<$BlogRSDURL$>

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

For Hasidic owned ice.com, this Valentine's Day will be sweeter than chocolate


Mayer Gniwisch (left) and his brother Shmuel display jewellery available at their ice.com website or from their Montreal offices.

It's Valentine's Day, a red-letter day for Montreal-based www.ice.com, one of North America's top online jewellery retailers.

Not only is it the peak of one of the company's most profitable periods, its jewellery will be featured on today's Dr. Phil show, a TV placement that will bring ice.com into millions of homes.

But more importantly to Shmuel and Pinny Gniwisch, two of four brothers at the helm of the family controlled firm, this special day helps them woo Nancy, perchance to win her heart. Or enjoy her undivided patronage.

Although the Gniwisch brothers claim to know Nancy intimately, their relationship is not romantic. The men are non-practising ordained Hasidic rabbis, happily married with 10 children between them.

And Nancy is a fictional construct, the persona of a prime target customer.

In marketing terms, a persona is "your customer designed in such a way that you not only get their demographic information, you get their psycho, graphic and emotional triggers," said Pinny Gniwisch, who gives seminars on e-commerce marketing.

"You build these personae and then you build your (web) site based on these personae," he said this week.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/business/story.html?id=9b93bbbb-ee16-4190-b3d6-7a186db68deb&k=32105

Comments:
If you take a moment to visit ice.com, you might very well have the same question that I had. The home page is comprised of pictures that are a flagrant violation of tznius dictates. Additionally, various items sold specifically cater to the Christian religion, and assist those worshippers in their avodah zara. If the definition of a chusid is one whose action’s and speech reflect Hashem Yisborach, by what stretch of the imagination can they be termed Chasidim? It seems like more and more, the only defining factor of Chasidim today, is the fact that they dress differently and their speech includes Yiddish. Where is the kedusha, tahara, and yiras shomayim that the Baal Shem had in mind?!?! They are a disgrace to all yidden, let alone Chasidim.

 

If you don't like it, don't shop there. Nobody's forcing you.

I must say though, entangled within your ignorant preaching lies a very accurate observation regarding the state of contemporary chassidus.

 

Get off your high horse.

I personally know the two brothers and they make a huge kiddush hashem with everyone they encounter and have been a very positive influance on many beilie teshuvah.

I am sure they contacted rebanim with regard to the content of their merchendise and website.

Come out of your dark corner and realize that there is a greater world out there besides fretting over the content of junk mail that comes to your door.

 

To the first post:
Ever heard of a Shulcha Aruch??
It might be a good idea to open one up before criticizing a family which i know personally does alot of good things which are positvley what the baal shem tov had in mind.

 

I am reading these posts, and I find them so sad. I don't know who these two brothers are, nor do I know what the Baal Shem wanted from his followers, but is a frum yid supposed to earn a living by displaying half naked women and selling crosses? We can all kvetch our thumbs with lumdus and proudly preach that it isn't avoda zara. Granted - but can we also claim that this is a kosher way to put bread on the table. But wait…he does good deeds and helps people out. So what? Isn't that what the gemureh calls "toivel v'sheretz b'yado". It would seem to me that those who so flippantly dismiss the first posters comments as "ignorant preaching" probably look in the mirror and see themselves making a livelihood in a similar fashion. Entrenched in their downward spiritual and ethical spiral, they are no longer sensitized to how an erlicher yid is supposed to run his business. One person commented, "they make a huge kiddush hashem ". How in the world can a person be mikadesh shem shumayim by displaying half naked women?!? How far have some people strayed? Another reader states, "I am sure they contacted rebanim". Imagine asking the following question to the Baal Shem; "Rebbe in an effort to churn extra profits from my business, I would like to know if it OK for me to sell crosses and display immodestly dressed women to potential customers." My friends, this question doesn't require an answer. The question itself is mortifying enough. I think it is time for a reality check. Next time we run for a bruche to our Rebbe, maybe we should ask him how we are supposed to act in the "world out there".

 

Eery. Your ranting reminds me of Rebbeim exposed as child-molesters.

 

Post a Comment

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?

Google
Chaptzem! Blog

-