Guest Post By Rachel Wheeler: Immigration Court Trends for the USA in 2016

(Note: In light of the issues surrounding DACA and the travel ban, this post—which Rachel Wheeler wrote on July 20, 2017—is very significant and timely. Although Rachel wrote the post regarding 2016 immigration trends, the 2016 immigration trends and the then-to-be-affected 2017 immigration trends played a key role in the 2016 Election.

(Of course, the legitimacy of the 2016 Election results is another discussion—and I've made clear my positions regarding the 2016 Election results, DACA and the travel ban, and other matters regarding the fallout of the 2016 Election.)

Immigration Court Trends for the USA in 2016

Each year the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) publishes a statistical year-end review on immigration court matters. Released last month, the FY 2016 Yearbook highlights several significant trends that appeared over the past 12 months.

An Increase in Matters Received

Last year, 14% more matters were received by the Immigration Courts compared to 2015. ‘Matters received’ covers a range of violations and applications pertaining to immigration law: Bonds that require payment, formal requests from deportation, and motions to reopen, reconsider, or re-calendar various applications and appeals.

More than 200,000 Matters Completed

A 4% increase in matters completed shows that the courts are effectively handling the matters presented to them. It also proves that they are processing at a faster rate than the previous year. Of all matters received, those completed fell into four main categories:

Granted some form of relief – This pertains to an immigration judge’s decision to grant relief or protection from removal to an immigrant otherwise vulnerable to forced expulsion. Roughly 17,000 individuals received such grants throughout 2016 and therefore are able to remain in the USA.

Order of deportation – After the decision to expel an immigrant has been passed, the DHS becomes responsible for their physical removal. Deportation cases generally arise when the Immigration Naturalization Service (INS) finds the country was entered illegally, or alternately entered legally yet in violation of one or more visa terms. Over 96,000 deportation and removal decisions were made last year.

Terminated Cases – Terminated cases arise for a variety of reasons. Often, they occur if the immigration judge finds that the DHS is lacking evidence for the removal of an immigrant. As a result, the decision to terminate a case is made. More than 23,000 cases were terminated by immigration judges in 2016.

Officially Closed Matters – This remaining category covers Administrative Closure of immigration cases, Failures to Prosecute, Other Administrative Completions, and Temporary Protected Statuses. The total of these occurrences in 2016 came to slightly over 48,500 cases.

Skilled Workers Choose the United States

Interestingly, inventors chose the United States as their priority destination over all other first world nations between 2000 and 2010. Recent research shows that 190,000 migrants holding global patents for a wide range of products moved to the USA. In the same period, only 10,000 brought their futures (and inventions) elsewhere.

Furthermore, 47% of the increase in the United States workforce in the past decade can be attributed to immigrants. 22% of healthcare and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) occupations were taken up by immigrants. This proves a strong tendency for people to move to the United States not only to pursue the ‘American Dream’, but also to further their career in skilled areas. In doing so, they also strengthen the domestic economy.

The Language of Immigration

Of all the completed matters presented in immigration courts in 2016, 91% came from just five of the 258 languages spoken in these courts. The highest of these was Spanish, accounting for 76% of all completions, followed by English (10%), Mandarin (4%), Punjabi (1%) and Arabic (0.6%).

Recent trends in both general immigration figures from the EOIR and Migration Policy Debate papers show the importance of the immigration vetting process. Additionally, they attest to the need for professional translation services for immigration courts and patent processing.

As Submitted To "The Atlantic": My Great-Grandfather Czarnecki Was a DREAMer Of His Day

Without Donald Trump flagrantly attempting to end "DACA", many DREAMers could live lives comparable to what my great-grandfather—given his circumstances—lived. With Donald Trump attempting to end "DACA", many DREAMers are figuratively—and in some cases, literally—facing down barrels of guns. In my great-grandfather's case, it was literal—his parents and he became Anusim to survive the pogroms, and this effectively caused my family (including his paternal grandmother, whom returned to Judaism as soon as she could return to Judaism) to disown them.

    Great-Granddad was born a Czerniecki (Chernetski) in Tsuman, Ukraine (then Cumań, Wołyń in the Russian Pale) when his mother went to visit a cousin in Buzhanka in the Zvenyhorodka (Zvenigorodka) vicinity; and the only reason that his mother could travel back and forth between Zvenyhorodka and Lipsk nad Biebrzą (where they lived) is because Lipsk nad Biebrzą was in the Congress Poland part of Suwałki Gubernia. How his maternal grandparents left Stakliškės for Bosse, by the way, I'll never know: all I know is that a Morgovich relative of his maternal grandmother (a Margiewicz) died of tuberculosis on April 4, 1882, and they already had relatives (including ones whom were Anusim) in Suwałki Gubernia when his mother was born on June 26, 1882.

    Speaking of "June 26, 1882", that was one of the very-few pieces of information that checked out on his father's naturalization applications—and he gave quite a bit of false information on them and other records, including . Finding the record for that Morgovich cousin (Shmuil Morgovich, z"l) and other records (and by having to use methods such as to reconciling any contradictory information on the various records) was what helped me figure out what information did check out and what information didn't check out. As for the information that didn't check out, Great-Granddad would've been deported back to Lipsk with his parents because of it had it been found out to be information that didn't check out—and Great-Great-Granddad knew fully well what he was doing in the instances when he lied—and despite being a Jewish farmer-turned-Crypto-Jewish-coal miner whom didn't have much of what we'd call schooling, he was smart enough to know that lying on official records and lying to compilers of official records (e.g., enumerators of Census records) was (and is) a felony that could (and can) get even a naturalized citizen considered to be a deportable illegal immigrant (and he had already tried to enter the country as "Julian Laczinsky" whom was headed to New Jersey. He was lucky that he as "Julian Zernetzky" whom was headed to Sugar Notch was not caught as being an illegal immigrant).

    What helped save my great-grandfather (and subsequently his descendants) is that my great-grandmother was born here (technically as what one would call an "anchor baby", since her parents weren't fully honest on their records, either). Had he not married my great-grandmother, he would've been deported even if his father (whom died in 1922) was posthumously caught (and if his mother, whom wasn't always honest on her records, either, was even posthumously caught); and he married Great-Grandma Czarnecki (supposedly) on May 10, 1934 (even though the marriage license was never signed. I'm pretty sure that they probably had a secret Jewish wedding somewhere.), and this was after "United States v. Wong Kim Ark (and she was born to parents whom were Anusim and B'nei Anusim, and each of them had immigrated from Austria Hungary to New Jersey and then Ashley, Pennsylvania, where she was born).

    As a descendant of a DREAMer equivalent and as a Fourth- and Fifth-Generation Pogrom Survivor, then, I'm speaking out for the DREAMers whom face figurative death and may face literal death if Trump fully gets his way—and by the way, both Great-Granddad and Great-Grandma subsequently lost relatives in the German part of the Holocaust (1933-1945) and the Russian part of the Holocaust (1922-1960; and some of the relatives in Russia died at the Augustow Resistance on July 5, 1945 and in the gulags—also by the way, that Stalin had his own "Final Solution" plan is now known, and the gulags did not close until seven years after Stalin's death. 

PS As for after the Holocaust in Europe:

1. One of Great-Grandma's uncles, Ǎǔgǔstinǔs Samuel Mǔnka, died in 1949 as a result of the Holocaust affecting him—by the way, "Munk", "Munka", and variants thereof are exclusively Jewish in Eastern Europe.
2. One of Great-Granddad's relatives died in 1970 as a result of his health being affected by his constantly having to flee the Nazis and the Soviets in Lithuania.

    Thus, my DREAMer and Non-DREAMer [family] (as the saying goes) saw it and [have] seen it before, and we know what "Never again" means for anybody and everybody—including DREAMers, at least quite a few of whom (I'm sure) are Sephardic Anusim and B'nei Anusim whom can trace their ancestry back to Anusim and B'nei Anusim in Colonial Spain and Colonial Portugal, and Ashkenazi Anusim and B'nei Anusim like my family whom aren't Jewish enough in the eyes of the Haredim to be allowed to make aliyah

PS Eric Trump's recent comments about his father's "depression" insult those like my great-grandfather—whom really did have Depression and committed suicide as a result of having Depression—and me, since I inherited the Depression partly from my paternal grandfather, whom was one of the ancestors whom passed it on to my father (and at least one other ancestor from whom we inherit Depression also committed suicide)

Excerpt From My Upcoming Book: It Began In the Toponymical City of Dunilavičy

I don’t know how I didn’t know other than that I wasn’t told that I’m Jewish—let alone the whole backstory behind why we passed for gentiles. What I do know is that I should’ve known when someone asked me if I am—that is, if I am related to Kirk Douglas. I honestly remembered that “Danilovich” was a patronymic in his case, and I told the person that “Danilovich” is a patronymic in his case and not related to “Daniłowicz” in my paternal family’s case.

Then I relooked at the Wikipedia entry—“Demsky” wasn’t his birth surname after all, as I found out. After that, I saw the family resemblance—and the “Czarnecki buttchin” turned out to be the Danilovich-dimpled chin, I figured out. Then after that, I read about how Kirk Douglas raped Natalie Wood—and I should’ve known that I’m related to Kirk Douglas even if I’d only read about that.

Leave to the Daniloviches to wreak havoc on the world—and my own side of the family had and has done plenty of that—and each other—and even many (if not most) of us that try to be good aren’t innocent of having wreaked some havoc. We also have havoc wreaked on us by others besides each other—as I say, “If you’re a Danilovich, you either are trouble, attract trouble, or [have a case of] both[instances —that is, that you both are trouble and attract trouble].” (By the way, I used to say “crazy” instead of “trouble”, but then I considered how “crazy” is ableist language.)

Meanwhile, as I’ve also said, there’s something in that Danilovich water—and it all (apparently, anyway) began in Dunilavičy, Belarus (Duniłowicze, Białorus), to where I’ve traced it back (thus, why I say “apparently”: it could be Daniłowicze in what is now Podlaskie, Poland or another Daniłowicze or Dunilavičy).

Using JewishGen and Google Maps as well as other sources (including YadVashem, since I ended up finding—for example—a record for an Esther Chernetzki from Chausy—the birth city of Herschel “Harry” Danilovich), I’ve traced my Danilovich/Daniłowicz from Dunilavičy to Podlaskie, Poland’s Lipsk nad Bierbzą as such—this is, for all intents and purposes, a very-rough tracing, by the way. Also by the way, keep factors such as the following (and I think that you can tell that I’ve researched all of this and also figured out quite a bit):

1.    There was no traveling outside of the Russian Pale and back to it without permission to be outside of the Russian Pale in the first place.

2.    Per JewishGen, Lipsk shifted from being in Borisov Uyezd in Minsk Gubernia to Augustów Uyezd in Suwałki Gubernia by 1900.

3.    The shift from being openly Jewish to being Anusim seems to have come from Abram “Wojciech” and Marianna Kruszyńska Daniłowicz when a son named Mendel died in Filipów in 1841. Their daughter who was the mother of my paternal grandfather’s paternal grandfather was baptized as “Katarzyna” in 1843.

4.    In Wigry its subordinate parish, no way was “prenuptial agreement” going to mean anything but “ketubah”. Also in Wigry and its subordinate parish, parents didn’t “neglect” baptizing any child for four years!

5.    The Daniloviches, Chernetzkis, etc. (e.g., Kruszyńskis, Andrulewiczes, and Margiewiczes) all either somehow heard of each otherand/or were otherwise connected prior to ending up in what is now Podlaskie Voivodeship.

6.    Related to the aforementioned: branches of the Daniloviches, etc. also ended up together in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania—in other words, Great-Granddad Czarnecki’s closer sides of his parents’ families that immigrated to Pennsylvania stuck together.

[Not previewed here]

The next few screenshots are from JewishGen. As I’ve said when I’ve written about my family history other times, they—despite what they claim—cannot copyright the information itself, although they can indeed copyright the database technology that they use for the JewishGen databases. Besides, that information was known and/or discoverable long before they were founded—let alone before I was born!

[Not previewed here]

As for the rest of my Danilovich side’s story, that can be read elsewhere. So can the story of Kirk Douglas’ side.

PS As I’ve said, I wish that Lana Wood would name Kirk Douglas before he dies—and I wish that she would name Kirk Douglas before it’s too late for her to name her sister’s rapist!

The Condemnation Of An 8-Year-Old Nora Whom Did Not Choose Her Family Or Her Family's Crimes

The amount of cruelty that is in the comments section of my share of the "Hindustan Times" article re Nora (whose last name I will not use due to its despicable connotations) is unbelievable. Why should an eight-year-old child be condemned for what her father did? Also, as I said, perhaps refugees that were informants could've prevented deaths like this. How many more innocent children will have to die, especially if no refugee who has any relevant information can come forward?

For example, another eight-year-old girl may have her life in the balance but for a refugee whom could speak up for her, such as a young Yazidi girl—whom would be currently stereotyped as a Muslim and an equivalent of "Jihadi Jane"—or a Chaldean Christian man—who might be libeled as a "Palestinian" Muslim who's doing taqiyya (the Mohammedan/"Muslim" form of deception practiced by Orthodox Mohammedans/"radical Muslims", "Islamic extremists", etc.).

Perhaps even a man among the Jadid al-Islam (Mohammedan Anusim) who could be a refugee may be an informant regarding the insidiousness of Iran, and may prevent something that Iran could be planning—for example, what if the Iranians who attacked the Saudi ship may have eight-year-old girls whom they will attempt to barter as sex slaves in order for other terrorists to keep quiet? You never know what sociopathic and narcissistic terrorists plan or could plan; and we may never know if something would (God forbid) happen unless we have refugees whom are informants, will we?

The xenophobes, Muslimophobes (notice that I didn't say "Islamophobes"), and simplistic dread mongers can keep their divisive hate and intellectual dishonesty to themselves—either that, or (while they're spreading their bigotry) they can advocate kicking out people like Mosab Yousef (the "son of Hamas") and eight-year-old girls whom have been rescued from Orthodox Mohammedan traffickers, and they can also advocate doing the un-Christian and un-American thing of punishing children for the sins of their fathers.

As for me, I won't punish the eight-year-old girls whom were born of terrorists, captured by human traffickers, and otherwise forced to live hard lives because of what their fathers did—and I'll hope that more innocent refugees (like Yazidi girls whom testify before Congress) and repentant refugees (like Mosab Yousef) come forward.

Fleeing Like My Great-Great-Grandparents Chernetski Did?

"I never seen nor did anyone mention anything special brought from Poland.  A friend from Sugar Notch, Mrs. Bertha Wawrzyn, visited Poland every few years to see her family and would visit the family while there.  All she ever brought back were photos that she took of the Polish Czarnecki's (see earlier comments).
"There was very little discussion of the Polish life and family.  Usually, when there was, it was a brief mention of the farm that was left behind.  There did not seem to be any regrets about leaving for a better life.  After all , they settled among Polish, Slavic, Hungarian, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian people just like themselves.  Similar language, similar customs, similar faces, houses, churches, etc.  But life was much better than on the farm.  They were quite happy in America and much better off.  The motherland, Poland, was far off and just a memory, not to be forgotten but no regrets for leaving either.
"Periodically a church pastor would run a heritage trip back to Poland for a group.  Very few of those who immigrated would return.  Occasionally someone "in the family" in America would join a relative for the return trip, Usually meeting the Polish or Slovak relatives for the first time and occasionally maintaining a letter writing relationship afterwards.  This DID NOT happen in our family.
"There was not very much correspondence with the Polish family.  Only an infrequent letter.  There were no exchanges other than through the Polish Church which would have clothing drives and send clothes to Poland in general, but not to specific family members.  Bertha's photos which came after the trips were the only contact until they asked for the deed to be changed in the mid 1960's.There was no special items from Poland that were kept by the family that I know of.  They came with little and acquired everything they had in America.  Over the years all traces of Poland disappeared.  They were now AMERICANS and wanted to be known as such.  The Polish heritage was maintained through Church and their friends in the community..."

Julian and Alexandria left everything—including s'forim Torah—behind when they emigrated. Of course, Granduncle Tony (z"l) either did not know—much less suspect—that we are Jewish or was in denial of it at even that time—eventually, even in-denial Jack Czarnecki begrudged, "If we had any Jewish blood, I don't know about it."

Now comes the question as to whether I will have to flee to Canada or somewhere else if God doesn't stop Trump and if an aliyah g'dolah can't overwhelm Netanyahu and the Haredim. Meanwhile, what if Trump would invade Canada like ****** invaded Holland, Slovakia (split in between Czechoslovakia and Hungary), and other countries?

Either way, I will either try to flee if God does not stop Trump or die trying to flee, even if that means that I'd have to hide somewhere within the U.S. and I'd ended up being caught and kidnapped by Trump's cronies as the Gestapo caught and kidnapped Anne Frank's and other families. \

Why I Signed Up For MapleMatch.com (And I'm Not Being Paid Or Otherwise Compensated For This Blog Entry)

In short, I'm:

1. "[D]isgustingly Jewish", as a blocked-and-reported Twitter called many of us #NeverTrump people. To Trump and Trumpite zealots, being Jewish is disgusting—and I am among the Jews whom have persecuted by Trumpite zealots. I, reporter Julia Ioffe, and others are clearly not welcome in Trump's America.
2. A person with Cerebral Palsy and OCD/Anxiety, Depression, ADD, and IBS—and a "physically fit German American" who "can think of a place for [me]" (as a Trumpite threatened me on Twitter) and Donald Trump himself as he persecuted Serge Kovaleski made clear that Americans with disabilities will not be considered Americans in Trump's America.
3. Likely to, as a Jewish-American with Cerebral Palsy and other conditions, be forcibly stripped of my native American citizenship—just as Jews born in Germany and the rest of Nazi-occupied Europe were stripped of their American citizenship—and put in a murder camp unless I flee the United States of Donald Trump—and if anyone has to worry about FEMA camps actually being used maliciously, one would have to worry about FEMA camps becoming camps used for malicious purposes instead of shelter from disasters if Donald Trump does become POTUS.
4. Not looking forward to becoming an alteh moid—I even tried Plenty Of Fish at the recommendation of a friend whom found her own bashert there, and it didn't work.
5. Not wanting to resort to being a trophy wife—I even tried getting friends to send around a dating résumé around, and most of them were reluctant and even hostile about doing it.
6. Maybe even likely to have better romantic prospects in Canada in any case—whether MapleMatch.com works out for me or doesn't work out for me—especially if Trump becomes POTUS.
7. Maybe even likely to have better luck making aliyah from Canada than from the United States.

Besides, I have Foczko and other kevorim mishpacha in Canada; so, I wouldn't be completely foreign to Canada.

"Stand With Israel, Not Netanyahu"

Even I, a staunch Zionist who was already mad enough at Netanyahu and his Haredi Judaism which he attempts to disguise as Yahadut Chilonit, took a few steps back and thought:

If Netanyahu was largely passive while Arab citizens were being assaulted, he led the demonization campaign against the 47,000 African refugees and asylum seekers who entered Israel without permits. Despite reducing the number of refugees entering Israel to practically zero, thanks to the Sinai fence, he continues to lock up thousands of these desperate people – who, like our own Jewish ancestors, sought to escape persecution and poverty. Netanyahu’s policies flout Jewish values, and have been overturned multiple times by the High Court as immoral and unjustified. But they play well to his xenophobic base. 

Good points and reminders. In fact, I wager that some of the Sudanese and other refugees may even be Falasha and Lemba Jews who are making aliyah in what many would call an illegal way—and if any "illegal" olim are among the Sudanese refugees, the Government of Israel has no right to deny those olim ("eleh Kushim!") their taglit. Also, think about this: what if some illegal immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala, etc. are Anusim who'd make aliyah if Netanyahu and his yadidim let them? After all, they're not considered Yehudim al pi HaHoq Shivut. They otherwise have to be under the auspices of nasty people such as Dr. Michael Freund. (Just like Netanyahu, Dr. Freund can fool people. That's even part of why I save most of my e-mails in my backup folders—that is, so I do not ever lose the proof of when I run into mitchazim like Dr. Freund. That's why I still have the link to the 2012 conversation.).

 Likud-led fear and hatemongering hardly stops with our non-Jewish minorities. Progressives, civil rights activists, leftists, the judiciary and anyone who criticizes the occupation have all been accused of being enemies of the state. So much for Jewish solidarity or democratic discourse. 

Indeed. I've experienced this myself. I even have a Facebook friend who called Senator Diane Feinstein (with whom I myelf hardly ever agree) a "witch" for standing against Netanyahu, and I've seen others harp on the fact that Senator Feinstein comes from a Jewish Catholic family (which I did not know until they harped on her for it. As I learned, the Feinsteins and the Rosenburgs were and are Russian Byzantine Catholics.).

From a family of Roman Catholic Anusim and b'nei Anusim, I know that feeling ("You're not Jewish!"; "Your family betrayed their people!"; "They're meshumadim!"; "They're bogadim!"; "Oh; no wonder your Hebrew's not good: your family didn't tell you that they're Jewish!")

Perhaps, by the way, maybe the Anusi and "meshumad" minds are among the ones which are quickest to pick up on trouble. Our ancestors knew when trouble was coming and/or already came, and at least two of us (Senator Feinstein and me, though I suspect that there are more who) knew that Netanyahu and the Haredim were trouble (By the way, I'll have some kavod for Taylor Swift if she goes to Israel and dedicates her famous song to Netanyahu.).

Anyway:

This week’s Netanyahu drumbeat claims that the Iranian threat trumps all traditional diplomatic considerations. But those who, like me, believe that Iran is an existential threat to Israel, and fear that the agreement currently being negotiated will be too forgiving and trusting of Iran need to acknowledge that Netanyahu has blown it. 

His anti-Obama tirades, his support for West Bank settlements over all other considerations, his efforts to undermine the Palestinian Authority, his expropriation of 988 acres of Palestinian land at the end of the Gaza War not only wasted the new diplomatic opportunities he promised toward the war’s end, but alienated and antagonized the very European leaders who, along with U.S. President Barack Obama, are the partners necessary to stop Iran’s nuclear program. 

Excellent reminder and point as well. For being such a Zionist, Netanyahu isn't taking the higher road. He also is not trusting יהוה. For example, bulldozing the houses of innocent Bedouins does not help—and deliberately failing to distinguish between the innocent and the guilty is a chillul יהוה.

Bulldozing the houses of terrorists and their accomplices is fine. Destroying terrorists and their accomplices is fine. Stereotyping all Arabs as terrorists and bulldozing their houses is not fine.

As for (and back to the point about) taking the higher road, to stoop down to the level of an enemy or even lower is a chillul יהוה (cf. Tehillim 25:21-22 and Mishlei 26:4). The applicable mitzvot, after all, say to love your neighbor as yourself (not be like him or her in doing evil), treat the stranger well (not do as he or she has done to you), and let יהוה avenge you. Netanyahu is doing the exact opposite when he has the IDF go beyond proactive counterproliferation, preemption, and deterrence.

By the way, counterproliferation, preemption, and deterrence are obviously mitzvot and acts of kiddush יהוה.

Netanyahu plays the statesman abroad, but back home he is known for his paranoia, his self-aggrandizement, and his lashing out against the courts, the universities and the media. Netanyahu aspires to be Israel’s Churchill, but in nurturing a nation divided against itself he has become our Nixon. 

I and others who follow news from and about 'Eretz Yisra'el keep trying to say that, though nobody believes us. Hopefully, Director Futterman (despite that he's looking at the situation from a leftist perspective) can affect you to get that through your head.

אני עושה עליה, בעזרת יהוה....

It means, "I do aliyah, Yehovah willing!" To make a long story short, I have been going through a difficult time right now and was having temptations of self harm again. Yehovah (ברוך הוא.) must've heard my cries. I didn't solicit the opportunity to make aliyah, although I've desired to do so if Yehovah ever wills that I should do. But, lo and behold, someone (I won't say who for right now.) asked me if I'm Israeli, etc. and wanted to make aliyah. So, again, Yehovah must've heard my cries.

I told my contact frankly that:

1. I'm a Patrilineal Jew.
2. I'm a Messianic Jew.
3. The חרדים (the so-called "יהודים אורתודוקסים" and "חסידים") would want to rid of me quickly.

He or she understands my concerns; and believe me when I say that I am not considering (let alone jumping at) this opportunity lightly, and:

1. I'm not content with being one who is "“settled” in New York and New Jersey."
2. I take ספר ירמיהו וכל תנ''ך seriously. That includes פרקים ירמיהו 8 ו 16.
3. Since Jews who "saw themselves as “settled” in New York and New Jersey" have chosen death rather than life (See פרק ירמיהו 8.) and those of us who live (Jewish and gentile) are all headed to Israel at some point, anyway (See פרק ירמיהו 16.), I might as well go as early as possible and while I can choose life rather than death.
4. I've already had discouragement. When I told two family members that I have a contact who offered to help me, one disbelieved me and said that I'd end up right in the sex trade if I trusted my contact.

So, I'll be doing תפילות, צומות, ותעניות, and asking others to do the same with and for me.  I'll also be retaking up רוזטה סטון בעברית (Using גוגל and קונקורדנציה סטרונג does not suffice.). I'll also be looking at הספרים ומילון מ'כיתה העברית שלי.

Besides, I need a תחלה חדשה, and this might be it.

My Law of Return For Medinat Yisra'el

"17 And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. 18 On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying:

"“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates— 19 the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”" (From Genesis 15:17-22)

Also--for example--. if Ethnic Syrians can have Syria (per the 1947 refounding of Syria), why can't all Ethnic Jews have Israel first?

Therefore, if only Medinat Yisra'el elected someone who could affect the Law of Return to allow Patrilineal Jews (including Messianic Jews, who are allowed but not under the Law of Return) and Matrilineally-Jewish Messianic Jews--and all other Ethnic Jews. In other words, the Law of Return should give all Ethnic Jews priority, then gerim tzdukim (since gerim tzdukim are equal to Ethnic Jews, but Israel is first supposed to be for the Jew), then the gentiles.

By the way, the 2009 [Correction: 2008] case came down to this: The Levy Supreme Court allowed Patrilineally-Jewish Messianic Jews to make aliyah, but not under the Law of Return. In other words, they sneakily got around it. They said, "You can return, but you can't become citizens under the Law of Return"--which the Talmudists at Wikipedia reveled in, and they hate Messianics there.

Part 12 Of My Stage32 Submission

With college kicking my tuchus, I have not had time or energy to keep telling the family story. Incidentally, Rev. Klein was not at Shabbat tonight; so that helped. Meanwhile, I understand what my great-great-grandparents and great-granddad went through--just as they dreaded for anyone to find out that they were Jews and Crypto Non-Messianic Jews, I dreaded and (as I've done at most Shabbatot) kept my mouth shut lest anyone find out that I'm a Messianic Jew and act like Rev. Klein.

Nonetheless, their--that is, my great-great-great-grandparents' and great-granddad's deception--is not excused. Also, I will at least credit my great-great-great-grandparents for not becoming meshumad Catholics and for willing to die for their ethnoreligious background--they were Jews, Non-Messianic Jews, and sacrificers for their ethnicity and faith.

Meanwhile, I stated the following in regards to Great-Granduncle Bernie's story: "Nonetheless, it'll give you an idea for when I jump back to describe Great-Great-Grandma Czarnecki and her three like-mom-like-sons children: Great-Granddad, Great-Granduncle John "Johnkie" Felix Czarnecki, and Great-Granduncle Joseph "Suzy" Paschal Czarnecki. After all, particularly the latter two evily exploited Great-Granduncle Bernie and were especially like their mom in doing that--as devious and cunning as they could be."

For example, my great-great-grandparents lied to the naturalization authorities:

For one matter, Great-Granduncle Stanley was born on November 11, 1911; Great-Grandaunt Alexandria was born September 28, 1910; and other birthdates were fudged. 

As for Suzy, he was particularly devious--and Granduncle Tony described Suzy's wife as (if I recall correctly), "quiet but sneaky". For instance--as I expressed on Facebook:

"[I still think] about what Great-Granduncle Johnkie and Suzy did to Great-Granduncle Bernie: what they did to him is a shame, and no wonder Granduncle Tony recalled what he heard years later. Of course, given that Suzy used to spit on him and others while he'd talk to them, and Great-Grandma hocked a loogie on his sheets one time (which she bragged about to Mom, and I never connected that the neighbo

r was 205 Freed Street's Suzy Czarnecki until years later); how cruel and frustrating Great-Granduncle Suzy could be doesn't surprise me. After all, look how one of his disciples--Pop-Pop--turned out (Don't think that I'm reconciling with Pop-Pop any time soon, even though I reconciled with Dad.). Incidentally (as I learned later), Great-Grandma (having a Jewish mother, Anna Trudniak nee Monkova) did keep a Jewish custom--whenever some Jews say something that they don't like, find dirty, etc., they spit. Also, I wonder if Great-Grandma (though she was a Slovakian-speaking Anusit who knew Polish as well) knew any Yiddish curses--Great-Granduncle Suzy may have deserved a few.

"

As I stated, Great-Grandma did this[--that is, the tradition of spitting as described by Jewish Virtual Library, whose website I used on Facebook to explain what Great-Grandma did] to Great-Granduncle Suzy's sheets...and now that I think about it...what a nasty man (that is, Great-Granduncle Suzy for expressing his contempt for people by spitting deliberately while talking to them)."

Great-Granduncle Johnkie, meanwhile, owned a barber shop and lived in Dallas, Luzerne; so he couldn't do--although he tried to do what he could for--as much harm as Great-Granduncle Suzy did. In the next part, I'll explain how their mother was more like this, and how Great-Granddad became like his brothers and his mothers--in other words, I'll relevantly jump back.

Parts Eight To Eleven of My Stage32 Submission

Part Eight Of My Stage32 Submission

As I made clear to Reverend ("Rabbi") Jason Klein--and having written the open letter after having a conversation with him (since I felt that Reverend Klein is only of the many who needs to know where I stand, and I had disclosed my ethnic and religious identity to a few others besides him prior to writing the open letter)--, I do not want to put anyone or myself be put in the kind of position that the Czarneckis were put in.

As I wrote in Part Two,  I remembered when my dad used to call me "Nicole Charnetski", had already come across The Complete Jewish Bible by 2006, and was getting into the Jewish roots of my Christian faith. I had also typed in "jewsforjesus.com" or something like that for (what I thought was) a joke, and so began my journey into finding out that my great-granddad Anthony Czarnecki--if nobody else, or at least he (since I at the time, as far as I remember, wasn't really or at all thinking about if anyone else)--was Jewish.

What I found out was that the so-called Anthony John Czarnecki was born a Chernetski in Tsuman, Volyns'ka Oblast, Ukraine--what was then Cuman, Luck, Wolyn, Ukranian-Polish Russia. His mother, the so-called Alexandria Alice Andrulewicz, was on her way to visit her cousin Vil'gel'm Andrulevich in Buzhanka, Zvenigorodka, Kiev, Ukranian Russia. He was born on October 24, 1904 either en route to or from his cousin Vil'gel'm's home (Diasporan home, anyway--since, for all Jews and whether or not a Jew acknowledges that, Israel is the home of homes for Jews).

As for the Andrulewicz (Andrulevich) family, they lived in--among other places--Buzhanka and Bose, Sejny, Suwalki Gubernia, Polish Russia--now Buzhanka, Cherkas'ka Oblast, Ukraine and Bose, Sejny, Podlaskie, Poland. Cousin Vil'gelm was part of the Buzhanka group, and Alexandria--who claimed to be born Aleksjondria Alicja Andrulewiczowna--was part of the Bose group. Alexandria, like her husband--who claimed to be born Julian Jan "Feliks" Czarniecki--gave his parents, gave her parents the names "Antoni" and "Katarzyna".

As for the so-called Julian John "Felix" Czarnecki, he was born in Lipsk nad Biebrza--where JewishGen acknowledges that Jews lived and a Jewish community stood--to a Chernetski and a Danilowiczowna--the Chernetski being born of a Chernetski and Laczinska, the Danilowiczowna being supposedly born of an Aleksjondria Alicja Andrulewiczowna--since, to be fair, both Alexandria Alice Czarnecki Dombroski (Anthony Czarnecki's second-oldest sister) and Alexandria Alice Chernetski (a Chernetski cousin) both bore that name, and Ashkenazic Jews do have a custom of naming children for deceased relatives. By the way, Alexandria Alice Andrulewicz Czarnecki did list her estranged mother-in-law as her closest relative back in her native--rather, her Diasporan--country, and Numbers 36 does command us Jews to marry our cousins--so what does that tell you?

Were "Katarzyna" Chernetska not really Alexandria's closest relative back in Poland, she would not have been listed. Especially after getting kicked off of the Chernetski family farm in Lipsk for becoming Anusim because of and during the pogroms, Alexandria would not have dared to list a relative to whom she no blood connection and with whom she would have no correspondence when she immigrated to and lived in America.

Once Alexandria, Julian, and Anthony became Anusim--as Granduncle Tony wrote in an e-mail to me (although he denies our being Jewish because of being--and I know that he's--damned afraid of his older brother Jack):

"The move from Poland was permanent.  There was never any talk of returning.  Not even for a visit.  After moving to Sugar Notch the family flourished economically.  Julian & Alexandria eventually owned houses at 203, 205, and 207 Freed Street.  They lived in 207 and sold 205 to Son, Joseph and 203 to Son, Anthony(great grandpop).  All the boys worked at first in coal mine related jobs.

"I never seen nor did anyone mention anything special brought from Poland.  A friend from Sugar Notch, Mrs. Bertha Wawrzyn, visited Poland every few years to see her family and would visit the family while there.  All she ever brought back were photos that she took of the Polish Czarnecki's (see earlier comments).

"There was very little discussion of the Polish life and family.  Usually, when there was, it was a brief mention of the farm that was left behind.  There did not seem to be any regrets about leaving for a better life.  After all , they settled among Polish, Slavic, Hungarian, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian people just like themselves.  Similar language, similar customs, similar faces, houses, churches, etc.  But life was much better than on the farm.  They were quite happy in America and much better off.  The motherland, Poland, was far off and just a memory, not to be forgotten but no regrets for leaving either.

"Periodically a church pastor would run a heritage trip back to Poland for a group.  Very few of those who immigrated would return.  Occasionally someone "in the family" in America would join a relative for the return trip, Usually meeting the Polish or Slovak relatives for the first time and occasionally maintaining a letter writing relationship afterwards.  This DID NOT happen in our family.

"There was not very much correspondence with the Polish family.  Only an infrequent letter.  There were no exchanges other than through the Polish Church which would have clothing drives and send clothes to Poland in general, but not to specific family members.  Bertha's photos which came after the trips were the only contact until they asked for the deed to be changed in the mid 1960's.

"There was no special items from Poland that were kept by the family that I know of.  They came with little and acquired everything they had in America.  Over the years all traces of Poland disappeared.  They were now AMERICANS and wanted to be known as such.  The Polish heritage was maintained through Church and their friends in the community."

Shiva was sat, pictures (as Granduncle Tony explained) were passed around and thrown away, and we're still either Anusim or so-called meshuadim to this day--and I darned-well know that Reverend Klein considers me a meshumadah, although he's too polite to state what he thinks that way. Meanwhile, Reverend Klein did make clear that he does not consider Hebrew Christians, Jews For Jesus, etc. to be Jews--since, as he explained (and as I know), the denominations of Mainstream Judaism do not consider Messianic Jews to be Jews.

By the way, Reverend Klein did use "havoc" in reference to what he believes that Jews For Jesus does in regards to the Jewish community--at least the Non-Messianic Jewish community. This prompted me to write, "I do not believe that groups such as Jews For Jesus and Chosen People Ministries cause any havoc or tsores against the Jewish community. As I've written, " Jews for Jesus does not intend to "induce someone to convert to one's faith" or "recruit someone to join one's party, institution, or cause"-- that is not up to them." 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 explains the position of Messianic Jewish (Hebrew Christian, Jewish Christian) groups."

I also once wrote, "The Inquisitors, the pogromists, etc.--they proselytized." By the way, as I've implied, Great-Granddad Czarnecki and his parents could attest to that. Also by the way, I'm not being flip in not calling Reverend Klein "Rabbi"--Matthew 23:8-10 commands that I call nobody but Jesus "Rabbi".

Part Nine Of My Stage32 Submission

As I stated, I mean no disrespect when I call Reverend Klein "Reverend" as opposed to "Rabbi"--I'm simply following Matthew 23:8-10. Besides, on Halakhah.com (where you can take a peek at what the Chernetskis followed even to some extent while they were Anusim), a so-called rabbi is addressed as "The Very Rev. The Chief Rabbi Dr. J. H. Hertz". Another is addressed as " Rev. Dr. Israel W. Slotki", and another "Rev. Dr. Abraham Cohen".
By the same token, I take issue with Roman, Byzantine, and other Catholic--including English Catholic (Anglican, Episcopalian)--priests being called "Father". By the way, because of the Chernetskis--also the "Czarnieckis" and "Czarneckis"--among others, I was raised as an English Catholic. As I alluded to before, I didn't know that I am Jewish for a long time--and the Czarneckis intended to keep the situation that way. I was told that we are Polish-Lithuanian Catholics descended from Stefan (who Granduncle mistakenly called "Antoni") Czarniecki, and I assumed that Great-Grandma Czarnecki was the Lithuanian.
Never did that she was a Jewish-Slovakian American occur to me, and that Great-Great-Grandma Czarnecki opposed Great-Granddad's marriage to the then Mary Theresa Trudniak didn't occur to me, either. I was always told that Anthony Czarnecki came over here as a lone Polish immigrant, married Mary M. Trudnak, worked as a coal miner, served in the Korean War, got Black Lung because of his work in the coal mines, and died when Dad was 12--in 1972.
The family research brought that the Andrulewicz-Danilowicz-Chernetski family ever existed, had some who did off of the derech--because, to be fair and as I learned years later, Roman Catholicism and its offshoots (such as Byzantine and English Catholicism) are cults--, came to America, and lived as Anusim--in other words, as the old sayings go, I can't make those kind of situations up and truth is stranger than fiction.
By the way, as I write this, I--im yirtzeh HaShem (G-d wiling)--am going to bed at 12:00 AM--I might be coming down with something. Incidentally enough--incidental to that I'm coming down with something, anyway--, one of Great-Granddad's sisters--who I didn't even know existed, let alone was born over here--died of something at the age of 16.
Also by the way, none of Great-Granddad's sisters were named "Mary", "Maria", or even "Miriam"--with which Julian and Alexandria Czarnecki could have gotten away with naming one of their daughters but for (as Reverend Klein stated about me admitting that I'm Messianic) "out[ing] [them]sel[ves]" as Jews--because Miriam is obviously a very-Jewish name, and (as most people know) the original name of Mary the mother of Jesus, for whom my aunt Mary (named after her grandmothers) was not named, by the way.
By the way, Reverend Klein, two questions: when did admitting that I'm Messianic become like one coming out of the closet (ironically enough, since Reconstructionists treat homosexuals better than they treat Messianic Jews)? Also--if you're reading this, anyway--, do Hebrew Christians like myself look like we're not Jewish--regardless of what you imply and what the mainstream denominations of Judaism say? I don't know about what you know, Reverend Klein; but I know that even my Anusi ancestors kept their Jewish identity when they puported to believe in a Jewish man as the Messiah--how much more Jewish am I for actually believing in Jewish man as the Messiah, and not because proselytizers came after me and convinced me to at least pretend that I am a Christian?

Part Ten of My Stage32 Submission

In case you haven't been following, this is a nice summary of the parts which have followed the pictures so far. It was pre written and, as I stated, works. It also includes some newly-shared information and a way to contact me--a.k.a., yours truly (a.k.a., the transcriber of this family story):
To begin and in full disclosure, I am a Messianic Jew and a conservative Republican who promises not to proselytize. Nonetheless, I will share my faith and politics when asked or in an appropriate and impromptu way (By the way, please look up the Webster definition of "proselytize"--I want everyone to understand that I do not do or intend to do what the pogromists did to my dad's paternal granddad and his parents--among other relatives.).
I am a Patrilineal Jew, and do not subscribe to a Patrilineal-Only view--I believe that Patrilineal and Matrilineal Jews are Jews (which I've concluded partly because of my own research into the, for lack of better wordage, "Who Is a Jew?" question). Hence I, as far as I can tell, am atypical in that area alone--that is, in being a Patrilineally-Jewish and Messianic Jewish Republican. Also, I wanted to begin with a full disclosure, as I stated, and I have no intention of scaring or angering anybody whatsoever. I hope that--particularly if you're averse toward Patrilineal Jews, Messianic Jews, and/or Republicans--you can at least respectfully agree to disagree with me on what I identify as and what religious and political views I hold.
As I stated, "I want everyone to understand that I do not do or intend to do what the pogromists did to my dad's paternal granddad and his parents--among other relatives." As for Great-Granddad Czarnecki and his relatives, I'd like to  briefly share their story--which I discovered via family research, which I am still working to piece together, and about which I am trying to find more. If nothing else in my family history, the Czarnecki family story gives one a glimpse into who I am and why I'm in the United States as a Diasporan Jew (and given that I'm Messianic, I'm sadly going to have a hard time or will be unable to be making aliyah).
Great-Granddad was born a Chernetski in Tsuman, Volyns'ka, Ukraine (then Cuman, Kiwerce, Luck, Wolyn, Polish-Ukrainian Russia) either en route to or on the way back from Buzhanka, Cherkas'ka (then Buzhanka, Zvenigorodka, Kiev, Ukranian Russia). He was born on October 24, 1904 (and on his naturalization record and Social Security application, respectively, his birthdate was given as October 23, 1904 and October 24, 1903--these aren't isolated incidents of lying, by the way: the Chernetskis [Czarnieckis, Czarneckis] fudged dates, etc. to hide from the authorities in America and keep their Jewish identity secret).
His mother claimed to have been born Aleksjondria Alicja Andrulewiczowna--the Andrulewicz part being true. She was visiting cousin Vil'gel'm Andrulevich in Buzhanka when her son (who she eventually gave the name "Antoni Jan Czarniecki") was born. Incidentally, she conveniently gave her dad and dad in law the name "Antoni", and her mom and mom in law the name "Katarzyna"--the only truth in her parents' names was that one was born an Andrulewicz, and one a Morgiewiczowna ("Margiewicz"). She also claimed to be born--variously--in 1881, 1884, and 1885, and on June 26, 1882 (among in other years and on other dates).
As for her parents in law, the only truth in their names is that one was born a Chernetski ("Czarniecki") and one a Danilowiczowna ("Danilowicz"--don't ask me why; Polish names are weird, so "Danilowicz" with the "owna" cut off was actually legitimate). Her husband (and Great-Granddad's dad) claimed to have been born Julian Jan "Feliks" Czarniecki in "Lisko Orliscko" (which I found out was Lipsk nad Biebrza, not Lipsko) on December 24, 1876 and 1877, as well as in 1875 and 1879. By the way, "Julian Laczinsky" first came to America on May 16, 1903 and then November 9, 1904 as "Julian Zernetzky" (Isn't that nice? In all seriousness, I'm amazed that the authorities didn't catch him at some point--thus, I'm technically a descendant of an illegal immigrant and an illegally-naturalized immigrant [which is why, for a Republican, I'm unusual in supporting the DREAM Act].)
The Chernetskis--along with other meshumadim and others in the family--were summarily kicked off of the family farm in Lipsk or left it (The meshumadim were kicked off--and to be fair, I think that Roman Catholicism is meshumad [apostate]. Nonetheless, they were converting merely to save their lives from the Polish and Russian proselytizers--i.e., the pogromists.). They immigrated variously to Jersey City, New Jersey; Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania, and other parts of Luzerne County; and other places. Incidentally, the Chokolas (of Chokola's Beer fame and of whom Pete Chokola was born) were our cousins and lived in Wilkes-Barre (and Pete Chokola was a very-activist Democrat. So was my granddad, a now-former IRS Agent who was one of the three to serve tax papers to then-President Nixon. Incidentally, Pop-Pop did not believe that they were WMDS in Iraq--we can thank Julian Assange at least for proving Pop-Pop wrong.).
They lived as Ashkenazim Anusim (Ashkenazic-Jewish Crypto Jews) for the rest of their lives (and Pop-Pop was not happy when I found out that we're Jewish!), and Anusim still exist among us (with Pop-Pop being one of them. I'm an openly-Jewish Messianic Jewish Republican and Protestant--a complete 180 from Pop-Pop! Incidentally, Dad converted to Episcopalianism and Southern Baptism--because his current wife is a Southern Baptist--, and Mom is a Roman Catholic-turned-Episcopalian-turned-Presbyterian descendant of Roman Catholics and Methodists--perhaps even some Anusim and Jews who willingly became Catholic).
If you want more information, read my blog or e-mail me at nickidewbear@aol.com (You could e-mail me at nczarne1@umbc.edu, but I prefer my AOL address.). 

Part 11 Of My Stage32 Submission

This is another jump-ahead moment and pre-written part. Nonetheless, it'll give you an idea for when I jump back to describe Great-Great-Grandma Czarnecki and her three like-mom-like-sons children: Great-Granddad, Great-Granduncle John "Johnkie" Felix Czarnecki, and Great-Granduncle Joseph "Suzy" Paschal Czarnecki. After all, particularly the latter two evily exploited Great-Granduncle Bernie and were especially like their mom in doing that--as devious and cunning as they could be. To make a long story short, they got Great-Granduncle Bernie to sign off his Social Security account to them--so that his benefits would go to them instead of Great-Grandaunt Alexandria Alice Czarnecki Dombroski (by then, a widow with a son to still raise and now an infirmed brother for whom to care) when he died:
Born to Ashkenazim Anusim who converted during the pogroms in Poland Russia and were forced to immigrate to America due to their conversion, Bernard S. Czarnecki (nee [sic., should be "ne"] Chernetski or Czarniecki) served with the 111th Infantry Division Medical Corps of the United States Army in World War Two. Serving from December 1940-December 1945 in the U.S. Army, Pfc. Bernie Czarnecki was wounded in combat and died as a result of his war wounds in 1963 (the wounds for which he was discharged in 1945). Never formally recognized even with a Purple Heart, let alone a proper headstone at his gravesite, Pfc. Czarnecki died at the age of 43 as an unknown and dishonored Jewish-Catholic veteran of World War Two.

Part 11 Of My Stage32 Submission

This is another jump-ahead moment and pre-written part. Nonetheless, it'll give you an idea for when I jump back to describe Great-Great-Grandma Czarnecki and her three like-mom-like-sons children: Great-Granddad, Great-Granduncle John "Johnkie" Felix Czarnecki, and Great-Granduncle Joseph "Suzy" Paschal Czarnecki. After all, particularly the latter two evily exploited Great-Granduncle Bernie and were especially like their mom in doing that--as devious and cunning as they could be. To make a long story short, they got Great-Granduncle Bernie to sign off his Social Security account to them--so that his benefits would go to them instead of Great-Grandaunt Alexandria Alice Czarnecki Dombroski (by then, a widow with a son to still raise and now an infirmed brother for whom to care) when he died:

Born to Ashkenazim Anusim who converted during the pogroms in Poland Russia and were forced to immigrate to America due to their conversion, Bernard S. Czarnecki (nee [sic., should be "ne"] Chernetski or Czarniecki) served with the 111th Infantry Division Medical Corps of the United States Army in World War Two. Serving from December 1940-December 1945 in the U.S. Army, Pfc. Bernie Czarnecki was wounded in combat and died as a result of his war wounds in 1963 (the wounds for which he was discharged in 1945). Never formally recognized even with a Purple Heart, let alone a proper headstone at his gravesite, Pfc. Czarnecki died at the age of 43 as an unknown and dishonored Jewish-Catholic veteran of World War Two.

Part Ten of My Stage32 Submission

In case you haven't been following, this is a nice summary of the parts which have followed the pictures so far. It was pre written and, as I stated, works. It also includes some newly-shared information and a way to contact me--a.k.a., yours truly (a.k.a., the transcriber of this family story):

To begin and in full disclosure, I am a Messianic Jew and a conservative Republican who promises not to proselytize. Nonetheless, I will share my faith and politics when asked or in an appropriate and impromptu way (By the way, please look up the Webster definition of "proselytize"--I want everyone to understand that I do not do or intend to do what the pogromists did to my dad's paternal granddad and his parents--among other relatives.).

I am a Patrilineal Jew, and do not subscribe to a Patrilineal-Only view--I believe that Patrilineal and Matrilineal Jews are Jews (which I've concluded partly because of my own research into the, for lack of better wordage, "Who Is a Jew?" question). Hence I, as far as I can tell, am atypical in that area alone--that is, in being a Patrilineally-Jewish and Messianic Jewish Republican. Also, I wanted to begin with a full disclosure, as I stated, and I have no intention of scaring or angering anybody whatsoever. I hope that--particularly if you're averse toward Patrilineal Jews, Messianic Jews, and/or Republicans--you can at least respectfully agree to disagree with me on what I identify as and what religious and political views I hold.

As I stated, "I want everyone to understand that I do not do or intend to do what the pogromists did to my dad's paternal granddad and his parents--among other relatives." As for Great-Granddad Czarnecki and his relatives, I'd like to  briefly share their story--which I discovered via family research, which I am still working to piece together, and about which I am trying to find more. If nothing else in my family history, the Czarnecki family story gives one a glimpse into who I am and why I'm in the United States as a Diasporan Jew (and given that I'm Messianic, I'm sadly going to have a hard time or will be unable to be making aliyah).

Great-Granddad was born a Chernetski in Tsuman, Volyns'ka, Ukraine (then Cuman, Kiwerce, Luck, Wolyn, Polish-Ukrainian Russia) either en route to or on the way back from Buzhanka, Cherkas'ka (then Buzhanka, Zvenigorodka, Kiev, Ukranian Russia). He was born on October 24, 1904 (and on his naturalization record and Social Security application, respectively, his birthdate was given as October 23, 1904 and October 24, 1903--these aren't isolated incidents of lying, by the way: the Chernetskis [Czarnieckis, Czarneckis] fudged dates, etc. to hide from the authorities in America and keep their Jewish identity secret).

His mother claimed to have been born Aleksjondria Alicja Andrulewiczowna--the Andrulewicz part being true. She was visiting cousin Vil'gel'm Andrulevich in Buzhanka when her son (who she eventually gave the name "Antoni Jan Czarniecki") was born. Incidentally, she conveniently gave her dad and dad in law the name "Antoni", and her mom and mom in law the name "Katarzyna"--the only truth in her parents' names was that one was born an Andrulewicz, and one a Morgiewiczowna ("Margiewicz"). She also claimed to be born--variously--in 1881, 1884, and 1885, and on June 26, 1882 (among in other years and on other dates).

As for her parents in law, the only truth in their names is that one was born a Chernetski ("Czarniecki") and one a Danilowiczowna ("Danilowicz"--don't ask me why; Polish names are weird, so "Danilowicz" with the "owna" cut off was actually legitimate). Her husband (and Great-Granddad's dad) claimed to have been born Julian Jan "Feliks" Czarniecki in "Lisko Orliscko" (which I found out was Lipsk nad Biebrza, not Lipsko) on December 24, 1876 and 1877, as well as in 1875 and 1879. By the way, "Julian Laczinsky" first came to America on May 16, 1903 and then November 9, 1904 as "Julian Zernetzky" (Isn't that nice? In all seriousness, I'm amazed that the authorities didn't catch him at some point--thus, I'm technically a descendant of an illegal immigrant and an illegally-naturalized immigrant [which is why, for a Republican, I'm unusual in supporting the DREAM Act].)

The Chernetskis--along with other meshumadim and others in the family--were summarily kicked off of the family farm in Lipsk or left it (The meshumadim were kicked off--and to be fair, I think that Roman Catholicism is meshumad [apostate]. Nonetheless, they were converting merely to save their lives from the Polish and Russian proselytizers--i.e., the pogromists.). They immigrated variously to Jersey City, New Jersey; Sugar Notch, Pennsylvania, and other parts of Luzerne County; and other places. Incidentally, the Chokolas (of Chokola's Beer fame and of whom Pete Chokola was born) were our cousins and lived in Wilkes-Barre (and Pete Chokola was a very-activist Democrat. So was my granddad, a now-former IRS Agent who was one of the three to serve tax papers to then-President Nixon. Incidentally, Pop-Pop did not believe that they were WMDS in Iraq--we can thank Julian Assange at least for proving Pop-Pop wrong.).

They lived as Ashkenazim Anusim (Ashkenazic-Jewish Crypto Jews) for the rest of their lives (and Pop-Pop was not happy when I found out that we're Jewish!), and Anusim still exist among us (with Pop-Pop being one of them. I'm an openly-Jewish Messianic Jewish Republican and Protestant--a complete 180 from Pop-Pop! Incidentally, Dad converted to Episcopalianism and Southern Baptism--because his current wife is a Southern Baptist--, and Mom is a Roman Catholic-turned-Episcopalian-turned-Presbyterian descendant of Roman Catholics and Methodists--perhaps even some Anusim and Jews who willingly became Catholic).

If you want more information, read my blog or e-mail me at nickidewbear@aol.com (You could e-mail me at nczarne1@umbc.edu, but I prefer my AOL address.). 

Part Nine Of My Stage32 Submission

As I stated, I mean no disrespect when I call Reverend Klein "Reverend" as opposed to "Rabbi"--I'm simply following Matthew 23:8-10. Besides, on Halakhah.com (where you can take a peek at what the Chernetskis followed even to some extent while they were Anusim), a so-called rabbi is addressed as "The Very Rev. The Chief Rabbi Dr. J. H. Hertz". Another is addressed as " Rev. Dr. Israel W. Slotki", and another "Rev. Dr. Abraham Cohen".

By the same token, I take issue with Roman, Byzantine, and other Catholic--including English Catholic (Anglican, Episcopalian)--priests being called "Father". By the way, because of the Chernetskis--also the "Czarnieckis" and "Czarneckis"--among others, I was raised as an English Catholic. As I alluded to before, I didn't know that I am Jewish for a long time--and the Czarneckis intended to keep the situation that way. I was told that we are Polish-Lithuanian Catholics descended from Stefan (who Granduncle mistakenly called "Antoni") Czarniecki, and I assumed that Great-Grandma Czarnecki was the Lithuanian.

Never did that she was a Jewish-Slovakian American occur to me, and that Great-Great-Grandma Czarnecki opposed Great-Granddad's marriage to the then Mary Theresa Trudniak didn't occur to me, either. I was always told that Anthony Czarnecki came over here as a lone Polish immigrant, married Mary M. Trudnak, worked as a coal miner, served in the Korean War, got Black Lung because of his work in the coal mines, and died when Dad was 12--in 1972.

The family research brought that the Andrulewicz-Danilowicz-Chernetski family ever existed, had some who did off of the derech--because, to be fair and as I learned years later, Roman Catholicism and its offshoots (such as Byzantine and English Catholicism) are cults--, came to America, and lived as Anusim--in other words, as the old sayings go, I can't make those kind of situations up and truth is stranger than fiction.

By the way, as I write this, I--im yirtzeh HaShem (G-d wiling)--am going to bed at 12:00 AM--I might be coming down with something. Incidentally enough--incidental to that I'm coming down with something, anyway--, one of Great-Granddad's sisters--who I didn't even know existed, let alone was born over here--died of something at the age of 16.

Also by the way, none of Great-Granddad's sisters were named "Mary", "Maria", or even "Miriam"--with which Julian and Alexandria Czarnecki could have gotten away with naming one of their daughters but for (as Reverend Klein stated about me admitting that I'm Messianic) "out[ing] [them]sel[ves]" as Jews--because Miriam is obviously a very-Jewish name, and (as most people know) the original name of Mary the mother of Jesus, for whom my aunt Mary (named after her grandmothers) was not named, by the way.

By the way, Reverend Klein, two questions: when did admitting that I'm Messianic become like one coming out of the closet (ironically enough, since Reconstructionists treat homosexuals better than they treat Messianic Jews)? Also--if you're reading this, anyway--, do Hebrew Christians like myself look like we're not Jewish--regardless of what you imply and what the mainstream denominations of Judaism say? I don't know about what you know, Reverend Klein; but I know that even my Anusi ancestors kept their Jewish identity when they puported to believe in a Jewish man as the Messiah--how much more Jewish am I for actually believing in Jewish man as the Messiah, and not because proselytizers came after me and convinced me to at least pretend that I am a Christian?