Meeting With the Dushinsky Rebbe

Early this morning I went with an acquaintance to meet with and speak to the Dushkinsky rebbe, Harav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky shlit"a, of Israel. The rebbe, who is one of the leaders of the Eidah HaChareidis and the son and grandson of the previous two Gavads of Jerusalem, has been in New York for the wedding of one of his sister's children, and to visit with his chasidim and followers here in New York. Instead of appearing like many rebbes, with throngs of people waiting to do his every need and carrying a silver-tipped cane, the rebbe appeared very simply. When he entered the house, he came carrying the newspaper that had been left outside. Because the owners of the home where he was staying were not in New York, he said that he didn't want them to build up outside, making the walkway look cluttered and alerting would-be thieves that the homeowners are away. This may seem like something small and logical, but when someone speaks of or thinks of a rebbe, it conjures up images of being consumed by holiness and spirituality that places them elsewhere, on another plane of existence, not someone who pays attention to the minutia of small things that worry those of us engulfed by the physical world.


Dushinsky itself is rather new on the Chasidic landscape, having only been formed in the early 1930's after the current rebbe's grandfather moved to Israel and accepted the mantel of leadership of the Eidah HaChareidis upon the death of Harav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld zt"l. The first Dushinsky rebbe was one of the most outspoken opponents of the formation of the Zionist State of Israel, delivering a famous speech to the United Nations explaining the Jewish case against establishing the country. After his death in 1948, his son (the current rebbe's father) Harav Yisroel Moshe Dushinsky zt"l became the rebbe and leader of the Eidah until his passing 2003, when the current rebbe accepted the mantel of leadership of the chasidus, with Harav Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss shlit"a becoming the head rabbi of the Eidah HaChareidis.

When I sat and spoke with him, he was very interested to hear what was going on in my life, and showed himself to be very simple and humble. After learning of where I daven (pray) here in Boro Park, he commented that he knew the rav of the shul, and he also happens to be a close cousin of my rosh yeshiva from Israel. The rebbe's wife, in a somewhat unexpected way, also sat at the table with us and spoke. She was very animated and open, and when she spoke to be she looked at me directly in the eyes, which is not something that religious women of her caliber would normally do. The rebbetzin (rebbe's wife) spoke to me at length about shidduchim (the matchmaking process), and proved to be a very clever woman. When it came time for me to go, she told me that she and her husband would very much like to hear from me when they return to Israel, and that they would like to have me in their home on any trip that I make to Israel. As I left, another man entered to meet with the rebbe, and the rebbe walked to him, introduced himself to him, and began to take interest in hearing his many requests from the rebbe, something that would usually be more formal with other rebbes, who have assistants and secretaries to listen to and organize visitors. At the end of the visit, I came away with a very positive and comforting view of the rebbe, who, along with his wife, seemed very down-to-earth and genuinely kind, a mensch-par-excellence.

What's That Beanie For?

Walking around Meah Shearim yesterday presented me with an obvious mode of identification, both in Israel and the Jewish world at large: head coverings. Though initially and primarily worn as a sign of reverence for G-d, and to remind the wearer that there is something greater above him, it has taken on many more meanings. For men who are religious, the type of yarmulke (kippah, whatever you prefer) they wears says alot about their religious and political ideas.

First, perhaps the most common yarmulke is the kippa srugah (knitted kippa). This one is worn by the Modern Orthodox types in America, and by the "dati leumi" (national religious) types in Israel. The wearers of the kippa srugah identify themselves as religious observant, but very much a part of the average American (or Israeli, British, Canadian, etc.) society. They are also almost always 100% supportive of Zionism, from both a religious and political perspective. Especially in Israel, the kippa srugah symbolizes the placement of the medina (state) above religious duty. These people tend to allow Zionism to take the place of real Torah, and often find themselves trying to justify their world outlook from a religious vision that many, if not most, say cannot be justified. These men almost universally do not wear a hat in addition to their yarmulke.


The second most common style is the black velvet yarmulke. The black velvet yarmulke is almost only worn by ultra-Orthodox men. The black velvet yarmulke not only stands as a symbol that religion and Jewish culture take priority over the general society in which the wearer lives, but also shows a bewildered approach to Zionism at the least, with many more being virtually completely opposed to the secular regime in Israel, seeing Zionism as an attempt to uproot and replace Judaism, and as out of line with the edicts of Jewish religious law. The wearer may be Chasidic, Litvish (European non-Chasidic ultra-Orthodox), or ultra-Orthodox Sephardic.


A third type of yarmulke is that worn by Yerushalmis. Yerushalmis are ultra-Orthodox European Jews, both Chasidic and non-Chasidic, who arrived in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) more than 100 years ago. There are those who wear this yarmulke only on Shabbos and holidays (many non-Chasidic Yerushalmis do this, as well as quasi-Yerushalmi Chasidim, like some Jerusalem-based Bostoners), or it can be worn all the time. Those who wear this yarmulke are completely removed from the secular society of Israel. Their language of preference is Yiddish, and Hebrew is only spoken if absolutely needed. They hold non-ultra-Orthodox Jews in contempt, and are wary of their presence in their neighborhoods. While walking through Meah Shearim and other areas where Yerushalmis live, one can find grafitti on the walls saying things like "Palestine (meaning all of modern Israel) for the Arabs".


There is a similar case with the particular ways in which women cover their hair. I may write about that very soon...