (cue "Mom! My blood pressure is going up! They are picking on me again. Can you bring some more worms for me to the basement!").

[The Sewer Dr]

The Rebbe Praising Thanksgiving:

http://crownheights.info/something-jewish/461999/video-the-rebbes-take-on-thanksgiving/

[Ruvi]

I can tell you this is the reason why most don't take what you have to say seriously.

I was in House of GLatt ( Crown and Kingston ) yesterday and bought a 15 pound Turkey and will enjoy it tonight!!!!

He had 20 huge Turkeys for sale and also ready made Turkeys for sale.

[R Nash]

The previous Rebbe's famous vort on TG was something like:
When others gather specifically to give thanks to G-d for what he has provided, why should we exclude ourselves, most of all? This he reputedly said in response to Haredim that would ban the holiday. I recall this going back decades from many sources and I have never heard it refuted, even in private, in fact, I have never heard anyone object or dispute that the Rayatz or Ramash actually said or felt that way. That covers some ground as I have been associated with some of the most radical elements of Chabad in the past. I have also never heard that turkeys were particularly hard to get in Chabad schita at Thanksgiving time, even in CH, though admittedly I know little about CH today. In the past, I never recall it being a problem.

[R Nash]

You may be correct however that Chabad did not specifically ENDORSE Thanksgiving. 50 years ago, that might have been a very controversial position. The misconception that Chabad are Haredi is prolific, but they decidedly are a different species altogether than Haredim. That may cause confusion of the Haredi position, ban, with the Chabad position, nolo contestare (and wink wink, OK).

[R Nash]

And Chabad Rabbis today may be unknowledgeable (l'kaf zchus) or intentionally Haredizing Chabad in banning TG, whether or not the Rebbes opined clearly. The opinions of the Rebbes do not always carry the weight claimed for them when "leaders" decide on a course. They merely find a rationalization or hope the public is ignorant.

[Coolest]

many people bought huge turkeys in house of glatt
Most of my friends celebrated thanksgivings ( we don't because we are not Americans)
And the Rebbe likeed the thanksgiving celebration because the highest level of joy is achieved in being a thanksgiver

[anti failed]

youre full of turkey stuffing.check out this weeks video from the rebbe and see how chabad celebrates thanksgiving.
you have no proof other than some shmo telling you, unless you made it up yourself.

[Rebitzman]

A friend n town directly asked our Chabad rabbi about Thanksgiving and was told "absolutely not".

I have zero doubt that those you you quoting the Rebbe are correct, but the Rebbe is fast becoming to modern Chabad what Regan has become to the Republican Party - a false ideal. They have gone past what he actually said to do, and are working according to what they are SURE he would do today......if he were .....alive.....which he is not (wink, wink),

[Shmarya]

Chabad trolls –

Being an idiot may not be your fault, but it is your condition.

As I noted above in a comment, the rebbe says nothing about Jews **observing** Thanksgiving.

Much of Chabad has always paskened that it is wrong to eat Turkey on Thanksgiving or do other things that are part of the 'goyishe' celebration of it.

Further, the rebbe calls it a religious holiday. And that means that under halakha – you know, the Jewish law you claim to follow but know very little about – it is FORBIDDEN to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Lastly, the rebbe's little talk mentioning Thanksgiving is mostly about the US making it possible to put large, incorrectly designed Chabad menorah is public spaces everywhere – not about Thanksgiving. The rebbe uses Thanksgiving – which he incorrectly depicts as a holiday specific to one religion – and uses it to try to get his menorahs put up. It's a political talk – not accurate halakha or a reflection of what the rebbe and Chabad really thought about Thanksgiving.

Lastly, if you bought a turkey from House of Glatt or Raitport's yesterday, it was either frozen or defrosted from frozen, just as I reported. It was not a fresh, never frozen bird, and no matter how much you lie, the facts remain the facts.

[Adam Paul]

Shmarya --

You are so mean-spirited in the way you debate those who disagree with you. Calling people "trolls," demeaning them by saying they know "very little about" Jewish law, and perpetually accusing them of lying doesn't defeat your adversary's arguments. It just makes you look like a cranky, petulant child.

Enough. If you want to make your points, do it without attacking those who disagree with you.

It is so damn unbecoming. You are undercutting your own intelligence, and the veracity of your arguments.

[Shmarya]

Adam Paul –

Please.

These people have track records of constant trolling. They are not innocent Chabad followers who are mistaken about what the Rebbe held.

Past that, Chabad itself has long established track record of lying, so much so that it is discussed in academic circles.

[SkepticalYid]

CHABAD on Thanksgiiving...it isn't appropriate for a Jew.
Shmarya is right.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/448177/jewish/Thanksgiving-A-Jewish-Perspective.htm

[Gefilte Fish]

A Chabad neighbor of mine proudly announced that, in order to feed her enormous brood on Shabbat, she makes turkey 50 times a year. The only two weeks that she doesn't? The week before Thanksgiving (so that her family doesn't chas v'shalom eat turkey leftovers on the following Thursday) and the Friday after Thanksgiving (so that her family isn't chas v'shalom accused of having eaten turkey the prior day). Mi k'amcha yisroel! (/sarcasm/)

[Yosef ben Matitya]

there are those who claim 'to love jooz (and hardly anything else besides vodka mit cholent) and good well mannered jews, like those:
http://kavvanah.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-service-pool.pdf

[anti failed]

who is gives a turky tush.i dont like turky
anyhow so i dont care if hog or raitport do or dont sell it.
as long as u can discredit chabad your a happy camper.admit it your a loser right from the beginning .a little baby who didnt get his ice cream wa wa wa