Chabad Journalist Gershon Jacobson – Even After Death, The Spin Continues

The New York Times has an obituary for Gershon Jacobson, the founder and publisher of the Algemeiner Journal:

Although Der Algemeiner Journal is widely read by Hasidic Jews, for whom Yiddish is the language of everyday affairs, Gershon Jacobson himself defied easy categorization. Describing himself as an observant Jew, he lived near the Lubavitcher community in Crown Heights, but was not formally affiliated with any Hasidic sect. His paper, at times a lightning rod in the Orthodox Jewish world, reported freely on tensions between rival Hasidic sects, notably the Lubavitch and the Satmar.

A few facts:

1. Gershon Jacobson was a Chabad-Lubavitch hasid and an ardent follower of the late rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
2. He lived in Crown Heights, in the Chabad neighborhood, not "near" it.
3. All his children are Chabad rabbis.
4. Gershon Jacobson used the Algemeiner Journal as a PR organ for Chabad – and as a club with which to pummel Chabad's opponents.

Even after death, Gershon Jacobson's spin continues – this time courtesy of the New York Times.

Comments

[L]

At least they gave what seems like a credible circulation figure for the paper - 18,000 - and said it was only one of the largest Yiddish papers - rather than giving some more ridiculous figure and saying it's the largest.

Shmarya, have you no shame?

[Not A Fan]

Even for Jewish news the Algemeiner is a joke of a paper. For example, everyone knows that Arthur Schneier paid them off to regularly feature him on the front page.

That just shows how out of touch Arthur Schneier is.

Whose Arthur Schneier?

[Dr. Who]

Where did you read his newspaper?

[Schneur]

Insiders have told me that 5 yers ago the papers circulation was about 2,000.
Advertising reflects this figure.
About 50 copies are sold in Crown Hts weekly.
G.J. was a extreme Lubavitcher who routinely attacked rav Shach, the satmarer rebbe and others who did not fall in line.
Hardly any chassdim read this papaer.
One look at DER YID BLATT and NAYS BARICHT shows the true place the Algemeiner had in the Chasidic world.

I just want to say one thing: My grandfather, R' Gershon Dev Ber Jacobson, never held a grudge in his life, and nor will I to you. Zay Gebencht!