Kollel Avreichim (Crown Heights)

Kollel-Avreichim under the secretariat of the Rebbe, or Kollel Menachem, is the central kollel of Chabad chassidim located in Crown Heights. It is affiliated with and managed by members of the Rebbe's secretariat, and the avreichim who study in the kollel receive stipends from the secretariat's fund.

The current head of the kollel is Rabbi Avraham Yosef Heller, one of the Chabad rabbis in the neighborhood.

History of the Kollel

The kollel was established in 5722 (1962) by the direct instruction of the Rebbe, and Rabbi Avraham Zusha Ziskind was appointed as the head of the kollel. He served as the rosh kollel for five years until his tragic passing on Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5727 (1967).

When the kollel was established, the Rebbe gave his consent to call it "Kollel Menachem," making it one of the first institutions named after the Rebbe with his approval. However, for some reason, this name was not publicized or used in practice until the end of 5754 (1994), when they began adding the name "Kollel Menachem" to what was until then called "Kollel under the secretariat of K"K Admor Shlita."

When the exodus from Crown Heights began following the takeover of the area by blacks, the Rebbe asked the chassidim not to panic and to continue living in areas distant from the center of the neighborhood, in order to strengthen the Jewish presence in the area. As a result, one of the askanim suggested moving the kollel to Utica Street to strengthen the Jewish presence in the area, but the Rebbe opposed this move and replied, "It is ruled in halacha that the Sanhedrin is located near the mizbeach."

The person appointed by the Rebbe's secretariat to oversee the kollel was Rabbi Binyamin Klein (until his passing, any avreich who wanted to join and become a member of the kollel needed to receive an acceptance letter from him).

In 5745 (1985), the Rebbe instructed to change the name of the 770 building to "Beis Agudas Chassidei Chabad Ohel Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch" and similarly the name of the kollel building to the identical name.

The Rebbe showed great closeness to the kollel members and enlisted their help in several projects and assigned them various missions, including accompanying Torah scrolls sent to Nachalat Har Chabad, editing explanations and references for the book Likkutei Torah, editing Sefer HaLikutim, distributing the Tanya in 5744 (1984), as well as distributing matzos every year, and many other tasks. Also, in 5753 (1993), they distributed various items from the Rebbe to the community.

On one occasion, the Rebbe also visited the kollel.

Many aspects of the kollel's management came directly as "instructions from above" from the Rebbe, for example, the fact that the study schedule in the kollel is "where one's heart desires," and once the Rebbe spoke in a sicha about the studies of yeshiva students and instructed that they need to be tested on their learning. Regarding kollel members – since kollel members study where their hearts desire and therefore it is impossible to give the same test to everyone – the Rebbe instructed that in the report that kollel members fill out during the month about keeping study times, they should also add a place in the report "I studied this month" – and so the kollel's report looks to this day. There were many other special instructions regarding the management of the kollel, as well as sichos about the need to maintain the schedules (study times and quality of studies) of kollel members.

Until 5760 (2000), the kollel was located on Union Street, behind the 770 building (with a back door and path leading directly to the 770 courtyard). In 5760 (2000), Rabbi Chaim Yehuda Krinsky said that he wanted to renovate the building, and therefore he was temporarily moving the kollel to the building of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in the United States, on the second floor at the corner of Kingston and Union Streets. In practice, after the workers demolished the walls of the building, the work stopped, and the building remained deserted, and the kollel members continued to study in the Tzeirei Chabad building.

In 5782 (2022), those in charge announced the start of a project to demolish the old kollel building and construct a new building for the kollel in its place by the 5783 (2023) academic year, with a spacious hall that would include 300 seats and additional study rooms, thereby increasing the capacity for the number of avreichim studying in the kollel.

Publications

In past years, kollel members published a Torah journal called 'Yagdil Torah'.

From 5733 (1973), "Kovetz Divrei Torah" was published, the name chosen by the Rebbe. Among the founding editorial members was Rabbi Yehuda Leib Shapiro. The collections were officially published by "K"K Admor Shlita's Secretariat" and bore the Kehot symbol (a rare thing for a collection of notes).

At the beginning of the publication, the Rebbe instructed that one (or two) who were not kollel members should review the material. The sicha at the beginning of the collection would be edited but something new, and the matters printed in the collection would be new. The innovation in this book was that it was printed not only on a copier machine but in actual print.

Books published under the editing of kollel members:

• Index book for the books and maamarim of Admor the Tzemach Tzedek
• Sefer HaLikutim - Chassidic teachings of Tzemach Tzedek
• References for Mishneh Torah
• Explanations, notes, and references in Kuntres Acharon (Mahadura Basra to the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, Laws of Niddah (except for section 187)
• Kitzur Dinei Tahara
• Or HaTefillah

Montreal Branch

Kollel Avreichim has a branch operating in the Chabad community in Montreal, with the avreichim who studied in the kollel in Montreal receiving their salary from the Rebbe's secretariat throughout the years.