Yosef Mizrachi

Yosef Mizrachi (Hebrew: יוסף מזרחי‎, born 1968) is a controversial[1][2] Sefardi Haredi rabbi and founder of Divine Information Outreach, an Orthodox Jewish outreach organization, based in Monsey, New York.[3]

For the Israeli sports manager, see Yossi Mizrahi.

Early life and career

Yosef Mizrachi was born in Israel. After his mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces, he worked in finance in New York City. In 1994, Mizrachi began dedicating himself to Orthodox Judaism outreach, and in 1997, Mizrachi left his professional career and began learning and teaching Torah at Yeshivat Ohr Yisrael in Monsey.[3]

Mizrachi discussed his Semikhah (rabbinical ordination) credentials in a January 9, 2016 radio interview with Zev Brenner. When asked if he has Semikhah, Mizrachi stated that he lacks such Semikhah which involves testing and is common among Synagogue rabbis. However, Mizrachi explained that he has received certification in recognition of his Torah background by Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Haim qualifying him to be a rabbi.[4]

Kiruv work

Mizrachi founded a Kiruv organization in 1995. The organization provides free DVDs, Audio CDs, and MP3 CDs, sponsored by donors. As of 2013, the organization has handed out thousands of these audio and video disks.[5] Mizrachi offers an extended ethical audio and video lecture series, called "The Path of the Just",[6] based on the musar text Mesillat Yesharim composed by Moshe Chaim Luzzatto.

In 2001 Mizrachi opened a Kolel and a Yeshiva in Alfandari Street, Jerusalem.[3]

In 2002 Mizrahi and Yuval Ovadia produced a film titled Divine Information.[3] In 2004, Mizrachi launched a website by that name, posting many of his video and audio lectures.

Controversies

Down syndrome and autism as punishment

In early 2014, before a lecture tour in London, concern was expressed about statements by Mizrachi in his previous lectures relating to the behaviour of secular and religious Jews during the Holocaust[7] suggesting that Down Syndrome and autism are "punishments for sins committed in a previous life" and among others.[8] Mizrachi was criticized for his views while he explicitly maintains are "Torah sourced." As a result, at least one of his planned lectures in London was initially cancelled.[8]

Holocaust revisionism

In December 2015, in one of his lectures, Mizrahi claimed that it is possible that only one million Jews died in The Holocaust as opposed to the well accepted figure of 6 million, since many of them were not Jewish according to Jewish law which requires a person's mother to be Jewish.[9][10] His views also include lectures using Bible Codes to "explain" the Holocaust.[11] Mizrahi was criticized by academics and Jewish leaders including Efraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who said that he "made up history to suit an agenda."[9] He was also criticized by Berel Wein who stated that "It is too damaging a matter to be left unanswered and unrefuted."[12] Later Mizrahi issued an apology.[10][13][14]

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting

After hearing a false report that the October 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting took place during a bris ceremony for the son of a gay couple, Mizrahi blamed the shooting on the allegedly sinful behavior of the congregation.[15]

COVID-19 'treatment'

In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mizrachi claimed that blowing hot air from a hair dryer was a guaranteed cure for coronavirus.[16]

Condemnation from other rabbis

In 2016, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis spoke out against the travel plans of this "Jewish hate preacher";[17] and the UK Home Office has suggested that the Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, was considering banning Mizrachi should he apply to visit Britain.

In March 2019, a planned visit by Mizrachi to the UK was canceled following reports that the Home Office was considering a ban on account of his track record of spreading hatred and extremism.[18][19][20] Mizrachi went on to blame Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis - referring to him as "the number one most wicked person in the whole world", along with senior Sephardi rabbi Joseph Dweck, claiming that they are “the two friends, gay lovers, who do everything they can to promote homosexuality and destroy the Jewish nation from inside, destroy the Jewish community in England… he’s going to bring a Holocaust on the Jews in England.”[21][22]

In December 2016, 16 prominent US rabbis issued an open letter about Mizrachi. They said that Mizrachi "reduce[s] complex issues to simplistic and misleading sound bites," and his assertions are "objectionable, and even dangerous."[23] The letter continued that institutions should be more "discerning" with the guests they invite.

In July 2020, a video from Mizrachi calling 14 prominent rabbis infidels was removed from social media platforms and prompted calls to have his videos removed more broadly from Jewish sites such as Torah Anytime for fear that it will incite violence. Rabbi Natan Slifkin one of the rabbis threatened in the video said, "We need to protest this hateful, potentially violence-inciting rhetoric."[24]

gollark: SPUDNET is the backend system handling potatOS incident reports and remote debugging.
gollark: Your evil action has been reported to SPUDNET.
gollark: ++magic py 2**512
gollark: ++magic py 2**128
gollark: ++magic py 2**64

References
  1. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/rabbi-mizrachi-chief-rabbi-is-going-to-bring-a-holocaust-on-the-jews-in-england-1.481840
  2. https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/rabbi-yosef-mizrachi-barred-from-entering-uk-speaking-tour-1.481474
  3. "DivineInformation.com – Torah and Science – Rabbi's Bio". www.divineinformation.com. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  4. Mizrachi, Yosef (2016-01-09). "Talkline with Zev Brenner with Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi on Holocaust Denial" (Radio interview, online audio. Remarks beginning 59:54 minutes into the interview). Interviewed by Zev Brenner. Talkline Communications. Retrieved 2017-02-26. ZB: And what do you have Smicha from? YM: So here is the point now, now when I learn in Yeshiva, for many years in Yeshiva, I don't have the kind of Smicha to be a rabbi in the Young Israel synagogues that in order for you to get it you need to go and bring certain documents that they tested you on such and such things. But when I started to learn in Yeshivot, and I learn- taught 10 years Gemara in Yeshiva, I got a certificate after they saw my knowledge that I have more than 10 big rabbis including the Av Beit Din signed on it that not only I'm a rabbi I'm a very big one and I'm—. ZB: Which Av Beis Din, what's the name. YM: Rav Eliyahu ben Chaim.
  5. Mizrachi, Yosef. "About". Divine Information. DivineInformation.com 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  6. Mizrachi, Rabbi Yosef. "The Path Of The Just Series". Divine Information. Irgun Kiruv - divineinformation.com. Retrieved 2 June 2013. (21 lectures á c. 1h30min each)
  7. "Manners - The Right Way To Behave (Section on non-religious Jews during the holocaust - at 1 hour 41minutes into talk)".
  8. Rocker, Simon (24 January 2014). "Synagogue cancels talk by 'Down's Syndrome is a punishment' rabbi". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  9. "Orthodox rabbi: Only one million Jews killed in Holocaust". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  10. "Rabbi apologizes for challenging number of Jews killed in Holocaust". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2015-04-01.
  11. "Rabbi Mizrachi - Why Did The Holocaust Happen? Torah Codes, Having Faith in God No Matter What".
  12. "THE NEWEST HOLOCAUST DENIERS: Rabbi Wein: Jewish Destiny".
  13. "Rabbi Mizrachi apologizes to Holocaust survivor" (Google YouTube). Official channel. Yeshiva World News.
  14. "#1 Threat To Our Nation, Gossip, False Hate, The Media Murder Machine, 31 Violations Of Loshon Hara" (Google YouTube). Official channel. Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi.
  15. "VIN Exclusive: Fake News, Says Tree Of Life Rabbi, Addressing Rumors Of Gay Bris During Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre". VIN News. November 5, 2018.
  16. Judah, Jacob (29 April 2020). "Controversial Sephardi rabbi claims blowing hair dryers in mouth can kill coronavirus". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  17. Kolirin, Lianne (9 September 2016). "Rabble-rousing rabbi is not welcome here, say Jews". The Times. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  18. Rosenberg, David. "Israeli-American rabbi barred from entering UK". Israel National News.
  19. Weich, Ben. "Controversial Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi says he did not to fly to Britain for speaking tour over 'risk' of being refused entry". www.thejc.com.
  20. "'Sick kids have sinned' rabbi banned from UK". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com.
  21. "Rabbi Mizrachi says Chief Rabbi a 'cancer' who'll 'bring a Holocaust on UK Jews'". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com.
  22. Doherty, Rosa. "Rabbi Mizrachi: Chief Rabbi is 'going to bring a Holocaust on the Jews in England'". www.thejc.com.
  23. Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Avital (8 December 2016). "U.S. Orthodox Leaders: Rabbi Who Said Fewer Than 1 Million Jews Died in Holocaust Is 'Dangerous'" – via Haaretz.
  24. Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Avital (29 July 2020). "Alarmed by 'death threat' video, Orthodox Jews try to de-platform fiery 'folk preachers'". Forward. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.