Dear UOJ:
Hi. I'd like to thank you for creating this most important and essential blog.
I read in an earlier blog about Shimon Grama being an accused child molester, but I haven't seen him mentioned since. I have been directly effected by him as, I imagine, many, many other children have. Is there some way to post something on your blog about him and perhaps call out to others who have suffered abuse from this horrible man?
Here is the blog post I am referring to and the link to the particular blog:
Agudah watcher said...
Chaim Dovid Zweibel reads UOJ before he washes nagle vasser. He understands the power of this one family and the fear that a lawsuit is coming with Mr. Pasik or without. The head of the Pirchei, Shimon Grama, is an accused child molester, was kicked out of yeshivas and summer camps and interfaces daily with hundreds of teens. Go figure. Is there an honest man in any frum organization?
This is the link:
http://unorthodoxjew.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-address-unorthodoxjewsblogspotcom_04.html
I thank you for any help you can provide.
EVERY SIGNATURE MATTERS - THIS BILL MUST PASS!
CLICK - GOAL - 100,000 NEW SIGNATURES! 75,000 SIGNATURES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED TO GOVERNOR CUOMO!
EFF Urges Court to Block Dragnet Subpoenas Targeting Online Commenters
CLICK! For the full motion to quash: http://www.eff.org/files/filenode/hersh_v_cohen/UOJ-motiontoquashmemo.pdf
55 comments:
Unfortunately for these guys it's "gramma b'nezakin potur"
(According to the girsa of Artscroll Editor and Molester Enabler - in chief Chaim Malinowitz)
Students' Guide to the Laws of Shmitta
by Grama, Shimon
Book description: Contains the laws of Shmitta (the Jewish Sabbatical Year) with a minimal use of Hebrew words. Has "haskama" (approbation) by Rabbi Yisroel Belsky.
Over 1000 Boys Attend Annual Siyum Mishnayos » Matzav.com -
Rabbi Shimon Grama, who served as national director of Pirchei Agudas Yisroel for 14 years, received the Rabbi Moshe Sherer zt”l Award for his dedicated service.....
Haroon is an Arabic name from a famous Caliph over 1200 years ago whose mother was from Yemen.
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/02/classified/paid-notice-deaths-grama-haroon.html?pagewanted=1
August 2, 1999
GRAMA-Haroon (Harry) A. Born July 4, 1930, succumbed to illness on Saturday, July 31, 1999, at UCLA Hospital, Los Angeles, CA. A long time resident of Beverly Hills, CA, and more recently Las Vegas, Harry Grama had provided highly valued interior furnishings for homes of many renowned personalities. His activities included serving as Founder and President of the Yemenite Jewish Congregation of Los Angeles as well as other philanthropic endeavors. He was a US Army veteran. He is survived by his loving wife, Renee, and their four sons, Ronald, Brian, Darryl, Bruce and his wife, Susan, in addition to seven younger brothers, Nathan, Rabbi Israel Grama, Ezra, Herbie, Joseph, Hazan Yishiah Grama and Rabbi Shimon Grama and four sisters, Lilian Afromowitz, Adina Greenfield, Naomi Godfrey and Miriam Breslauer. His passing will be sorely missed by the large extended family to whom he endeared himself.
http://books.google.com/books?id=EKRlEPFc038C&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=%22shimon+grama%22&source=bl&ots=rRRoC-aR2V&sig=om_QKnI8GMQO1oeIH1cZ3i9pfSc&hl=en&ei=FhyHS_j_F46YtgfMiOyXDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCUQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=%22shimon%20grama%22&f=false
Shimon Grama, rabbi and dean of Migdal Oz Seminary for Teachers
www.traditiononline.org/news/article.cfm?id=105482
Indicative of the widespread interest aroused by observance of Birkat ha-Hammah this year was a publication addressed to children by R. Shimon Grama
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/nyregion/26rangel.html?hp
A House panel has found that Rep. Charles B. Rangel of New York broke Congressional rules by failing to properly disclose financial details of a trip to the Caribbean, a House official said.
Mr. Rangel, who heads the House Ways and Means committee and who has served his Harlem district for nearly four decades, has been under investigation by two house subcommittees.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/nyregion/26paterson.html?hp
ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson’s administration on Thursday faced new revelations about its intervention in a domestic violence episode involving a top aide and growing dismay among fellow Democrats about the governor’s political future.
The governor’s top criminal justice adviser, Denise E. O’Donnell, resigned, saying it was “unacceptable” that Mr. Paterson and the State Police made contact with the woman who was seeking an order of protection against the aide, and that she could not “in good conscience” remain in the administration.
As calls proliferated for the governor to end his candidacy, Mr. Paterson said he would consult with party leaders over the next few days and reflect on his future.
Other elected officials questioned why State Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt, a Paterson appointee, has not been asked to resign. Mr. Corbitt has characterized the contacts with the alleged victim in the case as nothing out of the ordinary, as far as he knew, and said his department routinely condcuts inquiries after incidents that may attract media attention.
Mr. Paterson found few supporters on Thursday; even allies like Representative Steve Israel and State Senator Bill Perkins, who holds the Harlem seat once occupied by the governor. Some went further, saying the governor should consider resigning.
“These very serious allegations must be fully and swiftly investigated,” said Representative Nita Lowey. ``And if they are true, the Governor should no longer be in office.Aside from the allegations, the political reality is the Governor cannot be an effective candidate or official for New York.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/business/economy/26modify.html?hpw
The Obama administration, under intense pressure to help millions of people in danger of losing their homes, is considering a ban on foreclosures unless they have first been examined for potential modification, according to a set of draft proposals.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/19/news/economy/tax_cheating/
(CNNMoney.com) -- Do you cheat on your taxes? If so, you're not alone. More Americans are fudging their taxes and an increasing number of people are scared of being audited, a survey from the IRS Oversight Board shows.
It's not just Grama with issues. Don't assume any chezkas kashrus for a Pirchei city division head. Go walk in on what is happening at a "supervised" Pirchei. If the "supervision" provided should himself be behind bars, what good is the supervision? No matter how popular or beloved the Pirchei head might be, keep your eyes and ears wide open. Awareness is the key to action.
Once again - There are ongoing efforts by hackers to take down this site - as you may have noticed - it takes an inordinate amount of time to download the main page.
If they are successful - I will advise Shmarya of the developments and perhaps the new blog address.
UOJ
I lived in NMB and took in two frum foster daughters, both originally from Brooklyn.
I enrolled them in Rabbi Laizerson's BY and he molested both of them.
My husband and I went to my husband's Rosh Yeshiva who told us not to report it because it would only ruin these already damaged girls.
We listened. I do not know if this was the right decision or not.
One of the girls stayed in BY but we taught her the laws of yichud more thoroughly. She had no further problems with Laizerson.
BY withheld her diploma for no good reason however so there was absolutely no benefit in her returning to the school to finish up her senior year.
B'H she is happily married with children today.
The other girl, we took out of BY and homeschooled. She went seriously OTD for a few years but today is doing much better. B"H.
My own daughters were still young at that time. Needless to say, we did not put them in BY.
Heshy Nussbaum, that's a good question!
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/paterson-to-drop-out-of-race-for-governor/?hp
Gov. David A. Paterson is set to announce that he will not seek election in the wake of reports that he and the State Police intervened in a domestic-assault case against a senior aide, according to a person told about the plans.
The Margo / Bungalow Putz Neuhoff types have probably given up on hacking this site already.
Who could it be? Tropper's or Shmeltzer's people? Or maybe someone connected to Grama if it just started now?
http://www.hedgefund.net/publicnews/default.aspx?story=10973
What kind of a putz is this Milton Balkany? The Feds aren't even sure if he has ever met Chaim Regensberg.
Toronto is not the only city in Canada with a Pirchei.....
shmeltzer has stated he will destroy all who oppose him
and anyone reading the UOJ b;log is over on loshon hora
Who are the Pirchei molesters in Montreal?
I can understand the other way around, but this makes no sense
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/25/world/europe/25iht-poland.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=print
February 24, 2010
From Skinhead to Orthodox Jew
By DAN BILEFSKY
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A White House aide says Desiree Rogers is resigning her post as social secretary, effective sometime next month.
Rogers recently came under criticism for her handling of the administration's first state dinner. A celebrity-seeking couple from northern Virginia got into the exclusive Nov. 24 affair on the South Lawn without a formal invitation, despite heavy White House security.
Rogers later acknowledged not having staff from her office at security checkpoints to help identify guests. Lawmakers had demanded that she testify to Congress about her handling of the event. The White House would not allow it.
http://muqata.blogspot.com/2009/06/urgent-posting.html
From the Beit Shemesh Email List:
Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2009 9:31 PM
Subject: Montreal Rabbi Helps Child Abuse Cult Leader
Rabbi Yochanan Wosner, a dayan in Montreal, Canada, is conducted a fundraising campaign for Elior Chen, who is wanted in Israel for running a child abuse cult that has left a number of children injured, and one in an irreversible coma.
Chen ran off to Brazil, in the hopes of avoiding extradition. Now, Rabbi Yochanan Wosner of Montreal is helping Chen, claiming that Chen was set up. In fact, the prima facia evidence is overwhelming and Chen is fighting extradition to Israel, since he knows that the case against him is open and shut. In the meantime, Rabbi Wosner encouraged Chen to escape to Brazil and has initiated a campaign to raise money for the alleged cult leader.
Fellow Jews. Have mercy on the victims of Elior Chen.
Contact the Jewish Community Council of Montreal at goldie@mk.ca
Express your outrage that a rabbi in their community (who sits on their Beth Din: http://www.mk. ca/dintorah.html) is aiding and abetting a suspected abuser.
The number for the Beth Din is (514) 739-6363.
Please forward this email.
Here's a good background link from the JPost where Chen's bio is: "An Israeli fugitive who is considered to be the ringleader of - and 'spiritual mentor' responsible for - one of the worst child abuse cases in Israeli history."
People: When the forces of good go after child molesters or child abusers -- communities need to support them, and not have fund raising rallies for monsters. Did the honorable Dayan Yochanan Wosner ever visit the hospitalized comatose child? Did he speak to the Israeli Police to see what the facts are? Does he care?
Haven't there been enough Lanner and Kolko cases around the planet for this problem to go away?
Do the right thing -- get the word out on your utter disgust that the Dayan Woser is publicly trying to help this silmeball Chen.
Here's some source info (in Hebrew, with posters and the Dayan's letter on behalf of Chen) that's going around London's Chareidi Communities.
People are talking that Shimon Grama attended Ner Yisroel and that he molested boys and girls.
One blogger says Dov Bear told him that Yochanan Wosner was suddenly not on the Montreal beis din after that appeal for Elior Chen and that the Vaad may have quietly kicked him off the beis din after public outrage.
So does that make Grama another one of Avi Shafran's buddies from yeshiva?
No wonder he gets so combative whenever pedophiles come up as most of them seem to be his former Ner Yisroel dorm mates.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel - June 26, 2003
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pgoldberg26jun26,0,4977578.story?coll=sfla-news-palm
A planning director at the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County exposed himself to an undercover West Palm Beach officer in a Palm Beach Mall restroom, police said.
Ephraim Goldberg, 41, of Boca Raton, was charged with one misdemeanor count of exposure of sexual organs and issued a notice to appear in court on July 8.
On a police report, Goldberg lists his occupation as a social worker at the Jewish Federation on Community Drive. But Jeffrey Klein, executive vice president of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, said Goldberg is a planning director. Klein declined to comment further.
On a Web site for Young Israel of Boca Raton, Goldberg was referred to as a rabbi and a past president of the synagogue.
A person answering the phone at Young Israel on Wednesday said, "We're not interested in commenting."
West Palm Beach police say Goldberg was one of three men arrested Monday during an operation aimed at cracking down on sex in public restrooms.
Though the operations usually take place in park restrooms, a police officer had noticed an increase in activity in the restrooms at the Palm Beach Mall on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, and police conducted the undercover sting in response, said police spokeswoman Dena Kimberlin.
"We have been conducting these types of operations for years, and they will continue," Kimberlin said. "The mall is working very closely with us because they do want to make it a safe place."
Shortly after 1 p.m. on Monday, Goldberg made eye contact with the undercover officer while at Sears and both men walked into the store restroom, according to police reports. Goldberg followed the officer into a handicapped stall and asked the officer, "Is it safe?" police said.
Goldberg, who has no prior arrests in Florida, then exposed himself to the officer. After the officer said he didn't think it was "safe" anymore, Goldberg reportedly asked the officer if he lived alone and whether the two could meet later, according to police reports. The officer then identified himself as a West Palm Beach police sergeant and issued Goldberg a notice to appear in court.
http://www.sbwire.com/news/view/39001
According to this article, the Hospitality Mints company who has all of it's products under the OU has started a new division that makes customized items.
http://www.partysweets.com/baptismfavors-christeningfavors.htm
The new division makes items specifically for Christian ceremonies, including baptisms that are labeled as kosher.
Isn't it kind of odd that the OU is imprinted on these?
Magnitude 6.9 earthquake strikes off Japan's coast
Los Angeles Times - 11 minutes ago
From AP Tokyo - A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit off Japan's southern coast early Saturday, shaking Okinawa and nearby islands, where a tsunami warning was issued
This past Shabbos, Parshas Zachor,
Amram Bendahan, wanted for felonious child abuse in GA, fired from NCSY, Jewish Boy Scouts and most recently his position as youth director at Bnai Sephardim in Hollywood FL, was seen hanging around the youth groups at Young Israel of Hollywood, Rabbi Davis' shul.
Rabbi Davis was given copies of the Bendahan's open arrest warrant and court papers to which he responded "that explains a lot".
Bendahan was the youth director at Young Israel from 2002-2008 where many parents report being disturbed by his behavior at that time.
This past Shabbos, Bendahan spent several hours hanging out in the youth groups talking to the children.
The accusations against Bendahan are all over Hollywood and South Florida in general.
Why was this man allowed access to children?
Okay, I am posting this here because it is the only way that anything will be done about this.
Amram Bendahan, wanted for child abuse felony, fired from NCSY, Jewish boy scouts and Bnai Sephardim was seen hanging out at Young Israel of Hollywood this morning.
He was around the youth groups, talking to the children, etc.
A little boy was "lost" for about 40 minutes. His name is Simonwitz.
His whole family and many others were frantically looking for him.
Then he reappeared in the hallway near the youth groups with Amram Bendahan shortly behind him.
This happened constantly while Bendahan was at Bnai Sephardim.
One time a little boy was "missing" for 25 minutes on Friday night. All of the men were looking for him. He was finally found in the bathroom off the Ezrat Nashim, which is upstairs. All of the lights were off in the halls, stairway and in the balcony. The child was with another child and they both had all of their clothes off. They said were playing a "game".
The fathers thought this was funny.
I asked where Bendahan was while everyone else was looking. No one remembered seeing him.
Why does Rabbi Davis provide the venue for Amram Bendahan's child molesting?
Don't bug my friend Rabbi Edward Davis in Hollywood FL with any hard hitting questions.
I need guys like him to back me up and he is always willing to lend me a hand like when he went with me on the 3 hour Gilligan's Island tour to help cover up for Rubashkin.
Although I preferred not to post the name of the child who went "missing" yesterday, I felt as though there was not other choice.
I tried reaching the boy's parents last night, but although I know who they are, I do not have their unlisted phone number.
I have also communicated with Rabbi Lunger hoping that he would be able to call Rabbi Davis before the Purim carnival today which has the potential to provide plenty of
opportunities for Bendahan to disappear with little boys.
Please, if anyone who read this blog knows the parents, I hope that they will speak with them.
The Hollywood Police have assigned a special detective (Bryan Roussell) to investigate the complaints against Bendahan.
The biggest problem is that while there are several parents who will admit to the Rabbis that Bendahan touched their sons, NONE will allow their children to speak with the police or to be questioned by a psychologist from Social Services.
So, unfortunately because no one in the Jewish community is willing to assist the police, Bendahan continues to molest our children.
The Rabbis who are involved believe that there could be dozens of victims since Bendahan has been working with children in South Florida for 8 years.
In my experience running a Shabbos program, when kids get bored, they will wander off in a group or 2 or 3 to "explore". The children are easily be found in a few minutes because they are giggling and shouting from where they just found candy or are "hiding" in a "secret" crawl space where the mikveh pipes are serviced.
When Bendahan is in a shul, little boys disappear ALONE for 30-40 minutes at the time when shul is letting out and there is a lot of noise in the building.
The parents do not realize that the boys have "wandered" off until they have already been gone for some time because the parents expect them to still be in groups.
When the parents are ready to leave they realize that the child did not come out of groups and then there is a panic.
From this time, which is already 30 minutes or more, Bendahan still has another 15-20 minutes with the child until the parents panic and are ready to call the police. Then the child magically appears, alone with Bendahan behind him, looking like the "hero" who found the missing child.
Bendahan always chastises the child for being "bad" and "not staying with his parents" thus reinforcing the child's sense of self as "bad".
The parents always express gratitude to Bendahan which reinforces the child's image that his parents approve of Bendahan and whatever he does.
I have seen what Bendahan does to groom little boys to be molestation victims.
He plays a "touching game" where he touches the child's body, the child giggles and Bendahan rewards with a piece of candy.
One little boy excitedly raised his shirt and lowered his pants as part of the "play" because he was rewarded with extra candy. After a few weeks of this "game", the child eagerly removed his clothes as soon as he was alone with Bendahan in a bathroom in an empty part of the building.
In an electrical storage closet, with another boy, Bendahan and a teenager were alternating between tickling while also fondling his genitals and punching him painfully while telling him he is "bad" and deserves to be hurt.
When the child, was finally reunited with his parents, Bendahan chided him abusively for being "bad", wandering off. The child will not tell his parents what happened because he is sure that they will side with Bendahan and punish him.
The parents of the boy admitted to the police that they know that the teenager stalks and beats their 8 year old son, but they do not believe that Bendahan is involved. They will not allow their son to speak with a social worker or with the police.
I do not understand why Rabbi Davis, who when shown the arrest warrant for Bendahan, admitted that it explains a lot, has not taken any action to prevent Bendahan from having access to our children.
28 years ago Amram Bendahan was in charge of the downstairs minyan of Shaarei Shamayim on Glencairn Ave when Rabbi Hoschander was the rabbi. The downstairs was more religious because it had a real mechitza and no microphone unlike the way the main shul used to be.
Bendahan would sometimes wander through the back alleyway to get to the Sefardic Kollel Bar Yochai that used to be behind Shaarei Shamayim on Bathurst St.
My wife just got an emergency phonecall from a friend of hers asking if she could come over.
She was set up at a family's house for Shabbos & Purim but the baal habatim are ausnutzers that are holding her hostage. She can't wait to get the heck out of there.
They are driving around the whole neighborhood and using the young woman to go to each door to drop off their shalach manos. We live a 15 minute drive away and they refuse to drive her to us. When she asked if she could be driven to the bus stop, they refuse until she finishes dropping off all their shalach manos.
Update:
Even when they are finished with shalach manos they are refusing to drive her to the bus stop which in worst case scenario is 2 minutes and may be as little as a 30 second drive.
Worst year ever for shalach monnos.
I won't name the area but it's one of the wealthiest in the Tri-State.
Bill Clinton would say it's the economy, stupid, but even very wealthy people gave us peklach that are worth less than a dollar.
The common denominator was the 69 cent bottle of mini grape juice, which was the big for sale item in one supermarket here.
Common examples from doctors not affected by the recession were Kedem mini plus single hamantashen or Kedem mini plus apple - with holes in it or other old, rotting fruit.
One of the richest guys in the neighborhood gave a Kedem mini plus a tangerine.
One doctor gave a sample pack of coffee last year with an empty foam cup that was worth between 50 to 75 cents and not yotze the mitzva. This year they gave nothing.
The only redeeming factor was THE absolute wealthiest guy here still gave peklach worth at least $50 but no one else came close.
Considering that we gave peklach worth $5, we should be zoche to be billionaires.
Kollel Bar Yochai moved and the place was taken over by Agudah Toronto South under Rabbi Silver
I know all about these fresser incorporated types of stories.
Let's face it, a lot of us when we were single saw the really ugly side of some people in the community. We would indeed get set up at homes for Shabbos where the people were nothing but bahaymos mit shmoyna begodim.
One real traumatic event for me was when I got stuck one Shabbos by a lowlife faker baal habos in Monsey who wears a yeshivishe lange rekel. They sit around bashmutzing the gantze shtot with loshon horah and not one vort of divrei Torah. He was ashamed when I had to sneak in one vort before bentching.
They had another guest there for shabbos who was a family friend. They suggested that I drive the guest to the overnight summer camp she was about to start on Sunday. When I said it was a big detour and I would not have time, the reptilians popped out of their human skin with looks that could kill and raised their voices at me that I have no choice in the matter but to drive her to camp.
Considering that we gave peklach worth $5, we should be zoche to be billionaires.
Did I miss out on a Siman in Oruch Chaim? Where does it say how much shalach monos has to be to be yotzeh the mitzvah or to be zoche to ashirus? I thought that you had to give enough for the receipient to be yotze seudah - oh what a ignoramus I must be. Because in the past 25 Purims, where I've been a chiyuv, I think I have never received a single shalach manos which would be yotze. I gave out 7 shalach monos to be yotze. I usually give out more in matanos l'evyonim anyway.
I guess I get a putz lable, eh.
http://www.bhol.co.il/news_read.asp?id=15558&cat_id=2
yotzei the mitzva is two minim and it's not clear if ground coffee is a min of food. it's an added hidur to see to it that it's something to make a seudah out of.
personally, i would be ashamed to give a peckel worth less than a dollar to people. I would rather give at least one decent one and then not give at all.
Also in that same alleyway but going north to Glengrove was the old Tosher cheder where the rebbeim beat the bucherim black and blue.
There are people on your shaloch manot list who genuinely appreciate that 69 cent bottle of grape juice (Kedem is the best grape juice in the world). Don't belittle the value of a real human gesture. The simple truth is that it's the thought that counts. The fact that some folks take the effort to drop something off at my place is more important than what's in the bag.
UOJ, answer this or forever hold your peace!
Why the fuck is Kol Yaakov still accredited by the holy aarts accreditation commision when Tropper was allowed free reign for god know how long?
Why the fuck is the Gerrer Mesivta still accredited by the holy aarts accreditation shysters when Leizerowitz jiggled his balls and got off on countless young teen boys?
Why the fuck is Fakewood still accredited by the holy aarts accreditation shysters when they allowed so many molesters to drop anchor and peddle wares in the town (i.e. Kolko)?
Why the fuck is Bobov still accredited by the holy aarts accreditation shysters when Shlomo Hafner was covered for and his disabled victim was the one run out of town?
Why the fuck is Satmar still accredited by the holy aarts accreditation fraudsters when they con victims of rape and molestation into waiting till after the statute of limitations?
Why has no one gone after the accreditation commitee members to expose the dirt on them?
Don't give me your too busy!
When you called me to action I went. I'm calling you here to do more than what you have done till now. As the saying goes when you need something done ask someone who is always busy. Only they get things done. Cowards and lazy/crrupt asses always have reasons and excuses why they cant do it. You have shown what you're made off and that you get things done a la the roter rooter. Do it!
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprah-Talks-to-Child-Molesters-Part-1-Video/topic/oprahshow
And see the one on parental molestation. Required watching for everyone of childbearing age. Fat Margo should have this as the only thing runing on his jail cell tv.
Ronnie, it's all relative.
Imagine Detroit's Gary Torgow giving his next door neighbors shalach monnos worth 84 cents.
Ronnie, it's all relative.
Imagine Detroit's Gary Torgow giving his next door neighbors shalach monnos worth 84 cents.
Frankly, if the Torgow's sent over a homemade kugel I'm sure the gesture would be appreciated. Alternatively, if Gary and Malke sent a small bottle of grape juice and a small Zeman's hamentash to each and every family on the WOL list, I think that would be a cooler way to do the mitzvah than spending the same amount of money on a smaller number of people.
Of course, it's Gary and Malke's money, and they can spend it on mitzvahs the way that they want.
I was once talking to a friend who's a top level risk manager and a multimillionaire. At the time his kids were all in days schools and yeshivas and he was spending something like $60K a year on tuition. So I said, "And they expect you to make donations too, right?" and he laughed ruefully.
Maybe I'm just not materialistic enough to care how fancy free food is.
There's a mitzvah instructing judges to not favor either a rich man or a poor man. Why put social obligations on the wealthy?
Somehow these posts have veered off from the important issue of child molestation....and how Shimon Grama could get away with such a thing along with the other "orthodox" Rabbis who are emotionally scarring our children for life.
Somehow we have veered off from the incredibly distressing problem of child molestation in our community. How are we allowing "orthodox" people like Shimon Grama to repeatedly, year after year, get away with sexually abusing our children and emotionally scarring them for life. Because that is what child sexual abuse does....it scars a person so deeply and negatively effects almost all areas of their lives.
I am using the term child sexual abuse instead of molestation, because I feel like molestation softens what really happens to our children. And that's what society likes to do....soften the atrocities so it won't be so painful to hear. But, the truth is people like Shimon Grama touch our children in their most private areas and make our children touch them and G-d knows what else.
Society has a history of wanting to ignore child sexual abuse because it is too hard to accept that an adult would do such a thing to little, innocent children or to impressionable teenagers. This is usually done by looking the other way. We can't afford to continue looking the other way....our future as a community depends on not looking away. It's time to break the cycle of child sexual abuse!
Mr. Sir Vivor:
The non-profit accreditation agency of the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools , or otherwise known at AARTS, is a New York based agency recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation. There are around 60 programs of the Rabbinical and Talmudic studies that boast the accrediting seal of AARTS.
AARTS is an independently run organization, made up of experts in the field of Rabbinical and Talmudic training, which sets educational standards in the field throughout the country. There are both undergraduate and graduate programs that fall under the spell of the association's accrediting wand. All of these programs must meet set standards in education, finance and graduate requirements in order to be considered for accreditation.
In the field of Rabbinical and Talmudic education the association sees itself as both a gatekeeper and a historical authority. They aim to hold traditional thought in a modern world through balance of the old and new.
Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation.
Read the above carefully - it's the same reasoning that allows, year after year, judges to be reelected without any public vetting. Because the political houses of ill-repute and their pimp masters don't allow you to vet them. Here too, the "experts" are hand-picked from the very mosdos that they are examining. It's called corruption and it's not limited to AARTS.
Can we have a petition to sign asking the Dept. of Education and the Council for Accreditation to revoke AARTS's powers?
A strongly written letter coming from ORTHODOX JEWS demanding such accountality would certainly get a lot of press coverage.
And it would bring coverage to all the sexual abuse allowed to go on in our "institutions of higher learning" such as Ner Yisroel, Ger, Satmar, YULA, Torah Tmimah, Lakewood, etc. Ayn Bayis Asher Ayn Sham Meys.
If at all successful it would threaten the heilige Rosh Yeshivas more than ten Markey Bills because the accreditation means big bucks for all our "lifeblood institutions" as Shafan and Zweibel would say.
What a Kiddush Hashem.
Who wants to draft the letter?
UOJ, will you post it as a petition and lets see how many people we can get, here, by Shmarya, and from emailing all of our friends.
Otherwise we have a system in which the U.S. federal government is sponsoring school that promote child sexual abuse on religious grounds. How is this different than Islamic terrorist schools? Or David Korush cult schools? Or Mormon polygamist schools?
I really don't see a difference and I think we can make the case with a petition and a letter sent to these federal agencies and repored in the press, so that the American People will not want their tax dollars going to support abuse of innocent children.
Bilaam's Ass notes on Orthodoxy; explain this-
The prior sages of the generations are called sofrim {"scribe (s)," and "they who count"} they counted all the letters of the Torah. They said: a Vav of the word ga'chon (Lev; 11:42) is the middle of (all) the Tora's letters; the words daarosh daarash (Lev: 11:16) are the middle of (all) the words; the verse 'Vahitgalach...' (Ibid: 13:33) is the middle of (all) the verses."
Bavli Kidushin: 30a
Yet take any modern Torah scroll to count and you will find: The middle letter of the Torah is actually an aleph of the word Hu in Lev; 8:28. (you can easily do this with some of Bar Illans software I am told...)
1. Thus Hu is actually 93 Pasukim- verses distant from Kiddushins' Lev 11:42, where the word Gahon (Lev 11:42) makes its only appearance in a Torah scroll spelled gimel-het-vav-nunn sofit, as claimed by Kiddushin 30a.
Implications:
2. The distance of these two letters is 4829 letters - a massive difference of 4829 letters between the ancient Sages' Torah scrolls and ours. note: In Laws of safrut or kriah, reading- but one letter is enough to invalidate an entire torah.
3. The middle verse of our Torah is "Vayasem alav et hachoshen... vulu" (Leviticus 8:8). Its distance from bavlis kiddushin "Vahitgalach..." is 164 pasukim, verses. Must we therefore conclude that there are 164 verses of our Torah was different the Torah the ancient Sages had? Could they have contained a lot of important laws, information and details which could completely change the meaning of a Tora's text?
4. Also in Bavli's Kid 30a the Gemara brings a Tannaitic statement that there are 5888 verses in the Torah - an even pasuk number in which no single odd pasuk, verse could be called "the middle of the verses" of the Torah?
I have done a very thorough study on the issues of ELS (Bible Codes), gematrias and all forms of numerology claims. I have come to the conclusion that Rav Weissmandel zt"l erred in his belief that there is such a code, and firmly believe that all of the above is nonsense and it is forbidden to believe in this utter ridiculous rubbish.
Post a Comment