Aaron Schmeltzer, brother of singer Lipa Schmeltzer, was stunned to see a man walking his dog in Montreal on Tuesday – with a swastika on his back.
He stopped his car and confronted the man, asking him why he was wearing that.
The man responded that “it’s just a sign, and it is art”.
Schmeltzer responded that it’s not art, but anti-Semitism.
The man agreed to have the swastika – which was duct tape” removed from the back of his coat.
Schmeltzer removed the swastika, and the man thanked him.
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42 Responses
This isn’t our way in galus. Move on and ignore rather than risk your life with someone who may be a dangerous meshugana capable of who knows what.
Why is it of any importance to note that this is the entertainer Mr. Schmeltzer’s brother? Why is this a story — only because of the coincidence of who this guy’s brother is?
The swastika (as a character 卐 or 卍) is a geometrical figure and an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia, used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions. In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s, when it became a feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of Aryan raceidentity and, as a result, was stigmatized by association with ideas of racism and antisemitism.
This guy looks Asian. Nothing close to a German Neo-Nazi.
Mr Shmeltzer looks like he has dressed up for Purim early!!
Thank you Aron
To #1 – ujm.
Not everyone agrees with your European shtetl mentality of being a silent, defenseless victim. It might not be your personal way, but please don’t speak for the whole klal, because nobody appointed you ambassador, and many Jews disagree with that outdated attitude which comes from a world that no longer exists.
The fellow in question looks Thai. That’s the region where the Swastika originated where it’s still seen as a good luck and religious symbol.
Reb Aharon deserves a big yasher koach. If we do not stand up against rishus and potential rishus, it causes others to think that it is okay to do these things. Hashem hates wicked acts and Reb Aharon was doing the ratzon Hashem. There is also a teshuva from the first Tzemach Tzedek #100 that we should take stands on things. As far as a sakanah goes, it is easily assessed and it did not look like he was in any sakana. He also did the right thing to publicize it. Kol Tuv, Reb Aharon and a tremendous yasher koach
“hockintherock” Made a great point any intelligent adult should know that in the far east this is a symbol of art/religion/peace (example: Red Swastika Society etc. ) this guy clearly doesn’t look like a Neo Nazi (use your brains a poor immigrant barely speaks English is a Neo Nazi target not a member),
We havto learn to cool down not jump from excitement when we get another opportunity to be on a viral clip.
The whole thing seems contrived. I get the feeling that he paid the guy ten bucks to play the role.
Curiosity: What I said isn’t my way. It’s been the Jewish way ever since we entered golus. And it is the way our leaders have always and continue to support.
Ujm. You are an embarrassment to the Jewish people. Because of your mentality 6000000 Yidden walked like sheep to the slaughter. Thankfully, Israel has shown what Jews can achieve when we fight back – in the whole history of Israel fewer Jews have been killed than in just 3 days in Auschwitz, and the Jewish people are increasing there at the rate of almost 200,000 per year. It is time Jews arm themselves and defend themselves wherever they are, just as we did on Puri
It’s “art”? Is he an artist or something?
Does Canadian speech laws come into it on the duct tape art?
All those of you ignorant accusers and attackers. use some sense if you have any. Regardless of whether the man was wearing this symbol out of ignorance does not mean you should be silent. It is a hateful sign no matter it’s “peaceful” origin, and Rabbi Schmeltzer educated this man about what it stands for in our world as of today. Just letting these things silently slip by causes a desensitized culture and people will be more open to express their anti semitism and anti semitic symbols to promote their hatred. Yasher koach!
I agree with “Horrified”.
Mr Shmeltzer looks Purimdik! Maybe this mayseh is a Purim shpiel?!
While standing up for ourselves has not always helped us, keeping quiet while we got slaughtered definitely has not. Therefore, standing up against anti semtiism in any possible way is surely the way to go since we have nothing to lose anyways. Worse case scenario, we’ll be dead. Either way.
Something tells me that this was staged. Who’s filming?
Kol hakovod to Reb Aaron for acting in a controlled and non-confrontational way. I do believe it was a real encounter and ended well. More importantly, where is Reb Lipa and his music. Klal yisroel misses you (except of course for the few Lipa-haters posting above who probably hate most frum musical artists who don’t yodel in an indecipherable litvish nusach
All fake news and corruption to get an ad for Lipa. Such dishonesty which is why I have boycotted any support for Lipa and his songs which are pure goyish songs-with a goyish taam-just switching the words to Jewish words.
Is YWN the Jewish CNN of fake news who supports dishonesty and corruption? If this honest comment of mine is not posted. It will prove that YWN is corrupt like CNN and they will have to answer Hashem in the olam Haemes above for their dishonesty and corruption
Kudos Aron Schmeltzer. You stood up for all of us. Most of us wouldn’t have the guts to do that, but you did. Thank you.
Agreed with Mam. It’s not a matter of kochi ve’otzem yodi, it’s more of a broken window policy against anti-Semitism, which has thus far been working much better than turning the other cheek and accepting the blows.
Elazar Valk: because of whose mentality? That of much of the zionist movement, aka Kastner, the Jewish Agency, etc. that allowed millions to go to their death? Many claim there was outright collaboration with the Nazis in this matter.
100% staged. sad to need attention like that.
Please have a sense of humor!!
Can it really be that some of you don’t realize that this is a staged Purim shpiel?! Aron Schmeltzer must be laughing his head off at some of your posts.
If you can’t discern it by the way Mr. Schmeltzer is dressed, the amused smiles, unnatural reactions and the very fact that it is being filmed as it is happening, then at the very least, have you ever seen ANY decorative trimming on clothes that peels right off?! Aron knew it was tape rather than a sewn-on decoration – he goes straight to peeling!
So don’t have a philosophical discussions as to how a Yid should behave in golus based on this Purim shpiel. It is not a reflection of a real-life situation. Had it truly been one, the scene would have played out very differently and then you could start philosophizing on what is the ideal response.
The swastika actually has its roots dating back thousands of years before the nazi’s came into being. The sign was originally meant as a sign of peace and is still found in many parts of India today. The Nazis took the sign and made it into something despicable, this guy is obviously from another country… maybe where he is from it still is being used as a sign for peace, he seemed clueless and definitely not aggressive, felt a bit sorry for him really!!!
Good morning to all the beautiful people.
I’m actually amazed how people perceive news. There are positive people out there and then there are very negative people out there who definitely need to work on themselves. It was a simple story that I had made nothing out of it. It was interesting for me to see this person on the street I spotted him from far away. I pulled up I did what I felt was appropriate at the moment.
I did not think it was going to go viral. I posted it on my WhatsApp group. Suddenly received many phone calls. I’m a very busy person thank the good God. I don’t have time to make up stories. I have lots of better stories to make up should I have done that. And the other hand I now see how beautiful the world is with so many different types of people and so many different opinions.
Interesting. One is bashing my brother. One is making me look like a movie star who is creating stories. One is accusing the news media of being corrupted. Beautiful people. Just know that the culture that uses this as blessings have it the other way around. The swastika was placed the same way as the Germans had it. My father is a Holocaust survivor we struggled in our home constantly due to the fact that Hitler killed my family members. This will be the last thing I would do in my life is to create some stupid story like this. If I would make up a story it would be a happy story With happy people. People if you saw this as a negative story? Please look at yourself and see what’s inside you that makes my story negative to you. I’m not coming from a bad place. Here is a good place for you to get yourself educated about yourself. If I would ignore this guy and allow him to continue walking? Within a month we may have tons of anti-Semites walking around the streets with swastikas I’m promoting hate crime. Why not stop it On time?
If I offended anyone here or you asked for my apology. I wish you would do the same thing how do you been on the street watching someone walking like this. Thank you. Wishing you all a happy Purim.
Amer-Yerushalmi,
You throw in Kastner as if what you write is nonchalant truth when in fact it’s false. It’s a long discussion, suffice it to say that within 4 weeks of the March invasion by Germans, Jews were ensconced in ghettos, their goods confiscated and had no means of escape. Obviously, you believe the sheker, canards and revisions that Zionist haters from the right to the left keep bucket throwing and hoping for it to stick. You also neglect to call out the “leaders” who ordered Jews not to leave Europe, nor have anything to do with Zionist emissaries who begged to help.
You can try to fool people here but not in the Olam Ha’emes.
S T A G E D .
Sammy: I had visions of the YWN Editorial Staff and Mods quiverring in their shtreimlach or Borselinos about the imminenet loss of their chelek of olam haboh fo not publishing your rant or otherwise having to litigate with the maalachim up there concerning their editorial decisions. Obviously, FakeNews is a big issue these days in the beis din shel maalah.
@Elazar Valk Foolish comment.
@samKlien ur badmouthing everyone in ur comment. What will “U” answer when u come up to the oilam hu’emes????? U SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF URSELF.
Why r u attacking Lipa Schmeltzer?????? Why r u attacking YWN?????? Why r u attacking CNN????????
U never watched cnn in ur life. Ur just cluelessly repeating some stupid peoples comments regarding cnn. They r talking bad about cnn, because they dont like when the facts r out.
Now, why didnt u thank YWN for posting ur comment???????????????????????
If i were the person in charge of YWN i would block u from seeing the site.
To: american_yerushalmi What a boosha and disgrace you are. Kastner saved YOUR rebbe, never forget that!
E Valk: It was precisely because of the zionists that 6 million were killed. The zionists collaborated with the Nazis like Eichmann. And the instigated the Arabs, causing the British to close emigration to Palestine.
So this video is supposed to “Launch” a new pathetic star.
1. The guy with swastika appears to be high on something, or drunk.
2. The smile on his face reveals it all.
Please no more clowns.
Kaszner is “much of the Zionist movement”? Are you kidding me? He was a black sheep. It was the British that imposed quotas on Jewish immigration! Are you one of those Neturei Karta Ahmadinejad and Arafat lovers? You should be ashamed of yourself for the lies you are spreading.
Elazar, you clearly know nothing about the shoa, if you think “6000000 Yidden walked like sheep to the slaughter”.
This is a commonly held falsehood. The Nazis were masters at hiding their intentions. The Jews had no idea they were about to die, it was literally inconceivable. Only at the end, with the clang of the gas chamber door, or when being stripped naked surrounded by SS with dogs, did they realize it, and then it was too late. Add in the hunger, the cold, the heat, the lack of any kind of training, the lack of leadership (the first thing the Nazis did anywhere, was to kill or get rid of the leadership), lack of guns, and the Jews were anything but sheep.
Heroism came in many forms.
american_yerushalmi, you, sir, are spouting propaganda deserving of 1932 Der Stürmer. Good day to you.
E Valk: American Yerushalmi is correct. The Zionist Nazi Rudolf Kastner is personnally responsible for the Nazi annihilation of Hungarian Jewry due to Kastner working hand in hand with his colleague Adolff Eichmann ym’s, who was trying to help the Zionist cause.
Seek help Lipa for thinking a person’s dishonesty and corrupting peoples minds into making yourself look like a hero will bring you success.
HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY
Holulu
When media post fake news stories that’s dishonest and corrupt. Post instead a new beautiful song he made. When the media won’t post a true honest comment about a story cause it doesn’t fit their agenda. That’s dishonest and corrupt and makes them FAKE NEWS only posting their agenda….
That’s why I’m ashamed to be living in such a dishonest and corrupt generation when honesty should be one of a person’s top priorities in life
Of a person can’t be honest then he doesn’t belong in Hashems beautiful world Hashem made and doesn’t deserve to enjoy all the gifts Hashems gives us
Think about it and let Hashem know how you can allow yourself or anyone for that matter be dishonest. This is one of the questions every yid will be asked when he arrives in the olam Haemes. Were you honest in business. Honest Media stories with no lies and posting everything business, honest singer, honest any business a person does.
Have a happy purim
Many Jews knew they were going to be killed. And many Jews didn’t know know. But even those who didn’t believe they were going to be exterminated, they went like sheep into the ghettos and on the trains to “work camps”.
I know I speak like a keyboard warrior, but I hope I would be like those courageous Jews who did not believe the German lies, nor did they willingly put on blinders. I want to be a Jew who would defend myself and my family, not one who willingly and blindly follows those who crave the destruction of the Jewish nation.
Bizzarroo…..How does Reb Aaron’s simple and non-staged encounter bring out nutcasess like Sammy and a debate about the responsibilities for the Shoah??? Something really deranged about this whole thread, whether real world encounter or poorly conceived purim spiel
philosopher, what is “many”? 10000? 100000? 1M? No, relative to 6M there were very very few who knew what was happening before it was too late. Or, groups such as the sonderkommando, knew, but there was very little they could do. What they COULD do, they did, like the 400 sonder who were murdered after blowing up one of the crematoria in Berkinow.
The Nazis created a very sophisticated system of lies and diversion.
@UJM’s quote “The zionists collaborated with the Nazis like Eichmann. And the instigated the Arabs, causing the British to close emigration to Palestine.”
If you paraphrase this and clarify, you write a tough thing for any rational person on earth to buy. The zionists (what they call “Jew” today) instigated the Arabs, which caused the occupational forces of Britain to shut the border(I guess they didn’t have democrat’s in Britain). So, even if they thought this way or not, I’m to accept that we had a caste system where the Jews were in last place and couldn’t “upset” anybody by just being in town without reparations to them?
This should be appalling to consider. Jew or non-Jew.