As Shlucha Faces Jail Term, Vilna Shliach Decries Corruption

Rabbi Krinsky and the former site of the school

Mrs. Nechama Dina Krinsky, Chabad shlucha to Vilna and mother of 11 is facing a possible jail sentence after being accused by prosecutors of intentionally bankrupting the Jewish dayschool. Her husband and community members are accusing the court of corruption.

By Anash.org reporter

A Chabad shlucha and mother of 11 is facing a possible jail sentence in Lithuania, over what her husband and community members are calling a baseless charge and a prejudiced judicial system.

Prosecutors in Vilnius have accused Mrs. Nechama Dina Krinsky of intentionally causing the bankruptcy of the Menachemo Namai Gymnasium school under her management. The school closed in 2017 after being rendered bankrupt due to debt for unpaid taxes for workers’ salaries.

Mrs. Krinsky and her husband Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky have been serving as shluchim to the Lithuanian capital for the past 28 years. Since that time, they have worked tirelessly to provide for the spiritual and material needs of a community decimated by the Holocaust and ensuing Soviet repression.

Despite the clear evidence given to the court proving that she and her husband tried their utmost to raise the funds needed to avoid the school’s bankruptcy, the judge is continuing to pursue the case against Mrs. Krinsky. The school also had a full-time bookkeeper who was fully responsible for managing all of the finances.

According to the Krinskys, the school accrued debts after it failed to receive any money from restitution payments for World War II. Millions of euros are allocated annually for Lithuania’s Jewish institutions via the Good Will Fund foundation, led by the American Jewish Community (AJC)

Rabbi Krinsky accused the restitution fund in Lithuania (known as the Good Will Foundation) of brazen discrimination against the Chabad school, which has been doing Jewish religious work countrywide for 28 years.

“They refused us to be present in meetings for many years, never delivered any funding to our school, and gave meager amounts to Chabad institutions. They repeatedly ignored our requests for an emergency donation in order to secure our school’s future. They’re the ones guilty of the ongoing case against my wife,” Rabbi Krinsky said.

Additionally, Rabbi Krinsky says there have been numerous instances of prosecutorial misconduct since the start of this case. Investigators initially used deceptive practices to try to gain access to the school claiming that they were trying to enroll a child. When that failed they used trickery to have others lure Mrs. Krinsky to a notary office where they arrested her, holding her for about 30 hours.

During the pre-trial investigation, the prosecutor demanded that Mrs. Krinsky be arrested for two months over the month of Tishrei of 2021. Mrs. Krinsky is a mother of eleven children and three foster children as well as a communal leader, yet she was treated as a common criminal.

The prosecutor also demanded that Mrs. Krinsky continue to be forced to wear an electronic ankle bracelet for three months and continue to be under partial house arrest, even after the three months ended.

Rabbi Krinsky says that the judge in the case has acted aggressively against Mrs. Krinsky and intimidated her defense witnesses even threatening to have the case tried without her being present.

A member of Vilnius’ Jewish community blamed the court for “continuing to prosecute Dina despite the evidence presented, showing that she and her husband attempted to stop the school from losing money.”

“She’s a mother to 11 children and three foster children, a leader of the community, and she’s being treated like the lowest criminal,” the man said.

Another member of the community, Miriam Danisov said “I have met many Jewish people from different walks of life and seen different Jewish organizations, but never have I ever met such dedicated people like Rabbi and Mrs. Krinsky who have dedicated all their lives for one purpose only – to revive Jewish life in Lithuania. 

“They became founders and leaders of the Jewish community in every way for nearly 30 years, both physically and spiritually. They’ve helped me a lot and funded my tuition and living costs so I could reconnect with my Jewish roots.”

A decision in the trial is expected to be given in about two and a half weeks, on 8 Shevat.

Discussion
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  1. Wow. That’s crazy! What meairas nefesh. 11 children, and to foster 3 more kein ayin hara!
    May Hashem bless them with a big Didan Notzach and it should be Yad Chasidim Al Ho’elyonah!

      1. I cannot read the Hebrew and would like to daven for them, can you please translate, thank you.

        Also is there an update.

        With gratitude and tefillot,
        Mrs. B

  2. Nechama Dina bas Chaya Basha, Sholom DovBer ben Perel. These are the names for tehillim. There was a tehillim Yachad created for them. https://new.tehilimyahad.com/mr.jsp?r=fXMhPo53lur Just like the Alter Rebbe was tortured 250 years ago in Vilna, The Krinskys are tortured as well. We see what happened. Hashem makes miracles, and this story will be no different. Us as chassidim need to unite, and ask Hashem for help. Moshiach NOW!

  3. Boruch Hashem, I have had the Zchus of being by the Krinskys in Vilna for a few months. Rabbi and Mrs. Krinsky Sheyichyu are some of the most selfless and ego-less people that I’ve had the Zchus to observe in action! 🙂

    May Hashem bentch them with a major Didan Notzach, Yeshua krova lavo, and all the brachos for them and for their families and everyone with them!!! 🙂

    1. Amein!! Everyone who’s been there are amazed at the incredible with they do and how selfless they are. Hashem gotta help! Let’s daven and get others to donate!

  4. How much do they need for the taxes? Is there any site where people can help with the taxes that were not paid and for other expenses?

    1. Obviously if the taxes will be paid even a hostile court will no longer have an argument. Start a fundraiser and publicize it, let’s get them some breathing space. HaMaase hu haIkur.

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