Yosef Heller

Yosef Avraham haLevi Heller is an American 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 an authority on Halacha (Jewish law) and Hasidic philosophy.^[1] Rabbi Heller holds the additional position of Rosh Kollel, head of the community's kollel, a yeshiva for married men.^[2][3]

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Schneersohn family Chaim S. Z. of Liadi (1814–1880) Yitzchak Dovber of Liadi (1833–1910) Chana Schneerson (1880–1964) Chaya M. Schneersohn (d. 1860) Chaya M. Schneerson (1901–1988) Levi Y. Schneerson (1878–1944) Moshe Schneersohn (ca. 1784–before 1853) Sheina Horenstein (d. 1942) Shlomo Zalman Schneersohn (1830–1900) Shmaryahu Noah Schneersohn (1842–1924) Yehuda Leib Schneersohn (1808–1866)
Rabbonim Avraham Osdoba Chaim Gutnick Avraham Chaim Naeh Meir Ashkenazi Mordechai Ashkenazi Mordechai Gutnick Moshe Gutnick Pinhas Hirschprung Shneur Z. Fradkin Yaakov Schwei Yehuda K. Marlow Abraham Hecht Yitzchak Hendel Yosef Heller Yosef Y. Braun Zalman Dworkin Zelig Sharfstein Shmuel L. Medalia Shmarya Y. L. Medalia Sholom Rivkin
Mashpiim and scholars Aaron of Staroselye Herman Branover Yehuda Chitrik Manis Friedman Mendel Futerfas Yitzchak Ginsburgh Menachem Z. Greenglass Moshe Gutnick Moshe Havlin Zalman M. HaYitzchaki Aizel Homiler Simon Jacobson Yisroel Jacobson Yosef Y. Jacobson Yoel Kahn Abraham Y. Khein Yehoshua Mondshine Avraham C. Naeh Nissan Neminov Hillel Paritcher Ezra Schochet Adin Steinsaltz Shais Taub Shlomo Y. Zevin
Mazkirus and other leaders Leib Groner Jacob J. Hecht Chaim M. A. Hodakov Yehuda Krinsky Nissan Mindel Dovid Raskin Abraham Shemtov
Shluchim Menachem Brod Azriel Chaikin Shlomo Cunin Pinchus Feldman Gershon Garelik Yitzchok D. Groner Hanoch Hecht Gavriel Holtzberg Berel Lazar Shimon Lazaroff Chezki Lifshitz David Masinter Zalman I. Posner Menachem S. D. Raichik Aaron Raskin Arie Z. Raskin Shlomo Sawilowsky Mordechai Scheiner Abraham Shemtov Levi Shemtov Yehudah Teichtal Simcha Weinstein Manis Friedman
Other notable figures Shmuley Boteach Avraham Fried Benny Friedman Aharon Gurevich Joseph Gutnick Moshe Hecht Shea Hecht Bernard Levy Hendel Lieberman Michoel Muchnik Mendy Pellin Zvi Yair
Controversies Chabad messianism Chabad offshoot groups Barry Gurary Public menorah The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference
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As a member of the Crown Heights Beth Din (rabbinical court), Rabbi Heller is considered ^{[by whom?]} one of the community's chief rabbis (Aramaic, מרא דאתרא (Marah D'Asra)).^[4] The rabbinical court is the spiritual and religious body governing the Crown Heights Chabad community. There are currently three rabbis serving on the Beth Din:

• Rabbi Avraham Osdoba
• Rabbi Yosef Heller
• Rabbi Yosef Braun

Each hold the title Marah D'Asra.^[5][6][7]

The Crown Heights rabbinical court is funded by the Va'ad Hakohol of Crown Heights, a religious corporation representing the Jewish community of Crown Heights.

Rabbi Heller, along with Rabbis Yehuda Kalmen Marlow and Avraham Osdoba, was elected to the rabbinical court in a communal election, following the passing of Rabbi Zalman Shimon Dvorkin, the community's previous chief rabbi.^[8] After the passing of his wife Rabbi Heller stopped most public rabbinic activities, he still however answers rabbinic questions privately, as well as in the Kolel.^{[citation needed]}

Rabbi Heller holds the additional position of Rosh Kollel, head of the community's kollel, a yeshiva for married men.^[7][2][3][9]

In Orthodox Judaism, it is customary for every community to establish a communal institution where a group of adult men study during the day. The men are in turn supported financially by the community.^{[citation needed]}

Rabbi Heller has publicly stated that stringencient practices in Jewish Law (or chumras), may not be practiced if they are at the expense of other members of one's household. Heller referred to practices common in Orthodox circles, where additional stringencies are practiced on Passover.^[10]

• CHJCC directory for the Beth Din