mentalblog.com mailbag

After reading your blog The Rebbe bet the farm, I can see that unfortunately you are absolutely clueless. Learn Gemara-Sanhedrin. If you feel all mixed up inside, keep it to yourself, misery doesn't always like company. If you feel hurt, go to the Ohel of the Rebbe and talk to him. Jews as a custom have been going to see Tzaddikim for a few thousand years. Try it. And while you�re at it, ask the Rebbe for forgiveness.

I have two comments about this email. Firstly I ask the author for forgiveness. I changed format of the email so there is one paragraph instead of one sentence per paragraph (must be an epidemic in Lubavitch). I also point out that the above mentioned post was written by Bruce AKA the Chicxulubavitcher Rebbe.

A question to the readers. Imagine the author of this email, you know the type of person he is. Now what is your estimate, what percentage of Lubavitch today think and talk like this fellow?

Madonna of Shirat Hayam

Shirat Hayam, Gaza, AP - Baz Ratner

International Herald Tribune: 200 vehicles to shuttle curious Gazans in and out of Jewish settlements after they are evacuated.

The Druyer family

On the subject of gestures. I don�t know if Reb Bentche Shemtov chased Reb Levik to Alma Aata. My aunt is visiting here from Moscow. Tomorrow she will be back in Boston from DC. She was in Alama Aata with my mother and the rest of the Druyer family during the war. I will ask her what she remembers. She is consumed by people to the point of annoyance, but she also is the only one in our family who still has all the obscure details in her head. Buy again on the subject of personal gerstures. When I was in the early eighties in Penn, my lanzman Avrehmel did not think I was important enough to great me with Sholom Aleichem.

Labkowski and TNLR

On the subject of the next Lubavitcher Rebbe there is a nice picture on the Labkowski family web site:
Standing in the back row, second and third from left Yisroel Labkovski daughter with her husband R. Konson, the grandparents of TNLR. Sitting in the first row, third from left, the gril is the mother of TNLR.

Pirsum rishon:

The kids know it too

There is some turbulence on the Aussie Echo. But this comment by the gefilte fish sounds true around the world:

The PTB [powers that be] has forgotten the original purpose of the schools' existence. For them, their control and authority, has replaced the original Chabad ideals. In their minds their authority and power has become the raison d'etre of the schools. They have convinced themselves that maintaining their control and authority is in the best interests of everyone. They identify their own personal agendas as the purpose of the school. Their egocentric views taints everything they do and they find it difficult to comprehend that many parents cannot agree with their view of things.

Not only does this school lack Chabad hashkafas, it also lacks basic ethics and morality. Only machers and money rule. The kids know it too. If a new school opened tomorrow a majority of parents would jump ship. What are we waiting for? How many more children have to go down the drain before we do something? And people are worried about bad publicity from this blog [Aussie Echo]? That is the least of our problems.

Where is Zionism going?

Some commented that the events in Gaza are a passing phenomena. I disagree at the very least it ferments a dialog and reassessment of the ideological assumptions of the society.
Out of Step Jew: Where is religious-Zionism going after the hitnatkut? I have a better question, where is secular-Zionism going?
Ynetnews, Rabbi Yisrael Rosen: Surrender and leave Gaza.

Literati Parlor

A new blog tries meaning: Literati Parlor. "The aim of Literati is to find parallels in the rabbinic oeuvre to select passages in classic writers such as Dostoevsky and others. By drawing upon the voluminous Talmudic material, we hope to shed light upon some of the ideas set forth therein."

The check that was never cashed

This past Shabbos there was the Yehrzeit of Shmaya Krinsky the grandfather of the clan. I was surprised and moved to learn that Shmaya Krinsky was orphaned from his parents when he was 10 and that he was an against all odds character in Boston, raising his 9 children in the atmosphere hostile to things Jewish. His son Pinchas Krinsky spoke at the Kiddush. There was a Dvar Torah and then there was a story about the Rebbe.

The story was about a man from Brussels who send a check to the Rebbe. The man was disappointed that the check was never cashed and then amazingly a year later the check was cached by the Rebbe on the eve of Yom Kippur hereby securing a mercy on the donor who needed the divine intervention in the coming year...

Let me share with you some thoughts that were triggered by the story and the amazing conversation on this blog last week (truly outstanding contributions on that thread). There were some comments about how a personal encounter or a single gesture can color our perception of an entire movement or even a race. How true, we form our world view based on our personal experiences.

But getting back to the original subject. Every religion has a basic dilemma - how to interpret our connection to G-d while he conceals himself. Religious discourses follow the path of explaining how despite the concealment the presence G-d is near. This same model is often adapted in the stories about Rebbes. It became even more urgent now after the Rebbe is not openly in this world. A typical farbrengen story will show how an obscure sign from the Rebbe is in realty and most intense personal intervention by the Tzaddik in our very lives.

The problem arises when one�s personal experiences contradict the mythology (and I use this word in its highest sense). When I came to Lubavitch there was an opportunity to go to a private Yehidus with the Rebbe. I declined because I felt I was not ready. This was the last year the Rebbe accepted people on a private Yehidusim. In the following years I felt detached from the Rebbe. The kotzker aspects of Lubavitch seemed to me a symptomatic of the lack of connection with the Tzaddik. I craved a more personal interaction. Since those days I have become allergic to stories about Rebbe�s personal interventions while my own experience was that of detachment and apparent or perceived indifference.

This is the reason why I have never been to the Ohel. I am not opposed to going to the graves of Tzaddikim in general and have I done so many times. I was in Uman in 1979 before it became a fashion. But I can�t bring myself to go to the Rebbes Ohel because I can�t overcome my perception of indifference and misunderstanding in the palace of 770 and the villages of the kingdom.

Malden Orthodox

Ynetnews: Fading Orthodox shul in Malden, MA is looking for members by offering low-interest housing loans.

Pale orange

AP Photo - Kevin Frayer

Haaretz: Pale orange: "'Perhaps the bridegroom wants this. It is not clear that the bride will be all that happy,' responds researcher of ultra-Orthodox society Dr. Menachem Friedman. He explains that although ultra-Orthodox hearts lean toward Gush Katif, the rabbis are not giving public permission and are not letting loose the troops."

UPDATE: Jerusalem Post: The Chabad leadership in Israel, putting an end to months of restraint, has called on tens of thousands of its hassidim to launch a nationwide campaign that includes prayer rallies and distributing flyers against disengagement."This should not be seen as a change in Chabad's opinion about disengagement," said Brod.

Faust

REMBRANDT, Faust 1650-52, Etching, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

bloghead gone London tabloid

Miriam from bloghead resigns to pedestrian reporting. A leftist leaning linking and commenting service of the MSM (main stream meadia) or one more Jewish newspaper. And as such the motto is to stay clear of depth, substance and roots of every issue and wallow in gossipy, girlie chit-chat.

mentalblog.com is one year old

I have registered this blog in 2002 but started to blog in earnest a year ago. I feel as rotten today as I did a year ago. It's a blur. Closing in on 100,000 visitors and I feel as disconnected as always. Here how it's all started. Seems like nothing changed.

Samarkand

Yesterday in Gloucester, MA

Jewish future, is it mapped at Kfar Maimon?

Reuters - Ronen Zvulun

After we already established that the direction of Lubavitch is mapped by the Russian minds we now ask: Who is mapping the direction of the Jewish people? Haaretz tries to answer the quiestion: At Kfar Maimon the State of the Faithful was founded:

Despite the "Chabadization" of religious Zionism, which is reflected in this mode of action, it is not focusing on an attempt to "bring people closer to Judaism" individually but rather is trying to bring about a political, cultural and even religious change in Israeli society as a whole, through extensive work in the field.

A question to the mentalblog.com readers. As Judaism stagnates across denominations and across the globe, is it possible that the future direction of our people is mapped at Kfar Maimon? Can it be that the energized national religious camp has the consistency to ferment a genuine cultural and religions upheaval?

Rats in Arizona going mental

mentalblog.com was down this morning so I called the tech support.
TA: Do you have a problem now?
Chris: Yes we are going through a maintenance and each of the serves will be down for approximately half an hour.
TA: Why?
Chris: Arizona is going through a monsoon season. It is not a rain but thunder and lighting season. Look it up on the Google. [Obsolete Dutch monssoen, from Portuguese mon��o, from Arabic mawsim, season, from wasama, to mark.] When this happens rats escape into buildings.
For some reason the rats like to nest in the bundles of Cat 5 cables. They then chew on some of the cables. So we routinely disconnect every server and inspect the cables. If we find chew marks we replace them.
TA: Hmmm. Thanks.

Gaza cage system

Reuters - Gil Cohen Magen. Israeli soldiers stage an exercise to practice the evacuation of Jewish settlers from their homes.


AP Photo - Ariel Schalit. Reporters take pictures of Israeli border policemen in a cage to be used during the evacuation of Jewish settlement.


AFP - Meir Azulay. Many cages are ready.


AP - Hatem Moussa. On the same day: Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades "militants" run through the roads of Gaza City.

P.S. Haaretz: An IDF brigade commander has dismissed a sergeant from command over the soldier's declared decision to refuse orders to evacuate settlements under the disengagement plan. Sergeant Eliav Friedman, a resident of Ma'aleh Adumim, said he made the decision after having taken part in blocking anti-disengagement protesters in Kfar Maimon last week.

Support Honenu

Donation link is to the right. Please take a time today to send a check or donate electronically. They need your money now more than ever. See Soldiers sued for performing their duties.

Chasid Bobuv B'nusach Chabad

MIB, who�s infrequent contributions here have been astounding, writes in the comments to the How did the last male Schneerson become a Bobover chasid? post:

There is another Lubavitcher family that descends from the Tzemach Tzedek. They are the Zeligsons (as in the late Doc) and his son who lives in Crown Heights. They descend from the Z'Z daughter Rade Freide.

As for why Sholom Ber Schneerson is, as he has called himself "Chasid Bobuv B'nusach Chabad", one has to know the man to understand the dynamics... For one, his late father Schneur Zalman Schneerson wasn�t exactly accepted by many seventh generation Chassidim which may have had some effect. The Rebbe on the other hand showed Schneur Zalman (who was a first cousin of the Rebbe's father) much respect in his dealings with him.

In any event Sholom Ber obviously did not raise his children in the Bobov spirit as all three of them are Lubavicther Chassidim.

P.S. Interestingly the RaSHaG had -at one point- wanted to make a shidduch between his son Bere and Sholom Ber's sister Hadassah.

Schneur Zalman of NY writes:

There certainly are a few other Chabad families descendent from the Tzemach Tzedek but not ben acher ben (son after son) The Butman�s (Mrs. Butman Sr. was the sister of R. Zalman Schneersohn) are one such family.

Most of the Schneersohns in Israel are members of the Slonim family who changed their last name and are descendents of the Mitteler Rebbe. In Israel there are descendents of the Bobroisker who are frum but not Chabad and not ben acher ben. I am aware of no such descendents from the Kopuster, Nizhener, Ladier etc.

The Tchebiner are not Chabad and even Reb Baruch Shimen's father in Cracow, Poland was a Belzer Chasid. By the way there are descendents of the Mahrash in Israel, who are non religious and its through them I got a photo of the Mechtan of the Maharash the Gvir Horenstein.

The real stamp that counts

Let me just clarify something because I am getting ticked. Chabad.info editor comments:

Not to rehash the issue yet again, but Leib was falsely accused here and I want to clear his name. Leib sent us an email with a link to mentalblog, which I did not pay much attention to.

Dear Chabad.info editor, its nice of you to come to Leib�s defence but I can assure you that my friendship with Leib is stronger that any online spat. Its just happen that in the midst of our exchange I received a forwarded message from Leib with e subject http://www.mentalblog.com/ and it contained these lines:
On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 11:31:03 -0400 (EDT) editor@chabad.info writes:
Leib, I was under the impression that mentalblog is an anti-chabad site.
So please cut the "did not pay much attention to" BS. By the way, on the subject of logo stamping the photos here is the real stamp that counts!
All the best to the rest of the well wishers of that thread.

Shin Bet Shenanigans

Everyone who follows Israeli politics knows that Shin Bet has a history of smear and provocations against the nationalist camp. It looks like there is case where they finally have been caught in the middle a crime.
Haaretz: Sa-Nur settlers: Two Shin Bet agent provocateurs outed.

mentalblog.com links

SHMULEY BOTEACH in the Jerusalem Post: High taxes, high tuition. "That's right. The United States, alone among the great democracies of the world, shows utter contempt for religious parents by making them pay twice for their children's education, refusing to put even a single dollar of their tax money toward their children's religious schools."
Ditto Biur Chametz: Jewish tuition just doesn't add up.

Hey Miriam, this is too bad: C'mon Sacha, make us a simcha...., but there is hope: DAVID SCHWIMMER PUTS OUT WANTED SIGN FOR A JEWISH WIFE.
P. S. Miriam, its Sascha Baron Cohen not Sacha.

If I forget thee......: MazalTov to Noa and Bryan!

Better eat gefilte fish

On the subject of Bobov and Chabad. What are the basic human needs? What do we seek socially? We all want to belong to a group. To be part of a community where people know you and care for you. We want to be surrounded by a warm chasidisher crowd. We want to go to Catskills for a break. We want to be with people who will help you out if you need parnosa and find a shidduch for your kids. Occasionally if you are in a spiritual mood you also want to hear an inspiring Torah. But given the fact that 99.9% of the Torah in our Shules is made of indigestible clich�s one would rather sit by the tish, sing and eat gefilte fish with the hevra.

chabad of congo

Somebody googled this blog chabad of congo diamonds leviev. I could not believe that there was such a thing, but surely there is. What a joke. A note to the google inquirer: Congo is a Dan Gertler territory.
P.S. Yes, I remember now, somebody emailed me this link a while ago.

How did the last male Schneerson become a Bobover chasid?

On the subject of Oy! for Reb Maishe, the Alter Rebbe�s son, Schneur Zalman of NY writes:

Speaking of the family of the Alter Rebbe may I note the following with interest: As far as I am aware the only male Schneerson "eynikel" of the " Tzemach Tzedek" to remain Chabad (as of 2005) are Rabbi Sholom Duber Schneerson and his two sons (the other two esteemed rabbis of Tchebin in Jerusalem are in no manner followers of Chabad neither was their father Rav Baruch Shimen Schneersohn).

Rabbi Sholom Duber Schneersohn is a former Shochet and a postal officer and has a small Beth Midrash in Flatbush called Bays Schneur. He is known as a wonderful menagen. His father was the late rabbi Schneur Zalman Schneerson of Paris and NY who was a second cousin of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe. Rabbi Sholom Ber is a son in law of Rav Yudel Chitrik the eldest tamim alive.

Reb Sholom Ber studied in the Lubavitcher yeshivoth and his two sons are Lubavitcher chasidim. His only sister married Rav Eliahu Chaim Carlebach the twin of Reb Shlomo Carlebach. His children too are Lubavitcher.

Several weeks ago in its centerfold pictorial section of gedolim, the English weekly HAMODIAH featured a color photo of Rav Sholom Ber Schneerson. And in the new Volume Two of Sefer Yafe Sichoson by Grand rabbi Elchonon Halperin of Radomishla -London we read a story about Reb Sholom Ber. The author informs us he met Reb SB at the Bobover camps and unlike other Chabad people he had long peyos and that Reb Sholom Ber told him that the Raaatz also had such Peyoth. I have not seen any indication of such in any of our pictures of the Rayaatz nor did Reb Bere Gourary indicate such to me. Rav Sholom Ber Schneerson claims to have been in the Chevra Kadisha that executed the Rayaatz's tahara.

Finally I recently met my old friend the revered Bobover Rosh Kollel and son in law of the late Bobover Rav - Y.B. Goldberger shlit'a who told me that Rav Sholom Ber Schneerson is a Bobover lechol davar. He attended Bobover Rebbe�s tischen regularly and he attended Rav Naftolche HKM tischen and even now attends the tischen of his younger brother and the leader of the larger Bobover group Rabbi Ben Zion Halberstam. How did the last male Schneerson become a Bobover chasid?

-Schneur

Eys Laasos, Heyfeyru Torasecho!

Schneur Zalman of NY commenting to the Modern Yeshiva � a Torah prohibition? and We would all be happier Jews posts:

If you read my comments carefully, nowhere do I urge the abandonment of Torah Shebaal Peh. On the contrary I urge daily shiurim in Gefes, Mishnayith, and Ein Yaakov for all. As well as Shiurim in Mishna Berurah or Shulchan Arukh Horav, The Yad of the Rambam and even study of the Shut literature and of the Tur Shulchan Aruch itself. This should take 3 hours daily be'erech. Beyond that time of 3 hours in my opinion we are in a losing cause in terms of the average American teenager and his attention span. I believe most psychologists and educators would back me up on this point too. We need to reach out and teach Nach, Siddur, Hashkofa, Parsha with Malbim and Ramban, and Musar in addition we need to teach 3-4 hours weekly of Jewish history and Toldos Gedole Israel. By the way study of Chumash and Nach with meforshim like Rashi, Ramban , Malbim, Abrabanel and others is considered Torah She Baal Peh as it is based on Midrashim literature and Medrash Agadda.

In Europe and in Lithuania most frum boys did not go to a yeshiva or cheder, etc. after age 12 or so they went to work, so the curriculum at the Yeshivoth was designed for the few Metzuyanim who went on to study until marriage or so, today all Orthodox kids spend at least 5-7 years in Yeshivoth after Bar Mitzvah. I have seen hundreds of guys going to Yeshivos like Torah Vedas, RJJ, MTJ until age 18-19, etc. and knowing nothing (they can hardly make a brocha correctly) because all that was taught was Gemora and they as kids not interested in legal argumentation were taught nothing else. Perhaps our great Rebbes (teachers) could come up with a derech to show our teenagers that the Shakla Vetarye is the Word of GOD, not simple legal gymnastics and hair splitting but at the present outside of the Israeli Mamlachti Dati schools no one to my knowledge has even tried this method and its hard. In fact many of the greatest learners have probably forgotten the divine nature of their studies that why chassiduth came along as a reminder of what its all about!

Are any of my correspondents of this thread ready to assume the spiritual achrayus for the thousands of kids in our yeshivas Modern ,Centrist, Chassidic (including Chabad and Satmar) and American yeshivas who go through 6-7 years of post bar Mitzva schooling who are bright and smart but not into legal argumentation hence they learn zip about Yiddishkeit? At least our MO schools and the Chassidic schools make some accommodations for these kids but what of the main stream Yeshivos? So what if a bachur can not hack the Brisker shtei dinim or the like should he be doomed to waste his years in yeshiva? This same bachur would or could love studying Chumash with Ramban and Ibn Ezra and become the next great parshan of Orthodoxy or at least a great elementary school teacher! Or he could enjoy halacha lemaase and even become a good practical More Zedek or Shochet, or if creativity is his interest fields like chazzanus and safrut could be his game. I concede that I liked studying Nach, enjoyed Parsha, liked the Kittzur love Ein Yaakov (I loved Jewish history Toldos Gedole israel, Minhoge Israel, etc.) but I lose interest in shakla ve Taarya after an hour or so and I was like this when I was 13 too. I think there are many others like me in every generation. Cahanoch lenaar al pi darko!

Finally we are now entering a new era of Kiruv Kerovim. We all know that in all streams of orthodoxy we are losing hundreds of teens each year. The MO community is bleeding, the Yeshiva world is being hard it. The Chassidim are losing bachurim and Chabad is having serious issues in this area too, and then we cry and have asifos and all sorts of self proclaimed experts in Kiruv Kerovim are cropping up like mushrooms (most of whose credentials is years in a classical yeshiva studying Gemore with the inability to be a Rov or Ram and a two bit degree in counseling or pastoral counseling worth the same a Rav umaggid klaf is worth). Lets get real in order to keep our kids frum and proud we need to change the curriculum in many of our schools or at least offer an alternative program.

Even in Hungary there were Torah Veavoda schools in the 20th century. Its an Eys Laasos therefore Heyfeyru Torasecho!

Yes we can feel proud and smug in Chadash Assur min haTorah, aha! We need to follow this derech of the gedolim or that derech with the shayne vertlech that go with it. And at the same time have hundreds fall away annually or we can be bold and be mechadesh bechol Yom Tamid, the Torah the Maase Breishith of our world. As I say the Torah is the Moreshet of all Kehillas Yaakov not just of the Shevet Levi and me thinks that was one of the boldest messages of the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples.

-Schneur

17 of Tammuz

Gaza, Neve Dekalim, AP - Baz Ratner

Oy! for Reb Maishe, the Alter Rebbe�s son

Schneur told me not to touch this subject anymore as in "playing with fire". But it is now out there in Haaretz: Oy! for Reb Maishe, the Alter Rebbe�s son.
Yosef Kaminetzky says the docs are fake: Haaretz - blah, blah, blah...
(via Bloghead tip)

Why do chabadniks butcher photos?

Anybody understands why all the multiple Chabad sites like chabadnik.com or Chabad.info, etc. have one common editorial policy - they butcher photos that in 99% of cases were taken by others with their ugly logos?

Take this picture of RaYaTZ on Chabadnik.com as an example, it is certain that this is one of the photos taken by young Berke Gourary (see here about Leica camera and here about the famous laughing photo).

Anybody knows who took this photo?

New morons and idiots leave this blog now

Look I will come clean about the photos I published from the wires. But this blog is about art and beauty; the morons from Chabad.info took my photos (rally in Boston), plastered their ugly logo (this is worse than stealing) and changed my subtitles under the photos. I am appalled. Lubavitcher garbage leave this blog now. I don�t want you here. You don�t get it and you will never get it. You dwell in dark places without beauty. This goes for Leib who emailed my photos to chabad.info. And the idiots that hacked it. I detest official Lubavitch publications and it is a personal insult to be associated with the yellow rags.

UPDATE: The post was taken down by the chabad.info editor. Thanks. Apologies for the harsh words toward Leib who meant no harm and apologies for some harsh words towards Lubavitch. I will not delete it though, that is how I felt when I saw the butchered photos. It also makes other people happy as they have a proof of me being hater of Lubavitch from the source.

The revelation to soldiers at Kfar Maimon

AP - Roberto Schmidt


AFP - Yoav Lemmer

Reuters - Nir Elias


Reuters - Nir Elias


Reuters - Nir Elias


Reuters - Nir Elias


AP - Emilio Morenatti

Lenin library yields Chabad secrets

New Facts Found In Chabad's Quest For Sacred Texts:
A case of editorial confusion? R. Berl Lazar's web site carries R. Shlomo Cunin�s side press release advocating removal of the Lubavitcher library from Russia. The goal opposed by R. Berl Lazar in the interest of Putin�s government. Russia is afraid to set a precedent for demands on the forfeited Jewish property. The dispute between Cunin and Lazar is so heated on this subject that a source quoted Rabbi Shlomo Cunin: "I have many children and grandchildren, if I don�t finish the fight for the books, my children will fight on till victory!"

Lubavitcher Rebbe at Kfar Maimon

Reuters - Nir Elias


AP � Ariel Shalit


Reuters - Ronen Zvulun


AP - Oded Bality


AP � Kevin Frayer


AP � Jerome Delay


AP - Oded Bality


Reuters - Nir Elias

Barbed wire at Kfar Maimon

AP - Mladen Antonov


AP - Oded Bality


AP - Baz Ratner


AP - Oded Bality


AP � Ariel Shalit


Reuters - Nir Elias


Reuters � Gil Cohen Magen


Reuters - Nir Elias


AP - Oded Bality

Dusk at Kfar Maimon

Reuters � Gil Cohen Magen


Reuters � Gil Cohen Magen


AP - Oded Bality

mentalblog.com googling

Some of the amusing Google keyphrase searches that ended up on mentalblog.com in the past few weeks:

new england hebrew academy
jewish pride
artificial insemination for single women
sephardic jews belorussia
phosphorescent dinoflagellates
prozac and camille paglia
was hitler responsible for the hecht family?
chabad melbourne downtown
was bush right after all
noach flood renew jewish Judaism
jewish law pilegesh
shadchonim
mafia in springfield ma
chabad cunin
congregation lubavitch and Newton
messianic jew congregation in puerto rico
boston luciano tour
wolfowitz arab girlfriend
nepotism in our society
how good are chabad day schools
schneerson at sorbonne university
google satellite map Latvia
imam al mahdi appearance 2005
german escorts
toronto tutors of hungarian descent
schneur zalman knife metal slaughter
haunted mental institutions in the usa
feta pancakes
chassidic escorts
history of beauty esthetics
baal tshuva in flatbush ny
next lubavitcher rebbe

The passion of Kfar Maimon

Reuters � Goren Tomasevic


Reuters � Goren Tomasevic


AP � Ariel Shalit


AFP - Limor Edrey


Reuters � Oleg Popov


AP - Oded Bality


Long Live the Third International, 1920, Dimitry Moore. One of the most interesting poster artist in the past century. There is certain shock value too all of his works. Innovative graphically Moore�s posters reflect a mortal tension indicative of a true artist. There is small collection on his works at Boston�s International Poster gallery.

AP - Baz Ratner


Reuters - Nir Elias

We would all be happier Jews

Schneur Zalman of NY commenting to the Modern Yeshiva � a Torah prohibition?

The problem with our Yeshivas is the stress to the exclusion of all else of Talmud-Gemora. Since Dr. Lamm has been kashered by Chabad of greater Boston, I will use his expression: the "Pan-Halachic" nature of present day orthodoxy (expressed in his wonderful and moving hesped for the late Dr. A. J. Heschel of JTS, in the pages of SHMA magazine).

After grade 5-6 Chumash and Rashi play only a secondary role. Forget about commentators like Abrabanel, Malbim, Ibn Ezra and many others. Let�s examine subjects not taught or hardly touched upon: Neviim especially the great Prophets of the Neviim Achronim. Does anyone here understand T'ilim or Mishle? How about the Tefillos, especially the special ones like piyyutim and slichos. Do we have any idea what we say? Midrash is hardly taught, text only passed on through oral "stories". Most yeshiva bachurim do not know of Midrash hagadol or Lekach Tov or even looked at the Tanchuma. Halacha, most kids and Yeshiva students are ignorant of most areas of Jewish law especially those dealing with ethical sexuality, and inter personal relations. Do we learn how to go through a halchic responsa or how it is constructed and the rules of judgment in Halacha. A tad of Mishna Berurah is all that�s really taught in most Yeshivoth.

What about the Shulchan Aruch, how about opening it up and just seeing how its constructed, the same is true of the Tur. The Rebbe had a wonderful idea of studying the YAd, yet few yeshiva bachurim are familiar with it and that only in its relationship to the Brisker Teyres. Lets move on hashkafa or Philosophy books like the Moreh, Albo, Kuzari are hardly touched in a class room setting. Modern day Sages like Rav Kuk, Rabbiner Hirsch, Dr. Isaac Breuer, Dr. Nathan Birbaum are ignored in their attempts at dealing with Jews living in an emancipated society. Jewish history from the destruction of Bayis Rishon until the 1950's is never taught and many Yeshiva students have no idea which came first Chanuka or Purim. What does the average bachur know about the Holocaust, about Tach VeTat, about Jewish life in Spain, about "Ashkenaz" and the development of Jewish life in Poland. Can a yeshiva bachur tell you who R. Manasseh Ben Israel was?

Lets not forget Hebrew language, Aramaic language, Hebrew literature and some basic exposure to the Zohar and other Jewish mystical literature. I am sure I have forgotten many areas. Can a yeshiva bachur write a letter in classical Hebrew?

So we spend our time in yeshiva with Gemora? That�s good and well for those who are interested in the "law" but most of us do not have legal minds and studying Ayn Yaakov, Mishnayoth, and 2 hours daily of Gefes would suffice for the Mitzvo of Talmud Torah. I know this is an "appikorshishe " idea, but its time that we adopted Chanoch lenaar al Pi Darcho.

If my curriculum were adopted for those not seeking Talmudic excellence we would have a thinking, vital and energized orthodoxy. People would know of why they are Jews. Anxiety about Halachic observance would decrease and we would all be happier Jews.

-Schneur

Gush Takif in Boston

A demonstration today in Boston in front of the Israeli Consulate at the Park Plaza





Leib Schaeffer, the organizer of the Gush Katif solidarity flight and an occasional contributor to mentalblog.com on the left. To the right is Rabbi Michoel Green, a Shaliyah in Westboro, MA. BTW, on the subject of the Unofficial Jewish soul. Virtually not a single Shaliyah from the Dr. Norman Lamm's lecture was at the rally today.


Marina Salganik, the organizer of the rally in Boston


Dan Rodkin, the commander of the Boston�s Russian Jewish Center with his beautiful daughter






Professor Gene


Arkasha with his son Ilyusha and Yuri in the background

Mi hu Yehudi Maccabi?

Jerusalem Post: Iranian Muslim who represents Sweden is Maccabiah winner. The Iranian-born Muslim, who represents Sweden at international competitions, came to the Maccabiah, the "Jewish Olympics," with his teammate Jimmy Samuellson and coach Richard Swierad, neither of whom are Jewish either. The three had no idea that the Maccabiah is only open to Jews and Israelis, and came to participate as a result of a long line of irresponsible mix-ups. "I don't know exactly how," said Swierad, laughing, "but we are here."

Boker Tov Kfar Maimon

AP - Oded Bality


AP � Ariel Shalit


AP - Yuval Shuster


AP � Ariel Shalit


AP - Emilio Morenatti


AP � Ariel Shalit

"worthwhile for anyone with the energy"

Rabbi Dovis Sears AKA Dovid Sears AKA David Sears, etc. posts on A Simple Jew.

Yud Beis Tammuz, Gaza

AP � Kevin Frayer


Reuters - Nir Elias


AFP � Pedro Ugarte


AP - Emilio Morenatti


AP - Emilio Morenatti


AFP � Pedro Ugarte


Reuters � Oleg Popov


Reuters - Nir Elias

Gush Katif and Shomron video map

You can click on a town on the map to see a video.


AP Emilio Morenatti

Worldwide rally on Tuesday, locations.

BACKGROUND: Out of Step Jew on hitnatkut.

Shaliyah hit in Neve Dekalim

AP Photo/Yahuda Lahiani

ENGAGE - For a Secure Israel (EFSI): Chabad Rabbi in Gaza hit by mortar. Rabbi Yigal Kirschenzaft, Beit Habad of Neve Dekalim.

Israeli army platoon disbanded over Gaza rebellion

AP Photo/Shoham Hadad
Israeli police officers drag an anti-disengagement demonstrator during a protest at the Kissufim crossing point.

Reuters AlertNet: "Israel's army disbanded a platoon of religious Jewish conscripts on Sunday after nine of them refused orders to help seal the occupied Gaza Strip in preparation for the evacuation of 21 settlements. An Israeli military source said two of the conscripts who refused orders had also deserted the unit and fled into the Gaza settlement area. The army was searching for them."