Yad L’Achim Counters Missionary Pitch Based on Rav Kadouri, zt”l
November 06, 2012
That missionaries have no limits to how low they’ll stoop is nothing new to Yad L’Achim, which has been battling them for decades. But their latest, despicable ploy is stunning in its audacity, deceit and sacrilege.
The newest campaign features Yakov Damkani, a missionary and leader of the “Messianic Jewry” movement in Israel, who describes Harav Yitzchak Kadouri, zt”l, the elder of the mekubalim, as “one of the most prominent rabbis in the country’s history.” Damkani then goes on to say that a year after the Rav’s death, in 2006, “a note was found which he left for his followers. In the note he wrote that the name of the mashiach is J.”
In his farcical pitch, Damkani presents a forged noted from Rav Kadouri with this “revelation” and adds that the Rav had met the mashiach in the final year of his life and was exhorting people to follow in the ways of J.
As expected, the spontaneous response among G-d-fearing Jews, especially those who had any connection with the Rav, was to dismiss the claim as utter nonsense. However, the missionaries aren’t aiming their poisonous arrows at the Jews who know better; their target is ignorant Jews who give credence to the claim that “one of the most prominent rabbis in the country” was instructing them to join the “Messianic Jews.”
To protect these potential victims, Yad L’Achim this week launched a counter campaign, discrediting the missionaries’ ridiculous claims. The film presents each and every claim made by Damkani and refutes it with powerful testimony from Rav Kadouri’s son and close disciples. Anyone who sees this film can have no doubt that the original is a lie from start to finish.
Featured in the Yad L’Achim film is the son of the elder of the mekubalim, Harav David Kadouri, rabbis who were close to him, his senior aides, and attorney Yoram Sheftel.
Meanwhile, Yad L’Achim’s legal department is examining criminal aspects of the case, including the possibility of filing a libel suit in response to the false claims based on forged documents.
In a statement released this week, Yad L’Achim said: “We are familiar with the lies of the missionaries and their agents. At the same time we will not stand by idly and allow them to mislead innocent Jews. We will continue to use every legitimate means to block them and foil their spiritually destructive campaigns.”
Video presentation – proving missionary sham
