former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson returned to Kino Regis in Bochnia Poland as part of his 2025 "Bass Warrior Tour" Video of the entire concert can be seen below The "Bass Warrior Tour" sees Ellefson gracing select European cities with a captivating evening of cherished classics and insightful storytelling from his illustrious career This journey encompasses his role as a co-founding member of MEGADETH When the "Bass Warrior Tour" was first announced Ellefson said in a statement: "I've approached my career as that of a musical warrior I eagerly anticipate bringing these songs back to the stage while sharing introspective and entertaining anecdotes about their creation It's been a wild ride of low notes and high stakes!" Accompanying Ellefson on this tour is Italian guitarist and musical director Andy Martongelli a longtime friend and collaborator who has been by Ellefson's side during his solo ventures ELLEFSON-SOTO and ALTITUDES & ATTITUDE tours across Europe On drums is Roberto Pirami (Michael Angelo Batio ex-drummer of Claudio Simonetti's GOBLIN),and on rhythm guitar Walter Cianciusi (Geoff Tate band) Ellefson was originally in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002 when the group briefly broke up because MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play Originally setting out to record a solo album Mustaine enlisted studio musicians to play on what ultimately became MEGADETH's 2004 "The System Has Failed" comeback album subsequently recruiting former ICED EARTH bassist James MacDonough to take Ellefeson's place for the album's touring cycle Ellefson sued Mustaine in 2004 for $18.5 million alleging that the MEGADETH guitarist/vocalist still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties Ellefson admitted that he became a salaried employee upon his return to MEGADETH 15 years ago He told Metal-Rules.com in an interview: "Going from being a co-founding owner to just a sideman musician was initially why I didn't come back in 2004 I was not happy with the participations that were presented to me I found great joy in doing music with a lot of other people in other settings that helped me fall back in love with playing music Now I can come back into or go into musical situations and be able to be there for a purpose and level of pay Being a sideman absolves you from being involved in all the other stuff I would rather leave that stuff on the sidelines 'membership has its privileges,' being a sideman has its benefits During a February 2021 appearance on Mitch Joel's "Groove - The No Treble Podcast" Ellefson reflected on his legal battle with Mustaine saying: "I firmly believe Dave and I ended up in that situation because he and I were not directly communicating and they were all trying to impress the client we're just doing whatever the boss tells us to do.' And it's wait a minute — your job is to manage and counsel and direct your client Those people are no longer here — they've all been let go thank God — and once most of them were let go was when Dave and I had an opportunity to come back and reconcile Let's jam.' And then it becomes about the music When the business people and the lawyers and the people come in and they try to sort of put logic around it "I've always said MEGADETH is completely illogical — there's no logic to it at all," he continued because it's something of the heart — it's not of the head; it's of the heart I always say the longest journey is the 15 inches from the head to the heart And that's what we do as musicians — we don't just memorize it; we have to really [know] it by heart And that's what a group is — a musical setting is about that there has to be some sort of business dynamic around it to kind of make it work Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly four years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter where the magic of history and the extraordinary landscapes of underground corridors will create a unique setting for your love Bochnia Salt Mine invites you to a unique Valentine’s Day dinner This is the only opportunity to spend the lovers’ holiday more than 200 meters underground in the heart of the oldest salt mine in Poland The evening will begin with an exciting ride in an underground train after which we will arrive at the salt chamber – a place with an extraordinary atmosphere our chefs have prepared a special menu that will delight even the most demanding palates Don’t delay your decision – spend this special night in one of the most extraordinary places in Poland Place reservations at +48 506 803 245 or +48 506 803 244 Reserve your spot and experience an unforgettable Valentine’s Day at the Bochnia Salt Mine Copyright © 1248–2025 Kopalnia Soli Bochnia Sp W naszym serwisie pliki cookies wykorzystywane są do prawidłowego działania sprzedaży usług gromadzenia statystyk ruchu oraz aby oferować funkcje społecznościowe udostępniamy partnerom społecznościowym i analitycznym The World Heritage Centre is at the forefront of the international community’s efforts to protect and preserve World Heritage partnerships for conservation Ensuring that World Heritage sites sustain their outstanding universal value is an increasingly challenging mission in today’s complex world where sites are vulnerable to the effects of uncontrolled urban development Our Partners Donate Take advantage of the search to browse through the World Heritage Centre information The deposit of rock salt in Wieliczka and Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century This major industrial undertaking has royal status and is the oldest of its type in Europe The site is a serial property consisting of Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines and Wieliczka Saltworks Castle The Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines illustrate the historic stages of the development of mining techniques in Europe from the 13th to the 20th centuries: both mines have hundreds of kilometers of galleries with works of art underground chapels and statues sculpted in the salt making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past The mines were administratively and technically run by Wieliczka Saltworks Castle which dates from the medieval period and has been rebuilt several times in the course of its history Le filon géologique de sel gemme de Wieliczka et Bochnia a été exploité continuellement depuis le XIIIe siècle Il s’agit d’un bien en série composé des Mines de sel de Wieliczka et de Bochnia et de la Saline-château de Wieliczka Les Mines de sel de Wieliczka et de Bochnia illustrent les étapes historiques du développement des techniques minières en Europe du XIIIe au XXe siècle : les deux mines forment des centaines de kilomètres de galeries avec des œuvres d’art des chapelles souterraines et des statues sculptées dans le sel offrant un fascinant pèlerinage dans le passé Les mines étaient administrativement et techniquement gérées par la Saline-château de Wieliczka  qui date de la période médiévale mais a été plusieurs fois reconstruite au cours de son histoire The Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines are located on the same geological rock salt deposit in southern Poland they were worked in parallel and continuously from the 13th century until the late 20th century constituting one of the earliest and most important European industrial operations The two mines include a large ensemble of early galleries which extend to great depths The residual excavations have been altered A substantial ensemble of statues and decorative elements sculpted into the rock salt has been preserved in both mines along with an ensemble of tools and machinery An underground tourist route has existed since the early 19th century which over a long period were combined as one company with royal status (Kraków Saltworks) were administratively and technically run from Wieliczka Saltworks Castle but has been rebuilt several times in the course of its history Criterion (iv): The Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines illustrate the historic stages of the development of mining techniques in Europe the subterranean chambers arranged and decorated in ways that reflect the miners’ social and religious traditions and the Saltworks Castle which administered the establishment for centuries provide outstanding testimony about the socio-technical system involved in the underground mining of rock salt This serial property consists of all three components historically constituting one royal enterprise Kraków Saltworks: Wieliczka salt mine Bochnia salt mine and the Saltworks Castle in Wieliczka Both mines present the diversity of the ensemble and the completeness of the evidence of the historically ancient working of rock salt in this region of what is today Southern Poland which historically administered the mines and managed sales of the salt for the benefit of the princes and kings of Poland gives a new dimension for the Outstanding Universal Value of the ensemble The property expresses relatively satisfactory mining authenticity Although most parts of the preserved structure are of the 18th century the technical testimony relates essentially to the 18th Technical knowledge about earlier periods stems mainly from historic records which in some cases are slightly over-interpreted The Wieliczka salt mine is legally protected both as a registered historic monument (N° A-580 1976) and as the Monument of History (Presidential decree The Bochnia salt mine is legally protected both as a registered historic monument (N° A-238 December 1981) and as the Monument of History (presidential decree Wieliczka Saltworks Castle is inscribed on the register of historic monuments of the State Party (N° A-579 The protection of the monuments is the responsibility of the Conservator’s Office for Protecting Historic Monuments The application of mining laws and regulations is the responsibility of the Krakow District Mining Office The system for the individual management of each site has been satisfactorily put in place Each site can draw on a large number of competent specialists The functioning of the programmes for the conservation and management of the sites is satisfactory The mining elements have been fully taken into account which has led to a lengthy programme of stabilisation of the abandoned galleries and the selection of the most representative galleries the very recent setting up of a Monitoring and Coordination Team common to the three sites must be confirmed both in terms of its structure and the way it will function particularly in order to harmonise the conservation plans and to ensure the involvement of all the partners concerned Inscription Year on the List of World Heritage in Danger Log in and download the free e-publication of the latest A&B The printed version is available for sale online in our store and press salons throughout Poland unique e-mail [will also be used as login in the portal] Only name - check the correctness of the data Only the last name - check the correctness of the data password must be at least 8 characters long * fields required for registration; data can be completed in account settings after logging in ** establishment of a student account follows verification of the validity of the student ID card Please try later or let us know: contact Technology: aitnet.pl Ⓒ AiB Publishing House 2025 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Poland (AP) — Polish hospitals struggled over the Easter weekend with a massive number of people infected with COVID-19 following a huge surge in infections across Central and Eastern Europe in recent weeks Tougher new pandemic restrictions were ordered in Poland for a two-week period surrounding Easter in order to slow down the infection rate The country hit new records of over 35,000 daily infections on two recent days and deaths have been in the hundreds each day The aim of the new restrictions was to prevent large gatherings over the long weekend culminating with Easter Monday the government is also trying to speed up the country's vaccine rollout but the pressure on the country's hospitals is still relentless coronavirus patients filled almost all of the 120 beds at the County Hospital of Bochnia 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the southern city of Krakow because there are a lot of patients," said Bozena Gicala a nurse treating COVID-19 patients who spoke to Associated Press reporters visiting the hospital She said the support of her colleagues was critical in managing the unprecedented situation said she had COVID-19 herself and is on a mission to help those who are suffering more than she did "Thank God I went without a hospital and I was fine But I know what it is and I just want to help people,” Ptak said voiced concerns about how some people still refuse to see the virus that has killed over 2.8 million people worldwide as a threat Poland has seen about 55,000 of those deaths “The disease is certainly there and it is very serious Szumanski said he is also worried that ICU spaces in hospitals could soon run out and that more people will die There have been warnings and reports in Polish media about how the nation's health care system is reaching a breaking point said the pandemic has been made worse by those who believe it is all a hoax and have shunned masks or ignored restrictions The hospital is so stressed that it is discharging patients who still need more treatment "in order to make room for the next ones in a serious condition Poland registered 204 new COVID-19 deaths on Easter Sunday but the numbers in recent days have been much higher “The hardest part is when you intubate your friends and leave them in intensive care,” Gucwa said Follow AP’s pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic,https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-vaccine and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak rewritten or redistributed without permission Poland discovered a rich vein of rock salt running beneath their town in 1248 it was the medieval equivalent of striking gold Minerals brought out of the Bochnia mine helped fund the Polish kingdom well into the 16th century until its prices were undercut by German sea salt Today Bochnia is one of the oldest continually used salt mines in Europe though it has now been given over to another purpose: restoring health is thought to help cure respiratory diseases A 150-meter long chamber with 140 bunk beds is used to house the unwell The former salt mine also has a chapel carved out of the salt rock Group jogs through the mine are a commonly organized event A train whisks tourists about the underground caverns for short tours Those wishing to stay longer also have the option of detraining for the night as part of an "inhalation stay." However as such overnight visits require a minimum of 80 guests Colorful lights and mirror-like brine pools create trippy illusions within the historic mine said to have been discovered by Alexander the Great's horse Mythological depictions of Laos’ national animal make this cave sacred A former salt mine is now a cool picnic spot for families and asthmatics This coastal cavern is associated with the Hawaiian god of creation This small cave in the center of Isla Colon doubles as a sanctuary Reputedly based on the tomb of Jesus Christ this crypt is the oldest surviving structure of any cathedral in England by RAFAL NIEDZIELSKI and ANGELA CHARLTON Associated Press BOCHNIA, Poland (AP) — European countries scrambled Monday to tamp down a surge in COVID-19 cases and ramp up vaccinations hoping to spare hospitals from becoming overwhelmed by the pandemic's latest deadly wave of infections The crush of coronavirus patients has been relentless for hospitals in Poland where daily new infections hit records of over 35,000 on two recent days and the government ordered new restrictions to prevent large gatherings over the long Easter weekend France's health minister warned that the number of intensive care unit patients could match levels from a year ago But in a sign of the disparities from one country to the next, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that barbers gyms and outdoor bar and restaurant patios would be able to open next week after the country reported progress with vaccines and its recent lockdown with 40 percent of the nation's adult population receiving at least one dose voiced concern that some people still refuse to see the virus that has killed over 2.8 million people worldwide as a threat About 55,000 of those deaths have occurred in Poland The more contagious and more aggressive virus variant identified in Britain is fueling much of the increase in Europe voters in many countries are angry at the European Union's strategy but also at their own governments' handling of the pandemic and the failure to prevent repeated spikes in infections warned Monday that the number of COVID-19 patients in the country's intensive care units might match the level of the first crisis a year ago he said the country could approach the ICU saturation levels of April 2020 when French ICUs held more than 7,000 virus patients many of whom were in temporary facilities because demand far outstripped the country's pre-pandemic ICU capacity Veran expressed hope that France's new infections could peak this week thanks to new partial lockdown measures After long resisting calls for a new lockdown the French government closed schools and shuttered all non-essential stores nationwide and imposed travel restrictions for four weeks The British government announced Monday that all adults and children will be able to have routine coronavirus tests twice a week as a way to stamp out new outbreaks The tests are being introduced as Johnson announces the next steps in the country's road map out of its three-month lockdown Britain has recorded almost 127,000 coronavirus deaths But both infections and deaths have fallen sharply during the lockdown and since the start of a vaccination campaign that so far has given a first dose to more than 31 million people introduced tighter lockdown restrictions following a recent spike in virus cases All schools in the city of 3 million people will be closed for the next two weeks and only people with special passes will be allowed on public transport The situation is difficult," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said North Macedonia has delayed mass immunization amid vaccine shortages as its hospitals fill up following record new COVID-19 infections and deaths last week Serbia also has eased measures against the coronavirus despite high numbers of infections and a slowdown in vaccinations The government on Monday allowed bars and restaurants to serve guests outside at reduced capacity and with respect of social distancing rules a top public health official said young people are driving the latest uptick in COVID-19 cases as the increasing rate of vaccination in older Americans prevents the most serious cases among seniors Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited the increasing spread of variants as well as a rise in youth sports and extracurricular activities as factors contributing to the steady increase in cases over the last four weeks But Walensky pointed to positive developments among seniors Senior virus deaths have fallen to their lowest level since the early fall More than 75% of those age 65 or older nationally have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine Many states are making vaccines available to younger demographics any adult in Florida is eligible to receive the vaccine the state announced that 16- and 17-year-olds also could get the vaccine with parental permission Editorial Warning:  This article describes the torture and execution of those accused of “witchcraft” in the 17the century Poland – Many Pagans and Witches are more than familiar with the Burning Times a period in European history wherein mostly women and put to death for the “crime” or “sin” of witchcraft Bochnia Market Square – Image credit: Andrzej Otrębski – CC BY-SA 4.0 Despite the term’s specific reference to the accused often being burned as a method of execution, it was not the only way that victims were killed. Estimates of the number of people executed vary widely, from as few as 40,000—still a staggering number—to as many as 9 million, although most scholars now discount the higher estimates The greatest prevalence of witch hunters in most of Europe occurred between 1550-1650 CE The witchcraft frenzy that swept through England and the colonies and much of Europe came to Poland a little later A recent archaeological find of a second set of skeletal remains in the market square in the city of Bochnia could in fact strengthen the claim by archaeologists that the remains are those of several women executed for practicing witchcraft by burning in 1679 Marcin Paternoga and his team uncovered first one and then a second set of remains in the square According to an article in The Bochnianin, the 1679 executions of three women accused of witchcraft and infanticide are well-known a “confession” was written ostensibly on behalf of two of the women The three women denied practicing witchcraft at first detailed accounts of their involvement in attempting to bewitch Regina’s lover and in the fate of Regina’s infant child which she claimed was the product of her affair but may in fact have been an infant that she purchased in an attempt to get her lover to marry her the women at first strongly renounced any affiliation with witches Regina originally stated that she had left the baby with a girl she paid to watch it Regina Wierzbicka and Maryna Mazurkowa only confessed to working spells and meeting with the devil after being tortured multiple times They named Borucina of Niedar as a self-confessed witch with a lot of knowledge and power It is possible that the women were placed on a torture rack designed to wrench their limbs from their sockets and also threatened with execution by burning or confessions obtained as a result of torture This was commonly based on the Latin phrase “confessio est regina probationum,” which translates to “Confession is the queen of evidence” and was the justification for forced confessions It was of vital importance to obtain a confession for a trial during the Middle Ages—so vital that the methods of extracting these confessions were often excruciating despite overwhelming evidence that torture does not produce reliable confessions from victims this method of obtaining confessions from accused individuals is still practiced in many parts of the world as a lawful form of obtaining justice Numerous scholars have noted that victims who undergo various forms of torture will say or agree to a number of things in the hopes of ending their suffering—even if what they “confess” is provably and patently false this meant that they would often confess to participating in whatever illicit activity their torturers suggested admitting to it was seen as full confirmation of guilt and thus almost always assured their impending execution and their pleas and prayers for forgiveness all three women were executed in the town square The women were tied by the arms and legs to a pole and were burned alive over a pit meant to symbolize their descent into Hell for their sins as they could not be buried in the church cemetery Marcin Paternoga does expect to find a third set of remains nearby the first two a number of skeletal features indicate that both sets of remains are female and there is an obvious and significant indication of charring on the bones Both of the deceased women were found at the same level and in a similar context indicating they were buried about the same time Paternoga’s team is still working to completely expose and remove the skeletal remains at least 13 women were executed in the town of Bochnia for witchcraft Near where the remains have been uncovered archaeologists have also uncovered a brick structure and multiple layers of ash The human remains show no indication that they were reburied or relocated aligning with accounts that the executed were buried at the site of their execution What was once an unsubstantiated conjecture at the start of the digging has now gained traction as a probable explanation for the existence of the remains in the square Once the remains have been fully excavated and sent to a lab Paternoga expects to find further confirmation that they are two of the women burned to death in 1679 Burning a body in high heat can cause significant and even inversion and fusion of the bones in very high heat The remains Paternoga has uncovered in the market square of Bochnia do show signs of high heat damage The Wild Hunt is not responsible for links to external content Visit our The Wild Hunt subreddit! Point your favorite browser to https://www.reddit.com/r/The_Wild_Hunt_News/ to be notified of new articles posted to our subreddit hers) is a writer based in Southern California She has lived in a number of other places throughout the country and maintains close ties with family and friends there She has a degree in Anthropology and a degree in Classical Greek and Latin with a particular focus on texts ranging from the late Republic into early Empire Her interests currently include southwestern archaeology with a focus on local archaeological sites in Southern California and has been a regular volunteer in the community for over a decade In spare moments she pursues needlework and activism Pingback: Omnium Gatherum: 20jan2021 - The Hermetic Library Blog Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News --- The Tennessee State men's team hosted Cumberland University Sunday The Tigers won the match 6-1 against Cumberland TSU took the doubles point by winning two out of the three matches. During singles the Tigers won all matches except one. Juan Carlos won his match 6-0, 6-1. Leandros Misdrachis defeated his CU opponent 6-2, 6-2. Stefan Koruga also won 6-2, 6-2. Larry Sloan went into a tie break set and won 10-6 Alberto Gonzalez-Raton defeated Felipe Sarpa 6-4 UP NEXT: The Tigers will compete against Vanderbilt in Nashville Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson performed at Kino Regis in Bochnia Poland as part of his inaugural "Bass Warrior Tour" 00:00 Intro03:05 Skin O' My Teeth06:18 99 Ways To Die10:53 Celebrity Trash14:46 Reckoning Day20:02 Bad Omen24:25 Go To Hell29:34 Like A Bullet34:54 I'll Get Even42:18 Simple Truth46:36 Countdown To Extinction51:02 Lucretia/Take No Prisoners54:35 Tornado Of Souls01:00:40 Love Me Like A Reptile1:03:08 Roberto's Solo1:04:01 Walter's Solo1:05:20 Andy's Solo1:06:48 David's Solo1:12:20 Anarchy In UK1:15:19 Symphony Of Destruction1:19:10 Peace Sells Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH nearly three years ago just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter Shortly before Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders Dave Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — released a statement on May 24 2021 announcing the bassist's departure from the band Dave said: "We do not take this decision lightly While we do not know every detail of what occurred what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward." Ellefson told Andrew McKaysmith of the "Scars And Guitars" podcast that he was prepared for his latest exit from MEGADETH a lot of people were hitting me [up and saying] I didn't think it was gonna go down that way; I didn't see that coming Because I knew there's another journey ahead and that journey wasn't gonna start until I was out of the old one you've gotta play company man and you kind of go along with the narrative that's been set forth a lot of the narrative in that band that I never agreed with," Ellefson admitted "A lot of that band was started on a grudge and a hardship of the firing [of MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine] from METALLICA I was always a METALLICA fan and I became friends with those guys I have nothing but gratitude for that group and those gentlemen for what they've done for all of us and I think they deserve the biggest applause So it was hard to be in a band that always had this saltiness around that whole narrative And maybe the events that happened a couple of years ago everyone's pissed at you; they hate you: 'Oh You quit my favorite band.' But when you get tossed out… And I'm not looking for the sympathy card You don't have to feel sorry for me; you don't have to do any of that I guess the way it happened… it went down in a way that it was certainly visible enough and on a level that… It was sort of And I just tried to be faithful to just following my heart Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine alleging the frontman shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc over to him when the band broke up in 2002 The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010 DAVID ELLEFSON BASS WARRIOR TOUR FEATURING ANDY MARTONGELLI FEBRUARY-MARCH 2024 Posted by David Ellefson on Thursday, February 15, 2024 Guitarist Rowan Robertson (DIO) and singer Doogie White (RAINBOW MICHAEL SCHENKER) recently teamed up for a European tour during which they performed classic RAINBOW and DIO songs which saw them backed by Francesco Caporaletti on bass and Alessio Palizzi on drums Lithuania and concluded on December 14 in Verviers Fan-filmed video of Robertson and White's December 7 concert at Kino Regis in Bochnia 04:30 Intro06:10 Kill The King (by RAINBOW)10:35 Too Late For Tears (by RAINBOW)17:35 The Last In Line (by DIO)24:10 Man On The Silver Mountain (by RAINBOW)29:00 Lock Up The Wolves (by DIO)37:40 Black Masquarade (by RAINBOW)44:50 Ariel (by RAINBOW)52:05 Holy Diver (by DIO)57:31 Don't Talk To Strangers (by DIO)1:04:09 Long Live Rock 'N' Roll (by RAINBOW)1:09:00 Heaven And Hell (by BLACK SABBATH)1:16:53 We Rock (by DIO)1:23:45 Rainbow In The Dark (by DIO)1:31:20 Temple Of The King (by RAINBOW) Rowan said that he "would love" to release songs that were written during the sessions for "Lock Up The Wolves" that didn't make the final record who was 17 years old when he joined Ronnie James Dio was asked by The Metal Voice if he would be interested in making the unreleased recordings available to the legendary singer's fans "There's two songs which were just done on a boombox in rehearsal," he said "And I just really would like to get permission from management 'Don't play anyone that.' You know what I mean?" Robertson said that he played the two songs in question — which were apparently titled "Hell Wouldn't Take Her" and "The River Between Us" — for Ronnie's widow and manager Wendy Dio and that she thought the quality wasn't "good enough" to release them Rowan was also asked by The Metal Voice for his opinion on the "Dio Returns: The World Tour" which featured a hologram of Ronnie James Dio backed by some of his DIO bandmates and I don't see any problem with it at all Robertson heard that Ronnie James Dio was looking for a new guitarist He sent a tape to the record company Phonogram he got a reply that stated that at that moment they were not interested in him At the encouragement of his friend and fellow guitarist Sean Manning (HURRICANE),the tenacious Robertson then contacted the DIO fan club who then asked him to send his demo tape to them Robertson got a great response from DIO after receiving the demo through the fan-club channels Robertson was flown to Los Angeles for an audition with DIO The press release for the addition of Robertson to DIO was sent out on July 18 1989 and the press was invited to meet the newest DIO guitarist on July 20 The first DIO album Robertson started working on with DIO was "Lock Up The Wolves" The band had already begun writing and recording when Jimmy Bain and Vinny Appice were suddenly excused from the band They were replaced with Teddy Cook and former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright and the band embarked on a tour in support of the album Robertson stayed with DIO until Ronnie James Dio rejoined BLACK SABBATH in 1991 In an April 2023 interview with Vintage Rock Pod Doogie spoke about his time working with legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore He could have chosen any singer in the world to come and join him And I'll be eternally grateful for that because it gave me a springboard to do [other things] — not so much with [Michael] Schenker but with Yngwie [Malmsteen] and ALCATRAZZ and things and I've had a lot of work come from that worldwide audience and because of my collaboration with Ritchie — and And so I'll always be grateful to him for that." Doogie went on to say that he "never really had any run-ins" with Ritchie "We used to go to Blockbusters together when there was no football on," he said referencing the throwback movie rental chain Blockbuster "I used to go down to his house when we weren't doing anything Go round to his house and we'd sit and watch 'The Princess Bride' or he just went [snaps fingers] and it was gone "We played football the day before the last show in Esbjerg in Denmark," he continued And then within an hour of us coming off stage And I went home and just phoned him up and just handed in my resignation I'm not doing this anymore.' And that was it he did have one brief correspondence with Ritchie after his exit from RAINBOW "I did contact him because I was owed some.. We had a publishing agreement for the songs that I'd written and I provided his management with the evidence that I was due funds So I've always had a great respect for him for that reason." White said that he is grateful to Blackmore for giving him a break and making it possible for him to have a career in music "He's very good at bringing new people in and taking people — not necessarily off the streets or out of being a coach builder or whatever," White said "And then he sets you free to do [whatever] and you can go off and if you can find your wings And that's one of his great gifts to the world of rock and roll is the amount of people who he has given careers to that you would maybe never have had of And we've all got to be very grateful for that David Coverdale could still be selling suits in Redcar Ronnie Dio could still be trying to get ELF to do something Graham Bonnet could still be crooning away in Australia I could still be sleeping on somebody's floor in London But he gave us all this opportunity to go out there and make something of ourselves White first came to prominence when he was asked to audition for RAINBOW subsequently joining the band in 1994 and releasing the album "Stranger In Us All" he has worked with CORNERSTONE (a band he put together with former ROYAL HUNT member Steen Mogesen),YNGWIE MALMESTEEN'S RISING FORCE and he is certainly one of the great rock vocalists of his generation Rowan Robertson (DIO) & Doogie White (Rainbow) - Evening with Dio & Rainbow - Bochnia Rocks Posted by Bochnia Rocks on Thursday, November 30, 2023 November & December in tour with DOOGIE WHITE (Rainbow) and ROWAN ROBERTSON (Ronnie James Dio)On Bass Francesco.. Posted by Alessio Palizzi on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 Madison County High School's FFA had 17 members attend the 94th Florida FFA State Convention from June 14-17 The Madison County High School's FFA students attended sessions to listen to guest speakers encouraging the FFA members to “Be Yourself” at the FFA State Convention MCHS FFA had seven members receive their State FFA Degree: Mackenzi Bochnia The State FFA Degree is the highest degree the state can award Madison County High School's FFA also had two members serve as delegates voting for new state officers and making decisions on concerns for the state association Anna Ebberson and Caleb Raines attended and competed in the Agriscience Fair Both FFA members placed third in their divisions The FFA students also attended leadership workshops and activities which helped them increase their communication skills and allowed them to grow as leaders The FFA recognizes students’ hard work on their Supervised Agriculture Experiences (SAEs) in a variety of different categories Ethan Bochnia (Nursery Operations) and Shelby Burt (Outdoor Recreation) were both finalists in their divisions with Bochnia placing first in the Nursery Operations division Bochnia will later compete at the national level This FFA chapter has worked hard to foster SAEs in their members and was recognized with the State SAE Award The 2022-2023 FFA officers were part of the members that attended the Florida FFA State Convention The MCHS FFA officers participated in an escape room as their first challenge as a team to prepare themselves to serve their fellow MCHS FFA members Madison County High School's FFA would like to thank all who have supported them throughout the year helping them succeed and creating the best opportunities for students See a photo you want? Greene Publishing, Inc. now has galleries available for you to purchase photos from our stories. Click here to browse our galleries and to order your choice of photo – digital printed and even specialty canvas and metal prints Sign up to receive our email newsletter in your inbox Northwestern apologized for and condemned a performance held Tuesday in Sargent Dining Commons by Firket.. Northwestern confirmed recent cases of grant terminations payment suspensions and stop-work orders tied.. As the federal government dismantles DEI programs Northwestern administrators and student demonstrators reached an agreement.. Nathaniel Foster and Lia Kim Nathaniel Foster is a student at the School of Professional Studies and writer of Ducks Dan and Dave... Ducks Dan and Dave: Lost and Not Found Wong: A less perfect union Baseball: Northwestern earns milestone 10th Big Ten win amid fifth consecutive series loss Cross Country: Ellis breaks 1,500-meter record, Wildcats sweep 5,000-meter podium at Badger Challenge Maia Alvarez Since the grand reopening of the Evanston Animal Shelter in October 2024 the staff and volunteers said they have noted an increase in the number of visitors and adoptions.. Seesaw Theatre brings accessibility to theatre spaces Valentina Valcarce, Finian Hazen, and Isabela Camargos Everything Evanston: Partners of the Evanston Public Library hosts open mic poetry reading for National Poetry Month By the numbers: The Trump administration has frozen millions in federal support for Northwestern. Here’s what it means for science funding on campus. Northwestern students sweep Chicago Area Undergraduate Research Symposium awards McCormick Prof. Karen Smilowitz named associate provost for undergraduate research Residents launch community organization for downtown Evanston Local crafters, shoppers connect at Maker’s Market New storefront celebrates a month of placing artists center stage Evanston has no shortage of cafes and coffee shops yet new ones continue to pop up all over town eager to vie for business with long-established venues yet the playing field for cafes can be rough Cafes opened in the past two years include Coffee Lab, Koco Table and Prana Cafe which hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week Steve Griffin, community and economic development director, said the city is unable to specify the exact number of cafe and coffee shop openings because many of them are privately-owned independent stores that do not have to be licensed by the city we have definitely noticed an increasing number of cafes,” Griffin said “And they are probably contributing to the city’s increase in development and revenue.” Yet individual cafe owners are finding it difficult to break even within the first few months or even years of their grand openings Java owner Chinelo Oparaeche told The Daily she was struggling to preserve her business Java employee Edmond Bochnia said many local cafes prioritize advertising to Northwestern and making their businesses college-friendly because students are responsible for a large portion of their revenue. He said J study areas and the WildCARD advantage that offers discounts for NU students The struggling economy doesn’t provide any help for cafes because a lot of people do not have the financial security they need to start their own business “Cafes are having a hard time prospering but I guess when you depend on a student population it’s different because they are more stable,” he said Many newer cafes are different from the typical corporate coffee shops Starbucks has a more fast-paced environment for people who pick up their coffee on the way to work The Evanston cafes are more focused on creating a comfortable setting for students to spend longer periods of time in Students can just spend time together. Like right now we have a study group with engineers working together.” some cafes have also found that students don’t always make the best customers Open spaces with available WiFi sometimes attract students who study for hours yet don’t purchase anything, Oparaeche said the NU customer base is too significant to ignore Kafein barista Martin Zeff said despite the current recession Evanston is a great place to start a cafe or coffee shop because of its closeness to NU “I’ve noticed more (cafes), but when you get a college town like this they’re bound to pop up everywhere,” he said Unicorn Cafe bartista Dean Beever said in order to make a profit and stay open, many local cafes are starting to collaborate more through city-wide business initiatives that attract college students such as awarding 10 percent off to students wearing purple Beever added that even though there are many cafes in Evanston there is not much rivalry among them because of the differences that make each unique he said it is difficult to determine how long new cafes will last “I guess it’s up to the customers to decide what lasts,” Beever said “There’s a small amount of advertising but it’s mostly what each cafe has to offer versus what other cafes have to offer and what the customers want.” Our weekly email is chockful of interesting and relevant insights into Jewish history How Schaja Kleinberg’s survived the Holocaust and saved a 400-year-old Torah scroll Ninety-two-year-old Schaja Kleinberg belongs to a very select group – he is one of the handful of Jews alive today who was on Oskar Schindler’s list made famous by Steven Spielberg’s Academy-award winning film Poland to Avraham Schiya Heshel and Rivka Liba Kleinberg The rich cared for the poor and everyone was treated with dignity with thick wavy brown hair and a beautiful singing voice he would later use as a cantor Schaja spent his teenage years studying as a Bobover Hassid and then pursuing a career in business Schaja and his father were immersing in the mikvah when the city’s sirens began to wail The Kleinberg family ushered in Shabbat as usual that night and went to synagogue the next morning By the time they were headed home for lunch soldiers had entered the city by foot and motorcade a tank pulled up next to Schaja and his brother-in-law who walking home one morning from shul “What’s inside your package?” Schaja opened it up and took out his tallis and tefillin “We’ll hang you by those straps one day,” was the soldier’s reply The Jews of Bochnia were soon forced into a ghetto where life was difficult but still vibrant One of Schaja’s two sisters worked as a maid in the home of an SS officer and was privy to inside information When the liquidation of the ghetto began in 1941 she discovered her sister and mother were set to be transported to the death camp Her SS employer insisted she stay and work and Schaja’s father was finally sent to a concentration camp where he He was among the last 150 Jews in the ghetto Schaja’s work experience landed him a job in Schindler’s factory Schaja was among the last 50 Jews remaining in the Bochnia ghetto in 1942 before being shipped to the Plaszow forced labor camp in Krakow and this experience landed him an auspicious job in Oskar Schindler’s factory immediately upon his arrival in Plaszow though he vividly remembers the infamously cruel camp commandant Goth had a personal bloodhound trained to kill by attacking at the throat Goth ordered the dog to attack a young boy but the hound loved the boy so much it refused Three times Goth ordered and three times it refused Schindler’s workers didn’t see much of the man himself Kleinberg and a group of men were ordered by the SS to dig their own graves to be shot Schindler himself came storming toward them This is one of my workers!” referring to Kleinberg Schindler personally saved his life that day Schaja was transported to Zwittau-Brinnlitz along with the other approximately 1,100 lucky names on Schindler’s list where he worked under his protection until Soviet liberation in 1945 he’d lost 61 family members and was one of only 50 remaining Jews from Bochnia During his years in Schindler’s factory he’d developed a friendship with brothers Moshe and Mechel Essig When he realized no one remained in Bochnia Schaja went to Krakow to find his friends and there he fell in love with their sister Matilda and Schaja were married in Prague and soon settled in Munich Schaja was walking down the street when he noticed something disturbing A German store owner had hung tallesim in the storefront window as curtains He went inside and approached the woman at the counter who explained that her husband had served in the German army and brought home an assortment of Jewish items he’d collected during the war Schaja insisted she take down the holy ritual items from the window and hand over the other stolen goods “The army is waiting outside and they’re prepared to come in here and arrest you if you don’t give me the items,” Schaja said She handed over the talleisim and a collection of photos amongst them an original picture of the Bobover Rebbe Schaja developed a reputation for retrieving Jewish stolen goods whenever possible which soon led him to an encounter with a man with a remarkable tale and Nazis were knee-deep in a frenzied destruction of Jewish businesses and synagogues When they approached Munich’s main synagogue the non-Jewish janitor convinced them it would be foolish to burn it and risk damaging the famed Munich Opera House nearby He even convinced them to spare the interior and instead use it as a horse stable the janitor whisked away two Torah scrolls from the ark and buried them in a non-Jewish cemetery the synagogue reopened and the man returned to his job but years underground had rendered them unfit to be used in synagogue service according to Jewish law Munich’s rabbis decided to bury the relics So Schaja kept the scrolls with him in Munich and then brought them across the globe to Oak Park where he and Matilda relocated to be close to their daughter and son-in-law the Torahs sat wrapped in blankets in the Blumenfeld’s cedar closet Schaja’s granddaughter Aliza (Blumenfeld) Chodoff made aliyah to Israel she was struck by the joyous dancing with Torahs and couldn’t help but remember her zayde’s scrolls in Detroit wouldn’t it be cool if we could just dance with them just to dance with them,” says Aliza who today lives in Carmiel with husband Dov took interest in the Torahs and decided to fly one scroll across the ocean to Jerusalem Experts estimated the Torah to be 400 years old “Aliza told me about the Torah and that it couldn’t be repaired,” says Chodoff a political and military analyst who lectures around the globe on the Middle East conflict and the war on terror but when I saw the torah it was my opinion that it could be repaired.” So he brought it to the country’s leaders in Torah restoration its letters written in a unique style rarely seen today The non-profit organization agreed that it was repairable; Chodoff just needed the funds Chodoff found himself seated across the table from a close relative of Oskar Schindler’s she enlisted her church to help raise the funds the hilltop community of Eshchar in Israel’s Galilee region welcomed the fully restored Torah with dancing and singing Chodoff calls the growing town of 150 families a “model community in Israel” where religious and secular Jews live together as close-knit neighbors and friends which eventually brought a Torah back to life He never abandoned the faith of his youth and today has nine grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren across the U.S and Israel from children Malka Blumenfeld of Detroit and Oskar Kleinberg of Toronto He’s a beloved member of the Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit and though he long ago retired from his 45-year-long career as a cantor his powerful voice remains a staple at family weddings and bar-mitzvahs where he often recites a soul-stirring Kaddish and Kel Rachamim “These scrolls also had the right to live I couldn’t abandon them just because someone said they were too old.” one such scroll lives again in the Jewish homeland a symbol of hope and rebirth more than seven decades after the Holocaust plus one more that Kleinberg was given for safekeeping at a Displaced Person’s camp after the war Thank you for signing up for the aish.com free newsletter ★ COMMITTED TO BUILD A GREATER FUTURE FOR MADISON COUNTY ★ A PARENT AND SUPPORTING MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR YOUTH ★ SUPPORTS OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROTECTING OUR CITIZENS ★ CHECKS AND BALANCES TO MANAGE OUR BUDGET pleased to introduce myself as a candidate for Madison County Commissioner My parents are the late Gary and Marion Vickers of Cherry Lake I attended public school in Madison before moving to Plattsburgh I began working for Gallagher Security where we installed high voltage security fencing around Camp David and FEMA headquarters I began working at Moody Air Force base where I was employed as an electrical technician for Bayou Mechanical and have expanded the business to full service automotive and diesel repair including towing and recovery services and diesel services in our Napa Truck Service Center located on S.W We employ 15 full-time team members and operate a fleet of nine service and tow recovery vehicles I am also a certified CDL examiner for North Florida College as well as the State of Florida I am happily married to my amazing wife and business partner Brandy is the daughter of Edwin and Sandy Bochnia and together we are proudly raising our children Taylor and Tyler are fraternal twins and are both seniors at Madison County High School Nataleigh is in the seventh grade at Madison Creative Arts Academy My mission is to grow and sustain development in our community support local business and create more opportunities for our youth by getting them involved earlier in the local business and workforce development I will listen to ideas and be a voice for my neighbors These opportunities will encourage economic growth and also demonstrate accountability I love Madison County and I appreciate that it is our slice of paradise I will be here to serve our citizens and protect what we and prior generations have grown for our children’s future and for the future of Madison County Leah Androski reporter@greenepublishing.com the  Future Farmers of America (FFA) Banquet was held at Madison County High School (MCHS) with different awards presented to the MCHS FFA members The Star Greenhand award is presented to the most active first-year student Caden Horne was presented with the Star Greenhand award The Start Chapter Farmer award goes to the student with the best production of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) Ethan Bochnia was presented with the Star Chapter Farmer award The Star Agribusiness award goes to the best SAE working at an agriculture-related business FFA members will receive their State FFA Degree at the FFA State Convention two FFA members will receive the American Degree at the National FFA Convention The American Degree is the highest award the FFA can give to FFA members These two members are Madison Fishel and JD Peavy The community presented a few sponsored awards to FFA members at the banquet The Farm Bureau Leadership Award was presented to Carter Gore The FFA Scholarship sponsored by the Farmer's Cooperative was presented to Abby Ratliff Coleman Williams has presented the George Townsend Helping Hand award which was sponsored by the Townsend Family The Dekalb Award was presented to Olivia Galbraith The FFA Banquet also presented the Honorary Chapter Degree to the community The Honorary Chapter Degree award went to Alvita Howard and Jarrett Wood certificates of appreciation were given to people who had helped MCHS FFA throughout the year See a photo you want? Greene Publishing, Inc. now has galleries available for you to purchase photos from our stories. Click here to browse our galleries and to order your choice of photo – digital, printed and even specialty canvas and metal prints! were surrounded by angels on their miracle flight out of Poland in the thick of war with a price on their heads and the Gestapo at their backs But while many of the stories and wonders of that journey have been rehashed by chassidim for years one fact remained a mystery: who was that Hungarian officer who drove the group across Poland evading checkpoints as if they were invisible the Rebbe revealed the identity of his savior Almost seventy years have passed since the Rav Aharon of Belz and his half-brother the Rebbe of Bilgoray zy”a were whisked out of Europe and set foot on the earth of the Holy Land The journey that rescued them from the Nazi claws could only be labeled miraculous but even today some pieces of the puzzle of that esoteric chapter in their lives remain hidden Much has already been published — in both English and Hebrew — about the numerous wonders that were wrought for the Rebbe; his brother Rav Mordechai of Bilgoray; and the Rebbe’s attendant Reb David Shapira on that hair-raising escape path so strewn with seemingly insurmountable obstacles British researcher Yosef Israel illuminates the background drama in great detail in his 2005 book Rescuing the Rebbe of Belz (ArtScroll) But one point was never clarified until now: Who was the mystery Hungarian officer who drove the group across Poland into Hungary bypassing checkpoints and evading scrutiny in a way that could only be described as supernatural and what became of him after the war As the Rebbe himself said on occasion every Jew who survived the inferno must have been accompanied by angels on either side How many Heavenly guardians watched over the group on their own flight through Poland to Hungary Hashem’s Hand revealed itself on a daily basis taking the entourage through barriers that could not logically be passed along dangerous roads and through borders swarming with the forces of destruction — and eventually bringing them to Eretz Yisrael where the shoot of the majestic chassidic court that once was Belz would sprout and flourish anew Rav Aharon of Belz the “Wunder Rabbiner” was at the top of the Gestapo’s wanted list of rabbis targeted for extermination during the Nazi occupation of Poland Through the efforts of Belzer chassidim in Israel England and the United States the Rebbe and his half-brother Rav Mordechai of Bilgoray twenty-two years his junior managed to stay one step ahead of the Nazis in one miraculous escape attempt after another — first being spirited out of Belz and eventually winding up in the Bochnia ghetto Both men had already lost their entire families to the Nazis Rebbe Aharon’s eldest son Moshe was burned alive in the Premishlan shul at the same time as Rebbe Aharon was in hiding in that town Later Rabbi Moshe’s wife and five children were murdered Rebbe Aharon’s eldest daughter Rivka Miriam and her husband Rabbi Shmuel Frankel both perished along with five of their seven children The Rebbe’s other daughters Adel Twersky and Sara Bracha Rosenfeld with their children and two other sons Rabbi Yisrael and Rabbi Yehudah Zundel and their children also perished The holy brothers were eventually whisked out of occupied Poland and into Hungary by a reliable Hungarian counter-intelligence officer who was willing to rescue Jews for a price Shorn of their beards and peyos they were disguised as Russian generals who had been captured at the front and were being taken to Budapest for questioning Meanwhile rumors had spread in the ghetto that the Rebbe had disappeared To curb the suspicions one of the close chassidim dressed up in Reb Aharon’s clothing and sat in his room with the door opened a crack imitating the way the Rebbe immersed himself in prayer and study The ploy bought the escaping party just enough time to evade the authorities before they realized the Rebbe was gone While the chassidim and the Gestapo still believed the Rebbe was in an adjoining room he his brother and his attendant were in fact racing through the 250 miles of the Polish countryside in a Hungarian diplomatic vehicle experiencing their own set of miracles Much of what took place on that incredible drive will remain forever a mystery but the Rebbe himself would recount three examples of Heavenly intervention as they drove through one checkpoint after another without being detained The Rebbe talked about an “eerie mist” that enveloped the car throughout the journey which seemed to render the car invisible On arrival to Budapest the officer himself testified that the car was rarely asked to stop yet he had no problem navigating the vehicle — in front of it all was clear In another instance the car suddenly stopped dead The officer who saw what had happened was wringing his hands in despair because to fix the problem would require a professional welder Suddenly an old man appeared striding toward them When they explained the problem to him he took a screwdriver from the leather sash tied around his waist tinkered under the hood and the motor sprang to life Years later the Rebbe told this to the Sadigurer Rebbe who responded that “a man with a leather sash wrapped about his waist” is a reference to Eliyahu HaNavi The Rebbe it is told didn’t respond but smiled enigmatically One of the oft-repeated miracles the chassidim tell took place at the Hungarian border checkpoint Up to this point at most of the border checks the officer managed to wave some mysterious documents at the guard who ushered them through Now the border guard stopped them for inspection but wasn’t satisfied with these documents Pointing his gun at them he ordered them out of the car Suddenly out of nowhere three senior officials appeared and instructed the guard to release them immediately and to let them continue on their way The Bilgoray Rav when he used to tell this wonder-tale would add “Those three officials were none other than our fathers the three Belzer Rebbes may they rest in Eden ...” — his father Rebbe Yissachar Dov; his grandfather Rebbe Yeshiele; and his great-grandfather Rebbe Shalom In Ungvar the holy brothers’ first stop after crossing the border the Hungarian officer’s mission was concluded The Rebbe and his brother spent eight months in Hungary waiting for highly-rationed “certifikats” from the Jewish Agency to enter Palestine which they received in January 1944 Less than two months later the Nazis invaded Hungary and deported its 450 000 Jews And the enigmatic heroic Hungarian officer Where did he go what became of him and … what was his name The secret was buried with the Rebbe himself The answer to the riddle was actually revealed in two parts One was a recently discovered packet of letters uncovered by the Belzer monthly journal Ohr Hatzafon and the other was an incident recounted by Mishpacha editor-in-chief Rabbi Moshe Grylak about his brother-in-law Reb Mordechai Landau z”l Mordechai Landau was the nephew of Eliezer Landau a legendary figure and confidant of Rebbe Aharon of Belz was able to live outside the Bochnia ghetto who is credited with saving thousands of Jews discovered the Hungarian officer when all other avenues of escape failed and was the liaison between the officer and the Rebbe followed in his uncle’s activist footsteps and he lived through the Bochnia ghetto and rescued countless Jews and his law practice became famed throughout South America his brother-in-law — who had expanded his law practice to Venezuela — received a visitor to his Venezuela office in need of legal services This is what Reb Mordechai Landau related to Rabbi Grylak: “This very impressive non-Jew entered my office,” Reb Mordechai told his brother-in-law Despite his advanced age — he was in his seventies — he exuded health and strength but I noticed that he wasn’t calm; something was bothering him It seemed that he was trying very hard to remember something You remind me of a family who lived in the Bochnia ghetto Someone named Landau from Bochnia still owes me a huge sum of money.’ Could this dignified Hungarian expatriate be the legendary officer still owe him for the rescue or was he bluffing I was afraid to tell him about my past and my rescue work in the ghetto and he revealed a bit of his own identity: ‘I was a high-ranking In the framework of my job under the Germans I knew that ghetto well.’ He knew what he was talking about ‘Have you heard of the Belzer Rebbe?’ I nodded in the affirmative “The man continued: ‘I met the Rebbe alone He blessed me and promised me that because I had helped in his rescue and in the rescue of other Jews and would live a long life and die a natural death that wasn’t a simple promise in those days — to die a natural death and no one knew what would happen to him the next day.’ driving at insane speeds — sometimes the car flipped over Here in South America there are many “holy people” who shower blessings on all those who are naïve enough to turn to them you would have known what a true santo is.’$$separate quotes$$” more chapters of this Hungarian’s colorful life came to light he rose to the position of deputy minister in one of the governments The deposed Chilean dictator General Pinochet was an in-law of his When the former Hungarian officer once wanted to visit Eretz Yisrael due to security considerations; there were intelligence reports that he had a friendly relationship with … Saddam Hussein The Hungarian left Mordechai Landau’s office without revealing his full identity at what stage he joined with the Belzer Rebbe there might still be living a Hungarian national The providential meeting between the Hungarian officer and Mordechai Landau was the first hint that the officer was indeed alive and well a ninety-six-year-old man by the name of Shlomo Greenberger He had served as the head of the Ranshofen Displaced Persons Camp Committee a collection of letters was found among his possessions One letter from the archives found its way into the hands of the editor of Ohr Hatzafon — it was from the Belzer Rebbe to the Hungarian officer But the contents of the letter were a mystery until the Ohr Hatzafon staff located someone who remembers the camp and the politics a Munkacz-born chassid who’s testimony supplies the missing chapter of the drama Reb Binyamin relates that one day a long-haired non-Jew arrived in the camp and asked to be accepted there as one of the members He presented himself as the Hungarian officer who had saved the life of the Belzer Rebbe and the Bilgoray Rav from certain death He explained that when the Russian forces conquered Hungary since he’d served in the past as a senior officer fighting against the Russians He had fled to Austria and been in a Christian DP camp But when his new neighbors there learned a little about his activities on behalf of the Jewish People and to ask for mercy from the committee of the Jewish DP camp of Ranshofen The heads of the committee approached the matter with the attitude of “kabdeihu v’chashdeihu” — treat him honorably but suspect him nonetheless the wandering officer sent a letter to the Belzer Rebbe in Israel in which he asked for validation of his story Only six months later did the hoped-for answer arrive from the Rebbe’s home in the form of a grateful and emotional letter the Rav of Bilgoray asks the head of the Jewish committee of the camp The two letters were addressed to: Laszlo Gerecz Jewish DP Camp 609 — the Ranshofen Jewish Committee His honor’s letter arrived to the hand of my brother My brother felt special excitement to hear of his honor’s wellbeing and that his wishes should be fulfilled to his benefit has told me to answer that he does not object to the publicizing of the story of our leaving the vale of tears also hasten to greet his honor with blessing and with gratification to hear of his wellbeing and that he was saved from all that has passed over him only of the holy community of Bilgoray B (past) Herewith I send the letter to the above officer and with a request to pardon me and to give it to him and to translate it Accompanied by the Belzer Rebbe’s blessing for “a sweet and happy life The “chance” meeting in Venezuela with a son of the Landau family shed additional light on the graced biography of the man who risked his life to save the holy brothers Another recently discovered piece of the puzzle: During the brothers’ stay in the safety of Budapest a letter arrived for them from two of the Belzer Rebbe’s surviving grandchildren The non-Jew who had been hiding them was giving them only two more weeks and they were turning to the Rebbe to rescue them The Belzer Rebbe wanted the Hungarian officer to travel back and smuggle them across the border the only one who knew where the officer lived to ride to him during Shabbos and plead with him But the officer refused any further adventures But I know that miracles don’t happen every day.” After many pleas But when the son arrived there to rescue them he found that there was no longer anyone to rescue Rav Aharon of Belz lost all his family in the Holocaust — a large fearing that this might be interpreted as not wholeheartedly accepting Hashem’s Will and simultaneously understanding that the kedoshim were so elevated that any comment would be detracting from their holiness “May you know no more suffering.” The Rebbe answered forcefully On their journey from Budapest to Eretz Yisrael the holy brothers passed through Bucharest and stopped to rest at the home of their relative the host spoke at length with the Rav of Bilgoray reminiscing about the  the glorious court of Belz that had been turned to ashes a heartrending moan escaped from their host’s throat The good days of Belz will never return,” he said At once the Rebbe shook himself from his deep thoughts and said: “What are you saying ztz”l [the first Belzer Rebbe] promised that Belz would be a corner where Hashem’s Name would be known until Mashiach comes So how can you say such a thing?” And the Rebbe repeated Rachel Ginsberg contributed to this report Gedalia GuttentagFront-Row Seat to History As Israel’s ambassador Ron Dermer is about to leave his Washington posting after seven years he recaps the challenges and triumphs of a transformative term Yisroel BesserThe Road through Real LifeRav Reuven Feinstein has tapped the clarity born of loss to write a new chapter about the bonds of marriage and true faith  Eytan KobreTeachers’ Aid“There were very wealthy laymen and seasoned businessmen there and they rose to the occasion,” he says “The only challenges they raised have been how to do it Yeruchem Yitzchak LandesmanBorn to LeadHow does a young man assume the leadership of a dying chassidus at the age of 18 and transform into an empire of Torah Gershon BurstynThe Rebbe’s Man in WashingtonChabad shaliach Rabbi Levi Shemtov straddles a bipartisan tightrope in a polarized capital Two new sites and one extension to a Polish site were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List on Sunday afternoon bringing to 19 the total number of sites added to the List during the 37th session taking place in Phnom Penh Descending a long hill dominated by a giant statue of Hercules the monumental water displays of Wilhelmshöhe were begun by Landgrave Carl of Hesse-Kassel in 1689 around an east-west axis and were developed further into the 19th century Reservoirs and channels behind the Hercules Monument supply water to a complex system of hydro-pneumatic devices that supply the site’s large Baroque water theatre fountains and 350-metre long Grand Cascade channels and waterways wind across the axis feeding a series of dramatic waterfalls and wild rapids the geyser-like Grand Fountain which leaps 50m high the lake and secluded ponds that enliven the Romantic garden created in the 18th century by Carl’s great-grandson The great size of the park and its waterworks along with the towering Hercules statue constitute an expression of the ideals of absolutist Monarchy while the ensemble is a remarkable testimony to the aesthetics of the Baroque and Romantic periods Twelve villas and two pleasure gardens spread across the Tuscan country side make up this site which bears testimony to the influence the Medici family exerted over modern European culture through its patronage of the arts they represent an innovative system of rural construction in harmony with nature and dedicated to leisure The villas embody an innovative form and function a new type of princely residence that differed from both the farms owned by rich Florentines of the period and from the military might of baronial castles The Medici villas form the first example of the connection between habitat and the environment and became an enduring reference for princely residences throughout Italy and Europe Their gardens and integration into the natural environment helped develelop the appreciation of landscape characteristic Humanism and the Renaissance Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (Poland) is an extension to the Polish Wieliczka Salt Mine inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1978 which is now to be known as the Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines The Wieliczka Saltworks Castle used for the management of the property was also added to the site The rock salt deposit in Wieliczka-Bochnia has been mined since the 13th century and is the oldest of its type in Europe it has 300 km of galleries with underground chapels It includes altars and statues sculpted in the salt making a fascinating pilgrimage into the past of a major industrial undertaking that developed over 700 years Three sites received extensions: Mount Kenya-Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (Kenya), Maloti Drakensberg Transboundary World Heritage Site (Lesotho / South Africa), Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines (Poland) The following changes were made to the List of World Heritage in Danger: Bam and its Cultural Landscape (Iran) was removed from the Danger List East Rennell (Solomon Island) was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger along with the six World Heritage sites of the Syrian Arab Republic The World Heritage List now numbers 981 in 160 States Parties to the World Heritage Convention Fiji and Qatar had their first sites inscribed during the present session The List numbers 759 cultural, 193 natural and 29 mixed properties Media contacts: Roni Amelan and Agnès Bardon: +33 (0)6 31 54 30 36 or +855 95 440 774r.amelan@unesco.org – a.bardon@unesco.orgPhotos will be available: www.unesco.org/new/whc-photosVideo footage for broadcasters at: http://www.unesco.org/new/new-inscriptions Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations The Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day celebrations in Poland have been postponed by mutual agreement due to the war in Ukraine the Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day was to have been held in Bochnia on 18-19 March,… the Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day was to have been held in Bochnia on 18-19 March it was postponed to a later date with the agreement of both sides,” the Office of the President of Poland said in a statement Your request appears similar to malicious requests sent by robots Please make sure JavaScript is enabled and then try loading this page again. If you continue to be blocked, please send an email to secruxurity@sizetedistrict.cVmwom with: Yad Vashem recognized the previously unknown heroic rescue of Jews by an active Wehrmacht soldier during the Holocaust 2012Get email notification for articles from Ofer Aderet FollowNov 30 an e-mail arrived at Yad Vashem's Righteous Among the Nations department wished to inquire whether a deceased relative of his a Wehrmacht soldier named Gerhard Kurzbach was worthy of being granted recognition as one of the Righteous Among the Nations Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.