Tikun Olam, with All the Letters Mentioned Above
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Battle For the Truth A Documentary of the Struggle of the Minchas Elazar and Other Rabbanim Against Agudath Israel and the Zionist Movement Index by Name (All the rabbis listed below signed letters and proclamations against Agudah and against Zionism) Rabbi Abraham Joseph Greenwald of Uzhgorod, Ukraine Rabbi Aryeh Leibush Halberstam of Sanz, Poland Rabbi Abraham Joshua Freund of Interdam, Hungary Rabbi Aryeh Leib Alter of Gur, Poland, author of Sfas Emes Rabbi Asher Lemel Spitzer of Kirchdorf, Slovakia Rabbi Asher Zelig Greenzweig of Dalha, Hungary Rabbi Abraham of Sochatchev, Ukraine, author of Avnei Nezer Rabbi Abraham M. S. Frankel, president of the Orthodox Office in Pest, Hungary Rabbi Elazar Shapiro of Lanszut, Poland Rabbi Elazar Halevi Rosenfeld of Ospicen, Poland Rabbi Asher Meyer Halberstam of Bochnia, Poland Rabbi Aaron Abraham Zlotky of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Abraham Aminoff of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Elijah Moses Maaravi of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum of Volova, Romania Rabbi Elazar Shapiro of Kiviashad, Hungary Rabbi Elazar Reinman of Bitchkoff, Romania Rabbi Aaron Zevi Kestenbaum of Aulik, Hungary Rabbi Ben Zion Sneiders of Rab, Hungary Rabbi Baruch Wiesner of Batya, Hungary Rabbi David Schlussel of Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia Rabbi David Dov Meisels of Satoraljaujhely, Hungary Rabbi David Elimelech Weiss of Szkernizsa, Poland Rabbi David Frankel of Neflecovitz, Slovakia Rabbi David Schreiber, president of the Galician Kollel in Arislav, Germany Rabbi David Zevi Krelenstein of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi David Isaac Rosenwasser of Upper Apsza, Hungary Rabbi David Weinberger of Julnicza, Poland Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein of Kolomaya , Poland Rabbi Hillel Weinberger of Dunaserdehaly, Hungary Vaad Machzikei Chinuch Hayashan, Jerusalem, Palestine Vaad Harabbanim of Hungary Rabbi Zev Sheftel Edelhauch of Iszka, Hungary Rabbi Chaim Elazar Shapiro of Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia Rabbi Chuna Halberstam of Kalischitz, Poland Rabbi Chaim Zucker of Berkesz, Hungary Rabbi Chaim Elazar Teitelbaum of Tashnad, Hungary Rabbi Chaim Leib Teitelbaum of Koba, Hungary Rabbi Chaim Judah Goldberger of Syualiva, Poland Rabbi Chaim Elazar Hartstein, vice president of the Orthodox office in Pest, Hungary Rabbi Chaim Hager of Antonia, Romania Rabbi Chaim Saul Dowek of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Chaim Sofer of Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia Rabbi Chaim Meyer Hager of Vilchovitz, Romania Rabbi Hanoch Meyer of Keretzky, Hungary Rabbi Chaim Isaac Halberstam of Szalatfina, Romania Rabbi Chaim Zevi Teitelbaum of Sighet, Romania Rabbi Jonathan Steiff of Uzhgorod, later of Pest, Hungary Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Orshiva, later of Satmar, Romania Rabbi Isaac Zevi Lebowitz of Chop, Ukraine Rabbi Isaac Adler of Serednia, Romania Rabbi Joshua Heshel Rosner of Terzsel, Hungary Rabbi Joel Wolf Glattstein of Helmetz, Hungary Rabbi Joseph Weiss of Zbarow, Hungary Rabbi Jacob Moses Saffrin of Komarno, Poland Rabbi Isaac Teitelbaum of Huskov Rabbi Jekuthiel Judah Rosenberg of Diresz, Hungary Rabbi Israel Chaim Shapiro of Pshevorsk, Germany Rabbi Jechiel Michel Fried of Ivarash, Hungary Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn of Lubavitch, Russia Rabbi Issachar Dov Rokeach of Belz, Ukraine Rabbi Joseph Rosen of Dvinsk, Latvia Rabbi Isaiah Silverstein of Veiczen, Hungary Rabbi Judah Greenwald of Satmar, Romania Rabbi Ezekiel Shraga Halberstam of Sieniawa, Germany Rabbi Israel Hager of Vizhnitsa, Romania Rabbi Jacob Weiss of Kurima, Romania Rabbi Jacob Meyer of Kapish, Hungary Rabbi Joseph Elimelech Cahana of Uzhgorod, Ukraine Rabbi Issachar Solomon Teichthal of Fishtian, Slovakia Rabbi Isaac Meir of Gur, Poland, author of Chiddushei Harim Rabbi Jerachmiel Israel Isaac of Alexander, Poland Rabbi Isaac Isaiah Halberstam of Cracow, Poland Rabbi Joseph Chaim Sonnenfeld of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Isaiah Asher Zelig Margulies of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Joseph Hoffman of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Isaac Frankel of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Joseph Yedid Halevy, rabbi of the Syrian community of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Jacob Chaim Sofer of Jerusalem, Palestine, author of Kaf Hachaim Rabbi Israel Shapiro of Prachnik, Poland Rabbi Joshua Shapiro of Reisha, Germany Rabbi Israel Zevi Rothenberg of Kassan, Hungary Rabbi Joshua Greenwald of Chust, Hungary Rabbi Jacob Hakohein Friedman of Chust, Hungary Rabbi Isaac Frish of Rokovitz, Slovakia Rabbi Joshua Sofer of Greater Brezna, Ukraine Rabbi Joseph Halevy of Kiralhoz, Hungary Rabbi Isaac Gross of Tarin, Hungary Rabbi Joel Welitchker of Tressif, Slovakia Rabbi Joseph Moses Goldberger of Polina Rabbi Jekuthiel Judah Teitelbaum of Sighet, Romania Rabbi Jacob Itzkowitz of Zadnya, Ukraine Rabbi Judah Zevi Eichenstein of Great Dobran, Ukraine Kollel Chibas Jerusalem of Galicia in Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Mordecai Leib Winkler of Mad, Hungary Rabbi Menachem Ziemba of Warsaw, Poland Rabbi Mordechai Lichtenstein of Chirch, Germany Rabbi Menachem Mendel Tannenbaum of Tarna, Germany Rabbi Mordechai Eliezer Ehrengruber of Vranov, Slovakia Rabbi Menachem Gershon Lebowitz of Chechovitz, Romania Rabbi Moses David Ostreicher of Chimpa, Romania Rabbi Moses Wertzberger of Orshiva, Romania Rabbi Menachem Mendel Halberstam of Pristik, Poland Rabbi Menasheh Simcha Friedman of Sabrancz, Slovakia Rabbi Moses Greenzweig of Lipsha, Romania Rabbi Moses Brody of Uzhgorod, Ukraine Rabbi Meyer Arik of Tarna, Germany, author of Imrei Yosher Rabbi Mordechai Zev Halberstam of Gribov, Germany Rabbi Menachem Mendel Horowitz of Mehlitz, Romania Rabbi Menachem Mendel Deutsch of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Mordechai Leib Rubin of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Menachem Weiss of Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia Rabbi Meyer Zev Saltzer of Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia Rabbi Moses Jacob Beck of Lower Apsha, Romania Rabbi Mordechai Deutsch of Veliatin, Slovakia Rabbi Naphtali Teitelbaum of Nirbator, Hungary Rabbi Naphtali Zevi Weiss of Bilka, Romania Rabbi Naphtali Hertzel Weiss of Vilchovitz, Romania Rabbi Ezra Harari-Raful of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Pinchas Adler of Radvanka, Russia Rabbi Zevi Hirsch Shapiro of Mukachevo, Czechoslovakia, author of Darchei Teshuva Rabbi Zevi Elimelech Shapiro of Bluzhev, Poland Rabbi Zevi Hirsch Sofer of Greater Brezna, Ukraine Rabbi Reuben Chaim Klein of Sanina, Slovakia Rabbi Shalom Sofer of Greater Brezna, Ukraine Rabbi Samuel Benjamin Halevy Jungreis of Pilek, Hungary Rabbi Simon Sofer of Erlau, Slovakia Rabbi Shabse Lifshitz of Orshiva, Hungary Rabbi Solomon Ehrenreich of Simlau, Romania Rabbi Samuel Zevi of Alexander, Poland Rabbi Samuel Engel of Radimishlau, Poland Rabbi Samuel Rosenberg of Unsdorf, Slovakia Rabbi Simon Greenfeld of Semihaly, Hungary Rabbi Samuel Cahana Frankel, president of the Orthodox office in Pest, Hungary Rabbi Solomon Zevi Strasser of Debrecen, Hungary Rabbi Simon Israel Posen of Shapron (Edinburgh), Hungary Rabbi Shalom Eliezer Halberstam of Ujfeherto, Hungary Rabbi Simcha Teumim Frankel of Cracow, Poland Rabbi Simcha Nathan Greenberg of Kezmark, Hungary Rabbi Shalom Mordechai Hakohein of Brezan, Romania Rabbi Solomon Sofioff of Jerusalem, Palestine Rabbi Shalom Saffrin of Komarno, Poland Rabbi Solomon Israel Klein of Selish, Hungary Rabbi Samuel Zevi Weiss of Bnedikovitz, Slovakia Rabbi Shalom Noah Landau of Veretzky, Romania Rabbi Solomon Friedman of Rachov, Romania Rabbi Solomon Isaac Scheinfeld of Aulik, Hungary Rabbi Samuel Jechiel Moscowitz of Palad, Hungary Rabbi Solomon Spitzer of Bogdan, Hungary Rabbi Solomon Eliezer Alefandri of Jerusalem, Palestine Chapter 1: The Agudah is Rejected by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Shapiro, Author of Darchei Teshuva The struggle against the Agudah and its ideology began under the leadership of the author of Darchei Teshuva, in his capacity as a leader of Hungarian Orthodoxy. In the year 5673 (1913) a wind of change began to blow from Germany; a certain German rabbi attempted to convince the Hungarian rabbis to join in founding the Agudah. At a meeting of the Hungarian leadership, the Darchei Teshuva arose and completely rejected the idea. He explained his reasons to those present using the analogy of two sticks, one long and one short: "If a man wants to make both sticks the same size, he cannot make the short one longer; the only way is to cut the long one shorter. Here too: do you not agree, dear rabbis of Germany, that Judaism in our country is in better condition than in yours? Hungary is the long stick and Germany is the short stick. How then will they fit together in the Agudah, which originates from Germany? We will have no choice but to cut down Judaism in our country, and this we will never agree to do. You may consider the Agudah a good thing for your country, but it would be a bad thing for our country." The Hungarian rabbis, all wise and respected leaders of their people, agreed not to join the Agudah, and so the land remained clean of this breach. The rabbis of Germany did not so much as consider bypassing the rabbis and turning directly to the people, for they had enough good sense and respect to know that the rabbis are the pillars of the land and without them one can do nothing. And certainly the Jews of Hungary would not think of disobeying the call of their Torah leaders. Chapter 2: The Confusion Begins Then came the World War, when the countries were broken up, great misfortunes came to the world, and the Jewish people were bereaved, uprooted and impoverished, wandering without a safe place to settle. In this state of confusion, when the wisdom of the wise had gone crooked, the Satan found an opportune time to ensnare the masses. He found