Massacre at Kaunas (Kovno)

Ya gotta love how they link these barbaric acts by the (Goy) Litvaks to "revenge", a somewhat noble act. "Jews they believed to be Communists," Yeah, right. And my name is Lazar Kaganovich.

Ungarischer EBay Offerings

(a Tze'enoh U'Re'enoh just like my Bubbe had)

Hungary was the only place in Europe (outside of Germany, but that's another story) where the Yidden spoke the Sfas haMedinah. Not only did they speak the SH, but they new little Yiddish, especially the women. The Yiddish that they spoke was of the very German variety, so much so that a Russian/Polish/Rumanian Yid would probably understand very little. The need, therefore for Hungarian-language books was great. Most people had Hungarian-language Siddurim, Machzorim, and books. Can you imagine that in Poland or Russia?! a Yiddeneh in Poland reading the TR in Polish? never!

After WWI most kids in Poland did go to Government schools, and their Jewish education consisted of a tutor or Rebbe after hours. All that paid off; so that now in Boro Park old Polish women, survivors of the Holocaust can live to see and hear Polish spoken in the streets of Boro Park and Williamsburg. They must be real happy to see the sons and daughters of their family's murderers come and live amongst them after all those years...


(Sefer Chut HaMishulash, a Halachic primer, if you will, for Public School students)

Still, there was very little change in culture, especially amongst the Frum. Nobody actually spoke Polish at home or between friends. They didn't consider themselves Polaken. For some reasons Hungarians did consider themselves Hungarians, and do till this very day. Most first generation Hungarians, the children of the Survivors, speak Hungarian quite well because that's what they were spoken to by their parents. The same goes for many second generation descendants too. This is what Hertzel Apshan means when he says that Yidden in Marmures האבען זיך נישט מאדיאראזירט, They didn't become like their Hungarian brethren.

Having said that, Hungarians still managed to maintain a high level of religious observance, faring much better than their Polish, Russian, Litvish, and Bessarabish/Bukovinish co-religionists, but there's more to that than meets the eye. Most of it can probably be traced to the fact that poverty in Poland/Russia etc. was far greater than in Hungary. Any collection of pictures, especially Roman Vishniac's, will attest to that. Polish etc. children were dirty (Kipshuto) and their clothes were tattered and rags. Hungarian children had decent clothing, for those days anyway, and were clean and kempt. A hungry child looks for food anywhere he can.

(Thanks to A Simple Jew for the Ebay listings)

Riches to Rags - The Uri Zohar story

Uri Zohar and Son debate religion amongst the palm trees in Jaffa where Uri lived before finding G-d. He was tired of the partying, the drugs, and the need to belong, so he gave it all up for a small apartment in Mattersdorf. It seems like the son has issues with Yiddishkeit, and his father tries to reason with him. Watch the video, it's a recording of a broadcast that was shown on Israel's Channel 2 TV.

I never liked Uri Zohar. I found him to be "the answer" to Chabad Kiruv activities, and therefore an affront to Chabad. In 5748-49 he was paraded around as the solution to the Chabad "Kiruv" problem. They had him speak at the Degel HaTeyreh conventions telling the people not to be impressed by Chabad's Shluchim and Kiruv, because they did it all wrong. He instead had all the answers. That at a time that he was Frum for all of maybe 13 years.

More on Uri from Wikipedia Hebrew.



Over the years I believe he lost much of his anti-Chabad rhetoric and has begun to focus on true issues, namely that of Jewish education. He does run Lev L'Achim, which was originally set up to push out Reb Sholom Lipshitz from Yad L'Achim because he wouldn't be Mekabel Morus of מרן in B'nei Brak, but even LL has branched out into other activities. He was Aryeh Deri'i's main defender during his trial and subsequent jail time, and even would sit with him at the Yeshivah that they set up for him in prison for long periods of time.

I have since been able to overlook his past indiscretions (I Mean as a Frum Yid...) and see him as a great asset to the Jewish community. Lubavitch cannot appeal to all Jews, so he does fill a great need. He has the know-how to reach the masses with his acting and directing background, and he does it quite well, using both humor and the mass media to appeal to an Israeli public that still loves him after all these years.

ט' כסלו - מאה ושמונים שנה

A Visit to the ציון in Nyezhin

by Yosef Yitzchok Kamienecki of Kfar Chabad

Anybody following the Kamienecki - Mondshein rumbles the past year? Is Mondshein a threat to Emunas Tzaddikim as some would have it, or is he doing a great service like others say?

Menorahs Everywhere!

Menorah That!

A response to mentalblog: menorah special in Ukraine

Same Menorah, different head of State. There's also the round vs. rectangular Menorah issue. Otherwise it basically looks the same. But Rabbi Saks is a quasi-Chabad BT so maybe there is that underlying wish to belong.

I guess immitation is the best form of flattery after all.

COL

Never Trust a Meter Maid

Mysterious Tickets

2 Cars (sorry, SUV's) getting 25 parking tickets in Brooklyn when neither one has ever been to Brooklyn! Watch what happens when Fox5's John Deutzman gets on the case.

In Other News:

Jews Running Red Lights

hattip: Yiddish Wiki

Where the Real Artscroll Money goes

I guess we Yiddelech think that the Schottenstein Family is totally dedicated to the cause of Torah. They've sponsored the greatest Torah project in history in The Schottenstein Talmud and are to be commended for it. What most people don't know is that a greater project that they've bankrolled is far, far from the realm of Torah. Look at where the REAL money goes:

Yes, in their hometown of Columbus, OH.

Upcoming events at the Jerome Schottenstein Center at OSU

Mannheim Steamroller?! with Shas Gelt? Oy Vey!

More:

Dec 11th 7:30 PM The Who

Dec 16th 12:00 PM OSU Women's Basketball

Jan 26th 7:00 PM Winter Jam Tour 2007



Are we to stand by and allow this manipulation of Torah to happen? Are we to be silent when the learning of Hundreds of Thousands of Torah Jews is tainted with money that funds heresy, promiscuity, Prikas Ol, and worse? Can we allow ourselves to be influenced by money that is spent in such a way?!

Where are the Gedolim to stand up against this travesty?

!מי לה' אלי! כולנו למערכה

The next time you open that Sefer remember where else that money has been, Maybe you'll have a change of heart and revert back to the original means of learning Talmud.





(This post has been sponsored by the Steinsaltz Talmud and Shas Eyz V'Hodor)

What it is it about the שלאס Mem?

Or the Lange Nun, Lange Tzaddik, and Lange Chof for that matter.
Why did the Commies in the Soviet Union decide to do away with those letters?
There must be some inherent concept in those letters that they wanted to eradicate.

What could it be? Any Suggestions Khaveyrim?

Why would the Commies hold on to the Yiddish language at all, wouldn't speaking Russian, the mother tongue, be seen as more patriotic?

Why is the Arbeiter Ring aka Workmens' Circle the one perpetuating Yiddish amongst the irreligious Commies?




Why would a Jew want to be a Marxist if he's a Zionist that believes that Eretz Yisroel was promised to him in the Teyreh? I thought those Commies never wanted to make Aliyah. Did they believe that they could create a complete Commie state in the Holy Land?

Blogs Recently Added

To my sidebar that is. Some against my better judgement, but I do read them so I need to have them handy. I wish the bloggers mentioned here would be so kind as to add Ani KaKoton's to their respective sites. If you'd like to be added drop me a line and I'll IY"H oblige you. תודה מראש

On The Main Line
Seforim Blog
Emes Ve'Emunah (Harry Maryles)
Life-of-Rubin
Dry Bones Blog
Existential Angst
Frum With Questions
Hirhurim - Musings
DovBear
On the Contrary

The Sights of Dayv Shurin

Dov's got a website

Not many details in his Biography

Dayv was a pioneer in Jewish Radio 30 years ago. He would work on the WNYM ( We need your money ) 1330AM in New York, and some of his shows included Shlomo Carlebach doing a radio call-in show. His father (Reb Efraim?) was a SIL of Reb Yaakov Kamienecki and writes the Hebrew column about Gedolei Yisroel in the Olomeinu every month. Today he does the Quality Carpet Jingle on Zev Brenner's radio shows, and also calls in with the news from Israel.


(די מאגנעט ארבעט גוט)


(early Dov)


(מתאים לו)

Short Clips from his Zayde's Pirkei Avos Shiurim

This is Your Brain on Acid

Dov Shurin's a super sweet guy, I say that with complete sincerity. I guess in his case the drugs were a good thing, they made him a nice friendly guy who thinks he can sing and dance, all the while entertaining thousands of Jews. The Zeide Reb Yaakov must be proud.

Thanks Amshinover

"Chief Rabbi" this!

הרב ארנטרוי מונה לאב"ד אירופה


24/11/2006

על המינוי הוחלט במהלך כינוס של הוועדה המתמדת של 'ועידת רבני אירופה' שהתקיים השבוע
בגיברלטר

בכנס של הוועדה המתמדת של 'ועידת רבני אירופה', שהתקיים השבוע בימים שני עד רביעי בגיברלטר, בו נטלו חלק גדולי הדיינים ורבנים מאירופה, הוחלט להקים בית דין נייד של דיינים מוכרים, שיסתובבו במדינות אירופה בהן אין בית דין קיים ויסייעו לרבנים המקומיים
בכל מעשה בי"ד

בראש הרכב בית הדין יעמוד הדיין הגאון רבי חנוך ארנטרוי, אב"ד דלונדון, היוצא בקרוב לגמלאות.

Rabbi Chanoch Ehrentreu of the London Beis Din was appointed as Chief Rabbi of Europe, this after he's about to retire from his position with the London Beis Din.

READ MORE

Now who can beat that, Chief Rabbi of all of Europe?!

A Chief Rabbi of some small Russian hick town?

3 Chief Rabbis in the Ukraine?

I think not!!!

Monday Morning Links

Yarmulke Ruse

Agudah on Blogs II


Nitra Yohrtzeit

From the Wiki page:

Controversies

Since the business of the Working Group required a continuous supply of large sums of money, they turned to the international Jewish organizations for help, via their representatives in Switzerland. Here lies the root of a bitter and continuing debate. Weissmandl claimed that too little money was provided too late and that this was due to the indifference of those he asked. Specifically, he accused the Zionist organizations of refusing to assist in saving Jews unless they were to go to Palestine (a condition the Nazis were unwilling to accept). Weissmandl supported his allegations by quoting letters from memory, but the original letters have never been found and some historians such as Bauer doubt the accuracy of his memory.

A "Tsfati's" take on Sunday's events

Anonymous comments to Circus Tent: Sign Here, Please

Here is the other side of the story, the true side.

Today I cry, as I read what some people want to do to us. They have names for us like “Meshichistim,” or “Tzfasnicks”, is it not enough that we have to wear Yellow Flags on our garments to identify ourselves? Is it not enough that we have to sing together loudly and shout while others are davening just to get noticed? We have been persecuted by the right for many years. While they get to Daven upstairs we are kept downstairs in the cellar. While they have offices they were given, we have to squat just to get a place of business.

While you have stores to go to for clothing and other necessities we have to shop in flea markets that are open on cold street corners and in courtyards of buildings. While you eat in fine establishments like Mermelstein's, we get to eat whatever is handed to us, (cholent, cookies and milk in 770). While you are out working and bringing in your hard-earned dollars we are stuck on Sunday giving out dollars. I find it hard to believe that you people who feel that we should be thrown out, or our visas should be taken away from us, would have the audacity today to come out on a website to say something like this. Our people have been persecuted for so long its time for us to be heard, and unlike your way of violence our way is the right way.

What some of you might say from looking at a picture of some of us throwing a bench, is that we tried hurting someone. What really happened was, there were so many true mesiras nefesh shluchim in the room that we tried to make room, while taking out a bench it fell and it might have hurt someone or broke his leg. By the way we are very sad about this and would like to offer our help to this shliach, it is a thought that maybe we should send a delegation to Vietnam to live, eat, and sing with him.

What some of you think was us hitting or punching others, what really happened was as follows: we were so happy to be around such true people that we were putting out our hands to dance with them, as we were singing loudly such a wonderful song. Which leads me to the next issue. While some might think we were trying to make noise as some were trying to farbreng, really we were singing in-between speeches. So as you can tell, we are very hurt by what some of you are calling for us to be thrown out, as we are just peace loving Jews who go out of our way to just fit in.

One last example of how we help out; the wood on the walls in 770 were getting old, so instead of spending money to fix it we came up with a genius plan, made signs, and hung them up all around the shul. So now instead of being afraid to bring in your supporters to show them an old building you can show them a room with great art hanging on the walls.

Please remember, we are the ones who for so long have had it so hard, and we are the ones that just want to help in anyway we can. (By the way you can send in your donations to us, Make your check payable to Terrorist Squatters, 770 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY) For $300. you can help save one boy from the dirty streets of Tzfas and help bring him to the USA where he can join us in our love for peace and quiet).

--

Interfaith meetings מיט א קארלינער הכשר

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but has anyone seen mentalblog or the Mad Minnesotan write about this? Don't they decry Berel Lazar's meetings with heads of other faiths? What about Schneur aka Schneur Zalman, NY, has he been heard condemning Bleich, Sitruk and Co.? Is it OK because Lustiger is Jewish? Is Israel Singer and WJC Kosher all of a sudden? I guess it all depends on who's doing the meetings, eh?


(From L) Rector of the Muslim Institute of the Paris Mosque and President of the French Council of the Muslim Religion Dalil Boubaker, Chief Rabbi of France Joseph Sitruk, Paris' Archbishop Mgr Andre Vingt-Trois, Chief Rabbi of the Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich, and WJC Policy Council's chairman Rabbi Israel Singer, attend the executive council of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), 12 November 2006 in Paris.


Rector of the Muslim Institute of the Paris Mosque and President of the French Council of the Muslim Religion Dalil Boubakeur chats with Chief Rabbi of the Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich before a session of the executive council of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), 12 November 2006 in Paris.


(From L) WJC Policy Council's chairman Rabbi Israel Singer, Paris' Archbishop Mgr Andre Vingt-Trois, and Chief Rabbi of the Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich, chat before a session of the executive council of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), 12 November 2006 in Paris.


French Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger (R) chats with Ukraine Yaakov Dov Bleich, before a session of the executive council of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), 12 November 2006 in Paris. AFP

Sign Here, Please.

Please sign petition titled Demanding Action from what Happened in 770 hosted with free Petitions hosting site.

I guess it's a start.

UPDATE: 5:36pm

Here's what Chavrei HaKvutzeh are demanding:

Over Turkey Sandwiches.......

Friday, November 25, 2005
Agudah Convention update
Preliminary reports:

A few points from the Noviminsker Rebbe's keynote address at the Convention:

You have to have rachmunis for the gush kaitif people who were kicked out of their homes, even if you disagree with their ideology

We need a new tuition fund for parents

The shidduchim forum got very boisterous and noisy with men and woman yelling at each other arguing whether it's the boys fault or the girls fault... whose picky..., and what not. Sounds very tachlis!

One participant proposed shadchanim get paid (100$) just for setting people up! Where do I sign up!



Posted by Yeshiva Orthodoxy

What inaction brings

(Photo courtesy of HydePark)

Get to know R' Chaim Peretz Berman, son of Reb Shlaym'ke z'l - SIL of Reb Berl Powarski (son of Reb Dovid) - Grandson of the "Steipler" - a Rosh Yeshivah in Ponoviezher Yeshivah in Bnei Brak. His father Reb Shlomo Berman - a former Tomim from Achei Tmimim in Tel Aviv - was a Rosh Yeshivah in Ponoviezh for many years until his passing last year. After Reb Shlomo's passing - after being out of commission for many years - his FIL Reb Berl Powarski appointed him as Rosh Yeshivah in his father's place MiDinn Yerushah. That's pretty big Yichus, albeit Litvishe Yichus, but they've learned well how to utilize family lineage when it's important.

Now, you may ask: "Why is your face beaten and bruised Chaim Peretz?" Well, Chaim Peretz may not want to tell you, but he was ambushed by a group of thugs and had a lead pipe "pass through" his face. "Why would they do that?" you may ask, don't they have tremendous Derech Eretz for Rabbonim, Roshei Yeshivah, and Talmidei Chachomim Bichlal? Well, maybe they do as a general rule, but here there's a dispute over power and Koved, and not much gets in the way of that, even when the victim may be Koved HaTeyreh and Talmidei Chachomim. The answer here is very simple, but it needs you to "Halt Kup" for just a little bit.


The Ponoviezher Rov, Reb Yosef Kahaneman, founded the Yeshivah in Bnei Brak in 1944. He went around to all Yeshivos and convinced the best Bochurim to come and learn at his newly-founded Yeshivah. [that'll get you straight to the top, right?] As a side matter they say that when he laid eyes on a young Yoel Kahan he decided that he must have him in his Yeshivah. He went as far as coming to meet with his father, Reb Fole Kahan in Ramat Gan, but his dad would not let him leave Achei Tmimim in Tel Aviv. One of the Tmimim who did leave was Reb Shlayme Berman, father of Chaim Peretz. Reb Dovid Powarski, father of Reb Berl, was also snatched away from his Shtelle at Achei Tmimim and went to teach at Ponoviezh. (I guess in those days it was A-OK for a Mirrer Talmid to teach in Lubavitch.)



(Reb Lazer Kahaneman, Photo courtesy of Maariv online)

After the Ponoviezher Rov passed away in 1969 his son, Reb Avrohom, proceeded him as "Nesi HaYeshivah". Reb Avrohom has a son Lazer, who's the de facto head of the Yeshivah due to his father's age and illness. Lazer can be seen on the streets of Boro Park quite often, since he's in American often to raise money. Lazer has a BIL, married to his sister, who goes by the name of Shmuel Markovitz. Shmuel is the son of Reb Zvi Markovitz, who was the Rosh Yeshivah in Karlin-Jerusalem for many years and a member of the Moetzes of Degel HaTeyreh. [feh.] Reb Zvi was also the SIL of the Slonimer Rov, Reb Shabsi Yogel. Shmuel and his brother in law hate each other's guts (nice, no?) and now they say that his FIL can't stand him either, but it may be too late. Shmuel was apprently promised - as a Naden - to become Rosh Yeshivah by his FIL, and he's not about to relent on that job.


(the Yeshivah on "Hey Iyar", photo by Yiddish Wikipedia)

After each of the recent passing of Roshei Yeshivos in Ponoviezh, be it Reb Dovid Powarski, Reb Shlomo Berman, and the great one himself, there's been a new appointment of a Rosh Yeshivah. First it was Reb Chaim Peretz Berman, and then it was Reb Chaim Shlayme Leibowitz, grandson of Reb Boruch Ber of Kamienetz-Litovsk, an older gentleman who's age did not keep him from being harrassed like the others. Needless to say the Markowitz crowd is NOT happy about these appointments, they see it as an affront to their leader's claim as Rosh Yeshivah, so they terrorize him. Reb Chaim Peretz's face bears witness to what can happen when you take the other side. They terrorize old man Leibovitz, put a pipe-bomb in front of his house, and threw a tear-gas cannister that exploded while he was saying a shiur. The issue of whether or not Ponoviezher Yeshivah can hire new Roshei Yeshivah while Shmuel Markowitz's fate is decided in court (where else?) is in court and in Beis Din, and the "Kiddush Hashem" perpetuated by the "Harvard of Yeshivos" continues.


(Photo by Yiddish Wikipedia)

Are we in Lubavitch to wait around and hope that nothing of the kind happens the next time we incurr the wrath of the terrorists?!

Do we not realize that these people play by their own rules?!

FIL = Father in-law
BIL = Brother in-law
SIL = Son in-law

Tzig snubbed at Convention

Agudah on Blogs

Hirhurim writes:

"- R. Ephraim Wachsman made a number of statements that imply he knows very well what topics are discussed on blogs. I think he might have dinged me twice, but I'm not sure. [Once, if it was a reference to my recent post on the Rambam, is an understandable misunderstanding because I have not yet said, but will be"H soon be saying, "Eis la'asos la-Shem" on the subject.]

- R. Matisyahu Salomon was surprisingly restrained.

- Both R. Chaim Dovid Zwiebel and R. Matisyahu Salomon offered explicit statements of general tolerance, R. Zwiebel in saying "Aseh lekha rav" and R. Matisyahu Salomon in saying that questions and critiques that are respectful are acceptable [I think that's what R. Salomon said. I have to listen to a recording -- which I have -- to verify.]

- Clearly, a certain blogger was the villain of the evening. I won't name him, but let's just say that he goes by a three-letter acronym containing two vowels. I looked around but did not see that blogger there."

My plan has failed! arghhhh.

See what happens when you Google "Agudah Convention!" It must be hard working for the Agudah these days.

Heichal HaNegina Link

Special Shalach Manos for the Rosh Yeshiva

You needn't bother with the whole long post, just scroll down halfway to the "Shalach Manos for the Rosh Yeshiva" part. Unless you really want to.