The following is via COL:
A couple who have recently moved to a Jewish neighborhood in Chicago has been exposed to be non-Jews posing as Orthodox Jews, with the mission to influence others.
Rabbi Levi Notik of Chicago has informed the community that the couple who go by the names David and Rivkah Castello were recognized by a visitor from Brooklyn to be a couple who had been exposed there last year.
David and Rivkah Castello moved to West Rogers Park in Chicago a few months ago, and they dress, act and behave like Frum Jews, and Daven in local Shuls, Rabbi Notik warned. Rivkah works as a babysitter for young children in the neighborhood.
David looks like a Frum yid, wearing the traditional clothing and sporting long peyos.
When asked, the couple admits that she is not Jewish, and he claims his maternal great-grandmother was.
Notik says that he met with the couple, and they did not deny being in the neighborhood “on a mission to specifically live among the Frum community and actively influence others.”
“They have beliefs of Kefira and Christianity,” Notik says. “He doesn’t deny any of it, on the contrary, he insists that he is correct in his way, and has no regrets.”
Notik says by Hashgocha Protis, a Sofer in town from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, saw David Castello in Shul, and recognized him immediately, alerting others to the imposter.
[FLASHBACK – Lakewood Community Rocked By Non-Jewish Man Posing As Jew!]
The couple has done the same thing in Brooklyn last year (at Beis Midrash Razlo and other Shuls) until they were exposed and told to leave, the visitor said.
After doing research, Notik discovered that the couple has ties to the international Christian group Global Gates, whose vision according to their website is “to see gospel transformation of the world’s most unevangelized people groups who have come to global gateway cities, and through them reach their communities around the world.”
The couple also goes by the names Dovid Costello, Rebekah – Rivkah Joy Weber, as well as Dovid and Rivkah Michael.
They have been asked to leave the Chicago community.
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29 Responses
THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR TEACHING VDA MAH LEHASHIV IN SCHOOLS.
RABBI AVIGDOR MILLER, KOOZARI, SOURCES FROM JEWS FOR JUDAISM AND MORE
those kids in picture?
Yes there are viruses that trick the body to think it’s part of it
There was a worse incident in Israel back in the late ’60s. A couple in the US actually went through an entire kosher conversion process, then moved to Israel, where they proceeded to do missionary activity. They were eventually found out, but when I read about the rabbonim in Israel being careful about giyur chutz la’aretz, I remember that it is about more than just preserving yichus.
This is sick and disgusting but part of the usual deceptive practices of these idolators.But the Chicago community needs take responsibility and track where these imposters go next, and warn the next community!You need to take clear pictures of these people and publish it on every Frum web site so people know.
HKBH should see to it that they are removed from the earth b’korov mamesh!
Why does everyone that tries to dress up chasidish (even Hollywood) make the same stupid mistake of having a lot of their head? Don’t they see that real chasidim either shave their head or have very little hair?
Why weren’t they sued for trespassing private property?!? Or maybe a lawyer could find any other legal violation to sue them. We are not allowed to let such idiots go by just sending them away!!! This is a terrible crime what they have done!!
“You can’t fool and honest man (or woman)”…
I love how their own article says, “These Hasidic groups are usually deemed too hard to reach and extremely resistant to the Gos—-” I would hope and assume it would all Orthodox “groups” would be deemed equally hard to reach.
Shema Israel….
they look crazy in the pics
Can’t they be brought up on charges of fraud?
Rather they should come into the frum communities and influence the importance of vaccinations, at least something positive would come from this.
Zaat Moichel:
Every time YWN and FJJ show any article praising Xtian support for Israel they bring this about. We, as a community of Frum Yidden, who are so thirsty for broader support so as to feel less isolated, are all guilty of encouraging this Evangelism.
Being an Am Levodod can be a brocha or a klollah – our choice.
“making it a very eastern style of religion”
If we could get this message out to all of the secularized Jews of the cities, the suburbs, and in all of these random places in between, we would definitely see in increase in observances. For those that know nothing, all they know of is missionary types of religions from the Television (including the hundreds of church broadcasts as infomercials), making them think you have to go do yoga, or put a statue in your garden for anything eastern. Explaining that it’s a “very eastern style of religion” instead of lumping in the “three great religions” may peak a lot of peoples interests!
There may be a way to turn this into good via it’s broad inspiration.
I dont think they can possibly have any affect on anyone. These missionaries are extremely naive. They even sent some weirdo to an island with hostile natives who are known to attack anyone who comes near them. The dude was instantly killed when he came in contact
There are hundreds (no exaggeration) of web sites that are sponsored by evangelists Christians and Messianics. Many of them have very parave names or just the name of the person giving the courses and lessons. Some of these missionaries are very very well versed in Tanach, Midrashim, and even gemara. The web sites often discuss jewish topics and are parave with no mention of j. A hemishe person would usually recognize if a web site is not appropriate because they don’t hesitate to quote from the new testament and if its a video the speaker usually has his head uncovered and they aren’t careful about Hashem’s name . But there are many that are only audio or text and it would be very difficult for someone not well versed in Tanach to recognize that its missionaries.
@BenK “THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR TEACHING VDA MAH LEHASHIV IN SCHOOLS.
RABBI AVIGDOR MILLER, KOOZARI, SOURCES FROM JEWS FOR JUDAISM AND MORE”
Actually, it means knowing how to read a passuk in nach with Rashi and other meforshim. If you know what the passuk does mean, then you know that whatever they claim it says is nothing but nonesense. their greatest success is among the ignorant.
Seriously, us Jews have been very soft on these people. If some groups are willing to go “overboard” to punish these people for trying to undermine us, why couldn’t we do the same to people like them? The goyim are NOT OK.
Actually, there is a lesson in all this. The external presentation of these people was misleading. They appeared to be religious Jews, while they were the opposite. How about our own external appearances? Are they true to what we are? Do we perhaps present an image, maybe determined by the community, maybe school rules, etc., but then fail to live a life consistent with it?
The Gemora tells us that the Arabs are not chaste at all, and indulge heavily in their taavos. The garb they wear is often described as tzniusdig. However, their behavior is anything but. The outwardly pious might be true to their appearance, but that is never 100% true. We need to careful to practice as we appear, and to refrain from judging based on the chitzoniyus.
What this article proves to me is that the Chicago orthodox community needs to setup a counter-missionary organization that is staffed by rabbanim and volunteers that are specifically trained how to theologically debunk missionaries so that they can bring back non-orthodox Jews that have converted to Christianity because of Jews for Jesus and the like back home to Judaism.
what was redacted?
Hard question which needs answer:- Who is worse for dressing up as Frum Jew but is anything but us:- The Castello’s or Naturei Karta?
She looks like a shiktsa and what’s with his hair??? Something is off!
TGIShabbos: since you mentioned vaccinations, I’d like to broadcast here that the Chasidim have been greatly vilified for naught by the media and GOVERNMENT for their low vaccination rates, and IT’S NOTHING SHORT OF LIBELOUS!
Finally, the Daily News dared to print the truth in this must-read doctor authored op-ed. Mods please allow link to set the record straight or do your own write-up of this to clarify for everyone. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-vaccination-is-not-an-ultra-orthodox-jewish-hangup-20190515-jppvzaabqfcm3cku2erlp7piry-story.html%3foutputType=amp
Their tactics and pictures should be exposed in every jewish community…just a clever camouflage for an old enemy. Expose them before they can trap anyone
Mammele, I didn’t intend on going wayy off topic in this forum, but I’m not understanding how this would be an example of libelous activity. Either one vaccinates or they don’t, I don’t know what’s so hard to understand. My son’s daycare asks to see the vaccination records (and I have them fully available from the doctor). No one at work (Jews and non-Jews) bothers me at work regarding vaccinations, as I am fully vaccinated and have medical forms to prove it. There is ZERO comparison to the libels in Nazi Germany or throughout our rough history.
I think the Dems should call this odd couple to testify in one of the committees. Perhaps Nadler’s or Schiff’s. If this isnt collusion what is?
If a hundredth of the effort spent against missionaries were spent on chinuch, it would have a thousand times the positive effect.
Rumor has it that they with all this publicity they have now moved to Montreal.