The Kaliver Rebbe Shlita, who is BA”H well into his 90s, broke from tradition and granted Channel 2 News an interview last week. The rebbe explained that while he does not feel it is proper to speak with the secular media, he feels the current situation warrants an exception.
The rebbe cried as he commented on the growing poverty in Eretz Yisrael, citing how as a young boy in Auschwitz they had no food, asking how Israel can permit so many children to go hungry today.
The rebbe spoke of the need to get out and assist those families that do not have basics for yomtov.
Regarding the violence and demonstrations seen in response to the new draft law, the rebbe remains opposed to the protests, explaining there are those whose job it is to serve while others are supposed to be learning. He opposes the violence however.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
18 Responses
Here is the video: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NE5gCf73Dqo#
whitle i have no chassish roots i have always had great love and respect for the Kaliver Rebbe, he has a deep authentic love for all of klol yisroel no matter their affiliation
I too love and respect the Kaliver Rebbe and his pain at the sight of needy children is entirely correct but, Ribbono Shel Olam, the root of the problem is neither the Israeli government nor Israeli society, both of which have given and continue to give very large sums to alleviate charedi poverty. The problem lies within the Israeli charedi society and leadership which has chosen a path that inevitably leads most to poverty. B”H, the Israeli charedi population has grown tremendously, ken yirbu, and the non-charedi society cannot afford to support so many people who are poor by choice – nor should they be expected to.
I met the Kaliver Rebbe over a half century ago. He is an ish kadosh.
People need backgrounds in math, computers, engineering, accounting and languages to succeed. Torah Im Parnasa MUST be adopted. Forget on relying on America. We are 16 trillion dollars in debt.
#3: Nor are they… and Nor do we need them to… Amazing how so many people have bought into this anti Semitic hogwash.
Shulhan Aruch
The best form of charity is helping a poor person become self-supporting (249:6;253:11) or giving him work (see 251:6).
Mr Yagel
You are 100 percent correct
It is not popular to speak of this issues, and the solution often touches on very sensitive matters for the chareidi tzibur–smaller families and more effort to provide a secular education with necessary job skills. Absent both of these changes in Chareidi culture, the problem will only get worse.
It would b soo cool if the Kaliver Rebbe would meet the tosher Rebbe. I want 2 c that happen.
To No. 10
What is the linkage between these two rabbonim that would make it so special if they were to meet? How do you know they have not already met at some simcha or aseyfah?
Yagel, Coby, you are of course correct. But the Belzer Rebbe DID make an audience with his chassidim back ten years ago, urging those who do not have a reliable income to take a course and earn a responsible living.
Speak to the people @ Chabad. They are loaded. They run PARADES thru many cities that cost thousands. Take the money from them and feed the poor.
Just to add though, finding a job in Israel is very hard, and the wage is very low. some three-four times less the wage in USA. Supporting a large family is more than difficult.
with great respect to the Kaliver Rebbe, od 120, I live in EY and do not see the poverty. I travel and see much in EY. Yes, there are some people who do not have fancy apartments and must rent, but there are many gemachim that help people.
People starving: NO WAY! people who do not have a financially secure life, that there are.
CHAIM36, singling out someone who’s “loaded” and raiding him is how the mass poverty problem got started, not how it’ll end.
If only they’d hire us!!!If you can’t find a job with an charedi business you’re out of luck!Recently.alot of charedim went for training as tax advisers/accountants.
Lapid’s Finance ministry opened up a new dept and needed 300 tax advisors,they were flooded with charedi applicants-guess how many charedim they hired????Yep,0that’s zero.So stop talking nonsense about charedim going to work, 2months ago the Knesset wouldn’t even pass an anti-discrimaination law against charedim.You “they should just go to work”types are woefully naïve!!
#14- That depends very much on your skill set. Israel is chock-full of families that earn a nice living.
#17- Do you or someone that you know work in the Ministry of Finance to vouch personally for that story? In any event, I know many American charedim with college educations who made Aliyah and got good jobs in the general (not charedi) job market. And I’ve met Israeli charedi attorneys, accountants and computer programers who work in non-charedi offices and who seem to be doing quite well.