Apparently, You're Not Supposed To Ask Why a Jew Is a Jew Or a Ger Is a Ger; And If You Do...

Don't let the others get to you. I had the same question and desire to know the story of a man whose story I read while I was randomly browsing ("Were you born Jewish or did you convert? Either way, tell us your story. I am curious to learn."). Besides:

1) We know of the conversion of Rachav.

2) We know of the conversion of Rut, the history of which G-d devoted a whole sefer b'Tanakh.

3) That's part of how I suspected that I'm Jewish. My paternal grandfather was very dark skinned for such a Polish and Lithuanian American, and the case turned out to be that he was a Litvak and Belarusish Yid (on his paternal side. On his maternal side, he was an Ungarish and a Slovakish Yid on his maternal side.). By the way, both of my father's parents were Anusim and bnei-Anusim (Pop-Pop made a veiled confession that we are Jewish in one of our final conversations after he denied it for years, and Grandma also made a veiled confession once. Dad, on the other hand, is still like Pop-Pop was—not happy that I found out.). Also by the way, Mom is Jewish (She denies her heritage as well.).

In addition, Rabbi Jack Romberg once wrote, "It is the power of constant questioning that creates the dynamism that keeps Judaism relevant. The world changes and Judaism must respond to those changes." That includes, of course, asking how a Jew found out that he or she is Jewish and/or came to terms with and/or came to appreciate and live in light of his or her Jewishness, or why a gentile stated "thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God" as Rut stated to Na'omi.

PS For Messianic Jews, to tell our stories is a mitzvah. After all, e.g., Paul told his; and he wrote that those who don't believe can't believe if they don't hear. Peter also hinted as his.

Thanking All Who Liked My Page Recently and Like My Page, And...

1. לפסח ושבת שלום ומבורך לכולם. (For a peaceful and blessed Passover and Sabbath to all.)
2. For Messianic Jews/Jewish Christians, remember why we (and gentile Christians) celebrate פסח: 

• "שמרו זאת בזיכרון של לי."
• "בכל שעה שאתם אוכלים מצה הזאת ושותים הכוס הזה, אתם מכריזים המות שלי עד אני באה."

(If you don't read even some Hebrew, use Google Translate to translate it. Incidentally, I used Hebrew-Verbs.co.il, Milon, and other sources [including what I remembered from studying Hebrew in college] to translate it into Hebrew].)

Also, G-d willing, I'll try to record videos on, among other subjects:

1. Bladder cancer, since I do volunteer for the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. As I explained to the recruiter (Natalie Bennett), I have a history of other cancers (e.g., Colon Cancer) in my family (e.g., Pop-Pop had it. BTW, he also died of Myelodysplasia that turned into Leukemia), and I can imagine that Bladder Cancer is exacerbated by conditions such as IBS (which I have) and, of course, Colon Cancer.  By the way, when I talked to Natalie, I learned that Bladder Cancer is the most-diagnosed cancer in the United States, despite that it hardly gets awareness raised for it (compared to, e.g., Breast Cancer. Great-Granddad's cousin Katarzyna Czerniecka Czokola, as I found out, did die of Breast Cancer, by the way.).
2. Why Russia and the Middle East are, quite frankly, their own continents, despite their current classification. Technically, Central America could be its own continent, too.
3. What "few in number" for Israel might actually mean (i.e., depending on who is considered Jewish ethnically and/or spiritually Biblically and amongst Jews. Either way, we're "few in number" from at least an ethnic standpoint.)

Meanwhile, ללילה ושבת ופסח טוב ושלום ומבורך לכל ישראל וצדוקים מגויים.

PS Part of the reason that I promoted my Facebook page is to (hopefully) get noted for my commentary and (G-d willing) get a job as a commentator and an analyst. Being, e.g., on SSI benefits sucks (and I opposed being on them at first, feeling that doing so was a form of socialism and being a burden on the tax payers. Besides, I have been persecuted for being on them [See below for a horrid example.]. But what can I do when, e.g., I have C.P., no paying job, etc.?)

JohnLeePedimore has replied to your comment on Shocking Video: Should "Adult Baby" Collect Social Security Benefits?: @Nickidewbear Let me guess,your family actually works for a living and turned their back on you because you are a lazy pig. You can reply back by visiting the comments page. By the way, did you know you can rent movies from YouTube? Check it out now: youtube.com/movies.

© 2011 YouTube, LLC

Also PS: I save most of my emails. BTW, I just noticed this now-just-reported comment, too:

JohnLeePedimore 3 years ago · LINKED COMMENT in reply to Nicole Czarnecki

It's bad enough that you people leech off the American taxpayer like parasites,but what really pisses me off is the utter contempt you have for the hard working people who foot the bill for your lazy ass.You don't appreciate anything you have because you didn't have to work for it. You are a thief.

Then people swear that attitudes toward people with disabilities has changed...actually, it has gotten worse. Then they want me to represent people with disabilities when they act like I, a person who lives with a disability, don't know what I'm talking about....no kidding, as one Haggadah reads (with my emphasis and bracketed additions), that :

Access to affordable housing, quality health care, nutritious food and quality education is far from equal. The disparity between the privileged and the poor is growing, with opportunities for upward mobility still gravely limited. Maimonides taught, “Everyone in the house of Israel is obligated to study Torah, regardless of whether one is rich or poor, physically able or with a physical disability.” Unequal access to basic human needs [e.g., being treated as a human being who was created in the image of G-d], based on one’s real or perceived identity, like race, gender or disability, is a plague, antithetical to the inclusive spirit of the Jewish tradition.

And

We do not adequately address violence in our society, including rape, sex trafficking, child abuse, domestic violence and elder abuse [including verbal, mental/psychological, religious/spiritual, and other intangible/non-physical abuse; and neglect], even though it happens every day within our own communities.

When a Ger Tzedek Sheds Light On What G-d Meant in the B'rit Chadashah

Guys listen up: Eve was deceived in the garden, but Adam CHOSE disobedience! #fb Please discuss...
Posted by Kevin McCullough on Sunday, September 22, 2013

Sadly, even gerim such as John Gill were willing to follow the usual, stripped-of context interpretation, though. e.g.:

And therefore she is called by the Jews F16 (Nweh Ma) , "the mother of iniquity and sin"; to which they refer, ( Psalms 51:5 ) . And they say, F17 she was the cause of death to Adam, and to all the world: (See Gill on Romans 5:12). And they observe F18 the order of the punishment of the serpent, Eve, and Adam, as of their sin; the serpent was first accursed, then Eve, and last of all Adam. They say

 ``F19 Samael (the devil) could not subvert Adam, till the serpent came and turned the heart of Eve, and Eve turned his heart, and they both sinned; wherefore it is said, "the woman which thou gavest me"; Samael had no power to turn him, till Eve came, and she was the cause of his eating.''

To take the easy way out is to deliberately forget, e.g.:

1. Paul knew Torah and the rest of Tanakh well, in case you forget. He knew about D'vorah the wife of Lapidot.
2. He knew about Rut, who laid down at the feet of Bo'az.
3. He knew about the mother of Lemu'el.
4. He knew about the Malkat Sheva.
5. He was of the same tribe as Hadassah.

Stubborn Yemenim, And An Even-Worse Israeli Government

According to Ynetnews:

The Jews living in Yemen - most of whom had the opportunity to leave for Israel or another country, but refused – face an approaching danger from the advancing rebel forces, who have repeatedly made statements against Israel.
"We don't want to leave. If we wanted to, we would have done so a long time ago," Sanaa's chief rabbi Yahya Youssef said in February.

So, many of them are doing what G-d warned against through Yirmiyahu (cf. Yirmiyahu 8:1-7). By the way, for The Jewish Agency for Israel and the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs to focus on those of us who Agudat Yisrael doesn't consider Jewish enough and would still like to go home to Israel would be nice, especially since (as YNet reports), "The Foreign Ministry and the Jewish Agency have been in an ongoing state of frustration over the refusal of Yemen's Jews to leave".

If they can and won't leave Yemen, perhaps they'd like to give the aspiring olim among them and us "not-Jewish[-enough]" Jews their opportunities, since they won't take them. Then again, Netanyahu and his government may not allow that to happen, since that might actually bring in Yehudim and others whom would vote Likud, Agudat Yisra'el, etc.. out of office.

Disturbing Statistics From My Ad on Facebook

Genders

Women

1,498

Men

1,174

Ages [expected or typical from January 1st]

18-24 [1991-1997]

62

25-34 [1981-1990]

88

35-44 [1971-1980]

244

45-54 [1961-1970]

529

55-64 [1951-1960]

1,132

65+ [before or during 1950]

617

Out of all 2,672 people who have been reached, zero have gone to Represent.Us's website, and the majority are older middle-aged people and seniors. How disheartening that my generation (Gen Y, 1982-2000 or, Biblically, 1980-2000 for 20 years), does not want to be involved in fighting corruption in politics as much as the older middle agers (1954-1970) and seniors (before to during 1950-during 1953). What example, by the way, is Gen Y giving the younger generations (the oldest younger generation being 2001-2021, if 2021 carries us into a continuance of the present age)? Also, what example have the Baby Boomers (1950-1970 or 1940-1960, depending on how one factors in World War Two) and previous generations set for Gen X and younger generations?

The (For A Lack Of A Better Term) Danilovich Shtick That I Tried To Explain To One Guy...

"Shtick" is a censor for a profane English word in this case, by the way. Anyway...

I did read that two of his sons' middle names are "Anthony" and "Andrew". I'm not sure where they come from, although my father's grandfather was "Anthony John" Czerniecki, a grandson of "Antoni" and "Katarzyna" nee Daniłowiczówna Czerniecki. His mother was an Andrulewiczówna (originally Andrulevič[i]us, variants of which include "Andrews") and she had relatives named "Anthony" as well. Maybe that has something to do with it(?), given that the Danilovich-Andrulevich branches at least on my side, etc. stayed connected. Also, there was an Anton Danilovich in Kalvarija.
As I told Tammy, this is the kind of history that one just cannot make up. We're a Suwałki Gubernia branch (and Łomza Gubernia was within its vicinity), although we all came from Dunilavičy (That's where the last name comes from.). "Antoni" and "Katarzyna" ended up in Lipsk, which was actually once part of Minsk Gubernia. There were also Czerneckis/Chernetskys/etc. in Chavusy. I just don't know the exact connection. Besides, we're of the Crypto-Jewish branches.
I should add, too, that the naming patterns are eeire. e.g., Kirk Douglas, Michael Kirk Douglas, Dylan Michael Douglas; John Gregory Czarnecki (d. 2013), Gregory Czarnecki (took "Matthew" as a middle name), and I was going to be "John Gregory"(!) and my sister "Matthew Xavier"(! Mom's father was Francis Xavier.), and my cousin is Gregory John, whose dad is Gary John (Again, this is the kind of history that one just cannot make up.
Also, once of the Andrulewitz branches had Kasis (probably from Casis/Qissis; not "spit" or "Kazys", although one Kasis did change his name to "Kazys"). By the way, we do have Sephardic heritage somehow (Maybe that explains the naming patterns.).
PS The Andrulevicuses were originally from Stakliškės, and all of Great-Granddad's branches (Andrulewicz, &c.; Danilowicz, etc.; Czerniecki, &c.; and Margiewicz [originally Morgovich], etc.) did stay connected in Northeastern Pennsylvania. We stayed Crypto Jews after we became so during the pogroms and became estranged from much of the family.

As I've said before, I can't make this up...

My since-deceased paternal grandfather with his in-law daughter at her wedding in 2004. He was a great-grandson of "Katarzyna" (née Daniłowiczów) Czerniecka, whose father was Avraham "Wojciech" Daniłowicz (Incidentally, finding his Hebrew/Yiddish name took a while, though the JewishGen Given Names Index helped. Also, "Avraham" is pretty easy to easy to figure once you figure why Pop-Pop's uncles John Felix and Joseph were called "Jankie [Felix]" and "Susi [Joseph]", and how you even spell those diminutives in the first place.)

Add caption

Pop-Pop's obituary picture.

My father on July 24, 2013 (The Rusnaks are descendants of Julia [née Foczková] and Andrew Rusnak. Their granddaughter Joan is my paternal grandmother.). 

My father and his wife on March 6, 2013.

He was born shortly before Great-Granduncle Joe was, by the way.

You are free to look at more images, by the way.

Here's one that I found of my father on Google.

And his namesake, my cousin Greg (Well, my grandfather's, too; since my grandfather's name was Gregory.).

By the way, "greg czarnecki elk ridge" is one of the results that came up. Is there something that I need to know (e.g., a move? A job? Just like the Czarneckis, or at least the Daniloviches, to hide things.).









PS That photo in the to-be obituary....scariest "shtick" I've seen. That could be (or could've been) an age-progression photo of my dad. 


I've explained, I think (all while I've ground my teeth, having unfortunately inherited a bad habit from my father).

I Wasn't Orchestrating Anything....And I've No Interest In a "Palestinian" State

As I said, I'm a non-leftist no-shame type when I speak about Netanyahu*. Now that Netanyahu admitted that he wanted a two-state solution, who's the Anti-Israel, Anti-American liberal now?

On Monday, Netanyahu, in the face of a seemingly deadlocked race, vowed there would be no Palestinian nation if he were re-elected, a seeming reversal from a 2009 speech he gave in which he backed the idea of a two-state solution. But Netanyahu's Likud Party ultimately triumphed, and on Thursday, Netanyahu seemed to dial back his remarks on the plan, which is a centerpiece of U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Remember that he tried to give 86% of the West Bank away? He unequivocally, by the way, "vowed [that] there would be" "no Palestinian state". So, 86% of the West Bank and no Palestinian State? More like "לא למדינת יהודית ללא משיח" ("No Jewish State Without the Messiah"). It's no secret: the same Agudat Yisra'el that affected ben-Gurion to be the Jewish von Hindenburg** are intent on, along with their "natural partner", destroying the current State of Israel***:

**One of the defining moments of the relationship of religion and state in Israel took place on the eve of the declaration of independence. David Ben-Gurion sent a letter dated June 19, 1947, to the political leaders of the religious parties (Mizrachi and Agudat Yisrael) making certain assurances concerning life in the future state.[19] Ben-Gurion promised that:

• The future government will do all it can to make sure that the religious demands be answered concerning personal status issues, such as marriage, divorce, and conversions. The result of this promise was that the Chief Rabbinate has authority over personal status issues and religious law governs marriage and divorce. This agreement continued the policy established during the Turkish and British era.

• All government-operated kitchens (army, police, hospitals, etc.) will have kosher food.

• The Sabbath will be the official day of rest for Jews.

• There will be autonomy in education and the state will not intervene in religious education but will demand and regulate a minimum curriculum in secular subjects such as science, grammar and history.

The status quo agreement was accepted with the understanding that the assurances given by Ben-Gurion could be altered with the adoption of a constitution, but that constitution never came into being, as described in another chapter in this anthology.[20] With no constitution, the “church”-state divide remained vague and the different political powers, secular and religious, constantly attempted to change the equilibrium.

***The ultra-Orthodox have not accepted the Zionist definition of the Jews as a nation in search of a homeland, and have remained faithful to the ancient definition of Jews as a religious community waiting for a messiah. In May 1912, some 200 Orthodox leaders from Germany and Eastern Europe met in Kattowitz (Katowice) to start Orthodoxy’s first organized response to Zionism, Agudat Israel, which still exists today as an anti-Zionist movement in Israel and as a lobby elsewhere. The ideologue of the movement was Nathan Birnbaum, a brilliant intellectual who collaborated with Theodor Herzl in the early days of political Zionism. He coined the term “Zionism,” and then became convinced that the secular definition of the Jews as a nation was inadequate, that secularization would lead to the disappearance of the Jewish people. Orthodoxy had to take a firm stand against Zionism, in the form of a political organization. Agudat Israel was Diaspora-oriented, and its center between the two World Wars was in Poland, where about one third of the Polish Jews were its supporters. It had elected representatives in the Polish parliament in the 1930s, and its delegates have appeared before international bodies, including the League of Nations and the United Nations.Historically, Agudat Israel has been opposed to the idea of a Jewish state, but the Holocaust deprived the movement of most of its constituency in Eastern Europe, leaving them more of a minority, less anti-Zionist and ready to accept the reality of Zionist success.
Since 1948, the party has been pragmatically involved in state institutions. It supports governing coalitions and is rewarded with ample budgets for its Orthodox schooling system. Agudat Israel accepts the state of Israel de facto, but judges it to be without the religious significance assigned to it by religious Zionists.

* As I said: