A Chabad shul in Monsey has publicly denied any involvement in the distribution of anonymous booklets criticizing the religious atmosphere in Crown Heights, following speculation about the source of the publications and their connection to the local Lubavitch community.

Congregation Tzemach Tzedek of Monsey issued a statement distancing itself from the material, making clear that neither the shul nor its leadership had authorized or participated in the initiative.

The clarification followed the circulation of booklets raising concerns about standards of religious observance and communal life in Crown Heights, the Brooklyn neighborhood that serves as the international center of Chabad-Lubavitch.

The publication, titled “I sent my son to Crown Heights for Shiur Daled,” was distributed in Crown Heights and mailed to homes in other communities. It was presented from the perspective of a parent concerned about the spiritual environment encountered by young bochurim who travel to Crown Heights to learn near 770 Eastern Parkway.

The booklet carried no author’s name and did not identify any sponsoring organization. However, it included a return address associated with Congregation Tzemach Tzedek in Monsey, prompting questions about whether the shul or individuals connected to it were responsible for the publication.

After the matter received publicity, a member of the shul’s board contacted COLlive to deny any connection.

“This pashkvil did not come from us,” the board member said. “Somebody used our address without permission.”

The congregation subsequently issued a formal statement addressing the matter.

“Congregation Tzemach Tzedek of Monsey wants to state clearly that we had no involvement in the anonymous booklet recently distributed in Crown Heights and mailed to homes elsewhere, as reported in your article ‘Who Is Behind the Mystery Booklet Decrying Crown Heights?’”

The statement continued:

“We did not write, fund, authorize, or distribute it, and we did not know our address would appear on it.”

The congregation also emphasized its longstanding relationship with Crown Heights and the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s neighborhood.

“Our shul has deep ties to Crown Heights and the Rebbe’s shechunah, and we do not endorse the booklet or the way it was put out.”

The controversy has generated considerable discussion within the Lubavitch community, with some readers arguing that the concerns raised in the publication deserve attention regardless of who wrote it, while others have questioned the decision to circulate anonymous criticism of an entire neighborhood.

The booklet’s focus on young bochurim arriving from outside Crown Heights has added sensitivity to the discussion. Crown Heights is home to numerous Chabad educational institutions and attracts talmidim from communities around the world, particularly those seeking to spend time learning in the vicinity of 770.

The anonymous publication raised questions about the responsibility of a community that hosts visiting bochurim and the religious atmosphere those talmidim encounter outside the walls of the yeshiva.

At the same time, the decision to use an established shul’s address without its knowledge has created a separate controversy over the methods employed by the unidentified publishers.

The Monsey congregation’s statement leaves little ambiguity about its position: the shul denies having written, financed, authorized or distributed the material and rejects the suggestion that its address establishes any connection to the publication.

As of Thursday, the identity of the person or group responsible for the booklet remained unknown, and no evidence had emerged publicly establishing who arranged its printing or distribution.