[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
London’s 22-year-old Ephraim Goldstein, a member of the local chareidi community put on the white Olympic uniform and ran with the Olympic torch as it passed through the area ahead of the opening of the London Olympic Games. Goldstein was selected because of his acts of chessed, citing that by the age of 16 he was already operating 16 tzedaka endeavors and today he oversees 300 people involved in different chessed projects, namely the Shomrim and other organizations assisting the ill, infirmed and needy.
He wore the uniform of those who carry the torch along with a white yarmulke with the Olympic seal on it.
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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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18 Responses
What a chillul shem shamayim. Someone with a yarmulka associating himself with the Olympics!? The Olympics represents the lowest of the antithesis of Torah and Judaism!
What kind of a moronic question to ask? Of course, they would be excited. Why didn’t he ask how they feel about and elicit maybe an intelligent response
Shameful. How low have we stooped. Now I understand why there is so much anti semitsm. The Goyim don’t want us associated with them. The more we try and integrate the more they hate us. Ever wonder why noone hates the Amish/ Because they live their own secluded lives by themselves and don’t mix. If we were to do that, and not be so power hungry, money hungry and full of “es kimpt mech” attidude, we would be in better shape. Think about it for a minute. In Germany, Jews had all the power, money, fame and look where it got them.
Lets just stay out of the spotlight. It aint gonna happen, because it has always been this way and you wonder why they hate us
#1, you obviously lack imagination if you think the Olympics are the worst possible antithesis of Torah and Judaism. May carrying the Olympic torch and raising awareness about chessed in our community be the worst thing a Jew is involved with this year.
#1 no body asked you look at it as a nice thing you dont have to speak negitive
Englishman a worldwide sporting event that unites the world does not represent the lowest of the antithesis of Torah and Judaism– but your judgment of Ephraim Goldstein does, and it is what keeps Klal Yisroel in gulus. We should be honored that a Jew who pushes himself and his time into such chessed has the opportunity to do something not many people get to do.
#1, contemporary Olympics are different from the Olympics of 2,200 years ago.
#1 and #3
Your comments suggest extreme jealousy and two individuals who are grosse couch potatoes whose only aerobic exercise is fressing at the rebbe’s tisch. Of course this is a big kiddush hashem given that it conveys such a positive and healthy image of yiddeshkeit. Kol hakovod to this bachur for his achievements.
#1 how about being don lekavzer chus before you comment on other people i know him personally and when he was nominated he went to ask a shayleh if he should do it he went to chosherver rabbanim and they all said he should do it so think before you comment
The modern Olympics is a bastion of pritzus in virtually every single event. Many the sport itself is designed with pritzus and the rest is chock full of pritzus in the stands, ads, and the entire surroundings.
For all the naysayers, read the Mishpacha article. This is being done with daas torah and careful adherence to halacha. You are guilty of motzi shem ra. Now apologize.
The idea of the olympic torch is mostly to bring communities together and create unity. Few people view it for its history and I very much doubt the torch relays today have any similarities to those of the past. AS with everything it can have positive and negative aspects and its a shame for those people that try to focus only on the negative.
mdd, the Olympics are different?! Really?! I guess thats why the Olympics appoligized or took a moment of silence for the Israelis killed in direct relation of the Olmpics (Not!). I believe the Olmpics has strong hatred towards Jews and the State of Israel.
Mdd
Different but the underlying idea is not that different.
Aisav soneh es yaakov
It doesn’t say esav soneh es yaakov if we have money. It makes no difference what we have. The reason is just an excuse to justify their inborn hatred of us.
Mishpacha Magazine ran an article on him in their May 30th issue, where he mentions the Rov he asked his Daas Torah from.
He definitely seems like an Ehrlicher Yid who’s trying to be Marbeh Kvod Shomayim.
The Olympic torch was introduced for Hitler’s Olympics in 1936. That alone should make it suspect.
His acts of Chesed for the Jewish community are wonderful; but that doesn’t justify his participation with the Olympic torch.
A Yamulka is supposed to show that a Jew is a Yiray Shamayim, that he fears Hashem; not to display an Olympic seal.
Why not go further and display the Olympic seal on a Talis, a Talis bag, and a Tefilin bag?
When the Israeli Jews participate in the Olympics opening cemermonies on Friday night and in Olympic competitions that are scheduled for Shabbos, is that a Kiddush Hashem?