KIRYAS JOEL (JTA) – His rise was meteoric and his fall just as sudden.
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Dr. Vladimir Zelenko, an Orthodox Jewish doctor who rose to fame in March while promoting a cocktail of drugs he claimed had successfully treated coronavirus – including one that President Donald Trump said Monday he is taking himself, despite the drug’s potentially dangerous side effects – has announced that he is leaving the Jewish community where he has practiced medicine for decades.
In a video released on Wednesday, Zelenko announced he would leave Kiryas Joel, the town north of New York City where, until the coronavirus pandemic, he was known as a beloved community doctor.
“Things have happened,” he said speaking directly to the camera. “I’ve decided that it’s time for me to move on. I’m not sure yet what I’m going to do.”
The announcement comes after Zelenko was accused by community leaders of spreading disinformation about the rate of coronavirus infection in Kiryas Joel, leading to discrimination against residents of the village. Zelenko is also being investigated by a federal prosecutor over his claim that a study of the drugs he promoted had won approval from the Food and Drug Administration.
Leaders of the Kiryas Joel community spoke out publicly against Zelenko in an open letter in March.
“We the undersigned institutions strongly believe that the predictions presented by Dr. Zelenko have been proven false and are not supported by the overall medical establishment, specifically in his wild conclusions as to the spread of the virus in our community,” the village’s office of emergency management, a partnership of several community organizations and government agencies formed to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, wrote in an open letter.
The letter was written to contradict Zelenko’s claims, which he promoted in videos posted to YouTube, that 90% of the Kiryas Joel community would be infected with COVID-19.
“These measures have, thanks to the Almighty, resulted in a rate of 90% of the community being healthy, the opposite of Dr Zelenko’s outrageous prediction of a 90% infection rate,” they wrote, referring to the closure of the community’s synagogues, schools, and other buildings.
I heard from a reliable source that he will be joining the WH medical office.
Great, those who should leave Kiriyas Yoel for the upstate vacation home (and you all know where I mean) get to stay and this real tzaddik is forced out.
I wonder if he will have a hard time finding a job or starting a practice.
What makes him prominent? A few Orthodox “journalists” (actually bloggers) who publicized his WhatsApp statuses?
Gimme a break.
Is he leaving Kiryas Yoel without a Dr?
Dear Dr zelenko I have to thank you because of your confidence in Hydroxychloroquine my family members took the drug and had a speedy recovery from this magaifa. I will always be grateful.
You can see this is difficult for him. Hope he has hatzlacha wherever he chooses to go. Whatever reason he is leaving is nobody’s business.
This is heartbreaking. I don’t know if the media pressure forced him out but the way they acted towards him in the beginning before anybody knew how helpful/not helpful it is. And tried bringing him down with a story of a moron couple in Arizona. But they definitely kille many other people with this reporting
shame on the bullies!! May the doctor stay healthy and keep up all healthy.Hatzlocha
why was kj against him?
Not kj just a couple ple of bigshots…calling the shots there.
No MD not associated with a research institution does independent ‘research’ on any drug. Never. If he has ‘anecdotal’ evidence let him publish it and have it peer reviewed. But he never will. Pushing hydrochoroquackazine is a credential in Dr trump’s White house but not in NY State.
He left becaus like he said in the last video that was quickly taken off the internet that his competition was cholim had a criminal investigation opened against him hoping that they could have a monopoly over kj shame on those chasidishe bums
Some in KJ wanted him out and question is who ? And why ?
Dr. Zelenko, thank you SO MUCH for developing the Covid19 treatment protocol. You saved a lot of lives in your community and beyond. Thank you! Regards, Jane Alstatt
Good for him. Those lowlives don’t deserve his devoted service. Many more Monroe residents would have dies if not for his innovative and proactive treatment. Shame on them. May the good doctor have good health and lots of hatzlacha.
Wow , a least we found something to fight about, again. Seems like quarantine is getting to all the above comments.!
Thank you Dr.My non jewish worker used your method and in a few days was cured. Thank you. Don’t let the domocRATic operatives stop you. We have the same gang here in Boro park. They hate Trump even though most of us like him.
To much politics in satmer let them learn to respect other people who are not exactly like them this dr was mamish a tzadik saving people and standing up to the crazy liberals and Democrats and to the few mishigoyim in satmer it’s a disgrace that this wonderful dr had to leave the community shame on the community leaders who let this happen
To much politics in satmer let them learn to respect other people who are not exactly like them this dr was mamish a tzadik saving people and standing up to the crazy liberals and Democrats and to the few mishigoyim in satmer it’s a disgrace that this wonderful dr had to leave the community shame on the community leaders who let this happen
I heard that his patience that took this were all young(ish) generally healthy people. Thats why they all got better.
KJ is full of gangsters !
Nebach, the poor guy, they mamish were roidef him
Dr. Zelenko,
You made a Kiddush Hashem just in the way you spoke in the last 2 clips. I am not writing as an opinion about your suggestions. We all see that nobody who is in the public limelight truly knows any true answer. We see that political and financial interests have taken over the decision making and it is all fakery. This includes many of the Yiddishe Askonium who are really disguised political and money people. I do not think that anybody trusts the WHO, CDC and NIH anymore.
Although, I am not a Chabad follower, you showed that they provided you with a sincere chinuch which the Mussar movement as well as other Chasiddeshe groups would approve wholeheartedly.
I wish you good luck in all your endeavors.
I had fever for 14 days and my oxigyn was 82 . So I got a oxigyn at home and started Dr. Zelenkos treatment and the fever broke on day 2 , breathing got better day by day. On day 5 I got off the oxygen,thanks to Dr zelenko my 6 young kids at home have a father , your zechis is incredible.
Sorry, I missed some facts. My Grandson who lives in Boro Park and had a severe non-hospitalized case did take your cocktail and he is B”H OK.
The side effect story is definitely a fake. Every medication has a Kvitel with side effects warnings with equivalent dangers. I just never understood how you determined (and what made you promote) the potential effectiveness.
I heard he may be moving to lakewood and joining Kimball hospital
One more comment.
I know of a Montreal Medical Askin who is close with the group of Askanim that challenged you that does influence serious Cholim to use the Canadian inferior Medical system over transferring them to top medical facilities in the United States. The man is basically well connected to Montreal based doctors and needs to provide them with patients to be recognized as an effective Shvitzer. Most people think of him as a wonderful Bal Chesed while he is really an atrocious person. Stay away from the Tzviuim.
It’s clear to me after much pondering and deliberation , we need Sherlock holmes to investigate this situation in order to uncover exactly what has happened here with Dr Zelenko . We’ll need Dr Watson as well . .. there just is no other alternative at this point of time .
Dr. Zelenko, come open a practice in boro Park I’ll definitely bring my family as patients, so will many more.
I had 102 fever for over 2 weeks- along with other terrible covid symptoms. After 2 days on Dr zelenkos cocktail my fever broke and I was on my way to recovery! Thank you Dr. Zelenko for saving my life!! Shame on the people who drove him out of KJ!!
I had 102 fever for over 2 weeks- along with other terrible covid symptoms. After 2 days on Dr zelenkos cocktail my fever broke and I was on my way to recovery! Thank you Dr. Zelenko for saving my life!! Shame on the people who drove him out of KJ!!
Maybe you should move to Monsey? You saved my brother in law in Switzerland .You are a genius!!!!
Come to Boro park and open a practice. Here the community is too large for these rotten askonim political democRATic hacks to close you down. If they try the community will crack heads. We don’t listen to these fake bums. When president Trump was running for office they were going to force 200 rabbonim to come out for a Hillary. Every Rabbi was warned not to support the machshefa and why. In the end they all backed off. Today Boro park is stronger than ever. The name democrat is so hated here that anyone running does not use that label anymore.
KJ The inbred capital of the USA.
Nothing to see or learn from these inbred cultists.
Leave them to their own devices.
They along with so many other cultists turn to dust in time.
There is only one G-d. That is something these cultists never really understood.
Don’t be anonymous, k.j. is known for theirרשעות everything is money he is not the first doc what the story with Doctor wertzberger who was the first doc in kj he didn’t want to follow there רשעות so he went for him self but he kept his mouth shut it’s a shame that’s why משיח is not here yet they do everything in they name of God shame on them
Dr Zelenko
You have proven yourself to be a אוהב ישראל כפשוטו. Hashem has given you a powerful כח הרפואה. May the great זכות of ALL the countless people you assisted to recovery, be a everlasting source of blessing in your future location & position!!!
Disgusting story.
This proves he puts his patients BEFORE his pockets. Some doctors today still have their morality and ethics intact.
They have not been poisoned or enticed by the urgent care money machine industry.
I wish Dr Zelenko lots of luck.
As for urgent care, if it was owned by a Dr Zelenko type, that would be a different story. I’d definitely go there.
וויפיל א שיעור פון די מענטשען די גאנצע חסידשער וועלט ווערט באשעדיקט דורך די מענטשען רחמנא ליצלן
Such sinas chinam crazy power thirsty people thats what there all about disgusting
Just a few bigshots looking to control over other people
“And Pilate went out again and says to them, Lo, I bring him out to you, that ye may know that I find in him no fault whatever”….This has happened before. Those of you who disappreciated this great man, sent to you by G-d, are not the sons of Abraham, except by flesh. You should go travel to Europe and visit Auschwitz and put in your job application for the profitable positions of Capos in case they’re are still hiring. You are exactly the type of material well suited for that job.
There is at least one serious chance of a side effect to people with a certain type of lag in their heartbeat pattern. This is not unique to this drug. The prescribing Dr. would pay attention to this.
Don’t worry Iran who funds neturei karta will send a doctor
when the world heard president trump was taking this medication the democrats went crazy. the dems support all chasidish communities regarding their schools, food stamps, etc also monies to support their needs dr. zelenko was a liability. president agrees with dr. zelenko so he had to go. big monies are involved for this community
I am embarrassed that a website that is viewed exclusively by frum Yidden, who are supposed to be smarter than other primitive people because of the chochmas haTorah, is dominated by comments loaded with nonsense and beliefs in all ludicrous conspiracy theories peddled by Trump, Guiliani and all their wacko friends. How could you people buy this nonsense? Ok, I get that you love Trump thanks to his great friendship of Israel, but does that mean you have to buy all these lunatic conspiracy theories about the Deep State keeping this miracle drug from all America? Do you really think all the frum doctors in BP and Williamsburg and Lakewood are murderers, who chose to let over 1500 frum people die rather than save them with this drug that is guaranteed to save 100% of those who take it? Do you people care to actually check any facts? Are you aware that in Brazil, whose president Bolisanaro is even more wacko than Trump and refused to enforce any social distancing or stay-at-home orders, also bought into this wonder drug crap and had his army mass produce it and give it to every patient in the country, yet Brazil now has the highest illness and death rate from Corona in the entire South America? I cannot believe how many frum people buy into this garbage, and are willing to condemn the entire Satmar community because of the lies of this doctor, who was willing to smear their entire kehilla and make a huge chilul Hashem and explosion of anti-Semitism just to turn himself into a hero?
I dont know the politics with Dr. Zalenko but i know one day i was feeling very ill , i called my friend Levy Apel who is a KJ Hatzolah member who introduced me to Dr. Zalenko . After examining me he sent me straight off to Hospital where i was treated for my condition and saved my life. Thank you Dr.Zalenko and wish you Hatzlocho and many more years of health .
I do not know Dr Z .but I do see from his speech that he’s careful how he speaks and not to speak bad about anybody would be nice if the peope writing some awful comments on VIN would learn from the doctors carefully chosen words. they may even save themselves from the damnation House of purgatory
When you lose faith in HaShem you turn to quacks like Dr Zelenko in desparation. Rudy drank Clorox. Will you? Its a new version of leeches, cups and bleeding. Didn’t work then or now.
If I would have been his mashpia I would also advise to leave KJ
How dare he to say GeUla ShLima instead is Meshach Now