There hasn't been any further news in the press for weeks. Thus, I cannot tell you what is going on with the arrested Daniel Ambash and whether his six wives left him and have found shelter provided by the Jerusalem Municipality.
Nevertheless, here is a video from last Purim when the Ambash clan danced through Jerusalem's haredi Ge'ulah neighbourhood. You can see the Ambash kids Natan, Naftali and some more.
The guy wearing the white shirt and the sunglasses is nuts. He is not part of the family but I know him from the Ben Yehudah Mall and the Na Nach Nachmans standing there. He is so deranged that he is even going on the Nana's nerves.
Why I haven't continued writing about the Na Nach Nachma suspects being arrested due to abusing women and children ?
The reason is very simple: The Israeli press hardly reports anything on the case and even if, the name DANIEL AMBASH and further suspects are not mentioned. I don't have an explanation why, as most people know anyway who the main suspect is. Especially in religious circles.
Daniel Ambash was born in France where he once met Rabbi Israel Odesser and was so impressed by him that he made Aliyah and became a disciple of the controversial Rabbi who had, according to his own words, received a letter from heaven. The famous note including the Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'Uman Mantra.
There are different versions on how Rabbi Israel Odesser received this Petek (Hebrew for note). The legend says that in 1922, Rabbi Israel was attacked by his Yetzer HaRah (negative side within a human being) and the result was that he ate on 17 Tammuz. Afterwards he regretted his failure so much that he fell into depression. Some sources claim that a student of his wrote the Petek and through it from a balcony at the Synagogue where the Rabbi was standing. Others say that the students wrote the Petek and put it into the book "Likutei Hilchot", Rabbi Israel was reading. He found the Petek and thought that Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (who died in 1810) had sent him a message. Thus, Rabbi Israel was forgiven for eating on the fast day 17 Tammuz.
Rabbi Israel Odesser. After some Ba'alei Teshuva started following him, they began calling him SABA (Grandfather).
Rabbi Israel Odesser passed away in 1994; at the age of 106. Shortly before he died, he claimed to be Rabbi Nachman of Breslov himself. The Rabbi has quite a weird history. He was born in Tiberias in 1888, and the legend says that, one day, he found a book of Rabbi Nachman. Originally, Rabbi Israel Odesser was born into a Karliner family but thrown out of the house when he decided to switch to Breslov.
The question is whether he was sane. Many people say NO. Especially after the Rabbi proclaimed himself as Rabbi Nachman from Breslov.
Today's Na Nach Nachma movement in Israel is mainly run by Daniel Ambash. A Ba'al Teshuva who is also making money with the Nana pop songs we always hear. As far as I understood, the movement considers Rabbi Israel Odesser as the Meshiach.
Here is a brief video with a song promoted on Daniel Ambash's website. The song is about Rabbi Israel Odesser !
At the concert of the last Yahrzeit of Rabbi Israel Odesser. Location: The parking lot across Jerusalem's Sacher Park / Supreme Court. The singer is NATAN AMBASH, a son of Daniel Ambash.
I have to stress that Rabbi Israel Odesser and his later Na Nach Nachman Me'Uman movement do NOT represent the entire Chassidut Breslov. The chassidic group today consists of many branches. The original Breslovers whose ancestors were the followers of Rabbi Nachman. However, the new Ba'alei Teshuva movements such as Rabbi Eliezer Berland, Rabbi Lazer Brody or Rabbi Shalom Arush rather remind of cults where Rabbis publish themselves and run after money. Everything goes into their pockets on the back of Rabbi Nachman. By the way, Rabbi Israel Odesser and Daniel Ambash today fit into the same "money and being famous category". Giving a bad reputation to the original Breslovers.
Yesterday's Israeli paper ISRAEL HAYOM on the Na Nach Nachman - Breslov scandal. So far, the name DANIEL AMBASH does not appear too many times and the papers keep on calling him "Suspect". He is accused of enslaving women, sending them to work and stealing their salaries. Furthermore, he is accused of mental and physical abuse. Threatening the women and children. Sexual abuse and rape.
So far, the Israeli haredi online press has not yet mentioned one word about the whole case. They keep on reporting about the murder of Baba Elazar but completely leave out the Breslov abuse scandal !
Here are articles in English but leaving out the name of Daniel Ambash:
Personally, I am not at all into the Breslover Ba'al Teshuva movements such as Rabbi Eliezer Berland, Rabbi Shalom Arush or Rabbi Lazer Brody or the Nana Nachmans. Too much money is involved and especially Rabbi Shalom Arush has been accepting countless criminals into his group. Junkies, child abuse - Guys who have been in jail and Mea Shearim is anything but happy about the Arush synagogue as its direct neighbour in Shmuel HaNavi Street. One can say that former criminals may have changed their ways but the Israeli police has been arresting quite a few Ba'alei Teshuva from the Breslov movements for continuing their old ways as criminals.
Furthermore, it looks as if Berland and Arush are being set up as new heros just like Israel Odesser from the Nanas and I am asking myself where there is any Rabbi Nachman left. Arush and Berland - A new cult using the name BRESLOV ?
Daniel Ambash was arrested due to women and child abuse. Here you can see a TV report in HEBREW !
I haven't seen any reports on haredi news sites. Maybe because the majority of the haredi world considers the Nana Movement as nuts.
The real true original Breslovers you find in Mea Shearim. They don't accept Ba'alei Teshuva among themselves and this is the reason why split offs designed for Ba'alei Teshuva exist. Just look at Rabbi Eliezer Berland, Rabbi Lazer Brody, Rabbi Shalom Arush and the Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'uman movements. Especially Rabbi Berland as well as Shalom Arush accept many "former" criminals. People who were in jail but then did Teshuva. Nevertheless, born Haredim don't really won't to be neighbours of former criminals and who says that those guys have changed their ways ?
So far, I haven't seen any report yet on the Israeli haredi Internet press. However, the country's secular press is going wild in its editions this morning.
At least nine Breslover Chassidim got arrested in Jerusalem. Some politicians have already called this new scandal one of the worst abuse casees in the history of the country.
The Breslovers picked up divorced women and their children who had no where to go and placed them into homes. The Israeli press calls the gang "Abusive Cell". Once the women were in those homes, the rape and abuse started. Basically the entire case looks like another Goel Ratzon case. Ratzon was arrested in Tel Aviv more than a year ago because he kept about twenty women and countless kids in his house; abused them and forced them to work for him with no rights whatsoever. He even abused the children and many of these children were his own biological ones.
So far, no names of the arrested Breslover guys have been published but it says that at least one famous person from the community is involved. However, I assume that those criminals are from one of the Baal Teshuva movements in Breslov.
The main suspect claimed that he was just trying to bring Meshiach !
After years of living in Jerusalem, I decided to betray the city by moving to Tel Aviv.:-) In the meantime I returned to the Holy City. It is actually very good to be back in Jerusalem !!!
Nevertheless, I am still writing about Jerusalem but also include many other places in Israel.
Until some years ago, I was a Yeshiva (Michlalah) student. First with the national religious and later with the Litvishe. Also got in contact with Chassidut and this subject and lifestyle has never left me.
