The Prejudice: Chassidut Satmar

B"H

Unfortunately, in Jerusalem we do not have a Satmar Tish and our only possibility is watching them on Youtube.

We usually hear many things about Satmar:
They are anti – Zionist, rich, and the gossip about the latest disputes between the two present Rebbes is everywhere.

Fact is that the Satmar dynasty suffered severe losses during the Holocaust and even the Rebbes were imprisoned in concentration camps.

Today Satmar fights with Chabad and Chabad fights with Satmar. The famous disputes are well known. A further argument between the two groups is the size of the group. Both claim to be the largest chassidut in the world.

Starting from next week, I will explain some comments of the greatest Satmarer Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, as well as the history and chassidut of the group. How Rebbe "Yoelush" thought about Zionism and the State of Israel.

But is Satmar only anti anti anti ?

Not at all, because people usually tend to forget about the positive aspects of the groups which is, among others, the famous Chesed.

Rebbe Moshe Teitelbaum dancing at a wedding

Reb Shlomo and Rav Meir

B"H

Two controversial rabbis who knew and respected each other. This week many Jews celebrate the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (today) and Rabbi Meir Kahane (this coming Tuesday).

I do not belong to the followers of any of these rabbis. Reb Shlomo is too hippie and freaky although I do like some of his songs. However, as soon as I meet the real "Carlebachers", I get the feeling that I just cannot stand their "freaky hippie waving around". It is simply too much for me.

The same with Rabbi Kahane. For me, he was a little too radical but, nevertheless, he was a rabbi with many great Torah teachings. Unfortunately, too many people only concentrate on his political views but forget about his Torah shiurim.

The late night Belz Tish

B"H

Last Friday we went to another Tish. Well, we did not have too much of a choice, since the two Rebbes of Avraham Yitzchak and Toldot Aharon are abroad. Again. Anyone knows where they are or when they coming back ?

Instead we went to Belz. Nice walk in an almost warm late summer night. By accident, we even found the synagogue of Chassidut Czernobyl.

When we arrived at Belz, the Tish was almost over. The traditional fruits were already being handed out. What we did not know was that during the "winter", Belz start their Tish already at 9pm and they finish by 11pm.

At this point, I want to apologize to a reader of this blog who, two weeks ago, went to the Belz Tish and, unfortunately, I did not give him the correct time. Sorry, but I did not know that they had changed times !!!

The Great Belz Synagogue in Jerusalem

Israel and external Criticism

B"H

I put one of these polls into my German religious blog and the answer was astonishing.

My question was if Jews in Galut have the right to criticize Israel.

The majority of the people voting was: Yes, Israel has to listen to criticism from abroad.

Yes, there is no doubt about it. But how can people, even Jews, judge when they do not live in our country ? How do they know about certain situations they have never been into ?

And it is not only the point that people do not live here but, furthermore, have no clue about local mentalities.

This coming Wednesday, the haredi town Beitar Illit is holding elections for the new mayor, and as I do not live in Beitar neither know anything about the two fighting candidates, I do not get involved.

But would I have the right to do so ?

Kibbutz Ramat Rachel wants to avoid further Damage

B"H

Since Sukkot, Yad Le'Achim has been accusing the Jerusalem Kibbutz Ramat Rachel of too much hospitality for Christian missionaries let alone messianic Jews. During Sukkot, the Christians stayed at the Ramat Rachel Hotel, and Yad Le'Achim asked Jews not to celebrate any further events such as weddings or Bar Mitzwot at the Kibbutz hotel. Or in other words: Boycott the Kibbutz.

Now Ramat Rachel ran some ads and claimed the following:

Ramat Rachel runs the Kibbutz hotel according to Jewish tradition and the hotel as a Hechsher "Kasher Le'Mehadrin".

It is true that Christian groups stayed in the hotel over Sukkot but just in order to participate in the Jerusalem March organized by the Christian Embassy and the Municipality.

Ramat Rachel distanced itself from any kind of missionary activity let alone would invite messianic Jews.

However, fact is, that Ramat Rachel has been the host of many Christian groups for a long time. At certain times during the year, radical Christians travel to the Kibbutz where fanatic lectures are being held. Also anti - Jewish lectures.

Maybe Ramat Rachel should pay more attention to what their guests are talking about.

Attack - Yes or No ?

B"H

I do not know if other Jewish religious bloggers received so many critical responses as I did within the past few days. Countless readers doubt that those incidents, where women got beaten up by Haredim on Israeli buses, took really place the way described in the media. Did the attacks took place or did the Israeli press just look for more some excitement to write about. And is it not true that especially the Israeli left wing press always gets excited when there is something negative to write about the haredi world ?

I do not know the answer, as I was not there when it took place or did not take place. The latest incident from Beit Shemesh was published by at least two Israeli papers: Haaretz and Maariv.

The only thing we can do is taking into consideration that it could not be true the way it was described. Obviously there are different opinions about the real truth.

Enough is Enough

B"M

Miriam Shear on the last bus beatings in Jerusalem.

http://www.rabbihorowitz.com/PYes/ArticleDetails.cfm?Book_ID=905&ThisGroup_ID=234&Type=Article&SID=2


(Thanks to Dov Bear giving the link)

Sarah and Rachel

B"H

Since I gave up my bakery job, I have much more time doing something more useful in the evenings. My former job kept me occupied almost every night until I decided to escape and do something else with my life.

On Sunday I went to a Shiur about the Rambam and his "Moreh Nevuchim". A friend of mine convinced me to participate, and as the the whole Rambam - course seems to be endless, I will be busy for the time being.

I like classes where the participants are on a higher religious intellectual level and where people are challenged to think. And there is so much to think about the Rambam's philosophies anyway. The teaching rabbi is national religious and the rationality of the Rambam seems to fit him well.

However, last night I went to a another Shiur. A different rabbi and totally different people but sometimes we need a change. In the rabbi's living room we study the prophets and are now in the middle of the "Book of Micha". When the rabbi's wife and some of his daughters walked in, he announced that they all are just returning from Kever Rachel.

Today is the Yahrzeit of our fore mother Rachel and for some days already, thousands of Jews have been traveling to Rachel's grave. Bus No. 163 is leaving every twenty minutes from the Jerusalem Central Bus Station and the ride to Kever Rachel only takes about half an hour or so. You do not have to pass a checkpoint while traveling to the grave. The Kever itself is still on Israeli territory and the Palestinian Authority of Beit Lechem only begins a few meters further.


Rachel's Grave years ago


Rachel's Grave today. Due to security reasons, the Israeli army built a wall around it.


Another friend told me that she had also been to the Kever yesterday. Due to the great demand, she was forced to wait some time in front of the grave. On one side, people walked in and a second door was used as exit. My friend told me that people just pushed each other through which did not disturb the special atmosphere of the place. But I am not sure if I just want to be pushed through somewhere.

Already next week, another event is waiting. Then we read in Parashat Chaye Sarah about the death of our fore mother Sarah. Thousands of people are going to spend this particular Shabbat Chaye Sarah in Hebron. The Ma'arat HaMachpelah will be busy.

The Ma'arat HaMachpelah in Hebron


For the past years, the Ma'arat HaMachpelah has become the reason for another dispute between Jews and Muslims. As Adam HaRishon and Chava, Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivka and Yaakov and Lea are buried in the cave, it should be out of question to whom the cave belongs. Furthermore, Avraham bought the Ma'arah from Ephron.

However, also the Muslims claim their right to pray in the Machpelah. Avraham (they call him Ibrahim) was their forefather as well, as they stem from Ishmael. As we all know, G - d chose Yitzchak as a forefather of the Jewish nation and not his brother Ishmael and there is another discussion whether todays' Muslims are the real descendants of Ishmael.

In 1994, the Jewish extremist Baruch Goldstein shot many Muslims inside the Machpelah and caused further violence. To whom does the Ma'arat HaMachpelah belong ? Two religions claim the inheritance.

For us Jews it is a disgrace that we only have access to all the halls inside the cave on special occasions. Of course, we can go there but sometimes the Hall of Yitzchak or the Hall of Avraham are closed for us.

As far as I know, Christians do not have access at all but I might be mistaken. Avraham is regarded as the forefather of Jews and Muslims and the Christians have no real connection to him anyway.

Further details about Kever Rachel and the Ma'arat HaMachpelah:

http://www.nahalat-hevron.org/francais/rachel.htm

http://machpela.com/english/

http://www.hebron.com/english/article.php?id=282

http://www.yarzheit.com/heavensregister/chevron.htm

A White Lie ?

B"H

Parashat Vayeira teaches us that Sarah is laughing when she hears the angel saying that she will bear a child. Bear child at Avraham's and her age ? That's ridiculous.

According to Talmud Bava Metzia 87a she said at that very moment: "And my husband is old !"
But when G - d told Avraham about the incident, He turned around her words: "And I (Sarah) have grown old".

But is not anyone obligated to tell the truth and especially G - d Himself ?

Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz commentates that Sarah's original comment might have caused a dispute between her and Avraham. Each of us has to secure harmony between people. People should react wisely and not always tell the whole truth when a relationship or a friendship is in danger.

However, this does not mean that everyone can turn around the truth and later claim that his only intention was not to cause distress. Each of us should be wise enough to know what to say or not to say in certain situations.

Is this a religious behaviour ?

B"H

Israeli dailys and many Jewish blogs have written about it already: A few days ago, a religious woman got beaten up by five haredi men on a public bus in Beit Shemesh.

Years ago, Beit Shemesh used to be a small united town but today, it is basically divided into two parts: The haredi part and the rest. This division alone has led to many disputes in the past, as the non - religious do not want to be ruled by the Haredim.

As it is not too far from Jerusalem, many Haredim moved to Beit Shemesh in order to buy cheaper apartments. When young members of different chassidic groups get married, they move to Beit Shemesh. And thus, groups like Toldot Aharon or Avraham Yitzchak etc. already have their own neighbourhoods.

Not only the haredi society of Jerusalem demands more public buses with separate seating from the state - owned bus company Egged. Now the Haredim in Beit Shemesh start the same discussion.

There are already a few "religious" buses in Israel providing separate seating. For instance, the No. 1 in Bnei Brak, No. 402 from Jerusalem to Bnei Brak and other local Jerusalem buses going to the outskirts of Ramat Shlomo or Ramot. Then ,a few months ago, haredi society wanted to turn bus no. 15 (from Yaffa Road to Har Nof) into a "religious" bus. I heard that there are already signs for separate seating inside the bus but cannot confirm this, as I have not used the no. 15 bus for quite a while.

The latest incident took place in Beit Shemesh and is to be taken seriously. A religious woman was sitting on a bus which is mostly used by the haredi community of Beit Shemesh. She was asked by haredi men to move into the back of the bus, and as she refused, she got beaten by five haredi men.

Is this only the beginning of another threat showing Egged what could happen if the bus company does not react in favour of the Haredim ?

I always thought that haredi men do not touch strange women but in this case, those guys broke the Halachot themselves. And how can five religious guys jump on a woman ? How are they justifying their behaviour ? Not only in front of the religious community but especially before G - d ?

In what times do we live when a group of religious men jumps on women in order to keep up their self invented modesty rules ?

Who watches Orthodoxy ?

B"H

Two German - Jewish Blogs uncovered the wheeling and dealing of Berlin's orthodox rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Ehrenberg. Rabbi Ehrenberg gives out a Hechscher (kosher certificate) to the first German kosher beer called "SIMCHA".

The only problem is that due to Germany's strict regulations, German beer does not need a Hechscher, as it is only produced from wheat, yeast and water. According to German law, not chemicals whatsoever can be added. Hence, the whole Hechscher is totally unnecessary because the beer is kosher anyway.

Furthermore, it was uncovered that the company producing the "Simcha" - beer is connected to a fundamental Christian group in Saxony. The question coming up is: Why does an orthodox rabbi provides an unnecessary Hechscher for a product which is kosher from the beginning ?

Obviously Rabbi Ehrenberg likes his new pay check and is pleased to be invited by the Christian group which gives him at festivities a great seat in the front row. What an honour.

Unfortunately, Rabbi Yitzchak Ehrenberg is not the only orthodox - unorthodox Rabbi working in Germany. Many of their rabbis are Israelis and a kind of escaped Israel, in order to work abroad where the communities usually do not know about a negative history those rabbis already enjoy. Some even have a criminal record in Israel. And who cares abroad ? German communities do not bother with calling the Rabbanut and asking questions.

When I went to Germany in January 1998, I experienced one catastrophe after the other. The orthodox rabbi in my community considered himself as litvish - haredi but in further articles, I will explain how a religious rabbi can turn into the opposite when there is just enough money and honour involved.

I am also going to explain whether the Israeli chief rabbinate is able to do something against orthodox rabbis abroad breaking any kind of Halacha. My experiences by dealing with the Rabbanut, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Jewish Agency, Yad Le' Achim and many many different rabbis seem to be a little older (approx. six years). However, I doubt very much that Germany is so much different today.

Maybe my articles can help other people standing up against certain unkosher rabbi's activities. Even if there is plenty of red tape and disappointment involved.

Kibbutz Ramat Rachel and its Missionary Congresses

B"H

Kibbutz Ramat Rachel is a wealthy Kibbutz which already says a lot. Most Kibbutzim are deeply in debts and can hardly pay their bills although productivity is still very high. Today their majority is facing disastrous problems and more and more high qualified people, especially the youth, are leaving the Kibbutz.

However, Ramat Rachel, located in the city of Jerusalem (near Talpiot) is wealthy because the members found a great income source. They built a huge congress hall which is also available for wedding celebrations. And as Ramat Rachel is nice and rich, it is surrounded by plenty of nature.

But the congress hall and further facilities are not only available for weddings. Obviously the Kibbutz has found great customers paying lots of cash. For at least more than two years it has been going on now, and the Israeli anti - missionary organisation Yad Le' Achim is running ads against going to Ramat Rachel. At least as long as the Kibbutz rents out its facilities to Christian missionary organizations as well as for messianic congresses.

Apparently the Kibbutz does nothing to stop its activities due to money reasons. Cash versus Judaism. And cash seems to be more important.