Posted on 08/06/2008 6:41:30 PM PDT by Alouette
Pinchads Zlotosvsky*, 32, didn't always live as an Orthodox Jew. In fact, quite the opposite. Zlotosvsky, who continues to live in Warsaw, Poland, with his wife and two children, was a skinhead before discovering his Jewish identity.
Zlotosvsky joined up with local Polish skinheads when he was 16 years old as a political statement and adopted the racist and anti-Semitic contempt of his peers. So when he found out he came from a family of "hidden Jews"—his mother was sent to a monastery to survive the Holocaust and all of her relatives were reportedly murdered—he told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that he couldn't look himself in the face for a whole week.
Now that face looks very different—he's adopted a fervently Orthodox lifestyle, not without much struggle and personal conflict. The revelation of his Jewish identity came when he was 21. Since then he says he began "trying to understand the rules to change my life"--referring to the lifestyle blueprint the Torah outlines. Within the last four years he began observing the Torah completely. He currently works in the kosher food industry, controlling the process of preparing kosher food in a government diner near his home.
Anti-Semitism in Poland has risen since Zlotosvsky was young, according to a report issued by the Anti-Defamation League. Zlotosvsky concurs, "Everything is very extreme in Poland in terms of Jews," he said. "It is a big issue and people are very aggressive." This reality might explain Zlotosvsky's refusal to reveal his real name or send photos of himself for fear of aggression from the skinhead community.
Zlotosvsky recently spoke to Beliefnet discreetly from Warsaw, with the help of a translator, about being on both sides of anti-Semitism, the spiritual reasons for his discovery, and why "there is no such thing as hate."
(Excerpt) Read more at beliefnet.com ...
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Good post.
I wonder what one of our Identity "Israelites" might do if he were to discover he was Jewish?
Very interesting article, but does anyone find it odd that this guy lives in Poland and the translation of his interview has him talking about African-AMERICANS?
Why is it odd that the editor of the translation would use a PC style sheet? I doubt that is what he really said.
It changed 360 degrees.
That's not how the fool meant it, but he stumbled on the truth. Apparently, once a fanatic always a fanatic. His fanatic opinions of alleged anti-semitism over there are not to be trusted either.
I doubt that’s what he really said too. The odd part is that black citizens of Poland aren’t any kind of Americans. I suspect that in a fit of political correctness, the translator forgot the literal meaning of the term.
So, he really was a self-hating Jew. He just didn’t know it.
ping
It changed 360 degrees.
Ummm. 360 degrees gets you right back in the direction you were going in.
I wish him luck with the swastika tattoos. Could be awkward at the next minyan.
Great developments!
“It changed 360 degrees.”
LOL !
“Apparently, once a fanatic always a fanatic.”
True but in this case I could bet that they simply made that guy up.
Very cool story.
There some serious translation problems.
It probably should be Arabs, Africans and Americans. Not Arabs and African-Americans.
Have you seen the movie “Cud purymowy”, made in 2000 (”Purim miracle”)?
http://www.filmweb.pl/f32508/Cud+purymowy,2000
It’s amazing how that story is similar to this one (sarcasm).
“Anti-Semitism in Poland has risen since Zlotosvsky was young, according to a report issued by the Anti-Defamation League. Zlotosvsky concurs, “Everything is very extreme in Poland in terms of Jews,” he said. “It is a big issue and people are very aggressive.”
Which iss supposed to mean, that thing have got worse on this issue in Poland within last 10 years??????
Gosh! What a moron.
“that thing have got worse on this issue in Poland within last 10 years??????”
Don’t they always “get wrong” ? :):)
“get worse” of course...
latest anti-semitic incident...
http://sport.onet.pl/0,1248711,1802578,,prasa_wisla_miazdzy__beitar_na_kolanach,wiadomosc.html
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