People thought him strange!
He had these weird ideas...like every Jewish child must be granted a Jewish education...free if necessary. Every major city in the world, starting with the United States...should have a Hebrew school staffed with educated, qualified, religious, career teachers.
Every Jewish child should be educated according to his/her abilities; set up separate parallel classes for the brightest...and classes for the beautiful children that did not necessarily like learning, that would rather play ball. He actually understood that. He forced his best students out of the bais medrash during the lunch hour and on to the playground. Exercise was important for everyone.
Children that came from "modern" homes were not permitted to change their dress - to "hasidic" garb. Tzizis...were to be neatly kept in their pants pockets, and peyos were to be combed around the ear - if you came to the yeshiva with them -- if not -- you needed to keep and respect the dress code of your parents. You had to be immaculate in your appearance.
This was some strange guy!
Girls had to be formally educated - both in limudei kodesh - Hebrew studies - and secular studies. He fought tooth and nail against the fanatics that wanted to keep girls at home - learning to cook and clean and some home-study. (Urged them to learn that from their mothers' - at their leisure.)
He despised religious fanatics!
Boys had to excel - according to their abilities - both in their Hebrew and secular studies. If you failed in mathematics, history or English - you risked being penalized. (knass - or money sanctions...or even expulsion)
Where did this strange dude come from?
He was brought to tears, everyday, at least three times...at v'Yerushalayim ircha b'rachamim tashuv...v'sihkon b'socha k'asher dibarta....He cried real tears when his students were in pain, emotional or otherwise. It affected his ulcers drastically when people suffered; all Jewish pain was personal. He understood pain - if any one ever did. He understood "responsibility." He understood dedication to the klal...and every living, breathing moment was on fire...with that commitment.
He never had a personal savings bank account...it was a failure in bitachon. Hashem provides, and will always.... if you do your part - with serious hishtadlut ! When Mr. Irving Bunim put down the down payment ($5G) for his house in Monsey - New York, this rabbi made certain it was in the name of the yeshiva (against the express wishes of the benefactor), and that fair market value rent - was deducted from his meager paycheck.
He borrowed money for students that he felt needed to leave the yeshiva...and helped them to start businesses with personal loans. He encouraged others to get jobs. He encouraged many to go to college - in to the professions - and only the few totally dedicated boys were to stay in learning - full time - for more than a very brief period of time. This was a man who understood the stark realities of life...and what it meant not to make a living; and the broad - forever - wide-reaching ramifications on the entire family's well-being if there was no food in the ice-box.
This was a wild & crazzzzy guy!
Where are those rabbis? What happened to us? How did we drift so far apart from Torah values - that we don't know right from wrong, legal from illegal, sane from insanity, truth from blatant falsehoods, real from unreal, rational from irrational, and seemingly profane from seriously profane?............
We sold away our traditions for money, kavod, power, a few minutes in the spotlight; and whored ourselves for every single secular - anti-Torah value that we once died for!
Authentic Orthodox Judaism is pronounced dead...and I blame the prostitutes!
*****************************************************
EVERY SIGNATURE MATTERS - THIS BILL MUST PASS!
CLICK - GOAL - 100,000 NEW SIGNATURES! 75,000 SIGNATURES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED TO GOVERNOR CUOMO!
EFF Urges Court to Block Dragnet Subpoenas Targeting Online Commenters
CLICK! For the full motion to quash: http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/hersh_v_cohen/UOJ-motiontoquashmemo.pdf
80 comments:
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/01/let-there-be-light-crude.html
Evangelical preachers claim that a giant oil find in Israel will usher in the end of days. Enter the con men and penny-stock hustlers.
Shmarya is appealing to readers this week to financially support his blogging with a lead headline.
Joe Izrael chimes in and asks why he doesn't get a job instead of shnorring.
The irony is just too much from Shmarya who criticizes kollel guys for not working!
As a devoted reader you usually raise my ire but this time you nearly brought me to tears because you touched on something that you rarely attack and that is the destruction of the family lifestyle in the name of G-d.Has any Rabbi considered the pain they cause the parents and family when they try and usually succeed in stealing the heart and soul of your child, all in the name of their style of Orthodoxy.Is this what our religion sanctions, that it is permissible to hurt one frum person so horribly to instill your style of frumkeit in another.Destroying lifelong loving familial relationships, dash the dreams of loving parents who would sacrifice their lives in a minute for their children, so these Rabbis can create white shirt,black suit,black hat cult-like zombies without a brain of their own. To follow unquestioning the commands of the these misguided and supposed leaders of our community.We are a compassionate religion-D'racheha Darchei Noam-Are these Rabbis so oblivious to the pain they cause?
this is what theshafran wtites and look at what UOJ writes
is it a small wonder that organizations have failed our children
when will aguda get rid of a man who lies for his professional life
Winter might conjure pleasant memories of playing in the snow, but it is hardly a season most of us would consider symbolic of childhood. We more naturally associate the “winter of life” with a time when it is only our hair, if we even have any, that is snowy.
Yet, the earliest stage of life is precisely what winter represents, according to the Maharal, in his Gur Aryeh suppercommentary on Rashi (Beraishis 26:21).
( what season does not protecting molesters represent )
There he assigns a stage of human life to each of the year’s seasons. A Western mind might associate nature’s annual coming-to-life in spring with childhood, the warmth of summer with youth, autumn with pensive middle age and cold, slow moving winter with life’s later years – think “Old Man Winter.” The Maharal, though, described things differently. He regards autumn, when leaves are shed and nature seems to slow down, as corresponding to older age; summer’s warmth and comfort to represent our middle-years; spring to reflect the vibrancy and energy of youth. And winter to evoke childhood.
Winter? Childhood?( hey shafran kids are being molested in yehivas protected by rabbis )
On the surface, to eyes unaided by deeper recognition, it might indeed seem strange; winter, after all, is a stark time, a season barren of activity and growth.
But the superficial image betrays the reality. When spring finally arrives each year, after all, the new leaves haven’t appeared ex nihilo. The buds from which they emerge have been developing for months, the sap in the seemingly dormant trees was rising even as the thermometer’s mercury was falling. The evidence of life that at last presents itself with the approach of Pesach has been actively preparing its case since Chanukah. See for yourself. Go outside and inspect the leafless trees’ branches. The buds may be biding their time, but they are clearly there, ready to explode with green when commanded.
Winter, in other words, evokes life’s potential. And so, what better metaphor could there be for childhood, when the elements that will emerge one day as an adult are roiling inside a miniature prototype, when chaos may seem to be operative but when potential is at its most powerful? The Child, after all, as Wordsworth put it, is indeed “father of the Man.”
In fact, we humans are actually compared to trees, in Devarim (20:19). Even though the posuk’s context (the forbiddance to gratuitously fell trees during war), at least according to Rashi, implies a quizzical question mark at its end (“Is a man a tree of the field?”), other Rishonim, like the Ibn Ezra, read the posuk as making a straight comparison. And the sifrei nistar similarly see significance in the plain meaning of the words.
And so the approaching winter celebration of Tu B’Shvat, the day the Gemara calls the “Rosh Hashana for trees,” should make us think about the potential that can lie in apparent chaos.
It’s a timely thought for other reasons too.
A month after Tu B’Shvat (two months, in a Jewish leap year like the current one) comes Purim, when we celebrate the turning of a seemingly hopeless and tragic situation into a joyous one. Esther was the bud, and when the right time came, she blossomed.
And this time of Jewish year is when we read in shul about Yetzias Mitzrayim, how, in the oppressive prison that was ancient Egypt, a redeemer came of age and, at the command of Hashem, brought a people to bloom.
So a conspiracy of factors pushes us to ponder the power of potential – in Jewish history (Esther and Yetzias Mitzrayim); in the seasons of the year (those winter buds and sap); and in life (all the illustrious people who were once childish ones).
The thought might reassure and animate us, even those of us with sa’aros levonos. For what emerges from the Maharal and Jewish history and the seasons is the lesson that what matters more than how many years may have managed to get behind us is the potential we still carry within us.
hey shafran and aguda what is wrong with you
bravo- your best post ever
keep up the fight
ira l.
p.s. quite a tribute to your zeida
I am just coming from a school production. Oy. Those folks with money and connections come early and take blocks of seats and feel entitled to everything. There kids are bullies all the school-year long!
No wonder. These folks might molest but no one would report them. The honored blocked a fire hydrant for hours while he attended a function. His sign said on an active call!
These are our honored, the cream of the crop.
Shmarya is appealing to readers this week to financially support his blogging with a lead headline.
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Shmarya should be supported by those who can. His work is a very important part of the conversation today...and is on call 24/6.
I urge those who can...to support his efforts!
There is a big problem here. A VICTIM expresses his opinions on this blog which is not what UOJ, LVF and others want to here. They resort to name calling and Laitzonos - exactly what tis VICTIM is being critical of.
We are all so caring about all the victims of abuse, but only as long as they support the prevalent positions espoused on this blog by UOJ and commenters that we must expose the fraud enablers, etc. Because this victim does not support these views and actually maintained his respect for Rabbonim despit being abused, WE jump on him for being a TRAITOR to OUR cause. This is ridiculous! Can in it just be that there are victims out there who do not agree with UOJ? While we may not agree with them, we have no right to ridicule them! UOJ has created a You are with me or Against me mentality - no in betweens - no gray matter. This logic is now applied to the VICTIMS - the very ones that this BLOG fights for! I guess there are good victims and bad victims! If we really cared for VICTIMS, wouldn't we ACCEPT thiem even if they do not agree with UOJ.
Personally, I do not agree with this VIctim, but I do hear his points and believe that they have much validity. Publicly embarrassing people is a serious transgression! This is what he is saying. Others have said similiarly that UOJ could have been just as effective without resorting to these tactics. I believe that this Victim takes it too far as for the victims and enablers this may have been the most effective manner, but UOJ paints everyone together no matter how small their involvement and will not hesitate to embarass these people as well.
Bottom line is that this guy has been treated like the ENEMY because he disagrees. THe commenters have not hesitated to make fun of him. Similiarly, this is how UOJ treats anyone that may have played any role in any "coverup" whatsoever.
The fact that even a VICTIMS can receive such treatment is truly scary! It contradicts everything that this blog supposedly stand for and questions the integrity of UOJ and others.
To the Victim's Advocate said... 10:36 PM, January 12, 2008 and to LVF said...
Thank you “Victim's Advocate” for expressing some of my inner thoughts. Sometimes victims have an extremely difficult time in shouting out- expressing the voice that was shunned out during those traumatic moments. You actually took the time out, to speak my voice for me. Thank you and May Hashem bless you.
You wrote: Bottom line is that this guy has been treated like the ENEMY because he disagrees. The commenters have not hesitated to make fun of him. Similarly, this is how UOJ treats anyone that may have played any role in any "coverup" whatsoever.”
Well said! On this site it’s all black and white there is no gray, how pathetic!!
I heard Reb Matisyahu Soloman’s speech online, and all he did was criticize the UOJ for his Nivul Peh, and disagreed saying that “we don’t sweep under the carpet” Does this automatically make him an ENABLER that he deserves to be humiliated and defamed in public?
AS VICTIMS OF HUMILIATION OURSELVES, HOW DO WE STAND BY IN SILENCE, THE SAME SILENCE WE’RE ANGRY AT OTHERS FOR?
Even the open letter to Reb Matisyahu reflects his innocence in this way; “I lay no blame at your doorstep for the above; you come from another part of the world, did not participate in and have no first hand knowledge of these events.”
To LVT You wrote: “Right, and I got a bridge to sell you! give me the name of the rav that put away 2 child molesters, I personally want to thank him.”
And then you wrote: “when they should be hospitalized! uoj, you gave me the first laugh of an otherwise hard boring day at work, keep it up your doing just fine, Chazak!”
I took time out on Friday to call the Rav, and I asked him again “Did you put two others behind bars? He said “absolutely, and anyone that wants to meet or speak with me about them is welcome”. I asked him if I could mention his name here on this blog, and he said, absolutely not, but if I get in touch with any ligit person, they’re welcome to meet or speak with him.
Bottom line MR. LVT is that you called me a liar!! Now listen here! I was severely abused, not minimally abused for maybe a years time by the likes of a Kolko, but severely abused, taken advantage of…for YEARS…..etc…. and you had the audacity to call me a liar regarding the people that supported me most during the most trying times in my life. Shame on you!!
You’re no better then any enabler who denies the victims trauma. I should curse you much the same way, I thanked the “victims advocate” but I hold my tongue because I believe in the Torah which you don’t.
I will close this post with another plea to the blogger. Although you’ve made it clear that you have no respect for the Zohar, however you do show respect for Rabbi Shraga Feivul Mendelowits and Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky who did have the utmost respect for the Zohar. In the hopes that the spark of orthodox teshuva still remains but buried within your soul I will quote a Zohar. The Zohar in Tikunai Zohar tikun 5 translated “and furthermore, the verse Lo Solin Nivluso refers to people who speak nivul Peh together with loshon horo, this sin causes that they die before there time is meant to be, and that’s what the posuk means when it says ki kuver tikbirenu.
Sincerely reaching out to the UOJ and supporters, with hopes that you’ll all see the light, repent, change your attitudes, perspectives, images and tones, and find a better and matured way to accomplish your agenda of exposing Molesters.
To Victim:
I hear you and I defend your right to have a different take as I said. I also am happy that you were somewhat comforted by my words.
I hope that you will also understand what I am about to say.
As I said before, I do believe that you go too far in defending what is wrong (Rabbinical coverup). Perhaps it is because you were lucky enough to find the GOOD RABBIS who actually helped you. You are a VICTIM of RABBINC ABUSE "A" meaning sexuaL abuse by a Rabbi, but it is not clear that you are a victim OF RABBINIC ABUSE "B" - Rabbis who abuse by COVERUP. From your writings, it appears that you did not have to go through that extreme pain of being forsaken by the very RAbbis who you turned to for help.
WIth this in mind, it might explain why you, though a VICTIM, feel very strongly that the BLOG is evil, etc. However, put yourself into the shoes of those who have been sexually abused by Rabbis and then abused again by RABBIS who defend the molester!!!! THis is where LVF etc. is coming from. I think that many on this blog would not be so rabid if Rabbinical figures had not covered up.
A victim I know said to me that he can somewhat understand the molesters - they are sick (not an excuse) but can not ever begin to fathom the evil of those who COVERED for the molesters.
You were very fortunate that you were able to keep your sanity and respect for RAbbonim! UNfortunately, many others were not because of the actions by some Rabbonim who could have helped them. They are left disillusioned about the religon that they WISH they can LOVE once again in the same way that they once did BEFORE those who they held so highly let them down. WHen someone who is not very important does something terrible to you, it is easy to shrug it off, but when someone that you feel is great hurts you in such a terrible way by failing to sympathize with you, the scar runs deep!
With regard to Rabbi Salomon, we can argue what he meant by "sweeping things unde the carpet" He dids not mean that sweep it under the carpet because we are trying to hide it. THat would be insane. ANyone with a viewpoint like that would be loathe to share it in a public forum. WHat he most definitely did mean though is that the RABBIS are doing much behind the scenes that Joe PUblic does not know about. He said that you think we sweep it under the carpet, well yes we do but not in a bad way, rather in a good way because we know how to deal with things in a BAKOVODICKER way - we take into account the family the molesters and of course the victim. BUt by admitting this, he has incriminated himself and those who put him up there (THe Aguda) as we know that Kolko, Mondrowitz, and many others operated freely and "killed" many NESHOMOS while certain Gedolim arrogantly believed that they could handle it "quietly" and SWEPT it under the carpet. SO while this term was not meant to imply that "WE Ignored it," its implication may be worse. At least one who totally ignores it does not think he is doing good. However, the attitude that Rabbi Salomon spoke about creates a world in which those engaged in the coverup actually think that they are doing the RIGHTEOUS thing. There is no way to reach someone who believes that he is acting righteously.
I hope that you hear these words as well as I believe that you mean well and have been hurt. You are very fortunate to have survived and succeeded but it appears that you are cutting the enablers way too much slack.
I still stand by my original comments and my criticism at the horrible treatment that you have recieved on this blog.
allow me to state once again
mattisyahu salomon is an enabler
anyone that believes that the rabbonim are handling this matter in anyway shape or form that is benificial to children is in my opinion an IDIOT
stop hiding behind kovod hatorah
stop hiding behind gedolim say
and START SAYING THE CHILDREN NEED TO BE PROTECTED AND ANYONE THAT HELPS AND ASSISTS IN THE PROSOCUTION OF MOLESTERS IS DOING THE CORRECT THING
AGUDA
SOL WERDIGER
MARGOLIS
KOLKO
MONDOROWITZ
MATTISYAHU SOLOMON
ROTTENBERG IN MONSEY
TENDLER
OHEL
MOSHE KAHN FROM HASC ( WHEN YOU RETURNING THE 1.5 MIL THAT WAS TAKEN )
ENTIRE RABBINITE OF NER YISROEL
ALL BELONG IN A CELL WITH MONDOROWITZ FOR COVERING UP AND TRYING TO PROTECT THOSE WHO MOLEST OUR MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY
OUR CHILDREN
I have sinned against you
that is how mattisyau solomon and kotler 's letter should begin to molester victimes
it should continue
we have known and assisted in the coverup using the baloney line that aguda and the rabbis know whats best
we apologize to you UOJ and other bloggers who do the true work of torah and attempt to provide a safe haven for children in yehivos
WE have failed the children but we have protected enablers and molesters
please send your checks to lakewood so we can continue to destroy new generations
Rabbi KOtler
Rabbi Salomon
Where are those rabbis? What happened to us? How did we drift so far apart from Torah values - that we don't know right from wrong, legal from illegal, sane from insanity, truth from blatant falsehoods, real from unreal, and rational from irrational?...........
Bless you UOJ for being a man & a Jew with the courage of your convictions...
something so profoundly lacking today.
How can we support UOJ?
Please explain why Shmarya is not a hypocrite for shnorring when he criticizes kollel yungerleit.
He wants to blog. They want to learn.
None of them hold the type of job where they don't have to rely on handouts.
The Jewish Week interviewed Rabbi Billet who was the head of the RCA at the time. He said that they forced Bryks out of chinuch.
And Lipa (Lewis) Brenner's conviction is public record.
Paysach Krohn continues to enable these scumbags.
Links to all these items have been posted on UOJ before but some ostriches will never get their heads out of the sand.
None of them hold the type of job where they don't have to rely on handouts.
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I take that as a personal attack against me. Shmarya is a friend...and just like you would or could subscribe to an on-line publication, you should support his efforts if you choose to read his writings.
How can we support UOJ?
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Kindly get this important message out in your respective communities.
It is very easy to get sidetracked and distracted by the apologists and naysayers that find their way onto this blog. We have answered all these questions and accusations ad nauseum for the past two years, and yet the same comments keep coming back. UOJ does not need me or anyone else to defend him. Just remember that saving one Jew is like saving the entire world, and everyone acknowledges that UOJ was matzil nefashos. Gentlemen, let's stay focused. There is more work to do. Let's start with getting Elliot Pasik's mandatory background check bill passed in Albany. I am reposting Elliot's plea for the support of this bill. To the anonymous poster that said that we should not be compared to the Catholic Church, please note, it is the Agudath Israel of America that has aligned itself with them in an attempt to thwart the passage of this bill. We must fight against this most unholy alliance. Their attempts to leave our children unprotected and vulnerable to these molesters must be foiled and the perpetrators from the Agudah must be exposed. We must do whatever is in our power to protect Jewish children and at least give them the same amount of protection as public school children. Lo Taamod Al Dam Reicha is a transgression which we are all guilty of due to our apathy in the past. We must start the tikkun immediately. Here is a good place to start:
Dear Friends,
On June 19, 2007, the N.Y.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed (60-1) a
bill, sponsored by Senate Deputy Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-
Rockville Center, L.I.)that would require all New York nonpublic
schools to fingerprint their prospective employees and conduct FBI
national criminal history searches. In this manner, our New York
yeshivas, educating 100,000 Jewish children, can avoid hiring
convicted sex offenders and other dangerous persons who should not be
working near children. Yes, there have been incidents, in the
yeshivas, the Catholic schools, and other private schools, where
unknowingly, these schools hired convicted offenders, who then harm
our children.
State Senate passage is not enough, however. We need passage in the
State Assembly also, and the bill did not reach the Assembly floor
before the end of session last June.
There is a great likelihood, however, that the Assembly will be
convening for a special session on or about October 22, 2007.
I therefore respectfully urge you, once again, to lift your voices,
and ask our State Assembly leadership to support this bill, by
bringing it to the Assembly floor for a vote.
Mandatory fingerprinting and background checks are already the law
for all New York public school employees; school bus drivers; child
day care center employees. The nonpublic schools, educating 500,000
children, need to be added to this list.
The 1,000 member-strong Rabbinical Council of America, rabbinic arm
to the Orthodox Union, has TWICE endorsed yeshiva mandatory
fingerprinting in formal Resolutions dated May 2005 and May 2007.
The RCA website is rabbis.org; click onto Policies and Positions.
Please send emails supporting the mandatory nonpublic school
background check bill to the following important state officials:
Assembly Speaker Silver: speaker@assembly.state.ny.us;
Assembly Educ. Comm. Chair Nolan: nolanc@assembly.state.ny.us;
Assemblyman Weisenberg (bill sponsor): weisenh@assembly.state.ny.us;
Your own Assembly Member: Go to assembly.state.ny.us/;
Senator Dean Skelos (bill sponsor): skelos@senate.state.ny.us;
Gov. Spitzer: www.ny.gov/governor/; click onto Contact the Governor.
As noted by Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, our communal celebrations
of Shmini Atzeres and Simchas Torah naturally lead us into Mar
Cheshvan, the traditional time for Jews to participate in communal
activities. Rabbi Hirsch cautions us: do not depend upon
your "leaders". It is the responsibility of each and every Jew to
take an active role in communal affairs. Your attention to the
mandatory nonpublic school background check bill would be a perfect
way for you to fulfill both your Jewish and American civic duties.
Very truly yours,
Elliot Pasik
Long Beach, New York
efpasik@aol.com
i believe you need to make a site that states names and CASES
just like vicki polin but actual indictments
and then a section for alleged molesters
i believe the jewish community would be shocked at the names
When we mention molestations of innocent boys, we should not forget about Rabbi Yisroel Belsky and what is on his hands!!
When I was in Camp Agudah and young campers told Rabbi Yisroel Belsky that they were molested by Yidi Kolko, he refused to do anything. That mammzer knew during all the years that Kolko was at Agudah exactly what was happening. He knew all the specific details because the campers and counselors told him. Only, he didn't care because he was a "close friend" of Kolko. Even recently when the matter became public knowledge who was there sending "hazmanos" and trying to hush down the publicity? Yes, it was the perverted "rabbi" who shamefully still works for the Aguda, Yisroel Belsky. May he rot and burn forever in hell.
To quote below what someone posted in the comments on the levaya of Rav Shmuel Birnbaum ZT"L. (Thank you for sharing it.)
Anonymous said...
Rabbi Yisroel Belsky stated to his shiur at Torah Vodaas on Tuesday that he was surprised that Rabbi Birnbaum's levaya had such a large turnout. Rabbi Belsky then added that he too would hope to get such a turnout. When this was later repeated to some of the Kollel yingerleit in Torah Vodaath, one chashuver yingerman said aloud "If Belsky would promise the olam that he will drop dead within the next 24 hours, I'm sure we can put together a large crowd that would be happy and eager to come and bury his corpse."
When I heard the above story, I thought to myself "We should only be so lucky to see that farshtunkina menuval buried once and for all." May it happen speedily in
1:22 AM, January 10, 2008
Anonymous said...
our days..... AMEN
AMEN!!
When will more of Colmer victims come forward. I thought there were dozens of children that he molested.
Are the rabbis still blocking the families? If so this is very wrong.
Now is the time to come forward so that Colmer goes away for a long long time.
To victim,
Sorry if I offended you, I have nothing against you, but some of the things you said do not sound true, as the saying goes "seeing is beleiving" when you show me that rav i'll beleive you, untill then it never happened.
Simly put, uoj is doing a fantastic job, he has these terrorist/enablers on the run, and the next molester (god forbid), will probably not get the type of silence that kolko, mondrowitz, leizerowitz,etc. got, and you know the reason why? here, let me tell you our little secret, their afraid of that madman uoj, got the point? I dont care how he does it, if he saved one neshoma of a 6 year old or a 14 year old, then every word he wrote and every rabbi he shamed in the process of getting it done was not in vain.
Victim you wrote, " Bottom line MR. LVT is that you called me a liar!! Now listen here! I was severely abused, not minimally abused for maybe a years time by the likes of a Kolko, but severely abused, taken advantage of…for YEARS…..etc…. and you had the audacity to call me a liar regarding the people that supported me most during the most trying times in my life. Shame on you!!"
See, once again you got it wrong,SHAME !! on the rabbonim of ger that for years knew and heard from different individuals stories about leizerowitz and had promised to parents "keep it quite and it will be taken care of", I entered the yeshiva a few years after that promise, and for that I cannot see myself forgiving these scum, so called rabbonim that did nothing, all the while leizerowitz was forcfully humping more boys on his lap, get the picture?
How the hell do you expect me to ever trust a rabbi again, if my father went to them with serious allegations against his sons mashgiach, and years later he is still there destroying many more neshomos !!!
Uoj, I am going to steal a line from your previous poster, I hope he forgives me for it,
"UOJ, Don't be taken in. Never explain. Never retract. Get it done and let them howl."
Amen !
Afghans have big chasunas too w/expenses.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/world/asia/14weddings.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
R' UOJ, you do not espouse the same hashkofa as Shmarya. He is a very angry man who attacks the very Yiddishkeit that you seek to protect. While you have respect for genuine rabbis, the only rabbi who I ever remember being spared scathing criticism by Shmarya is a rabbi who cried in front of him about the plight of Falashas. Shmarya writes in his bio that it is this kind of affirmative action stuff that is pretty much the decisor for him. Pretty warped if you ask me.
While I agree that not everyone should be in kollel, the serious learners do provide a service for the Klal. I still don't see why Shmarya isn't a hypocrite for shnorring when he criticizes them. And just because he publishes something it doesn't mean he deserves to be compensated. The NY Times had to withdraw their failed subscription model because readers were going elsewhere. It's not very often that Shmarya has an exclusive story. Although, I think Vicky Polin has her problems, I hear more of an argument that a model like the Awareness Center that maintains a comprehensive database of abusers is much more deserving of financial support.
With all this talk about hamalbin pnei chaveiro barabim it should be noted that there is a mitzva to be publicly mevazeh a chotei umachatee ess harabim. That certainly applies to fraudsters passing off treif meat like Moish Finkel and Leib Pinter. I don't know why it shouldn't extend to fake "rabbinic" molester enablers who facilitate the de facto murder of children.
Ahem:
You are certainly entitled to feel and express yourself the way you do. I just feel that if you benefit or enjoy, or enjoy to hate Shmarya's writings, please consider supporting his efforts.
The Awareness Ctr. is also worthy of the Jewish Community's financial support.
I too am just expressing my opinion.
For those of us who work around Wall St / City Hall it's very distressing that Circa restaurant closed.
Im ain kemach, ain Torah!
Vos vet zein mit der boicher?
Great news, hashem answered our prayers.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944579.html
Court rules alleged U.S. pedophile Mondrowitz must stay in custody
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Gur Hasid, Avrohom Mondrowitz
The Jerusalem District Court ruled on Monday that Avrohom Mondrowitz, an ultra-Orthodox man who fled the United States for Israel two decades ago to avoid sexual abuse charges, must remain in custody until the end of legal proceedings against him.
The United States seeks the extradition of Mondrowitz, 60, a member of the Gur Hasidic sect, and the court ruling stemmed from the suspicion he may attempt to escape Israel before his extradition.
Mondrowitz was arrested in Jerusalem in November of last year for allegedly abusing dozens of children at his unlicensed psychology clinic at his Brooklyn, New York home during the 1980s. He fled to Israel in 1985 as police were investigating charges against him.
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Two months ago, the United States resubmitted an extradition request first made in 1985, months after Mondrowitz fled Brooklyn for Israel, said Justice Ministry spokesman Moshe Cohen.
The renewed U.S. request came after Israel and the United States amended their extradition treaty to include all crimes whose punishment is more than one year imprisonment, according to Israel's State Prosecutor's Office. Before the change that took effect last January, the extradition treaty between Israel and the United States did not include sodomy.
Two orthodox politicians Shelly Silver from the Lower East Side and Rory Lancman who davens at Young Israel of Hillcrest in Queens. They have teamed up with Black politicians to legislate a taxpayer funded BAILOUT of every idiot who bought a house they couldn't afford.
That's right people. Tyrone Washington or Jose Lopez or Paddy McShane bought a huge house knowing they couldn't afford it. Now these whore politicians are going to make you pay so they can hold on to it.
http://www.timesledger.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19186287&BRD=2676&PAG=461&dept_id=551067&rfi=6
Silver wants $180 Million in subprime aid
By Alex Christodoulides
01/10/2008
Ever wonder why your taxes are so ridiculously high? Look at how corrupt politicians in your district are helping themselves to your money like chazerim in a trough.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-enheal0102,0,5878776,print.story?coll=ny_news_local_promo
The perks your tax dollars pay for
BY SANDRA PEDDIE
January 1, 2008
Great Neck is the worst example of suburban districts being run by GREEDY FRESSERS helping themselves to your $$$$.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-ensals165503316dec16,0,5279775,print.story?coll=ny_home_rail_headlines
Small special districts offer big pay, perks
BY SANDRA PEDDIE
Payroll records show, for example, that Water Authority of Great Neck North Superintendent Robert Graziano makes $183,283 a year - more than the governor of New York, who makes $179,000. The district's assistant superintendent is Graziano's son Gregory, who makes $95,700 a year. Gregory Graziano also drives a 2005 Dodge Durango, complete with a DVD player, paid for by the district.
The senior Graziano receives fully paid medical, dental, vision and pension benefits worth thousands more. He gets a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria, with gas and insurance paid for by the district, and he received low-interest financing from the authority to buy a home.
On top of that, he is able to monitor security in the district and watch television on a 42-inch plasma TV, which records show was paid for by taxpayers, in his office. It was part of an $11,740 security system, but officials refused to specify the cost of the television.
Graziano is the highest-paid water superintendent on Long Island, supervising a staff of 27 people. The authority covers 7.5 miles and serves 31,400 people, according to officials.
"I think I'm underpaid," Graziano said.
Graziano said he deserved his pay because his job duties are "far greater than the average superintendent," doing such things as negotiating contracts, setting rates and discussing design issues with consulting engineers.
"It's not the amount of people," he said. "It's the responsibilities."
Critics disagree. "That's way out of line," said Martin Cantor, the director of the Long Island Economic and Social Policy Institute at Dowling College. He said some of the districts are small enough not to warrant full-time management.
As the assistant superintendent of the Water Authority of Great Neck North, Gregory Graziano has seen his salary increase 45 percent since 2002 without any change in his job title, according to payroll records. Last year alone, he got a 10 percent increase, to $95,700.
He did not return calls for comment, but Robert Graziano said his son deserved the raises because he had been "underpaid" and that the board approved raises. He added that the DVD player in his son's car was standard equipment on the Durango. However, a DVD player is not listed among the standard features for that vehicle on Edmunds.com, an online car-buying guide.
At the West Hempstead water district, Frederick Kurz, secretary to the board, saw his salary increase 32 percent, from $70,200 in 2001 to $92,822 in 2006, even though his job title did not change. He said his job includes attending meetings, taking minutes and working on the budget.
"I have a whole bunch of papers on my desk," he explained in an interview. He added that he didn't think his pay was a lot for the responsibility of his job.
Economist Cantor took issue with such pay increases. "Most people on the Island haven't had raises like that," he said, noting that there was negative wage growth on Long Island from 2000 to 2005.
"Roger Clemens said .... The Bungalow Putz is against steroid use of any kind"
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--steroidraid0113jan13,0,6636643.story
January 13, 2008
PATCHOGUE, N.Y.
A number of entertainers were named in connection with an Albany-based steroid investigation, but are not part of an ongoing criminal probe, according to a published report.
The Times Union of Albany cited unnamed sources in a Sunday report that R&B music star Mary J. Blige, rap musicians 50 Cent, Timbaland and Wyclef Jean, and award-winning author and producer Tyler Perry may have received or used performance enhancing drugs.
Albany District Attorney P. David Soares launched a Albany-based investigation into steroid trafficking last year. Law enforcement officials have said evidence does not indicate that the celebrities broke the law. Officials are focusing on the doctors, pharmacists and clinics that provide the drugs.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., introduced legislation that would make possession of human growth hormone illegal without a current, valid prescription.
I knew that Kolko and Geldwerth were friends but I hadn't realized that Belsky is part of the clique too. I thought he had some other motivation.
It makes me wonder. Let's just say they really can't believe that Kolko can't keep his paws out of little boys underwear. Why would they want to be friends with a big-mouthed baal gayva like Kolko anyway?
Evil..is a difficult concept to grasp. Thought process by so many people are warped to the point that you can not have an intelligent, rational conversation with so many. It took me a long time to grasp these concepts. We want to believe the best in people...it's just painful to believe that the vast majority of people are brainless and worse!
http://thecooljew.com/images/97whyspinachneedsahechsher
I think Rubashkin meat is a nice compliment to my salads full of shrotzim.
In the spirit of this post by UOJ, this comes from our "You Can't Make This Up" Department:
From this past weeks Yated Chinuch Roundtable discussion, the panel of mechanchim are asked by a Mother whose son came home one day saying that his Mashgiach instructed him to destroy his Ipod (potential for bad things to be down-loaded)and if not Moshiach won't come.
Most of the Mechanchim did some amazing verbalistic contortions to defend this mashgiach, putting the poor mom on the defensive.
Funny if it wouldn't be so tragic.
I wanted to be Yudi Kolko's friend too but I think he just views me as some nudnik tag along.
The Ner Yisroel yeshiva here once hired some doofus as a bargain rate "mashgiach". He was just a plain guy, all of 28 years old, who frummed out in Scranton and was now trying to throw his weight around (pun intended) by coming up with ridiculous takkonos to justify his existence.
He confiscated from young kids anything HE deemed to contribute to bittul Torah. The hypocritical self-righteousness from this jerk was too much to bear. He even told bochurim they may not listen to classical music with no lyrics because it was written by "prusta goyim who could have been mechaven with menuvaldik thoughts". The new rov of Bnei Torah shul who took over after the petirah of R' Refoel Marcus zl was told these exact words by this jerk when he was 14 years old.
thats why there now is a movement ion toronto to send back the lakewood kollel back to lakewood
and parents just palin think that guy is a wackjob fro ner yisroel and since then you havent seen any new hirings from scranton
that was one too many
Poor Meyer Silbershtein wont be able to get off with Mondrowitz. Sad! Very sad! Someone send Meyer the Mindless some pre puberty boys instead. I can PERHAPS forgive Mondrowitz if he were abused himself as a child. But those who enabled him then and are protecting him now without the slightist efforts on behalf of so many of his victims! For that sin were gonna come after all of those fraudster rabbis. AND WITH A VENGEANCE THAT CANT BE STOPPED.
The problem in Toronto is not the Lakewood kollel. The kollel is headed by R' Shlomo Miller who takes a public stand against frauds like Belsky and Heinemann.
The problem was Ner Yisroel at the time run by Aaron Levine, himself a violent abuser who is part of the powerful Nussbaum clan of molester Heshy Nussbaum.
They usually come from shvach or mediocre yeshivos. They hang around long enough that they get a job as rachmonus-case "mashgiach". There is a notorious one in a large yeshiva that hails from Long Beach.
That's how the more heimish crowd used to mock Ner Yisroel in Toronto. No one was machshiv it which is why there were many hundreds of bochurim going out of town when Ner Yisroel couldn't even get 75 bochurim to enroll. R' Yaakov Kaminetzky zl even warned his grandson R' Itche Knobel that he should consider if he wants a job there because it had a bad reputation. Levine tried to compensate for the shvachkeit by running the place like a prison thinking that makes it more yeshivish. Half the rebbeim couldn't stand Levine anyway as they saw him as a moderne from Ner Yisroel Baltimore.
The next court hearing which, I'm told, if all goes well will be the last before the court's decision on whether or not to extradite Momdrowitz, is scheduled for Thursday, January 17. After that, barring any unforeseen developments the court will rule.
I believe Mondrowitz has the right to appeal any ruling, however, and this appeal process itself will take time. Similarly, if he is ruled extraditable and does appeal that decision, it is very likely the whole issue of house arrest or outright release on bail will again surface, this time before a different judge.
Maybe someone should talk to this guy about service from 13th & 45th? Or a certain street corner in Flatbush?
http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART1/683/382.html?pFile=1
ביהמ"ש המחוזי בי-ם הורה לעצור חשוד בתקיפה מינית בארה"ב עד תום הליכי ההסגרה נגדו
שופט בית המשפט המחוזי בירושלים, משה רביד, הורה לעצור עד תום הליכי ההסגרה את אברהם מונדרוביץ', ששלטונות ארצות הברית מבקשים להסגירו לידיהם בגין כתב אישום שהוגש נגדו בניו-יורק על ביצוע התעללות מינית ומעשי סדום בקטינים.
העבירות המיוחסות למונדרוביץ' בוצעו בתחילת שנות ה-80, והוא נמלט לישראל בשנת 1984 ומאז הוא שוהה בישראל. בקשת ההסגרה הוגשה בספטמבר האחרון ומאז הוא נעצר. עתה ידון בית המשפט בבקשה להסגירו.
Why the attack on R' Malkiel Kotler? If you have knowledge of him involved in covering up for molesters than give us the details and bring it on. Don't bash him just because he speaks at the Fresser convention every other year.
"R' Shlomo Miller who takes a public stand against frauds like Belsky and Heinemann."
Some loser wrote here a while back defending Eckstein that he is not just a Belsky puppet for publishing his crap because he will publish signed letters from any rov.
WHAT A LIAR!!
Eckstein was sent R' Shlomo's letters against Belsky and Heinemann and he refuses to publish them. He also refused to take down the letter from R' Dovid Feinstein that R' Dovid was chozer on after he realized he was duped by Scheinerman.
....Because Malkiel Kotler, Aron Kotler, Yisroel Shenkolewski and Matt (under the rug) Salomon are -and have covered up other cases that I have not publicized....YET!
"other cases that I have not publicized....YET!"
Nu? Vos vartst du?
R' Yudel Shain reports today that Rubashkin has a mole inside Breuer's who was reporting on every move by KAJ.
She's koching on her Jewish Survivor Blog that after she exposed Gary Rosenblatt for enabling the Gafni molester gang, that he calls her to squeeze info but never credits her.
Here is how Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes the part of the extradition process Avrohom Mondrowitz is now in:
Under Section 7 of the Extradition Law, the magistrate may then order him/her to be held in custody for up to 15 days pending receipt of the petition for extradition, and may extend the custody for a further 15 days. Upon special application by the Attorney General, the magistrate may extend the requested person's arrest up to a maximum, aggregate period of 60 days. Once the petition has been filed in the District Court to have the person sought declared extraditable, then pursuant to Section 5 of the Extradition Law, the District Court may order that the person sought be held in custody until the end of the proceedings.
Pursuant to Section 22 of the Extradition Law, at any time during extradition proceedings the requested person may appeal the decision to continue his arrest by petitioning the court for his/her release.
In other words, what seems to have taken place yesterday was that Mondrowitz was ordered to be "held in custody until the end of the proceedings."
What now may happen is an appeal of that decision by Mondrowitz, "pursuant to Section 22 of the Extradition Law."
The entire process is summarized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.
Any Israeli legal experts out there? If so, please fill us in on how the process actually works. Thanks!
"Levine tried to compensate for the shvachkeit by running the place like a prison thinking that makes it more yeshivish."
Milton Balkany had a nephew in the yeshiva who once picked up the payphone and answered: "Hello, Ner Yisroel Penitentiary".
It was Levine looking for his son who responded: "Yes, this is the warden speaking".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethan_Hunt
The Yekkes think Rubashkin's spy is an ehrenste Yid but Yudel says he has information that the guy is being $$ rewarded $$.
http://theunjustmedia.com/huge%20tax%20scam%20exposed.htm
Source: The Montral Gazette, Thursday 21 September 2000
Huge Tax Scam Exposed
Religious group issued phony receipts for tens of millions
by David Johnson
Hundreds of people and businesses in Montreal's Jewish community are to face criminal charges or be required to pay tens of millions of dollars in evaded taxes as a result of a guilty plea yesterday in a Saint-Jerome court.
The guilty plea by a religious group connected to the Hasidic community in suburban Boisbriand capped a two-year investigation of what federal tax auditors say is the largest-ever tax fraud involving a religious organization in Quebec.
The religious group, which is known as Construit Toujours Avec Bonte and has links to the Montreal Rabbinical College, pleaded guilty to issuing tax receipts for charitable donations that overstated the amount of the donation.
A senior Montreal construction executive blew the whistle on the scam when he approached Revenue Canada, now part of the Canadian Customs and Revenue Agency, with taped information in 1997.
The resulting investigation saw federal tax sleuths seize about $60 million in phony receipts from individuals and businesses in the Jewish community, court documents say.
Joseph Gutstadt, president of Magil Construction International, the whistle-blower who exposed the fraud, said in a telephone interview last night from Israel: "I'm happy that, at the end of the day, justice has prevailed."
But Gutstadt said he was disappointed that Construit Toujours was fined only $400,000, and that none of the administrators of the organization or the rabbinical college were charged.
As a result of yesterday's guilty plea, Construit Toujours and the Montreal Rabbinical College have been stripped of their right to issue tax receipts for charitable donations. The rabbinical college, despite its formal name, serves only the local Orthodox community in Boisbriand, and not Montreal's larger mainstream Jewish community.
Federal tax investigators had charged Construit Toujours with selling false receipts and phony invoices for amounts equal to 20 per cent of their stated value.
Court documents indicate that someone offering the organization, say, $500,000, would get 80 per cent, or $400,000, of it back, with the organization pocketing only $100,000. But the organization would issue a receipt for $500,000, so the donor could deduct that amount from federal and provincial income taxes.
In Quebec, where the combined federal-provincial maximum rate of personal taxation is 53 per cent, a $500,000 charitable-donation claim creates a $265,000 tax saving.
"It's an unprecedented tax fraud for a religious organization in Quebec," said Gaetan Ouellette of the investigation division of the federal revenue agency.
Gutstadt said Orthodox Jewish groups in Israel have similarly been found guilty in court of charitable-donation scams, and that the practice is widespread in many other countries.
"Most important is to stop this lousy practice, not only in Montreal but all around the world, involving Orthodox Jews," he said.
Gutstadt, an Israeli native who immigrated to Montreal many years ago, became aware of the fraud through a former business associate who was participating in it. In 1997, Gutstadt arranged for a rabbi from Boisbriand to visit his Montreal office and explain how the scheme works. In court documents, he identified the rabbi as Aron Mizarchi, director of the rabbinical college.
"I pretended I was interested in playing the game - the same game a lot of other people in the Jewish community in Montreal, not just Orthodox Jews, were playing," Gutstadt explained.
He taped his conversation with the rabbi, but sat on the evidence for more than six months before he approached federal tax authorities.
"Because of what I did, I was threatened personally," he said. "I received calls at 2 in the morning. Someone told me, 'Satan is going to pick you up.' I considered it all childish. There are many people in the Jewish community upset with me, but that's OK."
Ouellette of the federal agency said the rabbinical college has changed names since the fraud was exposed and has been folded into the local Hasidic community of Tash under a new umbrella name, the community of Oir Hachaim.
People and businesses whose names appear on the $60 million worth of phony receipts will soon face criminal charges or will be mailed notices of reassessment requiring payment for evaded taxes, he said.
Mizarchi couldn't be reached for comment. Israel Lowen, who has acted as a spokesman for the Boisbriand Hasidic community in the past, didn't return phone calls.
Rick Leckner, a public-relations executive and former radio personality, phoned back on behalf of Lowen.
"We haven't seen any press releases or anything concerning the court decision in Saint-Jerome, and so we're still a bit in the dark as to all the details," he said. "But once we get all the information, we're going to issue some kind of statement."
Thanks, Steve, for again bringing the mandatory fingerprint bill to people's attention.
I'm cautiously optimistic about the future of the bill. But we must do the work - so please, as my original message conveys, reprinted by Steve above, contact our legislative leaders, by email or letter, and urge them to pass this bill. Under current law, fingerprinting and background checks are optional - let's make it mandatory.
Elliot Pasik, Esq.
Long Beach, New York
efpasik@aol.com
I can still hope, no?
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By Sharon Johnson, Special for USA TODAY
STIGLER, Okla. — This is part of an occasional series on members of the 2007 All-USA Teacher Team, USA TODAY's recognition program for outstanding K-12 teachers. Winners share $2,500 awards with their schools.
"Labels are for cans, not for children."
It's a statement third-grade teacher Valorie Lewis lives by.
Lewis knows that society often places labels on kids, marking them for success or failure. As a child growing up in poverty, Lewis was teased by other children and was once told by a teacher that she'd never amount to anything.
"We lived in a horse trailer for about a year and then moved into a couple of tents next to a creek bed where we bathed and washed our clothes," she says. "We got our clothes from the dump, and sometimes we didn't smell too good."
Lewis, 39, shares her story of overcoming adversity with her students at Stigler Grade School, a rural school in southeastern Oklahoma with a high poverty rate.
Unlike many others who can only sympathize with a child's problems, Lewis' words and actions come from empathy and understanding.
"Been there, done that," Lewis says when a child cradles his head in her lap, exhausted from sleeping in a car the night before.
"I've never really known a child to come to school and say, 'I want to grow up to be a nobody.' Giving children an opportunity to thrive is really all that is needed for successful human beings," Lewis wrote in her nomination for the All-USA Teacher Team. "As a result of my childhood, my daily goal is to create an environment that will allow my students to grow, dream and find their great purpose."
Lewis draws inspiration from her mother. When her grandfather would bring home cans of unlabeled food, her mom would let Lewis and her sister pick one and make an adventure out of opening it to find out what they were having for dinner. "As bad as it was, we had the love of a wonderful mom. I see many children that don't even have that. That is why I make sure that they know that I love them, no matter who they are and what kind of problems they may have."
She hopes that if her students learn nothing else, they learn to respect and value others, whether they are rich or poor, black or white, or have a harder time learning than others.
"I had a teacher tell me once that a certain child wasn't worth bothering with," she says. "That same child flourished when they found out someone truly cared about them."
Lewis encourages her students to seek out the positive things about each other through a weekly activity in which they draw names. Throughout the week, positive observations are shared. She also gives her students a chance to share their thoughts and feelings each week during Community Circle time. "Each person is given two minutes to talk about whatever is on their mind," Lewis says.
Lewis also holds high expectations from her students academically. Last year, five of her 20 students scored advanced in math, including one special-education student whose life story is very similar to hers. "All that student needed was a little encouragement," Lewis says. "They are doing very well now."
Lewis' students use a computerized Smart Board each morning for what she calls Morning Munchers, using computer programs for problem solving, measurement and other math equations. She also holds the Brain Olympics, incorporating physical and academic challenges, such as hopscotch math and vocabulary relays.
"Her students are afraid to be absent because they don't want to take the chance that they'll miss anything," says former school counselor Rita Echelle. "Mrs. Lewis doesn't always tell them when she is planning something special, so they have to be there every day, just in case!"
Echelle says the love and dreams Lewis has for each of her students doesn't stop once they walk out of her classroom. "When her classes graduate from high school, she sends notes congratulating and wishing them well," Echelle says.
"She even includes memories she has of the year they were in third grade. Some of them have written her to let her know how much those notes meant to them. One mother says her son still has his hanging on his mirror. I have no doubt that there are, and will be, those who succeed in life because Mrs. Lewis believed in them."
Thanks, Elliot for all your hard work and mesirus nefesh on behalf of our children. May Hashem reward your sincere efforts with success in all your endeavors.
Amen..kain yehe ratzon!
FROM THE CHUMRA OF THE WEEK SECTION:
New York, NY - Israeli Internet Company Seeks to Prevent Chillul Shabbos.
New York, NY - Throughout the ages, Jews have gone to all lengths to avoid chillul shabbos. Nowadays, instead of physical sacrifice, it takes ingenuity and resourcefulness to avoid a transgression in our hi-tech, fast-paced world.
Along those lines, there is a new company in Israel that offers a unique service for the Jewish clientele. Shomer Shabes, has a programmed internet system, that shuts down a site on Shabbos or Yom Tov, according to the surfer's location in the world. Users in Israel, for example, could view the website, while Americans cannot, being that Shabbos is over in Israeli time. Shomer Shabes solves both the halachic problem of operating a website on Shabbos, and also the technical ramifications of simply shutting down your site, since that results in low google ratings.
Keeping ones site open on Shabbos causes the owner to transgress four severe prohibitions.(sources? which "severe" prohibitions") Most site administrators have not given adequate thought to this issue, and as a result are neglicent in the mitzvah of shabbos, causing other yidden to violate the day of rest. Shomer Shabes aims to prevent yidden to fall into this trap, from chalilah committing more chilul shabbos. [VIN News]
Keeping ones site open on Shabbos causes the owner to transgress four severe prohibitions.(Sources?)
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Moshe ( Web-site banner )Heinemann.
August 17, 2004
E-COMMERCE/MEDIA
Orthodox Sites' Sabbath Sales
By NICHOLAS ZAMISKA
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
August 17, 2004; Page B1
Because of the biblical prohibition against working on the holy day, Orthodox Jews must close their stores on the Sabbath. But does that also apply to their Web sites?
With the rise of e-commerce, that question has long been brewing in Orthodox Jewish circles, and last fall it came to a head with a random phone call to Rabbi Moshe Heinemann.
Rabbi Heinemann, of Star-K Kosher Certification, an international kosher certification organization based in Baltimore, is one of a handful of rabbis in the United States recognized as having mastered the minutia of Jewish law.
He is consulted frequently by Orthodox Jews -- who number some 600,000 in the U.S. -- seeking guidance with the wave of new technology never anticipated by the strictures of Judaism, especially when it involves the Sabbath, which begins at sunset Fridays and ends an hour after sunset Saturdays.
With the dilemma over Web-based businesses before him, Rabbi Heinemann recalled a 45-year-old related ruling by another renowned arbiter of Jewish law. The late Rabbi Yitzchok Weiss had said Orthodox-owned vending machines must be closed, because even though the owner isn't present to make the exchange, he still collects the money. The parallel precedent seemed clear, so Rabbi Heinemann's answer was that Web sites, too, must be unplugged, even though the owner isn't technically doing anything.
A Web site operated by an Orthodox Jew could remain open only "if the shopping cart on the Web site is shut down," ensuring that no actual transactions took place, Rabbi Heinemann ruled in his group's small but influential newsletter Kashrus Kurrents.
The article spurred a storm of protests from Orthodox businessmen concerned that Rabbi Heinemann's ruling, which several rabbis say has the force of law among observant Jews, would mean a loss of online orders.
The 66-year-old Rabbi Heinemann travels around the world certifying everything from ovens manufactured by General Electric Co. that can be programmed to go into "Sabbath mode" -- meaning that food can be kept warm because Orthodox Jews aren't allowed to turn things on by pressing buttons on the Sabbath -- to legal arrangements in which a Jew transfers formal ownership of his business to a gentile one day a week so it can stay open on Saturday. His organization boasts what it calls the world's only Mandarin-speaking rabbi.
Born in Germany, Rabbi Heinemann lived in England and came to the U.S. after World War II ended. He studied at rabbinical college under a prominent rabbi, the late Rabbi Aharon Kotler, dean of Beth Medrash Govoha Seminary, in Lakewood, N.J., the largest rabbinical seminary in the U.S. He has been teaching Jewish law for several decades.
"When Heinemann speaks, people listen," says Paul Mendlowitz, senior vice president of DiamondCard Processing Corp., a credit-card processing company in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Mr. Mendlowitz, who is Orthodox, and others countered that since most Web sites don't process transactions on Saturdays, no money changes hands, so the sites should be able to remain open. Israel Sendrovic, a retired executive vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, weighed in with the protestors, confirming that credit-card transactions over the Internet aren't generally processed Saturdays.
"One of my hottest business days was on Rosh Hashana," says Rabbi Mayer Pasternak, who created Jewishmusic.com, an online emporium of aural Judaica. "I felt a twinge of guilt, coming back and there were a couple hundred orders." The guilt was especially strong, he says, because he assumed that visitors to his site were nearly all Jewish, and should not be browsing the Internet on the Sabbath and holidays at all.
The Talmud, the collection of writings that make up the body of 3,000-year-old Jewish civil and religious law, weighs in on many of the finer points of the Sabbath, but not all of them, and could never have anticipated the explosion of Internet shopping, to name only one technological development that would have confounded the ancient patriarchs. "This is all new," Rabbi Heinemann says.
An infertile Jewish couple once asked the rabbi whether their child would be Jewish if they used a surrogate mother who wasn't. To the couple's relief, Rabbi Heinemann ruled that their child would indeed be Jewish, as the host mother would simply be an "incubator." He even developed an Orthodox procedure for ensuring the paternity and maternity of a baby conceived in a test tube: An Orthodox Jew must be on hand to collect the sperm and the egg and to seal the contents of the test tube.
The rabbi heard from an array of people who disagreed with him on the Web site issue. He was inundated with phone calls both at work and his home, and after mulling over the decision, he handed down a rare reversal in the newsletter's latest issue in May.
"Technically speaking," he wrote, "the vendor's monetary acquisition, the kinyan kesef, happens on a weekday so there is no issue, prohibition of mekach umemkar, business sale transactions, on Shabbos."
The issue has quieted down, but the rabbi, who has reversed himself only a handful of times in his 40-year career, says it deserved the attention: "This is something you have to know. Keeping the Sabbath in a proper way is very important to us."
Write to Nicholas Zamiska at nicholas.zamiska@wsj.com1
Tell me this guy is not a Tendler!
-------------------------
ATLANTA - The 80-year-old leader of a suburban Atlanta megachurch has been charged with lying under oath, court documents show. A warrant for the arrest of Archbishop Earl Paulk, co-founder of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church, was issued Monday, according to court documents. Paulk was making arrangements Monday night to turn himself in to authorities, WAGA-TV reported.
Paulk's attorneys did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press for comment.
Former church employee Mona Brewer is suing Paulk, his brother, Don, and the church for allegedly manipulating her into an affair from 1989 to 2003 by telling her it was her only path to salvation. In a 2006 deposition stemming from the lawsuit, the archbishop said under oath that the only woman he had ever had sex with outside of his marriage was Brewer.
But the results of a court-ordered paternity test revealed in October that Paulk is the biological father of his brother's son, D.E. Paulk, who is now head pastor at the family's church. As part of Brewer's lawsuit, eight women have given sworn depositions that they were coerced into sexual relationships with Earl Paulk.
A judge ordered the paternity test at the request of the Cobb County district attorney's office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which were investigating Paulk.
Cobb County District Attorney Pat Head declined comment when reached at his home Monday night.
Paulk and his brother, Don, have been hit with multiple lawsuits from former members alleging they were coerced into sexual affairs, but this is the first time criminal charges have been filed against the archbishop.
___
On the Net:
WAGA-TV: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/
Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church: http://www.mycathedral.org/
To Victims' Advocate said...and to steve said...and to LVF said...
The victims advocate wrote “There is no way to reach someone who believes that he is acting righteously.”
Well said, on that note thank you Steve for acting so righteous and saying “Gentlemen, let's stay focused. There is more work to do.” “Let’s not get sidetracked and distracted by the apologists and naysayers that find their way onto this blog.”
Now, YOUR double standard has just peeped through to Let's Change The Subject! Or to “the really popular speakers are who never tell their audiences a word they don't want to hear”!
How sickly ironic MR STEVE, that you want other bystanders to look themselves in the mirror but when the UOJ has an Advocate said... that SPEAKS UP to him, you double take, shun out the victim, and change the subject!
Is there even one ounce of sincerity on this site, or is it simply the way the victims advocate put it “The fact that even a VICTIMS can receive such treatment is truly scary! It contradicts everything that this blog supposedly stand for and questions the integrity of UOJ and others”?
Victim’s Advocate wrote: “You are a VICTIM of RABBINC ABUSE "A" meaning sexual abuse by a Rabbi, but it is not clear that you are a victim OF RABBINIC ABUSE "B" - Rabbis who abuse by COVERUP.
This is true. I’m not a victim of Rabbinic Abuse “B”. Just the opposite Rabanim assisted me out of my abusive situation. I am though a victim of Abuse “B” by other authorities, not labeled as “Rabanim” but nevertheless “Silent Bystanders”.
However; in your own words, not mine, you the Victims Advocate wrote, “A victim I know said to me that he can somewhat understand the molesters - they are sick (not an excuse)”.
You too just incriminated yourself; it seems, you yourself have personally experienced hearing first hand from a victim “they are sick” a not so subtle defense. NOT AN EXCUSE (as you so swiftly corrected) BUT A DEFENSE, WHICH I VEHMENTLY DISAGREE WITH, but is surely PART of the distorted thought process of these Rabanim for giving them a place in society.
I must pause and vehemently disagree; molesters are not sick! They have sickly urges but are not sick! This split-hair difference is EXTREMELY VITAL in upholding the responsibility to the molesters, and any deviation from it goes against the entire Torah which deems a person responsible for their actions (unless they qualify to being a chairish, shoteh, koton with chazal’s criteria).
You interpreted Rabbi matisyahu as saying; because we know how to deal with things in a BAKOVODICKER way - we take into account the family
AGREED-That is what he meant. All he is saying is that we have no right to create public embarrassments to an abusers family IF, and again I repeat IF for all the knee jerk reactors here, IF WE HAVE A WAY OUT! This sentiment in chazal is called “efshar al yidai achar” which means it is possible through another venue. It may statistically prove not to work as often, but as painful as this sounds, their intention may be sincere.
You continued: and of course the victim. But by admitting this, he has incriminated himself and those who put him up there
I don’t know about him, but you so eloquently finished saying yourself “those who put him up there”.
You continue: as we know that Kolko, Mondrowitz, and many others operated freely and "killed" many NESHOMOS while certain Gedolim arrogantly believed that they could handle it "quietly" and SWEPT it under the carpet.
This is the fine point where we disagree and I blame your own misinterpreted projections, where the proof is in your own words. There’s a paradox in what you’re saying. If they were only arrogant in their BELIEF as YOU put it, but sincerely attempted to handle it, they were not covering-up and sweeping it under the carpet. And if they were sweeping it under the carpet, then they weren’t arrogant in believing they can handle it “quietly”, they were simply complacent with the crime. In simpler terms, you’re advocating that any use of “quietly” automatically means it’s a cover to sweep it under the carpet. I say; it could very well be, as history has proven, but not necessarily, and certainly not for you to knee jerk and misinterpret the words of perhaps your first encounter with a non-partisan genuine sincere Rabbi, who at the very minimum agrees to admit in public to a crime he had no involvement with.
I’ve been critiqued as being a “lamdan” and splitting hairs, but if we don’t measure our words with this sensitive topic then we lose our credence of having an honest sense-of-judgment, as I mentioned previously that the difference between saying a molester is “sick” or saying he has sickly urges is a catastrophic differential of 8 letters.
You continue: So while this term was not meant to imply that "WE ignored it," its implication may be worse. At least one who totally ignores it does not think he is doing good. However, the attitude that Rabbi Salomon spoke about creates a world in which those engaged in the cover-up actually think that they are doing the RIGHTEOUS thing.
Here again; you yourself say “those engaged in the cover-up”, a complacent piece of the crime, not an arrogant attitude which inadvertently leads to sweeping it under the carpet. You have to make up your mind!
I do not appreciate your implication that I feel Rabbinical cover-up is not wrong as you wrote “I do believe that you go too far in defending what is wrong (Rabbinical coverup)” as the following words I myself wrote on this blog demonstrate my feelings, I wrote; “I’m quite aware of the Gemara in Nidah 61A that says translated “was it Gedalyahu that killed them, wasn’t it Yishmoel, it therefore teaches us that since he should have been concerned regarding the advice of yochonan ben Korach and he wasn’t the torah therefore considers him the murderer” one who is not maichish (concerned) is considered as if he himself committed the crime. I’m in agreement with you 100 percent but what I said is “However MOST enablers most likely don’t understand the dynamics and repercussions of molestation and are a complete different story.” I’m not debating how responsible enablers are because they surely are on various levels, but under what halachik premises does a blogger have the right to lump together and defame someone without a psak bais din or a a kol d’ilo posek (see chofets chaim) about grave sins that they perpetrated.”
With all this said, you haven’t stood up to the plate on how as victims (or advocates) of humiliation ourselves, we stand by in silence, the same silence we’re angry at others for, and allow this blogger to rave about all sorts of Loshon Haras, many that have nothing to do with molestation!
DO WE ONLY WISH TO ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS IN PAIN, BUT SWEEP UNDER THE CARPET THE REST OF TORAH?
You wrote; unfortunately, many others were not because of the actions by some Rabbonim who could have helped them. They are left disillusioned about the religion that they WISH they can LOVE once again in the same way that they once did BEFORE those who they held so highly let them down. When someone who is not very important does something terrible to you, it is easy to shrug it off, but when someone that you feel is great hurts you in such a terrible way by failing to sympathize with you, the scar runs deep!
I personally feel that a public apology would be the most healing opportunity, and a great kidush hashem. However neither you or anyone else can expect any apology from any open letter coming or associated with this site, since the blogger in their opinion may fall into the category of a Mumar or Maisis-one who turns others away from yidishkeit. I’ve made my point earlier that I honestly feel the blogger has a more to gain for himself and the victims with a respected audience, then he currently has with his vulgar mouthpiece.
To LVF said...the UOJ…and Steve…and others who MAY have left Judaism to molesters, my heart truly breaks for you, period!
However I am compelled to say that with all the “excuses” in the world for victims as you to abandon Judaism, the Torah, our sages, and Judaism itself can be the greatest source of comfort for victims. G-D’s not responsible for so called Rabbis, and if you feel otherwise then learn how to separate your anger towards G-D from the anger you have towards people who call themselves Rabbis or servants of G-D.
Had G-D wanted to (kaviyochel-so-to-speak) make a kidush Hashem on himself he did a fantastic job by reiterating how disgusted he is with the abomination called SEXUAL-ABUSE a hundred times over in the Torah and Chazal. Just open your eyes, from the very beginning in that which he destroys the world due to molestation, as the Gemara in Nida 13B describes the generation of the Mabul (great flood) as being molesters. Translated; Misachakim b’itinokes (playing with children) derech avairuim (with their bodily parts) bnei mabul ninhu (those are the acts of the people during the time of the great flood) to destroying the city of Sodomy a few parshas later and so on.
I sincerely hope that shortly one day you can all see through the ugly tainted fog that has engulfed you by your trusted “great ones” and see the Light of Torah and G-D’s world with a new perspective. Thank you and Shalom!
Ah feel your pain.
"I must pause and vehemently disagree; molesters are not sick!"
Even Dr. Bungalow Putz didn't make a claim that ridiculous.
A child molester has a din rotzeach. That must make them the picture of health.
Do you make this stuff up as you go along?
"we know how to deal with things in a BAKOVODICKER way - we take into account the family"
The family of the monster counts more than the family of the victims?
The Agudah sat by and did nothing while mafia chief Margo persecuted these poor people. Now they tell us to zey shtill because of the poor Kolkos.
If the Agudah would do anything to stop Margulies, maybe then you have a tayna. They are still letting bahaymishe Lipa get away with murder. He even sabotaged Yankel Horowitz's letter the other week. And why do they twiddle their thumbs when Margo made choyzek out of R' Shmuel Kaminetzky?
"All he is saying is that we have no right to create public embarrassments to an abusers family IF, and again I repeat IF for all the knee jerk reactors here, IF WE HAVE A WAY OUT!"
Starting with Kolko and moving on to other cases, there is NO other way to stop the atrocities.
Are you so thick-headed that you cannot comprehend this?
http://www.news-israel.net/Article.asp?Code=9026
הפדופיל החרדי אברהם מונדרוביץ'
נעצר עד להסגרתו לארצות הברית
נאשם באונס ילדים חרדים בברוקלין לאחר שהתחזר לפסיכולוג והתיימר לטפל הם
מאת כתב ''עניין מרכזי''
שלישי, 15 בינואר 2008,
נעצר עד תום ההליכים ועד הסגרתו לארצות הברית החרדי אברהם מונדרוביץ', המבוקש בארה''ב על עבירות מין חמורות בילדים. החרדי מונדרוביץ' מואשם בארצות הברית שהתחזה לפסיכולוג וניצל מינית את הילדים שטיפל בהם.
מונדרוביץ', בן 61 נשוי ואב ל-7 ילדים, עצור מאז חודש נובמבר לאחר שנלכד בארץ. הוא נמלט מניו יורק שם ביצע את הפשעים בילדים יהודיים חרדים בברוקלין בשנים 1980-1984.
החרדי החשוד במעשים הזוועתיים הצליח להימנע מהסגרה למרות שידוע כבר 22 שנה כי הוא שוהה בארץ כיוון שמעשי סדום, שבהם הואשם מונדרוביץ בין היתר, לא נכללו ברשימת העבירות בנות ההסגרה. בינואר השנה נחתמה בין ארה''ב לישראל אמנה חדשה שעל פיה אפשר להסגיר אדם על כל עבירה שהעונש עליה הוא מעל שנת מאסר.
ההערכה היא שמונדרוביץ' ינסה למנוע את הסגרתו בטענה שהתיקון לא צריך לחול עליו בשל עקרון אי החלת חוקים רטרואקטיבית. כולכם מוזמנים להתפלל שהערעור לא יתקבל.
עניין מרכזי
This touchy-feely Christian turn-the-other cheek bull s--t is making me puke.
http://www.nfc.co.il/BringHtmlDoc.aspx?docid=151443&subjectId=1
MONDROWITZ: ביהמ"ש: רב חסידות גור לא יעמוד בפיתוי
ביהמ"ש: רב חסידות גור לא יעמוד בפיתוי
ביהמ"ש המחוזי סירב לשחרר למעצר בית את "החסיד הפדופיל" המועמד להסגרה לארה"ב השופט: הערבים לא יעמדו בפיתוי למלט אותו מהצורך לעמוד לבין בפני "ערכאות גויים"
מאת: רותי אברהם
ביהמ"ש המחוזי בירושלים דחה (יום ב', 14.1.08) בקשת חסיד גור, אברהם מונדרוביץ', לשחררו למעצר בית עד להסגרתו לארה"ב. השופט הביע חשש כי הערבים לשחרורו בהם רב חסידות גור בירושלים ובבית שמש לא יעמוד בפיתוי ויסייע לו להמלט מלעמוד לדין בפני "ערכאות גויים".
מונדרוביץ' המכונה "החסיד הפדופיל" מואשם בארה"ב בשורה של מעשי סדום והתעללות מינית בקטינים בעיקר בשכונתו בברוקלין. הוא נמלט ממשפט בשנת 1984 ומאז שהה בישראל. בקשת הסגרתו לאחר החלת תיקון בסעיף באמנת ההסגרה בין ישראל לארה"ב. לפני כחודשיים נעצר בידי המשטרה והוחל בהליך הסגרתו. הוא הגיש בקשה באמצעות בא כוחו עו"ד איתן מעוז לשחררו למעצר בית עד להסגרתו.
כאמור, בית המשפט המחוזי דחה את בקשתו. בהחלטה ציין השופט משה רביד כי מתסקיר המבחן עולה כי מונדרוביץ לא היה מעורב בעבירות מיניות מאז הגיעו לישראל, לפני כ-23 שנים. יחד עם זאת, הביע השופט חשש כי שחרורו יעמיד את הערבים "בפני דילמה לא פשוטה". מדובר בערבים, רב חסידות גור בירושלים ובבית שמש הרב מאיר זילברשטיין ועו"ד יעקב קמינסקי.
השופט כתב, "לאחר שהתחבטתי לא מעט בשאלה האם יש לשחרר את מונדרוביץ לחלופת מעצר הגעתי לכלל מסקנה כי אין לעשות כן, הואיל וסברתי כי הערבים ייאלצו לעמוד בפני דילמה שאינה פשוטה". מדובר בשתי גישות ביהדות אחת מהן קובעת כי יש להסגיר יהודי שנמלט מאימת הדין לידי מדינות אחרות וזאת "מכוח העקרון של דינא דמלכותא דינא או כדי לקיים את העקרון 'וביערת הרע מקרבך'". מאידך, הגישה השניה "אשר ככל הנראה מקובלת על מונדרוביץ וחברי קהילתו, אוסרת להסגיר יהודי לערכאות של גויים, בכפוף לחריגים, ויש לשפוט אותו בישראל".
"חושש אני כי חרף הערבויות שמציעים הערבים ייתכן שיקשה עליהם לעמוד בפיתוי שלא לסייע למונדרוביץ להמלט מאימת הדין", כתב השופט. בכך תימנע הסגרתו ושפיטתו "שלא בידי בני ברית. בכך תסוכל האפשרות להעמיד את מונדרוביץ לדין ואת התחייבותה של ישראל כלפי ארה"ב באמנת ההסגרה, להסגיר אליה את מונדרוביץ, אם יוחלט שהוא בר הסגרה".
השופט כתב בהחלטה כי הוא מורה על מעצרו של מונדרוביץ "עד מתן החלטה בעתירה להורות עליו כבר הסגרה".
My comment on the Archie Versus Shmarya at the end of their comments...so far!
--------------------------
Shmarya, I'm sorry but I feel your self-description is kind of disingenious.
You make yourself sound like Bruce Almighty or some kind of personal savior of the downtrodden. While many incest victims and others may in fact be emailing you, you do NOT publicize their plight. Years ago you even deleted UOJ's comments on your blog to raise the alarm about Kolko and Margulies and brushed off his pleas to you, adamant that you won't publish what a newspaper has not covered.
So the question stands. What do we need you for? We also have Vicky Polin's Awareness Center and others who provide a platform for those who you claim to advocate for when in fact you don't.
And perhaps we should be impressed with your voluminous reading hobby but it was readers of UOJ and Yudel who went through hundreds of pages of USDA documents to highlight bad behavior by Rubashkin.
If you are behind major newspaper exposes as you claim then show us where. And why don't you ask these media outlets to compensate you instead of asking for spare change on the virtual street corner?
Posted by: Archie Bunker | January 15, 2008 at 09:15 AM
Years ago you even deleted UOJ's comments on your blog to raise the alarm about Kolko and Margulies and brushed off his pleas to you, adamant that you won't publish what a newspaper has not covered.
Now we see Archie Bunker for the twisted bigot he really is.
If you were to ask UOJ, what you would hear would be those facts but in a different context.
1. There was no valid information on Kolko anywhere in print.
2. UOJ and other people leaving those comments on this blog were, a) Anonymous and b) had no sources themselves
3. I told UOJ and others that I ddn't have the resources to cover the story. I would need to fly to NYC, spend a few weeks talking to victims and Kolko defenders, check court records, etc. I had no way to do this and I had no one in NYC I could get to do it.
4. I also told UOJ and others that the best way to deal with Kolko was to get a mainstream print media outlet to do a story on him. I promised UOJ I would push that story 100% when it was printed and that I would do everything in my power to help before that.
5. Printing unsourced and unsubstantiated allegations against people is wrong.
If UOJ had said, "My name is _______ and this is what I know," and if at least one victim had said, "My name is _______ and this is what happened to me," I could have published on Kolko.
That did not happen.
And you'll note that NY Magazine did the story only because Framowitz went on the record. Without that, no story.
6. Because you are profoundly unethical, you don't realize the responsibility involved in destroying a man. For all I knew, Koloko could have been innocent and I had no way to really find out.
Today, if someone came to me with a similar story I'd have many ways of checking it out that I did not have 2 years ago.
7. UOJ repeatedly has asked me NOT to quit, NOT to stop publishing and NOT to give up the fight.
You, who considers himself to be a follower of UOJ's, are too blinded by your hatred to understand even this.
8.And perhaps we should be impressed with your voluminous reading hobby but it was readers of UOJ and Yudel who went through hundreds of pages of USDA documents to highlight bad behavior by Rubashkin.
False. I published extensive details neither had months and even years before them.
And they have published nothing regarding the USDA I didn't have and publish first.
9. You are a disgusting person, AB. I hope you spend the rest of your life wallowing in your own filth.
Posted by: Shmarya | January 15, 2008 at 10:09 AM
--------------------
Gentlemen:
When I initially contacted Shmarya with the Kolko matter, I was a nobody! (still am to many..and that's OK by me.)
He had an obligation to fact- check --- although I had my facts verified. I could not share them with him at the time.
Little did anybody know the material I became privy to.
Shmarya's blog was actually one of the models I used in attempting to ascertain the facts --- but I was so certain of them --- that I circumvented journalistic standards - to get at the criminals. I was not concerned with the libel laws -- "truth is an absolute defense."
I look to Shmarya for his ability to spend precious time on investigating...where I just do not have the time. I have 20 full time jobs!
He has helped me considerably...on more than one issue...I ONLY PUT UP INFORMATION IN THE POST SECTION THAT I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN WOULD STAND UP TO SCRUTINY IN A COURT OF LAW!
There is sooo much I can't verify to my satisfaction...so it DOES NOT GO UP!
Therefore my blog is focused on select areas...where Shmarya is able to focus on a broader spectrum of issues.
For the record...Shmarya and I - agree to disagree - on certain topics...and that's fine by me.
Support him if you're able to...please!
"I circumvented journalistic standards - to get at the criminals."
For this Cardinal Sin, UOJ can never be forgiven!
Please note:
1. There ARE kashrus problems that Lubinsky thinks he can deny into going away.
2. Lubinsky STILL refuses to admit he was wrong for not adding a disclaimer to his articles that he is paid by Rubashkin
3. This piece was removed from Lubinsky's Kosher Today website a day after it went up
4. Lubinsky's shlock shamess Eckstein closed the Yeshiva World comments section before anyone could post a single response.
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/13676/Sixth+Sense:+'You+Can't+Fire+Me+–+I+Quit'+Kashrus+Style.html
By Menachem Lubinsky: So who fired whom? Believe it or not this is what preoccupied at least one Jewish newspaper writer and several blogs who reprinted the article. They were referring to the news reported here last week that ‘Agriprocessor announced that it was consolidating its kashrus supervision behind the Orthodox Union and Rabbi Menachem Meir Weissmandl of Monsey, NY.’ Not true’, said the article in a small Jewish newspaper that was reprinted in several Orthodox Jewish blogs. ‘Khal Adath Jeshurun (KAJ) fired AgriProcessors.’ In the process, I was accused of misrepresenting the facts and even hiding the fact that my 23-year old marketing firm handles many kosher clients, including on occasion Agri. I have on numerous occasions throughout my long career crafted statements for kosher companies and used parts of it to bring readers the full story in KosherToday.
As far as KosherToday is concerned, the only story that matters is that the world’s largest producer of kosher meat and poultry, particularly its Aaron’s Best brand is no longer or perhaps as of April 16th will no longer be under the supervision of K’hal Adath Jeshurun, a highly respected hechsher. It remains under the certification of the Orthodox Union (OU) and Rabbi Weissmandl. In fact, the writer clearly notes that ‘Dr. Eric Erlbach, of KAJ, emphasized that there is not and never was a problem with the Rubashkin hashgacha.’ Agri will essentially follow the model of some of its competitors like Alle and International that have both the OU and a Chasidic rabbi as their certifiers.
So now that we got the main story out of the way in that there is no kashrus issue here, which is the only concern as far as KosherToday, an on-line trade newsletter, is concerned, let’s try to get to the bottom of the story of who fired whom lest it becomes the subject of a major investigation. Remember the line, ‘you can’t fire me, I quit?’ Well, that’s approximately what happened here.
In certifying Agri’s Kosher Supreme Brand and other kashrus aspects for the past 3 years at the Agri plant in Postville, Rabbi Weissmandl did not see eye to eye with the KAJ certifiers. So in October, KAJ dashed off a letter to Agri that unless it agreed to a set of demands it would pull its hechsher as of April 16th. Agri said NO to those demands and so it triggered the KAJ action, as their letter noted. If you are keeping score, here’s what happened: One of Agri’s main certifiers has perhaps become too assertive, rubbing the KAJ the wrong way. KAJ threatens to fire Agri unless its demands are met, and Agri says, No. KAJ walks (as of April 16th). I wrote the release that said that Agri announced that the company was consolidating its kashrus certifications for ‘marketing reasons,’ which it did. It decided to remain with the two other certifications, which it felt kept its high kosher standards and satisfied its diverse clientele, and opt out of its KAJ certification.
Disputes between rabbis or sometimes rabbis with management are a daily occurrence in the kosher food industry, but the writer insisted that this was different because Agri is the largest meat and poultry producer in the world. Granted that it is a great sensational story, especially when the target is Agri - a convenient punching bag for many a disgruntled writer - it is not a kashrus story beyond the announcement. Oh by the way, thanks to all those who took the time to write and compliment the integrity that I have brought to covering the kosher food industry.
[Reprinted with permission from Kosher Today where this article appeared - January 14, 2008]
He put out a press release saying that he is the only shechita in South America that checks for treifos from parasites and embalming. While Rubashkin is probably suspect it's not likely that the Nirbatur allows any of these problems.
R' Yudel Shain warns that Levy/OK will say anything even if not true.
Josh Kirsch writes this comment on a blog:
I would like to make some points.
Recently Rabbi David Steigman from the OK visited the slaughterhouse, although he admited not be a shochet, or to have proper Hargosho…..
Rabbi Feigelstock (source of OK meats) lives in Argentina, and most of the time he is not in Uruguay, he hardly goes to Uruguay….. Must Chabad in Argentina don’t eat from Feigelstock’s schechitah, but they eat sometimes their own (Rabbi Baumgarten), or they used Agudath Israel (Rabbi Yoseph and Rabbi Elimeir Libersohn) or the Sefaradic (Rabbi Joseph Chehibar).
The OK uses sometimes goods shochtim, but sometimes uses all the rejected shochtim from Argentina, that hardly know anything they are “OK”
Feigelstock is a messianic chabadtzker…..
Finally this problems were resolved by Gedolim, this is a pure advertisement, In South America never embalming chemicals take place, this is an outright big LIE, furthermore, the parasite in the water are micro organism the same way that it appears in NYC Water, the problem in the lung is called Tuberculosis. Apparently this “news” has nothing of thruth, just go figure.
You may want to verify more by contacting us directly:
Jabad Lubavitch Argentina
Agüero 1164 (CP1025)
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Tel. 5411-4963-1221
info@jabad.org.ar
“Must Chabad in Argentina don’t eat from Feigelstock’s schechitah, but they eat sometimes their own (Rabbi Baumgarten)”
Rabbi Baumgarten is actually a shochet for Quality Meats in Uruguay.
“Recently Rabbi David Steigman from the OK visited the slaughterhouse, although he admited not be a shochet, or to have proper Hargosho…..”
In addition, I personally know Rabbi Steigman. He has been a shochet for over 25 years and has shechted for Alle and other big companies.
January 15, 2008
In regards to yesterdays article written by Menachem Lubinsky, the following letter was written by Mayer Fertig [Publisher and Editor-in-chief of The Jewish Star]:
Menachem,
You are certainly entitled to your view that it is appropriate to simultaneously function as a journalist and as a paid mouthpiece for a company you’re covering. Unfortunately, this would not meet the baseline ethical standards of any legitimate publication. It’s a shame that as editor of a newsletter that you bill as ‘The mouthpiece of the kosher food industry,’ you would fail to meet such a standard.
Even after you have been exposed in print, you continue to stand by the company line — which you wrote. Yes, disputes of the sort you describe are commonplace. I just find it hard to believe that you see no news value in any hint of uncertainty related to the largest kosher meat provider in the US. Particularly after you chose to report on the same issue just last week. This would seem to cast doubt on the quality of your news judgment rather than the quality of the story.
Furthermore, your dismissal of legitimate reporting on AgriProcessors and its hashgachas as the work of ‘disgruntled writers’ strikes me as more than a little convenient. Such a mischaracterization only serves to further undermine your position.
Sincerely,
Mayer Fertig
Publisher and Editor-in-chief
The Jewish Star.
Extradition! (from the Broadway sensation Fondler on the Roof)
Extradition, extradition! Extradition!
Extradition, extradition! Extradition!
Who, day and night, must sodomize talmidim,
tell them it's okay, behind shadowy closed doors?
And who has the right, as scoffers of the law,
to seek asylum in the Holy Land?
The Rebbeim, the Rebbeim! Extradition!
The Rebbeim, the Rebbeim! Extradition!
Who must know the way to run a yeshiva,
A quiet yeshiva, a kosher yeshiva?
Who must squirrel away all the sexual abuse,
To perpetuate the torah way?
The hanhala, the hanhala! Extradition!
The hanhala, the hanhala! Extradition!
At three, I learned the alef bais.
At four, my balls were fondled.
I hear they found the bastard.
I hope he rots in hell.
The talmidim, the talmidim! Extradition!
The talmidim, the talmidim! Extradition!
And who is it that makes sure
that whatever comes to pass,
molesters of children
will get it up their ass?
The zroya netuyah! Extradition!
Of the law! The law! Extradition!
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