Word: teitelbaum
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...wife of a rabbi, I want to congratulate you on your objective report of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum's recent visit to Israel [Aug. 3]. You have shown fine insight into the character and beliefs of this movement...
Your article on Rabbi Teitelbaum and the Hasidic community reeks of cynicism, pro-Israelism, snobbishness and disrespect. I do not necessarily agree with the rabbi or his religious beliefs, but I am glad to see someone raise his voice against the state of Israel. Before this time, anyone who criticized the state of Israel was thought to be antiSemitic. No one, obviously, can accuse Rabbi Teitelbaum of that fault...
...Israel, including a new five-story rabbinical-study center, a new housing project near Tel Aviv, an old people's home. Perhaps his most dramatic operation concerns Tel Aviv's long-embattled public swimming pool, which the Hasidim consider an outrage because it permits mixed bathing. Teitelbaum and his backers are trying to buy the pool from the two collectives that own it, are reported ready to offer $140,000. If the offer is turned down, Teitelbaum will order mass demonstrations by his followers. Says one of his spokesmen: "The deportment of men and women in this sinful...
Money for Influence. In his campaign, Rabbi Teitelbaum has strong financial backers, and two of them were with him in Israel last week-Brooklyn Manufacturer (shortening) Israel Supnik and London Real Estate Operator Getzel Berger. With their help four years ago, Teitelbaum had offered $15 worth of foodstuffs to anyone refusing to vote in Israel's 1955 elections. In Jerusalem last week, he preached a repeat performance, persuaded many of his followers to turn over their identity cards to his aides-which means that they will not be able to vote in Israel's November general elections...
...partisans hark back to the Hasidim (pious ones) who flourished in 18th century Poland. But unlike other modern Hasidic sects-which are devoted to a kind of cheerful mysticism and have no objections to Israel-Teitelbaum's followers are fanatically opposed to most aspects of modern life, including military service, voting, movies and TV, mixed gatherings of men and women. They live in self-imposed ghettos, speak only Yiddish since they consider Hebrew sacred and reserved for prayers. Their opposition to Israel rests on two beliefs: 1) only the Messiah can establish a Jewish state, and any human attempt...