Haredi Rabbi Responsible for Russian-Georgian Cease-Fire
September 27, 2008 Haredim, NCSY, Ohr Somayach/Dark Light, Orthodox Union
Yes. It’s true! How do I know? I read in on Ohr Somayach’s website! In an essay by their Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Mendel Weinbach himself.
In, “One Way to Stop a War,” the leader of Dark Light wrote,
“This is the prime minister of Georgia, Vladimir Gurgenidze, speaking. You brought me a letter from a man name Steiman. Is he still alive? I’ve heard that he is a holy man. I want him to pray for us and our state.”
This was what Rabbi Shimon Bruk, chairman of the Israel branch of Hava’ad L’hatzalat Nidchei Yisrael, heard on the phone on the morning of August 12th when war between Russia and Georgia was reaching a climax. Bruk had met with the prime minister in March to thank him for his support of the Jewish educational institutions that his organization had established in Georgia. He also presented him with a letter from the revered rosh yeshiva in which he referred to the Georgian government as a “regime of lovingkindness”. The letter is reportedly hanging on the wall of the prime minister’s office.
Rabbi Bruk met with Rav Steiman around noon and presented Gurgenidze’s request. Shortly after the rosh yeshiva gave the requested blessing came the announcement of the cease-fire.
Pshhhhh. Never underestimate the power of the Gedoylim!
Earlier: The Power of a Rebbe’s Blessing — According to Dark Light
Update: This just in (via an email exchange with Shmarya) — This entire story was PROVEN false. And Ohr Somayach’s Rosh Yeshiva published this story over a month after it had already been proven false.
And by the way, NCSY is STILL sending public school teens to Ohr Somayach.
8 comments
I have heard from a known high level source this story is true. I am not as religious as I should be, but I believe Bruk and Steiman ended the war in Georgia.
Keep it up Gedoylim.
And I thought the ceasefire was triggered by the EU’s adamant stance of cutting off economical ties with Russia, mostly pushed forward by the Russian-speaking German federal chancelor who had managed to embarrass Putin on Russian live-TV on an earlier occasion when she addressed the issue of human rights in fluent Russian rather unexpectedly.
My, was I naive…
I am not as religious as I should be, but I believe Bruk and Steiman ended the war in Georgia.
You’re kidding, right? You’re being sarcastic?
Evolution, they don’t believe. This they believe.
He is kidding, Jeff.
you forgot the word proudly. We PROUDLY send NCSY kids to OS and any other institution of Torah learning that best suits each kid
Proudly? Hardly.
Quietly, Shlomo. Quietly.
Or rather, secretly.
We secretly CONTINUE to send public school students whom we recruited through our “cultural” Jewish Student Unions (which are INDEPENDENT of NCSY) — to hardline haredi institutions like Ohr Somayach.
And we have NEVER verified ANY of the allegations you are making, and believe NONE of this is true — even though many of your criticisms are drawn from Ohr Somayach’s own writings like this one.
Right, Shlomo?
actually NCSY and OS doesn’t verify it to you the same reason that the president doesn’t respond to inquires from the Minneapolis daily shopper, your too small time.
Shlomo, this was verified by an NCSY person, albeit off the record.
Any comment on this story, Shlomo? On the dishonesty and sloppiness of Ohr Somayach in this “Gadol” mayseh?
No?
Didn’t think so, Shlomo.
Leave a Comment