Monday, June 6, 2011

Schism in a Hasidic Village, a Series of Attacks, and an Attempted-Murder Arrest


NYTimes

Last September, Aron Rottenberg did something radical.

Along with some friends, he began worshiping not at the grand synagogue at the center of this ultra-Orthodox Skver Hasidic community in Rockland County, but outside the village at a residence for the elderly.

Before long, a rabbinical court ruled that praying outside the synagogue was a serious violation of community rules.

Next, groups outside Mr. Rottenberg’s house smashed windows and dumped his daughter’s school desk and books on the front porch. And on May 22, an early-morning attack left Mr. Rottenberg with third-degree burns over most of his body. [...]

8 comments:

  1. Nothing new that hasn't been reported umpteen times already.

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  2. Daniel:

    What purpose do you serve by posting this stuff?

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  3. I thank Hashem every day that my grandparents turned their backs on this craziness 100 or so years ago.

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  4. Grand Rabbi Twersky... issued a statement four days after the attack in which he said he was praying for Mr. Rottenberg’s recovery.

    He did not do such a thing, he did not mention Rottenberg by name, he said he prays for all people involved

    Me think Twersky is going down big time

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  5. I have a general question that comes to mind from this and similar posts.

    There are a number of claims in the Yeshiva welt, that studying Gemara and devoting oneself to it will develop in the student a) a knowledge of logic and philosophy (such a Maimonides, who allegedly only learned his philosophy from gemara);
    and b) high moral and ethical traits (mussar).

    Should this view therefore not presume that anyone who studies talmud will have the highest psychological health and personal characteristics?

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  6. This is essentially the failure of frumkeit today: all the external behaviours (the clothing, the shokling, the Yeshivish-speak) without any of the moral improvement that should go with it.
    Who's worse - the Reform Jew who drives on Shabbos or the Skverer Chosid who attempts to murder dissenters in the name of his Rebbe?

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  7. Garnel: If frumkeit has failed, feel free to become frei.

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  8. Garnel, glad to know we are in agreement!

    BTW, for those mentally challenged Chossidei Shoteh, the 10 Commandments in the Torah (the Torah is the Holy Book of the Jewish people) forbids murder.

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