Episodes
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On this day and this podcast we talk about the fate of American Jewry, Chabad, and Diabetes.
אונטער דײַנע ווײַסע שטערןשטרעק צו מיר דײַן װײַסע האַנט.מײַנע װערטער זײַנען טרערןװילן רוען אין דײַן האַנט.- אַבֿרהם סוצקעווער
Update:
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Sholem Aleichem and I find ourselves, this early Friday afternoon, in New England towns in a neighboring states. It’s a beautiful, sunny, brisk, spring day. I can hear the birds chirping over the podcast.
Our towns are the graveyards of the American Jewish life. With plenty of Chabad “emissaries” who came to officiate at the funerals and make a few bucks off the dead. The vultures circling on the horizon, the scavengers looking for leftovers of the once proud, mighty communities.
We discuss topics no one is interested in. We start with the complicated and tragic relationship between the cousins, Rabbi Schneur Zalman Schneerson and Menachem Mendel Schneerson. In the second part of the podcast, we veer into the current state of Lubavitch, again a subject no one is interested in. There are either people who are caught in the pulsating dreaming of the unrequited love, or people who leave it all behind and never look back. These groups have no in between. So, we are once more on a virtual deserted island. As if the island we are actually surviving on is not deserted enough.
You can rest assured, the life relentlessly goes on!
Chabad, a Trojan Horse of modernity?
The background:
* Zalman Schneerson - The rescue of Bertha, Malka and Bella Teitelbaum.
* Zalman Schneerson - Chapter 1 - Paris at War.
* A Letter from Zalman Mendelivich Schneerson to Meir Yankelevich Dizengoff.
* Post No. 1 - Boris Markovich Schneerson - Family of the Repker Rov - Introduction.
* Sound No. 10 - Bad Blood of the Chabad Rebbe.
Update:
The Postscript on Zalman Schneerson and Barry Gourary.
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“In an age in which the media broadcast countless pieces of foolishness, the educated man is defined not by what he knows, but by what he doesn't know.” - Nicolas Gomez Davila.
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Карл Маркс: “Гегель где-то отмечает, что все великие всемирно-исторические события и личности появляются, так сказать, дважды. Он забыл прибавить: первый раз в виде трагедии, второй раз в виде фарса.”
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Этот пост является общедоступным, поэтому не стесняйтесь делиться им.
Книги Ильи Лурии:
איליה לוריא, עדה ומדינה: חסידות חב"ד באימפריה הרוסית (תקפ"ח-תרמ"ג). ירושלים: הוצאת ספרים ע"ש י"ל מגנס, תשס"ו.
איליה לוריא, מחלמות ליובאוויץ' : חסידות חב"ד ברוסיה הצארית. ירושלים: מרכז זלמן שזר לחקר תולדות העם היהודי,תשע"ח
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This is a companion podcast to these posts:
* Post No. 6 - Boruch Sholem and Gesia Schneerson - Kaddish and Adagio.
* Шнеерсоны в России - Schneersons in Russia.
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This is a quick take as a way of introduction for a broader podcast with Sholem Aleichem. We hope to record this longer podcast tomorrow. But this will set up some themes for the conversation.
Jewish Encyclopedia - Apostle (regarding Sound No. 12 – מיהו יהודי and the Jerusalem Council).
Investigative reporting is absent from the Hareidy press. But still strong in the NYT. Specifically, the author of the articles about Satmar NYT: Brian M. Rosenthal. Brian won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for his investigations of the NY Taxi industry. Nothing of this caliber exist in the Jewish or Hareidy press. They are afraid to look in the mirror. While their communities are rotten and corrupt, they pretend to take a high moral ground in relationship to others.
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The most influential and consequential meeting in human history occurred in Jerusalem c. 48 CE, around 15-20 years after the resurrection of the Mashiyach. It is sometimes called Apostolic Council because of the participants.
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On the subject of Sound No. 10 - Bad Blood of the Chabad Rebbe.
The fundraising fraction did not take over Chabad in 1994, in fact, they took over and permanently held on to power since at least 1989 (33 years!), the day they convinced the aging and isolated Rebbe that the struggle of his life מיהו יהודי “who is a Jew” (and שלימות הארץ) should be silenced. That faithful day Menachem Mendel Schneerson relinquished his passion and his crown and told shluchim to shut up (הפסקת המאבק), not to upset anyone’s feelings. From that moment on the Lubavitch court lost its soul. From that instant in New York, Moscow, or Nigeria the apparatchiks banned all policies and expressions not conducive to the fundraising. When the middle and lower class, overwhelmingly support Trump, shluchim and the politburo defer to their elitist liberal donors and woke clients. A similar dynamic is unfolding in Russia as we speak where Chabad is representing the political and financial patrons only. The new “inclusive” Chabad serves money and political power.
First the Rebbe intentionally lost Chabad roots, its European and Russian anchor, he shoved the “Sinai events” of Holocaust and Gulag under the proverbial carpet and in the final chapter, detached Chabad from Israel, the third Sinai event of the past century. The idealistic spirit of Chabad was erased and Americanized.
Lubavitch traveled through a long and winding road. From the revolutionary, philosophical and ascetic counterculture of the Alter Rebbe to the practical, obedient servants of the establishment, lackeys of the lavish and corrupt oligarchic power.
As the influence of this group grows in the general community, the Jewish people should take notice. When catering exclusively to money and power Chabad promotes and reinforces the worst antisemitic stereotypes. They also betray the “rank and file” by serving the sole interest of the moneyed and politically connected class. This is as much of a trap as Jew serving Polish landlords before the upraising of Bogdan Chmelnizky or Jews in the prewar Europe taking the blame for the inherent capitalist inequalities.
Yet, a bigger trap is the spiritual decay. The foundational assumption that the young and the old could be indoctrinated and brainwashed to be numb and immune to the deep institutional corruption.
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Nechama Dinah, Bere and Chana Gourary, perhaps Rayatz himself, Rav Rivkin, Rashag, Zalman Schneerson, all these names have one thing in common, they are family members or in the case of Rabbi Moshe Dov Ber Rivkin, a virtual family member who belonged to the old Royal court and all of them were downgraded by the new king. Except Raytaz himself of course as explained in the podcast.
In her letter Musia Schnnerson mentioned Ella Rivkin, daughter of the Rav and Nacha Rivkin, in the paragraph about “Berusya” Bere Gourary. Bere and Ella were probably friends. This Ella eventually married Rav Aaron Benzion Shurin, who later wrote for Forwards and documented the terror directed at his father-in-law. Here is his bio:
Since we have been talking about the letters from the Schneerson sisters to Nacha Rivkin it seems appropriate to revisit the attack on Rav Rivkin himself. Rebbe never forgot who dissed him, he never forgot who wasn’t fully supportive of his ascension to the throne., he never forgot people who deviated from the party line.
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Fabian Perez.
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On the subject of Tablet: Wendy Lower’s ‘The Ravine’ looks at a photograph that many refuse to face.
UPDATE: There have been plenty of pogroms that were not Ukrainian, one just needs to look at Anton Denikin. There were Polish pogroms, Red Army pogroms, White Army pogroms. They all seemed united on one subject.
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“Soup after the meal”
This was part of a longer podcast, cut & paste here...
On the subject of Sound No. 1 - Sholem Aleichem: The Will to Power of Barry Gourary and Sound No. 6 - Sholem Aleichem: The Eclipse of the Schneerson Family. As Sholem Aleichem said in the podcast: “soup after the meal”.
Footnotes:
* The case was in 1985, before the crash of 1987.
* NYT Article: December 18, 1985, Section B, Page 1.
* I understand the attachment to books, but how can you say it belongs to hassidim when running from Warsaw and Russia, the books were saved but not the hassidim? See Bryan Mark Rigg.
* I think it was wrong and greedy for Barry Gourary to take the books, but what followed was a family fight that sliced the culture at its ugliest point. As do all family fights.
* You mean to say Chabad paid $400,000 to repurchase the books (will someone ever open the hagode?), plus attorney fees, plus at least over $1mil settlement to Barry? While Barry S. made $186,000 from the sales, probably swallowed by his legal expenses? If cooler heads prevailed, this could have been settled for a fraction. Of course, the Rebbe had no cooler heads around, only people who had a vested interest to inflame.
I have the photo of Rebbezin Chana after the beating. I published it on the old mentalblog, it’s so horrible, I would rather not post it again. But I probably should, to “complete the picture”.
The Gourary family were the only relatives who cared for the martyred Horensteins. There is not even a single kindergarten in Zimbabwe named after Mendel and Sheina Horenstein. Not named after Hatche Feigin or other kedoshim. Intentionally forgotten along with Shoa and its victims, Gulag and its victims and general Chabad history in mother Russia. God forbid, to distract from the cult of personality.
* Birth: 10 Feb 1923. Rostov-on-Don, Rostov Oblast, Russia
* Death: 14 Mar 2005 (aged 82), Bergen County, NJ
דידן נוזך?
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This is a new mentalblog, please forward to your friends who might be interested in our conversations.
Speaking of PR, we are pressing to understand and unearth the two subjects the PR driven Ramash administration tried and still trying to obfuscate the most, the culture of Chabad in Russia and the Holocaust. Both subjects do not fit neatly in the propaganda.
The reason we are writing about Mark Borisovich Schneerson, the memories of Margolia Schneerson or the NKVD Martyrs, is because we want to understand the Chabad culture in Russia and the CCCP, especially the mishpoche Schneerson.
In this podcast, we are looking at the dark mystery of the disappearance of this royal family.
For sure the Shoa and Gulag dealt a mortal blow but more importantly the secularization of Russian Jews started well before the revolution, at least a century before or even earlier. Due to the financial status, exposure to the educated aristocracy, the maskilim and the natural or even hereditary inclination for knowledge, the Schneersons themselves were much more assimilated than an average poshuter yid.
Another aspect is the fact that both Zionism and Communism, that attracted many if not most young Jews in Russia at the time, were both hyper messianic. The messianic language and thinking comes to the Schneerson family naturally. The messianic hope and the heartbreaking belief in change and progress is our ruinous gift to the world, and it came knocking on the door of the Schneerson family.
P.S. Another aspect rarely mentioned out loud. People who still stayed religious or “traditional” in Russia, the majority come from the lower social class, the rural, the uneducated, peasant strata of the Russian Jewry. This group of the Samarkand Front survivors formed the foundation and the culture of the new Chabad after the war.
Photo of Mendel Repker, father of Zalman and Yehudis Schneerson.
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Note No. 1: I (Tzemach) haven't been inside this world for a long time. When I listen back to the podcast, I discover that I mixed or misspoke some names, perhaps even facts. Some characters I no longer remember. It should not distract from the conversation.
In regard to our friends S. Taub and the Jacobson brothers (called them Simpson, a slip), they enter the obvious vacuum of the spiritual leadership. Confirmation bias business is the best there is, turbocharged with the emotional and financial booster of selling the divine. But without any touch of the real power or corporate legitimacy they remain, as I said, the standup clowns. YY Jacobson maybe literally.
I am curious to know who are the mentioned “Russian Hasidim” who kept surveilling Barry Gourary’s house, I must have known them.
There is more to say…
Correction No. 1: Regrading the disdain for the Chabad military terms. I didn’t speak to Berl Lipsker, I spoke to Avrohom Lipsker.
Update No.1: The name of the man who authored Subbota is Lazer Nannes.
Nitpicking No. 1:
1. Merkas Le’inyonei Chinuch was in charge of “shlichus” under the Rebbe from the get go, the first shluchim to Morocco were sent already in 1951.
2. That included those summer shlichus for bachurim (aka “merkas shlichus”).
3. Tzach was governed by a Vaad (still is). Raskin was the first chairman of the vaad. Butman replaced him. Tzach does have a “territory”, it manages — NY state. With a small carve out for Sahloh (the Hecht’s organization). The rest of the shichus in the world is under Merkas, at least technically (meaning that Israel might have its own hard-to-understand structure).
4. The Hechts do have a bunch of organizations they run: Camp Emunah, Hadar Hatorah, Machon Chanah (until recently, I think it is now split into two), the shlichus in Park Slope and a few other places. Release time is still active too.
5. ALL the achei tmimim yeshovos in the out-of-town communities had nothing to do with Rashag. It was all under the auspices of Merkaz Le’inyonei Chinuch, starting in 1941-42 (the organization was founded when the Rebbe arrived here in 1941 and the Rebbe was put in charge of it from day one). The schools under Merkas also include Beth Rivkah.
Nitpicking No. 2: Chanzin was not elected alone, he was originally elected as one of three: Chanzin, Marlow, Osdoba. After the Rebbe told Chanzin to stay in Petach Tikva, there was a run-off election between Altein and Heller, in which Heller was elected.
Nitpicking No. 3: Mendel Futerfas is literally single-handedly responsible from turning Chabad of Israel from the focus on avoda to the focus on the hiskashrus to the Rebbe (maybe this explains why Rebbe picked him?) .
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Update 1: The name of the author of the book about Rayatz in Warsaw is not Briggs, it is Bryan Mark Rigg.
Chatcha Feign was not killed in Warsaw, he and Yehuda Eber were burnt alive in the same Riga shul as Itche der Masmid and many other Jews. On yud kislev, 5742. Needs confirmation.
The Rebbe’s grandmother Rochel Yanovski was murdered by the nazis in Nikolayev. She was at that point blind and alone (everyone else was either arrested or dead). The last one arrested was her son-in-law Shmuel (arrested in the summer of 1941, and interrogated about the sukkah he had built in the courtyard… while the German tanks rolled toward Nilkolayev).
Update 2: Kedoshim should be memorialized, Chatcha Feign, Yehuda Eber and many, many others. But also Admiral Wilhelm Canaris and Major Ernst Bloch who saved the Rayatz, Rashag and their families.
Update 3: What kind of man it takes in the thousands of hours of his speeches not to say a one word about his murderered grandmother? Asking honestly? And not like every minute of his sichos counted, 95% of his 4 hour sichos were slogans that he repeated in the loop for years, I heard that myself. But no time to mention the martyrs, even his own family?
Update 4: See companion post Hitler Lives and the Holocaust omission in America.
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Ramash governed as if Rayatz never died. He called Rayatz the Nosi of our generation and deferred all the brochos to him (azkir al hazion), literally bringing all the correspondence to the grave. One might have thought that Ramash was Rayatz's secretary, shleping all the brown paper bags to the grave, where he was channeling his father-in-law.
If Raytz never died (as the Ramash himself will do in the future), then the “will to power” is null and void. Barry's claim on the ownership of the books from his grandfathers' library would be stealing from a person who is very much alive, as mentioned in this Sound No. 1. But could the Will itself be stolen?
Update:
The Counterclaims of Barry S. Gourary.
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