The UK, hosting the London Summer Olympics beginning at the end of July, has chosen its team of torchbearers for the ceremony before the opening of the Games. One of the torchbearers is a 22 year old Hassidic Jew from Stamford Hill in London.
Efrayim Goldstein was given the honor of being a torchbearer during the relay due to his already long career in charity work and other work on behalf of London's Jewish community. By age 16, Goldstein had already established 7 charities! Goldstein's organizations are run with over 3000 volunteers. Goldstein is also active in other organizations and charities.
Goldstein told VIN:
“I am very proud to show that there will be a Yid holding the Olympic torch,” Goldstein told VIN News. “I am honored to have been accorded such a special privilege.”
Torchbearers will wear specially designed gold and white uniforms during their route.“My tzitzis and kappel will be visible with my uniform,” said Goldstein, who will run his three hundred and thirty yard leg of the relay on Sunday July 23rd in Lewisham.
I found this interview with Efrayim Goldstein about his selection as a torchbearer:
Goldstein has clearly already made a kiddush Hashem with his great work for the community and for the needy. This experience should give him and his organizations some nice exposure, along with the well-deserved honor and recognition.
Kol Hakavod!
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Fascinating if not a bit weird, I mean what does one have to with the other?
ReplyDeletedoes no one else see the irony of a frum jew carrying the torch honoring a greek tradition long assured by the gemara and we have a holiday commemorating our victory over the greeks. the whole original olympics were based in nakedness and violence, which is part of why the gemara assurs it. this story made me laugh and pee myself just a little. Now we have frum jews "honored" to carry the greek olympic torch. tee hee
ReplyDeletedo not read the word as assured in english, I meant it to be read as "ah-soored" in hebrew. whoops
ReplyDelete@ shaya g
ReplyDeleteAs you are so quick to tell us how R' Efrayim's efforts are "assured by the gemara" I am more than sure you could, with equal facility, also produce yet another gemara "assuring" לשון הרע
Oh yes: go change your pants.
i was not commenting on R' epfrayims efforts being mutar or assur. i was talking about the gemara assuring the theaters and stadiums of it's times due to the greek and then roman behavior. The only comment directly about RE was the irony of a frum jew honored by carrying the greek torch. The greek tradition was what I said was assur, not his behavior. Please go back and reread my comment and you will see it was written looking at the irony and humor, not the cold halachic style you may first have read it as.
ReplyDeleteRelax DZ, no need to get mean.
as well, what did i say that qualifies as loshon horah even if i meant it the way you thought? someone else posts an article and I "said" that behavior is wrong, since when is that loshon horah? you don't even have your halachos correct.
ReplyDeleteoh yes: this comment automatically takes your words from a torah behavior of "hocheiach tochiach" into a realm of bad attitude where you have to throw out a personal dig or insult. this comment proves you were only commenting in a mean spirit and not as a mentch.
Wow, shaya g, that simple quip from Darth Zeidah really riled you, didn't it?
ReplyDeleteAs we used to say in חדר, "You can dish it out easily enough - but you sure can't take it"!
As you yourself could have written, "Relax sg, no need to get mean".