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I am a somebody.

You will recognize me in the street as a somebody, and we may cross each other’s path every day, or daven Shacharis, Mincha, and Maariv together in 770 every single day.

My wife and I are well-off financially. Not because we are well-educated or because we have great jobs, but because our parents are rich with “old money”. We are accustomed to getting discounts at most Crown Heights stores because our parents know the owner and because our families donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to the yeshivas and girl schools.

I am gezhe.

Lubavitch Magazines and newsletters love writing articles about my great-great-great grandfather because we call him “elter zeide” and because his childhood story includes White Russia, hiding from Russian police and learning in an underground cheder.

Sunday Humor: Op-Ed: A Letter From Somebody

I am a somebody.

You will recognize me in the street as a somebody, and we may cross each other’s path every day, or daven Shacharis, Mincha, and Maariv together in 770 every single day.

My wife and I are well-off financially. Not because we are well-educated or because we have great jobs, but because our parents are rich with “old money”. We are accustomed to getting discounts at most Crown Heights stores because our parents know the owner and because our families donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to the yeshivas and girl schools.

I am gezhe.

Lubavitch Magazines and newsletters love writing articles about my great-great-great grandfather because we call him “elter zeide” and because his childhood story includes White Russia, hiding from Russian police and learning in an underground cheder.

I am not immuned to the shidduch crisis. When it comes to marrrying off my children, I am forced to endure the hardships of having to answer the phone that does not stop ringing. The hassle of dealing with endless shidduch offers is something I do not wish on my worst enemies. I cannot eat dinner or shower without being interrupted by yet another shadchan with a list of names, each one hoping that he or she can claim to have been the one who made the shidduch for us.

One can only imagine how difficult it is to choose a match from among the endless prospects offered to me on a daily basis. Do I choose the one with the better name and less money? The one with money but less of a name? The one with name and money but very few uncles and cousins? The one with name, money and family, but no children on shlichus? The one with no money and no name, but 8 children on shlichus?

And one can only imagine what it’s like to have to move an entire large family into a 5-bedroom duplex apartment for a full year while our house is being gutted and renovated after we came into inherited money from my great uncle who was in the textile business?

As if that were not enough, there are the nonstop calls from political figures all vying to hold a fundraiser in our home and to be photographed with our family and friends. Then there is the never-ending slew of each mosdos’s annual dinner where they hound us for the opportunity to honor us. The burden of preparing an acceptance speech, dressing for each dinner and posing for photographs is unbearable.

So the next time you see me on the street, sitting in my place in the front of the shul, at my summer home, getting in or out of my Lexus, at the head table of a dinner or at a political fundraiser, please show some sympathy and understanding of my plight.

I am human too.

Sincerely,
Somebody

The following Op-Ed is a satirical humorous take on a past Op-Ed titled “A Letter from Nobody” please do not take it as anything but in the lightheartedness in which it was written.

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97 Comments

  • observer

    “One can only imagine how difficult it is to choose a match from among the endless prospects offered to me on a daily basis. Do I choose the one with the better name and less money? The one with money but less of a name? The one with name and money but very few uncles and cousins? The one with name, money and family, but no children on shlichus? The one with no money and no name, but 8 children on shlichus? ”

    If this is what you care about when it comes to marrying off your children- I feel bad for your children.None of these things have anything to to do with marriage.Your ego -yes, but not your childrens’ happiness in life.

  • “Let them eat cake”

    Your wining reminds me of the queen who responded to her people not having bread by telling them “Let them eat cake”.

    While we understand that everyone has problems there is simply no comparison between your ‘problems of the rich’ to problems some people have in the community.

    Can you rich folk relate to literally not having food to put on the table?!…….. to feed a family of six, seven, or even twelve?!…..

    Unfortunately, people like you (who can’t relate to us) are the ones who run the mosdos in our community and cannot relate to some people simply not having the money to pay for the high tuition….

    Be happy that you have old money. Be happy with your problems of the rich you have. Believe me it could be a lot worse. Most of us would happily trade places with you. So shut up and “suffer” in silence….

    What CHUTZPAH!!!

  • glad to laugh

    thanks for the humor. I smiled and even chuckled (waiting to see all the illiterate, humorless people ruin this)

  • rb

    i have zero sympathy. you have got a huge ego. i could tell that you’re gezhe.

    by the way, the LEAST important things in a shiduch are money, name, and shlichus rate. you are so gezhe. this letter had the wrong effect,mista!

  • CY

    i cant wait to see the brilent comments that look like this…if not for the somebody’s of the world we would have no yeshivos, or camps, or life as we know it. its only because of the somebody’s that the nobody’s can exist. so in essence its only out of jealousy of the nobody’s that the somebody’s exist :)

  • Somewhat amused

    This probably won’t go over very well with the general population!! I found it amusing, but pointless!

  • WOW!

    As i read this article i could not help but wonder what the author was smoking during the writing of this ridiculous op-ed

  • really confused

    Can you please tell me the point of this? Frankly, despite my sense of humor I fail to see the point. Yes, it’s definitely tongue-in-cheek, but perhaps the author, Mr. (Sir??) Somebody can enlighten us poor plebs as to why he wrote it.

    And Webby…why on earth did you post it?

  • Knock that chip off your shoulder, quick

    A little bitter, are we?
    As the saying goes, yichus is a bunch of zeros. They only count for something if they are headed up by a “one.” So stop sitting around and moping and make something of yourself. Plenty of people do it. And yes, whatever society you live in–from Crown Heights to Kalamazoo– there will always be a class system based on money, family, political clout or the color of your skin. Welcome to Galus. Spend your energy doing good and trying to bring Moshiach and then your problems will be solved.

    (PS–I’m not gezhe, I don’t have money, and amazingly, I don’t have a chip on my shoulder.)

  • Sima

    Please have a bit of decency for 1000 of people who read your letter and who have real Tzaros like not knowing how to pay for groceries, not having any Shiduchim offers, health pb …and so on… Are u seriously expecting people to feel bad for you? Do yourself a favor, keep quiet and thank Hashen every day for you have.

  • Cheer up, Humor Dude

    Humor? Nothing funny about someone living in a community that they feel so despised by. C’mon, Dude (or Dudette), just live your life and be the best you can be and stop worrying about the war between the “haves” and “have nots.” YOU, and YOU ALONE determine if you are a somebody or a nobody.

  • MZ

    Poor man… you have too many shiduchim offers for your kids? Such an arrogance I had heard of yet….

  • mayer

    I understand that this was purely satirical and meant only as a humorous, fun article ,however, and those who posted the article know of the “however”, the original article “a letter from nobody” was quite moving and meant to shed light on a few issues or conditions that a person was experiencing and felling.

    Not to bash hummer but please, to say “The following Op-Ed is a satirical humorous take on a past Op-Ed titled “A Letter from Nobody””when the one who composed it, put his heart and fallings into it and really meant what he wrote has to now read this, yes it is a satire, but the definition of satire is the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to criticize faults.

    I’m sure this is not what the author had in mind but please consider before putting your thoughts, as did the author of the original article, on the internet.

  • ....

    I can’t think of a single gezheink in our community that can write a letter like this with the proper spelling, grammer, clear line of reasoning etc. It must be a fraud :)

  • Chutzpah

    Try to tell that joke to people that are hungry…..

    Something cannot be joked about…/.

  • A Somebody!

    Just curious, why does GEZA have to be the preface of this article? Who wants to marry them anyway?

  • interesting

    I think this article had an interesting point. NOBODY lives like this. Everyone struggles; we glorify the life of the “gejhe”.

  • likes humor

    I thought it was cute. The person who wrote it may not even be gezshe. The whole thing is a joke, meant to poke fun at the notion that being gezshe and paying $2 will buy you a coffee at Starbucks.

  • question

    OK, I didn’t want to ask it in the first article, but now, at the risk of sounding ignorant, I must know…

    WHAT is a Gezhe???

  • Dear Somebody

    Let me explain why all the negative comments.

    Most people realize that you are only joking, and that this is a spoof on another op-ed. However, your article are jokes full of bad taste.

    You only put a comment at the end of the article that this is a joke, so many people reading this, took it at face value, until they came to the end.

    I think you hit a raw nerve with many many people.

    1. You write about your wealth (again, I know you wrote this in humor). However, many people reading this are more than struggling financially, to the point where there health is suffering from it.

    2. You continued joking about the shidduch crisis, how the phone does not stop ringing. There are many singles and parents who sit by the phone and wish it rang, and have to deal with the heartbreak of seeing their children not being offered any prospects at all, or the singles seeing all their friends getting married.

    3. You joke about having your big house gutted. I’m sure many readers today live in cramped 2-3 bedroom apartments with 6-10 kids and NEVER have any prospects of buying a house.

    4. Your last paragraph, you threw your wealth (again, I know it’s a joke), at the public.

    At this point, most of the negative commentors were seething, and it was too late to give your small comment about this being a light hearted op-ed.

    I know you didn’t mean any harm, but your jokes were really of poor taste, especially when there are such crisis with finances, shidduchim and housing.

  • the author is joking!!!

    THIS IS A HUMOR ARTICLE — COMPLETELY FICTIONAL!!! youre supposed to laugh, or not… BUT stop telling off the author for his warped views — HE IS JOKING!

  • mbd

    SO HOW MANY OF YOUR KIDS DID YOU MARRY OFF ALREADY. It wont be your money. It wont be your yichus. It wont be any of these noble acquisitions that you claim to fame. If you raised chasidishe kids, you will do wonderful shiduchim. Yichus is who your grandchildren will be. Money, one day you have and the next day you dont. The wheels keep on turning. Good Luck and the article was not in good taste, not funny at all, and as a matter of fact pathetic and pointless. Sorry to offend you………………..

  • upset

    a bit egotisticle if you ask me. I feel bad for the “nobody” who wrote the previous article. We are Yidden, and we should thimk of others feelings a little more before we act this way.

  • spell check

    to mayer:

    if you are trying to make a real point, please utilize the concept of spell check before you post you brilliant comments. its very hard to decipher your pearls of wisdom while at the same time trying to figure out what in the world you are writing.

  • Fargin

    To all those who are getting upset.
    It’s a JOKE.
    It was not written by the person in that position.
    It’s all a Joke.
    Besides, do you really think that rich gezhe get discounts, or that they have it so easy with shiduchim ?.

    The point of the article ?.
    Everyone has their own pekel.

  • make yourself somebody

    instead of getting angry at the author. Understand his point. If you see yourself as victim you will always be one. Someone that lives in my city always starts her sentences with “well, I’m a baalas teshuva so such and such is harder for me” if you see it as a shortcoming it will be.

    My parents are baal tshuvos and never had that attitude and many of their children married in to gezhe.(no tehy don’t have money)
    “See it as your problem and it will be your problem.”
    There’s plenty of people with out gezhe, money, and yichus who have made their own name for themselves b/c they don’t have teh self-pity that the original writer had.

  • The sad truth...

    Do you have a full beard ?
    your daughters are tznius ?
    your boys are real chassidishe bochurim ?
    Do you have a Television at home ?

    You are Gezshe …

  • calm down lol

    every1 just calm dowm.lol
    what he’s trying to say for all the once who ask “WHATS THE PIONT” is that even if your so called some body we still don’t have it easy to put food on the table or make a match for our children. I know for a fact so many FFB’S who have a hard time with paying a bill and feeding there family. So it’s a response to the latter last week. relax every one and smile once in a while

  • Blame the money!!!!

    C’mon, this is supposed to be funny. The author is kidding! Do you really think that if you are gezhe you get discounts in stores? Or, that your phone really rings off the hook with shidduchim offers? Nobody gets begged to be honored by every mossod- unless they are donating a lot of money. Seriously, I come from gezhe and I can assure you people dont care about gezhe. It’s really money that talks.

  • Dumb & Dumber

    I know it supposed to be funny. But its not funny. Not funny at all. Its stupid. This forum is more like a soapbox.

  • SOMEBODY

    LOL good humor. PPL DONT TAKE IT PERSONAL!! relax and laugh at the ridiculous humor

  • I am Nobody

    I will address this letter soon enough, as well as a partial explanation for the letter i wrote. Btw, Somebody, Good timing, poor taste.

  • Failed attempt at humor

    Sorry but the whole thing is stupid and so are all the comments. What was the point in posting it? Besides you either make fun of one end of or the other so you lose both ways.

  • a simple jew

    The biggest joke is how, when it comes to chassidishkeit and mitzvos b’hidur – it is those poor slobs – the BT’s and the “tzugekuminer” who put the “gehze” to shame!

    Gehze will find nothing wrong in shaving or touching-up a beard, but will find every opportunity to mock anyone who is not a “gezhe”!

    Gezhe don’t have to think about tznius, halacha, right & wrong, truth and non-truth – this is NOT NOGEIAH to them – as long as you can sing a “chassidisher niggun” it really doesn’t matter if you have a huge lock of hair in front of your face, and you also “touch” your beard, YOU ARE GEHZE!!!

    This is what Lubavitch is all about.

    Thanks, but no thanks – I’d rather be a poor slob/ tzugekuminer/BT/erlicher yid, than a sheygetz “gezhe” ANYTIME!

  • boonies

    who wants to marry gezh anyway? so your great grangparents came from some farm in russia, in the boonies, and ate potatoes …. why does coming from god knows where in russia make u gezh???

    u can keep your gezh, noone wants it.

  • Marbe

    Marbe nechasim marbe daige….may our worries only be ruchnius worries…….im sure if you davened for that, that would be your worries!!!

  • Not too Funny actually

    I didn’t find it very funny and that is b/c I come from “Gezhe” as you say, we were definitely not rich, never were and now my family is struggling – what does $ have to do with Gezhe (meaning lit. roots)?

    Yes there are articles, but is there a problem with that? I have never gone around saying “look at this article about my great grand father/mother,etc”! They did help make places and schools for all of you and I could only hope to live up to them and make them proud of me.

    Shidduchim are not any easier. There are more options available for ‘BT’s and that is b/c it is important to marry s/o who is similar to you in background and upbringing – our grandmothers ran the house this way, our mothers, and so do we. I am saying this, b/c I married differently and it was very hard. Maybe we do more research so it seems easier than having to go out with 10 people. But there are a lot of “gezhe” that I know in their 30’s or near it that are not married.

    So although this is supposed to be a satire, the truth is, it is actually making fun of how you commenters think we are. You have to find s/o to be jealous of, to blame and to say ‘this is why things are so tough for me.’ If only I had what they had. The grass is always greener on the other side. But then it might be only in your imagination… Oh, if only I had old $ or those connections in CH or in Yeshivos, life would be a lot easier than it is…

    Just do proper research b/f making satires like this in the future. (How many spelling mistakes did I make, for that person who wrote that “Gezhe” can’t spell?)

  • somebody

    People, I did not entend to laugh on you and you/part of you think I am serious. But don’t you think, if I’m serious, I would not give all my money to my poor neighbour and would take his food stamps instead, I would exchange with him everything including housing, kids, wife, many things I would give him away for free just because he never had them. I would give him my name, passport, everything you can think of – just for only one thing his happy smile while he does all he does – just live happily in “Can Tziva H’ at A Bracha” and missing all my points to be jealous of – money, family, name, friends, house, cars, dinners, generous donations to Yeshivos and schools, even the air I breathe. Thank you for your response anyway. Hope for the best – somebody-somesoul

  • lol

    This reminds me of one of those tests they give in school (at least where I went to school) that says “do not write anything until you have read the entire test” and then at the end it says “you get an A+ if you did not answer any of the questions on this test”.

  • somebody else

    goes to show ppl dont read the ‘fine print’ at the bottom of a contract, or ARTICLE.

    very interesting how 95% of ppl took this seriously bc of this omission.

  • how-s this for an explanation?

    Look, we all know this is so far-fetched it is not authentic. However, the common denominator of responses seems to be WHY WRITE IT? And WHY POST IT?

    Could it be it was a slow Shabbos Nachamu weekend? No visiting day. No accidents B“H. Shomrim weren’t dragged out of their beds to look for missing kids/muggers/slappers on bikes.

    So maybe CH.info needed something to give us all something to do. Well, Webby, you succeeded. But the consensus is that this was tacky at best & to many, offensive. There is nothing to laugh at here.

    BTW…gezhe refers to someone whose family came over from Lubavitch on the Jewish Mayflower. It doesn’t matter how honest/ethical/frum/Chassidish they are…gezhe is the height of breeding in Chabad circles, & to which the rest of the community can never aspire. They just don’t have ”it.”.

  • funny.....but not funny

    I found this article very funny, only because I read the original one from “I am a nobody”. Only after reading all the posts, i realised it was not in such good taste. the original article was someone pouring his/her heart out to the community, and now “I am a somebody” sounds as if he is making a joke about that article. I am sure he didnot realise he was going to open up a can of worms!!

  • Dg

    When my shadchan asked me if the girl has too be “gezhe”, i couldnt beleive that it was actually something people specifically wanted and my response was make sure shes NOT gezhe. Its because of people like you who think their amazing because their grandfather broke ice in russia! Yes your grandfather may have been an amazing person, but he didnt think he was a somebody!! Quit living your life on his merit and do something for yourself!!

  • how many times!!!!

    DG, This article is a JOKE…..“I am a somebody” is most probably a nobody! What is wrong with people, how many times posts have said, this article is only joking, maybe not in such good taste if it is too truthful to some people. I would not know, I am not in any of those catagories, i just took it as being funny. ONCE AGAIN, HE WROTE THIS ARTICLE AS HUMOUR…HE IS NOT SERIOUS. do you understand!!!!!!

  • HAHAHAHA

    HELLO HELLO HELLO

    While the first oped from nobady was about the greatness of the Shuk…

    but at the same time he took a direct his at all those PPL who are geshe and this article was written knocking that….

    so everyone chill

    realx

    go on a vacation

  • Solution finder

    Got a solution.
    You “Somebody” has an excelent son, your neighbor “Nobody” has no money but an excelent daughter. If you make a shiduch together ASAP will have quiet for a while, and both of your problems will disapare.

  • No name

    This is a satirical article. I’m sure the person wrote it is not really “gezhe” but is only ridiculing the way people perceive the life of someone with money and yichus. The silly comments afterwards just prove his point – although the point was not made very well and probably wasn’t worth the effort. Everybody struggles in life, even the rich and famous. When you realize life is supposed to be difficult, things become a lot easier.

  • Chayale

    Quite hillarious in my opinion and obviously written by someone who isn’t gehze or rich or has an easy time with shidduchim.

  • To Classic

    Haientiker bochor. OMG. I totally forgot about that publication!!! This piece would fit right in…

  • ch.info reader

    are you bored or something??????????
    G-d gives everyone what they can handle
    everyone has at least 1 problem but G-d only gave it to that person because He knows that he can handle it
    what are u complaining about?? be happy that this is your shlichus (problem)in life to be rich

  • Sara

    VERY FUNNY and WELL-Written!
    I wish I HAD such problems…….
    (And I wish others would READ the entire piece to SEE that it was ONLYa Satire!!)

  • abc

    A joke made on someone else’s expense (“mr nobody”in this case) is NOT funny! Enough said.

  • Neither Somebody Nor Nobody

    Come on everyone – the 9 Days are over and time to lighten up!

    He is saying that people like his fictional identity do not even really exist in our community and he is mocking a stereotype.

    We all know plenty of gezhe families who are struggling to make ends meet, and BH Chabad is attracting many BT’s from wealthy backgrounds.

  • learn the Aseres Hadibros

    Sounds like this satire was written as a spoof by someone who is making fun of people in better positions than himself. Obviously, the writer did not hear the Aseres Hadibros last Shabbos, especially the last of the Aseres Hadibros. If he had, he would realize that everything is from Hashem,including families that on the surface seem to be blessed with everything physically (Actually, noone sees everyone ele’s problems.)

  • Yossi

    Lighten up people, a little humor never killed anyone, and no I am not rich or gezhe

  • WHERE IS THE LOVE IN LUBAVITCH?

    I AM A BT FROM A OLD FAMILY.
    WHY?
    DO YOU ALL KNOW THAT WHEN I GOT MARRIED I WAS TOLD NOT TO LIVE IN CH BY THE ROV. YOU ALL HAVE TO GO BACK TO BASICS. THE HOLY CITY OF JERUSALUM WAS FOUNDED ON THE SPOT WHERE TWO BROTHER EACH DID NOT THINK OF ONLY THEMSELVES. WE ARE ALL BROTHERS. THE CUSTOM IN LUBAVICH WAS NOT TO SAY WHERE SOMEONE CAME FROM. LOOK FOR THE LOVE IN LUBAVITCH IT IS THERE!!!

  • Leitzanus achas doche meah tochachos.

    Leitzanus achas doche meah tochachos.

    I am not impressed.

  • Yosef Yitzchok

    This must be the the most pointless, time wasting, ridiculous article that I have ever read . . . and all he gained was , upsetting a whole huge bunch of people. . WHAT FOR ????? and who did he make happy by writing it ???. . a A bit more sensitivity and thought is needed b4 posting something as ”empty” as this . . How sad :(

  • Lighten up

    The stupidity of all those who took this article seriously boggles my mind. Even if CH.info would not have clearly posted at the bottom of the article that it is a satirical take on a previous Op-Ed, I would expect the public to realize this on their own, given the ridiculous nature of the article.
    I think the author is mocking the “Somebody’s” as opposed to glorifying them as so many of you believe…
    And if one cannot laugh at life, then one will be crying throughout it…
    Lighten up people

  • ch gesha

    What is the whole tumel? Someone is making fun of people who whine and complain and belly ache all the time. What do they complain about?
    1) they are wanna be’s who are jealous and can not forgive the FFB for “not having done teshuva yet” Honestly, everyone of you BT would give anything to be Gesha.
    2) they are jealous of people who have family here in CH and they don’t.
    3) they are jealous when their children are given a run around to be accepted into camps, yeshivas, choice classes and the better teachers.
    4) they are upset that the Gesha will be mekarev them, give them from their time, and money but not their daughters in marriage
    There is much more.
    Please. Stop this and wake up and take responsibility for your actions so you can be accepted by us Gesha.
    This whole article was a joke. Written to show the difference

  • Teshuva

    Ok, so you HAVE MONEY… you come from an old lubavitch fam. with a good name… SOOO? I almost as a SINGLE Bal’ Teshuva. I find the complaining to be OFFENSIVE… So send some of the phone call from Shadcahnm OUR way… Or you could send some money my way if you would prefer!

  • Penina Metal

    My Bubby used to say that one makes his own “yichus….”

    What a pathetic attempt at humor at the expense of a real mentsch who erroneously calls himself a “nobody.”

    Our maasim tovim are the only merits that will hold us in good stead after 180 years.

    I am disappointed that this OP-Ed ever saw the light of day!

  • david

    I think this was a very smart article. I am not Gezhe, but BT families often feel an inferiority complex and fell that they are treated less than equal because they are not gezhe. They make excuces for themselves and attribute many of their hardships to (but not limited to) not being with the “in” (read: Gezhe) crowd etc. The writer of this article attempted to make a point; Gezhe families are not all wealthy, healthy and good looking.

  • P.O.

    anyone who took this article to heart and was offended by it, can be called an IDIOT in every sense of the word. this is not a serious article.

  • Everybody

    I am everybody. I am not a nobody or a somebody. I don’t come from old money or new money. Sometimes I have money and some times I don’t have money. Sometimes I say hello to everybody and sometimes I don’t. By the way I get a response back about 98%. When I did shidduchim sometimes my phone rang and sometimes I rang other people’s phones. I don’t feel sorry for myself nor do I feel particular happy about myself. I feel there is more of a personal crisis than a community crisis. I have friends who are of another religion and they told me years ago they use to go and confess wrong doings, blaming themselves and they were forgiven. That is not so popular anymore in that religion. Now people go to professionals and they don’t blame themselves they blame everyone else. BH we are lucky to have blogs to spill out our heart and soul. It does a tremendous service to the community. Keep up the great work!

  • mendel

    anyone who does not understand, the point is that those that are rich are not on a honeymoon

  • Avi

    CHILL OUT EVERYBODY!
    This was written as a joke!!!
    If you are offended… Too bad…
    You have the options of either not logging on to this site, or moving onto a different article.

  • member of the community

    it really doesnt matter where you come from or where your parents or grand-parents came from —

    you are given a surname when born and its our choice to make it name worthwhile or not.

    if the writer of this letter does suffer from the above, i do feel for him, as i am one of those that suffers in the other direction.

    there was a time my husband and i could contribute to many organizetion and had the “extra” to do just the little things.

    times have change and now we can barely put food on the table, when i have the courage to go to any of the organization in the community and ask for help we are look as as if we are nuts and why do we need help.

    everyone, please remember, no matter what situation you are in, just make it the best it can be. live each day to the fullest. see the glass as half full not half empty.

    even with my problems, i am truely blessed. my husband and i will be celebrating our 25th anniversary in elul, we have 3 grown children (young adults), each of the with the proper midos we all want ours to have.

    so, for all this i am truely thankful.

  • A word to the wise

    1) This was an attempt at a joke. Don’t tate it too seriously. Don’t get too upset.

    2) It is a poor attempt, not too funny, and offensive to some (perhaps many). It can (and obviously is, by some) taken as making fun of the less fortunate.

    3) The author meant well, but sometimes written words can be taken in several ways other then the way they are originally intended. An experienced author will consider the various ramifications of his words, in addition to his intentions, before speaking or publishing. Here, the author failed. I do not think his intention was to make fun of the poor (L’ag B’rosh).

    4) Let’s give this author an A for effort, D for accomplishment, and chalk it up as a lesson in good public interest composition.

  • Foreigner

    Many of these comments show what pompous, unimaginative and humorless people you Crown Heights residents are.
    B”H I am not American.

  • likes humor/still laughing

    This author was not making fun of poor people or BTs or the combination of the 2. He was making fun of the notion that geshes are given preferential treatment in all aspects of life and that all geshes have money.
    He is also indicating a distaste for blaming all of one’s problems on being a BT.
    I have no problem with the fact that it was published because it may open up the eyes of some that feel that they are nobodies and can remain nobodies because the somebodies made them into nobodies. Those somebodies came to America and built a community and the nobodies can so the same thing. The somebodies were looked at as nobodies by the American establishment until they got together and made themselves into somebodies. These somebodies now have some American nobodies to look down on but the nobodies can get together and create organizations, chinuch, and shidduch opportunities. No one can force nobodies to remain nobodies.
    There is a saying that in every lie (sheker) is a bit of truth. This is a satire and is far from true but the part of it is that is true is that the geshes think of themselves as somebodies and therefore they are somebodies. The rest of the satire is deliberate stereotyping to make a point.

  • Here come the excuses

    its really sad that this stupid thing which was meant to be a joke (nothing more), warrants 90 comments. While Mesira gets only 115.

    Really shows whats important in life.
    Now I really feel like a community, where everybody got the others back. Ye right!

  • sunny florida

    the crown heights community really has issues.Their mentality is just ,well you know, waiting for the first opportunity to pounce and trample the first person in sight. It is sooooooooooo sad. I will never let my kids do a shidduch with a crown heightser. The example that the kids get from the older generation is so rotten to the core, and then you wonder why they turned out to be like this and like that.(I guess I should say bli neder). But you never know who reads these sites, and I am embarrased from the comments, and even more embarrased to whisper that I was born and grew up in crown heights.

  • mushky

    As my good friend likes to say, “The grass is always greener where you water it”

  • culinary school grad

    ahhhlloooo??
    this was supposed to be a joke.
    maybe we can blame this on the economy…

  • OH! OH1

    the dangers of the internet. Have we really sunk to such depths? Venizkeh……