סאטמאר revising history, בעלזא on the warpath

First we were told that Toras HaBaal Shem Tov was forgotten. Not the derech, they said, just the Torah. So what we have now in our Chassidic world is - I'm supposed to believe - derech HaBaal Shem Tov. But why then was the davka the Torah forgotten? Why is it different than Toras HaMussar - or Torah in general that never was and never will be forgotten? Was only Chassidus Chabad forgotten, since it's too deep for our shallow heads? Now we're being told that there really was never TRUE opposition to Chassidus after all! Yes, the Gro may have opposed the davening late, or maybe all the drinking and dancing, but that was probably because of the Bittul Zman and Bittul Torah. And besides, we're against that too, so that's no chiddush. But there was no "Ches," despite the documents we've seen and all the history written about it. If you tell me that ווייסהויז made this stuff up then I guess we can go back to the drawing board... Also, I hear that the new book "The Rebbe" about the Satmar Rov has some cute attacks against the new Yeshivishe derech haLimud, (such as saying that it's very often "boych s'vores," and that's why they're so "into it.") which is interesting, since the book will be read primarily by those who subscribe to that derech...





then I received this via email: (with minimal additions by yours truly)

"The Belzer Rebbe and his mouth piece are on a full fledged war against Mevakshim that are not satisfied in Belz. As usual they're saying that it's a disease in many chassidesen that people look elsewhere. It's shocking the way things that used to be unofficial talk (and were discussed in private - "pnimi") are now officially discussed in the Zietungen. The "Hamevaser" covers this new jive with pages upon pages of coverage. Pinchas Friedman - the unofficial spokesman for the Belzer Rov - spoke about it at the jubilee of the hatzola of the Belzer Rov zt"l and his brother the Bilgorajer Rov (9 Shvat.) The Belzer Ruv first gave the pep talk with his childish observations with very little Torah, he creates a "kedushas Belz" that is hot air, He says things like "the Yoshvim were mafkir themselves, their families, and gave away their nefesh for Belz." What kind of a lie is that? They gave away their life for torah and kedusha that they believed they found in Belz, they were chasidim of the Belzer Rebbe that they believed is the Tzadik Hador, but this lie of the name "Belz!" it's all brainwashing the people so that they stick around with him and his son, a certified "nobody in all fields." He finished it off saying that we have to chazer that again and again; the whole year, we have strive and work for that, and ask Hashem for Kedushas Belz. He claims that the Belzer Derech is not a lot of going to the Mikvah, no Tehilim, no Fasting.

Pinchas Friedman claims as follows: after the Belzer kingdom was rebuilt after the war, the Yetzer Hora does not stop, he's not happy seeing that the great Belz has been rebuilt. He tries to confuse the people with thoughts that you are not respected enough in your current place, and all kind of thoughts and Nisyones about where he currently is, so that he thinks about other places. This is all so that the Yetzer Horah can destroy Belz. All that is atzas haYetzer, Friedman says. The Baal shem tov came on this world that people should be affiliated with a Kehila and a Chotzer. From my experience - he says - in education, I can say that I personally know people that left their Kehillos for other places and got confused, it is not only when the leave Belz it is also in other places too. It's interesting to note that Pinchas Friedman learned in Krasne Boro Park and left that structure to a new place called Belz, but he can't see other people leaving where they grew up to go elsewhere. Also how come all these 100's of Pupener Talmidim left Pupa for Belz; is this only a 1 way street? Are you only allowed to leave to Belz, but not FROM? why can't Kluger create a chabura and a kehila?

Sorry for my long rant, but I can not take this big farce that Belz has become."

See the Friedman interview Here

הלוואי אויף אנדערע קרייזן געזאגט די "מחלוקת" וואס מיר האבן אין ליובאוויטש

,הרה"ג ר' עמרם בן הגאון הגדול ר' מנשה קליין שליט"א בעל משנה הלכות ביי די "מעמד ההכתרה" זונטאג נאכט אין 770. פון קראנטע מקורות ווייס איך אז מ'האט צו ר' עמרם'ן ליגנט געזאגט און מ'האט אים צוגעזאגט אז הרב אזדבא ווערט אויך דארט זיין און די הכתרה איז נישט שרוי במחלוקת. ר' עמרם, וועלכע פירט היינט צו טאג אהן די בית מדרש און ישיבה פון זיין טאטע'ן, איז אן אייניקל פון מיטעלער רבי'ן מצד זיין רביצין, און איז זייער נאנט צו חב"ד

Call it damage control if you wish - the fact that I'm writing this - but the fact that such a contested event went off without a peep from the opposition tells you alot about Lubavitch today. Nowhere else would people who are so opposed to an event sit idly by and watch it happen, while mumbling in their leftover chicken soup from Shabbos. The fact that is what people point to and call it "Machlokes," and tell us how Lubavitch is falling apart at the leadership level, is laughable. Or the fact that two groups of "Shomrim" are in court. Of course there are differences of opinion, and there are struggles for who should be at the leadership forefront, but to compare that to what happens elsewhere is wrong. Wrong, I say. In CH people who supposedly can't stand each other often daven in the same shuls, send their kids to the same schools and yeshivos and shop in the same stores. They're even meshadech with each other! I don't think I need to start bringing proof from what happened in other kreizen, how the cops were called on YomTov and the chilul yomtov and Hashem that ensued. Yet for some reason some of you see what you want to see, not what actually happens.

But that's not the point of this thread.

The whole machlokes within the CH Rabbinate is a head-scratcher. Nobody really knows what they're arguing about. Something about who's in charge of the hashgocha in CH, and then a simple מי בראש between the two Rabbonim. Child's play, really. No multi-million dollar lawsuits, they're not fighting about hundreds of millions of dollars in Real Estate. A few old retirees of Russian descent decided they don't like the Tzugekumener Amerikaner Osdoba and they started this whole non-fight. So while the machlokes over nothing did turn ugly, and it should not be condoned, I don't see why Lubavitch needs to be ashamed of it, or why people wring their hands all day saying how it's things like this that turn off the youth and make them go OTD. The only question is why people who have such disagreements DO stay together? Why DON'T they start new mosdos, another complete new Beis Din, new yeshivos, chadorim, schools, camps, seminaries, and so on? Why does that only happen if the "antis" are in charge, and then the Meshichisten are the ones to break away and open shop? Is it because only the Meshichisten are ideologues, does nobody else REALLY care what their kids are taught and by whom? Or is it all Ahavas Yisroel, we don't want machlokes so we live in conditions that are not prime? Maybe separate but equal would stand to benefit all of us in this case.... I'm just saying...

The letter that Reb Amrom Klein sent to Rav Osdoba, apologizing for attending the "hachtoroh"

Something to take your mind off Crown Heights.

Had a rough week. I have several unfinished posts waiting. Simply didn't have the time to write, not even to respond to many comments here that needed responses. We'll be back after Shabbos, IY"H. In the meantime here's a picture of HaRav Reb Shmuel Salant, Rov of Yerushalayim for what seemed like forever.

I've decided to go all out here in regards to CH Rabbonim election and the ensuing politics. From Day One, that is.

?ר' איד, וואס לאכט איר אזוי? אויף וועמענ'ס חשבון


?ר' עמרם? איר זענט אויך דא
איך בין דאך דארט אויפגעוואקסן, און איך ווייס ווי איר האלט .....


? איך גלייב נישט. וואס זוכט דער בורשטינער צדיק דארט? ער פלעגט דאווענען אלץ קינד ביי אים אין שול?


.....וולפא, דאס איז דער מכה בפטיש


הרב שוויי זיצט כשושנה בין החוכים


.....דער גרויסער פאטער , היינט שעפט ער שוין נחת פונעם זונ'דל


DALOY HUNGARIANS IN LUBAVITCH!!!!

I'm not sure what brought this on now. Maybe it was the passing of Reb Moshe Morozov, who was once very actively involved in the whole process, before old age prevented him from continuing. Or maybe it was the fact that people ask me all kinds of questions and I figure that if they get their info elsewhere it might not be as good as if they get here. But I want it all here on the table, going back to ששת ימי בראשית. Why, after years of using Rav Osdoba for their agenda, they decided that he isn't good for them anymore, and especially why the Russians decided now that a young Hungarian is good for them and their agenda? I'd like your input, please. I know the answers, more or less, I just wanna hear ALL the details here. Years ago they needed Rav Marlow for their power struggle and they got him and used him, but what good is Braun for them now?

I started this thread on Thursday, when we weren't sure if there would be a Hachtoroh or not, but now that there was one last light, and they brought out anybody that RYYB had a shaychus with as a child until he joined Lubavitch, I'm even more intrigued. I look around at those in attendance and all I see is rabblerousers, troublemakers and those looking to destroy Lubavitch for personal reasons. And, of course, locals looking for a bite to eat and a way to pass the time. And some bachurim. And they too were sent to the coronation by the leadership of OT, which also is part of the troublemaking crowd, as was the MC, one of the first to make himself big by destroying what others built with their sweat and tears, and using the "Moshiach" issue to the appeal to the ass - , I mean masses. I don't usually discuss internal Lubavitch politics, but I'll do it, and may G-d forgive me, for I know not what I'm doing here.

הכתרה Twitter Feed

Shmais
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I never thought I'd live to see this day, but lo and behold, here it is!

!ס'קומט א גרויסער טאג, רבותי

און ווי אלע גרויסע טעג קומט עס נאר מיט הכנה. "אם בגפו יבא בגפו יצא," זאגט דער צאנזער רב זי"ע, אז מ'קומט ווי א גאפ, גייט מען אוועק ווי א גאפ. א גאפ, אויף די פוילישע שפראך, הייסט א באק, א בהמה, בקיצור. חסידים האבן קיינמאל נישט האלט געהאט א שוטה, און פארפאטשקען אזא טאג ווי יו"ד שבט איז נישט מער נישט ווייניגער א שטות אוים ונורא. מ'קען שעפן קאדקעס מיט עמערס פון תורה, יראת שמים, התקשרות להצדיק און כל טוב בגשמיות אין אזא הייליקן טאג,

לדעתי איז דאס בעסטע פלאץ אויף פארוויילן אזא טאג סמוך לציון רבינו הק', און דארטן וועל איך אי"ה זיין במשך דעם גאנצן שבת

א גוטן שבת

Book Review: R' Avrohom Mayorer (Pt. I)

One of the few perks of maintaining this blog - other than interacting and meeting with so many fascinating people, of course - is that every once in a while somebody appreciates what you do, values your opinion, and wants to hear what you think about a certain subject/matter. If that weren't enough, an author or publisher will want you to read what he wrote and share it with the readers! Which is what happened here. We got the book so that we review it here on the blog. After several days of reading I finished, and can now share my humble opinion with you all.

For starters, Rubin did a very thorough job, going back several generations to find the roots of the Drizin family. Father, father's father, brothers, sisters, cousin, town Rov, and so on are all described in as much detail as possible, not much is often known. Mayore's Rov (which is why he was named Mayorer - from Mayore) was also an Oylimisher, as was the case in Chassidishe shtetlach all over Russia. Reb DovBer Pianko, HY"D was loved and respected by all, and considerable attention is given to the details of his death at the hands of the local goyim, who made him and example, as well as the mesiras nefesh - literally - that Reb Avrohom's uncle had to bring the Rov and a family member (I forget which) to kever yisroel. Even before getting to the story, much effort is made to credit absolutely anybody and everybody who helped make the book possible - from Zalman Alpert to parents and spouse, which tells you right off the bat that this work was one of thoroughness, and that what we have here is something that can be Oleh al shulchan melochim. I also think that the fact that the book was written by a rechter eynikel of Reb Avrohom makes it so much worthwhile; the love for the protagonist, the respect, even the longing for him, is evident in every page.



New York, 1950s. Reb Meir Itkin standing, left. Is that Zelig Levin sitting in the middle?!

I'll leave it for now and post this as part I, since I'd like to get this review going and not wait for the whole thing to be done before I post any of it. It makes it better for all parties involved.

טאלנער רבי שליט"א זאגט אריין פאר חב"ד אין טאטענ'ס טאטען אריין

The Tolner Rebbe from Yerushalayim was a guest of the Los Angeles Community recenty and made many stops along the way. One of his stops was the Yeshiva Or Elchonon - Chabad in Los Angeles, under the leadership of the Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Reb Ezra Shochet, where he spoke - IN ENGLISH - to the bachurim there. The Tolner Rebbe is probably the greatest friend Lubavitch has amongst the Rebbes today. He learns the Rebbe's Torah and repeats it where ever he can. He also understands the makeup of today's Lubavitch and some of the problems associated with it, and when he speaks of those problems it's not to knock Lubavitch, but rather it's because he cares - he really does. If it was up to me this speech would be mandatory for every bachur and yungerman in Lubavitch today, and for the women as well. I think sometimes it needs to be said from the amud, without the distraction of the intoxicating beverage.

Listen Here

Today at the ציון הק' של רבינו זי"ע

דער מקובל, הרב ר' יצחק מאיר מורגנשטרן שליט"א, האט היינט מאנטאג אפגעשטעלט א באזוך, און האט מתפלל געווען און געליינט קוויטלאך, אויפ'ן ציון פון ליובאוויטשער רבי'ן זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע. חסידים זאגן ער איז זיך געקומען אנווארעמען פון די גרויסע קעלט וועלכע הערשט די טעג אין די ניו יארקער אומגעגנט

שבת ג' שבט איז זלמן משה'ס יארצייט

ר' זלמן משה איז געווען מגדולי החסידים בדור הקודם און דער שווער פון ר' אברהם מאיארער. ער איז געווען א שוחט און אן עובד השם נפלא, פלעגט לערנען חסידות שעות ארוכות, דאווענען שעות ארוכות און שחט'ן אביסל אויף צום לעבן. ער האט געהאט א מסורה אז זיי שטאמען פון רש"י הקדוש און פון דארט איז די פאמיליע נאמען. רז"מ איז ארויס פון רוסלאנד אין די 30'ער יארן און איז אוועק אין כפר חב"ד אין תשי"ב
מיר וועלן בעז"ה בקרוב באשרייבן דער נייער ספר וואס ר' אברהם'ס אייניקל ר' משה יוסף רובין האט נישט לאנג צוריק ארויסגעגעבן

a new trend, perhaps?

They placed a matzeivoh on the frishe kever of Reb Volf. In Chabad we're makpid to do so at the end of the shivah, no matter what time of year, and no matter if more people would attend at a later, more auspicious time. If you'll look closely you'll notice something at the very top of the stone; a line written in handwritten script, and different from the rest of the wording. What happened was as follows: When Reb Volf's Rebbetzin was niftar some 29 years ago he sent in a nusach for her matzeivoh, referencing himself as only "Reb Menachem Zev HaLevi." The Rebbe added the words you see written here, and added "if he will agree." Reb Volf, of course, of course agreed, and that's how her matzeivoh was engraved. Now, when Reb Volf was niftar, I believe they had a dilemma as to what to write for him, since he so refused to be addressed by such titles, yet the Rebbe wanted him to be addressed as such. So they came up with this very clever idea, with which they'd be mekayem divrei haMes and divrei HaRav shechayim VeKayomim Lo'Ad. I believe we'll see alot more of this in the future in Chabad. A gut feeling, that's all.


The nusach with the Rebbe's additions on the bottom.

הלכות ת"ת treat

I must tell you I'm quite shocked by some of the responses here with regards to the Tzaddik of B'Kerestur. I never realized how great the machloh is today - the lack of emunas tzaddikim. And we're not talking about today's gutte yidden either, we're talking about people who weren't born with a silver sppon in their mouths, but made a name for themselves the hard way, by helping others and saving lives. I'm stunned at how some of the same people who supposedly stand up for "real Torah values" can so nonchalantly make such disparaging remarks that even a goy in his time - as well as twenty years later - would not make! Now, I'm not gonna stand here and tell you to take a minyan and ask mechilleh at his resting place; I'll leave that for you and your collective conscience to bear. Somehow we decided that greatness in Torah should be the only measuring stick to see whether or not there is tzidkus as well. I can bring you this: most of you - even the skeptics would agree about his d'veykus to the Eybershter, besides for that fool who compared to the TA"Y Rebbe. Interestingly enough, the Alter Rebbe, Rav Schneur Zalman of Liadi, author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch HaRav, says otherwise. In his opus primum, which was warmly approbated by the greats of his day, the Alter Rebbe brings proof from the Chassidim HoRishonim, who would spend some 9 hours a day thinking about G-d, and connecting to him ביראה ואהבה עזה ודביקות אמיתית, proving to us that not only was this not bittul torah, but this service of Hashem was greater than the study of Torah! Is that good enough for you all?!

Start from Halochoh Hey and on.

אוצרות מהרשת

Harav Chaim Berlin, son of The Netziv, Rov of Moscow, and later in Yerushalayim. A hadras ponim for the ages, don't you think?

I guess one of the shortcomings of being famous - for any reason - is to have pictures you may not want the Oylem to see appear in the papers, and these days: online in seconds. You need the press when it's good for you, and you hate them when they show things you're uncomfortable with. Which is why people get VERY excited when they come across "good stuff," pictures of Rosheshives from days gone by, and of Rebbishe families way back when. It makes them feel good about themselves - here's this big Rosheshiveh or Rebbe, and look at him - or her... They also posed for family pictures. That goes tenfold where Lubavitch is concerned; Lubavitch deserves it because they stick their faces out there for all to see, or so I'm told, so they shouldn't complain when people research their history and publish "juicy" stuff! Ultimately what happens is that family members publish these pictures, much to the dismay of the rest of the family, whether in book form or on the internet, and we all benefit from it eventually.


Reb Boruch Epstein, author of the "Torah Temimoh" and of Mekor Boruch (aka "My Uncle the Netziv") He was the son of Reb Yechiel Michel, (the Aruch HaShulchan and Rov of Novardok,) and a נהנה מיגיע כפיו, working as a banker in Pinsk.


Wife and sons of Reb Itzikel Twersky of Skver-BP. Reb Itzikel was a son of Reb Mordche of Skver, who was a brother of Reb Yaakov Yosef of New Square. We discussed him at length. He passed away some 25 years before his uncle, who didn't live a very long time either... l-r we have Reb Duvid'l of Boro Park, Gedalia Aron and Reb Mottele from Flatbush. The Rebbetzin, Mirel Twersky, was the daughter of Reb Pinchas Rabinowitz of Manestritz.


Wife and kids of Reb Chaim Twersky of Tchernobel-Loyev, who passed away in exile, in 1943. Rechil Devorah was the daughter of Reb Shayelle Tchechoyver, youngest son of the Divrei Chaim, The Sanzer Rov, zt"l. The Tchernobler Rebbe of Bnei Beraq, Reb Meshulam Zishe is seen top right. He was a talmid of the underground Lubavitch Yeshivos in the USSR, and managed to escape in 1934, IIRC. The little boy is presumably a brother, Yechiel, who passed away a short time ago in his 90's.


Reb Meshulam Zushe in his later years

There's a lot more where this came from...

Layout Change

In the interest of expediency I've changed the settings so that only the last 10 posts (instead of the whole month) show up on the front page. That way the page loads much quicker. For all previous posts click on the archives in the sidebar and choose the month you want to see. Current month's posts - all of them - can be seen that way as well.

רוה"ק without Torah cannot be!!

We know about VeLo Am Ho'Oretz Chossid, but can a Tzaddik be a Tzaddik/Baal Mofes without being a Talmid Chochom? Surprisingly enough that seems to be the general concensus when it comes to Reb Shayelle, sadly enough, and that point is addressed in the book. They try hard to disspel it as a myth, and bring several stories to counter that opinion, saying that it was a chelek of his hiding his greatness in Torah and Avodah, and that from time to time he would remind people of his proficiency in Torah, just so that they remember... Despite that it seems like the general opinion did stem from the fact that he would read from Noam Elimelech during tishen, instead of saying divrei torah like some other Rebbes. During the poezer (recess) between Shacharis and Mussaf on Rosh Hashonoh, when other Rebbes would go to the Mikveh and learn Zohar etc. Reb Shayelle would cut cake and pour schnapps into cups so that hungry Jews would have what to eat... And believe it or not, but they say that his final - or at least one of his final - request(s) before he passed away was to tell his hoizgezint that they should prepare lots of food for all the people that will soon come to the levaya, so that they not go hungry... No wonder they say in the name of the Minchos Elozor that he said on Reb Shayelle that אויף בארשט און קארטאפל איז קיינער נישט קיין מתנגד.....

So when I said yesterday that the Petrushener Rov - a Pressburger Talmid - belittles Reb Shayelle's prowess in Torah I may have singled him out unfairly. We can infer the same opinion from the Munkacser Rov, and I see some of you heard the same thing from your antescedents. I'm very bothered by this, especially when it comes from friends, not "Misnagdim," because it perpetuates the myth that Chassidim can't and don't learn. After all, here we have this Rebbe of thousands of Chassidim, or at least admirers, who could see MiSof HaOlam VeAd Sofo, Kipshuto, who could send wild dogs to hold back a wagon of his Chossid and keep his Chossid out of harm's way, who could keep the Budapest express train from leaving until his Chossid got on that train , and he had difficulty with a "shtikkel tosfos?!" So עולמו של אבא seems to bavoren this question and says that the reason he was zoche to that level of ruach haKodesh was because he was nizhar in Cheyt Hayodua and because he gave away all his money while still a MaSHB"K in Liska. What also is baffling is that Reb Hershelle Lisker is the one that took him out of Yeshivah - after Reb Shayelle's mother sent him there to learn - and made him his MaSHBaK! His mother heard about it and wanted to take him home, but RHL convinced her that he'd lose nothing by becoming his Meshamesh, and she agreed. So did he remove him from Yeshivah because learning was not his "thing?" Can one be a Tzaddik without being well-versed in Torah?!


The Minchas Elozor of Munkacs in Marienbad (perhaps)

העלפן אידן - ווי נאר מעגליך

The new sefer about the Tzaddik Reb Shayelle Kerestierer, zt"l

In the tradition of sharing with readers what I'm reading I bring you this. 600 pages of Mofsim, one after the other, sometimes 2 or 3 per page, and most of them from Kli Rishon or Kli Sheyni. We spoke a short while ago how his main object in life was to help the unfortunate Yid in any way possible - even if he was a Mechalel Shabbos, and that very much is the case, but what got me was the Mofsim, one after another after another, Baal Shem'ske mayses one after the other, for 50 years. And it's not just that; Every person I spoke to about it - it seems - has a personal moyfes that wasn't even published in the book! I myself heard from my father, ZG"Z, how he heard from his shver, my zeide, how my Bubbe's parents (his wife - my Bubbe's - parents) were once evicted from their home by a non-Jewish landlord. They were left homeless, out on the street, with nowhere to go. IIRC they lived in Nyirmada at the time, which is about 50 miles from BodrogKerestur, where Reb Shayelle lived. They traveled there and told the Tzaddik how they were evicted from their home for no good reason by the wicked landlord and are homeless, a family with children. Reb Shayelle told them to write down the Orel's name on a piece of paper, and he then proceeded to take that paper and burn it in a burning candle nearby. He then sent them home, saying that it was all OK now, they had no need to worry any further. Sure enough when they arrived home the landlord had left this world. And the zeide would always stress that this wasn't some old man who you could say could've died anyway - he was "a champion," big and strong.

And there are hundreds and thousands more of those - unpublished stories that are kept in families and passed down from generation to generation. On the way back from a wedding last week I shared my thoughts with another Yid of Hungarian descent. He responded with a story of his own - where his father's mother lost TEN children in various stages of pregnancy - before she traveled to Reb Shayelle and asked for his help. The Tzaddik gave her some Kotzko Tzikker - sugar cubes and told her keep it with her during the whole term, maybe to wear it like a Kimeya, I forget that detail now. She had four children after that, with this man's father the first of the four. I could be here all year writing about the mofsim, but you can save me from doing all that work by buying or borrowing (like I did) this sefer'l and reading how G-d name was sanctified by both Jew and, Lehavdil, Gentile thousands upon thousands of times over decades. Surprisingly enough, one of the marei mekomos that they bring is the famous עולמו של אבא, which I took out to look at what he writes and I was more then a bit disappointed at that Pressburger Talmid's take on Reb Shayelle, which is not really respectful - since he says that he wasn't known as Godol BaTorah, and all he basically did was prave mofsim and serve food to hungry Jews... which shows you that jealousy is a terrible thing, and that even Rabbonim can suffer from it.

Dr. AJ Twerski like you've never heard before...

............התבוננות פאר'ן דאווענען

Click Here and then click "Download"

We had featured the grammen by Rabbi Twerski where he "complains" about being "in Golus in Chabad," but wait till you hear him sing the praises of "Rabbeinu Shlit"a" and living on Shlichus! You'd think he was a Chabadnik MiBetten U'Mileydoh. Both Grammen were sung at the wedding of a grandchild of Rabbi Sholom Posner, shliach to Pittsburgh, Pa.

NOTE: It seems like it has become a little more complicated. Whereas you could once play the file right on the blog page, in its own little player, Now it looks like you need to download a small 1.3MB program, then download the file, and then play it in your media player. I'll try and facilitate things here a bit, But I assure you that the 2 minute process of downloading etc. is well worth it (oh! it also changes your home page to Bing.com, for some reason.)

What I just read - and you must too!!

I picked up the book - not sure why - and could not put it down. From the cover you figure that it's a novel - a fictional one - so why bother? Maybe it was recommended by someone else in the house who had read it, I cannot remember now. But from the beginning this book is a tear-jerker, I tell ya. From the moment you pick it up you're engrossed in the story, in the tragedy that was the life of this girl, her mother and her family. There is one surprising aspect to the book, and that is that names are used - real names - when it comes to very delicate situations, which surprised me. In short, the story is like this: A young woman loses her husband. Her three children leave their "backwards" city in Transcarpathia/Marmures and leave their Yiddishkeit behind as well. She remarries, but her husband is drafted and gets TB while in the army. He dies and leaves her with a 6-month old child, but not before he makes her promise that she'll never abandon her child. Ever. The poor woman gets a job picking grapes in Hungary - menial labor, to say the least - for a Yiddishe Frau.

While working she gets a splinter, and ignores it. Soon enough the pain is too much to bear and she needs to be rushed to a Hospital in Budapest, Selish/ Nagyszollos/Sevlus doesn't have what it takes to do the job. Before she knows it her arm is (oyf kayn shum Yid gedacht) amputated in a very crude way, and she's almost helpless. Relatives of her husband convince her to leave the child with her so that she can recuperate without the child being a burden for her. And if it's at all possible - there starts her real trouble. Read all about the bravery, persistence, trust and strength of a woman on a mission to retrieve her child, as well as the child's amazing story of survival during WW2, when she manages to elude the Nazi murderers at the last moment and live out the war in hiding - in a very unusual way. The memoirs were only published posthumously for that reason. I'll let you guys in on a little secret: I cried often in this book. You cry for the mother, for the young heroine, and for the those that were rounded up and gassed, HY"D. And maybe most of all, you cry when she gets to the Holy Land after ww2 and meets up with family that was lucky enough to get out before it all was destroyed. I'd tell you more, but then you wouldn't read it on your own... Get this book!

אידן ארבעטן שווער אין די מארמורעש

!ר' וואלף

ר' וואלף איז שוין אויך נישטא

Here

A few words from a ben-bayis

א ניגון

Mottel has some pics and clips!

Reb Volf was hidden. What we know is nothing. I saw him several times but never learned in Montreal and never was zoche to be mekabel from him. Maybe one of his mekablim here can help fill in some of the blanks and share with those who didn't know him, and may not have heard of him.

Stayed in Hungary - for now... (Part V)

The new building you see was built after I left. A building on the right - not seen here - was at first the pre-school and later the Mesivta, where shiurim and meals took place.

It seems like I didn't keep my promise, after all. At the end of part IV I promised not to make you wait very long for Part V, but I guess I got caught up in other matters and never did get back to "myself." So all this talk about Spinka reminded many of you about my memoirs, and I got lots of requests to continue them, which I'll begin doing right here.

Mesivta Shem MiShmuel of Mattersdorf sits at the corner of 19th Avenue and 50th Street. The fact that they added "Mattersdorf" to the name shows you where they were heading. Before that there was no Mattersdorf on the building, or even on the stationery, AFAIK. Yes, the Roov was the Mattersdorfer Rov, or "miLefnim Ab"D Mattersdorf," but it wasn't some Mattersdorfer franchise that he was running. But in the late 80s somebody decided that the only way they could continue having a mesivta and yeshiva gedola was to give it a franchise name. Things worked out for a while, and for several years the mesivta was running just fine, but only for a few years. For a few years many of those who learned in the Cheder and came from places like Flatbush and Staten Island, would stay on for Mesivta. But that would soon come to an end. A few years after I arrived an entire class from Mesivta got up and left after 11th grade. The Beis Medrish (Yeshiva Gedola, zal) was not to their liking and they all decided that they would not be going there. IIRC there was no 12th grade at that time, or 3 years mesivta was the normal setup then, I forget which, so after 11th grade you had to go to Beis Medrish, and many of the boys were not willing to do that - for several reasons.

Rav Shmuel Ehrenfeld, late Mattersdorfer Rov and Rosh Yeshivah, with his son Akiva, who took a more Litvishe route in life.

The Beis Medrish at that time was made up of mainly holdovers from the old days. Lots of extended family and old talmidim. There was no official kolel by then, but a lot of the old timers came and learned there. The Beis Medrish uses the actual shul that serves as the shul for Baaleibatim on Shabbos. In short, it wasn't a very pleasant situation for those Flatbush and Staten Island kids. But I'm getting way ahead of myself, talking about years later! First we need to discuss what happened while I was there, and some of the personalities I had the pleasure of getting to know. People like Rabbi Gurewitz, zg"z, who was menahel of the mesivta at that time, a Novardhikker with a car from the 60s and a man who I would've liked to have known better while I was there. I was too young to get to know him, just as I was in Spinka, and he left - IIRC - a year after I arrived there. People like Reb Hershel Cohen, z"l, a Talmid of BME and a Yid a true Yerei Shomayim, who I merited to have as a maggid shiur. Rabbi Cohen suffered terribly later on as Parkinson's ravaged his body and took his away (what we see as) before his time. He was a true Rebbi and taught as as we were his own children, caring about our progress in learning and in midos tovos and yiras shomayim.


So when I say I stayed in Hungary I need to actually be a bit more clear. Yes, Mattersdorf - in the Sheva Kehillos - does fall into the category of Hungary, but it sure was different than Spinka. As different as an "Emberrer" from Budapest was to a chossid from Selish. The goyim might speak Hungarian in both cities, but boy was life different, and boy were the Yidden different there. In Spinka there were Litvishe Maggidei Shiur, yes, but we had one only for Shiur Bekius ("Girseh" in Lubavitch lingo) The older bochurim had people like Reb Gershon Neuman and Reb Yerachmiel Ungarisher full time. We had Chassidishe Maggidei Shiur most of the day, and the Litvishe were there only to teach and to instill a derech haLimud, not to make policy, chas vesholom. (Ironically enough they both are quite un-Litvish, with Neuman a Viener and Ungarisher a Litvak only from his mother, who was a daughter of Reb Ruven Grozovsky.) In other words they didn't dictate policy or set the tone there. In Mattersdorf they reined supreme. In Mesivta we had all Litvishe Maggidei Shiur - as far as I can remember - with one Chassidishe Maggid Shiur for Shiur Bekius. Yes, the Roov came ocassionally to give a shiur or shmuess, but that didn't set the tone, and neither did Shalisheedes in camp, it was the boys and the staff, and if you closed your eyes it could've been a Mesivta in Lakewood or Flatbush.