Yehuda Krinsky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the 19th century Rabbi see Yehudo Leib Krinsky.
Rabbi Chaim Yehuda (Yudel) Krinsky (born 1933) is a Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic rabbi. He served for forty years in various positions as an important assistant to the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He served as chief spokesman [1] for Schneerson and the movement, and was the sole executor of Schneerson's will, and has been at the helm of the movements finances since Schneerson's death. He was also his personal attendant and chauffeur for many years.
Krinsky grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts and was educated at the Boston Latin School. He arrived in New York City in 1946, and studied at the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva in Brooklyn, where he was ordained as a rabbi. He was called upon to join Schneerson's staff in 1957.
Contents |
[edit] Activities
In the late 1950s Krinsky was put in charge of the Chabad News Service and became the de facto public relations head of Chabad. He was in charge of talking Schnnerson's weekly talks around the world via satellite.[2] He came to public attention in June 1983 during riots involving Chabad and Satmar hasidim. Krinsky blamed that Satmars saying that the attacks were "definitely Satmar. Lubavitch is a victim of brutal attacks by Satmar. Their record of terrorism goes on."[3] In a letter to Time magazine he repeated his allegations, arguing that it was false to claim that both groups were guilty.[4]
Following the Chabad Library Controversy, Schneerson set about reorganising the financial structures of the Lubavitch movement and Krinsky was given the position of second in command. Krinsky is a member of the twenty person board of the umbrella organization Agudas Chasidei Chabad, and a member of Chabad's six person Central Committee organization, which oversees the three central Lubavitch organizations Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, Machane Israel and the Kehot Publication Society.
[edit] Crown Heights Riot
He was driving Schneerson's car as part of a police-escoted convoy when one of the cars in the convoy ran a red light killing a local black boy and injuring a girl, igniting the Crown Heights Riot. During the police investigation it transpired that Krinsky did not posses a valid drivers licence and had not done for over three years despite regularly driving with a police escort. [5]
During the riots that followed the arrest of a hasidic man for the beating of a homeless back man led Krinsky to attack mayor David Dinkins commenting: "An innocent man has been arraigned on the whim of a criminal who still walks freely."[6]
[edit] Messianism
In an interview with Time Magazine journalist Lisa Beyer he argued that the collapse of the Soviet Union could be a harbinger on the end of days and could "lead one to think that these extraordinary, shattering events are a precursor to something even more cataclysmic."[7]
When a group of messianists led by Rabbi Shmuel Butman organised a "coronation" on January 30, 1993 for Schneerson at which the organisers were claiming that would accept the role of messiah, Krinsky was instrumental in dampening the euphoria telling the press that Schneerson had requested that his appearance not be misinterpreted as a coronation.[8] However he also told the press that "The question of a successor "is not even a matter of consideration."[9] He conceded that some members believed Schneerson already had proclaimed himself the Messiah.[10]
In 1992, during Scheerson's illness Krinsky commented on whether or not he was the messiah: In every generation there is a potential moshiach, in our generation, the best candidate is Rabbi Schneerson."[11]
[edit] Schneerson's death and will
As it became clear that Schneerson would not recover from his final stroke Krinsky summoned Chabad students to a final prayer vigil.[12] Krinsky described Schneerson's death as having left the movement "handicapped and orphaned".[13] Krinsky was mooted in the press as one of two possible successors to Schneerson (the other being Yoel Kahn), but Krinsky repeatedly rebutted the rumors.[14][15] The appointment of a successor failed to achieve momentum - no individual was designated in the will and Krinsky refused the mantle answering "heaven forbid" when asked if he would accept it.[15]
Schneerson's will installed Krinsky as the sole executor of all the Chabad movements finances. [16] Krinsky's position as a relative anti-messianist was a major blow to the hopes of the messianists compounding their agony over the death itself. The witness to the will was Rabbi Leib Groner an open messianist and Krinsky's main rival over many years. While the sums involved in the will was quite small it gave Krinsky custody of many of the important organisations within the Chabad movement.[16]
[edit] Stewardship of the Chabad movement
After Schneerson's death in 1994, Krinsky was made executor of the three central Lubavitch organizations and voted in by the Boards of Merkos and Machne as Chairman of the Board. Though this was not directed by the terms of the will. Within months he was taking decision to build new schools and expanf the movements reach arounf the world. [17]
He has been active in efforts to retreive a large libraby of books connected to the Chabad movement which are currently in the custody of the Russian government. Many of the books were seized from Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson as part of a Soviet crackdown on religion after the Russian Revolution. Krinsky garnered the support of Jon Voight and Sam Brownback for his cause.[18]
When a plaque installed in memory of Schneerson was desecrated by a group of fervant messianists, including Ariel Sokolovsky leading to rioting and nine arrests, Krinsky attacked the vandals describing them as "a couple of thugs, really, who planned a disruption and cannot be tolerated."[19]
[edit] Family
Krinsky is married to Shternie Krinsky. Krinsky's son Rabbi Levi Krinsky is the director of Chabad of New Hampshire. Another son Rabbi Hillel David Krinsky married Shterna Garelik, daughter of Gershon Garelik the chief rabbi of Milan[20] and was instumental in the broadcasting of Schneeson's weekly addresses around the world. A fourth son, Rabbi Shmaya Krinsky married Rivkah Gutnick, daughter of Australian commodities magnate Joseph Gutnick [21] and is the director of Chabad of Southern Somerset County, New Jersey.
[edit] Trivia
Krinsky has been subject to a Googlebombing campaign, resulting in the top result for "Yudel Krinsky" being a spoof site mocking Chabad messianism and declaring him to be "Yudel Krinsky King Messiah".[22]
He was named amongst the fifty most inflential living Jews in an article in The Forward in 2005.[23]
He was named second amongst the fifty most inflential US Rabbis by Newsweek in 2007, behind Marvin Hier.[24]
[edit] Citations
- ^ Jewish faithful flock to Brooklyn orthodox sect leader, Michael Sperter, New York Times Magazine, March 19, 1992
- ^ Rabbi using modern medium in call for tradional values, New York Times, January 23, 1983
- ^ Attack on Rabbi brings anguish to Borough Park, Ari L. Goldman, New York Times, June 22, 1983
- ^ Letters to the editor, Time Magazine, August 01, 1983
- ^ Chauffeur for the Grand Rabbi Finally Renews Driver's License, Calvin Sims, New York Times, November 14, 1991
- ^ Dinkins Faces New Criticism In Crown Hts., Alison Mitchell, New York Times, December 3, 1992
- ^ Expecting the messiah, Lisa Beyer, Time Magazine, March 23, 1992
- ^ Rabbi gives no clue on Messiah role, Kansas City Star, February 1, 1993
- ^ Out of Brookyn, a Messiah?, Andrew Maykuth, Philadelphia Enquirer, February 14, 1993
- ^ Hasiidic movement awaits the messiah, The Intelligencer, February 1, 1993
- ^ Rallying for a redeemer, Press Telegram, April 3, 1993, Press-Telegram
- ^ As Prayers Rise, Sage Said Near Brain Death: Krinsky Summons Students, Lucette Lagnado, The Forward, March 18, 1994
- ^ Rebbe's sucsessor unspecified, St. Paul Pioneer Press, June 15, 1994
- ^ Powerful Lubavitcher rabbi dies at 92, Rob Speyer and Jere Hester, New York Daily News, June 12,1994
- ^ a b 2 of rabbi's secretaries seen as front-runners to replace him, Tribune News, July 12, 1994
- ^ a b Battle Among Lubavitch Erupts Over Rebbe’s Will, Jeffrey Goldberg, The Forward, June 17, 1994
- ^ Lubavitchers Learn to Sustain Themselves Without the Rebbe, David Gonzalez, New York Times, November 8, 1994
- ^ Commission hears efforts to retrieve Jewish texts from Russia, Sam Hananel, Associated Press, April 6, 2005
- ^ Hassidim riot over plaque in Rebbe's memory, Uriel Heilman, Jerusalem Post December 17, 2004
- ^ Marriage announcement for Hillel David Krinsky, New York Times, April 8 1981
- ^ Rivkah Gutnick, Shmaya Krinsky, New York Times, June 5, 1994
- ^ Yudel Krinsky King Messiah spoof website.
- ^ Rapper, Republicans, Relief Org. Heads and Rabbis Named to Forward 50, by America's National Jewish Newspaper., PR Newswire, November 10, 2005
- ^ The Top 50 Rabbis in America, Newsweek, Michael Lynton, April 2, 2007
