Haredi “Unity” Meeting Results In Expulsion Of Hasidic Rebbe
When the Ashkenazi haredi Council of Torah Sages met last week for the
first time in 16 years, meeting organizers trumpeted the unity and
brotherhood between the elderly rabbis, many of whom had not spoken to
each other in years. But what organizers and Council spokespeople did not trumpet was the sudden expulsion without warning of one member of the Council.
Above: The Bostoner Rebbe of Har Nof being detained by secuity outside the "unity" meeting of the Council of Torah Sages. Below: The "unity" meeting of the Council of Torah Sages.
Updated at 10:43 pm CST 2-10-2013
Haredi “Unity” Meeting Results In Expulsion Of Hasidic Rebbe
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
When the Ashkenazi haredi Council of Torah Sages met last week for the first time in 16 years, meeting organizers trumpeted the unity and brotherhood between the elderly rabbis, many of whom had not spoken to each other in years.
But what organizers and Council spokespeople did not trumpet was the sudden expulsion without warning of one member of the Council.
The Bostoner Rebbe of Har Nof arrived for the meeting and was reportedly ejected without warning and detained by the Council's security. His father, the previous Bostoner Rebbe who passed away last year, had been a member of the Council for decades. The new rebbe was banned, apparently because the Council suddenly decided not to automatically confer membership to rabbis who replace their deceased parent as rebbe – although both Bostoner rebbes’ closeness to Zionism may have played a role, as well.
The rebbes of the Gur (Ger) and Slonim sects allegedly passed by as the Bostoner was being detained, stopped to inquire about what was happening, but did nothing to stop it. The Gerer Rebbe is the most powerful hasidic leader in the Council.
The Bostoner Rebbe of Har Nof is competing with another brother for leadership of the Boston sect.
The Boston hasidic sect issued a demand (posted below) for a public apology. So far, none has been forthcoming.
The Council, officially part of the Agudath Israel movement, is also the spiritual governing body of the haredi United Torah Judaism political party.
The meeting was held to coordinate opposition to the military draft of haredim and to government funding cuts to haredi yeshivas.
[Hat Tip: The Lion.]
Chill it was a mistake
Posted by: Shimi | February 10, 2013 at 11:54 AM
Huh? He was not invited, but he came anyway. Who is he anyway? He has a little synagogue with about 10 followers. Why should he be a part of a group of twenty rabbis, each of whom has an average of 10,000 to 30,000 followers.
He was told not to come, but he figured he'll come anyway and nobody would have the guts to throw him out, and he'll become a de facto gadol!! Boy was he wrong.
The demand for the public apology was written by none other than the man himself. He doesn't have any organized community.
Posted by: I can't think of a name yet | February 10, 2013 at 12:02 PM
They took down the URL to the original page on YWN.
Posted by: Reuvan Nuchme | February 10, 2013 at 12:06 PM
I personally don't track how many followers the Bostoner Rebbe has.
But I've visited his Beis Medrash in Har Nof where his father essentially founded the community with Menachem Begin.
To say he has 10 followers is as stupid as it is insulting.
Posted by: FM Fan | February 10, 2013 at 02:13 PM
".......his father essentially founded the community with Menachem Begin"
======= huh??????? I lived there at the time. Nothing whatever to do with MB. (Are you confusing Yefe Nof, where Begin lived, with Har Nof?). And the late Bostoner rebbe was a latecomer to Har Nof - not a founder by any means. The father had a following.
The son ...........
Posted by: Commentator | February 10, 2013 at 02:30 PM
No. I'm not confusing anyone.
I was in Israel when Har Nof was started.
The Bostoner Rebbe and Menachem Begin organized it.
The Rebbe stunned everyone by saying it was the family minhag not to move into a community unless it had a mikvah.
There was nothing built there at the time.
Posted by: FM Fan | February 10, 2013 at 02:35 PM
No one told the Bostoner that the law against publicly humuliating someone has been repealed from the Torah.
Posted by: Garnel Ironheart | February 10, 2013 at 03:17 PM
What a horrible insult to the memory of the holy Bostoner Rebbe z"tsvkllWhat ever they think about the current Har Nof Bostoner, his father was a tremendous figure rightly honored and respected by Klal Yisroel and a member of moetzes gedolei Agudas Yisroel. Shame on them. The previous Bostoner brought a tremendous achdus among Jews. This action is just the opposite.
Posted by: Insider-outsider | February 10, 2013 at 04:25 PM
To say he has 10 followers is as stupid as it is insulting.
Posted by: FM Fan | February 10, 2013 at 02:13 PM
Agreed. It's a small sect, but he has followers in Boston, New York and Israel.
My understanding is that he encouraged his followers to become educated, and not to shy away from the professions. I'm sure that made him suspect among the other rebbaim.
David Hartman's death convinces me the breach between Orthodoxy and liberal Judaism - indeed, between Orthodoxy and sanity - is irremediable.
Posted by: Jeff | February 10, 2013 at 04:50 PM
Huh? He was not invited, but he came anyway. Who is he anyway? He has a little synagogue with about 10 followers. Why should he be a part of a group of twenty rabbis, each of whom has an average of 10,000 to 30,000 followers.
Well, it's true that he doesn't have as many child shtuppers and baby penis suckers as do the other holy rebbaim - but have a little rachmones. He inherited a sect in which a fair number of men (and women!) have college degrees (chos v'sholem!) That sort of thing tends to put the kibosh on those other heilige activities.
It's a shame they threw him out. Under their influence, within a generation he might have had as many degenerates as they have.
Posted by: Jeff | February 10, 2013 at 05:03 PM
Most of the bostoners are followers of the other brothers, not the one from har nof who wasnt allowed in (after being repeatedly told not to show up).
rachmunes doesn't mean that he gets a seat at the decision making table. Seriously, just because his father was great, and just because we may have a little rachmunes on him, does that mean he should be given a vote at the decision making table.
You guys are so pathetic.
As for the fact that they didn't let him in, he was repeatedly told not to come, but he thought he'd be smarter and force them to accept him. He had his ass handed to him on a silver platter.
Posted by: I can't think of a name yet | February 10, 2013 at 05:09 PM
He had his ass handed to him on a silver platter.
I suspect you wouldn't be crowing if it had been your rebbe.
Posted by: Jeff | February 10, 2013 at 06:15 PM
Was there someone else officially representing the bostoner hasidic hamula?
Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, have they not learned anything?
Posted by: Seraphya Berrin | February 10, 2013 at 06:34 PM
Jeff, if this bostoner rabbi was a child molester you wouldn't be too upset either. Or if he was a molester protector. There was obviously a reason he wasn't invited.
Jeff, did it occur to you to think about the sanity and stability of a man who was repeatedly told not to show up, and yet shows up anyway? What kind of person does that? Don't you think such a person should be prevented from making decisions? Or does your limited intellectual capabilities preclude you from thinking out of your box, much like your friends the Haredim.
Posted by: I can't think of a name yet | February 10, 2013 at 08:06 PM
There are individuals who spend hours trying to figure out who to seat next to whom at Agudah conventions without raising hackles. The Har Nof Bostoner should have known better than to come to this "rarefied atmosphere" without an invite.
Posted by: spacedout BT | February 10, 2013 at 08:44 PM
I don't see the Har Nof Bostoner in the photo of the detainment. He would be taller than those in the photo and he has a long grey/white beard.
Posted by: Insider-outsider | February 11, 2013 at 04:38 AM
Jeff, did it occur to you to think about the sanity and stability of a man who was repeatedly told not to show up, and yet shows up anyway? What kind of person does that? Don't you think such a person should be prevented from making decisions? Or does your limited intellectual capabilities preclude you from thinking out of your box, much like your friends the Haredim.
If that is, indeed, what happened, and not just the way they're spinning it - you're right; he probably shouldn't have gone. But why wouldn't they allow him to attend? Was it only for the rebbes of the largest groups? Were the rebbaim of other smaller sects also excluded - or do they have a problem with him? As I said, the old Bostoner Rebbe encouraged his Hasidim to become educated. I can't think that sits well with them.
Posted by: Jeff | February 11, 2013 at 12:48 PM
Hey guys I just saw this about our little friend the heilige Bostoner from Har Nof. You guys who only see him from the outside don't know anything like a little bit of the truth about him. He doesn't even have ten followers. He has a shul full of people but thats cos there are lots of people in Har Nof who need a place to daven and his Shul is there on the street.
He wasn't invited to be among the small circle of the cream of the chassidic leaders because he is so far away from them in ruchnius it ain't true. Failed Messiah concentrates on outing child abusers but there are other mitzvos in the Torah that also apply today, like not stealing. This guy owes money all over the place. He really has no place being a Rov at all but he inherited that and he won't give it up but he has no place outside his own daled amos.
Posted by: J Doe | January 22, 2014 at 01:05 PM