About Shmarya Rosenberg
Birthright Israel Wants You to Be Ultra-Orthodox
How’s this for rank cronyism? Birthright Israel, the program that gives every Jewish young adult in North America a free trip to Israel, also funds ‘aftercare’ programs back home under the auspices of Birthright-NEXT meant to keep newly-Jewishly-enthused Birthright participants … Read More
Agriprocessors: The Gift That Keeps On Giving
Since I last posted on Agriprocessors, shortly after the company was hit with more than 9,000 counts of child labor violations, the company’s "former" CEO (and still current VP) Rabbi Sholom M. Rubashkin was arrested on felony immigration and identity fraud charges. That was followed … Read More
May This Chicken Atone For Your Sins
Earlier this month, tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews waved live chickens over their heads in a ritual known as kapparot, or "atonements." They chanted solemnly: "This is my exchange, this is my substitute, this is my expiation. This chicken … Read More
The Heretic: Will Wall Street Bring the Collapse of Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Welfare State?
Israel is facing an economic crisis of truly epic proportions, but even though its immediate cause is the declining dollar and the crisis now gripping US financial markets, its roots lie in Mea Shearim quarter, not on Wall Street. … Read More
The Heretic: How Jewish Law Killed Rabbi Yossie Raichik
On Sunday, Jewish law killed a 55-year old American-Israeli man. Rabbi Yossie Raichik died of a lung infection. He was waiting in Israel, where he had lived for almost 30 years, for a transplant to replace his irreversibly damaged lungs. … Read More
The Heretic: Burning Crosses Ultra-Orthodox Style
“You’ll never find a leftist who cares about suffering white or Christian peoples. Examples Afrikaner in the "new South Africa," whites under Mugabe, Loyalist victims of IRA terror, Sudetan Germans the list is endless. I agree that a lot … Read More
The Heretic: Stop Whispering, Start Shouting
Earlier this week, our friends at Agriprocessors, America’s largest supplier of glatt kosher meat, were charged with more than 9000 counts of child labor violations. Named in the Iowa affidavit are Aaron Rubashkin, Agriprocessors owner, his son Sholom M. Rubashkin, … Read More
The Heretic: Going Colorblind in a Jewish Nursing Home
I caught early chunks of Obama’s acceptance speech at the gym of my local JCC. Not surprisingly, the crowd that night was heavily Republican, and there were mutterings of concern: Is Obama truly committed to Israel? Is Obama too soft … Read More
What’s the Difference Between an American Life and an Ultra-Orthodox One?
Joel Teitelbaum, the Rebbe of Satmar and the most coercive of all modern day ultra-Orthodox leaders, passed away 29 years ago this month. A vociferous anti-Zionist, Teitelbaum is known for having exhorted his followers to stay in Europe. Later, as … Read More
The Heretic: Kosher Food Fighting is a Weapon in the Settler’s War Against Peace
Did you know that the little kosher symbol on your food may have a geopolitical, rather than strictly religious, purpose – especially if you live in Israel? Some Orthodox rabbis in the Holy Land use that symbol to reduce the … Read More
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