Thursday, March 31, 2016

A young JFK celebrating the State of Israel's 10th anniversary

















So here's where JFK answered the Loyever Rebbe's call - and then some! Nice white kippah on Congressman Kennedy's head. He came to speak to a crowd gathered at the 10th anniversary celebration in what seems to be a shul in Chelsea, Massachusetts. Behind him we see the 10th anniversary banner. Next to him we see the Loyev-Mirapoler Rebbe, Reb Menachem Nochum Yosef Twersky. There is a picture way up high, on the Aron Kodesh; it's hard to make out who it is. Looks like Shazar, but probably isn't. [ reader "JR" says it is then-President Yitzchak Ben-Zvi. Thanks.] [ Interesting side note: Ben-Zvi's wife was a descendant of the מאור עינים - through his son Reb Moshe] There are also Israeli and American flags in the background. This picture is in Yitz Twersky's book: מלכות טשערנאבל, and we bring this with his permission. Was he fishing for votes? well, 1958 was an election year, and he was a politician. But we're not really interested in the JFK angle of this picture, it's more the Chernobler angle that we seek.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

United Nations Special Committee on Palestine hearing in Jerusalem, July 16, 1947


















Orthodox Jews are seen during a United Nations Special Committee on Palestine hearing in Jerusalem, July 20, 1947. At left is Chief Rabbi of the Orthodox Jews in Palestine, Joseph Zvi Dushinski. Others are unidentified. (AP Photos/Jim Pringle)




















Two orthodox Jews listen intently as they attend a United Nations Special Committee on Palestine hearing in Jerusalem, July 16, 1947. Seldom photographed because of their religion the Jews’ appearance is marked

























An unidentified Orthodox Jew, wrinkled with age, wearing a long beard, tattered robes and cane, attends a session of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine in Jerusalem, June 16, 1947, to hear Joseph Zvi Dushinski, Chief Rabbi of Agudath Israel Congregation in Palestine, speak on behalf of his group. 

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

The Loyev-Mirapoler Rebbe of Chelsea, Mass. and his connection to JFK

Once upon a time not all frum Jews were Republicans. And once upon a time Rebbes were proud Zionists. Some of them, anyway. At least in Boston. Looks like Jack didn't learn much from his old man. He loved his Jews and their State. This Rebbe was a great-great grandson of Reb Aron, son of Reb Mottele Tchernobeler.



























Matzeivoh Photo Source: Ivelt

Monday, March 28, 2016

Rabbiner Hamburger hat ein Zuhause mit dem KOOK'nikkes gefunden

Hirshel:
It's been 14 since the physical passing of his Rebbi and mentor. Physical passing, I say, because his legacy is perpetuated by the פלג הירושלמי, to some extent.. it's Ozel gavra demistafinah minei... Hamburger the former big kanoi, pride of German Jewry going back a 1000 years, one of his henchman, participated in a Mizrachi event with professors and Misrochi rabbis. If Maran would be alive this would generate a letter in his מכתבים ומאמרים against this terrible pirtzah. I guess Hamburger prefers Ravs Kook's shitah that there will be no moshiach, R"L, that the State of Israel is redemption, rather than the Moshiach of Brooklyn Chassidim. The Yekkes were always proper and quite loyal to their regimes, no matter what his plans were for the Jews. Deep down I assume they agree with Rav Kook on that one, even if they were anti-Zionist.

Friday, March 25, 2016

Pnei Menachem 20th yohrtzeit - Kfar Chabad magazine interview

Hirshel:

The Alter family, more specifically the children of the Rebbe the Pnei Menachem, have a certain gene that keeps them from holding back what they have on their chest. They need to say it, come what may. It's Really not Gerer style. This story is so typical. A chareidi family coming to a Chabad house to stay for Shabbos but they still think the shluchim can not be trusted on the food. They want to cook their own food and bake their own challah. And get this: here is is a new low; They ask for mevushal wine since the other wine would be nesech. He also claims his father was from all the sons the real mamshich of the Imrei Emes. Besides the nigleh in his talks he was a very hartzige person like the Imrei Emes. He said there are still a lot of shiurim from his father that he wrote himself, they need a lot of work.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

מתנות לאביונים

Give Here - My apologies for missing the link until Shushan Purim

א פרייליכען פורים און תזכו למצוות

Monday, March 21, 2016

דער רבי דער בית ישראל האט פארשטאנען צו אהבת ישראל
























Photo Source

Hirshel:

the Rebbe di Beis Yisroel is - in di velt - portrayed as more right wing than his father the Imrei Emes. Itche Meir Levin, the brother in law, was the father's shaliach, and the Beis Yisroel basically did not interfere. That's how they see it. The kanoyim who have a little bit of Yiras Shomayim blame Itche Meir and say that the BY had no choice but to go along with what he did, because he respected the father's choice. As if he was an Hungarian Rebbe... The "Eidah" people thought he is one of theirs. Zalminu Wienberg, the holy Tolner Rebbe's brother, writes a Mussar vort his brother heard the the Beis Yisroel give, based on Rav Kook as a role model. I assume it's not printed anywhere. Very un PC. Even for Ger.





Sunday, March 20, 2016

Sunday Pics - 5705/1945























R-L: Reb Faivel Raab, Rabbi Bark, a famous mohel in Philadelphia who may have had a shul on South Logan in Philly; the Rebbe Reb Moshe'le Lipshitz, Vyelepoler Rebbe of Philadelphia; and his son Reb Osher Zelig.
























The Rebbe Reb Moshe'le Lipshitz of Philadelphia, טרינקט טיי; his son Reb Osher Zelig; and his son Reb Chaim Uri behind him. The pic seem to be in a shul in Philly in 1945. UPDATE 3/21/16. These pics seem to be part of a greater series of pictures at the White House in 1945. At least that's what it says there - at the website. But there seem to be many Jewish symbols in the background, so maybe they got mixed up with the actual WH pictures.

More about Reb Moshe'le Lipshitz, דער זעקסטער צדיק


Friday, March 18, 2016

Things you may not have known about the Erlauer Rov...

.... He had worn תכלת on his טלית קטן for some 50 years. Apparently he wore it under his shirt for many years, with the regular tzitzis on a second tallis koton that he wore above his shirt. Then, as t'cheyles became more popular he began to "wear it out," so to speak, for all to see. I'm not sure if that works well with the idea of keeping the Chasam Sofer shittah in all matters, but it seems like he was ברייט enough to do some things as he saw fit, even if there was no precedent from the CS. Maybe he figured that the CS would do it too if he saw the t'cheyles that we have today. The picture is from tikkun chatzos at the kosel, which some Ashkenazishe Jews still say. I think Nitra Yeshiva still does it as well, or at least they did until not so long ago.






Thursday, March 17, 2016

!די "חילול השם", מילא. אבער די כבוד

















אז א איד קען נישט גיין אין גאס, אין באנק, האבען צו טוהן מיט נישט אידישע קליענטען, אהן דעם וואס ער דארף זיך שעמען פון די מעשים פון אפאר שונאי בצע. דאס איז די בראך. אז ישיבות און מוסדות התורה זענען בעצם "געצוואונגען" צו קענען טוהן יעדע עצה און תחבולה כדי צו קענען דעקן די בודזשעטן. אז אין די גאלדענע אמעריקע איז אין דעם זין נישט קיין סאך אנדערש ווי אין סאוויעטן פארבאנד. ווי האט הרב שטיינמאן געזאגט פאר סורוצקינ'ען ווען יענער האט נישט געוואלט ארייננעמען א קינד אין א חיידר ווייל זיי "פאסען נישט אריין" אהין? אז ס'איז פונקט ווי ביי די קאמיוניסטן. אז טאמער א קינד קען נישט גיין אין דער חיידער וועלכע זיין טאטע וויל אים שיקען, ווייל זיי האלטען אז ער "פאסט נישט אריין", איז עס פונקט ווי מ'דארף אים שיקען אין שקאלע. און דאס איז די כוונה פון די וועלכע האבען איינגעפירט אז ישיבות און מוסדות התורה טארען נישט געשטיצט ווערען פון די רעגירונג; אז אלע ישיבות און מוסדות התורה זאלען זיך פארמאכען און אלע זאלען צולאזט ווערן און צוגיין אינעם גרויסן "שמאלץ-טאפ" פון אמעריקע. אבער נישט סתם א שמאלץ טאפ, נאר טאקע דער טאפ פון חלילה א ג-טלאזע געזעלשאפט וואס די ליבעראלן ווילען און חלומ'ען דערפון שוין איבער 100 יאר. און דערפאר זענען די ראש המוסרים טאקע די געמיינע חברה פון די צווי אזוי-גערופענע אידישע צייטונגען דא אין ניו יארק. און זיי זענען שטאלץ דערמיט! זיי ווייסען אז איינס פון די ביידע דארף דא געשעהן: אדער די ישיבות וועלן זיך מוזען פארמאכען מחוסר דעקונג פון די בודזשעטן, אדער די מוסדות וועלן מוזען הייבען די שכר לימוד צו ניוועלן וועלכע רוב חרד'ישע משפחות וועלן נישט קענען אויסהאלטען. דאס וועט פירען צו דעם אז מענטשן וועלן פשוט זיך באגרעניצן צו 3-4 קינדער. אדער אפשר גאר ווייניגער. און דאס וועט זיין דער איינציגער מיטל ווי אפצושטעלן דער געוואוקס פונעם חרדי'שען ציבור.

ביטע כאפט מיר נישט ביי א ווארט. כ'מיין נישט חלילה צו זאגען אז חילול השם איז נישט קיין פראבלעם. אז עס גייט מיר נישט אהן, חלילה. אבער אפט מאל פאלט אריין ביי מיר די מחשבה זרה אז מ'וועט אונז שטענדיג רודפ'ן. אז ס'איז נישט וועגן נייעס פון פארברעכנס איז עס אז מיר האבען גרויסע משפחות, און אז נישט משפחות איז עס אז מיר זענען אומהעפליך. זאגען נישט עקסיוז מי. און אז מ'גייט לאנג געקליידעט. אדער אז מ'רעדט נישט קיין גוטען ענגליש. אפילו ביי דיי יידישיסטן איז אויך נישט גוט! ווייל מיר שרייבען אידיש, נישט "יידיש". מ'איז צו רייך און צו ארעם. מער ווייס איך נישט וואס צו זאגען. ביי אונז אין מאנסי איז דער מצב גאר נישט פשוט. אידיש בלוט איז גאר ביליג- ווי מ'זאגט. מ'קען אויף אונז זאגען און שרייבן וואס ס'לאזט זיך, און אלץ מיט א הכשר. די זעלבע צייטונגען וואס פארטיידונגען געפערליכע פארברעכנס פארפאסען נישט די געלעגנהייט יעדעס מאל צו לאזען וויסן ווי געפערליך די ג א נ צ ע געמיינדע איז. דערמאנען יעדער מאל ווי מיר פירען די סקול בארד דא כאטש מ'שיקט נישט די קינדער אין פאבליק סקול. כאילו ס'איז קעגן די געזעץ. אין לעיקוואוד איז שוין אויך אזוי. דאס וואס די ליבעראלען האט געקעמפט קעגן דיסקרימינאציע פון הייזער דאס האט נישט מיט אונז. מ'קען אפען און קלאר זאגען אז קיין שום איד טאר דא נישט וואוינען, און קיין מוסד התורה טאר דא נישט געבויט ווערן, און אלע שטייען און קלאטשען אז מ'טוט וואס דארף קעגן "פושי" און "אגרעסיווע" ריעל עסטעיט אגענטן. קרי: היימישע אידן. א רחמנות פשוט אויף די בעלי בתים דארט... דאס איז אלץ א דאנק אונזערע ברידער און שוועסטער אשר כרעו לבעל הסוציאליסטי והליברלי. פונקט ווי אין רוסלאנד. נישט קיין וואונדער אז פרומע אידן ווילען נישט טוהן קיין "קירוב"! ווער וויל דען מקרב זיין איינער וואס שטופט אריין א מעסער ביי מיר אין רוקען אויף פייסבוק און אין די קאמענטארען ביי אלע צייטונגען?!

שוין, לאמיר הער וואס איר האט צו זאגען

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Shabbos in the shtiebel with new books... tough to get away and daven...























Hirshel: This Shabbos in shul I saw 2 new fat volumes, totally new, (a few years ago they printed already 2 volumes) of Reb Akiva Yosef ShlesingerBaal Lev HaIvri. I really could not daven... Let me tell you and readers what I saw there. Maybe add some Torah to this blog. I hope I won't bore them; I definitely was fascinated by it. Well, as usual he does not disappoint, Each teshuvah is a treasure. I'm suffering from information overload and cannot recall all that I read. [There was no yotzros at davening.] He has a teshuva about wearing and accepting a medal with a cross, something that many of the European countries would do, and still do; he is machmir and says don't accept it! Write a nice letter, he says, tell them that your religion forbids it, they'll respect you for that. In the footnotes they bring the Arugas haBosem who agrees with that psak, but they bring מקילים too. He has another interesting question on some roof trusses that were built by a company who built like a cross, with some missionary emblem on it, that came to Palestine to try propagate and do missionary work in every way possible. He writes some history which I never knew about an early BDS movement that was leading a campaign against buying by Jews. Whatever they sold they put a cross on the packaging to know its was not Jewish.... He has a long teshuvah against the big shiur of the צל"ח, he writes nobody is doing it....some interesting important facts......

He has a teshuvah about photography, if it is prohibited, he claims that our new photography is good even al pi Nistar, and the יערות דבש that the קנאים like to quote as the source of the איסור of being photographed is irrelevant. and especially pictures are very important for shidduchim, (I assume that was probably the reason of the Arugas haBosem sending his picture for a friend,,,,, it was probably for a shidduch) has a long teshuvah about 70th birthday brocho.... has a long teshuvah about the new law enacted then which required all Jewish kids to attend public school, he writes that he attended SCHOOL in Pressburgh WITH the CHASAM SOFER FAMILY. He himself he got out of going to school after a while because he was a genius as a kid and he answered a tough mathematical question, and his father pushed him up some grades. So he was out of school very quickly. That's his father, pictured here above, not him. Rav Kornitzer, son in law of Reb Shimon Sofer of Krakow, paid the fine for each day not sending his kids, from his nadan money, till the money ran out!! after that he couldn't pay the fines, so they threatened the parents with prison, to which he said to prison I don't have to go for this cause so off to public school they went......BTW, I heard this Shabbos from an elderly Jew from Munkacs that when the city was in Czechoslovakia, you could get out of going to Public School, but not when the Hungarians took over, they were very strict about it.

Back to Reb Akiva Yosef : he  has a teshuvah if homosexuality is of the 3 cardinal sins, he paskened it is. He has a teshuvah about a weak person eating before davening, he writes he should rather daven early than eat. This e-mail is getting to be a bit too long, but I have to mention that in the "Ami" interview last week of Rav Reuven Feinstien with Itche Frankfurter he reveals that his father davened all the Shabbos morning tefilos early B'yechidus, since the shul davened too late. He then would make kiddush - which his kids never heard because they were either still asleep or in shul davening. Reb Akiva Yosef has a teshuvah before that, on eating early before a fast day, he writes that everyone should eat, and he ate also, and it helps that you say some tefila so the דאורייתא part of davening is done and you can then eat before the rest of davening. He has a teshuvah about davening early on Friday afternoon, he writes about the Kosover Rebbe - who he calls "Harav Hakodosh"- who davened very early, he visited him he writes. The Chasam Sofer davened very early on Friday afternoon and stayed in shul for a long time with bochurim saying for them a derush, and then he repeated Kerias Shma. Reb Akiva Yosef was very unpredictable,,,,,, I don't think it will be on otzar haChochma any time soon.I think you should get all 4 volumes.

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

וואס פארשטייען מיר אין צדיקים?

Hirshel:

Aron Marcus writes that he heard from an honest person that by the era of the Denmark War the Rav of Lomzhe (maybe the Divrie Malkiel) visited the holy Chidushei haRim.  The Lomzhe Rov came out of the room with a glowing face of התפעלות. He was asked what happened ? He answered I am from the Lita and was not educated in emunas tzadikim and now the Chidushai haRim told me as follows: That he learned by the holy Kozhnitzer Maggid. When he was 17 years old, on a Rosh Chodesh Nissan,  The Rebbe told me that as is known today is the Rosh Hashana for the kings. All the ministers in heaven come to the heavenly court. They all visited me as well. All except for one. The minister of Persia came to my door but I didn't allow him to enter, since he is more evil then all of them. This what the Chidushai haRim told me now. The Lomzhe Rov finished by saying:  I thought until now that the concept of a tzadik that is spoken about in the Torah is that he is a Jew multiplied by ten. That he's MUCH bigger than ordinary Jews like me. Now I see that it's a totally different ballgame. His thoughts are not our thoughts, his path is not our path. The Chidushei haRim generally acted very "shpitz" to misnagdim. He would always approach them with the wildest chasidic stories. Some of them, like the Lomzhe Rov, were nispo'el from the stories, but the chemdas Shloma he turned off with his shpitz story. It just ruined it.  By the way: What happened then with Persia ? Can we say that the holy Kozhnitzer had the same view like Bibi? That u can't make agreements with Iran because they're the epitome of evil. Thoughts for Purim... (Sorry about the shadow on the picture...)

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Many years ago - before עוז והדר - there was Mendelson and Zeldowitz

The problem was they didn't have Heshy Friedman to bankroll it all. I guess. They also didn't have the vision and the wherewithal of Shia Leifer. Oh well. They also, I think, had a hard time getting along. The two partners, that is. That's what I seem to remember. So the dream of a newly-set Shas, just like in Wilno, fell by the wayside. And the rest is history. I just realized I posted these pictures a bit lopsided. I guess that what happens after a month's respite. 




















Friday, March 11, 2016

the Mishna Berurah is for Ameratzim?!

Hirshel: 

 Reb Moshe Feinstein is quoted in the 2nd volume Mesoras Moshe as having told someone (maybe Vohlhandler) that wanted to do a MB on יורה דעה that the Chofetz Chaim worked with a team of people on his sefer, there are not too many decisions, he's usually machmir, unless he has a big group of achronim  that say lekulah, then he's meykil. Aaaand it was done for ameratzim. Or Am HaAratzos, as he calls them. Now I see why he went first to Poland. He went there to sell it to the chasidim, because there he saw a big concentration of am aratzim. In Lita every Baal Agola was a boki beShas, so he had no baalonim. As the guy in Yeshurun writes, that he put in the G'raz (Reb Schneur Zalman) 400 times, (as Rabbi Raitport calls him) to sell it in Poland by the chasidim. Everyone is up in arms with this quote. Everyone is mad at the Tendlers, not that they didn't have reason until now; they are killing the messenger... it's easier that way. No need to question Reb Moshe, it's the darn Tendlers. (Page 2 is a bit unclear, but the relevant parts are there to see...)



Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Even "Jay Bee" annerkenned that Lakewood is the Real derech...

All you יפי נפש that are so excited about this letter and check and see this as proof of the Rav's great middos and support of Torah are getting this all wrong. This isn't him showing that he can support a mosad whose leaders so disrespect him. All this shows is that in his advanced age, seeing what had become of YU, he realized, much like Shlomo Carlebach, that the only true place is the Olam HaYeshivos. SO he made sure to support them in their time of need and made sure to tell the world that they are one of the most prominent Torah institutions in this country. Like the header says: he annerkenned that Lakewood was the emes'e mesorah of Brisk and of Torah bichlal.

(Overheard in the coffee room)




Tuesday, March 8, 2016

האדמו"ר רבי איציקל לייפער מנאדבורנא בראנקס

:באקומען אויפ'ן בליץ-פאסט

יארן לאנג האמיר געזוכט דעם רבי'נס מציבה, האדמו"ר רבי איציקל לייפער מנאדבורנא בראנקס. אן אייניקל פון רבי/ן ר' בערטשע פון סאטמאר ולמעב"ק. היינט האט ידידינו מקים המצבות מאייראפא געשטעלט זיין מצבה בחלקת הסתדרות האדמורים בוועלוואוד לאנג איילאנד.
מיסטערי סאלווד 
דער רבי ווערט געזען צווישן די רבנים אינעם דעלעגאציע צו פרעזידענט הערבערט האווער, דאכציך.


Hello.