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 Eight Of My Stage32 Submission

In an open letter to my Non-Messianic Jewish friends, I wrote, "I need to honestly disclose that I am a Patrilineal Jew and non-proselytizing Messianic Jew who considers Jews as primarily part of an ethnic group and secondarily part of religious groups (including Non-Messianic Jewish groups). On that note, I believe that Jews like myself--that is, Messianic Jews--remain Jews and believe that only G-d may lead a Jew to be a Messianic Jew. Messianic Jews such as myself, Jews for Jesus, and Chosen People Ministries are not individual Jews and Jewish groups who intend to forcibly attempt to convert fellow Jews to believe in a Mashiach, let alone in the Biblical and historical Jesus of Nazareth as Mashiach--the proselytizers are those such as the Pablo de Santa Marias, Nicolas Donins, and Pablo Christianis within the Messianic Jewish community."

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".

    

In Full Disclosure To My Non-Messianic Jewish Friends (e.g., UMBC Hillel and JSU)...

I need to state the following:

1. As a Patrilineal Jew and Jewish Christian, I consider myself Jewish and (to be candid) a Completed Jew. As I've written, "I believe that Jews are first and foremost an 'am, an ethnos, a people--which is part of why, as Torah commanded, one must be cut off (i.e., exiled or even put to death) for worshiping other gods--viz., cutting yourself off from G-d in some way was cutting off your very life, your very being." Furthermore, " as the Talmud...rightly states...,... "A Jew, even if he sins, is still a Jew." Because of this and because of cutting yourself off from the Jewish G-d, you are a Jew who has cut his life off as opposed to a Jew who became a gentile. As Tanakh states, anyway, a Kushite can't change his skin and the leopard can't change his spots (cf. Jeremiah 13:23); thus a Jew, though he or she cuts his or her life off, remains a Jew."
2. 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.
3. I am offended by the implication that I am not a Jew even though I believe that a Jewish man was and is the Jewish Messiah--and Reform and Reconstructionist Jews don't even believe in a personal Mashiach or even (in some cases) a Messianic Age. So, why am I being punished for believing that a Jewish man fulfills the Biblical mandate and fits the Biblical concept of Mashiach? As I've written, "[D]on't tell me that I'm not Jewish because I believe that a Jewish man who you don't believe is the Messiah, is the Messiah."
4. I do not believe in proselytizing. As I've written, "Many people...are  confusing proselytizing with being open about faith. My and other Messianic Jews' intent is not to convert or force conversion on anybody.... The Inquisitors, the pogromists, etc.--they proselytized." I won't be taken for a Pablo de Santa Maria or a Nicolas Donin, or a Pablo Christiani.   

In conclusion, I need to honestly disclose that I am a Patrilineal Jew and non-proselytizing Messianic Jew who considers Jews as primarily part of an ethnic group and secondarily part of religious groups (including Non-Messianic Jewish groups). On that note, I believe that Jews like myself--that is, Messianic Jews--remain Jews and believe that only G-d may lead a Jew to be a Messianic Jew. Messianic Jews such as myself, Jews for Jesus, and Chosen People Ministries are not individual Jews and Jewish groups who intend to forcibly attempt to convert fellow Jews to believe in a Mashiach, let alone in the Biblical and historical Jesus of Nazareth as Mashiach--the proselytizers are those such as the Pablo de Santa Marias, Nicolas Donins, and Pablo Christianis within the Messianic Jewish community.   

Part Seven Of My Stage32 Submission

Glossy Page 3

I didn't scan the original one in well at all. Nonetheless, the picture is of Andy and Julia Fosko Rusnak in the 1940s.

Wedding Day in Westmoreland County, June 29, 1905

Mary Theresa Trudniak at her wedding on May 10, 1934. 

Pop-Pop and Grandma (nee Joan Adele Gaydos) Czarnecki on their son Greg's first wedding day.

Uncle Gary with grandmas Mary Trudniak Czarnecki and Mary Rusnak Gaydos at Dad's first wedding, July 22, 1989.

Part Six of My Stage32 Submission

Also known as glossy-page Part Two

Incidentally, Dad had a broken collarbone from a fall from a highchair. 

Left to right: Pop-Pop (John "Jack" Gregory Czarnecki), Granduncle James "Jim" Julian Czarnecki, Great-Grandma (nee Mary Theresa Trudniak) Czarnecki, Aunt Mary, Great-Granddad and Dad, and Granduncle Francis Anthony "Red" Czarnecki (1920-1985). This is from Easter 1963. By the way, I'll explain where the names came from later--they're all family or otherwise-significant names--and you can guess where Granduncle Jim's middle name came from.

"Doesn't seem too upset at his [Grandfather Czarnecki]". Dad understandably did not like his granddad Anthony Czarnecki--who became like his mother, Alexandria Alice Andrulewicz Czarnecki. To scan in the picture and leave out that certain part of the caption means that Dad must still (so to speak) have a raw nerve hit about who his granddad really was and how he committed suicide.

Dad's baptism in 1960. This is the first picture that I ever saw of Great-Granddad Anthony Czarnecki and was taken aback by how much he looked like Pop-Pop.

Great-Granddad Anthony Czarnecki with Dad at Christmas in the 1960s. As Crypto Jews, they did not celebrate Hanukkah.

Goals For the 2012-2013 (And My Final Undegraduate) School Year

Year goals (effective August 30, 2012):

1)      Have one treat per day (Milkshakes, brownies, semester-opening treats, etc. count as treats. Smaller things for special occasions—e.g., mini candies for Halloween, Hanukkah, Christmas, and other holidays—do not.).

2)      Don’t overeat or overindulge. If and in case of overindulging, have plenty of water, oatmeal, coffee, and/or gum on hand and extra water, etc. as necessary.

3)      Eat kosher or mostly kosher (healthy included in kosher).

4)      Go to bed at 12:30-2:00 AM every night, and wake up at 9:30 AM-12:30 PM every day.

5)      Shower at least once a week.

6)      Don’t overspend (including overspending in donating) debit or UMBC card money.

a)      Check debit and UMBC card accounts frequently

b)      When possible, use meal plans for Dining Hall meals.

c)      When eating at Outtakes for lunch, take water bottle and granola or Clif bar—buy sandwich or salad and yogurt.

d)      When at Late Night, get coffee at minimum; salad, sandwich, or and other healthy food for snack and/or meal at maximum.

7)      Study hours per day at maximum, every other day at minimum (depending on classes per day, etc.):

a)      Poli 301-02: 1 hour, 40 minutes

b)      Poli 206-01: 5 hours

c)      Poli 320-01: 2 ½ hours

d)      Biol 106-01: 2 ½ hours

8)      Read Parsha and/or Haftarah at least every other day if not every day.

9)      Write in Prayer Journal at least every other day if not every day.

10)   Shower at least once if not twice a week.

11)  Watch only “The O’Reilly Factor” at 8:00 (Monday-Friday) as TV watching and “Geraldo at Large” at 10:00 (Saturdays) except for special occasions (e.g., little or no TV during finals, and watch more on Election Night or during breaking news events that merit more coverage)

12)  Attend UMBC Hillel Shabbatot and other events, and Students For Israel events when possible.

13)  Don’t procrastinate.

14)  Call Mom every day.

15)  Make more—or at least closer—friends.

16)  Pay attention in class.

17)  Don’t spend unnecessary amounts of time on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

18)  Do some stretches at least every other if not every day.

19)  Brush teeth at least every other if not every day.

20)  Write verse or Biblical insight in planner every week in weekly notes.

21)  Go to church at least every other if not every week.

Can I trust you all to pray for and encourage me to make my best efforts to abide by these goals which I set for myself? A lot of these goals are hard to abide by with my Cereral Palsy, OCD/Anxiety/Depression/mild ADD/possible Aspeberger's, propensity to eat out of boredom, emotion, etc.; and the energy taken out of me from dealing with my C.P., etc. among other issues with which I deal.

Part Five Of My Stage32 Submission

Also known as that part (or at least one of the parts) where I insert various documents, pictures, etc. into the book on laminated or glossy sheets of paper.

Andy and Julia Rusnak with their first two daughters (and first two surviving children)

Julia Fosko Rusnak and five of her six surviving daughters

Michael Gaydos, Jr. with wife Marysia "Mary" Elizabeth Rusnak Gaydos and grandchildren Mary and Greg.