פוילישע אידן - circa WW1

 

א חסידישער פאר-פאלק פאטאגראפירט זיך אין קראקא

Der Gerer Rabbi auf Urlaub: Am Warschauer Hauptbahnhof bahnen ihm Polizisten einen Weg durch die Menschenmenge. 1920 ?

Who is this man and what is this strange coat that he's wearing?

Staszow, May 20, 1923. Portrait of Yisrolik Szyldewer, a Hasid and ba'al darshan, wearing a striped coat.

See Here for more info

זעלבסטמארד איז א רעזולטאט פון תורה און אמונה'לאזינקייט - Guest Post

Hirshel 

I see you are busy on some big project,  but in the meantime put this on for all the Suscher Katzes and Shulem Deens, they didn't invent the wheel of misfortune.

Poland in the 20's and 30's, when the OTD winds blew in to the charedi homes; suddenly the rash of suicides started. A unknown phenomenon. But they called it "a result of foresaking Torah and faith." They weren't mental health professionals, but that's what they were saying. 2015 is no different, the great organization Footsteps will not help these inflicted souls. Reading up on this issue I see that there is much disagreement about the achievements of Footsteps, some claim Footsteps does not deliver anything other than the 4 times a year party, while others say otherwise. I have no real opinion either way, just passing it along.

(the views and opinions expressed in the above post are those of the guest writer, and do not necessarily represent the views of the host of this blog.)

A word to the naysayers: In Poland they knew about Chai Elul being יום הולדת שני המאורות הגדולים long ago

I know what you'll say, but I still post this.

פאטיקער רב זצ"ל דערציילט איבער זיינע איבערלעבענישען אין די מלחמה

און זאגט אויך זיין מיינונג איבער א אידישע מדינה

פאטיקער רב שטייענדיג אונטער הרב הרצוג, לינקס אינעם בילד, מיט ברילען

Rav Shlomo Zalman Horowitz z"l was the Rav in Potok-Zloty, Galicia before WW2. To bring it closer to home, he was - As far as I remember - the father of Reb Shmeel Horowitz, the Bobover Ruv's Gabbai. Here he tells David P. Broder about his experiences during WW2. It's quite eye-opening. The reader who sent this link to us tells me that it's interesting to hear what he thought then of an impending Jewish State in then-Palestine. א  חרד'ישע איד וואלט היינט נישט אזוי גערעדט, ווייל ער וואלט מורא האבען אז מ'וועט אים נאכשרייען אז ער איז א ציוניסט. 

Photo Source

דער ליובאוויטשער רבי קןמט טאקע אהן קיין ווארשא

נוטריקון blog

Polish and Russian Rabbonim of yesteryear that you most likely never heard of

הרב ר' חיים פאזנער אב"ד ניעשנאווא ואח"כ מחברי וועד הרבנים בווארשא

הרב ר' אברהם גליקסמאן רבה של סלוזיעווא




הרב ר' אפרים פישל שפירא רבה של דאבלוינא

"הרב ר' משה פנחס טרונק, בנו יחידו של "הישועות מלכו

הרב ר' אליעזר הורביץ אב"ד אוקינוב

ממלא מקומו של ר"א הורביץ באוקינוב, הרב ר' אליעזר שמואל יוסף פרידקוס

הרב ר' דניאל דוד ווינברג רבה של גור

רבי נתן נטע דונר מקוליבעל מחבר הרבה ספרי אסופות דברי צדיקים

ר' יהושע העשיל דוד גאלדשלאג אב"ד פשייטש ואח"כ בשערפס, בנו של ר' יעקב חיים זעליג מרבני ווארשא ב"ר יחיאל מיכל משערפס בעמח"ס אמרי אמת. ריה"ד היה חתנו של ר' אליהו לערמאן בעמח"ס אזור אליהו, נספה בשואה הי"ד.

הרב ר' חיים משולם קויפמאן הכהן מח"ס פתח האהל ואב"ד גוסטינין

הרב ר' יצחק קוסבסקי רבה של איוויא מח"ס שאילת יצחק

הרב ר' שמואל יעקב הכהן קליגסבערג זצ"ל רבה של דאיוויאנגרד וקאלושין

הרב ר' מאיר צבי מאזור הרב של ראדזיוב, מגדולי תלמידי האבנ"ז זצ"ל

Photos and captions Courtesy of אוצר החכמה forum, who took it from A Polish publication, which has many more beautiful pictures. Some of the headgear worn here is "out of sight!"

Government Intervention in Yeshiva Acceptance Policies

I'm not quite sure what the reaction on the street was when they heard that they Government was intervening in יח"ל'ס acceptance policies, but it's fair to say that there were differences of opinion. I imagine that some people didn't care for the fact that they only accepted עילויים. Why not accept every בחור שנפשו חשקה בתורה? That's what they would say, is what I'm saying here. What? You don't think people had issues with the establishment back then? Well, then, they did. I can assure you of that. No matter how great the Rabbonim and leaders were. In this case it seems like the Yeshiva was very happy to accept him - and made that clear to the authorities - as long as he fulfills their criteria, which is to be tested on 200 blatt Gemoroh+Tosfos ba'al peh...

 

LOTD: Chakira Blog

Rabi Ovadia Hedaya, Reb Menashe Klein, and the Holocaust

"Ateres" goes to Poland

Time with Reb Boruch Mordche Ezrachi, pride of Chevroner Yeshivah, son-in-law of the Mashgiach Reb Meir (Paritcher) Chodosh husband to Rebbetzin Shulamit Ezrachi and brother of Reb Yitzchok Ezrachi of DaMir, is always special. Some of you may remember the now-famous story that RBME tells where he thunders "יצחק אלחנן שמאלה" - this video, of a trip to Poland, is very special as well. This video was sent לזכות את הרבים by a very good friend of Circus Tent. בחור "עטערעס'ניק זה משהו מיוחד. All the negatives of חברונ'ער ישיבה without the positives. אזוי זאגט דער וועלט.

Enjoy.

Ernst Bloch gets his day

I was apprehensive to watch it at first, which I'm sure you can understand. After all is said and done; despite the fact that BMR is a big part of the interviews here, we can all say that this was an OK film, even if Torah Jews are misunderstood by the secular and Gentiles. Compared to the book, which gave a platform for the LubavitcH bashers and dragged in every irrelevant story and MACHLOKEH, this program is gold. Ironically, where I sit now YouTube is blocked, so I cannot "see" what I'm posting. Please do not turn this thread into a Lubavitch bashfest; You'll be wasting your time writing them, since your comments will simply not be accepted.

ויקנאו בו אחיו, פולין, תרצ"ד

The one one the left is not the point of the picture... Remember that the Rebbe was all of 54 years old here. Yiddishe Tzores do that to the Nossi HaDor. I remember seeing Chaim Lieberman's picture in the Pashkevill they published in 1989, 55 years later (!) He didn't change a bit. Hardly aged. If not for the white hair you'd think he was still that young. It must be alot easier staying a bochur...

Oh, did any of you see the Tolner Wikileaks?

You wanna discuss it?

Shall I upload it here?