The Piaseczne Rebbe — Rabbi Klonimus Kalmish Shapira, zt"l, Hy"d
In honor of his yahrtzeit, 4th Cheshvan 1944-5704

In the great world of prewar Chassidus, the young rebbe, Reb Klonimus Kalmish was different. Never had there been a Rebbe who devoted himself entirely to the leadership of the bochurim and younger chassidim. When he was asked on numerous occasions why he went to such extreme lengths to save a bochur from being conscripted to the army, he would retort, "A rebbe who is not prepared to go to Gehennom to save his young chossid is no rebbe."

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Opinion and Comment Just Put Out the Fires by Mordecai Plaut Former director of the CIA James Woolsey says that the war against Islamic fundamentalists will drag on for decades. In a speech that he has given around the world in various places since the Moslem attacks on New York City and Washington DC on September 11, Woolsey argues that the world is now engaged in World War IV (World War III was the Cold War), and he expects it to drag on for many years. "This is the long war of the 21st century, and I might add it is not against terrorism but against Islamist movements and their fascist supporters like Libya, North Korea, and Syria," Woolsey says.

Opinion and Comment Chareidi Music and Non-Music -- What is Jewish Music? by Rabbi Ephraim Luft The chareidi wedding, that was once a means to receive spiritual chizuk, has today been turned into a show to provide cheap entertainment and to advertise the latest hit songs of the chareidi pop singers. Instead of hearing warm Jewish melodies that uplift the soul, we now hear wild, noisy songs, disguised in frum clothing by using holy words from pesukim or tefillos. And of course the volume is set at an unbearable level so that the majority of the guests either are forced to stand outside or to leave the wedding with a headache. Why do the bands insist on playing like this? Who is it that forces them to imitate the sounds of a discotheque? If most of the guests and even the baalei hasimchah suffer from this, why is it not possible to demand that they play in a respectable manner fitting for a simchah shel mitzvah?

Opinion and Comment The Old-New Campaign to Adulterate Pure Torah Education by Rabbi N. Z. Grossman Part I Vocational training for avreichim is once again under discussion. Certain parties are again seeking to push their plans forward, this time by exploiting the economic squeeze that the government has engineered, which is intended to foster an atmosphere of hardship and distress among Torah true families.