mentalblog.com comments:
Once again, Mr. Atlas will not let the facts get in the way of his innuendo.
Fact #1: The vast majority of the "second waive" of Lubavitcher immigration actually left Russia in the early 1970’s – merely 12 years before Gorby came to power. So for over 55 years out of the 70 years of the communist rule Chabad was the undisputed address for Yiddishkeit, and the man has the audacity to say it is "a big myth that Lubavitch kept religion alive in Russia"...
Fact # 2: Even among the leaders he mentions, many got their start with Chabad as well! (Some later became hostile and some lingered for quite a while). And what’s more significant, are the glaring omissions like Rabbi Yitzchak Kagan (who is still there) and other significant Lubavitcher activists, too numerous to list here...
Fact # 3: All through the 1980th, even before Gorby, there was a very significant stream of mostly Lubavitch shluchim going to Russia. These brave souls brought tashmishei kedusha, taught classes and offered support to many. I have not met a single baal teshuva (regardless of their current denomination) originating from Russia during that time that does not acknowledge the significance of these young men and women in their lives.
Fact #4: Rabbi Berel Lazar first came to Moscow as one of these young sheluchim in 1984, long before it was hip, and long before anyone in Russia ever heard of "oligarchs". And he never really left. I am sure the man has faults, like men are wont to. But what is written by Atlas about him is beneath contempt.
Fact #5: With all due respect (I mean it) to the many Jewish activists of that time, the vast Jewish "masses" have never heard of these people... never mind "spiritual leaders". Today, Rabbi Lazar and other Chabad Rabbis are actually known to the Jews of Russia as their spiritual leaders. (This is not meant as a statement about spiritual worthiness of anyone, just a pure fact of relative influence on Jewish observance en masse - "leadrship")
Fact # 6: Attributing the fate of the Polish Jewry during the war to the Molotov-Ribbentropp Pact is not a fact, but merely Atals’ opinion. (One that few serious students of WWII history would second. Some would say Munich ’38 had a lot more to do with it. Some go further by pointing out that while Munich doomed the Jews, Stalin Y"SH actually saved a bunch by moving the Red Army into Poland and that nothing Stalin could do at that time would stop the Germans Y"SH)
Fact # 7: Kissing up to the powerful is a time-honored mode of behavior of all Jewish Askonim. Such behavior was never viewed by the Jews as a repugnant endorsement of the powerful, unless it actually served against the Jewish interests – i.e. Jweish welfare and Jewish observance (and that both are served well by kissing up to Putin is, at the very least, an opinion that has legitimacy).
Re Anton: How vicious!
Fact # 1: There is no certainty about the cause of death (accidental overdose was not ruled out). His soul does not need the suicide kitrug!
Fact # 2: Despite the ugly implication, Anton had difficulties with coping with life in the USA, with parnosa (he even drove a cab for a while), with personal issues, with art issues. He liked Crown Heights and had no difficulties with "living in Crown Heights" per se!
Shame on you!
In Russia Anton liked to speak about the power of light in Rembrandt paintings. When he came to America the lights dimmed.
Do your own soul a favor: remove the suicide bit and remove my comments regarding it. If, as you claim, Anton was your friend, this is a correction you should make. The painting and the Rembrandt dedication would be enough, don't you think?
I am tired of sweeping life under the carpet.
Berl, in response to your "facts".
#1: I can only speak about my own experience and by the late seventies Lubavitch dominance in Yiddishkite in Russia was indeed a myth.
# 2: Yitzchak Kagan is a simple man who was promoted to 'Zadik from Leningrad' by the Chabad PR machine. I only mentioned people whom I found spiritually and intellectually significant.
# 3: This is not true, even Berl Levy was a late comer to the scene.
#4: I call them like I see them
#5: Yes 'the mass did not hear about these people' for one obvious reason, they were underground! But most people who WANTED TO KNOW could and did find them.
# 6: Sorry this point is BS
# 7: I would remind you that all Jewish activists stood for freedom and liberty as their main goal and purpose, the current Lubavitch association with the forces in opposition to these ideals is negating everything the Jews of Moscow were about.
Two points:
The last perek of Sotah describes the travails of Am Yisrael during the period of realization that our leaders are failing, despite their good intentions... (Look there).
It would seem to be forbidden to claim that a certain Jew died by his own hand unless you have evidence that would be acceptable to genuine Beth Din. Don't ask where you could find one; but I assume that you pray for one 18 times a week.
Anton was a complicated soul. His life in Crown Heights didn't lighten his spirits. I also know how utterly lonely and helpless one can get in that neighborhood. If you live on Kingston Ave. nobody will care for you like they would if you were a backpacker in Thailand.
By way of curiousity, in what year did Anton die?
Bruce, I am not certian. I don't even know his Yahrzait, it was around 5-6 years ago. I will have to find out but as I said understandably people do not like to talk about it.
I think our host is seriously mistaken about the role Lubavitch played in keeping judaism alive in the USSR.
My uncle was an important Lubavitcher rosh yeshiva and activist in the USSR until his death in 1942.
As such this subject has always interested me. I spent from 1963 -1990 trying to follow the religious situation in Russia There is no doubt that Lubavitch was the main and only organized address for Yiddishkeit in Russia until the late 1970's.Of course the local synagogues and their rabbis also share some credit, but even there Chabad played an important role. (The last serious rav of Leningrad Rav Lubanoff wasa Kopust chabad follower)
Reb Mendel Futtefass was released in the early 1960's under a special deal between the English govt and Mr. Khruschev.I believe Harold Wilson then English Prime Minsiter was the catylist of this deal) In the late 1960 and early 1970's most remaining old time Lubavitchers in Soviet Asia left as there they were organized in "communities".
In other places Lubavitcher chasidim remained as yechidim.
Mr. Essas himself from what I understand was a Chabad person himself.I recall the late Berel Levy saying that he had films of Reb Assas at a Chassidishe farbrengun in Moscow. Reb MOttel Lifshitz the shochet of Moscow was a Lubavitcher so were many other s in various places.
True after 50 years of persecution and emigration , by 1980 few Geza people were left, but they gave over their learning to the new generation of refusniks, and baale teshuva.
In addition what about the zaddik of Leningrad Kogan ? another Lubavitcher!Many of the names you mention were not learned in Torah uMitzvoth as rabbonim but were baale hashkofe and teachers.
Of course there were some old time Misnagdim lefttoo.
But there is no question that the chief agent for the survival of Yiddishkeyt in the USSR were Lubavitcher chasidim.
May I add that even men such as the Ribnitzer rebbe Rabbi Abramowitz and the Machanovker rebbe in Moscow Rabbi Twerski were supported by the local Lubavitcher community.
There was also a crippled man in Moscow in the late 1980's and 1990's who was a talmid of Reb Getcha who was also a Lubavitcher activist in Moscow.I do not remember his name. there was also a Luabvitcher yeshiva in Moscow already in the late 1980's .
I need not add that the whole Religious apperatus of the 3 Asian Jewish communities was dominated by students of Lubavitch in one form or another.This was especially true in Soviet Georgia.
Truth be told I spoke to Dr. Herman Branover in New York in 1973 and he told me that there were almost no old time Chabad people left there.But there were clearly successor Chabad people in European Russia.
If it was not Chabad who did keep Yiddsihkeyt alive in Russia ? Was it the Zionist shlichim ? was it the Yeshiva world Lakewood ? Was it the Sovetish Heimland magazine ? Besides Lubavitch a handful of rabbonim like rabbis Schlieffer, Levin Panitch, Diment Lubanoff with other nameless shochetim, and clergy.etc kept the flame going.
Another interesting fact there were Hebrewt teachers in Russia, self taught who knew the halachos of various dinim and minhogim , but had only a superficial idea of how to do it, . I heard that a senior teacher in Moscow hd no idea how to go about making kiddush riday night.yet knew the halachos.
Lubavitch kept the Messorah going.I think many of the early Zionist BT's did not like the Chabad niks in Moscow etc, for hashkofa reasons.
As much as I loath many of Rav Lazar's activities especially in the political domain, he is far more knowledgeable in Judaism than Rabbi Shayevitch whom I met in 1988 when he was at Yeshiva University.
Again I can not understand why Modern Orthodoxy never staked a claim in Russia,
Stolin has rabbis in Lemberg and Kiev
Lubavitch in many Russian cities
Goldschmidt is in MOscow
Rav Breuer of Skvere is in Berdichev. Another chasidic rav in in Korostin. Rav Hoffman a Hungarian hasid is in Munkatch There are also a number of yeshivashe rabbis in Russia. Is there one college educated rav in Russia (I know lazar has a MA )
Imagine Russia being served by several dozen Modern Orthodox rabbis. They could preach in a normal matter serve as role models and deal in an intellegent manner in political and communal issues.Halachic issues could be delagated to the Yeshivashe rabbis but the pastoral and public roles of rabbi especially chief rabbi should be held by someone well versed in public affairs.While many Russians like mystics (like Rasputin) most Jews are seeking Torah Im Derech Eretz not messianism or Ultra orthodxy. Is it not interesting that under the Communists in the 1960's there were about 4 synagogues in Moscow (Central Choral, Marina Roschina, Zerkizova and Malakhovka) There are no more than that today ! Maybe Rabbi Kogan has another shul somewhere. And this in a city of close to 250,000 Jews. The only new shuls are run by a very aggresive Reform movement. Clearly mand educated Russian Jews prefer Reform to Chabdf When will Pres. Joel and the RCA wake up ?
Re Crown Hts. When I spent time in KFAR Chabad in 1971 many of the bachurim openly told me they hated CRown Hts. Being there with the White Russian heimishkayt I can see why.Reb Mendel's farbrenguns were meredig. Rav Gorelik was a sarid from the dor yashan.
I never felt any heimishkayt in CH. Perhaps the rebbe should have appointed several shluchim to serve that community itself ? CH was a cold place. Washington Hts with its cold yekkes is like Florida compared to CH
While taking one's life is a radical step , CH is a very depressing place. Even though I am a White Russian Jew with a Lubavitch element some where in my neshoma I prefer the varime Magyar Hasidim in Williamsburg. I feel sorry for your friend. may his soul rest in peace.
I must add that I got more kiruv at the Bobover tischen than at farbrenguns in CH. So much for the myth that other Chasidim are not friendly !
Shneur, I want you to know that I read what you write very carefully and I have been thinking about your comments. Please give me some time to respond.
I am in Moscow, and I was turned off to Yiddishkeit by the crookedness and rudeness of Berel Lazar and company. For me, they do not represent Chabad, which despite my own secular lifestyle, I still respect and admire. Chabad is doing some good work here and always has done good work here. Also, there is no shul in Cherkizovka, but yes - Kogan has a shul in the centre, a breakaway Chabad rabbi has a shul in a southern semi-suburb, and there are a couple of Chabad Houses that may have minyanim, at least for Shabbos.
The "crippled man" was Reb Avrohom Genin, who, if he is still alive, now resides in Nachlas Har Chabad. I do not know what Kogan did or did not do in Leningrad, but he is responsible for the kosher meat here and is many heads and shoulders above Lazar in terms of everything but knowledge - remember that he never had a chance to learn formally as he was raised during the worst times of the Communist era. His parents were "frum" by the standards of those times, but there was of course no yeshiva where he could learn, and even his parents did not have a chance to learn much past cheder, as his father AH was born in 1915 or so (I knew him and I think he passed away in 1997 at the age of 82 - I could be off but not by more than 2 years in either direction) and his mother, who may still be alive, a few years later.
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