Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Geurus - Rabbi Manny Vinas: Assisted in obtaining a Torah


Jewish Weekly

gerus wrote:

These people are not Jewish according to any definition, so how can Rabbi Vinas from Yonkers give them a sefer Torah?

http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/58867/black-proud-and-jewish-synagogue-founded-50-years-ago-takes-a-step-forward-/

Temple Beth’El is a predominantly black synagogue formed more than 50 years ago by the daughter of a Baptist preacher at a time when many blacks were rejecting Christianity as a slave religion. The same motivation led many blacks to move toward Islam.

The founder of Temple Beth’El, Louise Dailey, studied with a rabbi, but was not ordained by a recognized branch of Judaism. The synagogue has a kosher kitchen and a mikvah, but Dailey also adopted some traditions that are alien to the ancient faith. Congregants called her “Mother Dailey,” and she ordained Bowen, her daughter, before she died.

The Torah ceremony last year was a mix of Hebrew readings and shouts of “Hallelujah!” — a worship style typical of black churches. The booming music came from what Christians would call a “praise band” — with electric guitars, drums and a keyboard.

The Torah was acquired by Rabbi Emmanuel “Manny” Vinas, who leads a Spanish-Jewish synagogue in Yonkers, N.Y. Vinas noted that many suppliers had been reluctant to sell a Torah to Temple Beth’El because of its history, and he expected strictly traditional Jews would criticize him for brokering the purchase.

“I saw the service that was held for the Torah,” Vinas said. “You see those people crying and so deeply moved ... That’s a congregation that’s going to honor and uphold the Torah.”

16 comments :

  1. It's one thing when Rabbi Vinas (a Cuban ger I believe) has a soft spot for other Hispanics but what's his excuse for American Blacks and their pseudo-Judeo-Xtian gig?

    If he has been mekarev goyim from day one, is that not itself a case of not intending on following all the mitzvos?

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  2. http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/18598

    It's a good thing that Tropper did not discover these Black "Hebrews". There are at least a half million of them in the United States.

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  3. So is Rabbi Vinas a meyaetz ruchni to the Black temple?

    http://www.bethel-ph.org/

    We welcome you to worship with us at Congregation Temple Bethel. Our congregation has been in existence for more than 54 years. Our founder Rabbi L. E. Dailey (z"l) was a brilliant Torah scholar, and it is through her teaching that we have progressed on our journey to return to our heritage.
    We are the descendants of father Abraham.

    We have a nursery for the care and feeding of infants. Please do not feed or nurse infants in the Sanctuary

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  4. i cannot quote any mefurash halacha, but my understanding was that as long as the sefer/ktav kodesh will be taken care of respectfully and with dignity, there is no problem (bedieved probably) with it. for example, a frum person once told me that he sold his office space to a goy, and the goy insisted that he not remove the mezzuzos so that he will be "protected by g-d", and he was given a heter to leave them because it was obvious the goy would treat them properly...

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  5. What is the background of this Manny Vinas character?

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  6. http://www.thejewishweek.com/blogs/route_17/mosques_imam_moderate_abe_foxman_bigot

    I trust the Imam and the Muslims at the new Ground Zero "Cordoba" mosque to tell me the truth of what they think about Israel and the United States. After 9/11, the Imam said America shared responsibility for the destruction of the World Trade Center. Now, that same imam refuses to condem Hamas. And he supported the anti-Israel flotilla that led the international political ambush of Israel. This imam is honest. He's just anything but "moderate."

    How about all the Jewish leaders and rabbis who call this imam "moderate" and support his proposed mosque? How honest are they?
    How many of these rabbis, these professional dialoguers, ever can be counted on to speak up about the state of Islam in the United States - other than to constantly trot out the so-called moderates?

    How many of these rabbis - how many Jewish newspapers and organizations supporting the Ground Zero mosque -- had anything to say when Obama's counter-terrorism advisor started calling Jerusalem (the entire city that is ruled by its Colonial Governor Obama, who forbids the building of Jewish apartments there) by its Islamic name, "Al-Quds?" You can watch Obama's advisor calling it Al-Quds here. You can watch that same Obama official, John Brennan, saying that jihad is a legitmate expression of Islam here.

    After the attempted bombing of Riverdale synagogues in 2009 - when some Jewish newspapers didn't even refer to the suspects as Islamic. Jewish leaders provided no leadership, no expression for the Jew in the street. Instead, the Jewish leaders held a limited-seating interfaith dialogue that featured a monologue by an imam who was scathing about the very idea that the FBI should dare to even look for possible terrorists in mosques. The rabbis response? They applauded the imam. He was moderate.

    I don't trust dialoguing rabbis to warn - or even alert - the Jewish community when, God forbid, the time will come when we'll need a warning in the night as we did in Crown Heights. Jewish leaders tell me to trust these imams and I do. It's these Jewish leaders I don't trust. Oh, I trust them to be nice guys and registered Democrats. I trust them to see no evil and hear no evil. I trust that they'll get invited to the opening reception of the Ground Zero mosque. I just don't trust them about Islam, and their Orwellian definition of "moderate."

    It's a perverse world where an imam who assigns blames to the United States for 9/11, who supports the flotilla, who is coy about Hamas -- is the "moderate" but Abe Foxman is the bigot.

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  7. http://www.vosizneias.com/61926/2010/08/10/new-york-nba-star-lebron-james-hires-rabbi-to-consult-on-business-affairs

    TMZ has released information that Miami heat star LeBron James has met with a Rabbi in New York today for spiritual guidance.

    They even have a photo of him sitting at a table with Rabbi Yishayahu Yosef Pinto, who only speaks Hebrew and is known around New York as the “Rabbi to the Business Stars.”

    According to the TMZ article, James wanted spiritual guidance from Rabbi Pinto before a big merchandising meeting that was held on a private yacht off the coast of New York later in the day.

    Rabbi Pinto, 37, has met with all sorts of business big wigs and he is considered by some people to be a “spiritual guide” who consults on business matters.

    Sounds like a lucrative business for the young Rabbi who was paid 6-figures by LeBron to sit in on the meeting on the yacht where he supposedly met with numerous “big time” retail executives.

    Also in the article it talks about how it has been a big off season for some NBA players and the Jewish religion after Amar’e Stoudemire met with rabbis in Israel, and Shaq learned the Hebrew language.

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  8. Why is Vinas doing this? Are these people Jewish?

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  9. Todays Rabbonim?
    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/08/opinion/08macdo

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  10. Next time someone complains about Israel not accepting American conversions, keep "Rabbi" Vinas in mind.

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  11. One one hand, it's nice to see that there are non-Jews who are so enthusiastic about Hashem. OTOH, it's a shame that they think they are Jews, when they are not.

    Stories like this makes me think that we should be promoting the Noahide option more strongly.

    Are there any sources out there that discuss details and practicalities of promoting worship of G-d among non-Jews outside the context of conversion?

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  12. Ben Torah said...

    What is the background of this Manny Vinas character?
    --------------
    This was a major topic of discussion two years ago. Simply put "vinas" in the search engine. See for example

    http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2008/06/rabbi-vinas-reply-discussed-and.html

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  13. he is the Mechutan of Morenu Horav Pinchas Aaron Weberman Miami Beach's "Av Beis Din,Authority on Geyrus, Kasherous and a hold host of other toys.

    Esther Maria Weberman was/is /was married to David Weberman his son.

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  14. Dont worry about Manny Vinas. His conversions are not accepted anywhere and thus he stopped doing conversions. His gerim have to do a lchumra or second gerus since in either case they're not considered Jewish according to Halacha. It just upsets me that he makes people believe something that they're not and that's not fair. People's lives are too precious to play with. If these people want to be Yidden, then they should undergo gerus with a Kosher Beis Din.

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  15. Judy B: We can give a mezuzah to the gentile who asks for one of our "lucky charms" if we can trust that he and his nonjewish friends will not desecrate; we don't have an obligation to refuse and create ill-will (and sustain losses). I don't really understand why a mezuzah for the office space (did your friend or his colleagues sleep in the office regularly?) but your friend must have had his reasons.
    This however does not imply it's the same for a Sefer Torah. It is not.

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  16. reply to: coby said...
    he is the Mechutan of Morenu Horav Pinchas Aaron Weberman Miami Beach's "Av Beis Din,Authority on Geyrus, Kasherous and a hold host of other toys.

    Esther Maria Weberman was/is /was married to David Weberman his son.
    __________________________________
    Esther Maria Vinas Weberman is Manny Vinas' sister ..her Geyrus was performed before she ever met David Weberman.
    Rabbi Weberman is well known for being a 'Kanoiy and stubborn' so I don't think any insinuation of there being a problem with the Geyrus of Esther Maria Vinas Weberman is valid.

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