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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Orthodox Jews Shielding Child Sex-Abusers!

Orthodox 'shielding sex abusers' By Paul Berger, October 15, 2009 [United Kingdom] WWW.THEJC.COM

Suspected abuser Avrohom Mondrowitz in an Israeli court in 2007. He is still fighting extradition back to the US

A New York State Supreme Court judge has criticised the Orthodox community for shielding perpetrators of sexual abuse while persecuting victims.

Judge Gustin Reichbach lamented the community’s “circle-the-wagons attitude” as he sentenced Yona Weinberg, a barmitzvah tutor and social worker from Brooklyn, to 13 months in jail for molesting two boys.

At the sentencing earlier this month, the courtroom was filled with Weinberg’s supporters. Almost 100 members of the Orthodox community wrote letters to the judge defending him.

Judge Reichbach lamented that no letters displayed “any concern or even any acknowledgement for these young victims which, frankly, I find shameful”. Rather, the community “seeks to blame, indeed punish, victims who seek justice from... civil society”.

Sexual abuse has become a highly contentious issue in the US Orthodox community following a string of cases involving well-known teachers and rabbis. Over the past year, 26 strictly Orthodox men have been arrested in Brooklyn in child sexual abuse cases; eight have been convicted and 18 await trial.

The strictly Orthodox are statistically no more likely to experience sexual abuse than any other group. But the problem is often exacerbated because there is pressure on victims not to go to the police, due to a suspicion of secular society and a fear of bringing shame on the community. In some cases, parents worry that revealing abuse might harm chances of a shidduch. Meanwhile, some community leaders prefer to act solely through a beth din.

However, the timing of Judge Reichbach’s comments may be ironic, as some see signs that the taboo against reporting sexual abuse is beginning to fade. NY state Assemblyman Dov Hikind became involved in the issue 15 months ago. He says many people in the community have overcome the stigma associated with abuse and are openly discussing it.

“There has been an improvement, no question about it,” says Mr Hikind. “The fact that people are acting is a huge accomplishment, but we have an even longer way to go.”

This year, more than 40 minors have agreed to testify about abuse in court.

David Zwiebel, executive vice president of the Charedi group Agudath Israel of America, told the New York Times this week that “A broad consensus has emerged that many of these issues are beyond the ability of the community to handle internally.”

In the past, victims who have spoken out have faced ostracism, as well as verbal and physical threats.

One victim, Shua Finkelstein, died of an overdose at the beginning of this year. His parents later discovered a letter he had written criticising the community for not confronting abuse, which they published online. Soon afterwards, their New Jersey home was damaged in a suspected arson attack.

Yona Weinberg joins a list of recent high-profile court cases involving Orthodox Jews. Last year, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, a teacher at Yeshiva Torah Temimah in Brooklyn, struck a plea deal with the Brooklyn district attorney. To campaigners’ dismay, Kolko pleaded guilty to two counts of child endangerment, ducking a jail sentence and avoiding registration as a sex offender.

Meanwhile, Rabbi Avrohom Reichman, a principal at the United Talmudic Academy in Williamsburg, is currently the subject of a civil lawsuit filed by Joel Engleman, who claims he was molested during the 1990s.

Rabbi Avrohom Mondrowitz, who fled to Israel from New York in 1984 to avoid prosecution for sexual abuse, continues to fight extradition.

Mark Weiss, who says he was abused by Mondrowitz in the late 1970s, blames community leaders for the support shown to Weinberg and others like him. Mr Weiss says that “otherwise good, warmhearted, caring people are suddenly reprogrammed to defy all logic”, when they are told that they must defend the community from a chilul hashem — disgracing god’s name — by standing up for the accused.

“It’s a disgrace that our community has to get chastised by someone like Judge Reichbach, but he’s 100 per cent right,” he added. “This is about the Orthodox leadership’s control over people.”

53 comments:

More from our gerrer friends on welfare in Israel said...

Jerusalem - “Religious prisoners are deliberately persecuted,” Deputy Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman (UTJ) said in response to serious allegations by the secular Israeli media.


According to a report this week on Israel’s Channel 2 this week, and here Rabbi Litzman applied pressure on Health Ministry psychiatrists to enable charedi sexual molesters prisoners to receive furloughs. The television report even claimed some psychiatrists were threatening to resign over the alleged pressure.


Yet an official Health Ministry statement paints a very different picture: “While the Deputy Minister was serving as a Knesset member he was contacted by prisoners who were being harassed [by prisoner review panels] and he presented the problem to the proper officials. Recently the complaints have worsened, and ever since he assumed his post the Deputy Minister has been trying to evaluate the criteria, and even suggested to a high-ranking official in the health system that he review the guidelines for furloughs, which prisoners are entitled to by law.

Advertisement:

“In practice, the prisoner mentioned in the report was not released for his son’s bar mitzvah and no request was submitted to have him released without supervision. This prisoner was released for previous family events with a prison guard escort,” read the statement.


To counter the mounting allegations in the secular media, Rabbi Litzman agreed to be interviewed on a religious radio station. “Prisoners have rights, too,” he insisted, “and there is no reason for charedi prisoners to be discriminated against and persecuted by the establishment.”


A spokesman for the Deputy Minister told VIN News that Rabbi Litzman has been involved in prisoners’ rights for years – well before entering the Health Ministry – and even proposed legislation on the issue after he was asked by the family of a charedi prisoner who has already spent ten years behind bars, because he is reluctant to speak openly regarding the sex crimes he was convicted of. According to psychiatrists from the Health Ministry’s Center for Mental Health, prisoners must relate their crime in detail before a review panel each time they apply for a furlough.


Rabbi Litzman’s statement exposed an ongoing battle between the Deputy Minister and mental health officials at his Ministry. When the latter suddenly found themselves working under Rabbi Litzman they objected, showing particular resistance to a proposal to transfer their authority to an external psychiatric entity.


Asked whether he would avoid pursuing the issue further following the controversy surrounding the television report, Rabbi Litzman was unambiguous: “Absolutely not! I won’t stop securing rights prisoners serving time for their deeds are entitled to, in accordance with the law and the guidelines, of course.”

YNET said...

Elior Chen to be extradited to Israel

Brazil approves extradition of sadistic cult leader suspected of numerous counts of child abuse

Aviad Glickman Published: 10.15.09, 20:07 / Israel News

The Brazilian Ministry of Justice has signed an agreement securing the extradition of 'Rabbi' Elior Chen to Israel, Ynet learned Thursday. He is scheduled to arrive in just over two weeks.

A law enforcement official involved in the case told Ynet, "If nothing unexpected happens Chen is expected to land in Israel in the next 2-3 weeks." He said an Israeli team would go to Brazil to pick Chen up.

Chen has been trying to evade his extradition for two weeks, and filed various appeals to Brazilian courts to this effect. The State Prosecutor's Office's international department fought against these appeals, eventually securing the extradition.

In July Brazilian authorities announced Chen's appeal for refugee status had been denied, thus bolstering a Supreme Court order to extradite the faux rabbi.

Chen is wanted in Israel for his involvement in a sadistic cult thought to have committed numerous counts of child abuse. He fled Israel when an investigation was launched against him and was detained in Sao Paolo two months later.

NORAD said...

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/AheadoftheCurve/richard-heenes-business-partner-kids-put-danger/story?id=8839052

Richard Heene, the father of a missing 6-year-old who was found hiding at his Colorado home today after authorities thought he ascended in an untethered balloon, often put his children in danger, a former business partner said.

Richard Belzer said...

http://www.examiner.com/x-11279-Howard-Stern-Examiner~y2009m10d13-Richard-Belzer-visits-The-Howard-Stern-Show

Actor-comedian Richard Belzer was in-studio at The Howard Stern Show Tuesday morning.

Richard Belzer had less diplomatic words for Academy Award winning director Roman Polanski. Belzer stated that despite Polanski's talent as an artist, there is no excuse for his drugging and raping of an adolescent girl and proceeded to describe Polanski with a series of expletives. Howard Stern then prodded Belzer to speak about his own history of sexual abuse at the hands of his rabbi, which prompted an extensive discussion on cast members' personal experiences as victims of child molestation.

Richard Belzer's novel "I Am Not a Psychic!" is available in major bookstores and through Amazon.com.

Margo and Tropper will fit right in to this gallery said...

http://thechive.com/2009/05/worlds-funniest-mug-shots-part-ii-28-photos/

World’s funniest mug shots Part II (28 Photos)

Malach HaMovies said...

The district attorney should be careful not to be seen as making a power grab from rabbinic authority,” Mr. Zwiebel said.

Hey Duvidel,

In the past 5 years,the rabbinic authorities has been losing their authority to the blogs and to the individual !!

Wake up and smell the coffee !!

Pinny Lipschutz, you Meshugenna! said...

http://www.thejc.com/news/world-news/21040/trial-kosher-meat-plant-owner-opens

Rabbi Pinchas Lipschitz, editor and publisher of the largest Charedi weekly newspaper in the United States, Yated Neeman, said Mr Rubashkin had been scapegoated.

“I expect him to be vindicated,” he said.

Wall Street Journal said...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125552995951084931.html

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Williams said in court that Mr. Rubashkin "repeatedly lied" to his lender about his company's financial health and "reassured the bank that Agriprocessors was in full compliance with the law."

At the same time, the prosecutor alleged, Mr. Rubashkin was violating federal laws, including harboring undocumented workers and ripping off cattle suppliers.

In his opening argument, Mr. Cook told the 12-member jury that "the story you heard [from the government] is not fully accurate." They "used charged words...for a purpose: to shock and awe you, to divert you from the truth," Mr. Cook said

Mr. Rubashkin, wearing the traditional long beard and black trousers of the Hasidic, sat stoically through about 90 minutes of arguments. His wife and nearly 20 other family members and supporters -- some of whom had traveled 22 hours by bus from Brooklyn, N.Y. -- crammed into the seats behind him. "The big hats will need to come off," a court guard told the group several times in reference to their Hasidic attire.

The trial is expected to last four to six weeks. Mr. Rubashkin is then expected to be tried on an additional 72 charges involving his alleged hiring of illegal immigrants.

Write to Lauren Etter at lauren.etter@wsj.com

Monsey said...

http://www.lohud.com/article/20091012/NEWS03/910120342/-1/SPORTS/Preserve-Ramapo-rips-Rockland-D.A.-over-inaction

A Ramapo grass-roots political party has filed a complaint with the state Attorney General's Office accusing the Rockland District Attorney's Office of failing to investigate nearly 4-year-old accusations of election law violations in New Square.

Preserve Ramapo member Michael Castelluccio said he wants an independent investigation to determine why Zugibe's office didn't investigate and if the office is indebted to New Square and its voting bloc.

Vicki said...

CALL TO ACTION: Call Rabbi Moshe Kletenik, and asking him what training rabbis have in investigating sex crimes?


Over the last 10 years The Awareness Center has been exposing how horribly mishandled cases involving sex crimes have been handled by our rabbis. We do not know of one rabbi who has forensic training in conducting a criminal investigation, nor in conducting victim sensitive interviews. We have seen over and over again when an offense occurs and the offender is someone held in high regard, or is a relative of someone who is respected the case is quickly swept under the rug and the victim is blamed for making accusations.


Rabbi Moshe Kletenik
http://www.rabbis.org/news/article.cfm?id=105446


Bikur Cholim Machzikay Hadath
5145 South Morgan St.
Seattle, WA 98118
Tel: (206) 721-0970
Fax: (206) 723-0697
RabbiMYK@bcmhseattle.org

MAJOR NEWS! said...

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2009/10/advice-appeal-for-r-tropper-and-his.html

Roni / Tropper was banned today from posting again ever again on Rabbi Eidensohn's blog!

After Rabbi Eidensohn had warned Roni / Tropper repeatedly to stop the ad hominem attacks against the readers and himself, Roni / Tropper ignored said warnings and ran out of chances.

Someone named "Eternal Jewish Fraud Watch" posted something very lomdish that was what set off Roni / Tropper, who in a fit of paranoid rage, accused Rabbi Eidensohn of being behind the post.

I suspect the poster was none other than "Archie Bunker" since he once used the same talking points to argue with a left wing rabbi who supports Shmarya. Archie is also an expert in knowing how to yank someone's chain like he long did to Shmarya and his groupies and said exactly the right things, including the choice of screen name, to lure Roni / Tropper into having an angry meltdown.

RCA insider said...

Rabbi Mark Dratch, who heads the RCA committee on dealing with abuse cases, has gone public to distance the RCA and it's poskim from RCA President Rabbi Kletenik's statement.

It is incredible and unprecedented that the current RCA president would speak in contradiction of his own organization's policy.

Anonymous said...

The district attorney should be careful not to be seen as making a power grab from rabbinic authority,” Mr. Zwiebel said.

Hey Duvid, Where were you during science Class when Rabbi Hisiger taught about 'Nature abhoring a vacuum'? Probably busy shooting one of your soaking wet spitballs I bet!

Seattle coffee addict said...

http://www.icrimewatch.net/offenderdetails.php?OfndrID=824546&AgencyID=54473

I hope Kletenik isn't covering for all the molesters with Jewish sounding names registered with the King's County Washington Sheriff's Office.

Charles Kirshman said...

http://www.icrimewatch.net/offenderdetails.php?OfndrID=824792&AgencyID=54473

You mean like child rapists that don't live very far from Kletenik?

Kenneth Kokko said...

http://www.icrimewatch.net/offenderdetails.php?OfndrID=821861&AgencyID=54473

I'm trying to find out if I'm related to a guy named Yudi.

RCA Bais Din said...

Kletenik has P-L-E-N-T-Y of reasons to keep molestation covered up.....

Chicago Askanim said...

Rabbi Gedalyah Schwartz, Av Bais Din of the RCA and CRC has repudiated Mr. Moshe Kletenik's shameful remarks. He reminds all parents to take the prudent steps neccesary to protect their child. No Bais Din can remove danger and offer protection for a victim.

Shea Fishman's Weather Update said...

Hey Kletenik,

My radar map indicates severe storms coming in from.

How did you fall for this trick????

The climate is takkeh changing!!

Tropper is Troubled said...

Guma Aguiar's war of sport and musical nerves drives Tropper nuts.

Oh, Tropper must eat himself up alive when he sees his fallen disciple and original EJF cofounder and cofunder get all the attention now and spread his wealth on other things, not just Tropper's grab bag of rabbis, many who did not get from Tropper what Guma wanted him to send to them.

(Observation: the Tropper is Troubled series of articles have been well-researched in advance. Each segment and article is new. No article is ever reposted. While there is an overlap that is unavoidable due to the subject matter's, i.e. Tropper and his EJF scheme, long extending tentacles that have penetrated into all segments of current haredi Judaism because of Tropper's cynical use of the Kaplan family's hard cash to further his own goals under the guise of futhering his EJF outreach to the gentiles missionary aims.)

The situation presently is one for the classics. No not classical music, but Tropper and Guma Aguiar are really going toe to toe with everything. Wild accusations, alleged physical threats, legal cases, lawyers, articles in the media, PR wars, and now even latest, rival concerts on chol Hamo'ed. Proof that they are keeping a close watch on each other like two growling and glaring panthers on steroids waiting to rip out each other's throats.

Guma Aguiar is one cool dude. It's obvious he feels comfortable in his skin and no wonder Tropper couldn't break this tough nut and turn him into a Tropper BT zombie fit for Tropper's version of Scientology.

Guma Aguiar has over the past few months appeared in a number of videos promoting his sports interests, like soccer when he buys and Israel team, and not just that, the latest is that he causes a riot at the opening of his team's opening game with the video starting with his now trademark shtik of blowing the shofar, and this has to be seen to be beleieved, with the musical theme song he's obviously chosen and with sounds and scenes from his recent lag ba'omer video woven it, he goes onto the field to dance and hip hop with the players, kids and...dancing girls/cheer leaders dressed belly dancer style, gulp, see it for yourself: Beitar Jerusalem 2009 Opening Season Ceremony.

In any case how different is this than all those MOs who have mixed dancing parties at their simchas just that Guma can afford to do it on a soccer field since he has the money to throw at it.

Oh, and who's the girl in the wide snow white dress Guma dances around with, is it his wife, who knows? the guy's on a roll, and it's up in the air what will be with him as his obvious personal onfurling takes place. And to think that this was the guy who helped Tropper found EJF and paid all those millions to hire rabbis to come for free to hotels for conferences to promote "universal standards" in conversion.

How come Tropper never told all the rabbis who Guma was when he was at EJF?

It was Tropper's responsbility then, not Guma's, to let the rabbis know.

Well now the world is getting to know Guma and Tropper should be shamefaced for using such a guy and now turning around and trying to say he never met him. Typical.

Guma Aguiar loves tennis too and also had a cool video about that Guma Aguiar on Sports and Politics in Jerusalem.

This is just sports, and fun, and then there was Guma's well-publicized concert this past chol hamoed Sukkot.

Tropper is Troubled said...

Tropper failed to retain Guma Aguiar as a disciplke and is now paying the price, on all fronts.

The rivalry between Tropper and Guma Aguiar for PR prominence is going viral, it's wild.

Tropper is a sworn believer in the Mad Men type power of Madsion Avenue PR to influence and sell the world on any ideas or products.

Tropper had a simple order for his PR meisters, "push me when you push EJF" so that Tropper-EJF are the same.

Only in obscure North Korea or Cuba are there still political personality cults, but celebrities are made by the dozen by well-greased and well-paid PR machines. Oh yes, the Moonies still have it too while Scientology and TM promote a dead guru, much like the Chabad people unfortunately now do to. So good PR pays off for a "dear leader" even after he dies he can be worshipped and adored by the next set of zombies, suckers and junkies.

So now along comes an upstart like Guma Aguiar who sat at the feet of a PR maestro like Tropper and they have a falling out. This happens in "peace loving groups" all the time. Trotsky fell out with Stalin. Martin Luther fell out with the Popes as did Henry VIII of England. Even the original American 13 Colonies fell out with George III of Great Britain to declare their Independence in 1776. So the break between Guma and Tropper is along those hefty fault lines.

Few rabbis dare to have fallings out with their Billionaire supporters but Tropper managed to do just that even though he was supposedly a vaunted seasoned outreach rabbi who should have known all the magic tricks and formulas of how to reel in people like Guma Aguiar and his wife Jamie even though they may have had lower religious standards than Tropper, which students dont?, Tropper should have found a way to keep Guma and Jamie happy, and he failed, miserably.

Now he is paying the price. But that is what happens when two monstrous and huge egos clash, there is a big public schism and a falling out and often a bloody fight as all the anger and resentments spill out into the open as is happening with Guma and Tropper in front of everyone's eyes, posted and recorded on YouTube by each side now.

Tropper is Troubled said...

Tropper shukels in Monsey while Guma Aguiar cooks up a musical storm in Israel.

It finally happened. Three short clips were posted on YouTube featuring Tropper, not talking, but swaying to and frow at a concert he hosted at his kol yaakov yeshiva this past chol haamoed Sukkot.

It's just too implausible to think that this was done without Tropper's input and ok. But why now? The answer has to be that Tropper is desperate for any positive PR exposure he can get. There are no known videos of Tropper talking posted online. Smart. He shouts and sweats and his eyes roll as he screams and bellows at his audiences. He is NOT telegenic at all. Yeah, they can publish his mug shots, but he looks menacing in them, like he is about to lunge at someone's throat and suck out their blood. There are a few shots of him on a dais with rows of rabbis at EJF conventions so he gets lost in the crowd, but to look at him alone is just plain scary.

Not so Guma Aguiar. He has a husky sexy voice. He knows how to tease and laugh with his interviewers and obviously the guy is sharp as a whip. He is unihibited and an exhibitionist and is totally nutty when he blows that shofar at events recorded in videos, but he's a guy's guy and he looks like a handsome movie actor, and he's a family man with a pretty wife and nice kids, and the guy is only in his early 30s.

Guma sponsored a huge concert in Israel for chol hamoed bringing out some famous singers on 10/05/09: Israel National Radio Simulcasts Jewish Rock Music Festival..The RockAmi Festival, featuring some of the Jewish world's most well known bands will be available not only to those in Jerusalem but to anyone with internet access..The concert is sponsored by Guma Aguiar, and will be broadcast live by Israel National Radio".

Not to be outdone, Tropper had his own "concert" in Monsey, that looked like he had hired a crowd to come into his place.

Tropper is Troubled said...

Tropper and Guma's dangerous dance as they go toe to toe.

Tropper is not a man who will let his nominal principles get in his way. Take the Internet and blogging for example. All of Tropper's big Haredi rabbis say that it is forbidden to be involved with blogs or the Internet. The heck with that as far as Tropper is concerned. He has used the Internet relentlessly to push his EJF "outreach" to gentiles drives. If blogs have been tough on him, he is not one to scamper off. He creates his own attack blog not on Blogger but controlled by himself to push his words as if he were spouting Torah from Har Sinai.

Now come videos and YouTube. well it happened to be that his nemesis Guma Aguiar decided to sponsor a live webcast of a chol hamoed concert in Israel, and dnace on a soccer filed with belly dancer clad gorgeous cheerleaders. This has made him beloved to the secular Israeli masses something that Tropper can only dream and fantasize of doing in a very deep coma.

While Tropper is not ready to have his real self posted on YouTube yet, all of a sudden there appear on YouTube three short videos that are obviously pro-Tropper PR pieces from their descriptions. The videos create the impression that Tropper somehow has a large "following" in Monsey, which he does not, he is more of a pariah there. However, when one offers a free concert with some nosh and drinks to all the bored bochurim who are home for bein hazmanim and stuck in far-off slow Monsey, where there is not entertainment for them, like the Brooklyn folks get to have with concerts all the time, mind you poor LIPA is still under the gun. A different subject.

Tropper is Troubled said...

Tropper's musical tastes versus Guma Aguiar's as music is taken hostage by the vendetta between them.

Tropper is a known fan and admirer of the late Shlomo Carlebach so he brings a Carlebach lookalike and soundalike and band to come and sing for him and make sport and bring the starved for concerts poor Monsey bochurim home from all over who have nothing to do with Tropper's place for a round of free music and nosh:

Yehuda Green Simchos Bais Hashoeva in monsey 2009 (1) blurb says: "Yehuda Green in monsey for a simchos bais hashoeva arranged by Rabbi Tropper of Yeshivas Kol Yaakov"; Yehuda Green in monsey for a simchos bais hashoeva (2) "Yehuda Green in monsey for a simchos bais hashoeva 5770-2009 arranged by Rabbi Tropper of Yeshivas Kol Yakkov"; Yehuda Green in monsey for a simchos bais hashoeva 5770-2009 (3) "Yehuda Green in monsey for a simchos bais hashoeva arranged by Rabbi Tropper of Yeshivas Kol Yaakov".

So what's this all about? It's an obvious desperate attempt to polish up on Tropper's very cracked PR image from all the body blows Guma Aguiar has handed him and in reply to Guma's own concerts and incresingly public showmanship. These guys just cannot let go of each other as they wrestle their way through all the levels, YouTube included.

Here's a PR pitch for Guma's concert on YouTube: Yosi Piamenta & Gershon Veroba Jammin' in Israel "Supporting American Football in Israel (AFI) Sponsored by Guma Aguiar, Town6, AFI, Kraft, Janglo, RustyMike Radio"; Yosi Piamenta, Gershon Veroba & "RockAmi" Jerusalem "Supporting American Football in Israel (AFI) Sponsored by Guma Aguiar, Town6, AFI, Kraft, Janglo, RustyMike Radio Early bird discount"; and then the great show stopper that went beyond Guma's concert, his opening night on the soccer field with the girls as belly dancer robed cheerleaders: Beitar Jerusalem 2009 Opening Season Ceremony "Israeli Channel 1 broadcast of Opening game ceremony for the 2009-2010 season. Featuring Guma Aguiar, the new owner of Beitar Jerusalem" and you can be sure that Tropper's anti-Guma machine will have a field day when they get their eyes on this.

But hey, Guma does not claim to be a haredi Jew, like any old MO he seems to enjoy partying with members of the opposite sex. No one is perfect especially naive newly minted BT Billionaires trying to air out from years under the oppressive Tropper regime.

The plot thickens.

Reuven Tradburks said...

The AJOP Follies interviews Reuven Tradburks:

Howdy. I'm a super cool guy, serious but cool, who said being serious meant you couldn't be cool. Really I had no power when I was on the rabbinical council of AJOP, but I had my uses to the leadership and I understood them well. Just like a hooker understands what she has to do with her pimp standing nearby, I knew what I had to do and I did it until I left AJOP for good to greener pastures in Toronto as a rabbi.

Now my roots are kinda interesting. I didn't come from such a religious family. That's a plus in outreach to secular Jews that many very haredi from birth rabbis don't get. I went to NIRC for a couple of years and then on to Yeshiva University. I was the kind of guy who bridged the two worlds of Modern Orthodoxy and the nerds of NIRC who are sorta haredi in their own way.

Now here's what I used to do as if I was being paid the highest fee for my services, which I wasn't unlike some of the other folks at AJOP's office, but my self-appointed job was to make sure that when any possible scandal or misdoing was revealed at AJOP, my self-appointed job was to immediately do damage control and spin away to cover up and make believe that nothing wrong had happened. Some recently religious like me tend to do that when they don't want to admit that the "perfect" system of Yiddishkeit they thought they had joined turns out to have as many faults or even worse of secular life.

When Hershel Leiner was discovered to be very much less than honest, I made up BS stories to cover that up, I even wrote it in AJOP newsltters that all was well when it was not. Lies helped me to help AJOP.

I made sure that Yakov Weinberg was protected. I was a young rabbi in need of another job and having malleable and naive people like me around made perfect sense regardles if a multi-million organization like AJOP was being run into the ground and mismanaged in front of my eyes, I always knew which side of my bread the butter was on and who I had to answer to, Yakov Weinberg and not to God.

A day in the life of young punk rabbi like me. Hoped you liked this story.

Kasriel Kastel said...

The AJOP Follies caught up with Rabbi Kasriel Kastel of Chabad Lubavitch:

I agreed to joing AJOP's original board of rabbis and I attended all their meetings. In the beginning when Gerry Weisberg recruited me he did not need money from me or anyone. He had millions to work from Sanford Bernstein's new AVI CHAI Foundation 22 years ago.

Gerry wanted to have a broad range of rabbis as symbols of Jewish unity and I was happy to oblige.

I used to trek out from Crown Heights to all the useless AJOP board meetings and to its conventions and sat through the boring lectures. After all in Chabad we had invented kiruv long ago so we looked with amusement at AJOP. But I agreed to join and my presence at AJOP was positively symbolic of shalom in Klal Yisroel.

Of course the NIRC guys hated me, like all Litvish yeshiva guys are brainwashed to hate Lubavitch and Lubavitchers, but that was their problem not mine. I had agreed to come to Gerry Weisberg's AJOP show and who knows I may have picked up a tip or two along the way but that was not important.

A few years later AJOP went through a midlife crisis. They finally decided to dump Gerry Weisberg and bring in this guy who turned out to be a parasite Hershel Leiner. They started to beg everyone for money. They did not need symbols like me anymore, they needeed cash cows. In Chabad we take cash we don't hand it out to our enemies. But I was still not involved in that.

Then when they had to get rid of Hershel Leiner, they got really desperate. There was talk of shutting down AJOP, by golly enough people had screwed it threw the heart and everywhere. But they couldn't. It would make them seem like ingrates and worse in the eyes of philanthropies like AVI CHAI.

So, geniuses that the NIRC bozos are, they really do think that they are so "smart," when they are just shotim, they brought in a real rat Shmuel Stauber and as it turns out he was a close buddy of Shlomo Porter who had become president after they got rid of that bumbler Shiya Milikowsky, and Stauber was a friend of that Yakov Weinberg.

Well guess what happened, after they joined the folks at the Young Israel, they held a convention and by that time I was one of many different rabbis on the AJOP board, but Yakov Weinberg using Shmuel Stauber and Shlomo Porter, and with my supposed friend Ephraim Buchwald taking the floor, a short fake voice vote was held to dissolve the rabbis board of AJOP and I found myself shamed in public to go from being the representative of Chabad to AJOP to being just another rabbi screwed by AJOP who was tossed out with a whole bunch of other guys, who weren't even Lubavitch, just nice guys with their hearts in kiruv work, thrown out simply because the NIRC bozos screwed up big time and AVI CHAI told them they weren't going to get another cent, and so they neede to fake a clean sweep and show that they had gotten rid of the old dead wood.

After that AJOP moved to Baltimore and became pretty much a dead wood organization of its own tucked into to basement in Porter's Eitz Chaim Center like a stuffed dead trophy. Porter really couldn't care, he doesn't need AJOP, he has plenty of support in Baltimore tied as he is to the NIRC world headquarters in yeshiva lane.

No great loss, I have lots to do at Chabad world headquarters in Crown Heights and we have enough of our own problems since the Rebbe died on us, but unlike AJOP we have flourished, we know how, while AJOP is just a nice little nothing that people barely know about. But AJOP and Rav Yakov Weinberg and Ephraim Buchwald should not have treated me and the other rabbis in that disgraceful and shameful manner. Sol zein a kappora, and may we merit the geula sheleimah with the arrival of Moshiach now.

Yakov Haber said...

The AJOP Follies is honored to report this from Rabbi Yakov Haber:

Pardon me, I am not used to bragging by nature. There was a good reason that I was recruited by Gerry Weisberg to be one of his first rabbis on his rabbinical team of advisors. I have no connection with NIRC or YU. I was a talmid of Rav Sheinberg, I know, I know, but please, I am a genuinely decent guy and talmid chochem who does not brag as anyone who knows me can attest. I do not have a mean bone in my body. I am liked by all.

Now, I was a pioneer in kiruv work over the Internet. When I was an out of town rabbi over 25 years ago I started to joing discussion groups on wkat was later to become known as the real INTERNET. I was famous for my ability to teach and reach people by this new medium and I am an expert in this.

When I went to work at the OU, I was hired by that controversial fellow Raphael Butler who had to quit over the Lanner scandal, I was also pushed out of the OU in the wake of that, I was not involved in anything. Honest.

My mission was to help the OU enhance it's Torah web teaching and go further. I had to leave the OU eventually and take up a position in Israel.

Now back to AJOP. I was trusted by everyone because I do have genuine chochma and practical good sense. When I left my post in America and got a job in Australia I still kept up with AJOP. Even from there I knew AJOP was something big.

But then I got shocking new, I heard that the NIRC mafia at AJOP was planning on getting rid of Gerry Weisberg and replace him with a more yeshivishe person which I correctly saw as the worst mistake that they were about to make.

There are sayings in English like you don't change horses in mid-stream, and you do not get rid of the captain of a ship while you are still sailing on it, and a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

But the NIRC guys under Yakov Weinberg think that because they have maybe learned shas they are now "supersmart" as Jackie Mason would say, would you let a super smart rabbi do brain surgery on you or fix your car if it broke down or manage your finances?, so why did they think they could run and grow a new organization that someone else had started with a BT Billionaire's money?

You do not fire a guy like Gerry Weisberg, who is successful at what he did by building AJOP from ground up, and dump him like a piece of trash. It is going to have consequences and repurcussions.

I paid for my own ticket to come all the way from Australia to the USA to plead and beg and cajole my fellow rabbis, like Ephy Buchwald, Shlomo Porter, Raphael Butler and the others, NOT to fire Gerry Weisberg, but to no avail, it seems the higher ups, in this case Yakov Weinberg hated Gerry and could not see his value any more and so they all wanted him out, out, out.

You would think that they would have brought in some good talent instead. Nope. They appointed Shiya Milikowsky as the second president of AJOP, something akin to appointing Bozo the Clown as a succesor to P.T. Barnum, and then they put their faith in a total unknown named Hershel Leiner, where they dug up this guy I don't know, but the rest is sad history.

It all came true as I warned them, that the reckless and un-called for firing of Gerry Weisbreg created a snowball effect that eventaully resulted in the near total demise of a once wonderful and great idea that AJOP was supposed to become before the NIRC nuts dug their stupid claws into it.

Now I have rejoined AJOP's rabbis, but honestly, they listen to me less than they used then. It's a nice gesture on their part to still have me around. The only other guys from the olden days left are Ilan Feldman and Shlomo Porter two useless NIRCs.

Tropper is Troubled said...

Tropper tries to shuffle while Guma catches up with Obama's hip swinging.

It seems that the secret to becoming a true leader in America/world today is how much you can project to the world your ability to hip-hop and swing along.

We should have known that Al Gore was going to have trouble capturing the presidency, Bush outsmarted him with better lawyers in the end, when Gore gave a non-rendition of the Marcarena.

Now there is no doubt that one of reasons Barack Hussein Obama beat the stiff MaCain is because Obama was automatically a winner already when he proved on the Ellen show that he could swivel his hips and dance like an Elvis the Pelvis.

Since then Obama has been hip-hoppin' and dancin' all over the world, such as in a jig in Ghana or to Snoop Dogg's beat, and more, and let's not forget how effective Obama Girl was in in dancing for Obama's cause.

So now it is NO wonder that the PR Mad Men savvy Tropper and Guma Aguiar have put on their dancin' shoes in their latest face off.

While Guma Aguiar dances on to the soccer field with all the dancin' girls on his teams' opening night recently, while Tropper tries dancing in place, a drop better than Al Gore's non-Marcarena rendition.

And why not, the biggest names that rule the world are the singer-dancers promoted Mad Men style who make hundreds of millions and who are adored and worshiped by the masses especially the youth who spend billions on means to listen to all the crap.

Anyhow, all this is not news to the Chasidishe Rebbes at all, in fact the bigger Rebbes have known about the power of what dancing can do and they use it to the hilt, especially at Mitzva tantzen when they get to break the rules themselves and dance either near or even with a female, the kallah herself.

As examples of the power of dancing as an expression of alpha male status just take a look at these videos of Aron of Satmar mitzva tantzing and here's the Rebbe dancing with his daughter tightly grasping her hands as she comes along for the ride.

Who says Chasidm don't do mixed dancing?, wow, now that's what I call DANCIN'!

And take a look at another example of of the current Ben Tzion of Bobov doing his mitzva tantz, dynamite stuff.

So sure guys, Guma is for sure on to something and Tropper is playing catch up at in this struggle between the shuflin' n' dancin' baalei machlokes.

Concerned Chicago Parent said...

Rabbi Moshe Kletenik,

With all due respect, how will it help to go to a rabbi to decide on criminal activity?

What kind of answer do you think a parent wil get, if one of the dayanim is covering for a close relative who is a molester?

Our dayanim are too subjective in these matters. There are skeletons in most of their closets. They have blood on their hands, and are therefore easily manipulated with threats of having their own closets opened. Your suggestion is wrong for victims, wrong for parents trying to protect their children, and wrong for the dayanim.

For example, despite having a "Special Bais Din" in Chicago, in a highly controversial ruling about a local rav who molested at the Touhy mikvah, the "Special Bais Din" ruled although the story is true they chose to do nothing to the rav out of fear of destroying his family life and career. So, instead of protecting society, the Bais Din protected one of their own. In this situation the molester benefitted, the victim lost, and the CONCEPTS of Bais Din and Din Torah have been completely uprooted.

You made a very serious error in judgement. It is advisable for all parties involved to retract your statement, and resign.

Sincerely,

Competition for Maimonides Hospital said...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/us/16radiation.html?hpw

A week ago, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles disclosed that it had mistakenly administered up to eight times the normal radiation dose to 206 possible stroke victims over an 18-month period during a procedure intended to get clearer images of the brain. State and federal health officials are investigating

UOJ suspected a hoax all along said...

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/interview-sets-off-skeptics-of-balloon-drama/?hp

Interview Sets Off Skeptics of Balloon Drama

Rav Eidensohn exposes Bahayma Tropper! said...

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2009/10/r-tropperroni-farewell-slurs.html

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2009

R' Tropper/Roni's farewell slurs

What follows is Roni's reaction to being banned. He shows his characteristic "careful reasoning and moderation of expression" that expresses very well the reason he is banned. Unfortunately Roni/R' Tropper think that this abusive language and bullying is the way to deal with those who disagree with their position. It also indicates a paranoid psychopathology which should be worrisome to those rabbis and rosh yeshiva who think they can form an alliance with EJF for their personal benefits - and yet avoid getting burned.

Roni wrote:
eidensohn,

publish or not, you are the same old rosho merusho,
YOU SUPPORT NISSUEY TAAROVOT! YOU SUPPORT GUMA... IN YOUR
COMMENTS UNDER DIFFERENT NAMES ....YOU SUPPORT THE SHEGETZ PEREH ODOM ...YOU
ARE SHEGETZ ...DO NOT LIE AND SAY YOU ARE A "MODERATE"; YOU ARE NOT...YOU ARE
A TROPPER HATER AND JAMIE AGUIAR LOVER...PUBLISH IT OR NOT...I COULD NOT CARE
LESS YOU ARE A SHEGETZ ....STOP PRETENDING THAT YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT
"PROSETYIZNG" WHOSE ONLY CONCERN IS THAT IT MIGHT RESULT IN
INTERMARRIAGE...HERE YOU ARE SUPPORTING INTERMARRIAGE PUBLICLY OF ...

4 comments:

Recipients and Publicity said...
Th response is nuts. It sounds even more rabid than poster Roni/Tropper usually does.

Rabbi Tropper is the one who took money from her husband for years even while she was not converted.

The sad joke is that Rabbi Tropper is alleged to have taken money, the notorious $36,000 pear rabbis that Guma (Tom Kaplan's nephew) wanted him to give to EACH of 36 famous rabbis upon the BIRTH OF GUMA'S DAUGHTER and Rabbi Tropper agreed and did it, at least some of it.

Since when is it right to give money to the Haredi world's top sages in honor of the birth of a child still needing conversion whose mother is still a gentile herself (she had not converted yet avccording to anyone at that point, yet Rabbi Tropper was on good terms with her husband)? But Rabbi Tropper did it!

Rabbi Tropper saw no problem with taking Guma's money in honor of her birth and using it to as gifts to 36 top Haredi rabbonim rabbis.

Talk of esnan money.

No wonder that very money has ensnared Rabbi Tropper as it is now the sword that Guma uses to beat Rabbi Tropper down.

Rabbi Tropper created his own kitrug (the money he took on a wrong standard) and mekatreg (the nephew himself who was built up by none other than Rabbi Tropper) and now he is mad at the world that it becomes open for all to see.


Talk of Chutzpa, poster Roni/Tropper has it in huge amounts.

Poster Roni/Tropper is a lot of fun actually, he should be allowed to stay, and the world can see for themselves how nuts EJF's chief poster on this blog really is.

R' Reuven Feinstein rushing to dump Tropper liability? said...

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2009/10/r-tropperroni-farewell-slurs.html?showComment=1255696115035#c822686363719051284

I mentioned in another post about Rav Reuven Feinstien not fully supporting the EJF, now I have received a recording were Rev Reuven says clearly that he dosent support the confrences of the EJF in attracting intermarried couples, or any such work to attract them to come judiasim!!

LVF said...

y the hell is it taking so long to extradite the worst of the worst child rapist avremel mondrowitz to the U.S.? does anyone have some info as to what is stalling the process, is it someone from here, or prehaps the gerer health ministry y litzman.

Anonymous said...

Here is a court decision to overturn the corruption of the Livingstone Street Bais Din called tzedek u'mishpot.

http://jonathanturley.org/2009/03/29/bias-in-the-beth-din-state-court-vacates-judgment-of-religious-court-due-to-bias/

http://www.courts.state.ny.us/reporter/3dseries/2009/2009_50504.htm

I do hope you publish this scandalous behavior of a bais din hearing a case when one of the employees of one of the litigants husband works for the so called bais din and this information is NOT disclosed.

Rabbi Gestetner has actually written to the judge mentioning the judge that according to numerous halachic sources these "rabbinic judges and thugs" should be in NIDUI AL PI HALOCHAH.

I hope you have the guts to make this into a full blown post.

Vicki said...

Nashville-Murfreesboro teacher worked after sex-abuse complaint

Sex abuse claim was raised in '05

By Kate Howard / Gannett Tennessee • October 14, 2009


Four years before Louis Jay Levine was indicted on charges of producing child pornography, someone complained to the state that Levine had sexually abused him years earlier.

At the time of the complaint, Levine was working as a substitute teacher at Metro Nashville Public Schools and also taught nature-related programs at the Jewish Community Center. A then 42-year-old man told the Tennessee Department of Children's Services that when he was a teenager Levine sexually abused him. He reported the alleged abuse in 2005 in hopes of preventing Levine from working with children any longer.

Though the DCS complaint was made four years ago, it wasn't until April of this year that Levine, 52, was arrested by federal agents on charges of producing child pornography with an extensive hidden camera system in his home. He also has been charged in state court with multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and sexual battery by an authority figure. Reports filed this week in Davidson County Criminal Court document the extent of accusations against Levine by more than a dozen people — young people who spent time at Levine's Alton Road home recently, and adults who frequented the house when they were teenagers decades ago.

Rob Johnson, spokesman at DCS, said he can't speak specifically about the 2005 complaint made about Levine, but the agency is not able to launch a search for possible victims based on something that may have happened years ago.

"We, as a government agency, are required to weigh the rights of individuals who may be targeted for an investigation against the rights of children to be protected from any abuse," Johnson said. "We would always err on the side of child protection, but we would need specific enough information to know whom we are protecting, and from what."

The complaint to DCS notes that the allegations were referred to internal affairs.

No information was filed with the court about the outcome of any DCS investigation.

A police investigation began in late March, when a concerned parent told a Metro detective that her teenage son and other teenagers were given alcohol and marijuana at Levine's house and allowed to use the bedrooms for sex.

Investigators allege that the teenagers were taped having sex and hundreds of home videos were found at the house.

Concern raised

Just before the federal investigation began, a teacher voiced a concern about Levine at the Murfreesboro City Schools, where Levine began teaching full-time in 2008.

The human resources director, Lee Wilkerson, told investigators he had gotten an e-mail from another teacher saying Levine was paying a lot of attention to a certain student and took pictures of him, according to court documents.

No action was taken until the school district learned of the federal investigation.

School officials interviewed the elementary school student and he said he didn't feel like Levine was paying him any special attention, Wilkerson said.

Once the teacher made the complaint, Wilkerson said that Levine, who taught districtwide, never returned to that particular school.

He was arrested soon after on federal charges stemming from the investigation in Davidson County.

"As soon as we began to ask questions, that's when the (federal) investigation began," Wilkerson said.

Levine is also facing a civil lawsuit from a family that says he victimized three of its children. The family got permission from a judge to leave their names off the suit, filed last week in Davidson County Circuit Court.

The family is asking for $1 million in damages from Levine for each of the victims, alleging that his conduct in videotaping the children had intentionally caused emotional distress.

To-Do List said...

Just a frrriendly reminder from your trusted To-Do List:
***********************************

UOJ:

Mishpacha Magazine over Yom Kippur/Sukkos had an article outlining the recent cases of Bais Din rulings being overturned in court. They seem to be stunned that a court has the audacity to toss out a verdict when it was proven that 1] One dayan was a first cousin of the plaintiff, and 2] One dayan spoke out against the defendant.

They are trying to blaim all problematic Bais Din rulings (even when one dayan has direct financing from the plaintiff), on the inability for Jews to "fargin" and accept the truth of the Din Torah. In this (Parshas Beraishis) week's edition they plan on discussing how to deal with losing a Din Torah.

Can you prepare a posted response to this whitewashing of Bais Din corruption? No one is required to listen to sheker v'chazav from a "connected" Dayan.

4:32 PM, October 12, 2009

***********************************

UOJ:

It's time to pop all the hot air that is still up in any Bais Din's balloon. There is nothing a Bais Din can do for you. Unless you want heartbreak and grief, avoid it like the plague.

DON'T HOLD ANYTHING BACK!!!

Kolko's new hot spot after Lake Compounce? said...

October 16 2008

When a heterosexual Italian couple booked their cruise vacation, they were not notified that they would be setting sail with a crowd of 1,500 gay men on Italy's first gay cruise.

According to an October 16th report by the Daily Mail, the Italian couple arrived at port to find news crews surrounding the cruise vessel. At first, the couple thought someone famous was onboard—but they soon realized the media was in a frenzy to capture Italy's first all-homosexual cruise.

Even more surprising was the couple's embarrassment when they spotted acquaintances that they had not known were gay onboard the ship.

After witnessing three days of gay-centric parties and activities while the ship sailed from a port near Rome, Italy to Barcelona, Spain and back again, the couple is suing the cruise line for reimbursement of their fare: around $4,500.

The couple, who has not been named, denies that their actions are homophobic. Their lawyer, Antonio Francesconi, told the Daily Mail that the lawsuit "is not a question of discrimination but one of lost satisfaction because no-one had told them their holiday was at the same time as the gay cruise."

Francesconi also said that "[his] clients were also left embarrassed because among the passengers were people they knew and had no idea that were gay, which was uncomfortable for all parties."

Anonymous said...

By Molly Moorhead, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Oct 15, 2009

Sylvia Neeley, dressed in a black suit and high heels, turned herself in this morning to begin serving her prison sentence for killing a man a decade ago who she believed was molesting her mentally retarded daughter.

Neeley, 48, shot Arthur Danner on May 24, 1998, in his Land O'Lakes mobile home. She told authorities he had boasted about sexually abusing her daughter, then 12, and said he could do it again. Stoned on beer and painkillers, she went to her home next door, grabbed a gun, returned to Danner's trailer and unloaded into his chest.

Then she reloaded and fired at his groin.

Neeley had reported the suspected abuse three months earlier to authorities. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office and child welfare workers investigated, but they had not found enough evidence to charge Danner, 73, with anything.

Paul Mendlowitz said...

With all that has been demonstrated by the rabbonim themselves over the last few years, to any rational person it is obvious that if one is to use bais din at all, it should be as mediation not arbitration (in most cases, based upon prust and pashut common sense).

These scandalous ignorant self-aggrandizing idiots should be put out to pasture, shot up with Demarol, and put out of their misery (and ours) once and for all.

Nothing that I can say can add to their own downfall, than their own misconduct.

Neighbor of Shmarya? said...

Is there a club in Minnesota for alter bochurim with a pathological hatred of people?

http://news.aol.com/article/minn-man-suspected-of-encouraging/721208?cid=12

MINNEAPOLIS -A nurse who authorities say got his kicks by visiting Internet suicide chat rooms and encouraging depressed people to kill themselves is under investigation in at least two deaths and could face criminal charges that could test the limits of the First Amendment.

Investigators said William Melchert-Dinkel, 47, feigned compassion for those he chatted with, while offering step-by-step instructions on how to take their lives.

The Minnesota Board of Nursing, which revoked his license in June, said he encouraged numerous people to commit suicide and told at least one person that his job as a nurse made him an expert on the most effective way to do it.

PROTEST Dayanim at EJF conference said...

Concerned Jews who fear the consequences of a fanatical and unstable Tropper hegemony over all Orthodox conversions are called to protest the upcoming Fourth Eternal Jewish Family Dayanim Conference Scheduled for November 8-10 in New Jersey. See full ad below.

If you know any of the noted speakers in the ad below, contact them and make your strong opposition to Tropper and his EJF scheme known loud and clear. Do not allow Tropper's personal power's to spread. Once he has them he wield's them ruthlessly.

Some of the slated speakers, such as R REUVEN Feinstein have allegedly been paid at least three million dollars to help Tropper and EJF, they are not trustworthy!

Urge your local rabbi, rov, posek or dayan on any Bais Din NOT to attend and to make their own protets heard. By now many rabbis are sick and tires of Tropper's antics and his controversial EJF scheme. Do not submit to Tropper's dictates under any cirmstances!

Urge your rabbis and rabbonim to RETAIN THEIR INDEPENDENCE as any self-respecting person should. Do not submit to Tropper who is a notorious control freak!

It has now been revealed that Tropper cynically uses bribes (given as "grants") to his favored rabbis to attend his free EJF events, thus entirely corrupting the integrity of the Halachic process and forcing those accepting his bribes to adhere to his extreme views that have been criticized and condemned by rabbis from the right (Badatz of Eidah Chareidis) and the left (RCA).

If you are able to, please join a vigil and protest outside of the hotel Novemebr 8-10 at the Sheraton Meadowlands in Secaucus NJ.

Full text of Tropper's and EJF's ad:

"Fourth Eternal Jewish Family Dayanim Conference Scheduled for November 8-10 in New Jersey

Written by Admin on October 13, 2009 – 12:06 pm -

PREPARATIONS WENT into high gear for the fourth EJF Dayanim Conference, which is scheduled to take place November 8-10 at the Sheraton Meadowlands in Secaucus NJ. Some 40 dayanim and Roshei Yeshiva will gather to confront crucial halachic issues that arise involving universally accepted Jewish conversion standards in intermarriage.

Most of the dayanim are part of a growing network of independent batei din in North America that have adopted the Jewish Conversion standards of leading poskim, as is being promulgated by EJF International. The Batei Din function in cities such as Baltimore, Monsey, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Montreal, Miami, Lakewood, Dallas, Toronto, Houston, and Vancouver. Last year’s conference was addressed by such prominent Torah personalities as:

Harav Shmuel Kaminetsky, Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Philadelphia and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel

Harav Reuven Feinstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta of Staten Island and Chairman of the Halachic Committee of EJF

Harav Dovid Olewski, Rosh Yeshiva of the Gerer Mesivta (Brooklyn)

Harav Betzalel Tuvia Wettenstein (Belzer Dayan of Monsey)

Rabbi Eliyahu Levin (Lakewood)"

Mordechai Tendler said...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/us/16priest.html?em=&pagewanted=print

While the recent scandals involving the Roman Catholic Church have focused on the sexual abuse of children, experts say that incidences of priests who have violated sexual and emotional boundaries with adult women are far more common.

Clergy members of many faiths have crossed the line with women and had children out of wedlock. But the problem is particularly fraught for the Catholic Church, as Catholics in many countries are increasingly questioning the celibacy requirement for priests. Ms. Bond’s case offers a rare look at how the church goes to great lengths to silence these women, to avoid large settlements and to keep the priests in active ministry.

A landmark study in 1990 by the scholar A. W. Richard Sipe, a former Benedictine, found that 20 percent of Catholic priests were involved in continuing sexual relationships with women, and an additional 8 percent to 10 percent had occasional heterosexual relationships.

Troppenstein's monster said...

Tropper cleverly named the rabbonim who attended his junket a year ago - not anyone coming this year.

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2009/10/rav-reuven-feinstein-kiruv-and-mixed.html

This is probably because R' Reuven Feinstein has finally bailed on him.

Rav Eidensohn is in possession of a recording where R' Reuven backs away from outreach to gentiles and now says it is forbidden.

Troppenstein's monster said...

Rav Eidensohn reports on the latest unhinged antics of "Roni" Tropper:

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2009/10/roni-is-having-breakdown.html

Roni is having a breakdown

Despite my banning Roni, he is still compulsively sending me emails about how I am promoting intermarriage and phony conversons and am really a secret agent for all the people he has been condemning for the last year. He has even complained again to Rav Sternbuch about what an evil person I am.

Roni - I think it is best for your mental health to take a long vacation - maybe in your local mental hospital.

wishing you a refuah shleima

Richard Heene said...

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20091018/NEWS01/910180340/Father-s-drive-propels-Heenes--say-friends

The world has seen Richard Heene upset and defensive during the past three days.

Slusser worked with Heene for several years as a storm chaser and helped him with a documentary television show called "Psyience Detectives." She even appeared on "Wife Swap" when the Heene family was first featured on the prime-time television show.

The experience on "Wife Swap" was when Slusser said she experienced the worst of Heene's "explosiveness." She said Heene attacked her during the filming of the episode.

"He attacked me and shoved toilet paper down my throat," Slusser said. "The camera man had to pull him off me. I thought, 'This is too over the top.' At that moment, I felt like he was no longer acting."

Slusser said she and Scott Stevens, a Fort Collins man who was the third leg of the trio involved with the "Psyience Detectives" documentary show, quit working with Heene not because of his temper but because Heene always insisted on bringing his children along for storm-chasing expeditions.

Stevens did an interview with ABC News last week and said he could not ethically continue to work with Heene because he brought his sons on storm chasing expeditions.

The Larimer County Sheriff's Office, which on Saturday continued its investigation into Thursday's balloon fiasco, has been in contact with child protective services. Sheriff Jim Alderden said the child protective services investigation is pending while his office finishes its work.

"This is not a typical American family," Alderden said, adding that the Heenes' neighbors say the boys are curious, intelligent and "very energetic." He said the family is "somewhat unusual."

"It's obviously a different (parenting) style than Middle America is used to," Alderden said.

Shmarya groupie said...

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21249689/Hidabroot-Org-BNRImgDetail-ASP-Qs3czfsi

Maybe Tropper isn't so bad after all!

In an encouraging sign, his ad for EJF in Israel shows a white Jewish man sitting in a romantic pose with a an African-American looking woman. This is the best thing that could ever happen to Orthodoxy!

UOJ gets results said...

Deputies searched the home of the boy's parents Saturday night, carrying away several boxes and a computer.

The parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, met with Larimer County investigators for much of Saturday afternoon amid lingering questions about whether he perpetrated a publicity stunt when his 6-year-old son Falcon vanished into the rafters of his garage while the world thought he was zooming through the sky in a flying saucer-like helium balloon.

Smoking Gun on Bahayma Tropper! said...

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2009/10/rav-reuven-feinsteinkiruv-mixed-couples.html

The EJF scam can no longer claim backing by rabbis. There is nothing Bahayma Tropper can do to explain his way out of this no matter how many times he insists that rabbis show up at his 5 star hotel fresser weekend getaways.

Sir Vivor said...

Gerrer Rebbe expected to be in town (Brooklyn, NY) beginning October 25 or 26.

Shmarya groupie said...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/nyregion/19rudy.html

It figures that these two Republicans Giuliani & Bloomberg would make RACIST comments against Blacks at a breakfast with Orthodox Jews of all people.

Avi L. Shafran said...

I think in my next syndicated piece I might compare UOJ to the Riddler villain in Batman.

I read in one of the psycho-babble books on my seforim shrank that constant references to popular culture captures the audience.

Archie Bunker said...

The good news with Rav Ruvain Feinstein is that the person who supplied Rav Eidensohn with the recording confirms on DaatTorah blog that Rav Ruvain had abandoned Tropper's EJF much before Tropper came under the two criminal investigations.

This casts Rav Ruvain in a better light and Tropper in a much worse light as this means Tropper has been LYING in not only Rav Moshe's name but also Rav Ruvain's name for quite a while now.

And of course, Tropper has been falsely claiming to have the support of umpteen gedolim when not one of them has written any letters to that effect.

What a sociopath. Tropper has even been pretending to current and potential clients on his own blog that he does not know the substance of the attacks on him by Rav Eidensohn while he wages counter-attacks against him online and tries to sully his name with complaints to the gedolei Eretz Yisroel.

Who was it that said the bigger they come the harder they fall? 500 pounds of boich are about to crash through the "ventana" of a loser yeshiva in Monsey called Kol Yaakov. That being another false association, this time with Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky zl.