Recently the above publication was loaned to the Circus Tent in order to publicize its contents to our thousands of readers. We appreciate it, and thank the anonymous loaner for his help in spreading the truth all across blogosphere.
In 1971 the movement to free Soviet Jewry was in full swing, at least amongst a large segment of the Jewish population. Activists such as Meir Kahane would harrass Soviet diplomats, and make theie life here a living hell. Large scale demonstrations took place in Washington, DC. and abroad, and all sorts of pressure was placed on all sorts of world leaders. The frum world was nowhere to be found when it came to these issues, and those who were active did not like it one bit. They accused them of not caring about the suffering of their brethren in the CCCP, something the frummies adamantly denied. "We have Da'as Torah, and that's who we follow," they said, and we have our own ways of caring about Russian Jews. Demonstrations, especially loud ones are only detrimental to the plight of our brethren, so we won't have any part of it.
One of the publications put out to plead the cause of the frum was the above special edition of "The Tzeirei Forum" by the Zeirei Agudas Israel entitled "The Russian Jew," by a young team of Agudah writers and stam Yeshivishe guys who cared about their reputation and the reputation of their leaders. They banded together to put forth a response that would once and for all show the secular and Gentile world that we do have a voice and do speak up. The booklet goes into great detail explaining the history of Russian Jewry since the rise of the Bolsheviks until today (1971). Was I surprised to see that much of what was written there seems to have come straight from the offices of 770 Eastern Parkway! Articles about the Mesiras Nefesh of the Frierdige Rebbe and his Chassidim, and the Rebbe's view on what should be done to free Russian Jews. All this in 1971, not 1951.
What exactly changed from 1971 till, say, 1991? not much really. The Rebbe had made all the so-called sensational statements already, and the meetings with Shazar had taken place. The six-day war was proclaimed a miracle, and the Sichah of not sleeping in the Sukkah had been said that Tishrei. So what gives? Who in the American Agudah decided that Lubavitch and the Rebbe were to be marginalized? Or was it not the American branch that decided this? All this bears some investigating, IMHO. In the mean time take a look at these pages from the Tzeirei Forum.
9 comments:
I know a shliach who in the '70s spoke regularly to reform/conservative congregations with their 'rabbi's' approval (often by invitation). A problem was realized a few years later by the 'leadership', that 'every time the chabad rabbi spoke, we lost a family and chabad gained one'. Over time this added up to a considerable 'loss' for these congregations. multiply this in every realm of organized jewish life...other groups started loosing members/teritory/gevirim/etc. and they realized that Lubavitch is no longer quaint and nostalgic, but rather a threat to their existance/sustanance/ideology......
Truthfully, N, even I, with my distrust for many things Agudah, didn't think that it was all about money. But what you say makes so much sense!
IT IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY!!!
On the Lithuanian side the ascension of Rabbi Shach to complete manhigus began after 1971. On the chabad side the talk of mashiach and his identification came long after 1971. When they interfaced in the early 1980;s thats when you had trouble. Couple that with the death of Rav. Moshe Feinstein and the pragmatic rabbi Sherer and you had an Aguda in the US dominated by Pawns of the Shach set against a Chabad movement that in my opinion lost its yesod in 1992. the rest is history.
Your silly opinions on 1992 notwithstanding, there are some more details: The Rebbe's campaign for Mihu Yehudi which was most intense in 1970-1972 as far as political maneuvering, created a breach with many leaders involvedin politics. Satmar taking issue with Lubavitch in the later 70s created another breach within Chasidim.
Hmmm is correct, since Shazar is not a
aguda problem and miracles in the 6 day war was the official dogma of Isreali @ American Aguda, look up for old Yidisher Vorts from thay era, I also saw a booklet written by Liebel Levin the editor of Hamodiah on the details and nisim of the war.
you make like the ones against the demonstrations bad. the lubavitcher rebbe was against it.
What Changed??!! You've gotta be kidden! The Rebbe practially proclaimed himself moshiach, that's what changed!!
The videos are on the web for all to see. The women give the Rebbe a plaque requesting that he reveal himself as moshiach and he gives them a brocho without protesting. All Lubavitcher chassidim, without exception proclaim the Rebbe as moshiach and the Rebbe doth not protest. What else has to happen?
I know the Rebbe was against it, and I didn't say that those THAT were against were bad.
ailmesher, watching one video does not make you an expert on the Rebbe's opinion - but it doed make you a fool. Go Snag yourself with some Morror.
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