In the middle: Arcadi Gaydamak. To the left with white Kipa: Yoel Krauss
B"H
By accident, I came across this picture on a haredi news site yesterday. The picture shows Yoelish Kroisz (Toldot Aharon and also a bit of Neturei Karta) as well as the Russian billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak.
The photo was taken before Gaydamak escaped from Israel where police investigations have been taking place against him for years. Money laudering is only one of the many accuses the police holds against him. France has a warrant of arrest for Arcadi Gaydamak because he once sold illegal weapons to Angola. Yesterday a French court sentenced Gaydamak to six years in jail.
However, Arcadi Gaydamak has returned to Russia after his escape from Israel. He may be totally secular but was always involved with Synagogues or Yeshivot. Even the haredi world, such as the MIR Yeshiva Jerusalem, used him for their donations. Gaydamak used to be more than generous and many religious institutions received thousands of dollars from him.
So, what does the above picture with Yoelish Kroisz (Yoel Krauss) tells us then ?
It's amazing, the stories of the older gedolim who would refuse large amounts of money for donations to their mosdos/yeshivos, if there was even the slightest hint that the money was dirty. Like when Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzensky came to America to collect the proceeds of a large event in Manhattan for tzedakah. When he found out that there had been mixed dancing at the event he went back to Europe empty handed.
ReplyDeleteToday, almost anyone would take from anybody. And the biggest phonies of all turned out to be the roshei yeshiva of Lakewood, and let's not forget the Satmar Rebbe who profited greatly from Strulowitz who cheated countless people out of their life savings in Eastern Europe. Millions of dollars from the hands of non-Jews to Satmar institutions and to the Lakewood yeshiva. And we all saw the videos two months ago of the roshei yeshiva dancing with Strulowitz at the grand seuda hoda'ah they threw for him after his light jail sentence. Their statement is clear: Money talks and it is permitted to steal from a non-Jew if the money is going to a Torah institution. The times we're living in.
B"H
ReplyDeleteI heard that the Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe very much stresses kosher donations. From "Shomrei Shabbat" only !
When Gaydamak was still in Israel, almost every religious institution ran after his money. No matter how Zionist he was.
Unfortunately, also fanatic Christians like the Evangelists donate more and more money to religious institutions.
Well I'm glad to hear that about the Toldos Avaraham Yitzchak because I'll be spending the next two weeks here in New York with him. Although he did lose some of my respect by not standing up and telling his chassidim to stop rioting. Or was that more of the Toldos Aharon's job who didn't stand up either?
ReplyDeleteB"H
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to say. The Edah ordered the demonstrations and the members ran to participate.
Looks like the incident with the firecrackers in the TA Synagogue at the Hakafor Shniyiot was caused by an Avraham Yitzchak Chassid.
People claim that the TA, as a revenge act, called the police at JFK New York and told them that the landing Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe would smuggle drugs into the US.
Then, Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov was investigated for several hours.