Yosef Mizrachi (Hebrew: יוסף מזרחי; born 1968) is a Haredi rabbi[1] and public speaker.[2][3] Considered by many to be a leading Orthodox Jewish outreach rabbi,[4] Mizrachi's outspokenness on certain issues has led to his widespread denunciation and characterization as misguided by leading Orthodox Jewish authorities.[5][6]
Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Born | 1968 (age 55–56) |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Denomination | Haredi |
| Occupation | Public speaker |
| Website | www |
| Residence | Monsey, New York |
Biography
Yosef Mizrachi was born in Israel. His father was Moroccan and his mother was Persian. As a young man, he performed military service in the Israel Defense Forces, later moving to New York in his 20s to pursue a career in the financial sector.[5] In 1997, he began learning and later teaching Torah at the Ohr Yeshiva in Monsey, New York, and later producing kiruv (Orthodox Judaism outreach) videos[7] that began appearing online in 2004.[5] He is one of the rabbis who revolutionized the use of social media for Orthodox Jewish outreach, aimed especially at non-religious audiences.[4] Over the years, Mizrachi's efforts have been endorsed by leading Israeli rabbis such as Shlomo Amar, Reuven Elbaz, and Yitzhak Yosef, who estimated the number of people Mizrachi has influenced to return to Judaism to be in the "tens of thousands".[8][better source needed]
Mizrachi is a resident of Monsey, New York.[9]
Controversies and condemnation
In early 2014, before a lecture tour in London, concern was expressed about statements by Mizrachi in his previous lectures relating to the behaviour of secular and religious Jews during the Holocaust suggesting that Down syndrome and autism are "punishments for sins committed in a previous life" and among others. Mizrachi responded saying he was taken out of context and he would never disrespect people with disabilities. As a result, at least one of his planned lectures in London was initially cancelled.[10] After hearing a false report that the October 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting took place during a bris ceremony for the son of a gay couple, Mizrachi blamed the shooting on the allegedly sinful behavior of the congregation.[11]
Mizrachi has claimed that Jews helped bring about the Holocaust by assimilating.[12] In December 2015, in one of his lectures, Mizrachi claimed that it is possible that only one million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust as opposed to the well accepted figure of 6 million, since many of them were not Jewish according to Jewish law which requires a person's mother to be Jewish.[1][13] He was criticized by academics and Jewish leaders including Efraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who said that he "made up history to suit an agenda."[13] Later Mizrachi issued an apology.[1]
In 2016, UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis spoke out against the plans of this "Jewish hate preacher" to visit Britain.[14] Mizrachi has been barred from entering the UK by the Home Office.[3] In December, 16 prominent US rabbis issued an open letter about Mizrachi, saying that he "reduce[s] complex issues to simplistic and misleading sound bites," and that his assertions are "objectionable, and even dangerous."[15] The letter continued that institutions should be more "discerning" with the guests they invite.
In March 2019, a planned visit by Mizrachi to the UK was canceled following reports that the Home Office was considering a ban on account of his track record of spreading hatred and extremism.[16][17][18] Mizrachi went on to blame Mirvis - referring to him as "the number one most wicked person in the whole world", along with senior Sephardi rabbi Joseph Dweck, claiming that they are "the two friends, gay lovers, who do everything they can to promote homosexuality and destroy the Jewish nation from inside, destroy the Jewish community in England... he's going to bring a Holocaust on the Jews in England."[2][19]
In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mizrachi claimed that blowing hot air from a hair dryer into the throat was a cure for coronavirus. He recommended this treatment five times a day for two days for confirmed cases, and twice a day for suspected cases.[20][12]
In July 2020, a video from Mizrachi calling 14 prominent rabbis infidels was removed from social media platforms and prompted calls to have his videos removed more broadly from Jewish sites such as Torah Anytime for fear that it will incite violence. Natan Slifkin, one of the rabbis threatened in the video said, "We need to protest this hateful, potentially violence-inciting rhetoric."[5]
Works
- Mizrachi, Yosef (2019). Preparation for Eternal Life - The Truth of the Holy Torah, Judaism, Ethics and Repentance Hardcover. HaKeter Institute.
References
- ^ a b c Sharon, Jeremy (4 January 2016). "Rabbi Apologizes for Challenging Number of Jews Killed in Holocaust". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ a b Doherty, Rosa. "Rabbi Mizrachi: Chief Rabbi is 'going to bring a Holocaust on the Jews in England'". www.thejc.com.
- ^ a b Weich, Ben (March 13, 2019). "Controversial US rabbi Yosef Mizrachi 'barred from entering UK'". The Jewish Chronicle.
- ^ a b Rosenberg, David. "War of the 'Kiruv' Rabbis Escalates". Israel National News. Arutz Sheva Media Group. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Avital (29 July 2020). "Alarmed By 'Death Threat' Video, Orthodox Jews Try To De-platform Fiery 'Folk Preachers'". Forward. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ Boteach, Shmuley. "No Holds Barred: Does God Watch When Jews Die?". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ Wootliff, Raoul. "NY rabbi: 'Not even 1 million' Jews killed in Holocaust". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
- ^ Mizrachi, Yosef (5 December 2019). Preparation for Eternal Life - The Truth of the Holy Torah, Judaism, Ethics and Repentance Hardcover. HaKeter Institute. pp. 3–5.
- ^ "Rabbi's Bio".
- ^ Rocker, Simon (24 January 2014). "Synagogue cancels talk by 'Down's Syndrome is a punishment' rabbi". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "VIN Exclusive: Fake News, Says Tree Of Life Rabbi, Addressing Rumors Of Gay Bris During Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre". VIN News. November 5, 2018.
- ^ a b Reporter, Jewish News (28 April 2020). "Controversial rabbi says 'hot hair-blower' into throat can cure virus". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
- ^ a b "Orthodox rabbi: Only one million Jews killed in Holocaust". The Jerusalem Post | Jpost.com. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
- ^ Kolirin, Lianne (9 September 2016). "Rabble-rousing rabbi is not welcome here, say Jews". The Times. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ Chizhik-Goldschmidt, Avital (8 December 2016). "U.S. Orthodox Leaders: Rabbi Who Said Fewer Than 1 Million Jews Died in Holocaust Is 'Dangerous'". Haaretz.
- ^ Rosenberg, David. "Israeli-American rabbi barred from entering UK". Israel National News.
- ^ Weich, Ben. "Controversial Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi says he did not to fly to Britain for speaking tour over 'risk' of being refused entry". www.thejc.com.
- ^ "'Sick kids have sinned' rabbi banned from UK". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com.
- ^ "Rabbi Mizrachi says Chief Rabbi a 'cancer' who'll 'bring a Holocaust on UK Jews'". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com.
- ^ Judah, Jacob (29 April 2020). "Controversial Sephardi rabbi claims blowing hair dryers in mouth can kill coronavirus". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 4 August 2020.