The FULL story of the release of the Skulener Rebbe זצ"ל

I've heard it said that with this story justice was finally done to the כבוד of the Lubavitcher Rebbe who is the one who deserves the most credit for the Skulener Rebbe's release. The Skulener Rebbe's yohrtzeit was Friday, Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul. Our friends in Satmar over the years have tried - and have been successful - in covering it up. Thanks to the opening of the JDC digital archive to the public Dovid Zaklikowski was able to bring to light the evidence for it. You wouldn't know from the subtitle of the story, though. Almost as if they published the story but didn't want that to be the main point... With very special thanks to the family of Rabbi Binyomin Eliyahu Gorodetsky, the unrelenting activist, who headed Chabad-Lubavitch in, among other places, Israel, Europe, and North Africa... the JDC's archive has this entire Parsha closed... nothing is available on it online...

Ami379 Cover Feature Skulener Rebbe zt"l by Hirshel Tzig on Scribd

Rabbi Frankfurter, was this sitdown also at the behest of your Rebbe, HaRav Dovid Soloveitchik שליט"א?

Or was it the spirit of the holy Satmar Rov that drove you to do this, namely sit down with Jane Eisner, maybe Orthodox Jewry's #1 adversary. The one that revels in witch hunts in the name of "צדק צדק תרדוף" and similar catch phrases to excuse going after the likes of the Mohel Fisher or שלום מרדכי הלוי בן רבקה. Nobody begrudges you getting publicity off of Turx's run-in with President Trump, that's the business you're in; namely selling magazines. But to make political hay is another matter. Either stand your higher moral ground or quit preaching to us from the holy editorial pages. Or send your kids to the IDF and maybe refuse to serve in the "occupied territories." That'll make JE happy.

Jake Turx takes it on the chin from the Prez

Truth be told it looked pretty bad when it first came out, but in this context it looks better. The phones were ringing off the hook in Frankfurter's office. Even Jake thinks it's not so bad... Is this Ami raising the ante and trying to go all official with a f/t man in the press room? Is this a first for a frum publication? Is he moving to the DC area?

Ami Loves Chabad!

  Doc 35532420151111103844

The Munkatcher Rebbe, שליט"א, has a fine sense of, um, humor

Received via e-mail:

Frankfurter edicated the Sukkos issue of Ami magazine to Reb Burechel Munkatcher. The son Reb Moshe Leib opened himself up as never before, saying that is father was a hero, just as much as Reb Michoel Ber Weissmandl, except he wasn't recognized. He claims his father was not dumped by Munkacher Chasidim after the war, he just was not ready to be stuck with a local chasidus -  Klal yisroel and its  problems were his life now.  It's a very interesting piece. Reb Burechel busied himself finding a answer for the Shoah. Reb Moshe lieb is saying that 2 rebbes were trying to answer the Shoah  The Satmar Rebbe and the Lubavitcher Rebbe.   I don't know which Lubavitcher Rebbe, maybe the Rebbe Rayatz in הקריאה והקדושה.   Reb Burechel was arguing that it's dangerous not to get a answer. It can happen again. היל"ת. The Shoah was a message; if we didn't get the message this time it'll happen again. ר"ל. Reb Moshe Leib is saying that Reb Shmuel Duved Ungar zt"l, the Nitra Ruv, wrote a letter to his father with the title "צדיק יסוד עולם." At the time Reb Burechel was 30 years old. The Munkatcher asked Reb Shmuel Duved's son, Reb shulem moshe, why did his father use such lofty titles when addressing him? He answered: Noach is called tzadik for saving Gentiles,  your father saved thousands of Jews, that's a whole universe. The letter is printed in a pamphlet that Reb Burechel printed for his candidacy for the Tel Aviv Rabbinate. 

So, by "sense of humor" I mean that he doesn't take himself seriously enough. He can do such an interview and not worry about what the world will say. I was as surprised as the next guy when I saw the article. I guess anybody can be rehabilitated these days. מה שלא יעשה השכל יעשה הזמן, as the saying goes. The problem is that - no disrespect intended - the Munkatcher was the one who had a yad in ostracizing his father... Not so the much the Dinover. To be fair the old timers made sure they were fed lies about their father. So it's not that Ami just discovered Reb Burechel and went looking for his next of kin. If you get what I'm saying. Also, Frankfurter most likely, and I'm being very generous here, knows what went on when he was a kid, he knows what they did in Munkatch, he's not someone who grew up outside that circle... They're basically enabling this revision of history that every kid in Boro Park knew about. At least twice a year on Shabbos morning we'd hear that he passed away, and then we'd laugh/cry about the history and how Munkatch skipped a generation. So why now? Beats me. Maybe they've been reading stories and testimony online. Maybe his grandkids asked too many questions? Agav, I like how every picture featured in the article was previously on this blog. Not saying anything, just saying.

  Munkatch Ami mag Sukkos 5776

!נישט מאכען קיין פיקטשערס

54-61_ami155_feature2_Zaks

Box.com Link

Ami Magazine's tribute to R' Immanuel Schochet ע"ה - by Dovid Zaklikowski

  Rabbi Dr. Immanuel J. Schochet zl

Box.com link

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky remembers Reb Leibel Bistritzky, o"h, he just forgets that he was a Lubavitcher Chossid.

  Ami Issue 121 pages 76-79, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky

Box.com link

  It really was a VERY warm and well-written article, and I enjoy reading it weekly. I just wonder if Rabbi K was so particular when it came to his uncle and zeide, exactly what their titles were, etc., why not when it came to Leibel? But maybe it's me and my Lubavitch-induced paranoia.

The many, many hats of Reb Yitzchok Frankfurter

I don't think I'd able to do his job. He defends and attacks - well, maybe "attacks" is too harsh a word, he allows attacks to be published - the same groups at the same time! One week it's Lakewood, the next week Lubavitch, the next week Satmar, he'll write nice things about them, that is. Then he's out there, both in Ami and on the radio, defending Charedim against claims of abuse, even if it is terribly unpopular. Then he profiles Brooklyn D.A. Charles Hynes - I guess he went there trying to ask him tough questions about why he all of a sudden picks on us - in the end what we get is Hynes talking down to the frum, telling them how they're not in the 19th century anymore and he'll throw us all in jail if we don't squeal to him... If this was me my head would spin off my shoulders! But we thought we could at least rely on his Chassidic background and upbringing to defend his people from nastiness like was said by Rabbi Noah - a Slonimer eynikel himself... Now even that gets published and defended by Reb Yitzchok.... Nobody's safe - except maybe Satmar? I don't think Satmar was included in RNW's remark - at least not in Reb Yitzchok's mind, they're the good Chassidim - so technically he still has a clean record with the Satmorim. Thanks, but no thanks, we don't need Rabbi Noah lecturing us from the grave. We're good.

  Interestingly enough Rabbi Yossi Blesofsky - shliach in Queens - is a grandson of Reb Zalman Blesofsky, who was once a member of Nesivos Olam-Malochim in Williamsburg, but later joined Lubavitch, and was גבאי in the Rebbe's shul/770.. RZB's father himself was Reb Avrohom haCohen Blesofsky, a Karliner chossid whom the Stoliner Chassidim refer to as "Reb Avrohom כהן.

Just read it... and if you can, read between the lines too....

....א ווארט פון א פרומע אידענע ווערט היינט תורת משה

Turnabout is fair play

Our good friend Dr. Samuel Heilman likes to put the magnifying glass on the protagonists of his books, articles and interviews. Now Ami magazine writer Yossi Krausz turns the tables on him and shines the spotlight on the good professor. As is often the case with writers of all kinds, they're a lot nicer than some of their hit pieces would lead you to believe, and Heilman is no exception, for the most part. Yes, he writes snide, nasty and untrue things about Charedim in general, but he's an all-around nice guy. Just look at that nice smile. And he has a גמרא שיעור as well. Krausz' style is unique here; it's gentle on the one hand, never using harsh words, but it hits hard. VERY hard at times. Of course I'm prejudiced against him because of his so-called biography of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, זצוקללה"ה, but then again, that wasn't the first, nor the last time we heard from him, and neither was it the only topic he addressed ever. He's an expert of all Charedim - not just on Lubavitcher Chassidim. And Rabbi Herschel Schachter as well. Read and enjoy, maybe print it out so you can read it when the power goes out in the near future. Which will probably happen in my house as well, which is why you may not see me update the blog - or even moderate much in the next few days. For best results right-click on the pages and "open link in new tab." That will allow you to click on and enlarge the images so that you can actually read them.

Spare not the rod - נאר מיט א פאר פעטש

Read the editorial and tell me what you think. And they say that Rabbi Frankfurter is a "משכיל." Fooey. Why does he play into their hands? There are better and more "enlightened" (sorry) ways to make the same point! Does he not know that a public figure like himself can't go around condoning violence like that, no matter the precedent and no matter what the ים של שלמה says. Some things are best left unsaid unprinted in a public forum. Even I know that and I don't have editors and censors and advisers to remind me of that. Hey! Does he mean me when he attacks those "bloggers/rabblerousers?"

You take that back right now, Rabbi Frankfurter!

They have more than 29 Groceries in Williamsburg?!

This is only a list of those that DON'T carry the Ami Magazine. I would imagine some still do. That's gotta be the highest per-capita rate of groceries per square mile in the world. But it's nice to see that Yiddishe פרנסה will continue, and that G-d does not forsake his people, even in the computer age. Printers still need to stay open, so that they can print these bans. So they still need to go to work.

Otherwise וואלט מען משוגע געווארען פאר ליידיג גיין.

Principaled Lies?

No, this is not a personal attack against Rabbi Hertz Frankel. It is what you might call simple question that comes to mind when you read his weekly article in Ami magazine. It may have reached the climax - or low point - depending on how you look at it, this week, with the bombastic headline you see here. In honor of 21 Kislev we were all told that we all owe a great deal of gratitude, and we're forever indebted to the Satmar Rov. That were it not for him we'd all still look like we did in the 40s, the 1940s, that is, and we'd eat Hershey's chocolate and Entenmann's cakes. Our wives would not wear sheitlech, even our Roshei Yeshiva's wives, and our daughters would go to mixed beaches. Shtreimlach? מאן דכר שמיה. Children speaking Yiddish? fugedaboudit!!! We had RaSHBI in our midst and we never even knew it. So you might say that after seeing that article I had seen enough! I just wonder why RHF didn't send his own kids to that euphoria if he loved it so... Is this his opinion since when he worked there, אין בית רחל, or has this been happening to him only lately; this idea that it's all Satmar, and always has been/will be. I've read the series that RHF writes since its inception. Not every week, but often, as often as I see it, which is often. I try and buy the magazine every week when I do the grocery shopping. Until this week the series didn't garner any negative responses, at least we didn't get to see any. [Now, in this week's issue, one week after the issue discussed here, Ami went ahead and printed a letter to the editor which took RHF to task for printing what they saw as untruths. So it seems like I'm not the only one who sees the series what it's really for.

Question 2 is where does the editorial board - notably the published, Reb Yitzchok Frankfurter - stand with all the Satmar pushing that goes on EVERY, SINGLE, WEEK. No, I do not expect to see a PR piece from Lubavitch every week, and I would be surprised to see an Agudah/Torah U'mesorah/Chinuch Atzmai piece every week, Avi Shafran not withstanding. So why is Satmar allowed to have one that is repackaged as memoirs? At first glance it would seem that the reason is RYF's allegiance to Satmar, which is fine. His family is very close to the Rov there. I have no issues with it. I'm not here to call him out and to "expose" anything. That's not what I do here. But then we need to remove the mask. If all RHF has to say about his tenure in BR of Williamsburg is that the SR was the Savior to Yiddishkeit post-WW2, then don't make it about being principal. Then, if that wasn't enough, Frankfurter starts being all diplomatic and makes sure to plug both Satmars. As if. C'mon, don't insult our intelligence, brother! If you want your magazine to be a cut above don't talk down to us. Otherwise you're no better than the others, and we know that if that were the case there'd be no need for Ami in the first place, right?

Pages 84-87- Ami-issue 50.Rabbi Hertz Frankel

The Impostors of Jewish Thought (part II)

See Part I

Guest post by Guravitzer

Preface.

BeSho'oh SheHikdimu Te'erav, Perek 14: "And this will be understood in the higher sphere through the statement of our Sages, their memory is a blessing, 'Quiet! So arose in thought.' For it seems to mean that there is no reason at all for this. But in truth it is profanity to say so, for this is not said in stubbornness, Chas VeShalom. But this is the idea of the concealed reason that is higher than the intellect and Chochmah-reasoning. And according to intellect there is no reason for this at all, to the point that there was no room in his [Moshe Rabbeinu's] intellect for this, and he asked, 'And is this Torah and is this its reward?' And this is the idea of the light of Chochmah-reasoning as it is higher than the container of Chochmah-reasoning." BeSho'oh SheHikdimu is the series of writings and talks by the fifth Chabad Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab, tackling the highest levels of Kabbalah according to Chassidus, published in three volumes. "This" refers to raking the flesh being Rabbi Akiva's reward for his Torah study.

In other words, there is a level of thought which rises above all other thoughts at all levels. To get the answers to questions of Emunah which challenge the Litvishe thinkers and gedolim we must rise to this level of thought, reached by Baalei Ruach HaKodesh, although never quite reached by us. At the lowest level, the light of Chochmah resides in the keli-container of our chochmah, our mind, Sechel Anoshi. Human intelligence, being a container made of the thickening of light of Elokus, can’t comprehend Elokus. The Rebbe Rashab provides examples of this distinction in the above Ma’amar. The intellect of the Nefesh-soul before descent to the body versus the intellect in the human mind. Understanding the true nature of the spiritual versus only understanding the fact of the existence of the spiritual. Understanding concepts unlimited by time and place versus understanding our limited world. In all of these, human intelligence can be told of the existence of these higher spheres by Baalei Ruach HaKodesh, and be given understandable metaphors from our world. This doesn’t negate the attempt of Sechel Anoshi to understand Elokus. We should try that as well. It breaks the natural pattern of Sechel Anoshi to lean towards the animal, as Seichel Anoshi is a subset of the Nefesh HaBehamis.

If we consider Moreh Nevuchim as an explanation of Elokus and Emunah according to Sechel Anoshi, we’re told that Chasidim as far back as the Alter Rebbe’s Chasidim were fluent in Moreh Nevuchim, as well as Kuzari, Emunos Vedeios and other Sifrei Emunah. But we must realize that Emunah of the Nefesh Elokis lies further than those explanations. This Emunah is not fed, it is uncovered, the Nefesh Elokis is incapable of disbelief. This is a two-sided coin, both Emunah Peshuta and Emunah in a realm described by Mekubalim and explained by Toras HaChasidus. In essence, a person who professes disbelief doesn’t need to be convinced of anything. The Nefesh Elokis must be revealed to overpower the subset of the Nefesh HaBehomis that is Sechel Anoshi. With Sechel Eloki firmly in control of the Sechel Anoshi, we can then proceed to let the Sechel Anoshi dabble in trying to understand Elokus at its level. A piece of Matzah at the Seder may be more effective than all the permissions to believe and receive.


At heart, these ideas are not new, they emerge from the old. Witness the Rebbe Rashab’s statement of concept as based on a Ma’amar Chazal. Toras HaChasidus reveals the deeper meaning of every part of Torah. Whatever you have isn’t taken away. What you have is shown to have depths you never knew. The Rebbe defined this clearly in the booklet The Concept Of The Teachings of Chassidus (Kuntres Inyono Shel Toras HaChasidus), that the four layers of Pshat, Remez, Drush, Sod are given more depth through Torah HaChasidus, not superseded by a fifth layer. Again, this is only about this particular article, and this article chose to quote from Litvishe thinkers and gedolim only. I want to stay focused on this article only and not other issues, worthy as they are of discussion on another opportunity. If we broaden the discussion, we lose focus. The article chose to approach this issue from the Litvishe perspective only by providing responses from Litvishe sources only. It wasn't my choice. In general, the Litvishe world is almost the only one where the twisted approach to Emunah makes all conversations fractured.

A Lubavitcher Chosid can have a conversation on this topic with a Tora U’Mada adherent, with a Sephardishe adherent of Emunah Peshuta and Kabalah, with a fellow Chosid of other streams who thirsts to add Chabad Chasidus to the Emunas Chachomim of their Rebbe’s behavior. Toras HaChasidus reveals their inner meaning, no negation, they are all sourced in holiness. Only a crooked path whose fallacy is most clearly shown in Discovery seminars full of foolish content can’t be helped, there is no inner meaning. I am writing for the children bereft of Emunah. I want you to know there are answers. This may not affect your behavior or beliefs, now or ever. But you should know that when your teacher told you to be quiet, there are no answers, the question itself is despicable - your teacher was wrong.

The Impostors Of Jewish Journalism

Guest post by Guravitzer

Ki Lo Ami should be the name of the magazine. These editors are not part of my nation, and their beliefs are not mine. Editorial slant is always discernable, most discernable in yellow journalism. Hate journalism. Fear-mongering journalism. There are impostors among us! Rise to action! Which is obviously impossible, because this is fear of thought – how is the average frum citizen supposed to take action against the thoughts of their spouse, friend or rabbi? The call to action is spurious. “It’s a story about the dangers that the Internet poses to emunas Yisrael” is their editorial summary. Locking up the internet will not remove kefira. As is the case with every journalistic call to fear, people with questions of Emunah have always existed, will always exist, and people who continue to keep Torah and Mitzvos while harboring questions of Emunah have always existed as well. The dangerous use of yellow journalism is evident throughout. “Aharon is a fraud.” “Infiltrators in our communities.” “They behave and dress like you and me.” “Pose many more dangers to society.” “Duplicitous, heretical infiltrators.” “These fifth-columnists.” “An ominous rebellion.” “These heretics are among us.” “Almost…mentally ill.” “Be forewarned: He may be the one coming to pick up your daughter tonight.”

This article is not an indication of the failing of these dangerous, ominous, fraudulent, infiltrators who dress like you and me (I pity them – hopefully they have better dress sense than I do). This article indicates the failing of the Litvishe world. There are failures in every community, this article is in particular about the Litvishe failing. The vaise zoken mentioned in the article don’t fail for the reasons mentioned. There are two statements of Chazal to consider here. “A person can’t proclaim themselves wicked.” In context of forcing a divorce although Halachah states the husband must be willing, “We compel him until he states, I am willing.” The Rebbe would often remind us of the Rambam’s explanation of the legal reasoning. Every person is willing to do Hashem’s will – even if unaware. It’s subconscious. Since subconsciously the husband’s Neshama wants to do the right thing, and he proclaims that he is willing to do the right thing, the fact that he had to be compelled is irrelevant Halachically. We trust his inner Neshama, not his outward boasts. And the first statement of Chazal tells us that we don’t trust his outward boasts either – if a person declares that they no longer believe, there is room to disbelieve them. If they perform Mitzvos but declare themselves a Mumar, why shouldn’t we trust their actions? The editorial slant is therefore not only tragic, but incorrect. There is no Psak Din here about drinking their wine, which would have to be given case by case. This is whether we accept them as one of us and find the fault within ourselves, or stage them as the enemy with ourselves as innocent victims.

The Litvishe world has made a conscious decision for centuries to ignore all matters of Emunah. The books they have reluctantly written are nonsense. The Creator they speak of, the Almighty, has no logical coherence. This world has no answers to the questions – and that is the true danger. As was once said in response to a report of apikorsus, “the G-d they believe in, I don’t believe in either.” The many logical fallacies in this article demonstrate the logical inconsistencies of this world. There is almost no paragraph without such errors. Eliyahu and his declaration to stop following both Hashem and Baal has no place here. Those people held dual beliefs, this article is about people who profess no belief but follow the instructions of Hashem. A vibrant appreciation of beauty and truth of Mitzvos is declared the antidote, but beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and truth is only arrived at by questions and answers. In fact, these people have a vibrant appreciation of Mitzvos – they still observe Mitzvos! They found cultural value in Mitzvos. Perhaps more so than those that decry them in this article. To say that, “He outwardly pretends to be…observant,” is incorrect as fact, and any decent editor would catch this. He is observant of Mitzvos. Lack of Emunah doesn’t negate that and make it pretension. This is evident again in the story of a yungerman without belief watching a believing man commit an aveira – the sinner must be at risk to the editors, at the same level as the yungerman. In reality, the believer may simply have indulged his desires while still believing.

The statements of the professionals and Gedolim further illustrate the faults of this world. Contrast the story of finding comic books and declaring that reading silliness means this person can’t pursue intellectual studies, which flies in the face of reality, to the Frierdike Lubavitcher Rebbe stating for American-raised bochurim that, while intellectual and romantic novels damage a person’s Neshoma, reading political ideologies is just silliness which is easily remedied. Comic books wouldn’t even merit a mention. With all due respect to the Bais Halevi, this statement is wrong on every level: “The end proof of faith is faith, and the best someone else can do for the avowed Apikorus is to daven for him.” This is the ultimate expression of the confusion in the Litvishe world, then and now. We are maaminim bnai maaminim, that is faith, and we are commanded to know Hashem, that is theological and philosophical proof. Where the Bais Halevi ends in davening, that is only the beginning for us. Answer the questions. If you don’t have the answers, step down from your position of Godol and defer to the Lubavitcher Rebbeim in matters of Emunah just as you did in matters of Askonus. Did Reb Boruch Ber really fight for years to remove one statement of mockery from his mind? Fight fire with fire, fight mockery of us with mockery of the world and kofrim, as Chazal tell us, “all mockery is forbidden, other than mockery of avoda zara which is permitted.” As Chasidus teaches, this refers to any avoda which is zar to us. For the grand finale, the reporter passes judgment. “After all, I did not have much in common with one who has lost his last vestige of spirituality and G-dliness.” Yes, you do. Spirituality and Elokus is not determined by you, it is gift from Hashem. You both have a nefesh hoElokis. You both have a nefesh haBehamis. We are all children of One father. May He have mercy on your souls, dear journalist, dear editors, and dear publisher.

What's in the Press These days

Ami Magazine, April 6, 2011 - The Impostors Among Us

I haven't read the whole thing yet, or really any of it, but based on a few of the "grabs" I can see that a ban on "Ami" is coming very soon.