Monday, November 02, 2009

Can Agudath Israel of America Weather The Storm?

Don't underestimate the discontent among many rabbis and Orthodox Jews with the Agudath Israel!

Defections, court fights test Scientology

AP Religion Writer Eric Gorski, Sunday - Nov 1, 2009

The Church of Scientology is going through a difficult season.

Over the course of two days last week, a French court convicted the church of fraud and Oscar-winning filmmaker Paul Haggis' resignation from the church over a litany of concerns was aired publicly. On one hand, it was just another bad press week for the embattled institution founded in 1953 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.

But for former Scientologists and scholars of the movement, the setbacks pose a greater challenge coming on the heels of defections of top-level Scientologists who lifted a veil of secrecy on the organization and alleged a culture of violence and control under Hubbard's successor, David Miscavige.

"With any organization, the loss of a substantial number of your most experienced people and chaos at the upper levels is problematic," said David Bromley, a Virginia Commonwealth University professor who studies new religious movements and has written on Scientology. "There are PR implications, the possibility of legal actions ... That dwarfs the other things."

The church has strenuously denied the allegations against Miscavige, portraying the accusers as lying disgruntled ex-employees.

Church spokesman Tommy Davis said Scientology is flourishing, with more than 8,000 Scientology churches, missions and groups in 160-plus nations. He said assets and property holdings have doubled over the past five years, including a new church in Rome and another opening this weekend in Washington, D.C.

"From our perspective, things are going pretty great," Davis said. "In fact, that's downplaying it. Actually, what's happening with the church right now is frankly spectacular. To the degree there are these various things happening, it really is a lot of noise."

One major survey of American religion shows Scientology declining in the U.S., however. The estimated number of Americans who identify as Scientologists rose from 45,000 in 1990 to 55,000 in 2001, then plummeted to 25,000 in 2008, according to the American Religion Identification Survey.

Davis said that while the church avoids membership estimates, it's "absolutely in the millions" globally and growing in the U.S.

Scientology has long been controversial. The Internal Revenue Service granted the church tax exemption in 1993 after a nearly four-decade battle over whether it should be considered a religion. Critics say Scientology is a business, preying on people by charging exorbitant sums for services.

The church continues to fascinate, fueled by interest in celebrity adherents such as Tom Cruise, John Travolta and Kirstie Alley, as well as beliefs that don't fit into typical American religious boxes.

Hubbard taught that the "thetan," the equivalent of a spirit, can be cleared of negative energy from this and previous lives through a process called auditing. With the aid of auditors, Scientologists seek a state called "Clear" and then advance through various levels of "Operating Thetan."

The allegations of violence were leveled by four former high-ranking Scientology executives who told their stories to the St. Petersburg Times last summer. The executives said they witnessed Miscavige, chairman of the board that oversees the church, hit staff members dozens of times and urged others to do the same.

Davis called the allegations "absolutely, unquestionably false" and "sickening and outrageous." ABC's "Nightline" aired a report this month covering much of the same ground.

To critics of Scientology and ex-members who have grown increasingly vocal in recent years, it's a breakthrough — critical voices from former members of the inner circle, not the media or outsiders.

"When you have dozens of people speaking out, it's no longer too credible to say they're all malcontents and criminals," said Jeff Hawkins, a former Scientology marketing guru who defected in 2005. "(The church) is either going to reform or collapse, and I think it's going to be the latter because they're incapable of reform or admitting any wrongdoing."

One defector, Marty Rathbun, who served on the church's board and was a top lieutenant of Miscavige's, said a growing movement of people hold to the tenets of Scientology, but reject the institutional church.

"I don't foresee another church," Rathbun said. "That was the first attack on me — that this was a coup, that I'm trying to tap a schism or start another church ... That's not an objective of mine or a positive way to go."

Haggis, the Oscar-winning director of "Crash," was not a high-ranking Scientologist. But his defection is significant, said actor Jason Beghe, who left the church in 2007 and has become a critic.

"He was somebody the Scientology community was proud of, and therefore I'm sure he helped hold some of their base in place," said Beghe, who appeared in the film "G.I. Jane" and TV's "Everwood" and is cast in Haggis' next film, now shooting in Pittsburgh. "Anybody who is a Scientologist is harboring doubts."

It was Rathbun who obtained a copy of Haggis' critical letter to Davis and posted it on his blog. Haggis complained that Davis didn't do enough to distance Scientology from proponents of California's gay marriage ban. He criticized the church's "smearing" of the high-level defectors.

The filmmaker also wrote about the church's practice of "disconnection," in which members cut off contact with loved ones who leave or advocate against the religion — something Davis said is not mandated.

A day after Haggis' letter went public, a Paris court convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than $900,000, but stopped short of banning the group's activities in France. The organization's French branch likened it to a modern-day Inquisition and said it would appeal.

Davis questioned the attention paid to the French verdict, saying that little notice was given when the church won court victories in Italy and Russia that cemented the church's presence in those countries. He said the top-level defections are not troubling, but rather a gain for the church.

Some scholars of Scientology believe the recent setbacks are momentary.

Defectors are overly optimistic about doing any real damage, said J. Gordon Melton, director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Santa Barbara, Calif., and editor of a book on Scientology.

"If five cardinals walked out of the Roman Catholic Church and turned on it and said there are bad things happening, it'd be a storm, but the church would weather the storm," Melton said. "I think Scientology is big enough to where it can and will weather the storm."

Most religions, Scientology included, experience disagreement and leadership turmoil after a founder's death and survive, said Susan Palmer, a religious studies professor at Dawson College in Montreal.

"I think they'll end up like the Mormon church or Jehovah's Witnesses, that were very controversial in our time but now are largely accepted," Palmer said.

Others think the Church of Scientology is in trouble. Along with the defections and French court setback, Scientology has been unable to stop Internet leaks of confidential material that members must pay a premium for, said Hugh Urban, a professor in the department of comparative studies at Ohio State University.

"They're really losing what has been the bread and butter," Urban said.

Meanwhile, an online betting parlor is taking wagers on the next celebrity Scientologist to leave.

31 comments:

  1. Part One

    In this week’s Parsha, Avrohom is commanded to perform the mitzvah of Bris Millah.

    Passuk 23 in Perek 17 tells us:

    23. And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house and all those purchased with his money, every male of the people of Abraham's household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken with him.


    Rashi: on that very day: On the very day that he was commanded (Mid. Ps. 112:2), during the day and not at night. He was afraid neither of the heathens nor of the scorners. [He circumcised in the light of day] so that his enemies and his contemporaries would not say, “Had we seen him, we would not have allowed him to circumcise and to fulfill the commandment of the Omnipresent” (Gen. Rabbah 47:9).


    This is the text in Rashi as it appears in most Chumashim.

    However, some ‘more exact’ versions of Rashi have the reading in the text in Rashi as: so that his ‘supporters’ [Hebrew: Ohavav] (as opposed to ‘his enemies’) and his contemporaries would not say, “Had we seen him, we would not have allowed him to circumcise and to fulfill the commandment of the Omnipresent”

    This change from Oiyvav- enemies- to Ohavav- (literally, those who love him) is quite substantial.

    If we learn -as most editions have it- that Avrohom was standing up against his enemies, than we can easily understood why he did Hashem’s bidding immediately on that day. After all, he wanted to show his enemies that he believes and is obedient to Hashem and to Hashem alone.

    However, if we take the text to read that he did the Milah that day so that his ‘supporters’ could not stop him, then we are left with the question as to why would his supporters attempt to deter him and why would be so intent on not listening to them?

    Avrohom Avinu is told at the beginning of the Sedra: Lech Lecha, which translates as ‘go for yourself’. This was not to be a one time commandment for Avrohom. Rather, this was meant to be the mantra of the life of Avrohom.

    Avrohom was an ‘Ivri’, a man who walked on ‘the other side’ his entire life.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Part Two

    However, this is what is included in the command of Lech Lecha. Avrohom was commanded to do what he needed to do to serve Hashem; irrespective if those who were trying to deter him were ‘on his team’ or not; his job was to ‘walk for himself’.

    Therefore, Avrohom - then he was commanded to do the Bris Milah on himself and on his children-even his Ohavav- those that loved him- thought that this command was ‘over the top’. Bris Milah was too much and he should realize how his radicalism could alienate his most energetic supporters.

    However, Avrohom realized that he was not ‘in this’ to win a popularity contest; he was in this to do what is right. If the result of doing what is right is that he alienates his supporters then so be it.

    Perhaps his supporters would have advised him to do the Bris, or, at the very least, to do it at night, in a quiet and non- public venue and certainly not in broad daylight!

    However, Avrohom realized he had a mission from Hashem, and this mission demanded that he do what is right and do it now in public.

    He may lose some friends and supporters, however, so be it, he will do what it correct, not that which is politically correct.

    We all have the commandment of Lech Lecha. Indeed, it is the mantra of the entire Jewish people.

    It is our raison d'être.

    A Jew who knows he is doing what Hashem wants to be done can never be deterred.

    Not by his enemies and not even by his Ohavav- those that profess to love him.

    A Jew does what is right not in the black of the night or under the guise of a protective cover; a Jew does what it correct and says what is correct out in the open and in public.

    Be it be popular or not, is not his concern. His only concern is to do what Hashem wants him do to.

    Ron Yitzchok Eisenman
    Rabbi, Congregation Ahavas Israel
    181 Van Houten Avenue
    Passaic, NJ 07055
    973.777.5929 ext. 1

    ReplyDelete
  3. You can't make up stuff better than this!

    Isn't politics grand?

    HURRAH FOR THE DEMOCRATS!

    Jesse Jackson's Newest Staff Member Mel Reynolds



    Jesse Jackson has added former Chicago Democrat

    Congressman Mel to Rainbow/PUSH Coalition's payroll.



    Reynolds was among the 176 criminals excused in President Clinton's last-minute forgiveness spree.

    Reynolds received a commutation of his six-and-a-half-year federal sentence for 15 convictions of wire fraud, bank fraud, and lies to the Federal Election Commission.



    He is more notorious, however, for concurrently serving five years for sleeping with an underage campaign volunteer.

    This is a first in American politics: An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate....won clemency from a president who had
    sex with a subordinate...then was hired by a clergyman who had
    sex with a subordinate!

    His new job?

    Ready for this??

    ***** YOUTH COUNSELOR *****



    IS THIS A GREAT COUNTRY OR WHAT?



    CONFIRMED BY:


    http://www.snopes.com/politics/sexuality/reynolds.asp

    ReplyDelete
  4. The EJF is in panic. They have now announced a "women's mentoring" free invitation adding it to the proposed "dayanim conference" to corrupt women in kiruv to enter EJF's conversionionist batei din.

    Tropper is in the middle of legal cases and dinei Torah, he has NO right to advertise and "summon" anyone, let alone "dayanim," to come hear him pontificate!

    The fourth EJF/Tropper-ego/Kaplan-Recanati bribe money/Rav Nochum Eisentsein-anger/Rav Reuven Feinstein-two faced show, aka "Dayanim Conference" is scheduled to take place November 8-10, so take note
    :

    Tropper's sickening chutzpa and fraudulence are being exposed and his so-called major backer R REUVEN Feinstein will have to explain in court and bais din what he did with the 3 million dollars Guma Aguiar gave him, heed the call to boycott and stop any all upcoming EJF events and put Tropper out of action for all time:

    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 tired 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)"

    ReplyDelete
  5. tropper helps the shmeltzers stay open

    the rosh kolel of NMB was fired or asked to leave by Rabbi zwieg in yeshiva elementary

    he was rumored to have been fired for insubordination

    when he was fired he joined a kolel that was seeking a rosh kolel

    he negotiated a salary of 110k for 3 years

    he than demanded and changed the kolel board for banking and placed it in his name together with his wife and mother in law to complete control of operation

    the board on the letterhead is in name only having no power

    the community is not in favor of him at all

    he also has established a shul in the community that is illegal
    his kolel has not paid money due to the shul that they learn in during the week over 12k
    resulting in tough questions for his brother in law rabbi ephriam shapiro the rabbi of shaarie tefila

    ReplyDelete
  6. Many authentically Orthodox Jews in Passaic, who have not drunk the Baal Tshuvah kool-aid, consider Yitzchak Eisenman to be a Reform rabbi dressed up in a Chassidic rebbe costume.

    "Ron the Rebbe" Yitzchak Eisenman, Boss of the Ahavas Israel shul in Passaic, has been doing photo-ops with NJ Assemblymen Gary Schaer and Neil Cohen at the Ahavas Israel temple in Passaic.

    What kind of "Orthodox" rabbi would hobnob with Gary Schaer and Neil Cohen?

    Reliable sources in Passaic, NJ are claiming that Gary Schaer is a homosexual. Searching the homosexual book "Wrestling with God and Men" on www.amazon.com for "Gary Schaer" will return an acknowlegement to him.

    Carefully read the A3451 bill sponsored by Schaer and Neil Cohen.
    www.njleg.state.nj.us/2006/Bills/A3500/3451_R2.PDF
    This sham bill, apparently signed into law already, claims to prevent religious discrimination but in fact is a fascist
    homosexual "rights" bill which brutally tramples the constitutional rights of religious heterosexuals.

    Mr. Schaer's sidekick Neil Cohen has been charged with possessing child pornography:
    http://www.nj.gov/oag/newsreleases09/pr20090709a.html

    See Eisenman standing next to Cohen about 2/3 down the page:
    http://passaicnews.wordpress.com/category/gary-schaer/

    None of this TOEIVAH has prevented Eisenman and many of the so-called "Orthodox" rabbis of Passaic from ardently supporting Mr. Schaer.

    How can so-called Orthodox rabbis in Passaic bend over backwards (so to speak) to support Mr. Schaer and his homo-fascist agenda?

    How much are these "rabbis" profiting to abandon the Torah and promote the homo-TOEIVAH agenda?

    When will the starry eyed Baalei Tshuva who dominate Passaic get wise to the charlatans running Orthodox businesses in Passaic?

    ReplyDelete
  7. http://www.mcclatchydc.com/227/story/77791.html

    In 2006 and 2007, Goldman Sachs Group peddled more than $40 billion in securities backed by at least 200,000 risky home mortgages, but never told the buyers that it also was secretly betting that a sharp drop in U.S. housing prices would send the value of those securities plummeting. Now, a five- month McClatchy investigation has found that Goldman’s failure to disclose those secret bets may have violated securities laws.

    By Greg Gordon | McClatchy Newspapers

    ReplyDelete
  8. http://www.rollcall.com/news/40139-1.html

    After years of allegations that he improperly lavishes federal dollars on local supporters and campaign donors, Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) acknowledged for the first time last week that ethics investigators are looking into his earmarks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Jewish Political Analyst3:10 PM, November 02, 2009

    How could Lakewood, New Jersey based BMG Corporation CEO Aron Kotler, and his board of likeminded cohorts endorse current New Jersey Governor Corzine?

    How can they swallow the morally decadent stances of Mr. Corzine of pro-abortion and pro-Gay marriage legislation?

    How could the same CEO and board who roundly supported John McCain depite having no chance of winning, switch horses midstream and support President Obama's right-hand man to remain in office?

    How could the CEO and his cohorts ignore the fact that a vote for Corzine is a vote to stop building in some of Israel's largest and fastest growing areas?

    Are Jews so involved in their own financial needs as to forget the rest of their brther's in distress?

    The only logical explanations are:

    1] CEO Kotler and his cohorts feel that Jews are above the law and shouldn't be prosecuted for criminal activity. Since Mr. Christie had the nerve to tamper with the status quo, Jews can't vote for him.

    2] More than likely, a backroom deal was cut with CEO Kotler and his cohorts.

    While CEO Kotler and cohorts stand to gain, it will be gained on the backs of the regular Jewish folk living in Lakewood.

    The choice is clear:

    VOTE CHRISTIE!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/nyregion/02bishop.html

    In an unusually overt step into politics by a religious leader, the Roman Catholic bishop of Brooklyn is urging voters, via robocalls, to support Vito J. Lopez, an assemblyman and the Brooklyn Democratic boss, whose hand-picked candidate is in a tough race for a City Council seat.

    The bishop, Nicholas A. DiMarzio, in a recorded phone call sent to every registered voter in City Council District 34, praised Mr. Lopez’s legislative service to the Catholic Church this summer. Mr. Lopez played a key role in defeating a bill that would have let adults file suit over childhood sexual abuse that may have occurred long ago.

    Mr. Lopez, a longtime kingmaker in Bushwick and Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has energetically championed the candidacy of Maritza Davila, who is running against Councilwoman Diana Reyna in District 34.

    By recording his message, a legal scholar cautioned, Bishop DiMarzio could be treading close to legal lines limiting political advocacy by nonprofit organizations — whose tax-exempt status could be jeopardized.

    “There are constitutional rules and I.R.S. rules, and the I.R.S. rules are really more pertinent here,” said Nelson Tebbe, an associate professor at Brooklyn Law School who specializes in the relationship between religion and the Constitution.

    Ms. Reyna, who is Catholic, declined comment on Sunday. Her supporters privately say that they see little benefit in engaging in an open war with the church, particularly since a number of priests showed up at a recent rally supporting Mr. Lopez.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Check out the Lakewood stocking ban at Failed Messiah.

    I resent it. It is aimed at people like me who write satire of the frum world. How can I compete with their stuff

    PS- UOJ, check out my Rabbi Besdin Series. If you decide to post it you may just want to link to it because I am still editing it. But it will be a long and interesting fable about the ultimate Agudah nightmare, a Rebbe with too much integrity.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yerachmiel Shlita:

    C'mon the Lakewood ban on stockings had to be done by a bigger letz than me.

    ReplyDelete
  13. THEY WANT US TO BELIEVE THAT THE "SLOPPINESS" WAS ONLY ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE, BUT THAT THEY WERE METICULOUS WHEN IT CAME TO LABELING. I HOPE THE RUBASHKIN FRESSERS AND DEFENDERS READ THESE WORDS AND START PREPARING THEIR VIDUI:

    Sholom Rubashkin was an incompetent manager who tackled too much and fell into constant screaming matches with his brother about their eastern Iowa meat plant, a former co-worker testified today.

    Chaim Abrahams, a purchasing manager at Agriprocessors Inc., told jurors that chronic under-staffing led to sloppiness in the kosher plant's day-to-day operations. Rubashkin juggled five to seven tasks at a time and was difficult to reach unless dire problems arose, Abrahams said.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Chevra Chazerim - HMO division7:19 PM, November 02, 2009

    The health insurers are trying to chap arein one last year of profit$$ before Obama squeezes them dry. But in doing so, they have completely lost their minds. They are raising premiums for 2010 between 50% to over 100%. This is their only way of getting even with him.

    ReplyDelete
  15. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/nyregion/02detain.html

    The Daniel Miller guy pictured with the white yarmulka was arrested by DHS. His story on page 2 is that he is an open homosexual.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wall Street Journal imitates UOJ8:19 PM, November 02, 2009

    The Los Angeles Times reports on California's latest effort to mismanage the state's finances:

    Starting Sunday, cash-strapped California will dig deeper into the pocketbooks of wage earners--holding back 10% more than it already does in state income taxes just as the biggest shopping season of the year kicks into gear.
    Technically, it's not a tax increase, even though it may feel like one when your next paycheck arrives. As part of a bundle of budget patches adopted in the summer, the state is taking more money now in withholding, even though workers' annual tax bills won't change.

    Think of it as a forced, interest-free loan: You'll be repaid any extra withholding in April. Those who would receive a refund anyway will receive a larger one, and those who owe taxes will owe less.

    Tax refunds are evil, because they fool people into thinking they're "getting" something from the government, when in fact all they're receiving is their own money, months late. If the private sector tried this--say, your insurance or power company "borrowed" money by tacking $20 on to your monthly bill and refunded it, without interest, the following year--it would be a pretty clear case of fraud.

    ReplyDelete
  17. http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=8960031

    Jon Gosselin, Rabbi Shmuley to Engage in 'Intimate Dialogue' About Fame

    Rabbi Reveals He's Been Counseling 'Jon & Kate Plus 8' Star

    By SHEILA MARIKAR
    Oct. 30, 2009 —

    ReplyDelete
  18. Politically incorrect8:45 PM, November 02, 2009

    Shmarya is in a froth about Chabad pre-schools hoping to be makarev parents of the children as "deceit". He cries foul that Tablet Magazine ran an article this week profiling Chabad pre-schools because they didn't scream that the one in Staten Island was shut down by FDNY - 4 years ago - for operating without a license. He says he will compile a list of Chabad pre-schools that HE claims are breaking the law. Even Shmarya's typical anti-religious base are confused and say that Chabad for the most part runs good pre-schools for kids too young to indoctrinate, most of whom go on to public schools.

    Even a Conservative rabbi reader tells Shmarya to "grow up" and "get a life".

    A reader named Chabadnik attorney dares Shmarya to follow through with his threat to dig up dirt on Chabad pre-schools:

    Please start slandering the shluchim, their daycare centers, schools and outreach programs.

    It will be useful for you to slander actual indiviual Chabad Corporations as opposed to the amorphous "Chabad". The indivdual shluchim will surely have a nice basis for a lawsuit.

    You lost 20 years of your life due to Chabad. How much longer do you intend to waste consuming your life with the community you are so glad to be away from. It makes no sense, you should happy to be away from the movement and move on with a normal life. Why would you let Chabad continue to consume your life.

    ReplyDelete
  19. (Reuters) - American journeyman Doug Barron achieved unwanted fame on Monday when he became the first golfer to receive a ban for taking a performance-enhancing drug.

    In a statement the PGA Tour said Barron, 40, had been suspended for a year for violating its anti-doping policy. It did not name the drug.

    ReplyDelete
  20. http://yudelstake.blogspot.com/2009/10/lakewood-voters.html

    It’s אסור "assur"to vote this year in Lakewood for local or state candidates.

    Anyone concerned about the ציבור or their high taxes in Lakewood should stay away from the voting booth and DON'T VOTE.

    Besides the tremendous ביטול תורה"Bittul-Torah"
    ****************************************************
    This was concluded after reviewing the statements, letters, the fine print, between the lines, behind the scene (the rest of the story), the upcoming statements, phone calls, etc.

    ***********************************************************************************
    We have a reputation to live upto-We don't mislead anyone, never did, never will.
    ***********************************************************************************
    Posted by Yudel Shain

    ReplyDelete
  21. UOJ,

    I would never suspect you of being a letz. But then a letz could not have come up with the lakewood ban. Besides the many meetings, it required someone to read through the Victoria's Secrets catalogues, to scrutinize the eyes of their bochurim as women walked by, to ponder the hazards of calf gazing, to repeatedly as their wives to take diffeent socks on and off, to research the numbers (30 vs 40, vs 80), to ponder the gematria of those numbers. And they did not shirk the dirty work of sweeping things under the carpet. BTW, that is much harder than sweeping things under the rug, the way goyim do. Did you ever try to lift wall-to-wall carpeting off of those tack strips. I have. It is really nasty work.

    So UOJ, stop mocking R. Salomon as a letz, and using a picture of a kid in place of him on your site. Give him the respect he deserves. Give him an icon (you should pardon the Eastern Orthodox expression) with a broom and a carpet.

    I know you are no letz. If nothing else you must be burning up calories at your fury over EJF. I expect with Guma's help LT program will not be eternal though his prison term might be.

    Meanwhile, I have been busy with latzanos of the Lakewood Lingerie Shtick and other stuff.

    I remain your grateful chossid and new kid on the block.

    Do me one favor, include a link the next time you knight me. My Allium/onion/Zweibel memo if all over the web which no accurate link back to me.

    PS I am tinkering with a transcript between Mr D. Allium and Msgr Dick Done of the archdiocese for a back and forth comparing tzoris and tips. If I can make it work, I will give you first option on revealing it to the world.

    UOJ, Keep up the good work and finish the TV story.

    Yerachmiel Lopin (frumfollies.wordpress.com)

    PS, check out the serious article on chareidi corruption and some interesting comments that follow. Nothing new but I think some things are said well.

    ReplyDelete
  22. http://yudelstake.blogspot.com/2009/10/lakewood-voters.html?showComment=1257215647624#c9084959761858645463

    At the recent AKO Conference, held this past Thursday in New York City, the Volover Rov warned all in attendance to avoid giving kashrus supervision in China, since even he, who only does hashgacha temidis there, has had stories of the Chinese forging hechsheirim.

    There is growing interest by Chinese companies in obtaining kosher certification and the incidents of fraud, with companies claimed that they had kosher certification when they did not, are on the rise.

    Rabbi Pinchos Juravel of the Kof-K reported a new finding in smaller beer companies that are sending out their barley to be smoked in local smokehouses that can also be smoking non-kosher.

    ReplyDelete
  23. UOJ,

    Please find a constructive outlet for your hasmadah and lomdus by providing a full translation of the Lakewood flyer. Why should English only frumchicks have to depend on ArtScroll. You know they will mangle it.

    Yerachmiel Lopin, frumfollies.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. http://www.ezaguicase.com/letters.html

    Eliyahu Ezagui was arrested for a multi-million dollar mortgage scam. Some of his victims had obtained heter arkayos yet this does not stop Ezagui from getting Chabad rabbonim to sign that the victims are nonetheless "mosrim".

    One really strange letter here is from the Munkatcher Rebbe who calls Ezagui his "rebbe" and encourages donations to his "pidyon shvuyim" fund. I didn't realize that a Chabadnik like Ezagui was giving a shiur in Telz when the Munkatcher was there.

    They are putting up the Munkatcher's letter in shuls all over the place including modern orthodox shuls.

    ReplyDelete
  25. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/04/business/04madoff.html?hp

    Bernard L. Madoff’s longtime accountant pleaded guilty on Tuesday to deliberately producing the rubber-stamp audits that helped Mr. Madoff conceal his enormous Ponzi scheme from regulators for nearly 20 years.

    David G. Friehling, who was Mr. Madoff’s independent auditor from 1991 until the fraud collapsed in December 2008, pleaded guilty to a total of nine criminal charges carrying a potential prison term of 114 years.

    In essence, he admitted that he had never adequately audited the Madoff operation and, as an investor in the scheme, had never been a truly independent auditor. Nevertheless, he produced the supposedly professional and independent audits that sustained the Madoff fraud year in and year out.

    But Mr. Friehling insisted that “at no time was I ever aware Bernard Madoff was engaged in a Ponzi scheme.”

    ReplyDelete
  26. Can anyone confirm the following rumors?

    The Munkatcher was under criminal investigation for Pell grant fraud.

    His brother or cousin the Dinover Rebbe was arrested for some other scam and may have done time.

    ReplyDelete
  27. http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/smk.jpg

    Dayan Shmuel Meir Katz pinned this sign to his front door this morning intimating that it is assur to vote for Obama's shlock shamess Corzine and that anyone who says to vote for Corzine in the name of Lakewood dayanim is a liar.

    ReplyDelete
  28. http://www.haredim.co.il/Data/ForumFiles/Untitled-1_copy_1.jpg

    It is a little difficult to follow Tropper's convoluted schemes but here is basically what is happening.

    Tropper is furious that billionaire Guma Aguiar is no longer funneling many millions of dollars to him so he has gone on a binge to bashmutz Guma everywhere. Tropper put up with the suspicious gerus of Guma's wife as long as he was getting the money. But now that Guma switched allegiance to Chabad, Tropper is broadcasting everywhere that Guma is married to a shiksa. Tropper enlisted the help of an old Lubavitcher rav who was close to the Rebbe for years. This Rav Zaiontz is blasting 770 for permitting shluchim to allow improper gerus for Guma and in other cases. What Rav Zaiontz writes about Guma being rejected by gedolim in Eretz Yisroel, may or may not be lies that were fed to him by Tropper. Zaiontz is so angry at 770 that he calls Kotlarsky the "Satan". As far as defending Tropper for stealing Guma's $10 million which is under Federal investigation, he seems to be parroting pathetic excuses that Tropper told him. It's incredible that Rav Zaiontz would believe this garbage, but the excuse is an obvious lie that Rav Elyashev told Tropper he can do what he wants with the money.

    ReplyDelete
  29. http://www.bhol.co.il/ImageBank/orig_7C7208ECA6F24C7881DE8A305806742E.jpg

    Here is a letter from the Toldos Aron Rebbe that the two extremists, Pappenheim & Yoelish Krauss, are thrown out of the Eidah Charedis and no one should pay any attention to them.

    This letter was released before Shmarya made his lame call for protests in the 5 Towns where the Rebbe is visiting to raise funds.

    ReplyDelete
  30. To politically incorrect:

    Preschools are nothing more than glorified daycare centers. That being said, they are required to be registered, pay licensing fees, be inspected, follow all zoning, building and safety codes, have occupancy limits, and must pay workers on the books, withhold taxes, and so on. If you're claiming all Chabad preschools do this, everything legal and aboveboard, you are simply mistaken. Unlicensed, uninspected places are illegal, are often deathtraps, cash under the table, unhygenic places where kids "learn" little to nothing. They should all be closed down.

    ReplyDelete