The History of the Mir Community Before the Holocaust Religious Life The Mir Yeshiva

The yeshiva is described by L. Mendelstam:

"The yeshiva was situated in a large building with just one floor, in a large hall that sprawled across its entire width and length. Next to the walls were 14 large, long tables… and each table had a name: the "Rabbi's Table," and next to it the "Yeshiva Table" and so on. The Rabbi's Table was the most exalted, and it was a great honor for a student to be placed there. Other tables were on a lower level of importance, like the "Table Behind the Heater," where the loafers were placed, and the "Educated Table" where the apikorsim(heretics) were seated."L. Mendelstam, "Memories of the Mir Yeshiva Students," Mir, p. 119

‘Fake Orthodox’ couple accused of trying to convert Jews to Christianity

nypost.

David Costello and Rivkah Weber look every bit a young Orthodox Jewish couple.

Costello sports a yarmulke and sidelocks and Weber dresses modestly and covers her head.

They keep kosher and never miss Sabbath at the synagogue.

But they do share one little oddity: They believe Jesus is the Messiah.

And they are not shy about spreading their gospel, according to angry members of the Jewish community who say the couple are really Christian infiltrators fishing for converts.

Their presence has rocked synagogues in Brooklyn, and earlier this month in Chicago, after a visitor from New York recognized Costello from a Williamsburg shul and “outed” him.

Polish priest blames 'devil' as he's confronted by alleged victim whose life was ruined

.Cnn

"Father, I wanted to look you in the eye ... I wanted to ask you why?" demands Anna Misiewicz as she confronts the parish priest she says abused her when she was just seven and eight years old.

"You touched me where you were not supposed to, my private parts," Misiewicz says, matter-of-factly, telling him that his actions "really scarred my adult life deeply."

"I still have nightmares ... I am unable to sleep at night," she tells her alleged abuser. "I still carry it inside me."

The elderly man she is addressing exhales and shifts in his orange and brown striped chair, as a religious service plays out on a TV nearby, in a home for retired priests in Kielce, central Poland.

The priest, identified only as Father Jan A., has never been charged with abuse. He pauses briefly, before saying: "I should never have done it, I should not have touched or kissed you ... I know I shouldn't have."

How a DNA Testing Kit Revealed a Family Secret Hidden for 54 Years

http://time.com/5492642/dna-test-results-family-secret-biological-father/?iid=obinsite

In 1961, my parents, Orthodox Jews who married later in life, were having trouble conceiving. My father was part of a large family that took seriously the commandment to be fruitful and multiply. My mother, nearing 40, was desperate to have a child. They went to the now long-defunct Farris Institute for Parenthood near the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. There, they were told that a “treatment” was available to help solve my dad’s infertility. A practice of the day was to mix donor sperm with the intended father’s sperm, in order to keep alive the possibility that the child was biologically his. There was a commonly used term for this: confused artificial insemination.

Donald Trump falls for Nancy Pelosi's trap

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/24/politics/donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-democrats-republicans/index.html

President Donald Trump keeps taking Nancy Pelosi's bait.

The House speaker has spent the last two days provoking Trump, questioning his self-confidence, condescendingly confiding that she prays for him and suggesting a "family intervention."

The President's wild, improvised response Thursday suggests that so far, the speaker is winning the hugely consequential clash between Washington's top two political forces.

It's not often that Trump, the man who dismembered the most talented Republican primary field in years in 2016, seems to be struggling for traction in a face-to-face political fight.

But Pelosi is turning Trump's own arsenal against him, using the politics of mockery and provocation to leave him for once, off balance and forced to respond to a more nimble rival.

And Trump's increasingly livid reactions are helping Pelosi out of a delicate political spot.

This week opened with the Beltway narrative that she was under growing pressure from a Democratic caucus impatient with her reluctance to open an impeachment inquiry against Trump.

Trump calls himself a 'stable genius' at wild press conference

WHAT THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT GETS RIGHT: THEY HAVE LEGITIMATE CONCERNS, EVEN IF CLAIMS OF PERSECUTION ARE EXAGGERATED

https://www.newsweek.com/religious-right-christian-persecution-same-sex-marriage-freedom-exaggerated-1434800

But it’s important to understand that traditional American Christians are not hallucinating when they express concerns about their own religious status and rights.

Look at it through their eyes.

Religious motivations are denigrated. After the passage of Alabama’s anti-abortion law, some progressives claimed that it was a violation of the separation of church and state because the sponsors had religious motivations. “One of the tenets of our democracy is that we have a separation of church and state, and under no circumstances are we supposed to be imposing our faith on other people,” said Kirsten Gillibrand. “And I think this is an example of that effort.”

Think about the logic. It means that public policy positions that are driven by religion are off the table while stances driven by secular reasons are legitimate. It would be like saying that Democrats could oppose the Iraq war for practical reasons but not for moral/religious reasons. That subordinates and minimizes religious teaching and motivation.

Religious institutions get second class status. Again, religion is mostly quite privileged in America. But not always. Sometimes, an overly rigid application of separation of church and state can lead to disadvantaging religion. For instance, a federal law allowed for financial aid loan forgiveness for people who go in to “public service” professions. But the Department of Education ruled that joining the ministry didn’t count. I can understand their impulse: they no doubt bristled at the idea of government funds going to help make people ministers. But the result was not equality but inferiority. You got loan forgiveness if you became a social worker but not minister.

Similarly, the Federal Emergency Management Agency at one point refused to provide financial support to assist churches after devastating hurricanes in Texas. And group of residents in Acton, Massachusetts, sued to block the state from using historic preservation funds to preserve old churches along with secular buildings. Religious institutions shouldn’t get preference but they also shouldn’t be subordinated.

Rabbis agree: Get vaccinated, already

https://nypost.com/2019/05/21/rabbis-agree-get-vaccinated-already/

Despite a massive campaign by New York health officials urging people to vaccinate their children, the measles outbreak continues to worsen here in New York and nationally.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this week that 880 new cases in 24 states have been identified. Most of those cases are in New York, with the Empire State’s total now standing at more than 725.

That’s the highest number of infections in a quarter-century, and the problem shows no signs of abating anytime soon. Indeed, if the anti-vaccine rally held last week in Rockland County is any indication, the rash of cases will only continue to grow.

Sadly, the event attracted hundreds of attendees and featured speaker after speaker fervently spreading anti-vaccine propaganda.

As the chief executive officer of Chai Lifeline, North America’s largest Jewish children’s health-support network, I feel obliged to push back against such cavalier, irresponsible and dangerous attitudes about vaccines.

Rav Gifter writing from Europe in the 30's regarding Yeshiva University and Zionism

בעוד ב' שבועות, ז"א, ראש חדש אב, אי"ה, אצל הקרובים שלי בעיירת לינקעווע משום  אז צריכים לאכול

מאכלי חלב והמאכלים שניתנים במסעדת הישיבה קשים לי . אחי' שם ער עשרה באב. הנה כת"ר כותב לי אורות הנבלה הנעשית ע"י הסאמער סקולי הנה ידעתי גם ידעתי שכבר בהיותי שם כבר התחילו חילול הקודש הזה, והדנה מאגורת הרבנים נכשלים בעוון חמור מאר של מי שיש בידו למחות ואינו מוחה נתפס בעוון הדור' וכולם יודעים את הנבלות של רד . רעוועל והרבצת הכפירה שמרביצים בקאלערזש שלו ואין מוחה בידו, ובא לירי המודעה אורות חג הסיום של הקאלערזש בשנה זו' וראיתי שם שרעי מלפנים דור פיטעגאדסקי נשא נאום

אמר שמבינים חם "האחריות שנושאים

על שכמם ועליהם להפיץ אורה באפלתה של אמעריקא, כמה ריקים דברים אלו וכי אינו יורע בסתרי לבו שאין בידו וביד כל המסיימים דק להפיץ חושך ואפלה ולהוסיף על חשכתה של אמעריקא, הדבר מביא לירי גיחוך שצריכים להביא את השופט קאדריזי שיסכים, אז די אלטע געלעכזאמקייט אז א וויכטקע זאך" )וכן כמרומני הלשון שם במודעה( שומו שמים ער מתי יעשה רשע זה מה שלבו חפץ' וכי אינו מאמין במאמר חז"ל כל הרודף אחר הכבוד הכבוד בורח ממנוי אבל יבא היום והל ואי במהרה, שיוכח באמתת מאמר זה. יבא היום שיפורסם באמעריקא שתלמידי הישיבה כמעט כולם הולכים ברחוב בגילוי הראש כידוע לכת "ו שבצאתם

מבנין הישיבה מסלקים הכיסוי מעל ראשם, יבא היום שידעו שיש בהם שמגלחים זקנם ושאינם לובשים ציצית ותפילין בכל יום ויום, ובידי לכתוב לכת"ר השמות של הבחורים שעוברים עבירות הללו ואין אני בודה זה מלבי' ויותר על כולם יבא היום שידעו שיש בתלמידי הישיבה שפרוצים בערן עריות, בועלי נדות וזונות, את אלה המנוולים מחנכים בישיבה קאלעדזש. ברור לי שעד עתה לא ידע כת "ר הרבה מזה וישתומם בשעה שיקרא דברי אבל אמיתיים המה בתכלית האמת, והאיש רעוועל יודע זאת ושותק, סוף החילול השם הגדול הזה תלוי בידי השם שהוא מאריך אף אבל גם מדת חרון אף יש לה גבול וקצתי מלכתוב עוד בענינים אלו, וכן על פיטעגארסקי וגאלדמאן שכבר איבדו חייהם, חיי נצח ואף חיי

8שעה לא קבלו בתמורתם.

ביום הראשון היו בכאן הבחירות בעד הקאנגרעס הציוני' גם עניך הציונות הוא מהנבלות הגדולות שאנשי אמעריקא אינם מבינים אותו כראוי' משום שהציונות אינה כ"כ פעילה שם בחיי היהודים, אבל כאן שהיא פעילה מאד ורואים תוצאותו, כל יהודי חרד הירא לדבר ה' רואה בהם סם המות ליהדות ונפשי בוערת בי כשאני חושב עליהם, וכיחוד הציוניסטען סאציאליסטען שבאמעריקא נקראים פועלי ציון' שמחללים בפרהסיא כל דבר שבקדושה בארצנו הקדושה, ימה

שמם וזכרם. רכבו אמדתי שכל יהודי מאמין צדיך לירא שהתוצאה של כל הטומאה שמכניסים באוצנו הקדושה תברא לידי הקללה של ותקיא הארץ אתכם. וכבר יצאנו בגלות מארצנו משרם שרצתה הארץ את שבתרתי'. רה' יתברך יתן לנר נח להעמיק בתורתו

הקדושה ולראות נפלאות. אכי"ר .

אקרה שיבריא במעון הקיץ , ויהא לו הצלחה רבה עם תלמידיו כראוי לו , ונראה בהרמת קרן התורה,

Berel6 hours ago

Translated

In two weeks, ZA, Rosh Chodosh Av , God, in my relatives in the town of Linkawa, then they have to eat
Dairy food and the food in the restaurant is hard for me. My brother 'was awake there in the tenth of Av. Here I am, You writes to me Regarding s of the villain made by the Summer School . Here I also knew that already when I was there, this blasphemy had already begun, and the Agudas rabonim e was failing for the grave punishment of those who had the ability to protest Yeshiva College and . Revel and the heresy of the heresy who see his College and do not protest with his dark hand, and the announcement of the closing lights of the College in this year came to the end of the year and I saw a Shar'i in the front Dor Pietagadsky delivering a speech
Said they understand hot "responsibility that carries
They must spread light in the dark of America, how empty these things are, and that he does not know in his secret that he and all the finishers can not spread darkness and darkness and add to the darkness of America, which leads to a ridiculous shooting that should bring Judge Kadrizi to agree. "And when the adverts of the language are written in the ad
," Heaven is awake when the wicked will do this what his heart desires, "and that he does not believe in the article of the Sages.
In America, the students of the yeshiva are almost all walking in the street with their heads uncovered, as is known, as they know also

The day they come to know that there are those students who shave their beard and do not wear tzitzis and tefillin every day, and fornicate with nidah and znus and worse

and I write the names of the young men who commit these offenses and I do not believe in them. It is clear to me that until now, You did not know much of this, and his astonishment when You read the words of the truth is true, and the man
Revel knows this and remains silent.

The end of the desecration of this great name depends on the hand of the name that he extends. But even from the religion of anger, it even has a border, and I have no longer written about these matters Fitagarski and Goldman have already lost their lives, immortality and life
They did not receive their money for 8 hours.
On the first day there were elections for the Zionist Congress . "Zionism is also one of the great scoundrels that American people do not understand properly" because Zionism is not so active in Jewish life, but here it is very active and sees its results. Every Jew who fears the word of God sees them The death drug for Judaism and my soul burns in me when I think of them, and like the Zionist Zionists, they call themselves the Poalei Zion, who publicly desecrate everything sacred in our Holy Land,
Their names and their memories. I have estimated that every Jew believes in your side to fear that the result of all the impurity that you put in our holy treasure will be created by the curse of the land. And we have already set out in exile from our land, from the land that the land desired my inheritance. ' The Almighty will allow Noah to deepen his Torah
Holyness and seeing wonders. Chief of Staff.
And he will have great success with his students as he deserves, and he will see the raising of the Torah ,Rosh Chodesh Av

Can We Live Longer but Stay Younger?

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/05/20/can-we-live-longer-but-stay-younger

Aging, like bankruptcy in Hemingway’s description, happens two ways, slowly and then all at once. The slow way is the familiar one: decades pass with little sense of internal change, middle age arrives with only a slight slowing down—a name lost, a lumbar ache, a sprinkling of white hairs and eye wrinkles. The fast way happens as a series of lurches: eyes occlude, hearing dwindles, a hand trembles where it hadn’t, a hip breaks—the usually hale and hearty doctor’s murmur in the yearly checkup, There are some signs here that concern me.

Deputy minister accused of protecting sex offenders in at least 10 cases

timesofisrael

Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman allegedly helped at least 10 serious sex offenders obtain improved conditions, including home visits and other benefits, by pressuring state psychiatrists and prisons service officials, according to a report Tuesday.

Litzman, who hails from the Gur Hasidic community, has been accused in the past of using his influence to protect Malka Leifer, who has been fighting extradition to Australia for allegedly abusing students at a Jewish school there.

According to Channel 13 news, Litzman is suspected of a pattern of pressuring corrections officials to be lenient with other ultra-Orthodox offenders as well.

13tv

המקור, עונה 16, פרק 4: שערוריית ליצמן נחשפת

סגן שר הבריאות יעקב ליצמן, שצפוי להמשיך לשלוט במשרד גם בממשלה הבאה, פעל למען אנסים ופדופילים בעשרה מקרים שונים לפחות. זאת, לאורך כמה שנים, שכללו גם את הקדנציה הראשונה שלו, וגם בזמנים שבהם שלא היה במשרד הבריאות - כך עולה מתחקיר "המקור"