When I was flipping through the table of contents of the most recent issue of the Zman Magazine, it brought me great pleasure (albeit prematurely) to see that they had a feature story on ‘heroic [Russian] Jews who led a spiritual revolt [in the USSR]’. It didn’t take long until I realized that the magazine’s motive wasn't to convey a portion of history as it had taken place, rather to [re]write history. In this article consisting of a couple of hundred sentences, merely two of them mentioned Chabad (to be quite honest, I wasn’t holding my breath).
Op-Ed: Zman Magazine Rewriting History
When I was flipping through the table of contents of the most recent issue of the Zman Magazine, it brought me great pleasure (albeit prematurely) to see that they had a feature story on ‘heroic [Russian] Jews who led a spiritual revolt [in the USSR]’. It didn’t take long until I realized that the magazine’s motive wasn’t to convey a portion of history as it had taken place, rather to [re]write history. In this article consisting of a couple of hundred sentences, merely two of them mentioned Chabad (to be quite honest, I wasn’t holding my breath).
This is not to say that they have no conscience, to the contrary; perhaps the author sought to clear his conscience at the beginning of the article. The author writes; “Notable among these [activists] was Chabad, which originally hailed from Ukraine, and with utter devotion maintained a network of secret religious institutions across the width and breadth of the Soviet Union with tremendous sacrifice”. Then the author proceeds with the remaining couple hundred sentences of the article that was free of mention of Chabad (with the exception of mentioning matter of factly that one of the several niggunim sung by a celebration was a Chabad niggun). It was as if the author was making an initial disclosure saying; true Chabad deserves much of the credit in the yiddishkit kept alive in the USSR, yet please kindly allow me to proceed with penning this article without any mention of them.
Sadly, this isn’t uncommon amongst ‘veltish’ publications. There is much deliberate omission of Chabad whenever they cover stories of positive aspects of yiddishket where Chabad play prominent roles. Mysteriously their authors always forget to include Chabad’s role. I once picked up a Jewish magazine that featured as its cover story, the immense prevalence of institutional ‘Kiruv’ in California. Astonishingly they ‘forgot’ to mention Chabad even once! Considering the fact that Chabad has well over a hundred Chabad Houses in California, ka”h, (and to be extremely generous there are perhaps a couple dozen non-Chabad centers devoted to ‘Kiruv’) this was truly astonishing. It would be as if one authored an article about the recent great advances in computers with the author devoting 65 sentences to Gateway, 55 to Dell, 75 to IBM, 40 to HP and… two to Apple! That would obviously expose immense negative bias of the author towards Apple.
Perhaps, there were great efforts exerted by select litvishe Rabbonim and activists to benefit the neshamos that were trapped behind the Iron curtain. Granted. Yet when one undertakes the role as a journalist, one must realize that there is a great burden of responsibility attached. One cannot sacrifice the integrity of history in favor of fantastic fantasy embroiled with innuendo and agenda. When one seeks to carry the banner of a journalist, if one isn’t absolutely committed to transcribe events as they’ve unfolded, then a new career path is in order, outside the parameters of journalism.
CH Resident
How true. I’d love to see a list of litvishers executed by the communists, even one twentieth the size of the Lubavitcher Chassidim that were executed by the communists. Likewise, I’d love to see a list of FFB Russian litvishers, a twentieth of the size of the Lubavitchers. Now that being mekarev yidden in Russia is fashionable, the litvishers jumped on the bandwagon. I say kol hakavod to them. Better late than never, just give credit where credit is due, or you insult the memory of the tens if not hundreds of Lubavitcher Chassidim who gave their lives LITERALLY to keep the flame of yiddishkeit flickering throughout communism. Not to mention the insult at emes, which exposes a huge character defect on Zman’s part.
A Reader
Great article, well written with logic and persuasiveness,
in agreement but...
What the author is stating is true, yet he’s preaching to the choir. This message mustn’t be published on crownheights.info, rather sent as a letter to the editor (in a short paragraph or two) to the Zman Magazine. That way you make their readers aware of the omission of Lubavitcher Chassidim. I would be surprised if 5% of their readers have ever even been on this website.
Just Sayin
Yep, this HAD to be published just before Yom Kipuur.
Farkoift
Many articles in these publications are purchased. In all fairness, that is the case with the Kfar Chabad as well, at least back in the old days.
Look for mentions of specific organizations and you can find the money trail.
Another horrifying example...
Just an example there is a book eritten in yiddish “zichrons fun gulag,” a facinating book about Reb Mottel the shochet’s story of how he survived the soviets, including 3 years oh hard labor. The reason he was imprisoned is because he learnt chassidus and wrote letters to the frierdiker Rebbe!
A sick man offered to translate his book, and print it in English. Well, if you look at the translation the words Lubavitch, Farbrengens, Frierdiker Rebbe etc. are no where to be found. If you don’t believe me, check out http://goldwasserstory.blog…
And this was all done by a man who calls himself a talmid chochom, aspiring to be a godol hador, Dovid Goldwasser
Levi
Stop being a little kid. People don’t always have to praise Chabad.Everyone already knows about chabad activities there, some people want to hear about other groups too. Btw I spoke to a Russian BT from the soivet Union who never even heard of chabad until he left Russia.
why am i not surprised!
them & artscrol have a long history of trying to down-play the tremendous mesiras nefesh by lubavitchesr chasidim in Russia!!
agreed
you write VERY WELL, and the truth, are you a journalist?
today is not yesterday
Poor fellows at Zman and other Litvishe publications that deliberately omit the presence of Chabad. They have only not come to terms that with modern day communication such as internet it only takes a few moments to expose them for what they are to the entire world. The Litvishe world have consistently cornered themselves into a small corner of the Jewish world, while Chabad and the Rebbe are leading the Jewish world on Main St. U.S.A. and all over the world.
yankels dad
Why bring up old machlokes, especially erev Yom Kodosh?
Gmar tov to all..
Hocheach tochiach es amisecha
Dear author you have a terrible case of an inferiority complex, rewriting history would be to state a lie or tell a story differently, even though mention of chabad was only a few lines, those lines accurately described chabad’s work. You seriously need to stop bashing others for having some kind of emotional need to be mentioned. Fact is I was also brainwashed like you to think that Chabad was the biggest and greatest network of social and educational institutions in russia etc. NOT TRUE! look into the Radomsker Chassidim and their underground yeshivas numbering in the many thousands, efforts of chofetz chaim, and the many others you dont even know or heard about from the whole torah velt. The idea that chabad was first and only is a lie. Please stop this litvish have something against us nonsense. Totally disgusted by this mentality in chabad that is just become a cycle from generation to generation, and yes I learned in chabad just like you, so I know the same shkorim youve heard, and at one time believed them even more than you do. The difference is, i dropped my bias and started learning the truth of the inyonim, and you sir may be very well surprised to learn them. Plus the Rebbe stressed every single jew as important. If one person helps 5 people, and another helps 4, it does not mean the former person is better, greater, etc. Every jew matters. So stop hating other jews, and picking ridiculous fights like this, it just makes you look foolish to individuals barei daas. I suggest you never write something like this again. Remember that old saying, if you have nothing nice to say, don’t say it at all! please take heed. Gmar chasima tova to ganz klal yisroel.
Disgusted
Too true. Editorial discretion and expertise is too often sorely lacking in these
publications. Lubavitch so often builds the foundation on which the others
jump in, and the (supposedly) uninformed, inept writers ignore this in their
articles. And the editors let it be.
Muttle from meziboz
Let’s be fair. You will not see any mention of any of the velts activities an any chabad publication. True they are late on the bandwagon, but they are in essence spreading Torah and mitzvot and as a result making the rebbes vision a reality.
obvious mention
To # 3
yes very true indeed, but think about it, do you really think we need to bring it to their attention, as if they absentmindedly forgot to write chabad. or a page got lot in the shuffle.
lets be honest with ourselves
the author is being polite and genuine
truthfully they omitted chabad not by mistake but rather deliberateness, without any intentions whatsoever to give credit to chabad at all.
gmar tov
kiruv rechokim
In their articles they write about kiruv rechokim but in lubavitch we (and they) know there are no rechokim. thats why they do not mention our work!!!
Shalom Wolff
9) I appreciate your compliment. I’m not a journalist.
12) I have never heard of an intense Radomsker underground remotely the size of Lubavitch’s. Do you care to share the name of even two Radomsker Chassidim executed by the Russians? I’m listening. Have you heard of the Frierdiker Rebbe’s famous pact he made with ten chassidim that they will defend yiddishkeit ad mesiras nefesh mamash (they were all subsequently executed by the communists with the exception of two of them, I believe)? Has any non Lubavitch gadol even made a pact with one talmid in a similar manner? Lubavitch had by far been on the front lines in this as evidenced by the dozens of Chassidim executed by the communists yet you are welcome to live in denial
14) Kfar Chabad Magazine is an internal Chabad Magazine, as such they tend to focus at tooting Chabad’s horn. Incidentally, they very often happen to cover exceptional non Chabad people. On the other hand, Zman Magazine is supposedly a mainstream Magazine that covers issues of common interest. They don’t represent a segment of the frum velt, they are a universal Magazine. Many of their articles aren’t even about Jews or issues of Jewish interest. As such, they have to be fair and honest or else they are deceptive! Period.
read it as well
I read the article too.
I also noticed that though they’ve mentioned Professor Branover’s activism, they made no mention as to the fact that he’s Lubavitch. I doubt it was unintentional.
The Truth
#12 Radomsk was in Poland and Galicie not in Russia or Lithuania. They were “The Yeshivos” in Poland outside of Chachmei Lublin and did not even have one Yeshiva in Russia. Furthermore they operated freely in Poland up until 9/1/39. The war basically destroyed just about every remnant of Radomsk. My zaide was a Radomsk/Krimeliver Chossid. I know all about Radomsk/Tiferes Shlome first hand. Comparing Radomsk in Poland to Chabad in Russia is no better than comparing apples to oranges. Both fruits but totally different.
you expect different?
Homodia is the worst culprit. Just look at what happened in their coverage of Las Vegas when they didn’t mention Chabad: there was incredible fallout & they had to backtrack. Sadly, not much has changed since. They avoid mentioning us as far as possible.
Shlucha
This reminds and brings up a recent feature in the Israeli womesn’s magazine of Mishpacha. The feature interviewed Shlucha Greenberg of Alaska. Intersting to read an entire two page article with no mention of the Rebbe even by a slight hint. The only mention of Chabad was in the intro- that her profession is Chabad Shliach! She relates how, after she married, she and her husband (being that she grew up in this anonymous Shlichus business) found a place on the globe to move to, and off they went. Etc. She manages to raise her children to be good frum Jews in the Alaska tundras (with whose brochos), build mosdos (with whose kochos) etc. Hopefully she was relating the truth and they just deleted.
We in Eretz Yisroel would like to hear from Shlucha Greenberg: did she tell how she happened to pick and go to Alaska, etc.or did she omit this small fact from the interview?
A Gut yohr to us all, with Moshiach Now!
HOW SHOCKING & HURTFUL!!!!!
To the author of the post: THANK YOU.
I just finished reading it as well, and was quite SHOCKED!
My 2 grandfathers, as well as many others (lubavitcher chassidim)…. not to mention Our Rabbeim who started this idea… all risked their lives for Judiasm to continue in Russia.
What bothers me most is that decades ago, most frum people were mocking our Rebbe when the whole outreach idea began. Now that they learned from us, and do it as well (gezunterheit) at least let them give credit where credit is due!
I can assure you that you’d never walk into a chabad yeshiva / chabad house and hear the adults cursing out the Lubavitchers and especially our Rebbe. There are unfortunately countless stories of Lubav mekuravim going to non lubavitch yeshivos / other outreach organizations, and hearing TERRIBLE things about Chabad.
Unbelievable. At least we dont lower ourselves to that level and respond negatively in return.
We learned from the Rebbe just to add more light instead of more darkness.
How hurtful though….
I hope your letter was sent to the editors and gets printed in the next issue. Although I must say that I hope someone will write a stronger and more factual letter – incl facts and dates to prove that Chabad was at the lead in those days.
important facts
all you need to do is google: judaism underground Russia
and you will get this article with details and facts of years etc: http://www.chabad.org/globa…
stam
by the way they write that its a breslav nigun not a chabad nigun (talking about nyet nyet nikavo)
setting the record straight
What I speculate happened, and I don’t have too bad of an instinct in general, the editors got the finished product that hadn’t had one word about Lubavitch. They then realized that they must throw Lubvitch a bone and hope that no one notices, so they inserted one sentence in the 15 page article about Chabad, as a token recognition.
We did notice though. Chabad activism in the former Soviet Union was not a mere footnote. Our grandparents were on the front lines. Otherwise, how can hundreds of lubavitcher chassidim been executed by the Russians, yet the misnagdim suffered no significant losses whatsoever? (Correct me if I’m wrong, I’d love to hear the names of the executed litvishers).
Not to mention that the frierdiker Rebbe himself was handed a death sentence and in absence of international pressure and of course syata dishmaya, he survived. If you have no names of executed litvishers to show, how could they have been on the front lines? I know I’m speaking bluntly, but the litvisher oilam continually disregard us and it’s about time we set the record straight. I for one, though suffering bitterly financially, am willing to give $100 to BMG of lakewood for every litvisher name cited that has been executed by the Russians for spreading yiddishkeit.
Town of Love
Like, why does it matter?
Is there some human who is keeping score that reads any of this that matters?
Is it not only G-d, who know all, including who did what when, who matters?
If you read a magazine for its pure mutli-dimensional truth and one doesn’t fit your bill, don’t read it any more. And if you think the authort or publicher cares about your opinion, then tell him.
Nah. You just want to tell your teammates in your clubhouse about some other team’s magazine’s slant towards their team.
Go write your own magazine.
........................
Whenever someone asks me the difference between Chabad and the others, I say, why don’t you go see who is there FIRST, in any city on the face of this earth. Chabad comes, toils, sacrifices, breaks cement, builds, and when there is Yidishkeit established in the city, they come running. Always second in line. That’s great!!! That’s what the Rebbe wanted, everyone to be doing this.Now,30 years ago everyone rolled their eyes when we spoke about Shabbos, kosher, Mikvah, going to Shul etc. now it’s in style. Talking about bringing Moshiach, everyone rolls their eyes, let’s continue being on the front line, break all barriers and bring Moshiach now.
Agree with #20
Same omissions when Haodiah wrote about Madison, Wisconsin, and
Minneapolis.
ITS OLD NEWS!
ha! i once read a article in the mishpacha and they wrote about an amazing idea of going out and spreading yiddishkeit that developet lately by some kollel chevre and they go to places where there is no cholv yisroel ice cream so they have to eat cholov akum ice cream1
Milhouse
#18, you’re right that it’s not unintentional. This is the latest tactic of those who don’t like Lubavitch. Instead of ignoring all that Lubavitch does, which is sometimes impossible, they report it but neglect to mention that the person they’re reporting on is a chossid of the Rebbe, and acting on his shlichus. One could read these accounts and imagine that these wonderful tzadikim in the stories are the pride of Ponevezh or Brisk, and have never so much as picked up a Tanya; or at least that their Lubavitch “connection” is irrelevant to their work, when in fact the opposite is true.
reader
truth is they they dont only disclude chabad there is also blatant misrepresentation of facts in ALL articles
Anonymous Yid
The sad fact is that these “frum” publications are anything but. The tendency to ignore facts, twist truth and make a mockery of Jewish values in the name of hashkafa disgusts me. Zman Magazine is definitely not a quality publication and exhibits the worst journalistic standards possible.
Anonymous Yid
The sad fact is that these “frum” publications are anything but. The tendency to ignore facts, twist truth and make a mockery of Jewish values in the name of hashkafa disgusts me. Zman Magazine is definitely not a quality publication and exhibits the worst journalistic standards possible.