It was part chesed part joke part social experiment.
The Zlotchover Rebbe Rav Mordechai Meir Mechlowitz was a sweet Jew. His father Reb Mecha’le had a small devoted group of chassidim in Netanya and Monsey and when he passed away his son assumed his title of Zlotchover Rebbe.
Rebbe Mordechai Meir of Bnei Brak wasn’t considered successful by today’s gauge. After years of waiting he and the Rebbetzin were finally blessed with a child but the boy was ill and until this day he lives in a special facility in Emanuel. The chassidus never really took off: The mosdos he tried valiantly to launch were faced with bureaucratic obstacles and financial impediments poor timing or the wrong location. When the Rebbetzin passed away it was just the Rebbe and his tiny shul.
And then the media stepped in. Motivated by kindness perhaps a trace of mirth mixed in they started to treat the Rebbe like one of the celebrated admorim. The chareidi newspapers picture magazines and websites were suddenly swamped with images and videos of the Rebbe who seemed a willing participant. The “joke” spiraled out of control as dispatches were sent forth from “Malchus Beis Zlotchov ” prominent personalities referred to as “yedid Beis Zlotchov.”
