I was wondering why Ami Magazine would feature this Rabbi from Iran and give him the front cover.
Even a fool knows that this Rabbi cannot say what he really wants to say; if he did, the Iranian Mullas would learn with him the sugye of Mesactas Beitza, when he returns.
I remember well when I was only a young boy, Reb Yehuda Leib Levin the then Chief Rabbi of Moscow came to New York in 1968 and said on a radio interview the following about Jews living under Communist rule:
"all the restrictions on culture, work and similar matters were eliminated and the Jews have the same rights as other nationalities."
Charges of such anti-semitism, he said, stemmed from "bad tongues, evil tongues, those that engage in gossip" and were circulated by "false prophets" who sought "strained relations among the governments"
Of course, none of that was remotely true, but Chareidim saw him as a heroic figure who had managed to maintain some semblance of Jewish life, such as synagogue activities and matzoh baking in his officially atheistic country, and saw him as a tragic figure who had to say publicly what he with his deep religious convictions, did not really believe.
At least Reb Yuda Leib was a huge scholar a talmid chachim of note and who had learned in Slobodka, under R' Baruch Ber Leibowitz. And it's important to note that Communist Russia didn't vow publicly to wipe Israel off the map.
Rabbi Yehuda Gerami, Chief Rabbi of Iran, in an interview with Ami Magazine says the following about Jews living in Iran
"Everyone is able to live openly as a Jew without any problems. They do not need to hide their Judaism. We have full freedom of religion. We are able to keep all of the mitzvot. The vast majority of Jewish Iranians keep kashrut, anti-semitism is the exception rather than the rule. We are able to walk through the streets in our kippot."
And adds with a straight face:
"The observance of Shabbat has improved a lot in recent years. Today, baruch Hashem, most of the Jews in the country are Shomer Shabbat."
Without realizing he says nonchalantly:
"Most people don't have mezuzot on their front door, not because of anti-semitism but because of fear that they will be stolen. But inside the house there are mezuzot on every door."
Then he drops a bomb:
"We also respect the law. It is illegal to travel to Israel, so we don't do it." I guess not if you want to continue breathing Iranian air.
Yitzchok Frankfurter the one who did the interview writes, thinking that his readers are a bunch of idiots...
"The picture Rabbi Gerami paints of Jewish life in Iran is quite a good one. In some ways, it echoes some of the challenges faced by many who live in "out of town" communities." "it echoes out of town communities?"
Is Yitzi Frankfurter encouraging frum Jews to move to Iran? After all its a country where almost everyone "is shomar shabbat" "and you can walk the streets of Teheran with a kippa"
Now read what the "upgerissiner naar" Frankfurter says:
"I ask Rabbi Gerami if after the Islamic Revolution, when the entire country became more religious, it became some what easier for Jews to be religious as well."
We all knew that Frankfurter is not the sharpest blade in the drawer but now I question if he has all his marbles .
Before the revolution, the Shah was in power, Iran was basically a free country like any other Western European country, so now he asks the good rabbi from Iran if Jews have it easier with Koumani in power? How is this guy an editor?
Now let's go back to my opening sentence:
Why would Ami Magazine feature this Iranian stooge and give him the front cover?
Iran told this Gerami guy, leave your wife and children here and go to the USA and portray the Iranian murderers in a good light, so the world would be fooled into thinking that Iran loves Jews!
Iran the country that vowed to wipe Gerami's brothers and sisters living in Israel, off the map, and who are developing nuclear weapons to do just that, ordered this "chuchim" to spread the lies and propaganda, to make the Mullas look civilized.
Ami Magazine with its naive and foolish editor "Yitzy the Frank" is helped him with this charade.
Any Jewish blood that will G-d forbid be spilled because of this dirty and dangerous scheme will be on the head of this fool, Yitzy Frankfurter.
