A Mystical Motive For Haredi Opposition To The Byu Jerusalem Center

[volgadon]

The BYU Jerusalem Center began construction in 1985, and almost immediately encountered opposition from the Ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, sector. I turned four in 1988, the same year that the Center was completed. I was thus too young to remember much of the controversy, but I do that the bulk of the Israeli population was indifferent, and those who were acquainted with members of the church tore up posters and fliers distributed by Haredi anti-missionary activists. They never allowed protests to be held in the neighbourhood where we had our small meeting house, either. Anti-missionary sentiment was perhaps the most obvious cause of Haredi opposition, however, even this doesn’t adequately explain why the opposition from some Haredi groups was fiercer than that from other groups. Writing in 1988, the Israeli journalist Amnon Levy pointed out other factors which came into play.

“When Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri, the foremost Kabbalist in Israel, declares that the Admor of Ger’s illness is caused by the construction of the Mormon university on Mount Scopus, the Hasidic court [of Ger] wages an all out war against the Mormons, and the Ger representative in the Knesset is even instructed to call for a vote of no confidence in the government and to threaten to resign from the coalition. All this because the Hasidim accept the decrepit Kabbalist’s vision as meaningful, undisputed fact.”[1]

Widely celebrated as the greatest Kabbalist of the past thirty years, Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri was well over one hundred years old when he died in 2006. Thousands flocked to him for amulets, blessings, and prognostications for matters ranging anywhere from finding a good match, to curing childlessness, to mysterious health issues, to demonic possession, to financial woes. I personally know dozens who turned to him, and were you to recommend a good clinic or financial advisor instead, would look at you as though you were mad. By virtue of his mastery of Kabbalah and the aura of ascetic holiness surrounding him, Kaduri was considered to be in control of divine and hidden processes in both this world and the one beyond. This allowed him to diagnose the true root of any issue and prescribe the correct cure- usually a unique permutation of the divine name- which would then be written on an amulet given the supplicant. This ability was not restricted to amulets. Kaduri frequently spoke out on matters of national policy, connecting the visible manifestation to another separate, spiritual issue; the deep link between them concealed below the surface. Thus it was with the building of BYU Jersusalem. The Center, according to Kaduri, was the cause of the mysterious, debilitating illness which struck the Hasidic Rebbe of Ger in 1985.

Rabbi Simcha Bunim Alter was the fifth Rebbe (or Admor) of the Hasidic court of Ger. On the one hand he did things like institute daily study of the much neglected Talmud Yerushalmi, and fought against social ills such as smoking. On the other hand, he was extremely reactionary, and bitterly campaigned against what he saw as the twin evils of Christianity and the secular world. Politically, he achieved a lot of pull, and unusually for a Hasidic Rebbe, was very supportive of the Sephardic faction in the Haredi world. Kaduri was prominent in that marginalized faction, which helps explains why he was close to Alter. As for the Hasidim themselves, they certainly believed in an unseen world where the supernatural regularly intruded upon this, the seen world. Miracles, visions, dreams, prophecies, and curses, these were all mysterious, but very real and very present. This is why they believed Kaduri’s diagnosis, but their vehemence towards BYU is better explained by the role that Alter played in their lives. A Hasidic Rebbe is a tzaddik- a holy man- who intercedes with God on behalf of his followers, drawing down blessings upon them. He also purifies and uplifts their souls. In return they are to cleave to him, and support him materially. The tzaddik, as famously formulated, is the foundation upon which the world stands. He is literally the link between his followers and God. Alter fell mysteriously ill in 1985, becoming unable to communicate with his followers, and, indeed, barely functioning at all. This sent shockwaves throughout his court, and Kaduri’s declaration galvanized them into action against the cause of their Rebbe’s affliction. So, in the case of Ger, the motivation behind Hasidic opposition to the BYU center was as much personal as it was anti-missionary. Alter never recovered, but died in 1992. Since then, Mormons have largely faded from Hasidic memory, and one is far likelier to encounter negative sentiment stemming from LDS proxy work for the dead than from anything to do with Alter or Kaduri.

[1]Amnon Levy, "The Ultra-Orthodox," (Heb.), Keter Publishing House, Jerusalem, Ltd., 1988, p. 22.

[boblloyd91]

So why did they think the center caused him sickness?

Edited July 10, 2013 by boblloyd91

[Questing Beast]

Why is this posted now? You can answer both questions....

[EllenMaksoud]

IMHO, Jews are a very mixed bag. When I was there in 2001, generally speaking, the people I encountered were very nice. Our tour guide, a semi retired member of elite Jewish Military, was very nice. According to him, many Jews are Athiests. (40%?) At the time, there seemed to be many archaeological digs and some of those we spoke to seemed preoccupied with trying to understand Jesus, the man. On the other hand, at the large hotel where we stayed, there were Jews who would not even touch the buttons on the elevator. I do not know if they could open a door by themselves.

Recently I was in Indianapolis caring for a woman with pancreatic cancer, and her roomate threw a fit when I shut off the light in the family room before going to bed..

Then there are of course those individuals, in Jerusalem, who will not permit women on their side of the street. Yet, back here in the US, any disparaging word about a Jew can quickly put you in dire straits ...

[volgadon]

IMHO, Jews are a very mixed bag. When I was there in 2001, generally speaking, the people I encountered were very nice. Our tour guide, a semi retired member of elite Jewish Military, was very nice. According to him, many Jews are Athiests. (40%?) At the time, there seemed to be many archaeological digs and some of those we spoke to seemed preoccupied with trying to understand Jesus, the man. On the other hand, at the large hotel where we stayed, there were Jews who would not even touch the buttons on the elevator. I do not know if they could open a door by themselves.

Recently I was in Indianapolis caring for a woman with pancreatic cancer, and her roomate threw a fit when I shut off the light in the family room before going to bed..

Then there are of course those individuals, in Jerusalem, who will not permit women on their side of the street. Yet, back here in the US, any disparaging word about a Jew can quickly put you in dire straits ...

Not on this thread, thank you.

[EllenMaksoud]

Not on this thread, thank you.

What do you mean?

[volgadon]

Why is this posted now? You can answer both questions....

Why is this posted now? Because I felt like writing it now is probably as complex an answer as I could provide.

[volgadon]

What do you mean?

Meaning that I don't want this thread to turn into one where you go off again on Jews. I don't want to offend, I just don't think that this thread is at all appropraite for a general airing of greivances (also please note that I don't go off on Muslims despite having just as many stories if not more than you do about Jews).

[Garden Girl]

Hello Volgadon...

How very interesting... but I feel like I want "more." Is there more?

GG

[EllenMaksoud]

Meaning that I don't want this thread to turn into one where you go off again on Jews. I don't want to offend, I just don't think that this thread is at all appropraite for a general airing of greivances (also please note that I don't go off on Muslims despite having just as many stories if not more than you do about Jews).

So, with your vast skills, you have sussed out that I am a Jew hater? In keeping with the content of your own first entry, I was merely pointing out that there are no typical Jews. Well, since I believe you are a Muslim hater, I won't bother you again.

[volgadon]

So why did they think the center caused him sickness?

I've not been able to locate Kaduri's original statement, so I'll venture two guesses. It could be seen as God's punishing the people for allowing such evil and impurity by taking away one of their greatest leaders, or it could be seen as an increase in the powers of the evil force, the Sitra Ahra.

[Stone holm]

The BYU Jerusalem Center began construction in 1985, and almost immediately encountered opposition from the Ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, sector. I turned four in 1988, the same year that the Center was completed. I was thus too young to remember much of the controversy, but I do that the bulk of the Israeli population was indifferent, and those who were acquainted with members of the church tore up posters and fliers distributed by Haredi anti-missionary activists. They never allowed protests to be held in the neighbourhood where we had our small meeting house, either. Anti-missionary sentiment was perhaps the most obvious cause of Haredi opposition, however, even this doesn’t adequately explain why the opposition from some Haredi groups was fiercer than that from other groups. Writing in 1988, the Israeli journalist Amnon Levy pointed out other factors which came into play.

“When Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri, the foremost Kabbalist in Israel, declares that the Admor of Ger’s illness is caused by the construction of the Mormon university on Mount Scopus, the Hasidic court [of Ger] wages an all out war against the Mormons, and the Ger representative in the Knesset is even instructed to call for a vote of no confidence in the government and to threaten to resign from the coalition. All this because the Hasidim accept the decrepit Kabbalist’s vision as meaningful, undisputed fact.”[1]

Widely celebrated as the greatest Kabbalist of the past thirty years, Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri was well over one hundred years old when he died in 2006. Thousands flocked to him for amulets, blessings, and prognostications for matters ranging anywhere from finding a good match, to curing childlessness, to mysterious health issues, to demonic possession, to financial woes. I personally know dozens who turned to him, and were you to recommend a good clinic or financial advisor instead, would look at you as though you were mad. By virtue of his mastery of Kabbalah and the aura of ascetic holiness surrounding him, Kaduri was considered to be in control of divine and hidden processes in both this world and the one beyond. This allowed him to diagnose the true root of any issue and prescribe the correct cure- usually a unique permutation of the divine name- which would then be written on an amulet given the supplicant. This ability was not restricted to amulets. Kaduri frequently spoke out on matters of national policy, connecting the visible manifestation to another separate, spiritual issue; the deep link between them concealed below the surface. Thus it was with the building of BYU Jersusalem. The Center, according to Kaduri, was the cause of the mysterious, debilitating illness which struck the Hasidic Rebbe of Ger in 1985.

Rabbi Simcha Bunim Alter was the fifth Rebbe (or Admor) of the Hasidic court of Ger. On the one hand he did things like institute daily study of the much neglected Talmud Yerushalmi, and fought against social ills such as smoking. On the other hand, he was extremely reactionary, and bitterly campaigned against what he saw as the twin evils of Christianity and the secular world. Politically, he achieved a lot of pull, and unusually for a Hasidic Rebbe, was very supportive of the Sephardic faction in the Haredi world. Kaduri was prominent in that marginalized faction, which helps explains why he was close to Alter. As for the Hasidim themselves, they certainly believed in an unseen world where the supernatural regularly intruded upon this, the seen world. Miracles, visions, dreams, prophecies, and curses, these were all mysterious, but very real and very present. This is why they believed Kaduri’s diagnosis, but their vehemence towards BYU is better explained by the role that Alter played in their lives. A Hasidic Rebbe is a tzaddik- a holy man- who intercedes with God on behalf of his followers, drawing down blessings upon them. He also purifies and uplifts their souls. In return they are to cleave to him, and support him materially. The tzaddik, as famously formulated, is the foundation upon which the world stands. He is literally the link between his followers and God. Alter fell mysteriously ill in 1985, becoming unable to communicate with his followers, and, indeed, barely functioning at all. This sent shockwaves throughout his court, and Kaduri’s declaration galvanized them into action against the cause of their Rebbe’s affliction. So, in the case of Ger, the motivation behind Hasidic opposition to the BYU center was as much personal as it was anti-missionary. Alter never recovered, but died in 1992. Since then, Mormons have largely faded from Hasidic memory, and one is far likelier to encounter negative sentiment stemming from LDS proxy work for the dead than from anything to do with Alter or Kaduri.

[1]Amnon Levy, "The Ultra-Orthodox," (Heb.), Keter Publishing House, Jerusalem, Ltd., 1988, p. 22.

Yeah, its kind of odd given I don't know of a Christian group which are more avowedly Zionist than us Mormons -- yet we seem to draw vilification from the Jews like a magnet. Don't know of any other group that has managed to get us to take a hands off stance on Temple Work for their people, but that may just be my ignorance.

[volgadon]

So, with your vast skills, you have sussed out that I am a Jew hater? In keeping with the content of your own first entry, I was merely pointing out that there are no typical Jews. Well, since I believe you are a Muslim hater, I won't bother you again.

Baloney. I am not a Muslim hater. I've grown up around Muslims, so I have plenty of stories about their all too human foibles, that is all. I don't bring them up in threads about Islam because the stories are irrelevant. I can assure you that you would react very uncomfortably if I were to do so, so why are you doing that to people I'm related to, on my thread?

[volgadon]

Yeah, its kind of odd given I don't know of a Christian group which are more avowedly Zionist than us Mormons -- yet we seem to draw vilification from the Jews like a magnet. Don't know of any other group that has managed to get us to take a hands off stance on Temple Work for their people, but that may just be my ignorance.

Trust me, Catholics get villified a lot more. We are hardly on the radar for most Jews.

[volgadon]

Hello Volgadon...

How very interesting... but I feel like I want "more." Is there more?

GG

There certainly is a lot more, but that would require archival and interview work that I simply don't have the resources for at the moment. However, if you have any questions, please ask.

[Questing Beast]

Do "Mormon Jews" still interact with their family and Jewish society as Jews? Are they even allowed to admit to other Jews that they are Mormon, without being ostracized? I ask, because I am under the impression that Jewish converts to Mormonism, or Christianity for that matter, if they were formerly "active" Jews, still remain active Jews when among them, i.e. the "Mormon/Christian Jew" is still a Jew and can participate in Jewish religious rites and so forth. Is that impression accurate, or not? Thanks....

[USU78]

My best friend is the son of a retired Temple President . . . but not the kind of temple you would imagine. It means he, prior to retirement, was the administrator of the secular business of maintaining the local synagogue, raising funds, supervising maintenance, and whatnot. When his oldest son met a Mormon girl at school, converted to Mormonism, and went on a mission to Peru, this man supported his son, though not understanding for a minute what would have motivated his conversion (other than the girl) and commitment to the Church.

I have attended family/religious events in my friend's home, including Seders and Hanukkah celebrations, and have been with him in spirit when he travels back to attend bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, and whatnot.

He tries to keep the family traditions, both religious and other, alive with his own children. They see themselves as both Jewish and Mormon, and don't find anything particularly strange about it. They'll sing a comedy song that deals with the "snip snip" of the Bris as easily as a Primary Song.

It's more than doable.

And his folks are great, and have been very welcoming of me. I told his father that his son is my brother, so he calls me his "other son." He seems to almost mean it.

[Tacenda]

My best friend is the son of a retired Temple President . . . but not the kind of temple you would imagine. It means he, prior to retirement, was the administrator of the secular business of maintaining the local synagogue, raising funds, supervising maintenance, and whatnot. When his oldest son met a Mormon girl at school, converted to Mormonism, and went on a mission to Peru, this man supported his son, though not understanding for a minute what would have motivated his conversion (other than the girl) and commitment to the Church.

I have attended family/religious events in my friend's home, including Seders and Hanukkah celebrations, and have been with him in spirit when he travels back to attend bar and bat mitzvahs, weddings, and whatnot.

He tries to keep the family traditions, both religious and other, alive with his own children. They see themselves as both Jewish and Mormon, and don't find anything particularly strange about it. They'll sing a comedy song that deals with the "snip snip" of the Bris as easily as a Primary Song.

It's more than doable.

And his folks are great, and have been very welcoming of me. I told his father that his son is my brother, so he calls me his "other son." He seems to almost mean it.

Sweet, I count you very lucky to experience another's faith tradition. I'm rather secluded and don't venture out enough.

[boblloyd91]

I've not been able to locate Kaduri's original statement, so I'll venture two guesses. It could be seen as God's punishing the people for allowing such evil and impurity by taking away one of their greatest leaders, or it could be seen as an increase in the powers of the evil force, the Sitra Ahra.

Interesting, do they see other religions as "evil" the same way fundamentalist Evangelicals do?

[EllenMaksoud]

Baloney. I am not a Muslim hater. I've grown up around Muslims, so I have plenty of stories about their all too human foibles, that is all. I don't bring them up in threads about Islam because the stories are irrelevant. I can assure you that you would react very uncomfortably if I were to do so, so why are you doing that to people I'm related to, on my thread?

I'm very sorry about all this. It is time for me to leave.

[Stone holm]

Do "Mormon Jews" still interact with their family and Jewish society as Jews? Are they even allowed to admit to other Jews that they are Mormon, without being ostracized? I ask, because I am under the impression that Jewish converts to Mormonism, or Christianity for that matter, if they were formerly "active" Jews, still remain active Jews when among them, i.e. the "Mormon/Christian Jew" is still a Jew and can participate in Jewish religious rites and so forth. Is that impression accurate, or not? Thanks....

We had a Rabbi speak as one of the speakers at a Jewish Mormon's funeral recently in our Ward. As I understand it, the member had actually studied with a Rabbi after his conversion. On the other hand, my daughter-in-law who I adore and is Jewish is pretty darn cold when it comes to Mormonism as she feels it is too dogmatic (that coupled with our political aura).

[volgadon]

Interesting, do they see other religions as "evil" the same way fundamentalist Evangelicals do?

Not quite. There is a range of views, the Ger Hasidim and Kaduri being at the more extreme end. Conversion is seen as severely damaging the soul's place in the divine structure of the cosmos- it causes further rupture thus delaying redemption- and one is considered as being cut off from the house of Israel.

Edited July 10, 2013 by volgadon

[volgadon]

We had a Rabbi speak as one of the speakers at a Jewish Mormon's funeral recently in our Ward. As I understand it, the member had actually studied with a Rabbi after his conversion. On the other hand, my daughter-in-law who I adore and is Jewish is pretty darn cold when it comes to Mormonism as she feels it is too dogmatic (that coupled with our political aura).

Is she Reform?

[Stone holm]

Is she Reform?

Yeah, she is Reform. The Jewish member I referred to was previously Orthodox.

[volgadon]

Yeah, she is Reform. The Jewish member I referred to was previously Orthodox.

I had a feeling that she was, if our church is too dogmatic for her liking...