His Brooklyn Home Destroyed by Sandy, Singer Mordechai Ben David Is Making Aliyah (Video)
Latest update: November 9th, 2012
Only three days ago, popular singer and songwriter Mordechai Werdyger, known by his thousands of Orthodox Jewish fans as Mordechai Ben David, or just MBD, shot and distributed a video clip depicting the destruction of his neighborhood, Sea Gate, at the southwestern tip of Brooklyn, NY, in an effort to raise awareness—and donations—to rebuild this once thriving Jewish community.
The video starts at MBD’s basement recording studio, which has been totaled by the flood of ocean water—noting that the water only reached up to the level where pictures of famous rebbes were hanging. MBD then goes out to the beach, walking over the broken slabs of asphalt and concrete, surveying the astonishing damage.
Now rumor has it that MBD has decided to move to Israel, where he has purchased an apartment in a 330-unit residential complex being built at the T’nuva Compound, in the neighborhood of Romema, Jerusalem.
In what appears in hindsight as nothing short of a stroke of prophecy, Jewish Press Online blogger Tzvi Fishman, a devoted advocate of Jewish immigration to Israel, has called on MBD and others just this week to turn the misfortune of Sandy into an opportunity:
“Brothers and sisters of New York and New Jersey– rebuild your washed-out communities in Israel! Mordechai Ben David, Avraham Fried, and Shwekey – we have beautiful recording studios in Israel, as dry as can be! Instead of coming here for concerts on Chol HaMoed Sukkot and Pesach, come here to live, and give your holiday concerts in Brooklyn instead! It’s a lot safer living in Israel!”
And Fishman complains no one is listening to him…
About the Author: JewishPress.com Senior Internet Editor Yori Yanover has been a working journalist since age 17, before he enlisted and worked for Ba'Machane Nachal. Since then he has worked for Israel Shelanu, the US supplement of Yedioth, JCN18.com, USAJewish.com, Lubavitch News Service, Arutz 7 (as DJ on the high seas), and the Grand Street News. He has published two fun books: The Cabalist's Daughter: A Novel of Practical Messianic Redemption, and How Would God REALLY Vote.
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1
Hope this is true and others will look to him as a role model and leader, follow his actions and we will reap the benefits of many Yehudim making the decision to come home. Especially, now, when they see that they have lost every materialistic thing they owned. It should be a true wake up call that teaches the valueless of materialism over physical safety and spiritualism and where, as Jews, they need to be. The USA is NOT “home”, it was a temporary dwelling… and the window to that glorious Jewish era is closing, as it did on Spain & pre-WWII Europe. I hope that MBD will be able to convince MANY to make the move and that NBN will go out of their way for these who have lost ALL and make many special considerations that were not made for previous Olim, due to the circumstances, and make sure to find them temporary housing and truly help them make their yishuv ba’Aretz easy and smooth, so they can forget the tragedy they just survived. Let us NOT assume that all who live in Seagate are millionaires and have loads of cash in the bank. ONLY HKB”H knows the cheshbonot of bnei adam. Let us, also, remember that only, approximately, 2% of those in Seagate had flood insurance, which does not cover flooding below street level! Yup, that means basement flooding is not included! And those w/o insurance will want to apply to FEMA, who requires ins co rejection first, then FEMA rejects, then you have to appeal to FEMA and when they FINALLY do recognize your claim – after MANY months/year – they don’t cover appliances or furniture or clothing, just rebuilding the structure and I have no idea how much [%] of your loss they reimburse? Bottom Line: it’s not a happy ending! It’s not a place to rebuild! IT’S TIME FOR OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS TO COME HOME TO ERETZ YISRAEL! HASHEM WAS SENDING A MESSAGE… LET’S HOPE MANY TOOK THE TIME TO TRY TO READ THE MESSAGE & “GOT IT”! YASHAR KO’ACH TO ALL WHO ARE MAKING THE DECISION TO COME HOME! WE ARE WAITING WITH OPEN ARMS & HEARTS! MAZAL TOV ON YOUR DECISIONS. HKB”H LOVES YOU, E”Y LOVES YOU & AM YISRAEL LOVES YOU! COME JOIN US!
very bad solution, we need to fight sitra ahra aka reformists/leftism/obummer here not give credence to tzionut and hilonim, boro park or flatbush part is way to live, stay in diaspora till Moshiyach.
Good luck to you, keep the place clean.
UNLIKE!!!!
its true life needs to be rethought after these events but moving to medinat is kind of iffy idea.
Torah is not going away from Diaspora.
It would appear that G-d thinks otherwise…!!
Welcome home.
In many recent interviews MBD has mentioned he wants to live in Eretz Yisroel. His apartment is far from ready, so it is not as if he is going tomorrow.
MBD- LEAD THE WAY for all the others! I hope and pray that this is TRUE and not merely a rumor!
G-d works in mysteries ways it takes this kind of destruction to make people come on Aliyah, what a Master.
if you think that storm was “god” you’re insane.
Welcome home….and make your music here!
I have been posting his video and this website – http://seagatehurricaneemergencyfund.blogspot.co.il/ – on various Jewish FB pages to get help to these people! Please help out and spread the word about Seagate!
https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=CFMVucnGbOq9hRpTF9BaZQJcs4KWheVtk3j28V8r3pAToFs4V2QYMk9-4_u&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d0b7e678a25d883d0fa72c947f193f8fd .
aliyah is highly not recommended, sorry.
Yes, that’s what 4/5 of the Jews in Mitzrayim told Moshe Rabbeinu and didn’t follow him – where are they now????
we r in edom galut not mitzraym, u forgot that Yakov Avinu saw that Malach of edom did not come down and Hashem told him that He will take angel down Himself, we have to wait dont be zionist please
I am Zionist and live in Israel and feel proud about it. Not only that I do not feel like apologizing for this, but I will also pray that you will have enough time to get out of there safely, unlike the six million who stayed in Europe, waiting for Masiach …
“veshavu banim ligvulam”.
And to all the Aliya detractors out there!! Think on this… The only reason you can walk with your head held up high in the diaspora is because THERE IS A STATE OF ISRAEL!!!
A pity that he woke up so late in life!
http://thepartialview.blogspot.com/2012/11/novominsker-rebbe-at-agudah-kinus.html
Do memories, light the corners of your mind, misty watercolor memories of the way you were? Scattered pictures of the smiles you left behind, smiles you give to one another for the way you were? Can it be that it was all so simple then or has the G-d given Sandy rewritten every line? If you had the chance to do it all again tell me would you? Could you? Memories may be beautiful and yet what’s too painful to remember, you simply choose to forget. So, it’s the laughter you will remember whenever you remember the way you were. ==== Adapted lyrics from one your Jewish galut leftist anti-Israel song writers. ==== If you are sincere in your move to Israel, then it would not be the laughter that you will remember but rather the pain that brought you to your senses so that you would not return and do it again. Zarot tovot