Failed Messiah
Defunct American Jewish blog focused on ultra-Orthodox community scandals
Failed Messiah was an influential American Jewish blog that operated from 2004 until early 2016. It was known for its muckraking coverage of scandals, corruption, cover-ups, and controversies within the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jewish community, particularly in the United States and Israel.[1][2]
The blog was written almost single-handedly by its founder and primary author, Shmarya Rosenberg (also known as Scott Rosenberg), a former member of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement who became a sharp critic of aspects of Haredi and Hasidic life.[3] It gained a reputation as one of the few English-language sources providing detailed, often critical reporting on topics such as sexual abuse cover-ups, financial misconduct, rabbinic authority, and internal community power struggles that mainstream Jewish media sometimes avoided.
History
Failed Messiah launched in 2004 as a personal blog on the Typepad platform (original URL: failedmessiah.typepad.com). Rosenberg used it to expose what he described as hypocrisy, corruption, and failures within ultra-Orthodox institutions, often drawing on insider sources, leaked documents, and public records.[3]
The blog quickly became controversial. Supporters praised it for holding powerful community figures accountable; critics accused it of being sensationalist, anti-Haredi, or motivated by personal grudges. It frequently broke stories on child sexual abuse in yeshivas, fraudulent charities, rabbinic misconduct, and political machinations within Hasidic groups.[4]
In February 2016, after nearly 12 years of continuous operation, Rosenberg announced he was stepping down as publisher and sole writer. He sold the blog to an anonymous group called Diversified Holdings. In his farewell post, he expressed a desire to focus on anti-poverty work and other projects. The blog effectively ceased its original form shortly thereafter, though the domain and archives were briefly maintained under new ownership amid speculation that the buyers intended to silence or soften its critical tone.[2][1][5]
The site is now defunct in its original independent form, with content primarily accessible only through internet archives such as the Wayback Machine.
Impact and legacy
Failed Messiah was one of the earliest and most prominent examples of citizen journalism within the Jewish world, particularly in exposing issues inside insular Haredi communities. It influenced mainstream coverage of topics like sexual abuse in Orthodox institutions and prompted internal discussions about transparency and accountability.[3]
Its shutdown in 2016 was widely noted in Jewish media as the end of an era for independent, critical blogging in the Orthodox space. Some observers expressed concern that the sale could lead to the blog’s voice being muted.[2]
Archives
Original content from Failed Messiah is preserved in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine (search for failedmessiah.typepad.com). No active official mirror or continuation of the blog exists as of March 2026.
- Million Dollar Ostentatious Russian Jewish Wedding Ends With Gunshot, Pandamonium (31 Jan 2016)
- Brooklyn Judge Gives Man 5-Day Sentence In Child Porn Case (31 Jan 2016)
- Supreme Court Extends Prison Sentences For 2 Haredi Hate Crime Arsonists (31 Jan 2016)
- Reform Movement Loses Almost Everything In New Kotel Deal But Declares "Historic" Victory (31 Jan 2016)
Haredim Block Government Funding For Egalitarian Prayer Area Near Western Wall (30 Jan 2016) PBS: Hasidic Yeshivas And Secular Education (30 Jan 2016) Breslov Hasidim Issue Death Threat Against South Africa’s Chief Rabbi (30 Jan 2016) To Stave Off Drought, African Dictator Allegedly Sends Delegation To Apologize To Hasidic Rabbi Wanted For Alleged Sex Crimes (29 Jan 2016) NY Man Arrested On Child Sex Abuse Charges (29 Jan 2016) Government Scrutiny Of Kosher Slaughter, Circumcision And Religious Schools May Force Jews To Leave Britain (29 Jan 2016)
See also
Shmarya Rosenberg Haredi Judaism
External links
- Times of Israel article on the blog’s closure (4 February 2016)
- Forward article on Rosenberg stepping down (3 February 2016)
- Columbia Journalism Review profile of the blog (26 May 2011)
Resources
- Internet Archive holdings of Failedmessiah.typepad.com
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Times of Israel, FailedMessiah blogger signs off after 12 years of haredi muckraking The Times of Israel, 4 February 2016.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Forward, FailedMessiah Blogger Quits Muckracking Anti-Hasidic Site Forward, 3 February 2016.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Columbia Journalism Review, FailedMessiah.com Columbia Journalism Review, 26 May 2011.
- ↑ JTA, FailedMessiah blog signs off after 12-year run JTA, 3 February 2016.
- ↑ Jewish Arizona, Failed Messiah founder sells blog – but did he sell out? Jewish Arizona, 9 February 2016.