Thursday, November 29, 2012

The image problem we have [Weberman trial] (GUEST POST)





















"I have mixed and conflicted feelings about this case. I am absolutely convinced that a Hasidic looking man cannot get a fair trial anywhere when accused of such crimes, but in this case I have my doubts as to Weberman’s guilt. That’s all, “doubts,” and doubts does not mean convinced, no need to jump on me. No competent criminal lawyer permits a police abuse case or a Hasid sex case (or even fraud case) to stand before a jury and counsel often chooses a bench trial. (Why Weberman’s lawyer let his client go before a jury should give us pause - and we should speculate as to why). I don’t know Weberman personally but he is a distant cousin, so when I asked numerous mutual cousins that I share with him and know him personally they all told me that if he is guilty he should rot in jail. Since the term “if” has come into the conversation so many times, that tells me that my “doubt” is shared by a great many others.

We in the Hasidic community must look inward why we're looked upon so unfavorably. Of course there is the age old problem of antisemitism, as well as the hate of the secular for the frum, (repulsed is a better term) added to the general worldwide dislike of the overly devout, of every religion. As more and more of our people get caught up in the Justice system, avoidance of this problem and blaming others is not an option. We must face juries that are selected out of the general population. From my own observation on how our community has developed socially and politically I get the feeling that the social attitude our community projects outwardly towards our neighbors and fellow citizens has - especially in New York - poisoned the jury pool. We live in one of the most tolerant and generous cities in the world, but what do most of the residents of the City know about us and our way of life? I would venture to say that millions of people around the Metropolitan NYC area know us for just a few things; we are opposed to gay marriage. Oh yes, let me add and we support Israel. On both issues we come off as strident, brooking a no nuanced approach; no "live and let live." No, we come off as angry and suspicious (no president named Hussein will defend Israel) The electoral graphic map published by the NY Times says is all. The red dots of Romney voters stand out as one solid core of naysayer's in opposition to the cultural and political sensitivities of most New Yorkers. By our votes and our interactions with local politicians we have projected an image of a community that is intolerant and one that does not care about the more vulnerable ones living side by side with us.

Then there are the simple day to day interactions; how do we tip the taxicab driver, the grocery delivery boy, our workers, our cleaners? These people, their children and members of their family end up as jurors of people like Weberman and they will be charged to decide his fate. I have long detected a strong attitudinal shift, especially among the young in our community, from a feeling of mutual communal responsibility combined with traditional fear of “what will the goyim say,” to an attitude of triumphalism and of an arrogant projection of entitlement. Correct me if I’m wrong, but whenever I bring up these issues among my young acquaintances I get the look as if I fell off the moon. I have no doubt that one day we will have to take on these dire issues, that if not dealt with in a sensible way will grow worse and worse, until we will have no choice. Of course we might avoid giving any thought to this issue and suffer without the benefit of self analysis to re-examine our place in this country. Even if Weberman is guilty of some criminal improper behavior within the indictment there is a strong possibility that he is not guilty of the more severe charges. This is where a socially poisoned jury really matters. It is reasonable to doubt and suspect that Weberman is guilty of some of the charges, likewise it also reasonable to speculate that the girl and her supporters have an incentive to pile on charges. For a victim it might be easy to morally rationalize the piling on of more accusations, in order to make at least something stick. Brooklyn’s DA Charlie Hynes office is so politicized and his integrity is so compromised that it makes me share Tzig's doubts. This trial gives me the shivers, not only about what might be the outcome for those directly involved, but I tremble about what the outcome will bring and what effect it will have on the rest of the Haredi community here and around the world."

  Yosef 718

So... you wanna know what I think about the Weberman trial, eh? One thing's for sure, a fair trial he'll never get, even if it is being judged in court! And I could care less what Yankee Horowitz says.


















All the supporters of the victim already decided that he's guilty, just because. The press is calling him a "monster-Rabbi." The allegations are already fact. So what chance does he REALLY have. IMVHO it's only a question of how much time he'll get, not whether or not he'll get time. And I really don't know if he did it or not.

I had to turn on word verification in the comments. Too much spam lately.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Sholom Ber and Rochel Pewzner arriving at Ellis Island, 1950

הרה"ח ר' שלום דובער בן הרה"ח ר' שמואל הי"ד פעווזנער איז געווען אן איידעם ביי הרה"ח המשפיע ר' ניסן נעמענאוו ע"ה



כאטש אז רשד"ב האט געהאט פאפירען איז עפעס וואס נישט געווען אין ארדענונג, אזוי אז מען האט אים אפגעהאלטען אינעם "עליס איילאנד" ביז מ'האט עס איינגעארדענט. העומד ביניהם איז מעגליך א אידיש איבערזעצער





 ?וואס וועט דא זיין אין די אמעריקע



































 ער אין א מאמענט פון דביקות און זי טראכט אפשר פון טאטע מאמע אין אייראפע
















מיט עטליכע יאר שפעטער איז רשד"ב ע"ה געווארען א שותף מיט ר' מאטל שוסטערמאן ע"ה אין דפוס "עזרא-בלשן" אין ברוקלין. ר' שד"ב איז אוועק בדמי ימיו, אין אייר תשמ"ז, לאזענדיג זיין אלמנה, מרת רחל תחי'.  צווישן זיינע קינדער זענען באקאנט הרה"ח ר' יי"צ (פיטשע) פעווזנער, א משפיע אין ישיבת אהלי תורה אין קראון הייטס, און הרה"ח ר' מנחם מענדל פעווזנער , א שליח און "רב הראשי" אין
 פעטערבורג, רוסלאנד 

Life Magazine Photos

קטע מתוך זכרונותיו של ר' מרדכי שוסטערמאן ע"ה

פטירתו של שותפי רשד"ב ז"ל

 אודות פטירת שותפי אין ברצוני להרחיב הדיבור. ... ובקיצור — באחד מימי חודש" אייר תשמ"ז קבלנו הזמנה לחתונת קרובתנו רחל רבקה בת הרב משה ז"ל הילדסהיים מקליבלנד. כמובן שהזמנתי כרטיסי טיסה לקליבלנד בעוד מועד. המטוס הי' אמור להמריא בשעות הצהרים, והחתונה היתה צריכה להיות באותו יום לפנות ערב. שותפי רשד"ב ז"ל סבל הרבה שנים מ'אלסער' (אולקוס) והרבה פעמים היו לו התקפים מזה. זמן קט קודם עזבי את ביתי לשדה התעופה, טלפנה לי רחל תחי' — אשת רשד"ב — שתקף אותו כעת ה'אלסער' ואינו יכול ללכת לעבודה לדפוס. אבל כמובן, שלא יכולתי לבטל את הנסיעה לחתונה. הגעתי לקליבלנד לחתונה ובין החופה לסעודה צלצלתי לבית רשד"ב להיוודע משלומו. וענתה לי אשתו כי עדיין אינו מרגיש טוב. למחרת, כאשר חזרתי הביתה לערך בשעה חמש בערב, לא רציתי לטלפן לבית-הדפוס כי השעה דחוקה אז בדפוס כי העובדים נחפזים ללכת הביתה. עדיף שאצלצל אחר בואם הביתה. בשעה 7-8 צלצלתי לבית רשד"ב — ואין עונה! צלצלתי עוה"פ ועוה"פ ואין עונה — הדבר היה מאוד חשוד בעיני וצלצלתי לבית הדפוס. והנה אומרים לי שכבר לאחר המעשה הערה: במחשבתי שאין הוא דבר פשוט כלל וכלל שלא הייתי נוכח בפטירתו כי לא הייתי אפילו בנ.י. ואת הכרטיסים לחתונה הזמנתי לפני זמן רב! אכן בהלוי' השתתפתי — כמובן. ספרו לי שבאותו יום ביקר אצל הרופא שלו, והרופא אמר לו שאין הוא רואה בו שום דבר, ויכול הוא לקחת את הבאס ולנסוע לעבודה — וכך עשה! אך כבואו לביה"ד חש ברע והזעיקו אמבולנס אך הי' כבר מאוחר— תנצב"ה.

See More


Friday, November 23, 2012

Why did Agudath Israel not want to be part of the Jewish Welfare Board?























The following letters give us a glimpse into some of the happenings in the Orthodox Jewish world at the outset of WW2. The attack on Pearl Harbor had yet to happen, but there was talk of War, and as such the needs of the soldiers had to be met. Rabbi Leo Jung was Orthodox, as you all know, as was Rabbi Herbert Goldstein, so this wasn't a Stephen Wise we were dealing with. Did Reb Mike not believe that they could handle the needs of Jewish soldiers properly? It seems a bit odd that he would want to go around them just because. I'm sure a frumme bochur in the army could get the tefillin and heter to not use a razor through the JWB just as much as through the AI. And I doubt that the latter would have more pull than the JWB, even of they were more sympathetic to a frummere bochur's needs. Maybe you all can fill in the details. Some of us are losing sleep over this. The letter seems to be signed by Rabbi David de Sola Pool, Rabbi of the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue in NYC and a musmach of the Hildesheimer Seminary. Reading between the lines WILL show you a bit of the "talking down" that Reb Mike gets from RDdLSP, and gives you a general idea of what the Yekkes thought of the Agudists...



  




















Via Ancestory.com

Thursday, November 22, 2012

בסוד שיח - דער רבי און דער ראשיווע




















RMK thinking... What kind of heavy fur coat is he wearing? It's 55 degrees here




















"פארוואס גייט דער רבי מיט אזא שווערען  מאנטל?"




















"ווייל סאיז ווארעמער אזוי"





















RMK thinking... I wonder how this would look on me...

RAT thinking... ?אה, וואס פארשטייט א ליטוואק אין א פעלץ



Photo Source

....וואס די 3 פינטעלעך באדייעט


















אפשר ווייסט איר? איך נישט
דאס אז דער שליח טוט אהן תפלין מיט א אידיש קינד, דאס באדערט זיי? ס'איז ארגער ווי סערווירען טשולענט?

Addendum - Re: RDTK and Lubavitch

Chabad.Info takes our post and follows up with more information



































One of the pages you'll see in the link above....

The original post

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Racism in Ramapo? A critical look (GUEST POST)
















Hirshel Tzig says: "There's little on the political scene that makes me really upset these days. I may have an opinion on National or local politics, but ultimately you come to realize that נישט פון דארט וועט קומען די ישועה. But when it comes to the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD) and the constant attack from the local press and many residents who want their cake and to eat it too - I cannot sit idly by. The ERCSD includes Monsey and its environs, as well as New Square. The change in demographics has brought a major real estate boom to the area, with home prices skyrocketing, but it has also made for empty public school buildings, since frum Jews don't send to public schools. The school board is now populated almost entirely by frum Jews, since they are now the majority in the district, and you would think that people would come to terms with the new reality. But no. They want a status quo, which is fine, anybody could want anything, if only for the fact that now what has happened is that they realize that conventionally they have no chance in ERCSD, so they have changed course. Seeing that this is a losing battle they have pulled out their last good card - the race card. Now it's the big, bad, rich Jews stealing the education from poor Blacks and Latinos. They're stealiong from the public schools and lining the pockets of the evil private schools... In other words, the fact that the student body in these schools has shrunk to a fraction of its size means nothing... Everything must go on. Empty school buildings, empty classrooms, nothing can change. The הסתה (incitement) that goes on in the press is unbearable. It affects the relationship with your non-frum neighbors who get their "facts" from the very unbiased.... local media, who now see you as (not just weird and rude...) but also like a bunch of thieves. The fact that so-called "Jewish" media like the Forward also sees this as some sort of social injustice (when is what פרומע אידן do not unjust...) only makes your blood even more. In light of the recent "Forward" article I asked a very eloquent and intelligent reader of this blog - one who may not agree with me 100% but who has a valid opinion and understanding of the matter to get the discussion rolling by writing a blog post. I thank him profusely for his time and effort. The way things are now CANNOT go on forever. There's lots more to be said about the situation, but let's start it now and continue later, IYH.


The "Forward" article that prompted this post 

YouTube clips that may help you see what's going on, although they are very biased against the frum Jews

More Here
 
and HERE

AND NOW TO THE GUEST POST

Recent controversies about the East Ramapo school district have served to raise ugly insinuations of racism and de facto segregation by fervently Orthodox Jews. Videos where folks refuse to “go to the back of the bus” (e.g. follow protocols of a meeting) and alarmist articles in the Forward only buttress the impression that Orthodox Jews are engaging in an effort to strip down the school district, sell off the parts and screw over minority students. It isn’t just an insinuation: “You have eight school districts in Rockland County,” the retired school administrator told the Forward recently.“One is cutting every non mandated service to the bone. Seven are not. Ninety percent of the kids going to the one are children of color. Is something wrong with that picture? ”Today, Cohen, is an activist with the NAACP, which is warning that racial tensions are boiling over in the East Ramapo school district. The school board, the group charges, is stripping services from public school children and channeling resources to benefit the Orthodox parochial schools attended by the school board members’ own children. Allegations of racial segregation are serious. They should be made seriously. What's going on in East Ramapo doesn’t fit the bill. On the contrary, the East Ramapo school district will serve as a paradigm and a newly religious and newly cost conscious educational landscape. Does this new paradigm always lead to improved educational outcomes for minority students? Not necessarily, but that doesn’t make it wrong and certainly doesn’t make it racism.

Let’s imagine three possible combinations. First, a low income enclave in a higher income area with a robust tax base which utilizes public schools. Second, a low income enclave in a middle to lower income area which doesn’t utilize public schools (East Ramapo, Lakewood). Finally, an entirely low income neighborhood. We can imagine that our low income population would be best served educationally in the first area, riding the coattails of higher income parents who are invested in the schools. We would also assume that an entirely low income area would have a diminished tax base and would not produce excellent educational outcomes. We can also assume that the preponderance of lower income people unfortunately live with the third scenario. What happens if scenario 1 changes to scenario 2? Because of a change in the neighborhood, the poor people on the margins become the main population served by the public schools. They can no longer rely on other people’s investments in the schools to propel educational outcomes they couldn’t achieve on their own. Presumably, this would lead to resentment. Yet, what's the solution? It seems like the only way out would be to get the apathetic population to invest in the schools. Yet, this is a problem. In a democracy, lower to middle income folks who don’t feel their needs are being met by the schools don’t have a whole lot of choice. You still have to pay taxes.

Legislative efforts to lower the tax burden could be seen as “eviscerating” or “looting” public schools in a very mendacious interpretation. Perhaps if these same parents sent their kids to super expensive schools with pools and brand new science labs we would say that there’s something untoward about not sparing some money for the poorer children who rely on the public schools.In East Ramapo this isn’t the case. The non-mandated services aren’t enriching the Jewish kids. If anything, educational outcomes for the Jewish children are lower on almost any conceivable metric than their peers in public schools. College matriculation rates in Kaser? SAT scores in New Square? Give me a break.It’d be nice for East Ramapo to attract people of a higher income with an interest in the public schools. Its difficult to demonstrate, though, that people of lower or middle income with no interest in public schools should be required to perpetuate a public school system that was unusually advantageous for lower income students. It’s great that there used to be opportunities to get better educational outcomes in East Ramapo than in East Harlem. It sucks that these opportunities have dried up. But it isn’t unfair or racist beyond the normal unfairness associated with life. When reflexive accusations of racism are thrown at people trying to bend the cost curve, lower their taxes and educate their kids according to their religion we lose sight of the actual issues in play. Hyperventilating about any perceived disparity in such excitable tones is irresponsible and obscures a more important argument. Poor kids should not be condemned to poor education, whether or not it was better or worse yesterday or ten years ago.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

"?מי סבל בעד תורת זקינך זי"ע"



Photo from YU.Net


The Gaon Reb Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik of Boston speaks about the Alter Rebbe's mesiras nefesh for Chassidus. In an unusual outburst of emotion the Rov cries out about the harassment he gets in the secular press for standing up for Torah and Yiddishkeit. As opposed to Agudists. This seems to be at a  Mizrachi dinner or function of some sort. Just as the AR, and not his biological grandson Reb Burech'l Mezhibuzher, נ"ע, was the one who suffered for Toras Chassidus CHaBaD, "שהיא היא תורת הבעש"ט". I admittedly searched for the words that RYBS uses and could not find the exact quotes, but the gist of what he says is written in a letter published in אגרות קודש אדמו"ר הזקן, אגרת ס' עמוד קמ"א, which we attach here. It's possible that the letter is paraphrased elsewhere and that it is where the Rov took it from. Did Reb Burech'l say that Shitas CHaBaD was "Apikurses?" The Rov is clearly annoyed with Reb Burech'l.... The word Mezhibuzh is pushed out of his mouth, and he says that Reb Burech did not even understand the sichos chulin of "dem Alten Rebben!"


Monday, November 19, 2012

יארצייט - הגאון ר' ברוך בער זצ"ל פון קאמעניץ



































We sometimes feel the need to recycle some of the old posts. This is one of these times. I trust you'll find them as informative and entertaining as when they were originally posted. I realize that a claim made in one of the threads has heretofore NOT been substantiated, but you can see that in the comments as well.

  דאס ביסאלע חסידות

  ?למה נקרא שמו ברוך דוב

  Mission: Saving Torah!

Friday, November 16, 2012

אף כאן עומד ומשמש

: לאור המצב הנורא בארה"ק תובב"א  

דעם רבינ'ס ווערטער זענען פונקט אזוי נויטיג היינט ווי דעמאלסט. תורה איז א נצחי, און וואס מ'האט גערעדט פאר יענעם עת צרה איז נוגע צו אונז איצט אויכעט. אדאנק דעם "טריפה'נעם" כלי קען מען היינט הערן וואס דער רבי רעדט. ס'איז צו באמערקן אז י"ל אז דער רבי זי"ע זאגט אפשר די זעלבע זאך ווי אסאך פון די אזוי-גערופענע גדולי ישראל זאגען, דהיינו אז מ'דארף זיך שטארקען אין לימוד התורה און קיום המצוות, און פאר די תשב"ר זאגט ער אז "מיט איין פסוק מערער," אבער ס'איז מיט אן אנדערען טעם. דאס ליבשאפט צו אידישע קינדער איז ניכר אין יעדן ווארט און קרעכץ. ס'ווענט זיך אינעם "דעליווערי," ווי מ'זאגט עס, צו מיט ליבשאפט אדער נישט, צו אים איז נוגע מיט אן אמת דאס אז אידישע קינדער זאלען זיך אומקערן צום אויבערשטן, אדער סתם ער איז מוכיח ווייל אזוי געפעלט אים. זאל דער אויבערשטער שומר ומציל זיין אלע אידישע קינדער בכל מקומות מושבותיהם, און בפרט אין ארצנו הקדושה ארץ ישראל, ארץ אשר עיני ה"א בה מראשית השנה ועד אחרית שנה, און זאל אינגיכען שיקן די גאולה שלימה ע"י משיח צדקנו, יבא ויגאלנו ויוליכנו קוממיות לארצנו במהרה בימינו ממש.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

דברים חוצבים כלהבת אש היוצאים מפי כ"ק אדמו"ר מצאנז-קלויזענבורג זצוק"ל בעת רעוא דרעוין ש"ק פ' בשלח תשי"ד לפ"ק




















בתמונה: האדמו"ר - מימין עם קאפעלו"ש - עם האדמו"ר ר' חיים מאיר מוויזשניץ זצ"ל והאדמו"ר ר' הערשלע ספינקער זצ"ל - Audio of the Roov starts about 3 minutes into part I. Sound gets better as it moves along.

Part I: Part II: Part III: Part IV:

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

הרב ר' זלמן לייב מייזליש שליט"א אב"ד קהל יראים סי-געיט מיט ראשי האגודה


.און נאך מיט די פינגער אזוי צאמגעלייגט

וואס וועט זיין מיט די התבדלות?  זעהט אויס אז מ'זיצט מיט אזעלכע "רבנים" און "רביס" קען מען שוין אזוי האלטען די פינגער אויך. איין התחברות ברענגט צו אן אנדערען. אמאל האט מען געוואוסט אז די רבנים מבית מייזליש זענען שטארק דבוק אין די שיטה, היינט איז שוין נישט אזוי. לינקס איז הרב משה טוביה ליעף פון פלעטבוש אגודה, דער נאוואמינסקער רבי און ר' יעקב בענדער פון די דרכי תורה ישיבה אין פאר ראקאוויי. די זיצונג/כינוס איז געווען לשם שמים, דוקא, מ'איז זיך צאמגעקומען נתעורר ווערן נאכ'ן שווערן שטורעם, און רבי זלמן לייב איז געקומען אלץ דער רב פון סי-געיט, וועלכע האט געליטן שווערע שאדן פונעם הוריקאן סענדי, אזוי אז ס'איז שווער דן זיין רז"ל פאר'ןזיצן מיט די אגודיסטן, כאטש אז אפילו אין די שווערע צייטן דארף מען זיך שטארקן און נישט זיך בייגן.
 
Source

ח"ו - how to lose your shidduch - פון די הייליגע חת"ם סופר זצ"ל



































So basically if your zivug is from a poor family and you say no because the Rushiveh told you that you should insist on 10 years plus an apartment in some new development so that you can learn Torah במנוחת הנפש ויישוב הדעת, and you think that it's in the bag because of everybody knows that "if it's bashert there's no way to lose it," Think again. As a bachur some well-intended relative told me the same thing, but he said it only happens if you join Lubavitch... The CS seems to think that it's not that limited. Anybody can ruin his "bashert," for any reason. The problem is, how is one to know that this is the right one?

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

הרב הישיש ר' דוד טעבלי קצנילינבוגן ע"ה פון לענינגראד אטאקירט די ליובאוויטשער חסידים אין רוסלאנד, זאגט אז אלץ וואס זיי טוהען איז נאר צו געוועלטיגן אף די קהלות



מכתב מהר"ר דוד טעבלי קצינילנבוגן משנת תר"צ לנכד גיסו הרב אליעזר סילווער נגד חב"ד

This "polemic" letter is now on sale - or was sold on November 6th, rather. A quick search will show you that RDTK was at odds with the FR about other issues, such as the Leningrad אסיפת הרבנים in 1927. The fact that the asifa went on was to happen despite the FR's opposition shows us that there were differences of opinion on Rabbinic matters and Rabbonim didn't necessarily heed his words. There the  פריערדיגע רבי נ"ע shows respect to RDTK by saying that they "managed to drag the elderly Gaon Reb Dovid Tevel into this and to support the asifah, despite the damage it will do." I was hesitant to put this up, because of what letters like these bring out among some of our readers, but I believe most of you can see the letter for what it's worth. Misinformed. I doubt RDTK knew what was going on hundreds of miles away in the towns and villages of white Russia and the Ukraine. Nigleh  - גפ"ת - was very much studied in Lubavitcher Yeshivos, just as it is today. Many, many talmidei chachomim were produced in those Yeshivos. I'm not sure who was feeding him this information, but it doesn't make him look good. And I VERY seriously doubt that they were becoming Rabbonim and Shochtim under threat of imprisonment and death just to chap nefashos for Lubavitch... Just my hunch. I also wonder about what he says about the money not reaching the Yeshivos... which Yeshivos existed in 1930 other than Lubavitch. I may be mistaken, but I know of none. Novardhok had escaped over the border to Poland, and all of the others were in Poland, Latvia or Lithuania. I was going to name this post "Old time Litvishe Rabbonim believed very much what today's Yeshivaleit believe," but then I changed it to something nice and benign. I figured that would show the readers that I have only love in my heart.

Wiki page of RDTK


Friday, November 9, 2012

JEC is A-OK...



































...at least according to Rabbi Joseph Kamenetzky and what he says RAK said. So what's up with that proclamation that we posted? Why did say diffently than RAK? Why was Gruss money any worse than direct from the BJE/JEC?


Submitted by Moshe Moshel

Thursday, November 8, 2012

א רבי אין אוניווערסיטעיט





















The Kaliver Rebbe of Williamsburg giving a shiur in Yeshiva University yesterday. As you can tell by the watermark this is an exclusive picture sent to us by a participant. I seem to remember hearing about Reb Shimon Shkop only teaching there before it was a University and that Reb Elchonon W not wanting to step in there while visiting NYC and even saying a פסוק that we say when passing a tifleh. At least according to Reb Sholom Schwadron. It seems like the Rebbe does not follow in those footsteps, he travels to spread Torah wherever he is welcome.

See our post about the KR from some time ago.

!ר"ל ווי עס גוי'אישט זיך ביי די היימישע אידן



































גרויע סוטס געקנעפלט לינקס אויף רעכטס אהנע וועסטלעך. שומו שמים , לאן הגענו. וויזוי האט די צייטונג בכלל אנגענומען אזא אנאנס. איך בין געגאנגען אלץ יונגע בחור מיט  סוטס פון דזשי ענד דזשי. אלץ אינגל האט מען געקויפט אין אביסל "פענסיער" חסידי'שע פלעצער, אבער אלץ בחור האב איך נישט געקענט אויסהאלטען די שווערע סוטס אין די זומער טעג און איך האב דארט געקויפט עטליכע מאל. ס'האט נישט אזוי גוט אויסגעזעהן, אבער מ'האט געקענט גיין אויף די גאס! אין די אלטע סוט האט מען געשוויצט און ס'איז כמעט געקומען צו חלשות! מ'האט אין יענע יארען אין דזשי ענד דזשי פאר קיין שום געלט נישט געקענט קויפן א סוט וואס קנעפלט זיך אזוי און וועלכע קומט אהן א וועסטל. אז דו האסט געוואלט האסטו געקענט עס לאזען אינדערהיים. אבער איין זאך זעה איך, די פאות ליגן נאך אויפן שטערן פונקט ווי מקדמת דנא, איז נאך דא האפענונג. איך גלייב אז שוין נעקסטע וואך וועלן לויפן שטרענגע בריוו צו די היימישע צייטונגן וועלכע וועלן באוויינען די גרויסע פירצה

!הכונו למערכה

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

מאה שנה ל"המשך בשעה שהקדימו תער"ב" - מאת הרב נחום גר"וו


Visit Jewish.TV for more Jewish videos.

One commenter said it correctly when he commented on the Col Live post about the video: "Rabbi Grunwald is Chabad's biggest secret." Reb Nuchem would surely disagree with that statement. There are lots more "secrets" like that. We often only see and hear the crazies, which is unfortunate, so this is good news.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Did all yeshivos decide not to take the Gruss/BJE/UJA money in 1971?

On Friday we discussed the The signed proclamation of several Rabbonim not to partake of the monies that Mr. Joseph Gruss arranged for Yeshivos and other mosdos to get from the UJA's BJE. These 2 pages beg to differ. They say that only the YRSRH of WasHeights refused it. And that the others took it with both hands and even thanked Gruss & Co. in the NYT. So who's telling the truth here? If Rav Moshe Feinstein would have signed such a declaration I don't think the Yekkes would be pounding their chests so. Is it just misinformed, or is the proclamation that we brought not true? Or is it somewhere in the middle? I thank an anonymous reader for sending this in.



Saturday, November 3, 2012

On the "sterilization" of public figures


Source

 Today was the Yohrtzeit of the בעל הפתק" רבי ישראל בער אדעסער". I happened to come across this while reading "בצילו של הרבי", a book about Breslover Chassidim. There are some major, major characters there, and I mean that in a good way. Some real עובדי השם. Based on what I can tell, the author is מאנשי ישוב הישן and doesn't care for the Na-Nachs, so what does he do when he get to Reb Yisroel Ber? He writes alot about his childhood, his לב טוב, his התקרבות to Breslov through the Breslover chossid Reb Yisroel Karduner of Tveryah, and his עבודת השם. But he ignores the פתק part of his life, which - truth be told - was not such a long time, considering that he was born somewhere between 1888 and 1897, and died in 5755/1994. I've seen this approach with many of the "mainstream" Breslovers, and I very much understand it. They say that in his old age and feeble mind he was dragged into this mess by his "מקורבים."

But is it real?