Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Man on a mission

הרב לייבל זיאנץ ברזיל

Photo: COL

Leibel Zajac is not one to back down. It doesn't matter who's in his way, he pushes him aside.

Recently in Boro Park, my Golus home, I noticed flyers on the street with a "call to arms". It was beneath me to pick one up but I did stoop to read one. It went something like this.

היות והיום ידרוש פסח קראהן, המלעיג על דברי חכמים ודורש ברבים בתערובות אנשים ונשים מתוך שחוק וקלות ראש,

In short, don't attend his lectures.

Signed, לייבל זאיאנץ

and a cellphone number!

My question is as follows: the flyers were obviously about his opposition to Metzitzah B'peh, something that his well known to all Rabbinic Personalities. If so, what gives? Why is he given a free pass, and Rabbi Tendler is hung out to dry?

Leibel, however, should be applauded for his honesty and fearlessness, but this is nothing new.

47 comments:

Anonymous said...

Firstly I believe the mans name is rabbi Laibel Zayantz from S. Paolo Brazil. He is a Peylisher Lubavitcher.
His campaign has nothing to do with Metzizah be Peh. His campaign predates the Tendler -Fisher controversy.
Zayantz is firmly opposed to those mohalim especially Orthodox mohalim who do the brith milah on children who are not Jewish or the issue of parents (mother ) who have undr gone questionable conversions.
He has written on this subject in Chaim Shaulzon's newspaper PANIM CHADASHOTH for the pst 10 years.
He is fighting Orthodox rabbis who do quicky conversions and orthodox mohalim who do the same.
Rabbi Peysech Krohn the so-called maggid ( am aggid whose Yiddish is an embarresment to all his listeners) is a well known mohel who according to rabbi Z. does such brisin on a regular basis.
I do not know the facts , but I can tell you that while many Lubavitcher bachurim and others are involved in major issues the late rebbe stressed ie Shlaimas Ho-aretz, Messiah campaign, shlichuth , kiruv vechuli. Only Rabbi Zayantz has undertaken to continue the rebbe's campaign on the issue of MI-Hu Yehudi ? which was very close to the rebbe's heart.

Anonymous said...

Since touched on the subject, I applaud any efforts made in defense of metzitz b'beh.
I don't know, however, if P. Krohn is as big an rabbinic authority (and thus as deserving of criticism) as R' Tendeler. Is Pesach Krohn a Rav in a position of authority? I always thought that he was a moehl, lecturer and author, not a rav. That's not to say that he deserves a free pass - he doesn't - but R' Tendler is the one who will have the most blood on his hands, er... whatever.
I did recently see that there is a "proposed action being considered over the next few days by the New York City Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene that could eventually lead to the banning of the halachically-required component of the bris milah procedure known as metzitza ba-peh."
People are strongly encouraged to voice their protest.
These are the authorities to contact:

Hon. Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

Commissioner

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

City of New York

Phone: 212-788-5261

Fax: 212-964-0472

Email: tfrieden@health.nyc.gov



Hon. Jonathan Greenspun

Commissioner

Mayor’s Community Assistance Unit

City of New York

Email: jgreenspun@cityhall.nyc.gov

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

thank You anon. I did not mean to omit the "Reb" as a sign of disrespect, it was more of a Heymishe thing. (they do spell the name "Zajac", as in Polish there is no N written only spoken.)

Anonymous said...

I guess Mihu Yehudi is not a "cool" topic anymore.

Ashrechoh Reb Leibel!

Anonymous said...

Zayantz ,the buddy of the 'mushchos' and 'meshugennar' par excellence Chaim Shoulson.The man is a well known crazed individual, worthy of his bedfellow Shoulson and both are worthy of todays Lubavitch a collection of meshugoim,kovod zoochers and mushchosim.
(His dad left him a lot of money.Nothing worse than a bored, rich mushegenner)

Anonymous said...

Malach
Whyis Chaim Shaulson a Meshuggener, and people like Sender Deitsch are Askonim and Klal doers?

they do the same thing, no?

Anonymous said...

Malach:
Typical of a Satmarer/Kanoite, bash anyone that takes a stand on any isue that you disagree with, and then do the same thing he does!

Anonymous said...

Moishe and Avremel,
I'm not Satmar at all.
I find it difficult to believe that anybody could actually 'defend' Shoulson.He is a vile person and a blackmailer.Interesting to note that when his office was sabotaged, the only place he felt 'safe' was by his fellow 'lubabs' in Crown Heights.With such a 'menuval' 'defending' your derech, you can really feel that 'Lubavitch pride'!lol.
Zayantz is a backanter, meshugenner and laidigayer, and you know it too.

Anonymous said...

Re ; Metzizah be-peh as halachically mandated. I am sure you are aware that this custom was already not practiced regularly in Lithuania and Germany.
I must wonder out loud if those mohalim serving the so-called Yeshiva community in the US do Mezizah . be peh ?
Did Rabbi Zvi Bronstein of Al Tidom do so ? Does rabbi Krohn do so ? Does rabbi Pirutinsky in fact do so ?
Clearly in times of pikuach nefesh (AIDS STD'S etc ) halacha gives room to manouver.
Chassidim certainly can claim that this is a minhog Israel, and protect their right to practice their customs, but "Halachically mandated" a bit strong.Is Glatt halachically mandated or Nusach Sefarad or Gebrochts or a langer begged. all fine customs but mandated ???
A rosh yeshiva at RIETS told me the following story : At a BRis attended by the rav Rav Yoshe Baer Soloveitchik of Boston the mohel attempted Mezizah bepeh, the rav protested and said I am protesting , but My Zaide the gaon Reb Chaim Brisker would have thrown the mohel out . It is well known that the gaon Rav Chaim Brisker did not see the need for oral suction.

Anonymous said...

1) I called you satmar/Kanoite

2) Chaim Shaulson was raised in Lubavitch, but has very little connection today. None of his kids went to Lubavitch schools, nor did he daven in Lubavitch in BP. He may have felt at home in Crown heights because the Lubavitchers had some revenge for all the attacks they had to endure over the years from Satmar.

3) Zajac is as much a laydikgeyer as the average kanoyi.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Anon:
Krohn does not do oral suction.
According to Reb Menashe Klein it is mandated. Reb Chaim was known to do his own thing concerning certain isues.

Anonymous said...

With all due respect Rav Menashe is not the posek hador.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps at some later date we could have a discussion of the merits of Chaim Shaoulson and PANIM CHADASHOTH. There is much to say about both.
He has done much good in making the charedi community transparent. This is especially true in terms of Satmar and its various internal battles.
Currently he is the only Orthodox media outlet telling us what is really happening in Bobov. he others DER YID (hakodesh) and Der BLATT and Grand rabbi Tannenbaum in the JP refuse to concede that Rav M.D. Ungar is also the Bobover rebbe.
So while Reb Chaim has been involved in many controversial episodes , I think he does the Charedi world a service.

Anonymous said...

Where can yoy get the Panim Chadashot these days?

Anonymous said...

Its available by subscription only. If people are interested I am more than happy to post the address etc here. But I do not wish to do this without the reshus baal habayis !
For those of us who like to know the news in the Charedi world but sometimes mis the mikve its good to read.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Anon:
By all means, please post the address.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

We're getting off track here. Reb Menashe may not be the Posek HaDor, but he's a Rov and a Mohel who carries on the Hungarian tradition. In his book anyone who does not do Metzitzah b'peh is a Kal and worse, does not fulfill the Mitzvah. He learned that from his Rebbeyim, the carriers of the Hungarian torch. The relationship between Leibel and Chaim Shaulson is PROBABLY not more than a practical one, He needs a platform for his "battles" and Chaim provides it.

Anonymous said...

Will post the address of Panim Chaadashoth on Monday.Will also give the demai Chasimah for the newspaper.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

I would ask all bloggers to please choose a name, any name, just don't use anonymous, PLEASE!

Anonymous said...

Pessach Krohn is called to attention for his:

kust for money he does not care to perform "briss miloh's" to goyim gemurim and deceive thepeople that hte child is Jewish:

For instance: He is an official mohel in Reform Temple's and enters their sanctuary and circumcizes GOYIM GEMURIM: a child of a non jewish mother!: whether it is a non jewish mother without any converion or if it is a non jeiwsh mother who underwent a fictitous conversion: whether it is coompletely insincere conversion: meaning that the covnert never intended to keep any mitzvos (whose conversions are not accepted even by the rabbanut) or these mother underwent "conservative" or "reform" conversions: pessach Krohn is the OFFICIAL "orthodox" mohel for these children.

He makes a farce and mockery of yiddishkeyt by by deceiving the atendees of the bris miloh into thinking that an orthodox "maggid" accepts the child as jewish and all for money! (he could charge for these rituals close to 2,000 or more at times).

Anonymous said...

And not to forget:

Pessach Krohn does not fail to go to the "GAy Temple" to do the "Briss miloh" for (adopted) children of Lesbian Couples. Malach let's see if you have have the integrity and honesty to condemn this "gelt fresser" pessach krohn in guise of "godol" and "maggid".

Anonymous said...

The question becomes even stroger then, Why the silence on the part of mainstream Rabbonim?

Anonymous said...

that's is the crux of the problem:

that many people are afriad to speak against this crook for they turned him into a "godol" and "maggid" and don't have the strength to do the rootzon haboreh.
Malach: you do not have the integrity and honesty like many rabbonim to attack the indefensible and therefore you resort to attack zayantz. IIt will not do you any service: you searched for new "Role models" and ehrliche yidden; but your "maggid' and "godol" brings in goyim into klal yisroel and brings assimilation and this is a"godol"? instead of doing something to fix the problem ((like talk to pessach the gelt fresser to stop his practices) you find the easy way out to attack zayanz.

Anonymous said...

Was Rav Schwadron aware of these activities when he approved all those books in his name, or did the conversions start later on?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous,
Are you the same Anonymous from above?
I am a little suprised by the pesach krohn comments - I never heard them before.
Are you sure about these claims?
I wonder what his response would be.

Anonymous said...

I don't know about R. shwadron. I do not think he (or any other erliche rov) knew about his pracitices.

The same anonymomous: I'm sure about pessach krohn: he does them and his bullies hush it under the carpet. And he clearly claims (partially) to these evils acts for "parnassah".

Anonymous said...

You have changed my opinion of him.
But, how does he come to have do much power? How does he have bullies? What, does he have dirt on people to blackmail them with?
I can't figure out why any Rabbanim would be afraid of him.

Anonymous said...

I have no idea how he built such an amount of power. But what i know is of the present situation:

He is a very vocal man who enjoys the fame of "godol" and "maggid" and being that he is in the Miloh practice he puts his weight on the other mohalim. And if some mohalim would like to being about change he quashes any call for change since it is in his best interest so that there be no change. And so, due to him: he and opther mohalim circumcize goyim gemurim on a very regular basis and etither: some of them think that they are jews with a stamp of approval from "the maggid", or (even if they know the bitter truth) others (like for instance attendees to the "bris miloh") genuinely think that this child is jewish and from there numerous michsholim erupt and it is extremely hard to fix and remedy the situation.

The only part of the puzzle that i cannot fathom why ALMOST NO ONE speaks out as you ask: the only think that i can think off (as a limud zechus for some) is: that they have not known the bitter truth in the past and they have invested in him so much (in terms of using him as a tool for "kiruv" at best; and also to bring in money (by his speeches) and the Torah says "haShochad yeaver eyney chachomim" therefore they are blind and do not speak out.


Malach come out of your hiding in one of your dwellings and spread in your shows or other venues the need to fix this problem.

Every day that passes there are other goyim and yidden that are fooled about the identity of goyisher children due to pessach krohn.

Who knows how many hundreds or thousands of these chidlren have been duped in the past decades about their real identity and how much intermarriage or support for it by the "maggid" and his disciples and coleagues.

Anyone who can lift a finger: please speak to your local rabbonim and Gedolim to ask them to intervne and intercede with the maggid that he find other methods to make money; but he should not use the deception of jewish identity of goyish children and families as a trade.

Anonymous said...

Another thing that can help pressure the maggid: AS Zayantz asked that there be an outcry not to allow pessach krohn be a speaker and ask people not to attend his sermons. Additionally: do not buy his tapes and books. They may be very effective at last.

Interestingly also: This week's Bakhilah has an article about Pessach Krohn and the very exact problem. And there is a very concerned individual who calls attention to the problem: Rav Nochum Eyzensteyn who is a Rov that deals with issues of conversions and fights that standards of conversion be uphekd etc. and he is informing the public about the disaster that pessach krohn is bringing about by converting goyim gemurim and saying that they are yidden.

Anonymous said...

One of the problems is that there are Rabbonim who support Krohn - they do these non-halachik conversions, and they NEED a mohel who will do the conversions, otherwise people will get wise and not go through these conversions. So, if a mohel refuses to do a bris in such a case, they NEED a Peysach Krohn ("straight out of central casting", to quote a Reform "mohel") who WILL do the miloh. These Rabbonim have a vested initetrest in keeping Krohn in high status, because it is a way to keep other "amaller" mohalim in line - they can - AND DO - tell the "small" guys, "If you don't do it, we'll get Krohn, and family will be happy - and he'll do our other Brissim too. Forget the parnoso you would have had from our community."

These guys are a source of strength - they are ostensibly Orthodox Rabbis, and often parade amongst the "frummest". They support him, because he serves their ends.

I know it's hard to beleive; the first time I heard it I was absolutely stunned.

Shochad Ya'avor eyenei chaahomim, indeed. How on earth does such a man stoop so low?!

Anonymous said...

Once you are plugged into the establishment of the so called "charedi" world you can do no wrong. thats the world of Art Scroll, the Aguda, Lakewood , Torah Umessorah.
Krohn has gotten himself plugged in , by his books and his trips to lithuania and his tendering of kavod to the politically correct gedloim.
But truth be told there were others like him gedloei rabbonim who gave hashgochos that frume and in sometimes even MO people would not touch, yet the Frum world in its different political constellations would give these fellows lots of kavod.
There is such a disconnect in contemporary jewish life, you could be a charedi and do kol davr assur but as long as you are plugged in ...
If the mohel is maggid no wonder maggidus no longer exists.

Anonymous said...

All of this is truly shocking.

I wish I had more proof of these accusations. I am hard pressed to believe it, especially since it seems so non-sensicle for Rabbonim to remain silent about it!
I'm not a big fan of "Maggid" Krohn, but this is unbelievable. I know people that have spoken with him in the past, and all of them tell me that he is a very ehrliche yid. Is it possible that it's not so simple as it has been described here?
I don't know what to make of it.
HershelTzig,
Perhaps you could interview R' Zajac (Zayins), and maybe shed more light on this matter?

Anonymous said...

You can also check the last week's Bakhilah (newspaper in Israel) article that exposed this maggid and quotes Rav Nochum Eyzensteyn who knows first hand about pessach krohn's actions in making "bris miloh" for goyim and passing them as yidden...

Anonymous said...

I have been to a bris where a Lubavitch Mohel in front of a Lubavitch Rav conducted a Bris on a child whose mother was not Jewish but said she will Megayer soon! What is the Halochah?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Was the child Nisgayer before,?that may have been the case even if his mother was not yet Jewish.

Anonymous said...

It probably may not be most accepted way of doing things. And maybe they should wait until the mother will convert and then do the bris gerus for the child. But this is a far cry from the maggid doing a farce on telling people the child is jewish when he knows full well that there is nothing and nothing in wanting to be jewish - just his money.

Anonymous said...

How much money are we talking about here!
Is P. Krohn so broke that the extra $250 is gonna make him or break him??

Anonymous said...

WE are not talking about $250; rather about $1500 or $2000 per miloh.

Anonymous said...

Keep in mind that even $250 adds up, if you do it often enough. But, the reality is that it's far more than that- this tends to be a problem in more affluent communities (although not exclusively) and these folks are willing to "buy" the most impressive mohel. (and sometimes the feel like they "need" to, because that's the only way to establish the kid's jewishness.) So, they pay $1,500 or more (As much as $2,000 - 2,500). If you can do even a few such jobs, the money adds up quite quickly.

It is VERY scarey to think that someone with such a reputation for erlichkeit could do something like this.

Anonymous said...

"...they feel like they "need" to, because that's theonly way to establish the kid's jewishness.)":

exactly the point. They know that their child is not accepted as a Jew in Orthodox communities and they need to legitimize it by having a Orthodox Mohel give the stamp of approval. SO: $1,500 or more.

And Pessach Krohn himself when questioned about it said as one of his main "defenses": "parnossoh!".

This is the "godol" and "maggid" hador! that MAlach wants to defend!

Where in the world would a an "Ehrliche yid" enter the Temple of COnservative or REform? and be one of their official mohalim ON THEIR PREMISES! (so that a maggid" give them legitimacy!

Where in the world do we have a "maggid" entering "GAY TEMPLE" to circumcize the child of gay couples! and is one of their official "mohalim"?

And the leaders and malochim who abot it and hush it under the carpet they are also bankrupt and cul[pable for all the above.

Anonymous said...

Shocking... Truly shocking.

Anonymous said...

So where can I get PANIM CHADASHOTH?

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

Two years later you ask? This post was from May of 2005! I saw it once in the newsstand in CH on Kingston corner Crown, and I know you can get it somewhere in BP too. There's also the subscription option.

Anonymous said...

I can say this for certain: My wife, as a Social Worker, was aware of a Jewishgirl living with a black dude in the Projects and wanted to make a bris for her newborn son. My wife called Rabbi PK and without hesitation he agreed to give the kid a bris and kept his word -- eventhough the neighborhood was bad. Nor did he charge a penny.

Just sayin'

Anonymous said...

Col Hacavod to mr.laibel zayants !!
he has chutzpe to fight against fake yidishkait and fake frummers !!

not annonymouse said...

now you respond 5 years later?
15 months sincethe last post?

Gavriel said...

Nowadays you can read Shaulsons blog/news on his website .... Just google his name and you'll get all the updates you need.