Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun''

is an Orthodox Judaism, Orthodox

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 Braun serves as a member of the

Beth Din of Crown Heights Beth may refer to: Letter and number *Bet (letter), or beth, the second letter of the Semitic abjads (writing systems) *Hebrew word for "house", often used in the name of synagogues and schools (e.g. Beth Israel) Name *Beth (given name) lists p ...

, the Bais Din Tzedek (Jewish Rabbinical Court) of the Jewish 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) and Hasidic philosophy."Elected Rov: Rabbi Yossi Braun". ''Collive.com''.
/ref>''Beis Moshiach Magazine''.
/ref> Rabbi Braun previously served as the rabbi of the Tzemach Tzedek Synagogue in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Rabbi of Crown Heights

As a member of the Crown Heights Beth Din (rabbinical court), Rabbi Braun 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 Jewish community. There are currently three rabbis serving on the Beth Din: * Rabbi Avraham Osdoba * Rabbi Yosef Heller (Emeritus, as h
has recused himself from all communal affairs
*Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun Each member of the court holds the title ''Marah D'Asra''. 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

Rabbi Braun was elected in a community wide election. He ran against Moshe Bogomilsky. Braun won the election with over 50 percent of the vote to Bogomilsky's 45 percent, a third candidate received the rest. Rabbi Braun's appointment was also affirmed by an independent arbitration panel (Zabl"a Bais Din). as well as secular court.

Banning of Call of the Shofar

In December 2013, Rabbis Yosef Braun and Yaakov Schwei issued a letter stating that attending programs run by

Call of the Shofar Call of the Shofar was an organization based in Baltimore, US, focusing on personal and relational transformation. Call of the Shofar offers workshops assisting individuals to enhance their personal relationships. The organization's director is ...

, a Jewish LGAT group based in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, is forbidden under Jewish law. They were later joined by the "Central Committee of Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbis in the United States and Canada," also known as Vaad Rabbonei Lubavitch who also banned COTS

Controversies

Following his election to the Crown Heights Beth Din, a number of controversial incidents occurred, involving Rabbi Braun and other members of the Beth Din.

Eligibility as community rabbi

Several rabbis associated with Rabbi Osdoba have stated that Rabbi Braun is not qualified to serve as a community rabbi."Scathing Letter Against Rov". ''Collive.com''.
/ref> Rabbi Braun's

rabbinical ordination Semikhah ( he, סמיכה) is the traditional Jewish name for rabbinic ordination. The original ''semikhah'' was the formal "transmission of authority" from Moses through the generations. This form of ''semikhah'' ceased between 360 and 425 C ...

has also come under scrutiny; some have questioned the legitimacy of his ordination., however after reviewing objection brought by Rabbi Osdoba, the arbitration panel (Zabl"a) ruled that Rabbi Braun's rabbinic ordination is valid, stating "The semicha is a kosher semicha, it is not forged. Therefore this remains an absolute semicha... In light of the above, it is clear that Rabbi Yosef Shaya Braun shlita was elected in accordance with halacha. The entire public must honor him and all the other rabbis of the community must cooperate with him,etc., etc." This ruling was later upheld in secular court, stating: the Rosenberg Beth Din rejected, over Rabbi Osdoba's objection, all challenges to Rabbi Braun's qualifications, finding that Rabbi Braun had been properly ordained... The Rosenberg Beth Din further rejected related challenges to Rabbi Braun's qualifications.

Challenge over the CHK

Some supporters of Rabbi Braun challenged Rabbi Osdoba over his privatization of the Crown Heights Kashrus (CHK), a

kosher (also or , ) is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher ( in English, yi, כּשר), fro ...

certification Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

, arguing that the arbitration panel (Zabl"a) ruled that it should be run by a board of directors "There is a need to create a new Vaad HaKashrus, which shall be the executive body of the Rabbis and the Vaad Hakohol." The court however remanded this ruling back to the arbitration panel for clarification which is yet to reconvene In July 2019 Rabbis Osdoba, Schwei and Braun settled their differences and reunited as one Beth Din with one Kashrut agency.

References

External links

CHJCC directory for the Beth DinInterview with Rabbi BraunSpeech by Braun following his election
{{DEFAULTSORT:Braun, Yosef Yeshaya Living people 21st-century American rabbis American Hasidic rabbis Chabad-Lubavitch rabbis Year of birth missing (living people)