Before anyone is asking:
Here I am only talking about the Slonim in Jerusalem and not yet about the Slonim in Bnei Brak.
When I started going to all the chassidic Tishes almost a year ago, a friend of mine mentioned the Slonim. I should really go and have a look. I admit that I had never heard about the Slonim before and started to get curious. I made some inquiries and a haredi guy told me the way to the Wohl Center.
The Slonim in Mea Shearim are a rather big group and well known for their cleanliness. Everything has to be spotless.
But other Chassidim also talk about the ongoing war between the Slonim in Bnei Brak and their counterpart in Jerusalem. Two different Rebbes and two slightly different philosophies. Apparently the Jerusalemer Slonim are more moderate and thus being called the "white Slonim". In Bnei Brak they are more stringent and thus being called the "black Slonim".
For anyone interested in the Slonim history, here is a great site:
http://zachor.michlalah.edu/english/khila/khila-5.asp
The Slonim have a direct lineage to the Baal Shem Tov. Even through Rabbi Aharon the Great, the founder of Chassidut Karlin.
Although I haven't dealt so much with the Slonim yet, I do love reading their Torah commentaries. The present Slonimer Rebbe (Jerusalem), Rabbi Shmuel Brozovsky, wrote a great Torah commentary called " Darchei Noam"; a commentary which I use quite frequently for my German weekly Torah portion (Parashat HaShavua).
We all have our preferences in life; there are things we love and other things we like less. Things we can immediately connect to and the complete opposite. This happened with me and the Slonim.
I don't know why but I simply cannot connect to the them. Especially not to their Niggunim (songs) at the Tish. There are very few Niggunim I like. A Chassid (not from the Slonim) told me that there songs are rather heavy. Slow and somehow sad. I don't know how to describe it in a better way. It doesn’t mean that I don't like them; but somehow the Slonim are not my cup of tea.
First I said to myself that I should go more often. Get to know the people and everything. This is very true and unfortunately, I haven't met too many of the Slonim women yet. To none of them I have ever spoken so far. The problem is that their women hardly appear at the Tish. I am sure they are great people but I just cannot connect. Not to the Niggunim but to the Rebbe's teachings.
The Slonim Tish always starts at about 10pm (Erev Shabbat), and lasts for approx. two hours.
Rebbe Shmuel Brozovsky doesn't have a meal but emphasizes on Niggunim.
The present Slonimer Rebbe of Jerusalem: Rebbe Shmuel Brozovsky
As I said there aren't too many Slonim women at the Tish and most female visitors are strangers (particularly young haredi girls). It seems that the national religious and secular Israeli visitors don't know the Slonim Tish or the group at all.
The Slonim complex is rather big and basically consists of two huge buildings: the synagogue and the building where the Tishes take place. The complex is called "Wohl Center".
The men's section is downstairs and very easy to find. The Ezrat Nashim (women's entrance) is not easy to find. Especially not when there are no further women around who can show you the door.
The first time, my friend and I went to the Slonim turned out to be a small catastrophe. By mistake, we walked into the men's entrance and as soon as we were spotted out by three men, they immediately turned around to the wall in order not to look at us.
I hope we weren't that ugly.
Anyway I asked the guys where the Ezrat Nashim is and they gave us directions with their hands without looking at us.
So, don't you ever dare talking to a Slonim guy !!!
The entrance to the Ezrat Nashim is on the left of the men's entrance. From the outside. The door is separate, walk all the stairs to the top.
The Mechitzah consists of wood. If you find a good spot, you are able to overlook everything.
Usually the Tish is packed with a few hundred Chassidim. Sometimes it is hard for men to find a good place, as the Tish is crowded.
It looks like men are being checked when they walk in. There is always a Slonim Chassid near the door and looks at visitors coming in. Once he walked straight up to some litvishe guys and told them to behave. The Slonim might have had some bad experiences in the past. Who knows ?
There is a great Tish custom which I love to see:
Chassidim line up and each of them bows down to the Rebbe. A nice personal way of saying "Gut Shabbes".
The Slonim Tish is perfect for those of you who like it more quiet. Not all the dancing and jumping around. It is definitely not a wild Tish but very crowded.
Location: Right behind the Mea Shearim market, behind the Mosdot Toldot Avraham Yitzchak. The Slonim synagogue looks new and has coloured windows.
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