Farbrengen with Naftoli Estulin

I just came from a farbrengen with Naftoli. He spoke about Meshichisten and the Antis as an "alter milchoma" (not true of course), saying this is not new and why make a big deal of it. His point was that we should deemphasize our differences: "In Russia Jews did not have labels" - he said - "Not reform, not conservative, not anti, etc". Then he looked at me and because I didn't bring my Borsalino he concluded that I am a businessman and told me that I "should write a check to every Shliach". This certainly was the biggest label in itself.

P.S. Next to Naftoli was Rabbi Chaim Ciment who is allegedly a millioner many times over. I should have asked how much money did Rabbi Cimnet contributed to the young Shluchim around the table, particularly in light of the fact that he is a nominal Head Shliach. I didn't think to ask him on the spot, but I should have.

P.S.S. What is it that I was trying to write last night? Ahh, ok, the implication of that statement is that there is "us and you", two separate entities. An inappropriate division during a farbrengen that supposed to bind people together. But the real undertone of that statement is this: "We are here Meshichisten or Meshichiten who don't say it outloud. This is our secret religion, now we are going to drink a little and let lose and talk about our task of bringing the Rebbe back to finish the job. And by the way, we already accepted the fact that you are an outsider and you are not part of the secret mission. Therefore we will talk to you in a patronizing way because you are not part of the secret cabal of Mashichism and we don�t expect or want you to be". Bottom line the well meaning "varm" Lubavitchers consider themselves "saved" community because they witnessed the revelations and consider the world out there differentely.

Zhid davay groshy, translation just tag alone till the King is back in town. What I am trying to say is that some Lubavitchers fabricated a religion for the "internal consumption" only. It used to be that they wanted BTs to be part of the "revelation" but now it is we will initiate you to our secret community when and if you are ready.

'Absurdistan' by Gary Shteyngart

Absurdistan: A Novelby Gary Shteyngart will be released tomorrow.
The New York Times Book Review.
An audio interview with Gary.

New American Schoolhouse

Narrated by students, the film chronicles life and learning at the Fairhaven School in Upper Marlboro, MD which practices an undiluted form of freedom and democracy that turns mainstream education theory on its head. Filmmaker Danny Mydlack.



Fairhaven School and Sudbury Valley School.

This is not a new idea to Jewish learning, see Modern Yeshiva � a Torah prohibition? post.
The interesting for me angle is how this school method relates to the Economist article I linked to few weeks ago. The article heralds the done of the personal and participatory media. Certainly it refers not only to media but to education as well. Perhaps the beginning of a seminal, dramatic cultural shift. I am undecided on this subject. I remember when I went to an American college I was surprised that the professors allowed too many questions from the students. And since most of the questions I deemed idiotic this was a source of great annoyance to me. I would rather the teacher speak and students shut up. At the same time I certainly feel that the entire top to bottom totalitarian model as exemplified by the Rebbe was terribly flawed.

mentalblog.com links

The exact replica of The Rebbe's Chair. ( via chakira )
New York Times Interactive Graphic: Homicides and Crime in New York City via Google maps.
The Boston Globe: Moscow's building boom leaves little room for history.

messianic "rabbi" has 7 wives

The Man With Seven Wives:
1. First was Judith (47), the synagogue secretary, when Philip drew up his chair one day and said God had told him that she should be his wife, she was flattered and extremely compliant.
2. 18 months after Philip and Judith set up home, there came Tracey (38), separated with two children and in obvious need of a husband, according to Philip: "I prayed to God to provide her with one (a husband), but he said I should marry her myself, that was a bit of a shock".
3. Then followed widow Chava (62) (who had been a devout Christian called Dianne before her conversion to Judaism), she had been in a sexless marriage for 22 years and was a virgin before she 'married' Philip, after he officiated at her husband's funeral.
4. Next was New Zealander, Margo (36), who worshipped at his synagogue and became the nanny to two of his children.
5. Swiss,Vreni (36) came after fleeing a traumatic family life in Switzerland.
6. Hannah (49) met Philip in Austria when he was preaching, and followed him back to England.
7. Karyn (27) was recruited three years ago by her mother who believed she could make a good wife for Phillip, Karyn says "My mother said Philip had told her I would be a good wife for him. I didn't take the news well initially, It was quite a scary prospect".
Karyn's mother is Maureen (62) who is also the family matriarch. Maureen doesn't live as Philip's wife, merely as a head of the family.

TotallyJewish.com (via Shmarya)

Where do we go from here?

Any suggestions?

Menachem Mendel Vitebsker Wills

A Simple Jew: Guest Posting From Chabakuk Elisha - Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk.

Jane Jacobs passed away in Toronto

Jane Jacobs, the author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities passed away in Toronto today. Obituary: Jane Jacobs, 89, reshaped the way people view cities. G-d bless her memory.

Chanie from dirah btachtonim, etc.

Poetry of a Chassid: Purpose.
The Muqata: The Shomronim. A Brief Glimpse on Har Greizim.
A Simple Jew: A Picture From My Family's Shtetl - Week 35.
Nafka Mina: Basel, Switzerland.
webcam.mnc.ru: Take control of the webcam on top of Moscow University, live!
International Sephardic Leadership Council (ISLC) calls on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

The idea department of a big firm

In big industry new ideas are invited to rear their heads so they can be clobbered at once. The idea department of a big firm is a sort of lab for isolating dangerous viruses - Marshall McLuhan

Gabriel Metsu

Gabriel Metsu, Man Writing a Letter, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.

A letter by R. Nechama Dinah on eBay

(tip by A Simple Jew)

Stop plagiarizing my blog!

Hey morons, you know who you are! Stop plagiarizing my blog without attribution! Stop stealing my themes, my links, my approach and my ideas. Go read the ten commandments again.

Separated at birth

Rabbi Benny Zippel, head Shliach in Utah and his Jewish friend at the Abbey of the holy trinity in Huntsville, UT, with tefillin and matzah before Pesach/Easter. (via Shmais.com)




Eucharist in 770.

Statement of Defence, WJC vs. Isi Leibler

Firstly people kept asking me why I took down the original post. It is back up: WJC files $6 million libel suit against Isi Leibler. I just felt that that statement was a bit too emotional (understandably) and I did not feel conformable without knowing all the details. But now the real Statement of Defence has been released.

Isi Leibler via email: In response to many requests I am attaching an English translation of my Statement of Defense against the $6 million libel suit initiated against me by the WJC [PDF]. The original version and appendices referred to in the document are available upon request. It is a lengthy legal document, but warrants perusal if you are following this bizarre conflict.

You should note that my Defense makes it clear that this court case is not a conflict between two parties arguing over differing interpretations. The central issue is not in dispute. My defense quotes directly from the report of the New York Attorney General, setting out a whole series of financial irregularities and improprieties. The defense also refers to the misappropriation of charitable funds for personal benefit and reiterates that Israel Singer was obliged to step down as Chairman of the Governing Board because the New York Attorney General deemed him to be in violation of his fiduciary duties as a trustee of charitable assets.

The action initiated against me, attempting to portray me as responsible for the tarnished reputation of the WJC, without even referring to the findings of the Attorney General's investigation, is mind boggling. To quote from the defense, the WJC should be "suing those who are responsible for the negative publicity, first and foremost Singer, as detailed in the Spitzer Report". Their insistence on pursuing this course of action "reflects the aggressive and intimidatory tactics of the plaintiffs, who are continuing to wage their vengeful campaign" and "mobilizing the WJC as if it was their personal fiefdom". They are leading themselves into yet another morass.

It is also saddening that even those WJC leaders who recognize that this costly exercise in vengeance is counter-productive for the WJC and the Jewish people, have become so acclimatized to kow-towing to those in power that they did not find the courage to raise their voices.

If you read my defense, you will appreciate the magnitude of what has been unleashed. But as a responsible international Jewish leader, I had no pleasure in producing such a damning document and I now fear that this scandal has the potential of snowballing out of control. These court documents are public and the fallout will certainly exacerbate the scandal and provide additional grist for the media mills. Yet, no one can deny that as the recipient of a $6 million libel suit, I am obliged to be forthright and defend myself.

The defense also questions whether, in light of the damning findings of the Attorney General forcing Israel Singer to step down from his position in the WJC and precluding him from any financial management or oversight role in the WJC or its affiliated entities, he is entitled to retain the role of President of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany, the largest repository of funds for Holocaust survivors amounting to billions of dollars. I hope that this issue will be dealt with expeditiously, especially in light of the adverse publicity which this libel suit is likely to attract.

I once again thank those of you who continue to provide me with support and encouragement in this distasteful ongoing struggle.

-Isi Leibler

The Rebbe of Satmar passed away today

MIB reports: Baruch Dayan Emes. Reb Moshe Teitelbaum, Rebbe of Satmar (Sighet) passed away today 26 Nissan 5766. Reb Moshe was born in 1915 to his father the great Gaon Reb Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum the "Atzei Chaim" OBM. He survived Auschwitz. After the war Rav of Sighet community in Brooklyn. Appointed Rebbe of Satmar soon after the passing of his dynamic uncle Reb Yoel in 1979. T'hey Nishmaso Tzruro B'zror Hachaim.

UPDATE: Wikipedia is fast: "was the Rebbe".

Boeing 797

Move over Airbus A380, here comes 1,000 seat Blended Wing Boeing. New Tech Spy reports. I say the stock is going up three points tomorrow.

The Beltzer Shule in Jerusalem

The building is super ugly. Kudos for not using the darn fluorescent lights, to bad the substitute are the chandeliers, appropriate for the Boro Park Hungarian table but not appropriate and threatening with their weight in a large building. I did not notice much of daylight, the building has no color, no human texture and has en empty hangar like feel to it judging by the video.

mentalblog.com links

Ben Chorin: we did the Pesach at a hotel on the Dead Sea thing:

Pseudo-Yeshivish Eurotrash -- Antwerpian West Side Boro Park Bnei Brakers who are fluent in five languages and illiterate in every one of them. The men wear Italian hats, suits and shoes and big zilbeneh atarahs. They're either learning or in import-export, depending on whose asking, but in fact are loafing and mooching. The women wear long straight sheitlach with wide bands across the front, Barbie make-up and -- this seems to be the key -- perfectly unchanging vacuous expressions showing no sign of affect (apparently a perk of a fully scripted life). They're cynical about materialism and anti-materialism.

A new documentary on Bryan Mark Rigg�s book: Caught in the middle, part-Jewish Germans served in Nazi army.
Haaretz: Shirt tales from the yeshiva.
Economist.com: Among the audience. The era of mass media is giving way to one of personal and participatory media, says Andreas Kluth. That will profoundly change both the media industry and society as a whole.
FT.com: Social networking becomes work.
I wonder how many of these Shmarya's t-shirts were sold: TEAM KRINSKY Black Tee w/770 on back.
Case closed, Jerusalem Post: Frida Kahlo's father wasn't Jewish after all.
PSU censors anti-terror exhibit. ( via IMRA)
DAVID BERGER: Jerusalem Post: Who controls Lubavitch headquarters?

Simon Jacobson and the leadership of the neo-sadducees in Chabad

Tony Montana commenting to Membership in Chabad like a long-distance phone package:

I don't want to speak about Reb Gershon Ber a"h whose first yarzeit is coming up soon.

All I will say is that there is a classic Sadducees versus Pharisees (tzedukim vs. prushim) divisions about which things the Rebbe said are "canonical" or not. The Meshichistin, as you know, rely on a fundamentalist reading of the Sichos. The "lefties" AKA antis, AKA Chabad, Inc. rely upon much of the "Oral Torah" i.e.: heiro'eis, answers, tzetlech, orders through mazkirus, etc. The Jacobsons are of the former camp, which is what aligns them in ideology with the Meshichistin. If the Rebbe didn't say it in a Sicho (or tell it to R' GBJ a"h) then it never happened as far as extracting policy or instruction. As far as giving speeches or writing weekly e-mails, then even if it never happened it's okay as long as it sounds cool.

For example: the system of shlichus is not something that the Rebbe sat down in 770 and explained at a Farbrengen to the masses. Thus, it does not exist. If the Rebbe told something to a Head Shliach or to Chadakov, it is apocrypha. Interestingly, Vaad Hanochos HaTmimim and Algemeiner are not apocryphal. But the Sadduccees also had their versions of Talmud.

This, of course, is a convenient way of taking a teacher and turning him into a book. Papers can't fight back. What it comes down to is positioning oneself as the arbiter of information and negating all other sources of truth. Sadduceeism is stripping the word of its spirit without even knowing its origins, today�s yellow-ists are inheritors of this school of thought.

Hirhurim Soloveitchik

Rabbi Beilin emails about The Yohrzeit of Rav Soloveitchik post:

Using the word "swear" is prohibited. Averah goreres averah.

R. Yitzchok Elchonon in his lifetime as well as Reb Y. Kaminetsky have (posthumously) had their teshuvot published. What you Hirhurim writes is as usual nonsense. What is the point of writing? Everything goes on your blog. But, how dare anyone say "I swear". Writing is also assur.

By the way, for me it is not what R. Soloveitchik said on a particular sugya, etc. that is important. It is the APPROACH to learning that he gave me. This is according to the Shulchan Aruch waht makes him my Rebbie. Remember, you gave a fish he eats once - you teach him how to fish and he can always eat without handouts.

Mashiach code b'nusach Breslov

Rabbi Gedalia Fleer.

Haaretz: Megilat Setarim: For 200 years, a mysterious manuscript dictated by Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav to his two closest disciples has been a closely guarded secret within Bratslav Hasidism.

Warsaw 1939, arba minim b'nusach Brisk

To sum up comments to The Yohrzeit of Rav Soloveitchik I found the following passage in the same book on page 31:

"The Brisker Rov used to speak about the high madrega that the Yidden of Warsaw reached during this dark period. Immediately after the bombing stopped at 12:00 noon on erev Sukkos, the Yidden had only four hours until yomtev. They managed to put up sukkos all over Warsaw. They also began to scour the city and countryside for arba minim. From their unflagging, meticulous efforts to be mekayem the mitzvos associated with the yomtev of Sukkos, one would never believe that these survivors had just come out of their shelters after three weeks of continuous bombing. Approximately one hundred thousand Yidden had been killed in the city during those few weeks. The Brisker Rov was one of only three people in the whole of Warsaw who had arba minim. On Sukkos, when the Brisker Rov opened his front door, he found thousands of people queuing up from early morning to bentsch on his arba minim. The Brisker Rov told them not to make a brocho on his arba minim. Although he had a beautiful esrog that Reb Isser Zaiman Meltzer had sent him from Eretz Yisroel, his lulav" was rather dry. But the people insisted upon making a brocho with this mitzvo. They said to the Brisker Rov: "At such a time, when our lives have been so miraculously saved, how can we not make a Shehechiyonu. They took it for granted that it was only due to the Brisker Rov's chumro that he advised them not to make the brocho, so they didn't obey. They made their brochos with exceptional hislaavus. The Brisker Rov told of one Yid who made his brocho with incredible hislahaavus and simche Afterwards he told the Brisker Rov that his entire family had been killed during the bombing. His last child had just died a few hours before yomtev.

The Gerer Rebbe had an esrog, lulav and hadassim, but no arovos. When he heard that the Brisker Rov had arovos, he sent his gabbai to ask if the Brisker Rov would let him take the arovos every day after the Brisker Rov finished duvening and return them right after his own use. The arrangement was made. It was at this time that the Poles managed to report to the Germans that the Gerer Rebbe was in Warsaw. The Nazis started searching for him in order to capture him. His chassidim whisked the Rebbe away in a car to a secret hiding place. At just that moment when the chassidim carried out their mission, the Rebbe had in his possession the Brisker Rov's arovos. They took the Rebbe with the arovos, so the Brisker Rov was left without them. Upon investigation, the Brisker Rov found out the whereabouts of the Gerer Rebbe's secret hiding place. The Brisker Rov had the arovos retrieved."

Firstly there is a mention of a third person who had the arba minim without a name. RAYATZ? In the Vilno story the lulav is kosher but a person thinks it is not, here is reverse the lulav is not kosher but people think it is. Raaytz probably was the third person but he is not mentioned. RAYATZ could not be in Vilno in 1940 but he is mentioned. The first story is 100% baloney like I said.

Sifry's alerts: state of the blogosphere

Davis Sifry the founder of Technorati: Part 1: On Blogosphere Growth:

* Technorati now tracks over 35.3 Million blogs
* The blogosphere is doubling in size every 6 months
* It is now over 60 times bigger than it was 3 years ago
* On average, a new weblog is created every second of every day
* 19.4 million bloggers (55%) are still posting 3 months after their blogs are created
* Technorati tracks about 1.2 Million new blog posts each day, about 50,000 per hour

This means there are 50,000 posts every hour.

The Giants

Rav Schach. Lubavitchers should learn how to respect their leaders. When I put up the Rebbe�s passport picture people complain. But here no, it's "nadira".


Rav Shmuel Rozovsky and Rav Zalman Rothberg upon arrival to Israel. Have you ever wondered what gedolim looked like in their youth? (ok I know you didn't) Someone collected a whole bunch of bad scans.

mentalblog.com links

Jerusalem Post: The rebbe and the chancellor.
CrownHeights.info: Jewish Learning Institute grows with each new class.
Balashon - Hebrew Language Detective: hamsin.
Future of the Internet for Orthodox Jews: Secular Education IV.
Hagahot: People who don't know too much.
Seforim: Haggadah, First Hebrew Map, and Forgery.
Menachem Mendel: Lyrics of Redemption III.
Wolfish Musings: Our Trip To The Museum of Natural History... my rants.

Passover from Nablus to Nepal

Reuters - Amma Awad. Samaritans perform their traditional slaughter of the Passover sacrifice ceremony at Mount Gerizin, north of West Bank town of Nablus, late April 11, 2006. The Samaritan community numbers about 600 people, half at Mount Gerizin in the West Bank and the others in Holon near Tel Aviv.


Reuters - Eliana Aponte


AP - Baz Ratner.


Reuters - Eliana Aponte. After they bring the �Korban Pesach� they mount the sheep of the wooden skewers. That�s the chop stick I can appreciate!


Reuters - Amma Awad. It looks like they fry the �Korban� in the fiery pit.


AFP - Devendra Man Singh. Meanwhile the chicks are hanging out in Nepal, eating vegetarian crap. (Israeli women praying and lighting candles in Kathmandu. Decade-long Maoist insurgency have seen the number of visitors to Nepal reduced to a trickle, but hundreds of Israelis have descended on the capital to celebrate.)


AFP - Devendra Man Singh. By the way no matter how many publicity shots the fine man of Chabad can take lighting candles with the dreamy chicks in Nepal it will not change the following fact: for the past twenty five years Israeli culture, ideas, fashion and cuisine have been greatly influenced by the Far East. This influence is disproportionately more significant than the traditional Jewish ideology.

The Yohrzeit of Rav Soloveitchik

Today is the Yohrzeit of Rav Soloveitchik. Yesterday I asked several times Rabbi Beilin, a distinguished and special student of Rav Soloveitchik in Boston, if he wants to go to the Tzion on Baker St. Not only he refused but he also is denying the Jewish people his special memoirs about the Rabbi.

On the subject of memoirs and Soloveitchiks I was reading on Yom Tov The Life and Times of Reb Rephoel Soloveitchik of Brisk and came across the following passage about the Brisker Rov, Reb Rephoel�s father on page 88:

The Brisker Rov had great mesirus nefesh for arba minim. In Vilna, during the war, it was nearly impossible to find proper lulavim. The Brisker Rov located an exclusive greenhouse where exotic plants were cultivated. In 1940 he paid the astounding sum of $300 for an entire palm tree from which three branches were suitable for lulavim. Since the Brisker Rov couldn't afford the amount on his own, he looked for partners. He found two. One was the Brisker Rov's landlord in Vilna, Mendel Levin. He was a rich chosid who could well afford becoming a partner. The second partner was the previous Lubovitcher Rebbe, Reb Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn. The Lubovitcher Rebbe sent one of his gabboim to fetch the lulav. The gabbai arrived holding a Shulchan Aruch Harav in his hand. He consulted his sefer while checking the lulav, although the Brisker Rov had said it was definitely kosher. When the gardener watched them cutting up the palm tree that she had grown for beauty, she started crying. She said that if she had known that they were going to cut up the tree, she would never have sold it.

Here some Brisker lomdus for Mr. Glaberson the author of the book:
1. Rayatz was not in Vilna during the war. Certainly not in 1940. He was briefly in Riga in 1939 while he was escaping from Warsaw. He was in Riga in December of that year not on Tishrey (see The Latvian border).
2. No comment about the snide Shulchan Aruch Harav remark. What did the Brisker expect him to hold, the last issue of the National Geographic?
3. And finally, ever seen a palm tree? Do you really have to cut the tree to get the "three branches"?
I swear these people are worse than the best of the Lubavitcher propaganda hackers.

P.S. G-d bless the memory of the house of Brisk and Rav Soloveitchik of Boston!

Book review, Alexander Beider on Ashkenazic Names

On Pesach I finally was able to read "A Dictionary of Ashkenazic Given Names: Their Origins, Structure, Pronunciations, and Migrations" by Alexander Beider.

Alexander was bourn in Moscow in 1963. In 1989 he earned a PhD from Moscow�s Physico-Technical Institute (known as PhysTech) and in 2000 a PhD in Jewish Studies from the Sorbonne. He devoted himself to the study of Jewish European names and his latest book is a monumental (700 large pages) volume. The first 270 pages of the book is a comprehensive discussion about the etymology of Ashkenazic given names and rather interesting excursion into the European Jewish history based exclusively on the names data.

Dr. Beider's approach is very unique. His hypotheses is that the only reliable historical data is the census archives, the lists of victims of Black Death, the lists of martyrs of the crusades or cemetery monuments for the post 10th century Ashkenazic dispersion, or later Russian, Polish and Czech archives. He uses the names as a single source of the historical suggestions.

For example Dr. Beider traces migration patters of Jews to Franconia and Rhineland based on the name records. He also suggest for example that appearance of the name Chasdai (and others) popular amongst Sephardim but not used amongst Ashkenazim as an indication of the immigration of some Sephardic families.

He goes on to suggest that preponderance of Slavic names and suffixes amongst Jews of Bohemia and Moravia (current Czechoslovakia) is indicative of the fact that Jews in that area spoke Judeo-Slavic before they spoke Judeo-German (AKA Yiddish). Dr. Beider writes that these Judeo-Slavic speaking Jewish immigrants from Bohemia and Moravia where the majority in the communities of East Germany.

Eventually all Slavic speaking Jews were assimilated into Yiddish but not before the following historical possibilities suggested by Dr. Beider. Based on the names of the first Jews invited to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Dr. Baider traces the majority of the first Jewish families settled in Brest (AKA Brisk) to the towns in Germany and Poland, yet he concludes (again based on names) that the majority of Jews who lived at the same time in the nearby Grodno were the indegenous Russian speaking Jews who must have been in the area before the Yiddish invasion.

Dr. Baider etymologies tracing various �Jewish names� to their origins are amusing. Yentl to Gentille, Bunnim to Bon Nome (a good name, compare to Baal Shem Tov), Schneur to Senior, Mendel to Man(n), etc.

This book is exclusively about the first names. Only in passing Dr. Beider notes about the family names:

"For several rabbinical families, their genealogical trees are known to point to Western or Central Europe. Epstein, Katzenellenbogen and Oppenheim come from Hessen; Emden and Hamburg from Northern Germany; Bachrach, Landau, and Spira/Schapiro from Rhineland; Auerbach, Ettinger and Ettingen, Frankel, Gunzburg, Heilprin/Halperin, Heller, Margohoth (Margohes/Margulies), Wallerstein, Well and Wertheim from Southern Germany (Bavaria, Baden and Wurttemberg); Rothenburg (from Middle Franconia); Rappaport from Northern Italy; Eiger, Horowitz and Jaffe/Joffe from Bohemia; Eilenburg and Halberstadt from East Germany; and Broda, Morawczyk, Schorr and Teomim from Moravia. The first Luria known from available sources lived in the town of Landau (Pfalz). The earliest references to the family Mintz are from Swabia and Franconia. Certain descendants of the famous Rabbi Josselman of Rosheim (Alsace) adopted the surname Loans/Loanz. A branch of this family used the surname Lunts and counted several Lithuanian rabbis during the 18th-19th centuries. One of the first Treves/Triwas was a rabbi in Paris and Marsille during the 14th century. The exact origins of Lipschitz are uncertain, but this name clearly arose in Central Europe. The given geographic localization indicates only the distant origin, while for Lithuania and Poland (where most of these families had branches that settled during the 15th-17th centuries), the immediate sources could be different. For example, the Katzenellenbogens came not directly from Germany, but by way Northern Italy, while numerous persons named Heilprin, Heller and Margolioth in Prague could contribute to the spread of these names in Eastern Europe."

When Do We Eat?

On the subject of food. Anybody seen this. Is it as predictable as it looks?

Hebrew National meat

Tony Montana commenting to the The Rebbe on a magic carpet in 770: [�]catering to the needs of their neshomeis. That means spending half a day kashering somebody's house for free knowing that they will eat Hebrew National meat and cholev aku"m dairy. That means helping parents get their kids enrolled in a Jewish day school even if that school is "misnagdish" and the kids will be raised to dislike Chabad. That means building a guy's sukkah for him on erev yom tov even though he will have plenty of meals inside the house and at the office that week as well.

Schneur Zalman of NY: In the 1950's and earlier Hebrew National was under the hashgocha of rav Y. Altusky of the Bronx. The man was an honorary president of the Agudas Horabbonim. Just spoke to an older American ben Teyre who told me that most people ate this brand prior to the alte 1960's.

By the way his son (Altusky's) is the Chidushe B asre in Jerusalem. Of course the Chassidic community did not eat Hebrew National but then again they did not eat 999 Meats (OU glatt) either. After Altuski, Rabbi Tibor Stern of Miami took over , he too was a big league lamdan who studied in Hungarian yeshivas. He also visited the Lubavitcher Rebbe a number of times. During his tenure, the CHIEF RABBI of NEW YORK state (the chief regulator of the state kashruth commision) Rabbi Schulem Rubin launched a major political offensive against HN, charging that it was not kosher. Stern not only defended HN, but the Huniader Rav Horav Izrael Z"L and other endorsed his "kulos. Rubin could not make his charges stand and lost the case. In addition Rubin was so embarrassed that the office he held was for all purposes downgraded and the new incumbent never involves himself in halachic issues.

Today the supervisors are the Ralbags - father and son. Certainly no one doubts their knowledge. The younger Ralbag serves a Shul in Brooklyn and is a dayan as well. Let me say the following the meat is not glatt. But unless you are a Sefardi, non glatt meat is kosher 100%. In fact HN is probably more honest than some of the glatt producers, because as people involved in the meat trade have told me it�s impossible to produce the amount of glatt kill that our American plants claim they produce. So at least HN does not claim its product is glatt, unlike the OU which has designed a new definition for glatt (i.e. strictly kosher rather than sirchos) but in the process misleads the public. I have no shares in ConAgra and I am willing to listen to a cogent rational argument as to why HN is not kosher, but not one person has taken up this challenge when I asked for "reasonable" evidence. Finally I am not urging Chasidic Jews to eat HN, as I am sure kulos are adhered to, but its a far cry from saying its not kosher.

Membership in Chabad like a long-distance phone package

Tony Montana commenting to The Rebbe on a magic carpet in 770:

"Our goal was NEVER supposed to be to recruit for our group. It was supposed to be to provide Jews with Jewish resources... Somehow along the way that got turned into a membership drive. It's like convincing a woman to marry you. You'll get the hell you deserve. If, when, maybe... a person on their own decides that for some crazy reason they MUST be a chosid, then they should push their way in and squeeze into a spot at the farbrengen and shut the hell up...with no one to blame but themselves.

I said clearly that the Rebbe's derech was to win people's good-will and dedication to Yiddishkeit and NOT to change them into card-carrying Lubavitchers. Some shallow jingoists wanted quick gratification so they warped this in their own minds into coercing or seducing folks into taking on superficial signs of club loyalty. What a perversion. Instead of providing Jews with Jewish resources and encouraging every type of authentic Jewish experience DESPITE them not taking a "Lubavitcher loyalty oath" they decided that we should win people over to our "affiliation" rather than catering to the needs of their neshomeis."

I said before, the warped agenda of "making Lubavitchers" is a perversion of the Rebbe's inyon of v'ohavto l'reiacho kameicho and is IDENTICAL with the same chitzoniyus that promotes identifying and publicizing the identity of moshiach. Take a look and you will see: the same shluchim who think that it's a sign of hiskashrus to have their own kids chant yechi in cheder are the very same guys who also think it's ahavas yisroel to put people into Borsalinos and sheitelach."

Real change is a SLOW process (bein b'gilgul zeh bein b'gilgul acher). It is a CRIME to sell a person a membership to Chabad like it were a long-distance phone package.

Tzemach Atlas: Dear Tony, I am sick and tired to hear the profound lie about how �the Rebbe wanted this, but his Shluchim did that�. Reminds me of a manager who transfers all responsibility to others, so when the card house falls, he is clean. I can speak only about my experience and I can say that people who run BT yeshivos, and were responsible for Russia, etc. were the worst party creatures outside of hitlerjugend. Stop absolving the Rebbe of any responsibility for the key appointments!

Take Russia as an example, the subject that is close to my heart. As I said before (see Golden era of Moscow Jewry (part two)) the Jewish revival in Russia was spontaneous and self fueled. When people like Moishke Levertov O�HS arrived to the scene it became all for the party. I observed this first hand and it was sickening. Conversely misnagdim like Neistadt in Boro Park joined this game with a single goal of competing with Chabad. I observed this as well, it was excruciatingly pathetic. It is this competition that energized both groups not the Russian Jews, not even the Judaism. The result is that the true pioneers, the people of stature and substance long abandoned Chabad. I am talking about Professor David Kazhdan, Michoel Shneider, the late Prof. Grisha Rosenstein (who became a Bobover during his last years in Yerushalyim, his son who reads this blog occasionally can attest to Grisha�s spiritual journey). Instead you have loyal to the bone, bonehead, party fateful oligarch lackeys who run the show in Russian Lubavitch from Kiev to Moscow (and even in certain areas of Massachusetts). A churban of Russian Jewry is complete.

Looking for a few good heeb-blogs

The following criteria:
1. Material is published at even intervals.
2. Links to the MSM are sparse.
3. Presentable graphics.
4. An email address for the blogger is easily available.
5. Readers volume above 400 a day.
6. Original thoughs are plentiful.
7. Writing style is personal.
8. "Righ" politics.
monetary award awaits.

V'Hi She'amdah

RAMASH sings V'Hi She'amdah.

Burning your chopstick on Erev Pesach

Jake, Senior Correspondent of mentalblog.com Jerusalem Bureau:

I have wondered about the odd custom some people have of burning a wooden spoon with the Chametz Erev Pesach. We certainly don't follow this minhag in my family.

To me, it seems obvious that this is one of those idiotic minhagim that have most likely come into widespread use through peasant misunderstandings and the insistence of those who are unlearned, but still holier-than-thou.

Obviously, a Chometz wooden spoon cannot be kashered for Pesach. In previous generations, a new spoon was likely made for Pesach and the old one was burned with the Chometz. Bubbe stirred many pots of soup with it and disposed of it when it became grotty. Wooden spoons are not such a big deal - they are made of wood and this literally does grow on trees. Zayde could make one out of a spare piece of lumber, an old broken piece of furniture or just a piece of wood.

Someone must've remembered that Zayde burned the old Chometzdikke wooden spoon and decided that this must be an important thing to do. Before you know it, Chassidim Shottim were going out and buying brand new made-in-China wooden spoons just so they can burn them Erev Pesach - just like Zayde did.

As for me, I am planning to burn my wooden chopsticks this Erev Pesach. Really! The tons of rice that they scooped up in recent months are only Kitniyos, though the noodles are generally Chometz, LeChol HaDeyos. Someday, someone might even remember me burning my chopsticks and they might decide to also burn chopsticks on Erev Pesach because it was obviously an important minhag...

Wishing you all a Happy and Kosher Pesach!

Hey Jake, did Zeide do this?

Reb Sholom Charitonov, a niggun

A "Volach" by Reb Sholom Charitonov of Nikolaev sang by his son Shamshon Charitonov: "VeKoreiv Pezureinu." No words to describe it� (via Heichal HaNegina: PESACH NIGGUNIM).

He runs them through a sander

Chana Drizin, 10, seated left, and her cousin Batya Drizin, 9, right, sit atop a pile of wood used to fuel the oven baking matzoh in the Crown Heights. AP - Tina Fineberg.


Sarah Schneerson, 6, hands rolling pins just used to roll the matzoh dough to Mendy Laufer, 11, as he runs them through a sander in the Crown Heights. AP - Tina Fineberg.


An Israeli soldier prepares artillery shells as a mobile artillery unit fires a shell from its position in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, just outside the northern Gaza Strip. Reuters - Amir Cohen.


A sculptured busthead believed to be that of 19th Dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II, recently discovered in Cairo. AFP - Khaled Desouki.


A man rides a horse near the pyramids in Cairo. Reuters - Victoria Hazou

Torah Bright

One of the world's leading snowboarding magazines said this recently of Australia's Torah Bright: "Torah is the hottest youth sports commodity on the planet. She is young, number one in the world, Australian, and it has to be said, beautiful." (via conartistic)

Chametz sold on eBay for $255.00

Ronen from Newton, MA sold his Chametz on eBay. (via JewishHigh.com)

MSM: Page Six Shakedown

Shakedown artist Jared Paul Stern

New York Daily News: How he made his move.
New York Daily News: Exclusive excerpts of scribe's astonishing shakedown bid - 'You need a real friend'.

The bugs within

Somebody please wake up Rabbi Beilin, they found more bugs in lettuce. Of course what's the point of washing them if the water is full of bugs anyway?
yudel's Rest of the Story: EMERGENCY KASHRUS ALERT!!!!!!

Fountainhead within, a poem by Rumi

Two Kinds of Intelligence
Translated by Coleman Barks.

There are two kinds of intelligence: one acquired, as a child in school memorizes facts and concepts from books and from what the teacher says, collecting information from the traditional sciences as well as from the new sciences.

With such intelligence you rise in the world. You get ranked ahead or behind others in regard to your competence in retaining information. You stroll with this intelligence in and out of fields of knowledge, getting always more marks on your preserving tablets.

There is another kind of tablet, one already completed and preserved inside you. A spring overflowing its springbox. A freshness in the center of the chest. This other intelligence does not turn yellow or stagnate. It's fluid, and it doesn't move from outside to inside through conduits of plumbing-learning.

This second knowing is a fountainhead from within you, moving out.

And now Estelle Goldfarb the swirling Belgian dervish plays Lalo (mp3).

The Making of an American Iluy

Ben Chorin wrote a satiric masterpiece: The Making of an American Iluy: The Life and Times of The Tusconer Gaon. "It seems that Gedolim are all European, which makes it a bit difficult for those born in America to fully appreciate the nuances of their biographies. Conveniently, America is now producing its own gedolim, whose biographies might sound a bit more, well, familiar to the modern ear. Here are