Jury still out on Yoeli Roth

I very much relate to the very encouraging yet simple message: Lo LeHisya'esh, despite the fact that slogans like that are not mamesh in the Chabad spirit, or so I'm told - but that's beside the point. It seems like he's having an effect on them; I doubt these would be singing "Ich vil zahn an erlicher Yid" out loud was it not for Yoeli. אודה ולא אבוש, I stick to the general consensus when it comes to Shick of Breslov, and the fact that Yoeli's message is so closely tied into Shick is troubling to me. (As a matter of fact, it seems like all Shick has here in NY - other than the 2 guys who distribute his kuntreysim on the streets of Brooklyn - is Yoeli's bachurim!) Well, maybe not troubling, but makes me doubtful as to whether what he's doing is the right thing. Then there's the שמועות that kids he had in his Yeshivah are frei'ing out and that he's having the opposite effect of what he should be having on them. I take that accusation in stride, not knowing the cases and where those kids were up to when he took them in. He seems like a very angry young man at times, and the curled nose you see in the shmuessen videos is proof positive. So if his goal is to be mekarev these bochurim why is getting them to go to Shick so important to him? We wanna know, and until then we will not reach a verdict. There are lots of videos out there, we humbly suggest that you look for them and decide for yourself.

On another note: The guitar. what's with the guitar?! why is that the instrument of choice for all the Kumzitzers and at-risk kids doers?! Every singer worth his salt has decided that he needs to play the guitar, and without it he's incomplete. The Stutchiner Rebbe (Yudkowski) can be seen on the web playing a guitar and singing Carlebach to kids at risk. Is that the only way to reach these kids - or anybody, for that matter? And where is the outrage concerning Shlomo that was around not so long ago? My, how times have changed. Why, only 28 years ago Reb Mendel Wechter was beaten inches from death for learning Chassidus with bochurim. Today Roth is telling them to say mishnayos and become kabtzonim and he very defiantly puts his speeches on the internet for all to see... Have we lost the war aginst those that prey on young, innocent children who know not better than to be taken for a ride by cult leaders who use these people like Kleenex, and throw them in the trashbin once done with them?! O' how we miss the days of old.

It's seems like it's catching on, even among those already out of Yeshivah and not necessarily YR's talmidim...