כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ.

Unfortunately, many enemies target us, Jews for thousands of years, in the past and in the present. Our Jewish nation exists for thousands of years – beezrat Hashem – despite so many wars and persecutions.

It was and is a horrible feeling to be pursued by enemies, yet it is far more hurtful to be oppressed by our supposed brothers! Factually – and without any dishonest sugar-coating –, the sole Jewish Orthodox community here in Hungary in the past 150 years is the kehillah which adheres to and accepts all the rulings and customs of the esteemed Chatam Sofer and his rabbinical successors. One must stress the utmost respect and loyalty we had and have towards the esteemed Hungarian authorities throughout the years.

The excuse given for the brutal closing of a mekom tefillah for 110 years is the supposed renovation. In fact, they closed all three places of worship in our orthodox kehillah-complex. No one will be fooled to accept such a lame excuse which is a blatant lack of truth.

Truth to tell, Chabad – and EMIH, the status quo community affiliated with Chabad – has nothing to do with the Chatam Sofer’s legacy at all, they violate his nusach hatefillah, they oppose his rulings, they ignore completely his customs, and – to add insult to injury – they did not hesitate to actually close the main shul which follows his legacy, and which was not closed even during the horrible days of the holocaust.

Let us be clear Hungarian Orthodoxy is not Chabad or EMIH, and Chabad-EMIH is not Hungarian Orthodoxy! Any use of the term Orthodoxy here in Budapest, by anyone other than our kehillah, is fraudulent, geneivah hi beyedkhem.

After possessing this name for the past 150 years, any use of it by others is a strict violation of our copyrights! Chabad-EMIH and their straw men are requested to remove our name from their institutions, their letterheads, their certificates and their rabbi’s titles.

We demand our independent autonomy in our community, and we will oppose any hostile take-over by anyone!

In response to the question how could Chabad-EMIH act this way, came the answer that they outnumber us. It is important to refer them to the pasuk in the Torah that the significance of Jews is specifically not the numbers, and they were chosen specifically because of their minority (Moses V. 7:7).

לֹ֣א מֵֽרֻבְּכֶ֞ם מִכׇּל־הָֽעַמִּ֗ים חָשַׁ֧ק יְהֹוָ֛ה בָּכֶ֖ם וַיִּבְחַ֣ר בָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אַתֶּ֥ם הַמְעַ֖ט מִכׇּל־הָעַמִּֽים׃

No intelligent person will take away the property or inheritance of a family consisting of one son in favor of another family, just because they outnumber them by having ten children,

Other claims must be adjudicated only before an acceptable beit din as every orthodox Jew is obligated, and – most certainly – manhigim are obligated to be an example to all.

As we are within 30 days of the yom hadin, cease and desist from all actions that will not assist you beyom hadin! We hope that our honest words will penetrate into the hearts of the people in charge, teshuvah magaat ad kisei hakavod. And we all will be zokheh to be nidon lizkhut ulrachamin and likthivah vechatimah leshanah tovah umtukah lealtar!

haRav Aryeh Mordekhai Rabinowitz שליט”א