New York – A well-known Orthodox rabbi and lecturer based in the US posted a video claiming that only one million Jews died in the Holocaust. The other 5 million people included in the numbers of Jews killed by the Nazis were intermarried and not Jewish, he said.
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Academic scholars of European Jewry and the Holocaust based in Israel rubbished his claim saying it was without historical foundation.
Rabbi Yosef Mizrahi is involved in Jewish outreach to return Jews to religious life and holds a series of weekly lectures in New York as well as speaking in other parts of the US and has a Facebook page with 77,000 followers.
He also conducts speaking tours in Israel, and has spoken in Ramle, Jerusalem, Afula, Ra’anana, Rehovot, Eilat, Rishon Lezion and Tel Aviv.
In a video published on his YouTube channel on Tuesday, Mizrahi stated, “This is how it was in Europe, 80 percent of the Jewish people were assimilated and intermarried with non-Jews many generations before the Holocaust.”
The rabbi noted that according to Jewish law only a person whose mother is Jewish is considered Jewish while also pointing to the Nazi policy that defined someone as Jewish if they had just one Jewish grandparent.
Mizrahi argued therefore that the figure of 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, as accepted by the vast majority of Holocaust scholars, contained 5 million people who were not Jewish according to Jewish law.
Said the rabbi, “The truth is that not even one million Jews were killed. Not that this is, God forbid, an insignificant number, it’s massive, but there is a difference between one million and 6 million.”
Prof. Kimmy Caplan, head of the Department of Jewish History and Contemporary Jewry at Bar-Ilan University said Mizrahi’s claims had no basis in fact and were not backed up by any corroborating data.
“Someone who says this is completely detached from historical reality,” he told The Jerusalem Post. “There is no historical evidence that sustains such an argument or anything that comes close to such an argument.”
Caplan said that intermarriage did occur on a small scale in Germany, France and the UK but noted that neither Jewish newspapers nor rabbinical responsa in Europe, especially Poland and Eastern Europe, discussed the issue of intermarriage before the Holocaust because, he said, the issue did not exist on a large-scale level.
“Jewish society was discussing anti-Semitism, Jewish nationalism, and other issues but there was no discussion of intermarriage because it wasn’t a reality of Jewish life,” he said.
Efraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Israel office and a Holocaust historian, described Mizrahi’s comments as “made up history to suit an agenda,” and accused Mizrahi of using his claims to encourage people to be more observant Jews.
“He wants people to be more religious, so he’s saying be religious by downplaying the Holocaust through an attack on the ‘imperfect’ Jewish identity of people who are not religious,” said Zuroff. “This is a product of the utter ignorance of the actual historical record.”
In response to a request for comment from the Post, Mizrahi said he had “never determined this fact” and said that “a group of liars systematically distort my words and take them out of context.”
“At the time of the Holocaust, the Nazis murdered people who were half-Jewish or a quarter-Jewish according to their system – although as I said according to the Torah there is no such thing as half-Jewish but rather that someone is either totally Jewish or totally non-Jewish.
“I explained in my lesson that it is possible that 5 million Jews died or 3 million or even just one million.
“The reason I spoke about the issue was to alert the public to the awful assimilation that is taking place right now in the world.”
According to Prof. Robert Gellately, editor of Social Outsiders in Nazi Germany, in 1935 when the Nuremberg laws were passed, “approximately 35,000 of the 500,000 members of German Jewish communities lived in intermarriages.”
I am more and more convinced that the present-day Orthodox rabbinate is overrun by ignoramuses, weirdos, self-seeking publicity hounds, criminals and moral degenerates. Besides the fact that this yutz has no idea of what he’s talking about, can you imagine the chizuk he’s giving to neo-Nazis, white supremacists, Holocaust deniers, etc. with this idiotic claim? Can’t you hear all the haters laughing and saying, “Even an Orthodox rabbi admits that far, far fewer than six million Jews were killed by the Nazis.
The sick thing is, this maniac will still draw crowds of gullible Yidden to his lectures and I’m sure I’ll be castigated by some morons on this site who will tell me I’m playing with fire for talking this way about a rabbi.
The non Jewish anti- semites don’t have a monopoly on being an ignoramus the Jews could also have their own ignoramus, Here we have one.
If you believe anything he says it’s your problem he is such a narrow minded person.
Now the deniers are from us, R”L. This “rabbi” is not only detached from historical reality, he is detached from reality altogether.
I don’t know if in numbers he’s correct but he has a point
I wish some of these wonderful Rabbis would produce documentation to back up their claims. Whether he is right or wrong, in this particular case סייג לחכמה שתיקה is likely applicable.
He will need to redefine what he really meant. I guess its too late.
A Jew is a Jew and for sure if they need help we shouldn’t look how frum a person is.
Having said,the majority or a huge portion of Jews who perished were secular and assimilated. Thanks to the enlightenment and the reform movement entire towns and villages became Frie and numerous German Jews married into the German society bearing children who were Goyim.
Special after ww1 when Zionism started to integrate into the frum shtatlech and cities tens of thousands of youngsters went to camps where they all became Chilonim.
Interesting to note how Zionist today blame European Jews for not fleeing Europe during or right before ww2 supposedly becuase their Rebbes didn’t let them flee. The majority of the six million were non-observant.Why didn’t they flee?
This guy should be removed from all Jewish institutions, as this is a mega insult to what have been the truth since the Holocaust, and it adds power to the anti-semites. The anti-semites can claim:”just like it was a lie of 6 million, it is also a lie for the 1 million, and it came from an orthodox Jew himself”.
So, please, remove this guy from among us. Label him not Jewish, just like the other 5 million he claims.
the Torah says in the end of days there will be false rabbis and false prophets, I guess the Keiz is closer them we think.
Dear rabbi Mizrachi.
Before you talk on History of the Jews of 70 Years ago in Hungary and Poland plus other countries. Please count the Reform Jews in the US and in Israel to inspect if at-least 50% are None Jews.
And, if it were only one million, that would make it better?
Dear Rabbi, and your proof is……………
Talk is cheap, naarisha mentsch!
What bothers all of you is not the numbers, but the statement that the assimilated Jews are not Jews (if their mother was not Jewish). A elder from the churben survivors who came form the city of Uhel told me that 80% of Jews were assimilated. So goes for many cites.
If you figure way back when haskala started 250 years ago that was enough a period this should develop. Second, third generation from haskala were intermarried. The Haskala made a spiritual churben on klall yisroel bringing the charon af on klall yisroel.
His speech is a Chillul H’ashem – and L’ashon Hara (about those that he does not know and can not know).
Many were killed on Kiddush H’ashem – and whether they were frum or not, what ever their history, they were killed because they were thought to be Yidden.
All of you low lives denigrating the Rov should be ashamed of yourselves. The Torah specifically says that if a Gadol tells you it’s daytime and even if you’re sure it’s nighttime, do not doubt his word because he has more Torah knowledge than you. I guess all the idiots on VIN hold the,selves to know better than a well respected Rov! You people make me laugh with your stupidity.
This man spews so much nonsense! Shame on him! It is true that most Jews prior to the Holocaust were assimilated. However, they were most certainly Jews as few were intermarried. For example, Anne Frank was fourth or fifth generation assimilated but 100% Jewish!
This guy is completely off-base (nuts). He is accusing Jews who were murdered by Nazis as not having been Jewish. The fact that they were murdered because they were Jews puts the victims in the category of having lost their lives “Al Kiddush haShem.” There can be no higher sanctification. This absolute meshugana is a disgrace to Klal Yisroel. He should be shunned. All of his videos, speeches, etc., should be flushed down the toilet. If he were to step into my shul, he would physically thrown out. He can no longer be considered worthy. He disgraced Jews that were murdered – martyred Al Kiddush haShem. He is an evil vile rasha. All of us who read this or even hear about this must wash our hands. I do not have enough bad things to say about him.
All of you should email Rabbi M and ask for michila as soon as possible, before it’s too late
A Jew is not a Jew, a Jew is only a Jew if his mother is Jewish, the Rabbi pointed out the Howard Stern who claims he is Jews and everyone thinks he is Jewish is not Jewish at all
His mother was a shiksa his father Jewish – he is not Jewish, his kids on the other hand are Jewish because their mother is Jewish
I am sorry the Rabbi does have point
maybe he is saying this to tick-off the nazi’s y’ms “hah you think you got so many of us – well you only got 1m not 6m” kinda like obama claiming that ISIS violence is not islamic.
Nah – they are just a couple of knuckleheads!
How come these sefardic rabbonim always say the most stupidest things?
Do they even think before they open their mouth?
Maybe before they were killed they were secularized however being killed al kiddush hashem,we now have six million and more.their neshomos reached higher then his ever will after 120.
Not referring of course those born from non jewish mother
Let me put it this way, Rabbi Mizrachi have said many controversial things, it’s up to you weather you want to follow him or not, however someone who is not so literature in history may be a great in many other ways….
They say that Einstein fir example could not make an amlet by himself but was genius in Physics.
Please don’t judge by what you’re reading, Rabbi Mizrachi has done a lot of good deeds and has helped many people who were emotionally broken.
To all that think this guy (NOT Rabbi) is controversial, think again, this guy has forgotten to take his meds for far too long now, nebech !!!
Nutjob par excellence…
Many prominent Nazis had Jewish blood in them , and this is where the real problem is, not the accurate number of authentic Jews, because those assimilated Jews, are the number 1 enemy of Jews, now and then, They are in the forefront of boycotting Israel and slandering it more than Iran and North Korea combined, And they were the Reform and the Maskilim who ridiculed the Jew with the long nose that smells from onion and garlic and constantly seeks to cheat and outmaneuver the gentile, Their propaganda and the caricatures they depicted, found their way to the Nazi’ Der Sturmer’, And those contemporary ‘scholars’ are expected to be the most vicious and vociferous attackers of Rabbi Mizrachi,
Notice the name “MIZRACH”. A sephardi making claims against Ashkenazim. So typical. How many were killed in the inquisition? How many were killed in the Churban Bayis Rishon and Sheni? What about all the Jews killed in the crusades?
Where does this fool get the chutzpah to get up and speak of such nonsense about these Kedoshim.
If there ever was a time to put a person in Cheyrem this may be it . Such rechilus should not go unpunished!!!!
Excuse me everyone! Fact is fact that 6 million jews were murdered. No one can pinpoint any exact figures of how many chassidim or lutvish or ashkenzim or sefardim were killed nor can we determine of how many non observant or reform jews were killed. Were all 6 million observant jews? No! To pin point exact figures is not just stupid but an insult to all holy souls that gave their lives because of their jewish religion al kiddush hashem! Yes some of them were not observant but guess what they are all in gan eden with all tzadikim indeed!
Is this part of the claim that all ashkenazim have intermarried at some point and the original jews are the sephardim? the holocaust is simply not part of his mesora. He hasn’t heard any personal accounts. He’s probably just assuming that it must be since the majority of jews were always sephardim according to his theory and without this unfounded statement his theory wouldn’t make any sense.
There are actually some theories that think the number was a lot higher than 6 million.
maybe his nom de guerre is AlterG
No, no, no, Mizrachi meant that only 1 million SEFARADIC Jews died in the holocaust. As to how many Ashkenazic Jews were murdered, Mizrachi has no clue and neither does he care, Ashkans don’t count anyway.
Firstly, what seems to be overlooked by all “the assimilation is eliminating more Jews than the Holocaust”, is that assimilation does not make the Jewish Nation lose a single Jew! Since the halacha is that those born of a Jewish woman are Jewish, and the father’s religion is irrelevant, then regardless of how many Jews intermarry, and for how many generations; the count of Jews stays the same (think about it; take a pen and paper, a calculator, or fingers and toes; the absolute number of Jews will always depend on how many children a Jewish woman has, her husband makes no difference; and Jewish men’s children are also irrelevant). The only difference is that the children who are Jewish don’t know it and are “lost” to the Jewish race until Moshiach comes, who will identify them, and since they have a Din of Tinuk Shenishbo, will be full Yidden.
Secondly, Rabbi Mizrachi’s “Gilgul theory” of the 7 children who died, is very possible and similar to what many Gedolim have said about children who died in the Holocaust.
Thirdly, Rabbi Mizrachi’s math is off, and I don’t understand his point anyhow. But the Sephardim really ought to avoid discussing the Holocaust, as it offends many
You are missing the point he said and I agree with him, there are a huge amount of intermarriages and its predominately among Ashkanazim, just go outside NY and you will see most of other groups such as conservative, reform. movement all created by Ashkanazim.
הֵן-רַבִּים עַתָּה עַם הָאָרֶץ
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם, אֵין חוֹלְקִין כָּבוֹד לָרָב
The foolishness of his statements are only outdone by his arrogance.
Just because many Jews were irreligious doesn’t necessarily follow they intermarried. Look at Israel today, most secular Jews still marry Jewish.
Perhaps he should look inward at the Sefardi/Mizrachi community as a whole, who unfortunately have always downplayed the Holocaust. How else does one explain Sefardim parading around in luxury German cars BMW, Mercedes. Reckless disregard for the feelings of survivors still alive. Ask them, they feel shame and humiliation.
Do they feel so removed from this tragic bonding event of Ashkenazi Jewry, they’re compelled to downplay it, or imply that somehow Ashkenazi Yidden had it coming i.e. intermarriage, talking in shul, or higher education -something which was always thought to be ‘beneath’ the Sefardim?
By the way Howard Stern is Jewish (mother’s name Schiffman). He sought to downplay his Jewishness early in his career (Probably what R’ Mizrahi heard).
תִּכְבַּד הָעֲבֹדָה עַל-הָאֲנָשִׁים, וְיַעֲשׂוּ-בָהּ; וְאַל-יִשְׁעוּ, בְּדִבְרֵי-שָׁקֶר
When did this become an arena for Ashkenazi or Sefardi bashing? At least 200,000 Sefardim were killed in the Holocaust, many from Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece, France and Holland.
If one Sefardi says something stupid, please don’t attack a Klal. Tonight is the yohrzeit of Rambam and unity in Yisrael is what we need right now.
less than 1% of Polish Jews were intermarried and more than 3,000,000 were killed. That’s not to mention all the jews from shtetels, Russia, Ukraine, etc. This mizrahi charlatan talks such nonsense… he’s worse than the holocaust deniers
Wow, you people really know nothing about the history of the holocaust. More than four million of the Jews killed were FRUM Jews from Poland and other Eastern European countries. People who are ignorant of jewish history think that the largest group of victims were from Germany. Compared to Poland the Jewish population in Germany was very small- 240,000. Almost all were tragically murdered but it can’t compare to the decimation of Jewish population of Eastern Europe, which was almost all religious. Religious Jews were by far the greatest victims of the holocaust, simply because they greatly outnumbered non-religious Jews. Even those Jews who were non religious rarely married out.
That said, though Mizrachi shows himself to be completely ignorant of history, the premise of his point is also abominable. It doesn’t matter if the Jews killed were religious or not. All died al kiddish hashem.
“המין השלישי במדרגת הנהרגים על קדושת השם והאנוסים באונס השמד. דע, כי בכל מקום שאמרו בו חכמינו זכרונם לברכה יהרג ואל יעבור, אם יהרג כבר קדש את השם, ואם היה בעשרה מישראל כבר קדש את השם ברבים, כמו חנניה מישאל ועזריה ודניאל ועשרה הרוגי מלכות ושבעת בני חנה ושאר ישראל הנהרגים על קדושת השם, הרחמן יקום נקמת דמיהם בקרוב. ובעדם נאמר (תהלים נ’ ה’): אספו לי חסידי כורתי בריתי עלי זבח, ואמרו חכמינו זכרונם לברכה (שה”ש רבה ב’ ז): השבעתי [אתכם] בנות ירושלים השבעתי בדורות של שמד, בצבאות שעשו לי צביוני ועשיתי צביונם, או באילות השדה ששפכו דמם עלי כדם צבי ואיל, ועליהם הוא אומר (תהלים מ”ד כ”ג): כי עליך הורגנו כל היום. ואיש שיזכהו האל לעלות במעלה עליונה כזאת, כלומר שנהרג על קדושת השם, אפילו היו עונותיו כמו ירבעם בן נבט וחביריו, הוא מעולם הבא, ואפילו לא היה תלמיד חכם, וכך אמרו עליהם השלום (פסחים נ’ א’): מקום שהרוגי מלכות עומדים אין כל בריה יכולה לעמוד במחיצתם, [מאן נינהו אילימא] רבי עקיבא וחביריו, וכל שכן דאיכא תורה ומעשים טובים אלא הרוגי לוד
Ina, I’m not sure where you are getting your numbers from. According to censuses done in the 1930’s, 80 % of polish Jews considered themselves religious and used Yiddish as their first language.
He is off the wall – and has completed discredited himself an intelligent person.
This is actually hilarious. In order to sidestep the questions that churban Europa can create in the mind of a yid, Mizrachi came up with an ingenious solution: Holocaust denial. I was waiting for him to fall on his own sword and that moment has finally arrived. Good riddance! He may have given many chizuk to be observant but he has also created many monsters in the frum community.
Sadly, his words will be quoted more at holocaust deniers and anti-semitic websites than Jews. What a self-absorbed disgrace.
There should be a way of sanctioning this am haaretz ‘rabbi’ whose factually incorrect self hating comments about the churban have gone global on the internet. His attack is actually directed against the millions of secular Jews (who were halachically Jewish) murdered during the war. I had extended relatives from Hungaria, secular but totally Jewish and identifying as Jewish sent to Aush. Where does this bum get off insulting martyrs in their graves? Oh yes, they dont even have graves….
He’s a frenk, What does he know about the Holocaust?
In a previous lecture of his Mizrachi The Pervert said that those Jews who did go to the Gas Chamber lacked Tzenoah, and were more interested in how their bodies looked!!!
Not sure what is so controversial about what the rabbi said. The german murderers, yimach shmam vzichram, and I am aware that saying “german murderers is redundant, defined anybody with 1/16 of Jewish ancestry as a “Jew” for their murderous purposes, it is more than certain that many of those they considered “Jews” were actually goyim. Considering that the number 16 represents 5 generations (16 -> 8 -> 4 -> 2 -> 1) and also considering European rates of intermarriage in the last 5 generations before the churan, you can do the match and figure out that either a near majority or a majority mamash of the men germans yshv”z murdered as Jews were actually goyim.
And as for the earlier comment of the apparently not intelligent and not perceptive man that they “all of those victims died as Jews,” that is a logically a NULL statement: a goy can’t die as a yid, not any more that a dog or a german can die as a human being. A dog can die as a nice dog and a goy can die as a decent goy or even a righteous one, but he just can’t die as a yid, no matter how badly the not too bright we-are-all-the-same previous commenter wants it to be so.
Thank you Rabbi Mizrachi for bringing up those terrible issues of assimilation and intermarriage, this might bring about the demise of American Jewry, the way it did in Europe, and perhaps, your gross underestimation of Jewish victims in the holocaust, which caused such stir and controversy, has created an immense interest in the topic, which hopefully will bring repentance and a stronger Jewish identity, and history will not have to repeat itself,
The more impressive statistic would have been: of the 6 million Jews exterminated, not one of them was a Halachik Jew. Now that would have made for a great theological statement. But my Mother A”H never reported that Mengele ever said “Halachik Jews to the Right; Non-Halachik Jews to the Left”. Alas, Herr Hitler made no such distinctions, and, oddly enough, Hashem did not show favor to the Halachik Jews and save them from death. I am so disgusted. Rabbi Mizrachi should be given 10 fold Malchus for teaching this non-sense, and for spreading this hatred. When are we going to learn from the annual mourning for the Beis Hamikdash on Tisha B’Av. Ad Ma’sei, this kind of sinah? This Rabbi should have his samicha revoked for the Chilul to Hashem and the Kedoshim.