Editing Elections (section)

==== Elections for 770 Synagogue Gabbaim ====
''Extended article – 770 Synagogue Gabbaim''

In 5747 (1987), after members of Agudas Chassidei Chabad pressured the gabbaim not to call up the neighborhood rabbis for an aliyah to the Torah (for the aliyah of the Ten Commandments) in Parshat Yitro, the Rebbe spoke about this in a talk and said that although he generally does not interfere in the work of the gabbaim, since this was done in his presence, it was his duty to protest, and asked that the rabbis "punish" the gabbaim and requested that it be done in ways of kindness. Immediately after the talk, one of the gabbaim resigned from his position, and another gabbai refused to apologize, after which the Rebbe stopped acknowledging him. After several months, he was forced to publicly ask for forgiveness in the Rebbe's presence, and only then did the Rebbe resume acknowledging him.

Afterwards, elections were held for the Community Council, in which the Rebbe was very involved, and in light of the episode from Shavuot, the neighborhood residents asked the rabbis to order new elections for gabbaim. Indeed, in the summer the elections were held, and several gabbaim were elected who immediately began serving as gabbaim in the place and for several weeks served as gabbaim and even called the Rebbe up to the Torah and more. At the same time, there was a dispute in the Crown Heights neighborhood, and after an accident in which a Chabad young man named Shmuel Chiterik was killed, the gabbaim decided to stop their activities as gabbaim.