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Monday, August 13, 2007

The Month Of Elul Is Upon Us - A Time For Reflection

It was a beautiful morning. I had risen early and sat out on the balcony at my winter vacation spot on Miami Beach. Watching the massive tides crashing into each other; and seemingly being able to understand why at one time people thought the Earth was flat. The Atlantic met the heavens as far as I was able to discern with the naked eye.

The year was 1985, the month was January, and my excitement to greet the day was palpable. I loved Miami that time of year, for different reasons than the school-kid on winter break, or than the Hungarians being able to catch up on their poker game, or the Brooklyn women able to show off their new - pool-wigs and two piece bathing suits from Christian Dior. ( Yeah...my wife told me)

I treasured this time of year because I was able to relax and spend precious time with Moreinu Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky zt"l, who spent the last winters of his life in a comfortable Miami rooming house on Collins Avenue.

I went off to daven at the Miami Kollel, and then called Rebbetzin Kaminetzky asking if the Rosh Yeshiva was able to give his shiur that day. The Rosh Yeshiva was weak and frail she said, but planned on giving the shiur in Mesechta Chullin at 11 a.m.

I had not seen the Rosh Yeshiva for a year; I would keep a notebook of thoughts that I would discuss with him when we met either at his Monsey home or in Miami.

The shiur lasted for forty minutes; it was clear that he was struggling with his health. It seemed that it had taken a turn in the wrong direction. After the shiur, Rav Yaakov would answer some questions from the attendees; I always wondered why the entire Miami was not there, rather than the 8-12 seniors (besides me) that came.

Rav Yaakov then ate a light lunch, carefully prepared by his rebbetzin. I was asked in to their dwelling, but as always, I waited for Rav Yaakov outside on the porch.

Rav Yaakov always apologized for "keeping me waiting", while I knew I would sit there forever waiting to speak with the "Rosh Yeshiva" of America. This day was different than many others; Rav Yaakov seemed very subdued, and said in Yiddish..."I am but a half-person, my memory is failing, I can only remember what happened many years ago but not recent events"...

Rav Yaakov had a wonderful wry sense of humor and enjoyed "some" of my healthy cynicism. To cheer him up, I took the liberty of asking him if the plaque the Agudah gave him at the last siyum ha'shas for completing shas was something he valued. He gave me a healthy smile; he said he valued it as much as yesterday's (tzeitung) newspaper.

My list of items to discuss were many, but I understood that my time today with him could be limited, so I began with the issues that I wanted to ask him all my life, but never was able to gather up the courage.

I will list the five topics that I covered in depth with the Rosh Yeshiva over the next week I spent in Miami, plus other thoughts he had on community issues as it pertained to askanims' level of input and involvement in yeshivas, shuls, and religious organizations. At the time, I needed his wisdom on a new project of mine, that brought down the wrath of the community on my head for all the wrong reasons. I was gratified that both he and Rav Pam zt"l, not only agreed with me, but encouraged me greatly. That project is thriving today beyond any one's wildest imagination, baruch Hashem.

The topics:

1- The machlokes (political war) in Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in the mid-1960s between him and Rav Gedalia Schorr z"l, that brought the yeshiva to its knees and to the brink of disaster, and truly to this day never recovered its past glory.

2- His outrage and his outspoken position against the establishment of "Yeshiva Torah Vodaath of Flatbush" later to become Yeshiva Torah Temimah, after a near decade long din Torah that forced Lipa Margulies to change the name.

3-His position on secular studies, and college in particular, for the American yeshiva student.

4- His understanding of the function of Agudath Israel of America and the inherent potential dangers of that organization under the charismatic Moshe Sherer, who in my opinion, used the rosh yeshivas often, as window dressing, for his self-aggrandizement. (He did not disagree; more in an in-depth piece)

5-The not so gradual metamorphism of yeshivas being run by baal habatim, some truly dedicated and wise, but many not, and yeshivas being run by families rather than the most qualified yirei Hashem and lomdei Torah.

To be continued......

118 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a tease, UOJ. Please don't leave us hanging!

Anonymous said...

Great post. I love your memoirs--keep 'em coming! It's amazing how Leopold Margulies and his associated Hungies are considered besserer menschen. What will it take for his die-hard groupies to realize that the gonif isn't wearing any clothes?

Anonymous said...

http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070811/NEWS03/708110339/1019/NEWS03

onlyajew said...

OUJ,

Be prepared. As an old family friend of Reb Yakov's daughter and a first cousin to his grandaughter's husband, there will be a lot of people who will attack you for saying things about Reb Yakov that although will be true, they won't believe it's true--ie-the fact that he did not believe in a mechitza at a wedding for instance...

I look forward to your reports. Those of us who have had the chance to sit and talk to him, know just how funny, intelligent and down to earth he really was. I, for one, miss him and his leadership very much.

Anonymous said...

Which project did R' Yaakov & Rav Pam, zichronam livrocho, encourage?

Anonymous said...

"I always wondered why the entire Miami was not there, rather than the 8-12 seniors (besides me) that came."

UOJ answered his own question. The majority in Miami being: "the school-kid on winter break ... the Hungarians on their poker game, or the Brooklyn women able to show off their new - pool-wigs and two piece bathing suits from Christian Dior."

Anonymous said...

http://www.talmudicu.edu/roshhayeshiva.html

Actually, there is some learning going on in Miami. Notably with plastic lined Gemoras at the beach.

Anonymous said...

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2007/08/an-interfaith-p.html

How touching. Shmarya "graduates" from bashing the Torah and rabbis to encouraging the worship of Yoshke.

Anonymous said...

A rov who UOJ has criticized in the past for sitting back when he could have acted to save children was involved in one episode that I am very familiar with. A young lady just barely an adult, told doctors and the rov that she was sexually abused by her mother. The doctors say it is more likely that her father molested or even raped her and that she is instead blaming the mother out of fear. The rov, in response to pleas to have the authorities take the girl away to protect her, said that he cannot intervene because she is an adult who is under her parents spell. Since she will most probably not leave if given the choice, there is nothing the authorities will do.

Is this really the law? I thought medical professionals can have police take someone away for their own good?

Anonymous said...

Reb Yaakov did not believe in a mechitza at a wedding for instance...

-----------------------

No one had a mechitza in Lita. The chassidishe influence has taken over in America. R' Nosson Wachtfogel had no problem attending chasunos with no mechitza in America. One chassuna he attended was of an old Yekkishe rosh yeshiva's daughter who married an up and coming rosh yeshiva.

Anonymous said...

Could UOJ be so kind to detail what R' Yankev ztl said against Margo HaRasha?

Anonymous said...

"The doctors say it is more likely that her father molested or even raped her and that she is instead blaming the mother out of fear."

This sounds like a monster from Frankel's shul. The oldest son eventually took the daughter away to keep her away from the parents. They tried to stop the doctor evaluations as soon as they found out about it, but they were already done and recorded.

onlyajew said...

I know none of his children-including you know who, had a mechitza at their weddings nor did his grandchildren....now of course, his grandchildren's children who have been sucked into the black hat hole, is a different story...I am pretty sure it would have been different if he was still alive...

Anonymous said...

Purim is prime time for Hungarians to head south to Miami so they can avoid all the doorbell rings for tzedoka. They escape there in droves.

Anonymous said...

If UOJ publishes his memoirs, the novels from Fartscroll will take a nosedive in sales.

Anonymous said...

After the girl from Frankel's was interviewed by a top doctor on Park Ave, the meshigga father showed up in the waiting room, screaming all kinds of threats and making a scene.

Anonymous said...

Another Hungarian classic on Purim is when the bochurim show up to collect at the $2 million homes and get nickels and dimes. Bli guzma.

Anonymous said...

I takkeh wonder how Michelle Tendler still manages to sell so many homes as a real estate agent. Who would give the listing to an enabler like that?

Anonymous said...

"the meshigga father showed up in the waiting room, screaming all kinds of threats"

Much like what he does when he wants to daven for the amud. Er halt zich a groyse chazzan and he wants everyone to hear his beautiful voice. He won't take no for an answer even when there's a chiyuv saying kaddish for his parents. The guy is a terrorist.

Anonymous said...

The wife of the Frankel's nut was one of women with the shaytel-bikini combo. She even hung out in the hotel lobby like that. She was much older than the average woman doing that which made it even more pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Berel Goldman from Boro Park is not to be confused with the Chabad shaliach of the same name in Gainesville, Florida.

Anonymous said...

The Frankel's guy was embarrasssed when one son wanted to marry a girl who wasn't rich. That son is also crazy, but the father attacked and beat him several times. He put on an act that he wasn't coming to the chasuna so that he didn't have to pay anything.

Anonymous said...

That Pushkina lady lives in Australia. She is originally an American whose mother is Jewish and father is Black. She is upset at most of the Jewish world and very possibly with good reason. She started off in a Reform temple school where she says she was discriminated against because of her background and color. She decided to become frum and had bad experiences with both the Lubies in Crown Hts and the Belzers in Boro Park.

Anonymous said...

What's the name of the Frankel animal, we should get to know each other.

Anonymous said...

That Frankel's guy is also one of the biggest ganovim in the shul. And that's one shul where that really says something.

Anonymous said...

Anyone in my shul and many others in the neighborhood know who the bahayma is but are too scared to name him in case someone digs up shmutz about them too. And believe me, there are many skeletons in my shul's coat room.

He's been living mostly in Monsey for years. He was put in cherem by beis din when he moved up there for sending the sheriff to throw a frum family out of a house he bought.

Anonymous said...

Anyone in my shul and many others in the neighborhood know who the bahayma is

R' Yosef, there are so many behaimas in your moshav laitzim, it's hard to know who you mean. By me, we put them in the back of the shul.

Anonymous said...

Is Rabbi Zev Cohen of Chicago the Rabbi Moshe Heinemann of Baltimore?

Over the last few years I keep hearing rumors about Rabbi Zev Cohen doing what he can to protect sex offenders verses working with law enforcement officials in having these criminals prosecuted. Rabbi Cohen is associated with Congregation Adas Yeshurun Anshe Kanesses Israel.

The scary part about all of this is that Rabbi Zev Cohen is on the special beit din (Jewish religious court) created in Chicago to address sexual offenses. At first the rumor was that Rabbi Feurst that was the problem, yet as time has gone by the reality is that the problems keep pointing at Rabbi Zev Cohen and not Rabbi Shmuel Feurst.

So what can be done? The answer is always public outcry!

If you are a part of the orthodox community of Chicago or the surrounding suburbs your voice needs to be heard loud and clear. You need to start asking questions and encourage your friends to do the same.

You need to start demanding that Rabbi Zev Cohen to be accountable for his actions. If he is really an advocate for sex offenders and the truth, you need to demand that he is removed from the special beit din and have him replaced by someone who is not an power and control junkie."

Anonymous said...

The Frankel's animal once came to have a showdown with Oelbaum and Yanofsky. He was furious about the rule that yearbook pictures of girls couldn't be too glamorous.

It didn't emerge until later that the poor daughter's illness was a result of what she was put through. When she was in Machon, she went to the infirmary every day to get a Tylenol to supress the headaches from her living Hell.

Anonymous said...

Dangerous sex offenders may be released due to short funds
By Shahar Ilan
Haaretz
August 13, 2007

Dangerous sex offenders may be released from prison unless more funding is provided for psychiatric evaluations, Professor Moshe Kottler, head of the Israel Prisons Service's mental health center, warned Health Ministry Director General Professor Avi Israeli recently.

"Dangerous prisoners may be released without a professional evaluation," Kottler said in a letter to Israeli, explaining that the Be'er Yaakov Center for Mental Health, which evaluates the degree to which imprisoned sex offenders pose a threat to the public, is on the verge of being unable to function properly. Staffers are being required to carry out as many as 30 risk evaluations per month.

The Center for Mental Health is asking for a budget of NIS 1 million next year, which it says would permit it to hire sufficient staff.

According to a 2006 law on protecting the public from sex offenders, the Center for Mental Health must evaluate how much of a threat sex offenders eligible for parole are liable to pose to the public. In cases where prisoners are deemed moderately to highly likely to endanger the public, the prosecution may require them to be placed under supervision following their release.

Since the law took effect nine months ago, 233 evaluations have been carried out. Of these, 82 prisoners were rated as posing a low threat, while 141 were classified as moderate to high risks.

However, the Center for Mental Health had originally been expected to carry out only 120 evaluations per year.

According to Constitution Committee Chairman Menachem Ben-Sasson, the Finance Ministry had promised a NIS 15 million allocation to implement the law. He described the repeated delays in the transfer of funds as "unbelievable," but expressed hope that the funding problem would be resolved Monday, during another meeting of his committee on implementation of the law.

Anonymous said...

http://angrygrrlrants.blogspot.com/2007/08/rape-victim-to-be-charged-with-sexual.html

On May 12, 2006, female airman Cassandra Hernandez of the US Air Force was drinking in a barracks room with three male airmen. She was attacked and raped. She fled the room, partially clothed, and reported her attack. She underwent a medical examination at a local hospital. In the weeks that followed, she was, at the very least, questioned by the lawyer for the defendants without her victim's advocate present. (This is directly in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.) Soon after, she refused to testify against the men, citing mental exhaustion. She said in a recent letter to her state governor (Rick Perry of Texas) and her Congressional delegates, that she "felt no one was looking out for my interests."

Why did she write to Rick Perry and Co.? Because on September 24th, 2007, she is up for a court martial on one charge of underage drinking and one charge of gross indecency. The three airmen who allegedly raped her have been offered immunity to charges of sexual assault if they testify against her. If convicted, Airman Hernandez faces not expulsion from the Air Force and criminal reparations, but having her name added to the national registry of sex offenders.

All for the crime of being raped.

Here is where you can find contact information for your state representative, and here is where senatorial contact information lives.

I implore everyone to get in touch with their Congressmen and -women on this topic. apple-pi says you can copy and paste the letter she wrote.

Anonymous said...

The Frankel's troll and his wife once got angry at the Chief Rabbi of Belgium, R' Chaim Kreiswerth. They both picked up handsets to call him and scream every obscenity imaginable and not imaginable. They would have made a Rubashkin truck driver blush.

Anonymous said...

Considering the cast of characters here like Margulies and others, one claim that UOJ cannot make is that "No animals were harmed in the making of this production."

Anonymous said...

How many children does a sex offender have to assault before the rabbis of Baltimore care?

I think the answer should be one. Unfortunately the answer is they care more about the reputation of the community then they care about cleaning out the gutters of the community.

Anonymous said...

Oelbaum and Yanofsky are phonies and hypocrites. They were always in denial about the girl's problems because her uncle gave a lot of money to Machon. They usually deny anything anyway if it makes the school look bad.

Anonymous said...

There were signs up all over Monsey that some putz named Lipschitz was put in cherem for having the cops remove a frum family from their house. Is that the guy from Frankel's?

Anonymous said...

There were signs up in Flatbush that said Lipshitz davens by Frankel. I saw it by Landau's shul.

Anonymous said...

We're not in the big leagues like Sassreggen and Veyelepol-Frankel's. Just a mortgage fraudster here and there.

Anonymous said...

How is Colmo the Homo managing to stay out of Israeli press reports?

Anonymous said...

It's a din in Shulchan Aruch that someone who is mesarev beis din is automatically in cheirim, so that would put Lipshitz in the same boat as Kolko and Margo.

Rebbi Akiva Eiger is mosif that if you are motzee mammon after you don't appear for din, you are a gazlan and it makes you possul for eidus. Having a Sheriff seize a house someone is living in is about the worst example of that.

Anonymous said...

"They would have made a Rubashkin truck driver blush."

What could they have said that's so bad already?

Anonymous said...

Hey Bungalow Putz, getting to know Potchie Lipschitz could be a new experience for you. He goes to Forestburgh, the most ultra-Hungarian bungalow colony around.

Anonymous said...

The satire-parody newspaper, The Onion was started by someone named Zweibel and the spokesperson for the Jerry Springer show is named Shafran.

http://webcast.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=170116

The Onion was founded in 1756 by a tuber farmer named Friedrich Siegfried Zweibel

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070811/NEWS01/70811020/1002

Linda Shafran, spokeswoman both for Wilkos’ show and for “The Jerry Springer Show”

Anonymous said...

McClellan sparked a week of public opposition when he told The Signal he planned to return to Santa Clarita with the intention of watching young girls.

Two local lawyers, Anthony D. Zinnanti and Richard Patterson, bothered by his comments filed a temporary restraining order to keep him out of Santa Clarita.

On Friday, a superior court judge upheld their order and widened it to include all of California, forbidding McClellan from being within 10 yards of any child.

http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=49992&format=html

By Jim Holt
Signal Staff Writer

Wednesday August 8, 2007

Self-proclaimed pedophile Jack McClellan promises to get help for his pedophilia, says the man who has dogged his every move for the past couple of months.

McClellan, 45, who confronted an angry TV studio mob in Chicago on Monday, made the promise to Ron Tebo who runs an 'Anti-Jack' Web site intended to divert pedophiles looking for McClellan and seeking McClellan's advice on where to find young girls.

"I accidentally ran into him after the show inside a restroom at the (Ohare International) Airport," Tebo told The Signal Tuesday. "He was coming out and I was going in. We were both there to catch flights home.

"I walked up to him and I said, 'Jack, remove the site from the server and remove all the files from the server as well, and get help," Tebo said. "He said he would do that."

Tebo was referring to Web sites created by McClellan which, although formally shut down can still be accessed through its various files, and to remove all files featured on those sites, including images of young girls photographed in public.

"He said when he could access his site he would notify the (Internet Service Provider) about his decision and post a bulletin stating that the site is shut down permanently.

"He also said all the files will be deleted."

McClellan's change of heart happened in the minutes following a live studio audience taping of The Steve Wilkos Show, that Tebo and others have described as a terrible experience in which McClellan was simply bullied.

Linda Shafran, publicist for the show, described the taping as "very interesting" referring further comment to Wilkos and promising that he would phone. The Signal is still waiting to hear from Wilkos, a former Chicago police officer and former on-camera security guard for The Jerry Springer Show.

Angela Rose heads a nationwide program drawing attention to the issue of sexual abuse, called PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment). She and Ron Tebo were among those invited to attend the screening and sat together in the audience.

Both say they had hoped to take part in a serious dialogue about sexual abuse. Instead, they say they were embarrassed to have been there.

When it was suggested to Rose that the whole event must have seemed ironic to her given PAVE's pledge to "shatter the silence of sexual violence," she said: "Absolutely."

"The producers had a real opportunity to gain a real insight into pedophile behavior but it was a military officer (referring to Wilkos) screaming at one man, saying if he saw him on the street and if he had a baseball bat he would bash his head in," Rose said. "We wanted to find out why pedophiles think the way they do.

"I was really disappointed," she said. "It was a complete travesty."

McClellan sparked a week of public opposition when he told The Signal he planned to return to Santa Clarita with the intention of watching young girls.

Two local lawyers, Anthony D. Zinnanti and Richard Patterson, bothered by his comments filed a temporary restraining order to keep him out of Santa Clarita.

On Friday, a superior court judge upheld their order and widened it to include all of California, forbidding McClellan from being within 10 yards of any child.

The Signal tried to contact McClellan Tuesday for comment on his pledge to get help but his cell phone message service reported that there was no room to leave a message.

Rose said she wanted to videotape McClellan's pledge Tuesday but she encountered stern opposition by NBC officials at the studios where the Wilkos taping took place.

When asked about the claims that NBC told her to leave the building, publicist Shafran said: "I don't know anything about that."

According to Rose, she had convinced McClellan to go on record asking for help but that when she arrived at the NBC Tower to record his statement, NBC "security just took him away."

McClellan reportedly missed his plane to Los Angeles Monday evening, around the same time as his encounter with Ron Tebo.

Rose had hoped to supply Tebo with McClellan's taped promise so that he could post it on his 'Anti-Jack' Web site, www.jackmcclellan.com. The pair sat together during the Wilkos taping.

"We were embarrassed and ready to get up and leave," Tebo said.

McClellan was recognized by Chicago residents and verbally accosted, he said.

"Police already approached him because he had his shirt off, it was so hot," he said. "They brought him back to NBC. And, they (NBC producers) were going to get him on the next plane to Los Angeles."

McClellan has not yet returned to California.

"We're actually trying to find him," Rose said. "Apparently, he's just wandering around Chicago. He's just so paranoid, right now."

Anonymous said...

http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=4&id=14648

The American Bar Association’s Tort Putz & Insurance Practice Section will honor a Brooklyn Law School professor next week at its annual meeting in San Francisco.
Professor Aaron D. Twerski, former dean of Hofstra University’s law school, will accept the 2007 Robert B. McKay Law Professor Award during a ceremony on Sunday, Aug. 12.

The award recognizes law professors who are committed to the advancement of justice, scholarship and the legal profession in the fields of tort and insurance law. Other distinguished recipients of the award have included Richard A. Posner, an influential judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit and a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School; and the late Charles Alan Wright, an authority on constitutional law and federal procedure who taught at the University of Texas School of Law and authored the well-known treatise Federal Practice and Procedure.

Twerski, an authority in the areas of product liability and tort law, has contributed to the fields through his service as both a scholar and a teacher. He has published dozens of law review articles as well as books on torts and product liability law. He was named the R. Ammi Cutter Reporter for his outstanding work as co-reporter for the American Law Institute’s Restatement of the Law (Third) Torts: Products Liability, published in 1998. His most recent articles were published in the Yale Law Journal, Cornell Law Review and the Georgetown Law Journal. He is co-author of the leading textbook, Products Liability: Problems and Process as well as Torts, Cases and Materials, with Cornell Law School professor James A. Henderson Jr.

Twerski earned an A.B. from Beth Medrash Elyon Talmudic Research Institute, a B.S. from University of Wisconsin and his J.D. from Marquette University School of Law.

Twerski recently returned to Brooklyn Law School after having served as dean of Hofstra University School of Law. He began teaching at Brooklyn Law School in 1986. He served as professor of law at Hofstra from 1972 to 1986 and as interim dean from 1977 to 1978, and he has also taught at Duquesne University, Cornell, Boston University and the University of Michigan law schools. He is special counsel to the law firm of Herzfeld and Rubin.

The ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section has 36,000 members across the country, including plaintiffs’ lawyers, defense lawyers, insurance and corporate counsel and just plain putzes.

Anonymous said...

(Los Angeles) 13 Men arrested several are Jewish - Undercover Intern
Posted by: "vickipolin@aol.com" vickipolin@aol.com shoshanaavigail
Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:24 pm (PST)
David Mazlin went to Valley Torah High School. He currently lives in
(Valley Village) North Hollywood, CA and is married.

The suspects include: Evan Greene, 28, of Seal Beach; Richard Joseph Buttery,
49, of La Mirada; Babak Habashi, 24, of Winnetka; Abraham Aleksanyan, 30, of
Van Nuys; David Mazlin, 23, of Valley Village; Oscar Hernandez-Garcia, 25, of
Sherman Oaks; David Avram Cohn, 49, of Woodland Hills; and Shalendra Avi
Parasram, 27, of Simi Valley.
------------ --------- --------- --

13 Men Arrested in Undercover Internet Child-Sex Sting
Accused of Arranging to Meet Young Girls for Sex
By Sid Garcia
ABC News (Los Angeles) - August 10, 2007
click to watch video: http://abclocal. go.com/kabc/ story?section= local&
id=5558900

LOS ANGELES, August 10, 2007 - An undercover sting snared 13 men, who are
accused of contacting young girls online, and arranging to meet them for sex.

Several of the men were arrested when they arrived to meet with what they
thought were children.
The arrests took place at parks, public libraries, other public places, and
even residences.

According to the LAPD and the FBI, they could have set up the sting
operation anywhere in the city of Los Angeles and would have probably ended up with
the same results.

They're saying there are plenty of predators out there, going online looking
for teens, hoping to set up a sexual meeting.

The 13 men were all arrested during a two week period last month. They are
all charged with the felony count of traveling to meet with a minor for the
purpose of engaging in lewd or lascivious behavior.

According to the FBI and LAPD, the men believed they were chatting online
with a teenage girl. They were actually chatting with an agent or an officer.

Officials displayed some of the things the suspects brought for their
meetings. They range from liquor to flowers.

"We really don't know the width and the extent of this crime problem until
we do these kind of proactive investigations, and it gives us an idea that,
yes, they're still very active, very aggressive in trying to meet your eighth
grade daughters online for the purposes of having sex," Agent Peter Brust, of the
FBI, said.

Along with the arrests, three high-end vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz
were seized. Law enforcement officials went public with the arrests to warn the
public and especially parents of teenage girls and boys that cyber predators
are out there preying on your children.

There are some things you can do to protect your child.

"Moving the computer out of the bedrooms, having monitoring software, having
rules and expectations, those are safeguards that we really need to
reinforce," Dep. Chief Michael Moore, of the LAPD, said.

After speaking to a group of FBI personnel, Danielle Helms told reporters
that parents need to be more vigilant in monitoring their children's computer
use. Her 15-year-old daughter, Kristin, committed suicide shortly after being
sexually assaulted by a 28-year-old Texas man she met online.

"So if you have a program that blocks things, that monitors, kids can change
that, they can bypass it, I was told that my daughter knew how to delete
files from the computer like a computer programmer," Helms said.

The man who assaulted Kristin is currently serving a nine-year prison term.

According to the LAPD and the FBI, none of the 13 men who were arrested last
month were a registered sex offender.

Law enforcement stresses parents need to strictly monitor the computer use of
their children. If you find anything suspicious, remove it.

____________ ________
Underage-sex sting in Valley nets 13 suspects, 2 local men
Operation was run by Valley Bureau police and the FBI.
By Tony Castro, Staff Writer
Press Telegram - August 10, 2007
http://www.presstel egram.com/ news/ci_6597983

Thirteen men - including one from Seal Beach and one from La Mirada - were
nabbed in a sting targeting suspects who allegedly troll the Internet seeking
sex with underage girls, officials said Friday.

The undercover operation mirrored the popular "To Catch a Predator" segments
on NBC's "Dateline," with undercover FBI agents and police officers
portraying adolescent girls in online chat rooms.

Some of the men who made dates with the "girls" arrived at an undisclosed
Valley location bearing gifts, ranging from alcohol and jewelry to teddy bears
and ballet slippers, officials said.

"They are a profile of a typical male living either in the San Fernando
Valley or in parts of this region," said Deputy Police Chief Michel Moore, whose
Valley Bureau partnered with the FBI in the crackdown. "Their occupations -
attorneys, technicians. They work a variety of occupations. "

Moore said the Valley was chosen for the sting because the Los Angeles
Police Department already had a team in place targeting Internet fraud, not because
of a particular problem with child predators.

The Valley is home to some 1,500 registered sex offenders, although none of
those nabbed in the sting had a record of previous offenses.

Those arrested in the sting, conducted between July 21 and Aug. 2, face
state felony charges, as well as possible federal charges.

The suspects include: Evan Greene, 28, of Seal Beach; Richard Joseph
Buttery, 49, of La Mirada; Babak Habashi, 24, of Winnetka; Abraham Aleksanyan, 30, of
Van Nuys; David Mazlin, 23, of Valley Village; Oscar Hernandez-Garcia, 25, of
Sherman Oaks; David Avram Cohn, 49, of Woodland Hills; and Shalendra Avi
Parasram, 27, of Simi Valley.

Five other suspects were identified as John Hwang, 27, of Anaheim; Antonio
Perez, 21, of Huntington Park; Kenneth Grajeda, 23, of Stanton; Eric Lozoya,
21, of Inglewood; and Kristopher P. Duke, 33, of Las Vegas.

The state felony charge carries prison terms of at least a year upon
conviction, officials said.
Probe continues

Peter Brust, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Cyber Division in Los
Angeles, said other arrests may be made as authorities continue their
investigation.

"This operation is proof of the real problem we face in Los Angeles alone
involving the sheer amount of people prepared to sexually victimize children,"
Brust said.

Most of the suspects were charged by the Los Angeles County District
Attorney's Office with traveling to meet with a minor for the purpose of engaging in
lewd or lascivious behavior.

One of the suspects, Hernandez-Garcia, arranged to meet an underage teenager
but did not show up for the date.

He was still arrested July 27 and charged with arranging to meet with a
minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd or lascivious behavior.

Cohn was charged with attempted molestation of a child, according to
authorities.

Calls to the homes of Cohn, Habashi, Aleksanyan and Mazlin were not
returned. Other suspects could not be reached for comment.

Habashi, Mazlin, Aleksanyan and Parasram were released after posting $75,000
bail each.

Hernandez-Garcia was released on $5,000 bail. Cohn was released on $100,000
bail.

Some of the alleged gifts from predators, including alcohol, jewelry and
flowers, were on display Friday at a news conference at FBI headquarters in
Westwood where officials announced the arrests.

Also on display were photographs of the men as well as some of the expensive
vehicles seized from the suspected predators, including a late-model Mercedes
Benz.

"These are faces of a typical American," Moore said. "They approach this as
if they are on a date with another consenting adult. They romance or pursue
these individuals in such a manner, as well.

"And of course as parents, we need to be mindful that these are people who
are very effective in this pursuit."

Both FBI and LAPD officials stressed that there is no definitive stereotype
of a sexual predator.
"There's a misperception that the predator is this bogeyman, this monster,"
said Brust. "Certainly a monster in his action."

But, Moore said, "The profile of the offender is not one with a criminal
past. They have otherwise been productive members of society and employed - and
gainfully so - and as to the victims, these victims are not latchkey or
individuals that are terribly out of sync with the family.

"They are sons and daughters that many of us may have in our own home."

Authorities said that unlike the televised arrests on "Dateline," the Valley
sting was not videotaped on a hidden camera.

Parent cautions
At the news conference, Danielle Helms of Orange County offered a mother's
cautionary tale for other parents.

In 2005, she said her daughter Kristin Danielle Helms, then 14, fell prey to
an online predator who pursued her even after her parents took away her
computer, in part because the teenager believed she had fallen in love.

The following summer, the predator - Kiley Ryan Bowers, 28, of Texas - came
to California, where he talked Kristin into a secret late-night meeting.

After having sex with the predator, the teenager slipped into what her
mother called "serious clinical depression" when Bowers ended the relationship.

Within weeks, Kristen had taken her life.

Authorities said Bowers was soon arrested and in June sentenced to nine
years in prison.

"My daughter was a very compliant, easy-going child to have in the house,"
said Helms, who worked from home to be close to her children.

"She was doing well in school. She was on the cross-country team ... the
honor roll.

"It can happen to anyone if it can happen to my child."

Anonymous said...

Tort Putz indeed. Twerski is in good company with the ABA, the most left wing, communist lawyer group around.

Just some of their latest efforts:

http://www.dailymail.com/story/Opinion/2007081012/Criminal-records-are-public-record/

Trying to seal court records. If it were up to them, you wouldn't be able to follow Kolko's trial details on the internet. They're afraid that poor Yudi might be "discriminated against" in employment (at YTT?) and housing (at Silver Lake?).

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6841673,00.html

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - President Bush's recent order on CIA interrogations of terror suspects should be overturned because it still allows harsh treatment in violation of international treaties, two American Bar Association committees say.

Anonymous said...

http://www.nyaccidentlawsite.com/

Speaking of Tort Putzes, does anyone know if ambulance chaser Jeff Kimmel is related to Leo Kimmel?

Anonymous said...

Potchie Shitlips, I mean Lipschitz, sort of used to own Deli 52 on 13th Ave which he bought for his kids. It's since been sold. The beis din gave out the siruv tzettlach all over 13th Ave so people should yell at him to stop being mevazeh the Torah.

The guy is a piece of work. He's either ripped off or tried to rip off anyone he's ever bought anything from.

Anonymous said...

http://yudelstake.blogspot.com/2007/08/shmitah-5768.html

There were many problems for us in the USA last shmitah. The OU somehow got fumbled up in accepting a "Heter-Mechirah". There were many letters and clarifications going back and forth, which left us in a state of complete confusion. We didn't find out the Heter-Mechirah was done in an unacceptable fashion-someone fouled up very bad. The other problem is "SEFICHIN", which the "OU" should not be accepting as they go with the "Ruv's Psak", for some reason it went off track & was accepted. Etc, Etc.

Anonymous said...

Jeff and Leo Kimmel are brothers.

Anonymous said...

Shmuely Boteach "sucks".

Another "Jewish Orthodox" minuval.

Anonymous said...

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime_file/2007/08/08/2007-08-08_mom_of_15_avoids_jail_in_fraud_case.html

A 49-year-old physician's assistant and mother of 15 children avoided jail time yesterday for stealing more than $50,000 in phony billing hours from local hospitals.

Bronx District Attorney Jeffrey Glucksman argued that Ann Landsman, convicted in the scheme to defraud this past June, deserved six months in jail, as well as 4-1/2 years probation and should be required to pay the hospitals $100,000 in restitution.

"There is a plea for leniency and sympathy that portrays her as having to work hard to support her 15 children," said Glucksman. "Her actions were not a single error in judgment, but greed and arrogance."

But Bronx Supreme Court Justice David Stadtmauer, who could have given her as much as four years in prison, sentenced Landsman to a conditional discharge. He said he consulted with a panel of judges and they agreed unanimously that "incarceration or rehabilitation" would serve no purpose.

"I'm excited I am not going to jail," Landsman said later. "I am a good person. I am a good mother. I am a good health care provider. I did the work of two people. ... I never planned to defraud."

Her attorneys, James Cullerton and Philip Foglia, described her as a "workaholic" who never hesitated to work extra hours or unpopular shifts.

Landsman, of Brooklyn, submitted fraudulent time sheets for working simultaneous shifts at North Central Bronx Hospital and the Veterans Administration Hospital between Aug. 30, 1999, and Feb. 21, 2002, and at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine from April 3, 2000, until Sept. 29, 2003. In that time, authorities said, her salary totaled $1.37 million.

Auditors for the hospitals uncovered the scam after a doctor realized that she could not have been in two places at the same time.

Initially charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, she was acquitted of the most serious charges.

Now, a medical board will decide whether to revoke her license.

Stadtmauer will hold a hearing next month to decide how much restitution Landsman must pay.

http://www.empirestatenews.net/News/20070808-1.html

Ann Landsman, 49, of 3412 Avenue L, Brooklyn was found guilty on June 6, 2007 of one count of Scheme to Defraud in the 1st degree. The crime involved the theft of tens of thousands of dollars by improperly filing time sheets for working simultaneous shifts at two different hospitals.

Landsman was facing a maximum sentence of up to four years imprisonment following her conviction on a Class E felony offense. The People, however, recommended that she serve six months in jail, be placed on probation for 4 ½ years, and required to pay approximately $100,000 in restitution to Montefiore and North Central Bronx Hospitals.

The People, throughout pre-trial plea discussions, had maintained that restitution in and of itself would not be an appropriate punishment because a third party had offered to replace the funds involved. The restitution would not come out of the defendant’s pockets.

Anonymous said...

I was once in a restaurant when the whole Lipshitz gang showed up. Their m.o. is to find some excuse why they're not happy with the service they get. They start screaming and yelling that you are ripping them off. They always pull this stunt to get out of paying. The excuse they pulled out of their hats that night was they were supposed to get a round table instead of a square table. They squawked about it for half an hour and ruined everyone's dinner.

Anonymous said...

The guy arrested - David Mazlan for being an Internet predator -davened at Aron Tendler's shul and they were close friends. Birds of a feather.

Anonymous said...

If I knew Twerski was going to San Francisco, I would've went with him. That's my kind of town.

Anonymous said...

Lipschitz has a bunch of sons who went mostly to YTV / YTT. They showed up in yeshiva in their custom shirts and gold cufflinks paid for with the money Tatty stole on 47th St by declaring bankruptcy 5 times and keeping gems that don't belong to him. What a Hungarian shtik drek. He's a perfect fit at Frankels.

Anonymous said...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/081407dnmetmurphyfolo.34243fe.html

NBC stung by criticism of sex-predator cases

12:07 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 14, 2007
By STEVE THOMPSON / The Dallas Morning News
stevethompson@dallasnews.com

In November, Dateline NBC producers brought "To Catch a Predator" to this house in Murphy, where police arrested more than 20 men during a four-day sting. The show was an instant success. It lured would-be child-sex predators to a public shaming, delivered by a handsome host. Ratings, awards and even praise from members of Congress followed.

But now Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator" series is taking heat. And so is the police chief of the Collin County town that hosted it eight months ago.

The troubles stem from the show's visit to Murphy, where more than 20 people were arrested but escaped prosecution because of evidence problems. Also a former district attorney ensnared in the sting shot himself.

A lengthy Esquire magazine account of the episode is to hit newsstands today. It assails Dateline for overstepping the bounds of newsgathering, and quotes Collin County District Attorney John Roach blasting Murphy police for being there "like potted plants, to make the scenery."

The article follows other recent pieces questioning the Dateline program, including reports by WFAA-TV (Channel 8) and The Dallas Morning News.

Also Online
Read previous stories about the To Catch a Predator sting operation in Murphy.
Now a Dateline competitor, ABC's 20/20, is investigating. A film crew cornered Murphy Police Chief Billy Myrick last week for an interview in the City Hall parking lot.

Along with the media scrutiny, Dateline is the target of lawsuits. In one, the dead prosecutor's sister blames the show for her brother's suicide. In another, a former Dateline producer accuses the network of firing her because she questioned the show's ethics.

Dateline's executive producer, David Corvo, says criticisms of the show are dwarfed by its accolades. Host Chris Hansen "could make a living just going to children and parent safety groups to receive all the awards he's been given or offered," Mr. Corvo said.

Murphy's police chief said he set out only to put criminals in jail and doesn't understand the negative backlash.

"It's a tragedy on so many fronts that a lot of things have come out of this the way they have," Chief Myrick said.

Dateline launched "To Catch a Predator" in 2004. It filmed a group called Perverted Justice, whose volunteers posed online as children to expose would-be sexual predators. They chatted with those who sent explicit messages, then invited the men to a decoy house. When they showed up, Mr. Hansen confronted them in front of cameras.

In the first sting, set up outside New York City, 18 men arrived in less than three days. In future episodes, many more showed up, and Dateline invited police to make arrests. NBC began paying Perverted Justice as a consultant.

In 11 stings, the show has exposed more than 250 potential predators, many of whom have been convicted.

In November, Dateline producers brought the show to Murphy, a town of about 13,000, where police arrested more than 20 men during a four-day sting.

Officials say that one man who was sending sexually explicit messages to a supposed 13-year-old boy was former Kaufman County District Attorney Louis "Bill" Conradt Jr.

When he couldn't be lured to the home, police obtained a warrant for his arrest. When he didn't answer his door or his telephone, police forced their way into Mr. Conradt's home in Terrell. But before they could arrest him, he put a handgun to his temple and fired.


Esquire investigation

This spring, Esquire magazine sent a reporter to Murphy for a three-month investigation into Mr. Conradt's death. The resulting article accuses Dateline of manipulating the Murphy police.

The magazine also accuses Murphy police of rushing search and arrests warrants to accommodate Dateline and includes criticism of the Terrell police for entering the prosecutor's home.

Prosecutors have since said they could not prove they had jurisdiction over many of the cases – that either the Perverted Justice decoy or the suspect was in Collin County when the crime was committed.

And according to Esquire, prosecutors believed the arrests may even have been illegal. In each case, police had done little or no investigation prior to the men showing up at the house. Instead, Esquire said, they simply arrested the men who emerged after receiving a signal from the Dateline crew inside.

According to Esquire, Mr. Roach said: "The Murphy Police Department was merely a player in the show and had no real law enforcement position. Other people are doing the work, and the police are just there like potted plants, to make the scenery."

Mr. Roach could not be reached last week for comment.


Criticism rejected

Dateline's executive producer shrugged off the criticisms in the Esquire story.

"The premise, the notion, that's been floated that Chris Hansen or his producers somehow could have controlled or manipulated a police department, prosecutors or the whole law enforcement organization is ridiculous," Mr. Corvo said.

Chief Myrick, who has led the Murphy police since 2005 in his first job as a city chief, says he has been caught him off guard by all the criticism. "Like coming around a corner and hitting a brick wall."

Esquire portrays the 49-year-old as a bad leader, eager to please Dateline and greedy for the vehicles confiscated in the sting. The article mentions a sport utility vehicle that Murphy police seized in a previous investigation with Perverted Justice.

"Chief Myrick, who would eventually use that Ford Expedition as his ride-around vehicle, was hooked," Esquire wrote.

The chief, who declined to speak to Esquire, said that the Expedition was not some shining prize, but a nine-year-old vehicle he drove for several months while waiting for his current vehicle, a standard police-issue Crown Victoria.

"Oh my goodness," Chief Myrick said, leaning over his desk and shaking his head when told of the allegations in Esquire. Though the article has been available online for days, he had decided not to read it, he said.

"We've all been through enough," he said.

The chief declined to refute the account point by point, citing the litigation over the prosecutor's death.

"I'm surprised and very saddened that things have gone the route that they have," he said. "We performed strictly what we believed to be a valid law enforcement operation."

Federal lawsuit

Patricia Conradt, sister of the dead prosecutor, has filed a $105 million federal lawsuit against NBC. In the suit, Ms. Conradt said the show's host and producers are more interested in "sensationalizing and dramatizing the Predator series for profit than in news reporting."

The lawsuit said the circumstances around Mr. Conradt's arrest – such as television cameras outside his house and a blocked-off street – and his position in the legal community made his suicide "reasonably foreseeable."

A former Dateline producer is also suing NBC. Marsha Bartel's suit alleges that the network fired her because she questioned the show's ethics.

She accuses Dateline of engaging in an unwritten quid pro quo with police, trading access to equipment and videotapes in return for dramatically staged arrests.

"NBC has crossed the line," the suit says, "and has acted as a privately funded law enforcement agency rather than a news caster reporting the news. By allowing its reporting work to be routinely seized and employed by law enforcement agencies to use in seeking convictions, NBC has also made itself a material witness."


'Proud of the show'

NBC officials declined to comment on the lawsuits, other than to say they have no merit and the network intends to vigorously defend itself. NBC is very proud of the show, Mr. Corvo said. "So if we have to tolerate some inaccurate accusations now and then, we'll do it."

He said there are no plans to change the show's format. Dateline has expanded the methods used in "To Catch a Predator" to suit other topics, such as identity theft and illegal adoption.

"I think it's an advance in television investigative journalism," Mr. Corvo said. "Certainly it's a very ambitious form of reporting."

Meanwhile, Dateline's competitor, ABC's 20/20, is working on its own investigation into the prosecutor's death.

Paige Capossela, a spokeswoman for ABC, called the story "a work in progress" with no air date.

Chief Myrick said a 20/20 film crew pulled up in unmarked cars for an ambush interview early last week, as he was on his way to a Murphy City Council meeting.

"I answered what questions I felt like I could answer with them," the chief said.

"I didn't like their tactics."

Anonymous said...

Potchie Lipschitz is a crazy old Munkatcher crook, like most of Frankel's. He's made many enemies in his miserable life.

Anonymous said...

The oldest Lipschitz boy, Luzi, married the daughter of another old Munkatcher crackpot in LA. Something verrry strrrrange happened there years ago. The shver kicked him out of the house he owns. Even strrranger is the whole background with the Los Angeles family. There are more skeletons with both these families then there are in Pol Pot's killing fields in Cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Kolko should be aware that just because he is among gays in San Francisco, it still does not mean that some of his behavior is acceptable there. Going by the criminal complaint against him for instance, it would be improper etiquette to reach out and grab another's man beitzim without it being consentual.

Anonymous said...

That’s why Eli Goldwasser feels so comfortable in Frankel’s. He knows that others also have skeletons in their closets. That piece of human feces was the one spreading rumors of gambling addictions, psychiatric illnesses, and other garbage about his brother-in-law Finkel last year. Putz, if you live in a glass house don’t throw stones. He knew darn well about your gambling addiction, and frequenting prostitutes in Japan. He knew that Finkel’s wife has a history of psychiatric hospitalizations. He knew that his fathers 400% interest loan sent him scurrying for another business solution. At least he didn’t get on national Television and lie like Finkel’s mechuttan Applegrad.

Anonymous said...

Pootchie Lipschitz outdoes anyone including Moish Finkel when it comes to scandalous mechitans.

The Abramczyk family of jailbirds, smugglers and con artists.

The Satmar chevra who sold one of their children on the black market for hard cash.

That guy Menlo or Manilla, whatever his name is.

As long as they're rich, it doesn't matter. You see, Pootchie does have a little money that he stole, but he's not rich. So getting rich mechitonim, is one way of creating the mirage he craves that people will think he's rich.

Anonymous said...

400% interest? Did one of my boys give that loan?

Anonymous said...

The Monsey shul that the Lipschitzes go to is in the same sug as Frankel's. It's full of Hungarian crooks and lowlives. They didn't have a rov for years because those peasants hate rabbunim. They finally decided it looks bad for them so they got Rav Schlesinger from Israel. The Lip-shits clan was then instrumental in throwing him out.

Anonymous said...

So that means if I conduct my UOJ survey in Forestburgh, I have to learn to speak Hungarian first?

Anonymous said...

where can one follow the Kolko case on the internet?

Anonymous said...

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/home.htm

NY is one of the states that posts court cases online.

Twerski and his pals at the ABA are going one step further then just trying to shut down the websites. If these Putzes have their way, they would ban you from getting records of Kolko and fellow travellers from the clerk in any way, shape or form.

Paul Mendlowitz said...

Twerski and his pals at the ABA are going one step further then just trying to shut down the websites. If these Putzes have their way, they would ban you from getting records of Kolko and fellow travellers from the clerk in any way, shape or form.


--------------

Not the first time. An employee of Torah Umesorah that did serious jail time for being an Internet child predator, had his ENTIRE file removed from the public domain. Not a trace of it until I tracked it down. Twerski is a criminal.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what happened at Maayanot High School for Girls with one of the male teachers?

Anonymous said...

Could UOJ kindly share with us how to obtain records that have been erased? I'm very curious about molester Tuvya Rokach. He was arrested this past year in Monsey and his case disappeared from the record after his first court appearance.

Anonymous said...

Shmarya is crapping all over Gil Student today, when he does the same thing he criticizes Gilligan for:

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2007/08/rabbi-gil-stude.html#comments

"The difficulty with Gil Student is that he deletes comments and bans commenters often without notice, so readers have no idea the thread has been altered.

This is deceitful."

Paul Mendlowitz said...

Could UOJ kindly share with us how to obtain records that have been erased?

---------------

Vicki Polin will be happy to do it for you free of charge. She's the expert.

(No need to use professionals who are very expensive)

Anonymous said...

I've tried sending documented information on some molesters to Vicki. She neither responded to me nor added them to the Awareness Center.

When I asked Jewish Survivors how that could be, the blogger speculated that Vicki is too overwhelmed and understaffed to get to all her emails.

Paul Mendlowitz said...

Kosher and Non-Kosher Consumers Beware:

Nothing coming out of China can be trusted!!!!

--------
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Mattel Inc., the largest U.S. toy company, recalled millions more Chinese-made toys on Tuesday due to hazards from small, powerful magnets and lead paint, and warned it may recall additional products as it steps up testing on thousands of toys.

Paul Mendlowitz said...

Gumshoe,

E-mail them to me, I now have a full time staff. (Unfortunately it has come to this)

Anonymous said...

Aron Twerski is not just your average Tort Putz. His brother is from Frankel's shul.

Anonymous said...

Aren't all of this wonderful updates just peachy-keen for Chodesh Elul.


Down...Down...Down...we go!!!!!!

Paul Mendlowitz said...

Boog,

Where u been brother?

Anonymous said...

Vacation.

Paul Mendlowitz said...

Vacation.
-------
That's no excuse:-). Welcome home!

Anonymous said...

Sources tell me Leopold Margulies yemach shemo was @ a wedding tonight and read the kesubah. Nobody said boo.

Anonymous said...

Vus far a chitzpe. The ABA didn't say Twerski was awarded in large part due to his association with me and the BEST yeshiva.

Anonymous said...

http://yudelstake.blogspot.com/2007/08/update-on-rubashkin.html#comment-7173643237628592570

The meat that you eat is steer meat. This is a fat meat that it produced by putting a rubber band around the beitzim when the animal is young. THis produces a marbelized meat that Americans eat.

Rubashkin's deli has other "great stuff" in it - a higher rate of fat (just look at the nutritional info on the label), it has mechanically deboned chicken - this is bones that are scraped in a machine so that you get ground up bones in the deli. Alle (meal mart) also has mechanically deboned poultry meat in some of their deli. International and 999 do not.

Sodium phosphate - a mineral derivative. Makes the water thick - of binds that water to the meat. Less water goes out during cooking (and water is cheaper than meat). It is what makes a Rubashkin pastrami juicy

Mechanically deboned - this is chicken or turkey bones that go into a machine called a paoli machine. Basically, it used sandpaper to scrape off the protein from the bones and makes a paste that can be a substitute for meat. Look for it in Rubashkin classic franks, or some of Alle's cheap stuff. If you really want to save money, put the bones in a second time. If you ever see this in a product, walk away from it.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking about the sob story from the kollel man who says he was a victim of mortgage fraud. Something doesn't sound right. Why is he afraid of being arrested by the FBI. Either he has unfounded fears or he's not as innocent as he would like us to believe.

Paul Mendlowitz said...

"Narrow Bridge" -- the next "Ushtizin"
http://narrowbridge film.com/

"Narrow Bridge" is a vitally important film that should be seen by everyone.

Film maker, Israel Moskovits did his homework -- breaking the taboo of silence and was able to capture the thoughts and feelings of what many Jewish survivors of clergy sexual abuse/childhood sexual abuse experience.

Izzy Moskovits deserves an award for the courage it took to create his landmark film, especially since it is the first to explore child sexual abuse in the
Orthodox Jewish community.

The Awareness Center will keep you posted in where and when you can see the film.

You can learn more about the film at: http://narrowbridge film.com/

Vicki Polin, MA, ATR-BC, LCPC

The Awareness Center, Inc.
(The Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault)
P.O. Box 65273, Baltimore, MD 21209
www.theawarenesscen ter.org
443-857-5560

Anonymous said...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/business/15lead.html

Certain vinyl baby bibs sold at Toys “R” Us stores appear to be contaminated with lead, laboratory tests have shown, making the inexpensive bibs another example of a made-in-China product that may be a health hazard to children.

The vinyl bibs, which feature illustrations of baseball bats and soccer balls and Disney’s Winnie the Pooh characters, are sold for less than $5 each under store brand labels, including Especially for Baby and Koala Baby.

Tests this summer, financed by the Center for Environmental Health of Oakland, Calif., found lead as high as three times the level allowed in paint in several styles of the bibs purchased from both Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores in California.

A separate test by a laboratory hired by The New York Times of the same Toys “R” Us bibs, purchased in Maryland, found a similar level of contamination.

“These bibs are exposing children to lead in an unnecessary way,” said Caroline Cox, research director at the Center for Environmental Health, a nonprofit agency that for the last decade has been testing consumer products for lead, in an effort to remove them from the market.

Anonymous said...

Overlawyered said...
http://www.courts.state.ny.us/home.htm

Exactly where do I search? Is there a case #?

Paul Mendlowitz said...

Rabbi Dovid Eidensohn and Rabbi Yudel Shain have long been warning about products from China being suspect about their reliabilty for kashruth. There is NO mashgiach tmidi (resident mashgiach) at any plant in China.

If you are serious about kashruth, avoid purchasing anything from China regardless of what the OU or the Star K endorse. It's a sham!

Anonymous said...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/15/business/worldbusiness/15imports.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=53eef2f599681292&ex=1187323200&pagewanted=print

Lee Der Industrial, a contract manufacturer based in southern China, was responsible for producing the toys that contained excessive levels of lead paint in the first recall. Mattel stopped accepting goods from the contractor, and last week the Chinese government revoked Lee Der’s export license. The owner of Lee Der, Zhang Shuhong, committed suicide by hanging himself in a factory warehouse last Saturday, Chinese officials have confirmed.

Anonymous said...

“If I went down the shelves of Wal-Mart and tested everything, I’m going to find serious problems,” said Sean McGowan, managing director and the toy analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities. “The idea that Mattel — with its high standards — has a bigger problem than everybody else is laughable. If we don’t see an increase of recalls in this industry, then it’s a case of denial.”

Anonymous said...

"China, however, insists the vast majority of its exports are safe and of high quality."

Paul Mendlowitz said...

The owner of Lee Der, Zhang Shuhong, committed suicide by hanging himself in a factory warehouse last Saturday, Chinese officials have confirmed.
--------
Moreinu R' Lipa,

I hope you read this!

Anonymous said...

No one seems to have responded to Phil Jacobs, so do we presume that Eisemann is innocent and it was all a storm in a teacup?

Paul Mendlowitz said...

No one seems to have responded to Phil Jacobs
---------
I suggest you call Phil; he's really a nice guy.

Anonymous said...

Uh-Oh, it sounds like Eisemann and NIRC are gonna get whacked.

Anonymous said...

Did Rav Schorr win? How would you view the difference between Rav Schorr and R' Yaakov? I always felt the former was more of a Rosh Yeshiva when it came to learning, I don't know why. R' yaakov never seemed to be as enjoyable for me.

Anonymous said...

I am going to print out information about Rubashkin from the USDA and Rav Yudel Shain's website to show to meat markets. I hope they stop carrying that garbage.

If you want to eat safe and kosher food, I suggest the other readers do the same in your areas.

Anonymous said...

"UOJ" - "The Un-Orthodox Jew" said...
Gumshoe,

E-mail them to me, I now have a full time staff. (Unfortunately it has come to this)

10:34 PM, August 14, 2007
-----------------------------------

UOJ, how are you paying for this?
btw, are you upset at president bush that you stopped using his motto of "are you with me or against me" in this war on terror.

BOOG, uoj is right, no such thing as vacation in this line, do you think that the kolkos & leizerowitzs of the world are on vacation, these predators never take a vacation unless its by force for example prison.

Anonymous said...

Fifty percent of rapists are between the ages of 15 and 24 years old.

Studies consistently conclude that 75% of all assaults are planned.

The FBI reports that false accusations account for only 2% of all reported sexual assaults, a number that is no higher than false reports of any other crime. A National Victim Center Study of 1992 confirms this percentage.

Jolie Ann Bales is an attorney based in Berkeley, Calif. She has written for a number of legal and business publications.

Anonymous said...

http://exposemolesters.blogspot.com/

A Note from Exposemolesters:

Why is Avi Shafran and Agudah always so quick to comment on ANY freak-en Jewish topic, yet run and hide from commenting on daily forms of abuse and wickedness that plague and destroy countless Jewish lives - such as when Rabbi's abuse their authority, when Rabbi's abuse kids, when Rabbi's abuse animals and Kashruth, when Rabbi's overstep and exceed their boundaries?

Avi Shafran is a farce. Agudas Yisroel of America are murderers and abusers of Jews. They care about looking good. They care about sweeping the truth under the rug. They seek to pervert justice. They are collaborators of the worst kind - ruining peoples lives and distorting the truth and reality. They claim to be advocating for Jewish interests and proper Halacha - They are the biggest joke in town. They are becoming ever so irrelevant in the minds of the Klal - that sees them for the true beamais and chaya ra'aas that they truly are. Jewish conversions is a concern, but children being sexually molested is of no real concern for these savages and ravages. Hey Avi - Children are being raped you creep, where's the love for your fellow Jew? Hey Avi - Avrohm Mondrowitz is living comfortably in Israel - Where's the outrage you big phony? Hey Avi - You deliberately and intentionally misguide the Klal all the time on the Yudi Kolko/YTT crimes, don't you have any shame - You're such a putz! Hey Avi - For over a decade people were consuming treifa meat at Shevach meat store in monsey NY - Where are the articles raging against Rabonim who should have picked up on it sooner rather than later? Why do you channel your Agudah spokesperson position towards - Jewish conversions and "illegal" Jewish concerts (G-D forbid there should be such a terrible thing as mixed seating and females conversing with males and vice-versa), and other twisted halachic psaks, rather than Pikuach Nefoshos issues that are tearing the Jewish nation apart? You are a malicious piece of scum. You shy away from the Johnathon Pollard travesty, you run from saving lives, and are quick to comment on superficial topics. Shame on you Avi Shafran. Shame on you Agudah, Shame on all you disgusting Rabonim. Hashem Yikom Damam!

EM

Anonymous said...

http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2007/08/case-of-jason-goldsmith-baltimore-md.html

Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Case of Jason Goldsmith (Baltimore, MD)
Man, 38, charged with assault, child abuse
Wife says he used daughter, 2, as weapon
By Julie Bykowicz
Baltimore Sun
August 9, 2007

Gail Goldsmith was so afraid that she violated her Jewish beliefs and picked up the telephone on the Sabbath to call 911.

Her husband had just used their 2-year-old daughter as a weapon to beat her, according to an account she gave police, and the child was bleeding from a wound on her right forearm.

At an emergency hearing in Baltimore Circuit Court yesterday, Jason Goldsmith, 38, was ordered held without bail. He is charged with first-degree assault and second-degree child abuse in the June 30 incident at the family's home in Northwest Baltimore.

At the hearing, the prosecutor described Goldsmith as a troubled man who has terrorized his family. Afterward, as Goldsmith was being taken to jail, he collapsed in the courtroom and was taken away by ambulance.

Goldsmith was diagnosed in June with eight disorders and has been hospitalized six times in the past two years for mental illness, said Assistant State's Attorney Julie Drake. As a younger man, he received training in weaponry and armed combat, and served in the Israeli military, Drake said.

Goldsmith also had ties to several extremist organizations, including the Jewish Defense League and, years ago, the Kahane Movement, Drake said.

Goldsmith's attorney, Isaac Klein, said there is no proof that Jason Goldsmith belonged to any extremist organizations or had any specialized military training. He called Gail Goldsmith's accusations "her own exaggerations."

She wrote in court documents that Jason Goldsmith has been so threatening and aggressive that they separated in October 2006, and he moved out.

"He has repeatedly threatened my life and the life of my two children," she wrote June 30 in an application for charges related to the attack that she said had occurred that day.

Based on her application, Goldsmith was charged with two counts of assault and was scheduled for a hearing yesterday in District Court. In the meantime, Gail Goldsmith talked with police and prosecutors, and her estranged husband was indicted Aug. 3.

In her account of that day's events, she said her husband had come to the house for his regular Sabbath visits with his daughters, ages 2 and 1.

She said she locked herself in her bedroom while he was there, as she always did when he was present. Goldsmith became agitated when he could not find a diaper, she said, and ran upstairs with the crying 2-year-old.

Gail Goldsmith said she opened the bedroom door and that Jason Goldsmith pushed her down - she uses a walker because of back problems - then held the child tightly and struck his wife with her.

Goldsmith is to be transferred to jail after receiving medical treatment for yesterday's collapse. He is scheduled for a court hearing this month.

Anonymous said...

Originally published by the RCA Roundtable, Nissan 5752

Responsa Kiryat Channah, (R. Gershon Koblentz of Metz, printed in 1685), no. 22, holds the teacher financially liable for damages that the child incurs under his care, considering a teacher's salary to be sechar shimur, compensation to protect a child from harm. He maintains that the mitzvah exemption generated by the teacher-student relationship as described by the Mishnah, Makkot 8a, applies only to galut and not to financial liability. Responsa Shevut Yaakov, no. 140, disagrees, holding that the teacher is technically exempt from any liability. He posits that the mitzvah exemption applies to financial liability as well as to galut. However, he concurs that as a matter of social welfare, the teacher should be held responsible for financial compensation. Both authorities agree that this teacher be separated from his students. Thus, not only may we remove an abusive teacher from the classroom; we must remove him lest we be in violation of the biblical ordinance, "Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor" (Lev. 19:16). We have policies in our day schools, which remove a religious studies teacher who has violated Shabbat or other ritual practices, it would be absurd to refuse to remove a child abuser from his classroom. Are such teachers not in violation of the Torah as well? Is the sanctity of Shabbat that much more important to us then the innocence and safety of tinokot shel bet Rabban, our school children? Not only must abusive teachers be removed, but also their identities must be made known throughout the entire system of schools in order to prevent future abuse of other children.

The Mishnah, Avot 4:4, reminds us that sequestering a hillul Hashem will always be unsuccessful: "Whoever desecrates the name of Heaven in private will ultimately be punished in public, whether the desecration was committed unintentionally or intentionally." Hence, a conspiracy to conceal information about abuse will ultimately be made public, creating an even greater hillul Hashem. The greater severity of the hillul Hashem in concealing the information can be further supported by the Talmud, Yoma 86b, which maintains that "one should expose hypocrites to prevent the desecration of the Name.49 Rashi explains that the reason for this disclosure is that people, thinking that this person is righteous, may learn from his behavior. Rambam is of the opinion that after unsuccessful attempts to correct the matter privately, public remonstration and broadcasting of the outrage is required. There is no concern about the hillul Hashem of exposing the offense.

For those who maintain a stricter interpretation of the prohibition of mesirah, there is yet another means by which to enable reporting: if a case originally brought before a Bet Din is recommended by the Jewish court for adjudication in a civil court, the prohibition of mesirah does not apply.

Anonymous said...

Public Service Corps Volunteer said...
I am going to print out information about Rubashkin from the USDA and Rav Yudel Shain's website to show to meat markets. I hope they stop carrying that garbage.


You can also get a lot of information off of Shmarya's blog at failedmessiah.typepad.com. He has several posts regarding animal cruelty and workers violations. Two important mitzvot that we can accomplish before Rosh Hashana are shutting down Rubashkin for good and bringing Mondrowitz back here to face justice.

Paul Mendlowitz said...

LVF,

It's the month of Elul; I'm attempting to keep the laitzunos to a minimum. It's temporary, not to worry.

Anonymous said...

"They didn't have a rov for years because those peasants hate rabbunim."

The broader explanation of the peasant ways of Hungarians is apparent from the wealthier ones among them who value only material possessions. The stereotypical chandelier example is only one indication. These people have no respect for anything educational whether the kisvei kodesh and lehavdil secular studies or the scholars thereof. The fact that they have amassed wealth plays no role in advancement or appreciation here.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Abraham Abraham in Nishmas Avraham, Vol. IV, p. 208, cites Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg who allows placement of abused children in a non-observant environment because: 1) The reporter is only a gorem, he is not personally facilitating the placement: 2) There is a chance that the government agency will place the child in an observant environment: and 3) As a minor, the abused is not obliged to fulfill the mitzvos. At the age of Bar Mitzvah he may find himself in an observant environment. Rabbis Auerbach and Elyashev make similar recommendations. However. since physical and psychological pikuach nefesh is involved, such reasoning seems unnecessary

Anonymous said...

Some have raised the objection of reporting child abusers for fear of the dangers of sexual molestation or life-threatening attacks they may face in jail. First, is it better not to report, allow him to remain free, and to subject innocent children to more certain abuse by this criminal? Second, reporting suspicions of abuse, and even testifying in a civil court, is not the proximate cause of such risk: Too often the system fails to incarcerate these perpetrators; the reporting only starts a long process that may lead to incarceration: whatever attacks occur are perpetrated by another person. The restriction of "Thou shaft not place a stumbling block" (Lev. 19:14) does not obtain. (For a discussion of the parameters of the prohibition of lifnei iveir see my 'The Politics of Selecting a Political Candidate,' Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Vol. XI, Spring 1986, pp. 5-18.) In addition, the reporter is merely a gerama (indirect cause) for any subsequent difficulties that may occur and holds no liability. For a discussion of the parameters of gerama see my "suing Your Rabbi: Clergy Malpractice in Jewish Law," Journal of Halachah and Contemporary Society, Vol. XVIII, Fall 1989, pp. 5-18.

Anonymous said...

http://rabbinicsexualmisconductsurvivor.blogspot.com/2007/05/support-victim-of-jewish-clergy-sexual.html

"Rabbi" Shea Harlig, a strong supporter and business partner of a convicted sex offender, was honored in Congress by being asked to give the opening prayers. "Rabbi" Harlig has been accused of rabbinic sexual misconduct himself. I ask anyone who reads this to please write to both Nancy Pelosi (Speaker of the House) AND Congresswoman Shelley Berkley to let them know how disgusting this stunt was.

When writing to Senators or Representatives, it is always best to send a signed letter, as emails are usually not responded to. The following contact information is provided for your letters:

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
450 Golden Gate Ave., Burton Fed. Bldg.
San Francisco, CA 94102

(Letters sent to Washington, D.C. take much longer to be read)

The "Honorable" Shelley Berkley
Las Vegas District Office
2430 Paseo Del Prado. Suite D-106
Las Vegas, NV 89102

The convicted sex offender, Michael Segelstein, is a cantor and lists himself as a "rabbi" on his drivers license. "Rabbi" Shea Harlig, religious leader of Chabad Southern Las Vegas, is a strong supporter of Segelstein and is in business with him. Segelstein, with the help of Harlig, worked the corrupt Las Vegas justice system in their favor and managed to bar the victim from having any discovery at all in a civil lawsuit, filed by the victim. The victim's son was barred from davening in the shul where he was called to Torah as a Bar Mitzvah - all because his mother went to the police after being sexually assaulted by Segelstein in the parking lot of a Las Vegas shul. When the victim sought to file a civil lawsuit, she was referred to a lawyer by Chabad who never did any discovery on her case at all - a grave breach of professional ethics for a lawyer - and something he may well be disbarred for. Segelstein was convicted for the sexual assault and had to register as a sex offender. The Federal Bankruptcy Court granted Segelstin asset protection through bankruptcy, in spite of the fact that he had an ongoing civil suit against him for sexual assault. Segelstein and Harlig worked together, along with high-priced lawyers to ensure that the victim did not have her day in court. The Las Vegas justice system has massive corruption problems, to the extent that the Los Angeles Times did a series of stories on just how bad it is. The judges who handled the victims case have received monetary contributions that normally would cause them to recuse themselves - but of course this didn't happen.

Please show your support of the victim by writing to the above-mentioned congresswomen. Victims have not been allowed to give the opening prayer in Congress - so why are perpetrators allowed to? This is a disgusting situation and clearly illustrates that in Washington, D.C., as in Las Vegas, Nevada - if you have money you can get away with anything at all. All I can say is this: Hashem is watching and I know that HE is disgusted as well.

Anonymous said...

http://rabbinicsexualmisconductsurvivor.blogspot.com/2006/07/rabbi-mordechai-tendler-his-plot-to.html

My blog was visited by the law firm of O' Melveny & Myers of New York on July 6th:

http://www.omm.com/webcode/navigate.asp?nodeHandle=90

I sent the head lawyer, Brad Okun, an email asking him what they wanted with me and did they need an advocate for a victim of Rabbinic Sexual Misconduct - very "tongue-in-cheek". Then I got down to the real reason and told them that I thought they were connected with "Rabbi" Mordechai Tendler and that I knew about this man's attempts to quash bloggers First Amendment rights of free speech. I told this lawyer that if he had any questions for me to contact me directly and stop sneaking around - it wasn't becoming. I doubt if I get a response but if I do - I will be sure to share it with you. I do not appreciate when anyone anyone attacks another person, especially when the attacks are from "rabbi's" like Tendler and his legal henchmen against survivors of sexual abuse.

Anonymous said...

Ohel Family Services has in the last few years been getting many government grants.
One of them was for the purpose of opening a domestic violence center. In order to justify the money they receive Ohel must ensnare woman to come for counseling under the pretense that they are being abused. Ohel hires social workers and counselors and makes a nice fee off this. Once they sink their claws into the woman they don't let go very easy because this is a major profit center for them. It can evolve into profit from divorce counseling, children counseling and the list goes on.


Here are the signs to look for if you suspect that your wife is getting involved with Ohel.

Modus operendi: The counselor will first try to get the woman to get her own cell phone so she can contact her discreetly. The counselor has the woman call Ohel at 718 851 6300 and leave a message for the counselor. The counselor will then call back with the appointment time probably when the husband is at work so he wont find out that they are sucking in his wife. Ohel will not come up on the caller id. The caller id will come up as 646718. If you see that your wife has called 718 851 6300 and then has a call back of 646718 you will know that she is in touch with Ohel and you better take action before its to late. Ohel will give her articles, books and lists of items to convince her that she is being abused. You will then hear her use words and talk in ways that she was not familiar with before. Watch out for these signs.

This is being published for the benefit of the Jewish Community by Ohel Insider. I hope to post more information about Ohel and names of its counselors in the future. Anyone else that has information should also share it for the benefit of the community. This is a major scandal ready to break open. The Rabanim are unfortunately all quit about this. Some are paid fat salaries by Ohel. Call Ohel to protest this behavior.
Warning to men in Boro Park
here is the lineup from the internet at Ohel Family Services domestic violence center.
Your wife may already be involved with one of these people.
Http://www.ohelfamily.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=411&Itemid=291

David Mandel

dm@ohelfamily.org

http://www.ohelfamily.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=409&Itemid=291

Esther Rand
ER@ohelfamily.org

Joan Hertz
jehertz1@aol.com
I am debating whether to post allot of sensitive information I have about Ohel the woman that go there and the therapists that work there. I try to alert the men and tell them what will happen to them before its to late. I hope I have been able to save some marriages.

Luke Ford is investigating Ohel. If you have any information contact him.
lukeisback@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

From the "What is Wrong With This Picture Dept".

'Lee Der Industrial, a contract manufacturer based in southern China, was responsible for producing the toys that contained excessive levels of lead paint in the first recall. Mattel stopped accepting goods from the contractor, and last week the Chinese government revoked Lee Der’s export license. The owner of Lee Der, Zhang Shuhong, committed suicide by hanging himself in a factory warehouse last Saturday, Chinese officials have confirmed'.
___________________________________

Orientals are very big on "Honor".

Well, if they wouldn't screw up by looking to cut corners, there would be no reason to Hari Kiri themselves.

Anonymous said...

To be clear, I sent Vicky information that was posted here since UOJ has all the breaking news articles.

This reminds me of a story with Bibi Netanyahu (or was it Arik Sharon?). In the days before the internet, a NY Times article criticizing him hit the newsstands at 12 midnight. At 12:01, someone called Bibi. At 12:02, an Israeli diplomat reached a senior NY Times official at home to complain. UOJ has articles before they are even published.

Anonymous said...

Does UOJ deem credible the complaints against Ohel?

Anonymous said...

Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum, the ethically challenged executive vice president of Igud HaGanovim of the Rabbinic Alliance of America (see his Security and Exchange Commission record, etc.) devotes his weekly Jewish Press column (that's right, the Jewish Press, the 'voice' of Orthodox Jewry in America, gives a weekly column to a man with a 30-plus-year record of stock fraud and related endeavors) to the Brooklyn kapporot scandal publicized by PETA. Before we get to what seems to be the good news, let's deal with Rabbi Tannenbaum's grasp of fundamental Jewish history:

Rabbi Karo was born in Spain and, after the Spanish expulsion of 1492, settled in Portugal. In 1497, he moved to Greece and then to Turkey in 1520, settling in Safed in 1535. Rabbi Isserlis was born and lived in Poland and was consulted by the Mechaber (Rabbi Karo) to add a European perspective to the Shulchan Aruch.

This is sheer insanity. Both men wrote codes independent of each other and without each other's knowledge. Rabbi Karo (the Mechaber) got his into print first. Rabbi Issreles (the Rema) was saddened by this. He took his code and rewrote it as a commentary to Rabbi Karo's Shulkhan Arukh. Rabbi Karo did not "consult" with Rabbi Issreles to add a "European perspective" to his code – the Rema simply added that in on his own.

It does not take much to a leader of Jews these days, and Rabbi Gershon Tannenbaum is a living example of that rule.

Now, on to the Kapporot controversy.

As I noted a couple of weeks ago, PETA sent letters to NYC's health commissioner and to the Brooklyn DA and other officials complaining about unsanitary conditions and poor animal handling at kapparot centers in Brooklyn, especially the center in Crown Heights which is especially dirty, poorly run, and practices extremely poor animal handling. PETA included pictures and a video.

Someone who received the letter leaked it to Brooklyn haredi rabbis who initially spouted off about PETA's alleged agenda to stop shechita (Jewish ritual slaughter) in America. The rabbis organized a meeting and the leaders of Agudath Israel, Satmar and even Lubavitch (home to the Crown Heights kapporot fiasco) came.

What they were treated to was a presentation on many kashrut-related violations at these street kapporot centers, violations of other halakha (like reusing live chickens over and over again which defeats the purpose of kapparot), health and safety violations and tzaar baalei hayyim violations. The rabbis passed a resolution meant to govern this year's kapparot centers:

…The session directed that all kapparos centers be prohibited from allowing chickens to be in the sun all day, that the birds be protected by an awning or improvised roof, and that the birds be sprayed with ample water periodically. In addition, the session focused on health concerns.

Dr. Yitzchok (Richard) Cofsky of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center Brooklyn, reported that holding a chicken will not impart an infectious disease. However, if chicken feces somehow become embedded under one’s fingernails and are somehow ingested, severe stomach cramps are possible. However, Dr. Cofsky assured the session, chicken feces ingestion will not develop into an infectious disease. In response, the assembled rabbis regulated kapparos centers to have adequate supplies of surgical gloves as well as alcohol hand wipes.…

Will these directives be followed? Who knows. Until PETA's letter, nothing had been done to deal with the problem. Rabbi Tannenbaum notes:

…The KIS 2003 recommendations have been repeatedly circulated. Now is the time to finally heed their alarm. A continuation of kapparos kashrus abuses cannot be allowed to continue. The kosher consuming public must become sensitive to this issue and register its outrage.…

So why would PETA's letter work here but not work as well in dealing with Rubashkin?

Because most of the rabbis have no financial links to these kapporot operations, and receive little if any, money from them. Rubashkin, however, has many rabbis in his employ and he writes many checks that benefit various yeshivot, schools and synagogues. Trite as it is, follow the money. Money may not be able to buy you love, but it can buy you rabbis.

That said, let's hope these guys can stop kapporot abuses. If not, let's hope the government can do that, instead.

The list of participating rabbis, which includes Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Weireb of the OU, the Novominsker Rebbe and many others, is posted after the jump.

Paul Mendlowitz said...

Gumshoe,

I am not familiar with the internal operation of Ohel.

What I would voice my opinion on is the way David Mandel, the chief operating officer of Ohel, handled the Torah Temimah situation after the news about Kolko broke.

By him going to the school, sitting on the dais with Twerski and Margulies, it somehow diminished the role to the TT parents of the two villains he was sitting next to.

Now, some may claim he was unaware of the criminal Margulies. So be it..he's responsible for not knowing after so many years of credible information that he could and should have access to.

He wanted to speak to the TT parents, fine and well, he could have done it in any shul.

So his irresponsible public behavior should cause pause as to what goes on behind closed doors.

Anonymous said...

When are you going to continue with R. Yaakov had to say. Enough of this perversion nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Let's hear more about R. Yaakov, R. Schorr and the Agudah.

Enough of this perversion drek.