An Open Letter About The Conflict In Gur By Zvi Gluck

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NEW YORK (VINnews/Zvi Gluck) – As a member of a family whose Gur roots run deep, I have tried hard, over the last few years, to distance myself from the conflict that has been making headlines in recent weeks. Having relatives who are split in their allegiances to the Rebbe and the Rosh Yeshiva, I made a conscious decision to stay as far away from the machlokes, but unfortunately, the situation has spun far out of control.

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Several months ago, I found out that two children of a family that I have known since childhood were kidnapped by the Rebbe’s followers to “save” them from their parents, who are followers of the Rosh Yeshiva. Gur leaders on the Rebbe’s side went so far as to force the children’s school to file a report alleging that their parents had sexually abused them at home. While these actions are utterly despicable, Gur has a long history of protecting sexual predators which includes witness tampering as we saw in both the Mondrowitz and Leifer cases. There are also stories of high-ranking community members being involved in sexual abuse and covering for others, as well as reports of Gur supervisors known as “kamendants” chemically castrating those found guilty of impure thoughts or actions.


Still, I did my best to stay silent until I found myself in Jerusalem on a Friday night that will live in infamy, when violence between acheinu Bnei Yisroel spilled out onto the streets. A proclamation issued by the Rebbe’s leadership urging his followers to protest had hundreds, if not thousands, of chasidim surrounding the shul where the Rosh Yeshiva was davening. Although the Rebbe’s order did not call for violence, there is no doubt that it incited an angry mob, and what can only be classified as a mob attacked the Rosh Yeshiva’s followers in or near their homes. The tranquility of Shabbos was shattered by young adults and married men in spodiks armed with sticks, bricks, rocks, glass bottles and other items violently hurling their weapons at people, buildings, and cars. There was absolute rage in their eyes as they rampaged through the streets, breaking bones and inflicting head wounds and other life sustaining injuries on their victims. At least a dozen people were hospitalized, including a wheelchair bound man with multiple sclerosis, and approximately ten people who were attacked by the mob simply because we were in the wrong place at the wrong time, even though they had nothing to do with the conflict (not that anyone in the conflict should be attacked).


I sent a message after Shabbos to Gur’s leadership asking for an apology for the injured, as well as a call to order and an end to the violence. They responded with a message telling me to mind my own business or risk bodily injury but having seen with my own eyes that the Gur’s leadership had set the stage for people to be hurt and possibly even killed, I felt that there was too much at stake to simply walk away. Living as we are in 2022, I decided to take another tack, bringing the discussion to my personal social media platforms, hoping that there was a way to end the violence.

My first post, a quote from the fourth Rebbe of Gur, the Imrei Emes, saying that people had the right to follow another Rebbe, and that their decision to do so should never be met with violence. My second explained that I had no political motivations but was simply looking to hear Gur’s leadership condemning the violence and ending the conflict. Both posts received similar responses – messages of support, threats, and hateful comments. I made one more effort, posting a screenshot from Mein Kampf, in which Hitler, yimach shmo, discussed how Jews are always fighting amongst themselves and dragging the names of their leaders through the mud and added my own thoughts, that as the chosen nation, we shouldn’t be giving ammunition to the haters and the anti-Semites. I never compared the leaders of Gur to the Nazis, but when I realized that that post was being viewed in that light, I deleted it and I apologize wholeheartedly to anyone who was offended.

My next attempt to bring peace had me contacting senior communal leaders and philanthropists with close ties to Gur. Once again, I was met with bullying and intimidation, and I was warned that my actions would have repercussions that would affect me personally and would have funding pulled from causes that are dear to my heart. So far, my refusal to look away from the disgraceful violence in Gur has led to nearly $300,000 in funding being rescinded from those causes, as well as threats that further monies will also be pulled, actions that will hurt thousands of members of Klal Yisroel who are facing serious and potentially life saving issues. I have also been told by my Israeli connections with close ties to the police that there will be no investigations or arrests made thanks to a deal arranged by MK Yaakov Litzman, a chosid of the Rebbe.

What has taken place in Gur is unacceptable and the only statement that has been released so far by its leadership acknowledges nothing more than that a “few” “angry” and “pained” individuals went too far in response to a call to action. Those hollow words do nothing to right the terrible wrongs that belie our reputation as the am hanivchar.

I respectfully call on anyone with influence in the Gur community to do their part to put an end to the violence and restore the peace and tranquility that is the hallmark of Klal Yisroel.

Thoughts expressed in this article are my personal opinions and are in no way connected to Amudim, its leadership or any of its staff and/or volunteers.


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140 Comments
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H M
H M
1 year ago

The whole situation is unacceptably terrible, and a little honesty goes a long way. Thank you Mr Gluck for sticking out your neck (literally as well as figuratively) on behalf of Yiddishkeit

Mordy
Mordy
1 year ago

Thank GD there are still some sane people in the world. Tzvi, if I had the $300,000 you’d be the 1st to get it. May Gd grant you the Koach to keep up your amazing work for the Klal.

Proud of Amudim
Proud of Amudim
1 year ago

We need more leaders like Zvi Gluck in Klal Yisroel! Thank you!

Maria
Maria
1 year ago

One of the things which pushes idealistic youngsters out of the communities of the faithful is observing this criminal activity. I do not understand how the Rebbe, whom I greatly respect, allows his adjutants to sanction it. I think Zvi Gluck is right.

Shlomo
Shlomo
1 year ago

Finally, someone brave enough to speak the truth!
Thank you Zvi Gluck!

me, myself & I
me, myself & I
1 year ago

As someone who was raised as a Misnaged, I will repeat what I’ve said many times. Worshipping a human being is not the Jewish way. That’s what xtians do. We can, of course, follow the advice of, and learn from our gedolim. But when one person has this much power, it’s bound to go the wrong way. Go straight to Hashem and we don’t need intermediaries or mofsim. And yes, this also applies to Litvish who overdo their following a Gadol.

Emes
Emes
1 year ago

Sounds crazy but is the Rebbe aware of these outrageous events and is he approving of them?
Well if he knows and does not put out a letter rebuking his followers, then he too has blood on his hands
On the other hand if he’s not aware of these events, well then he may be innocent, but certainly would show a terrible lack of leadership on his part if he can be so oblivious. sad…

Anonymous
Anonymous
1 year ago

Sadly everything written here is 100% true. And there is no letting up of the terror performed by Ger to anyone that is attached to the R”Ys Kehilla or anyone that supports them – including the Gedolim that spoke out recently against the Ger pogrom. The KGB could come to Ger to learn tactics of terror.
It all stems from ga’avah and jealousy. Ga”avah that Ger is being rejected by former members of Ger and Klal Yisroel. And jealousy of the Pnei Menachem zt”l children which are all gaonim, yerei Shomayim, and talented speakers.
Unfortunately neither the Gerrer Rebbe and his children are no match to them in any way.
And now they are tripping over themselves in trying to deny what happened, blaming the Kehilla for everything, claiming that the Gerrer bochurim acted on their own (blatant lie – instructions came from the top), and that only the RY and his people were machalel Shabbos – absurd.
The weekly Binos Deshe that is learnt by so many worldwide (over 60,000 go out by email weekly and that’s aside from all the copies actually printed), and now the Hachona to Kabolas HaTorah last week that was attended by 3,000 people aside from the 100,000+ that viewed it online, is causing them grief and anguish.
They need to get over it and get a life of their own. Live and let live.

Seichel Hayoshor
Seichel Hayoshor
1 year ago

From Putin to Gur, we now see that dictatorships don’t work. There’s no checks & balances to keep them straight. In the time of Malchus Yisroel, there were Niviim as well as the Sanhedrin to rebuke the melech. There has never been a blank check dictatorship that turned out well for Klal Yisroel. This a terrible tragedy, how Gur rebuilt itself after the war & is now a horror show to the rest of the Klal. It will make no difference to them but at least the rest of Klal Yisroel shouldn’t tolerate this.

Pinchos
Pinchos
1 year ago

People should stop being naive ! The Gerrer Rebbi and only he is organizing this whole terror. He is already doing so for many years it’s just slowly coming out!
He was trying for years to bury Reb Shaul alive , and he cant believe his whole effort is going down the drain !

Who is a real Chasid?
Who is a real Chasid?
1 year ago

Chazal give us definitions of Chasidus. None of them mention wearing fur hats year-round and acting like a stereotypical Mafia family.

We need to go back to the definitions of Chazal, rather than accepting those of modern-day sects.

triumphinwhitehouse
triumphinwhitehouse
1 year ago

“senior communal leaders and philanthropists with close ties to Gur” anyone might take a guess who this person might be? HINT:A He is affiliated with Aguda. This is a clear cut case of Ger using violence to get their way and using Aguda as a cover. Aguda is in on this.

Ari
Ari
1 year ago

People should boycott Agudah and not vote for them as long as Gur has an MK on their list. Shas is a good alternative. Enough with the terror! Besides, their last MK was a pedophile protector.

Nonshover
Nonshover
1 year ago

I’m absolutely clueless about what they’re even fighting about. What great fundamentals of faith do they dispute? It appears so silly. Grow up!

Anonymous
Anonymous
1 year ago

The “commandant” stuff is scary; castration is a clear issur dioraysa.

bLev Nishbor
bLev Nishbor
1 year ago

Tvi’s mom comes from a very prominent Gerrer Family. When you see this level of Chilul Hshem it hurts & when it hurts you scream out in pain… This entire episode is an utter disgrace. we all know the famous words of Moshe Rabbeinu “Rosho Lomo Sakeh Rayacho” as Chazal tell us anyone who lifts a hand on another is a ROSHO… there are no exceptions to this law… The Holy ROSH writes never lift a hand on another Jew even if he curses your father in front of you… The Chofetz Chaim says that if an existing Bais Hamikdosh was destroyed due to Sinas Chinom, then how can we ever expect to rebuild it if this unwarranted hate is still rampant amongst us… Let us all pray with more sincerity & כוונה three X a day שים שלום…
עושה שלום במרומחן יוא יעשה שלום עלינו ועל כל ישראל ואמרו אמן!

Oiy meh hayu lanu
Oiy meh hayu lanu
1 year ago

Very well put, unfortunately. The lack of shalom is what’s causing Moshiach not to come. So sad that we’ve come this far and yet WE are preventing Moshiach from liberating us.

Mike Israel
Mike Israel
1 year ago

Why doesn’t Rebbe Shaul declare himself a Gerrer Rebbe, rather than Rosh Yeshiva, thus emulating the arrangements of the the 2 Satmar Rebbes and the 2 Bobover Rebbes.

Jacob
Jacob
1 year ago

Holy heck…. insanity

Mutty
Mutty
1 year ago

Not sure why everyone sounds so shocked ?! We’re dealing with a buncha gerrer hooligans, gangsters and ammaratzim. To think the rebbe doesn’t know exactly what is going on is ridiculous. He knows, endorses it and probably thrives off this immoral behavior. Some things haven’t changed in years.

The Vilna Gaon was no fool
The Vilna Gaon was no fool
1 year ago

Seeing what is going on with various Hasidic groups these days, the Vilna Gaon ztvk”l looks better and better. How great and foresighted he was.

Normal
Normal
1 year ago

Cult.
Ikvasa deMeshicha

triumphinwhitehouse
triumphinwhitehouse
1 year ago

by the way FJCC is another Aguda offshoot and they supported a liberal frei Democrat who supports toeiva and is a card holding member of the anti yeshiva UFT. named Steve Saperstein over a frum girl.

Nonshover
Nonshover
1 year ago

Can someone explain to me what it is they are fighting about?

Richie
Richie
1 year ago

I’m really confused why this is being discussed on a Frum Jewish website, when this and the people representing this problem are so far removed from Yiddishkeit.
Worshipping a human being is Avodah Zoroh, and so these people have removed themselves from Yiddishkeit. I think it was mentioned in the עשרת הדברות on שבועות. And correct me if I’m wrong, but it is a לא תעשה, not an עשה.

I heard in a Shiur before Pesach, that even though משה רבינו is mentioned once in the הגדה:
“ויאמינו בה’ ובמשה עבדו”
the אבן עזרא explains this as follows:
“והאמינו במשה שהוא עבדו ולא יעשה רק
“מה שיצונו.

5TResident
5TResident
1 year ago

The Land will spit us out yet again. We never learn that Sinat Chinam is a destroyer.

C R
C R
1 year ago

Thoughts expressed in this article are my personal opinions and are in no way connected to Amudim, its leadership or any of its staff and/or volunteers.”

That the aforementioned behave like mafia soldiers caporegimes and made men is immaterial to the discussion…..

Fraidy
Fraidy
1 year ago

thank you for speaking out against ger thuggery

Yisroel Kups
Yisroel Kups
1 year ago

I don’t understand how anyone can in anyway justify using Hitler’s words for anything. Why is that so hard to understand? There’s so much that’s so wrong with it. There should be nothing controversial about it.

Related to that, that apology is a non apology. Something that is very common these days.

Sieg Heil!
Sieg Heil!
1 year ago

Gerer Rebbe is a murderous Stalinist Dictator

Sieg Heil!
Sieg Heil!
1 year ago

All dictators gotta due a purge here and there

Yanky
Yanky
1 year ago

?

Last edited 1 year ago by Yanky
hmtyt
hmtyt
1 year ago

Who are you to talk about the Gerer Rebber??? There is a reason that he has over 250000 followers. You don’t start up with someone who every rebber thinks is special.

Moishe
Moishe
1 year ago

“My next attempt to bring peace” that’s where the problem begins, get down from your high horses who Do You Think You Are that YOU can make peace in gur. are you out of your mind. Especially by DEMANDING an apology, so cuz YOU demanded that why they will do it, “I made one more effort” you sound a like a secon grade teacher, open your eyes. This is much bigger and way to big for you.

Y. B.
Y. B.
1 year ago

I agree fully that the violence in Gur is unacceptable. BUT this article smells of self promotion. If you grew up in Gur, you knew full well you stood no chance in changing anything. You also know this article would do nothing besides promote yourself (and your orgs).

Fyi, I grew up in Gur, and became a follower of the Rosh Yeshiva 20 years ago.

Observer
Observer
1 year ago

I decided to go in to ger on shavous to see for myself what its all about without going into any details of this side or that suffice it to say that in ger it seems that no one really gives a hoot to tzvi Gluck or any other askan/rabbi out there.there was 25,000 strong in their shul and it looked like they would jump into the fire for their rebbi if you were there you probably understand what I mean so all these articles/comments have zero affect especially considering that the overwhelming majority has no internet access

Chaim
Chaim
1 year ago

Best not to mix in ,Things are very quiet since then .Why try to bring it up again.
We all moved on.Rav Shaul said not to talk about this whole topic.Shalom to all!!

ah yid
ah yid
1 year ago

Before I began reading I thought what does Mr Gluck have to add to this conversation? Mr. Gluck may be the head of a special organization, but we already had various gedolim protest this terrible incident. Then I began reading and I saw that Mr. Gluck has a personal vendetta against Ger. When you start bringing in your personal interests to this conversation then you have no credibility and your comments are meaningless.

Free To Choose
Free To Choose
1 year ago

How crazy! The great Zvi Gluck can not swoop in and solve an inter-generational complex issue that effect tens of thousands of people.

I guess after his great success at solving all of Klal Yisroel’s other problems, he was due for a loss.

Don’t get discouraged Zvi. Continue your true leadership by posting proclamations online. I don’t know where we would be without you.

#rebshualalter
#rebshualalter
1 year ago

Who cares what some Zionst has to say

That's weird
That's weird
1 year ago

This Gluck seems to have a seething hatred of gur from before the violence he brings up allegations totally unrelated from many years ago. Self promotion? Also his org should be his only focus and concern so if his ‘efforts’ to bring peace hsrm his org he should stay quiet he is NOT a manhig who needs to speak out on anything wrong in klal yisroel he just has his org

Qazxc
Qazxc
1 year ago

Quick, someone call the Gerrer Rebbeh and let him know that Tzvi Gluck objects!

Stand up for the TRUTH
Stand up for the TRUTH
1 year ago

Ger are NAZI DOGS/PIGS!!!
They are WORTHLESS!!!
They ALL deserve to be killed!! They are not worth more then a piece of trash!
EVERY Gerer that follows the Rebbe in this mobbing and killing, deserves to be killed!!!

Yisroel Kups
Yisroel Kups
1 year ago

Shameful that you brought in a Nazi quote. And it’s so bad that even your apology is a joke. You don’t see how inappropriate and disgusting it was, and so the best you can do is say you didn’t mean to compare their leadership to Nazis (that’s not the issue, that’s how blinded you clearly are) and because people are viewing it in a bad way (as if there’s any other way to view it, gosh) that’s the reason you wholeheartedly apologized. Any honest person would say your apology may at best be an example of what a non wholehearted apology sounds like

Dude
Dude
1 year ago

What should be the reaction when a group of people want to break away and split? The USA also went on a civil war …

yungerman
yungerman
1 year ago

wow

Last edited 1 year ago by Rabbi Yair Hoffman
Shloimy
Shloimy
1 year ago

Seriously?? First Poupko and then this guy?? Is everyone a מאן דאמר now???