Avraham Osdoba is an

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...

and a member of the

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic group ...

Hasidic Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contem ...

movement. Rabbi Osdoba serves as a rosh yeshiva in 770 in addition to being a member of the Bais Din Tzedek (Jewish Rabbinical Court) of the Chabad community in

Crown Heights, Brooklyn Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Crown Heights is bounded by Washington Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Ralph Avenue to the east, and Empire Boulevard/East New Yo ...

; he is an authority on

Halacha ''Halakha'' (; he, הֲלָכָה, ), also transliterated as ''halacha'', ''halakhah'', and ''halocho'' ( ), is the collective body of Jewish religious laws which is derived from the written and Oral Torah. Halakha is based on biblical commandm ...

(Jewish law), Talmud and Hasidic philosophy.TorahCafe.com. "Avraham Osdoba". ''TorahCafe.com''.
/ref>

Rabbi of Crown Heights

As a member of the Crown Heights Beth Din (rabbinical court), Rabbi Osdoba is considered one of the community's chief rabbis (

Aramaic The Aramaic languages, short Aramaic ( syc, ܐܪܡܝܐ, Arāmāyā; oar, 𐤀𐤓𐤌𐤉𐤀; arc, 𐡀𐡓𐡌𐡉𐡀; tmr, אֲרָמִית), are a language family containing many varieties (languages and dialects) that originated in ...

, מרא דאתרא (''Marah D'Asra'')). The rabbinical court is the spiritual and religious body governing the Crown Heights Chabad community. There are currently four rabbis serving on the Beth Din: *HaRav Avraham Osdoba *

HaRav Yosef Avraham haLevi Heller Yosef Avraham haLevi Heller is an Orthodox rabbi and a member of the Chabad Hasidic movement. Rabbi Heller serves as an emeritus member of the Bais Din Tzedek (Jewish Rabbinical Court) of the Chabad community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn; he is a ...

HaRav Aharon Yaakov Schwei Aharon Yaakov Schwei (July 9, 1934 – April 24, 2020) was an Orthodox rabbi and a member of the Chabad Hasidic movement. Rabbi Schwei served on the Bais Din Tzedek (Jewish Rabbinical Court) of the Chabad community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. ...

HaRav Yosef Yeshaya Braun Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun'' is an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox rabbi and a member of the Chabad Hasidic movement. Rabbi Braun serves as a member of the Beth Din of Crown Heights, the Bais Din Tzedek (Jewish Rabbinical Court) of the Jewish communi ...

Each hold the title ''Marah D'Asra''. As head of the court, Rabbi Osdoba holds the additional title of ''

Av Beth Din The ''av beit din'' ( ''ʾabh bêth dîn'', "chief of the court" or "chief justice"), also spelled ''av beis din'' or ''abh beth din'' and abbreviated ABD (), was the second-highest-ranking member of the Sanhedrin during the Second Temple period, ...

'' (head of court).Chabad.info. "Beis Din Recommends Eishel Kapparos". ''Chabad.info''. September 23, 2012.
/ref>Collive reporter. "Crown Heights Badatz Unites". ''Collive.com''. Feb 1, 2011.
/ref> The Crown Heights

rabbinical court A beit din ( he, בית דין, Bet Din, house of judgment, , Ashkenazic: ''beis din'', plural: batei din) is a rabbinical court of Judaism. In ancient times, it was the building block of the legal system in the Biblical Land of Israel. Today, it ...

is funded by the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC), a religious corporation representing the Jewish community of Crown Heights.

Appointment

In 1986, the Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged the chasidim to vote for the members of the bais din. Rabbi Osdoba along with Rabbi Heller and Rabbi Marlow won the election and they each assumed the title Mara D'Asra. Rabbi Osdoba assumed the role as

(chief rabbi) of the rabbinical court, following the death of Rabbi

Yehuda Kalmen Marlow Rabbi Yehuda Kalmen Marlow (17 February 1932 – 23 June 2000) was a German-American Hasidic rabbi associated with the Chabad movement. Rabbi Marlow served as the rabbi of the Crown Heights Jewish community from 1985–2000. Biography Rabbi Mar ...

, the court's first head rabbi.Beis Moshiach Magazine. "Chabad Mourns The Passing Of Rabbi Marlow, Zt’l". ''Beismoshiach.org''.
/ref>

Crown Heights Kashrus

Aside from the usual responsibilities of a community rabbi (officiate weddings etc.) Rabbi Osdoba also administers Crown Heights Kashrus (CHK, a

kosher certification agency A kosher certification agency is an organization or certifying authority that grants a ''hechsher'' ( he, הכשר, "seal of approval") to ingredients, packaged foods, beverages, and certain materials, as well as food-service providers and faciliti ...

operating under the Crown Heights rabbinical court.

CHK controversy

In recent years, Rabbi Osdoba's authority as sole administrator of the CHK was challenged by others, including supporters of Rabbis Schwei and Braun arguing that the arbitration panel (Zabl"a) ruled that the CHK should be run by a board of directors and is not a private entity, stating: "There is a need to create a new Vaad HaKashrus, which shall be the executive body of the Rabbis and the Vaad Hakohol.Collive reporter. "CHK Stronghold is Challenged". ''Collive.com''. August 10, 2011.
/ref> The court however remanded this ruling back to the arbitration panel for clarification which is yet to reconvene.

References

External links

CHJCC directory for the Beth Din
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osdoba, Avraham Living people 21st-century American rabbis American Hasidic rabbis Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis Year of birth missing (living people)