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
214 comments:
1 – 200 of 214 Newer› Newest»...And I cry for the poor soul who had to write a letter to the editor in the Yated this past week to justify his decision to leave kollel so that he could put food on the table for his family. Since when do we have to ask permission from community members to provide a living for our families? When did we become so low?
I do not cry. My tears have long since finished being shed. Does a patient cry when the surgeon is removing the deadly cancer from his body? No, we rejoice. Rejoice, that there will finally come a time when I can once again be proud to be frum. Be proud of my religion.
UOJ, Chazak Ubaruch
What did Rav Shmuel and Rabbi Levin do?
I think the events we are seeing in the Chardei world, riots in Boro Park chanting, No justice, no peace, Al Sharpton style rhetoric defending terrible behavior, fighting halchakik battles that had been decided decades ago by Rabbonim much greater than we have today, defending a dangerous, deadly Minhag for Brissen contrary to Halacha, banning books that would have been ignored 20 years ago, expelling innocent children from schools for their parent's choices, claiming Israel, of all places, is guilty of a blood libel, either someone is spiking the Kugel, or the Charedi world is in a SERIOUS state of flux.
I think the Charadeim are trying to refuse to accept the FACT that the world has changed drastically in the last 15 years, and their methods can no longer work in such a world. You can no longer keep the outside world outside of the Ghetto. We are all affected by it, and that is unacceptable in their eyes.
The acting out we see is an expression of how endangered the Chardeim think they are. They are truly acting as if they are trapped animals, willing to do ANYTHING to get free, defined in this case as returning to a world in which they could simply close their eyes and society could be ignored.
So when Charedeim and their leaders overreact to issues that seem miniscule, when they cause Chilulai Hashem of proportions we have never seen in our nations history, just remember they are suffering from TCS, Trapped Charadei Syndrome. I don't think the DSM-V manual will list this new disorder, as their offices would be burned down if they tried, but I do believe the "circling the wagon" technique has been tried before in history. The result here will be equally disastrous.
Dag
Finally some action! When you started UOJ, I was so happy. Finally, someone to put these resha'im in their place. Finally someone to expose these filthy lowlifes for who they really are. Finally someone to put Judaism back in the right direction.
Then nothing for weeks. Speculation. Doubt. Misery.
Now we see that you're back and taking no crap from anyone.
Keep it up and realize that you have many more supporters than you realize.
Chazak ubaruch indeed!
The legal community is abuzz with the events about to hit the Orthodox Jews in New York.
Lightning will strike Orthodox Judaism over the next two weeks; the damage will be irreparable, and thousands will leave the fold because of it- for this I cry!
======================
UOJ,
Anyone who leaves the "fold" because of the exposure of frauds posing as rabbis is not an Orthodox Jew but rather the member of a sick cult.
Our religion commands that we fight for justice, protect the weak and expose rodphim like Margulies.
When the dust settles we will be stronger for having finally dealt with this problem.
But, at the end of the day, Surgeon General UOJ, if you cause damage to innocent victims in your pursuit of public humiliations, don't be shocked if you have to answer for your vigilante justice in a higher court someday.
For that, you'll cry.
If only our "leadership" would've let go of the "almighty buck" for a quick moment and took care of this problem and others) pronto (decades ago) UOJ would not have been forced to achieve these results via these means. But arguably, this blog has - and will hopefully continue to - achieve great things; it has opened the eyes of many thousands.
UOJ, I have a hunch that very soon, you'll be "preaching to the choir" because ALL (except Leopold & Co.) will be on your side.
EndUOJ, you talk "a whole lotta sh*t" and your empty words mean zero. Even Lipa is laughing at your naivete...
UOJ
Can you put a hit counter on your blog? A lot of us are curious how many hits you are getting.
The last posts that hit 200-300+ comments make quite a statement.
My hope sincere hope is that in the fallout from all this, the yeshivos and Artscroll start keeping away from the Pinters like they are the plague. Do you people have any idea what's going down on Capitol Hill ? American Banker magazine reported that the Olympia fraud at close to $50 million has Fannie Mae in major hot water with Congress. Fannie was asleep at the wheel which means that you the taxpaying Flatbush neighbors of the Pinter purloiners have to foot the bill to pay back the looted Olympia accounts. My sources tell me the GAO is going over Fannie with a fine tooth comb and there are Senators who want to abolish the federal insurance system and Fannie Mae itself.
For everyone's good I hope the Pinters get put away and they throw away the key.
what made you all of sudden cry now when these things were going on for years?
Can you suggest any good pages (like wiki) that discuss the different types of orthodox jews?
R2K
This is a website run jointly by the NJ State Police & Attorney General to list pedophiles under Megan's Law. Yehuda Oratz is a YTT alumnus who then went to Brisk and Lakewood. For years, cops were looking for someone who was driving around to Wawa & 7-11 stores in Southern New Jersey to expose himself to little kids. Police posters went up all over with a sketch of a frum guy with a yarmulka. He started getting bolder in actually assaulting kids, and expanding his activities to Lakewood itself. Finally, someone got his license plate. Detectives came to Rabbi Yisroel Schenkoelewski, who is a captain with Lakewood police. He couldn't believe that Oratz was the culprit. Oratz developed a shtick for every Shabbos. After laining in shul, he walked over to the Capitol Hotel to find young victims. That made him an easy target for a police sting that put an end to his escapades. The loser came back to yeshiva the day after his arrest as if nothing happened. I do have to credit the Roshei Yeshiva who sent a shlock shamess to inform him that if he shows his face in beis medrash again that he will be physically tossed out. If the direct link doesn't work, you can search under 08701, the Lakewood zip code. Please don't publish my email address.
https://www6.state.nj.us/LPS_spoff/individualResults.jsp?searchsbi=254002C
County: OCEAN
Individual Information Image Date: 04/24/2006
Name: YEHUDA A ORATZ
Sex: Male
Race: White
Height: 5-09
Weight: 160
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
DOB: 04/11/1967 AGE: 39
Tier:
2-Moderate
Date Published: 04/26/2002
Aliases
YEHODA A ORATZ
Distinguishing Marks
None
Address Information
Home
Address 1441 FERNWOOD AVENUE
LAKEWOOD, NJ 08701
Offense and Disposition Information
Offense: ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD
Date of Disposition: 10/22/1997 Place of Disposition: OCEAN
Victims: x - Under13 x - Female
Modus Operandi / Significant Event Details
OFFENDER STALKED HIS VICTIMS BEFORE
ASSAULTING THEM. VICTIMS DID NOT KNOW THE OFFENDER.
Motor Vehicle Information
Year - 1994 Make - CHEVROLET
Model - CORSICA State - NJ
License Plate - WN837K Color - WHITE
Your doing a great chesed.It's high time the establishment that is destroying us is vomited out.
I finally figured out why Margo sold his house to YTT for $1,900,000 and it has nothing to do with trying to judgment proof himself, or scam YTT. It’s a strategy to save money on his taxes.
A developer wants to buy up all the houses at the corner of 18th Avenue and Ocean Parkway to build luxury condos. He already bought the five houses next to Margo’s house, and is going to buy Margo’s as well. Because Margo bought his house so long ago, he probably paid a fraction of what it will sell for, and subject him to a huge capital gain tax. On the sale of a personal residence, one gets to exclude $250,000 of the tax gain if one is single, and $500,000 if one is married. IRC § 121. Since Margo’s wife died in 2005, this was the last year he can file a tax return as married. The developer was probably not ready to close on Margo’s property in 2005, so Margo needed a way to report his gain in 2005.
He saves about $60,000 on this transaction in taxes. By excluding an additional $250,000 in capital gains, he saves $66,900. Federal rate of 15% (long term capital gain) 7.7% New York State and 4.06% New York City. He paid $4,800 in realty transfer fees to the city. He probably paid a couple of grand in legal fees for the extra closing. He still comes out ahead.
Note that he is probably not ripping off YTT on the transaction. For a charity to transfer real property, it needs the approval of the attorney general’s office. It would create a problem with the attorney general’s office. Also, if YTT had no benefit from the transaction, the IRS might deem it a sham transaction and invalidate it fir tax purposes.
It would be relevant to the upcoming litigation against YTT if Oratz was a victim of Yudi Kolko.
Also, if YTT had no benefit from the transaction, the IRS might deem it a sham transaction and invalidate it fir tax purposes.
=========================
Thanks for the in depth analysis. Add this to the long list of questionable transactions between Margulies and his family and Torah Temimah.
VFB:
You omit one point. Margulies and a few of his close buddies have been using Torah Temimah as a laundry for decades. Closer scrutiny will reveal more.
VFB,
Why 55% for 1,900,000?
VFB,
Thanks for your insights. Do you have any information or analysis of on Margo's suspicious transaction at 621 Ditmas that's way below market rate ?
scheinerman, take a hike you low-life shmuck. You shtink from gaivuh.
I've been told that You had the tremendous Zchus to have daven in your Shul this Shabbos one of our Generation's Gedolei Torah and true Emesdeke "Mentchen" Harav Herschel Schacter of Y.U. who was staying by his mechutan, Bill Cohen to attend R' Shumuel Boylan's Sheva Brochos. You saw him and not only did you not announce his presence to your Kehilla, you did not even go over and give Shalom.
Yet you never miss an opportunity to announce and showcase with their "Divrei Torah" either before Mincha or at Shalosh Seudos many two-bit phonys and gelt-fresser chiseler "Rosh-Yeshiva's who come here to from Israel to schnorrer gelt from the Baalabatim.
Shame on You!
a $50M fraud at Fannie Mae is a drop in the bucket, don't get your knickers twisted up in a bit.
A $50M fraud in the heimishe community is quite substantial but nothing we haven't seen before. The real question is when is he going to use the money to build a yeshiva or shul with his name on it.
Instead, Dovid Pfeffer did a beautiful thing by hosting Harav Schacter in his home from 4-5:30 PM Shabbos afternoon.
Harav Schacter gave a scintillating shiur on "Miktzas Ha'yom Ke'Kulo". An SRO crowd was in attendence.
Shame on You!!
Maybe it's hard for Scheinerman to swallow that someone like a visiting R.H.S. knows how to give stimulating shiur. Did he give a heads up to Davidowitz and Stern that he was going to give Rav Hershel the cold shoulder ?
Mr. Boog
While I must agree that Sheieman, is a scumbag, let's remember that Shecter and every other YU "Rabbi" beginning with JJ has perverted the Torah in horrific fashion. Schecter is probobly the most dangerous "Rabbi" around.
scheinerman, take a hike you low-life shmuck. You shtink from gaivuh.
===================
Not Gaivuh, insecurity.
Scheinerman is afraid to speak with someone of Rabbi Herschel Schacter's caliber. His ignorance would be exposed with the firs word he uttered after Shalom Aleichem.
It is of note that Scheinerman was one of the people who went after Kolko years ago only to back off when he was threatened with the loss of his job as a Rabbi. In his distorted view of the world, it was acceptable to cover up the ongoing molestation of innocent children by Kolko and Margulies so that he could become a Rabbi.
What a perverse view of religion this man has. We are fortunate to have him as a living example of what not to aspire to.
<< Do you have any information or analysis of on Margo's suspicious transaction at 621 Ditmas that's way below market rate ? >>
I walked past 621 Ditmas this Shabbos. I am not sure that it is below market rate. It is listed on the realty transfer forms filed with the city as a two family, but it’s a very small two family. Work is being done, and its possible that Margo is converting it to a one family. Given how much work is being done, it might be in poor condition. The fact that it is on Ditmas Avenue, rather than a one-way street also might reduce its value, as people want quiet and are concerned for the safety of children on a busy street.
Where a real estate sales price seems too low, often the buyer passes cash under the table, which doesn’t get reported. However, I doubt that happened here. The sellers have no incentive to underreport the sales price if it’s a personal residence, because as a husband and wife, they get to exclude a capital gain of $500,000, and the sales price was not much more than that. Sometimes cash is passed under the table just because the buyer is sitting on too much cash and has nothing to do with it. Because its unreported, they cannot exactly deposit it at the bank, for fear of creating a record of it that will show up in an audit. However, most people will not agree to underreport the sales price to accommodate a seller, unless they are somewhat shady. I do not know these Nathans, so its not fare to speculate.
anon #-1;
You don't know what you're talking about.
Rav H.S., Rav Jonason Sacks, and others at that yeshiva are some of the finest "no-shtick" Talmidei Chachomim with the correct haskofos extant today.
anon#-2,
insecurity, no doubt. But gaivuh in large doses as well.
The Baalabatim in Flatbush and Kew Gardens know the diamond that Rav Herschel Schacter is by attending his Monday-Wed. evening Shiur.
"It would be relevant to the upcoming litigation against YTT if Oratz was a victim of Yudi Kolko."
No one has an excuse to molest others because he himself was molested. If Oratz happened to not have been molested by Kolko, he could also conveniently pin all the blame on him.
Anonymous said...
Mr. Boog
While I must agree that Sheieman, is a scumbag, let's remember that Shecter and every other YU "Rabbi" beginning with JJ has perverted the Torah in horrific fashion. Schecter is probobly the most dangerous "Rabbi" around.
"Shecter"? Do you mean Aharon Shechter?? If so then I definitely agree with you on that one!
Does anyone know the full story and how it's connected to Leib Pinter ?
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50714F93E5D0C708EDDAC0894DE484D81
TWO JEWELERS SAY GUNMEN SEIZED THEM AND $1 MILLION
By ROBERT D. MCFADDEN
Two brothers who operate a jewelry concern in the midtown diamond district told the police yesterday that they surrendered $1 million in gold and diamonds to kidnappers who blindfolded them, drove them around at gunpoint for hours and threatened to harm their families. Detectives said the brothers' descriptions of the assailants and other details were vague and that little evidence had been found to corroborate the account of terror and robbery. The brothers, Naftali and Israel Bochner, who were not harmed, told of being forced to open four safes at their concern, the National Gold Distributors, at 576 Fifth Avenue, near 47th Street, after the close of business and the departure of other employees Wednesday night. Several staff members reported seeing two men with the brothers at the office, but there were no known witnesses to the robbery or to the abductions of the brothers, who described the two abductors who entered with them only as white men in their 20's, one slightly taller and wearing a blue suit, the other wearing pants and a blue shirt.
May 23, 1986
UOJ,
There's an old post somewhere that claims as follows:
Anonymous said...
KLEIN, SOLOMON ETC.
v.
JOEL KOLKO ET AL
SUPREME COURT
KINGS COUNTY
Index Number: 11965/1993
Why is this case sealed?
In 20 years I have not come across a sealed Kings County case.
Wish we could get a hold of these documents. Sorta like
I'll contact thesmokingun.
15 February, 2006
Is there any truth to this or was it a joke ?
Babba booeey
Pinter may have been a partner in Bochner's business. In any case the families are very close. Bochner told the FBI that he was thrown out of a van in a very odd location. I say odd, because it was just a few feet from Leib Pinter's house. The press went gaga and worked very hard to make a conspiracy case. Prosecutors couldn't prove foul play, but I heard that the insurance carrier refused to recognize the "robbery" as a legitimate claim. Pinter's neighbors may be able to fill you in on the rest. I don't think that Ruben Schron or George Ribowsky will talk but maybe you will have better luck with the Syrians like Jack Shelby of Shmulka Bernstein's or the billionaire, Mr. Sitt.
Most of Pinter's neighbors are Syrian. It's a shame this shmuck settled down here among us, pardon my Yiddish. I feel like tossing a container of rotten babaganoush through his front window.
gedaliah;
you should know. You're part of that clique.
Bochner davens by the Madison shtiebel at R and 28th that's home to various jailbirds and other slippery fish.
Mr. Anonymous
"It's BS. First of all, how could that srory have taken place in Israel if he lives on East 29th Street, and he's lived there for years! So how could he have had girls at his apartment in Israel? Come on"
He used to live in Isreal when he started with Aish.
"Second, asking a girl how far she's gone is not out of line"
It is out of line when you ask the question and your johnson is in your hand.
Second, asking a girl how far she's gone is not out of line.
Stop the press....ARE YOU INSANE????
People who "know" Kolko say he is a "fine guy" too. The conversation Mechanic had with that girl is hardly appropriate and is indicative of a greater problem.
As far as the seminary girl is concerned she had no bone to pick (no pun intended!) with Mechanic, and, as a matter of fact refused to even name him out of fear of lashon hara! My inside source who was very close to her had to coax it out of her. Don't rush to his defense so quickly just because "people who know Mechanic think he's a good guy."
I have other stories involving the youth-at-risk people I'm just not writing about it at this time. The close relationships cultivated – often with the opposite sex - and tactics used to bring kids “closer” is highly questionable. Don't kid yourself. I know a lot about that world. People who choose to help vulnerable (and often sexually active and/or abused) children should be CAREFULLY SCRUTINIZED! Even a mere rumor must be taken very seriously.
To Bal H Bos: saying that Kolko should just run around and clear his name if her were innocent is just plain funny. Do you think that after being called a molester by nameless people on the internet and being publicly humiliated it would be easy to walk around and say - its not true! I'm not a pervert! Should he quit to show he's innocent? but that would be like admitting guilt. Should he wear a sign on his jacket? Should he convene a press conference?
Tell me, how would YOU clear your name if someone accused you of something sick in a public forum in a loaded way. Still beat your wife, eh? No, I'm telling you, I DONT beat my wife! Do you think that would hold water? Could anyone, even the chafetz chaim, were he accused by a minuvel like the dog who runs this blog, have any hopoe of defending himself in any meaningful way? Of course not.
In the modern era, you dont need evidence to ruin someone's name - you just need a keyboard. It doesnt matter whether there are raglayim ledavar or whether you're a saint. You just need one rasha with an ayin ra and a big mouth to pull the garbage that this guy does.
If r' kolko's innocent, his BEST defense is just keeping quiet and ignoring the little loudmouths who fancy themselves askanim because they like writing big online.
Hey big talker OUJ with the small resume - where's the New York magazine article? Could it be that they didn't find enough evidence? They wrote an article on satmar pretty quickly. I'd say the story just ran out of truth.
You say you love judaism? I'd say you liar! you hate jews, since you constantly look for the bad in them. After all, you're little self indulgent kinah here is full of names of good people - even those who might have done bad things - the focus is always on their sins. Do you beleive that they have no merit? that they are entirely bad? That they are completely evil? That R' Belsky shlita is an unreformed criminal? You are the only wholy bad person I can think of in judaism today - because you have no merits, just hatred.
I hope that the people you've attacked here are mochel you, otherwise, there's a really hot seat in gehennim for you.
"Who knows - maybe her parents are angry that she's wearing a denim skirt."
You and the type of people you seem to represent are CRAZY. Do you hear me.....INSANE!!!
Anonymous Kolko defender:
If I were an accused Rebbi, I would convene a Din Torah immediately to clear my name. There is no way in hell Kolko is innocent. Why don't you investigate the matter? Judging by your opinions, you clearly haven't done so.
I heard that shinerman was a shtickle koko himself when he was a rebbi in the mir 20 years ago.
do sum research, uoj......
he is a BAD GUY.
Can everyone please leave me alone!?!?!
I'm trying to write some more books and seforim while I hang out in the Mir office all day and tell them how to run the yeshiva!
Dont you know who I am?
L-E-I-B
P-I-N-T-E-R
C-O-N-V-I-C-T-E-D
C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L
To the anonymous poster who directed his comments to me, welcome back after living in a cave for twenty five years. The Kolko rumors began when the word internet was what separated two teams playing volleyball. Unfortunately your liberal mentality doesn't allow for the understanding that you don't have to believe the rumors per se, but you should consider sterilizing yourself before you have any kids that you'd allow to be alone with that man.
And yes, I would hunt down anyone accusing me of such a heinous crime, or any crime for that matter, knock on their door, and challenge them, face to face, like a man, until they came public in the same fashion they made the accusations after I proved them false. I would take out ads in the JP challenging anyone to come forward because as an innocent I would know no proof exists. Kolko knows the truth. He knows what he's done, and he knows the extent to which he can push his hand (so to speak) to prove his innocense.
Now, Kolko doesn't even have to run around. Let him answer the hazmonos. Shtika k'hoyda'a, I'm pretty sure I heard that once...This isn't some esoteric business deal, this is the worst thing you can ever be accused of. Ever. So where is he hiding? He should be standing on the beis din steps waiting for them to open so he can prove the matter false. Unless he can't.
Simcha Klor will probably self-destruct on his own when he has no student body left, but the Pinter clan is a clear and imminent danger to Klal Yisroel and the entire world. They have to be stopped.
True, these crooked rodfei kovod control yeshivas and shuls in Brooklyn, Lakewood and Maryland and infect Artscroll with hypocritical bobkes. But they are much more sinister than that with all their grubby gnayvos. They are in fact diabolical. Pinter's mechutan Herzel Kranz (who learned in Telz) has been sheltering a man who was caught transfering the know how for weapons of mass destruction to Islamic terrorists. Pakistan is the enabler of Iran, al Qaeda and North Korea.
I assume that by now, Pinter is bored of the scenery at Otisville. He and his entire clan should be in Guantanamo.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_25-5-2004_pg7_1
Rabbi Herzel Kranz who is counseling Karni, has said, “Why would a religious Jew send nuclear weapons parts to a country that hates Israel as much as Pakistan?”
http://www.w3ar.com/a.php?k=863
Court records say Karni used a series of front companies and misleading shipping documents to buy the devices from a Massachusetts company, have them sent through New Jersey to South Africa, then on to the United Arab Emirates and later to Pakistan. What Karni didn't know, a federal officer said in an affidavit, was that authorities had intervened and had the manufacturer sabotage the devices so they couldn't be used.
Pakistani officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the country's nuclear scientists relied on the black market to supply Pakistan's nuclear weapons program and spread the technology to countries such as Iran and Libya. The father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, Abdul Qadeer Khan, and other nuclear scientists are under investigation for possibly breaking Pakistani law.
Hogan ordered Karni to stay at the Hebrew Sheltering Home in suburban Silver Spring, Md., under Rabbi Herzel Kranz's supervision. Karni cannot have a connection to the Internet and must pay for his electronic monitoring device, Hogan ruled.
Karni heads Top-Cape Technology in Cape Town, South Africa, which trades in military and aviation electronic gear.
In his recent statement to federal court, Commerce Department Special Agent James Brigham charged that Karni had an elaborate scheme to try to circumvent U.S. export restrictions to Pakistan and ship the triggers.
Brigham said an anonymous source in South Africa tipped off U.S. authorities and provided shipping details to allow tracking of the devices, plus copies of correspondence to and from Karni.
Spark gaps can be used in machines called lithotripters to break up kidney stones, but even the largest hospital would need only a half-dozen or so, experts say. Large orders raise red flags with nuclear experts.
http://www.ijn.com/archive/2004%20arch/013004.htm#story5
US District Court Judge Thomas F. Hogan in Washington, DC, agreed Jan. 28 to release Asher Karni, an Israeli resident of South Africa, held in Denver on suspicion of shipping nuclear triggers to Pakistan, on $175,000 bail.
Karni must be transferred to the Washington, DC, court to meet the conditions of his release.
However, US immigration authorities have also claimed that Karni violated the law. Karni will need to win bail from them, too, before he is actually released.
He has been held in solitary confinement at a federal facility in Englewood, Colo. It was not clear at press time when he would be transferred to Washington and whether immigration authorities would press their case.
Judge Hogan strongly implied at a Jan. 20 video conference hearing that he would grant bail to Karni if the bail conditions approved by US Magistrate Judge Michael Watanabe in Denver, Jan. 12, were stiffened.
The US attorney in Denver appealed Watanabe's affirmative bail decision to Hogan.
Karni's lawyer Harvey Steinberg proposed to raise the $75,000 bail to $175,000, with the additional money being Karni's own; to waive all rights to extradition, which means that if Karni were to flee to Israel or South Africa, he could automatically be extradited; to reside at a location different from the one originally proposed; and to wear an electronic bracelet.
The court in Washington imposed these conditions and others. Karni will be in the custody of Rabbi Herzel Kranz, who must commit to have someone with Karni 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Karni will reside at the Hebrew Sheltering Home in Silver Spring, Md., except for employment or other activities approved in advance by the pre-trial office. He must maintain a telephone at the Home without any special features, modems, answering machines or cordless telephones.
Hogan wrote in his order: "Based on the Government's proffer of the evidence against Mr. Karni, this Court finds that the weight of the evidence against Defendant is substantial."
Steinberg believes that Karni should win bail from the immigration authorities because, Steinberg says, Karni entered the US legally and could not have committed a crime once here because he was apprehended by federal authorities immediately upon his arrival.
He was arrested Jan. 1 at DIA.
Karni is receiving kosher food in federal prison. His tefilin were taken from him there, then returned.
Why are all these bad people saying such bad things about Rabbi Pinter?
He is only doing these things to support Toirah and B'nai Toirah.
We should say tehillim b'rabbim that the reshoyim should leave him alone.
The Pinter and Bochner wives think they are the baronesses of high society. Well pooh-pooh on them. They are not even the dirt under the fake fingernails of us here at Frankels shul.
Don't forget that Moshe Pinter and Hertzel Kranz are also on Jack Abramoff's payroll. Keep following the Senate hearings and Leib will no doubt pop up as well.
How is Rabbi Hoberman connected to Pinter ?
Someone should speak to Schottenstein and Tisch to get the Pinter scumbags out of Artscroll.
Is Moshe Pinter that guy Shomrim is looking for for stealing wallets in the mikva?
You are a bunch of Flatbush hicks.
I snookered the banks out of billions of dollars and I never had to wear striped pj's in the klink as a guest of Her Majesty the Queen.
I built up my reputation as being a genteel, Eurpean businessman. The media ate it up. A word is a word. The Reichmann's only had to shake hands and it was a good as a contract.
To quote from The Reichmann's by Anthony Bianco - page 308.
From time to time in interviews, Reichmann would extol the superiority of the yeshiva over the university and business schools as a training ground for business. "With the Talmud you have texts written two,three thousand years ago, with each generation adding is own commentaries," he observed. "In general studies, law or engineering, for example, a student usually ends up specializing. The Talmudic student doesn't have that luxury. We must deal with a multitude of subjects, none is ever exhausted." The Reichmann brothers, a reporter once noted,"consider the rigors of ancient Hebrew law better business training than a Harvard MBA." Declared Paul: "My nine-year-old son can discuss civil and real estate law with me as a result of his talmudic studies." Even Albert Reichmann, who had never attended yeshiva, got into the act. "When you learn the Talmud." he proclaimed, "you learn everything."
We bought all kinds of stuff with the banks money like Abitibi-Price, Gulf Canada, Hiram Walker Rsesources.
How about this on page 464.
In August 1985, when disgruntled public officials leaked word of the massive tax write-off permitted Olympia & York through the the dubious mechanism of the Little Egypt Bump, a furor erupted in Parliament. John Turner the leader of the Liberal opposition, blasted the granting of a $1 billion tax break to one of the richest families in Canada.
Reichmann reacted with muted indignation, issuing a press release pointing out that Olympia & York's tax saving would amount not to $1 billion but to $500 million over five years.
Then we hired the deputy finance minister Mickey Cohen who gave us the favourable ruling.
We stuck the banks with about $12 billion in bad loans.
Everyone felt bad for us because we gave alot of tzedakah and we were machzik Torah.
We're still in business and everyone still wants to be meshadech with us.
Try to beat that.
Paul
Get anywhere near the Pinters and they are capable of stealing a lot more than your wallet.
Who are the reshoyim? Only UOJ knows for sure.
What an ignorant and vicious post to smear Reichmann. Instead of focusing on the bad guys why are you dragging Reichmann through the mud ? If you read up on ALL the old articles you will see that the O&Y bankruptcy was forced on them after they were stabbed in the back by the British government who promised to build a rail link to Canary wharf. Reichmann overextended himself on that project which collapsed after the Brits reneged on the promise. The project was not viable unless there was a way to transport office workers to the buildings. Under British bankruptcy laws, the government took possession of the development. How convenient. Just for your info, your anti-Reichmann crusading hero John Turner is one of the biggest failures in political history who resigned in disgrace when his own party was geared to remove him as leader.
We need to analyze what would prompt Pinter, Kolko and Margo to do such terrible things. I think they need some serious professional help. Are they seeing anyone ?
*********URGENT*****URGENT*********
ALL GOD FEARING JEWS SHOULD PLEASE CONTACT THE MIRRER YESHIVA AND DEMAND THAT THEY NOT ALLOW THIS SCUM-BAG PRICK LEIB PINTER INTO THEIR OFFICES. THE PHONE NUMBER IS 718-645-0536
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS MR. PINCHOS HECHT. DO NOT LET HIM BUL-SHI* YOU THAT PINTER DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE YESHIVA ANYMORE! HE "RUNS" THE SCHOOL.
[This is not surprising anymore. YTT has Margo & Cocoa...The Mir has Pinter.]
Mr. Anonymous,
Thanks for defending me. You probably get all your news from the Yated/Hamodia and reading the book would be too difficult because it has too many words in small print and doesn't have a proper hechsher of the badatz of your denomination.
How about a book burning by the Klausenberger Rebbe?
Maybe not, the book talks about how I was pallsy-wallsy with his father.
Maybe someone could put Anthony Bianco in cherem for me?
What does John Turner's failure as Liberal leader have to do with my shafting the Canadian public?
Did you read the book? The banks were throwing money at me without doing the proper legwork.
Ask my old buddy Donald Fullerton at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce how he resented me for ruining his retirement.
Page 630 - "CIBC had effectively sanctioned the company's exemption from standard disclosure requirements."
".. Reichmann would have to step aside as president of Olympia & York, for he had destroyed the last shreds of his credibility with his continuing reluctance to fully open the company's books."
We ran it like a yeshiva.
Keep up the good fight,
Paul
"The Mir has Pinter"
Pinter didn't have anything to do with them until he had to find a 9th grade rebbe job for his son. All of a sudden he's Leib Pinter, Mirrer fundraiser extraodinaire.
Why should I be put in cherem?
Click on my web page for an article in Businessweek. This will save you the trouble of buying the book.
Tony Bianco
Hi. My name is Mordecai Richler. I was famous in Canada. Now I'm dead but you can still read my review about the Reichmanns.
By the way my mother's father was Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg who made up the Golem stories and plagiarized Arthur Conan Doyle. Enough about me and my yichus.
February 9, 1997
Serving Both God and Mammon
By MORDECAI RICHLER
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
How the Reichmanns, yeshiva-educated and ultra-Orthodox, built an empire and then lost billions
In the 1980's, their halcyon years, the ultra-Orthodox Reichmann brothers -- led by the supremely confident Paul, his judgment once reckoned to be infallible -- were sitting atop a family nest egg estimated to exceed $10 billion. Sole proprietors of the largest property company in Western history, they were ranked among the world's 10 richest families, only a hop and a skip behind the British royals, who enjoyed the advantage of a bit of a head start. Even so, as Anthony Bianco reports in ''The Reichmanns: Family, Faith, Fortune, and the Empire of Olympia & York,'' most of them continued to live modestly in a far from fashionable Toronto suburb favored by Orthodox Jews. They built the 72-story First Canadian Place in Toronto, went on from there to New York to create the World Financial Center, and then mortgaged their bundle, betting everything on a grandiose idea ahead of its time, the multibillion-dollar development of Canary Wharf on a stretch of abandoned docklands on the Thames.
For a time, the yeshiva-educated Reichmanns were the stuff of legend. Their word, it was said, was their bond. They wore yarmulkes everywhere, ate only glatt kosher and, at considerable cost, shut down their construction sites during the Sabbath and the Jewish religious festivals -- a total of 64 to 65 days of the year. Impressed Presbyterian brokers in Toronto were reported to be spending their lunch hour studying Talmud in the hope of cracking the Reichmanns' secret. (For instance, in 1977 the Reichmanns acquired eight New York City skyscrapers for a cash outlay of a mere $46 million. A decade later, those properties were worth about $3 billion.)
And they did have a secret. If they had cracked a biblical injunction, enabling them to prove enormously efficacious at serving both God and mammon, it was with a little help from the Supreme Architect, who had been quick to show His displeasure with the Tower of Babel. In the 1980's, Paul confided to a young relative, Morris Brenick: ''What multiplied my initial success by a factor of a hundred had nothing to do with my own efforts. It was God's will that I was successful on such a scale.''
The humble egg was the rock on which the family fortune was founded. Back in Beled, Hungary, in the 1920's, Samuel Reichmann just about cornered the egg market, selling to Austria, Germany and England. Ironically, the resolutely Orthodox Samuel, who loathed Godless Communism, owed his early wealth not to the Almighty's favor but to Bolshevik-induced chaos. Traditionally, Russian exporters controlled the European egg market, but, following war and revolution, they were no longer up to the job. Samuel stepped into the breach.
Truly rich before the Depression began, the perspicacious Samuel moved the family out of Hungary in the early 1930's, beginning the peregrinations that took them to the International Zone of Tangier in 1940, where the Reichmann history becomes somewhat murky. Samuel, already conversant with international currency deals, became a money changer, playing the market with such elan that he was said to have accumulated $20 million in nine years. His name turned up in a number of raw O.S.S. reports, possibly unreliable, that purported to implicate him in trafficking with the Germans. Anthony Bianco doubts the veracity of these charges, but does allow that Samuel did considerable business with the notorious Albert Grebler, who was blacklisted by the Allies for dealing with Nazi Germany. ''Reichmann's unholy association with Albert Grebler continued well into the 1950's,'' he writes, ''long after his family's financial security had been assured.''
In Tangier, it was the dominant family matriarch, Renee, who, with the help of her daughter, Eva, cajoled Franco's officials into issuing protective visas to Jews in Nazi-occupied Budapest, helping to save several thousand lives. Renee also sent tens of thousands of food parcels, under the aegis of the Spanish Red Cross, to the inmates of Auschwitz and other concentration camps. The mind boggles. I certainly do not recall Primo Levi or Eli Wiesel ever writing, Oh boy, it's Thursday, and this afternoon those SS charmers will be distributing food parcels from Renee Reichmann. One day during a lull in the packing, a troubled Sephardic youth did confront Mrs. Reichmann: ''What's the use? Do you really think the Germans will allow the Jews to eat?'' Mrs. Reichmann replied, ''If just one Jew eats the chocolate, I am satisfied.'' And nearly 50 years later, Isaac Klein, who had been in the slave labor camp of Kaupfering during the last months of the war, did remember receiving a food parcel that could have come from Tangier. Other parcels, he said, were distributed to the women in the camp.
Paul has been notably quick to defend his mother's honor -- once, memorably, while pursuing a libel suit against Toronto Life magazine, which had published an article about the Reichmanns full of innuendoes about their Tangier years (and which later apologized after an out-of-court settlement). But on another occasion he seemed ambivalent about her commanding nature, incidentally revealing a rare flash of humor. Renee succeeded Samuel as head of Olympia & York. A few years after her death in 1990, Paul recalled that Prince Charles had stopped by Olympia & York's office in London to inspect the scale models of Canary Wharf. ''I understand that your mother is the chairman of your company,'' he said. ''How does that work for you?'' In lieu of disclosing his reply to Mr. Bianco, Paul Reichmann observed, ''You could say we had the same problem.''
In the mid-1950's the Reichmanns quit the balmy Tangier honeypot for the tundra, arriving in Canada with a rumored $30 million and settling in both Montreal and Toronto, where they established floor- and wall-tile companies. (Olympia & York was not created until 1964.) The eldest brother, Edward, at once the only flamboyant Reichmann and the least successful, chose Montreal, but failed to understand the belle province. When he bought the Canadian branch of Pilkington's Glass from Lord Pilkington in 1961, he decided it should be renamed in deference to the growing militancy of French Canadian separatists. So he dubbed it Maple Leaf Ceramics, unaware that, insofar as the separatists were concerned, he was now brandishing in their faces the hated symbol of what they saw as the conqueror's flag.
I am not qualified to fault the accuracy of Mr. Bianco's take on the Reichmanns' Tangier, New York or London years, but in each case he strikes me as fair-minded, as well as commendably knowledgeable about recherche Jewish religious matters. However, his Canadian pages are tainted by boners small and large. Montreal is not ''the separatist capital of Canada,'' and did in fact vote against separation in the 1995 referendum, the second in what promises to be a continuing series. In the mid-1950's the Jews of Montreal were no longer ''scattered along the length of'' Boulevard St. Laurent (not St. Lawrence Boulevard, as he has it), but had moved on to the suburbs of Cote St. Luc, Hampstead and Ville St. Laurent. Allan E. Gotlieb, our former Ambassador to Washington, spells his name with one ''T,'' not two. Far from supporting the aspirations of French Canadians ''as unobtrusively as possible,'' the Jews of Montreal, who have always identified with the English-speaking community, fear the new nationalism. Thousands have quit the city, and those who have stayed on remain resolutely federalist. And while there was an infamous ''national socialist party'' in Germany, there isn't one in Canada. Our social democrats call themselves the New Democratic Party (NDP).
The Reichmanns have been prodigiously generous to their fellow ultra-Orthodox. They have lavished hundreds of millions on yeshivas in Israel, Canada and the United States. But they did not endear themselves to Canada at large when they took advantage of an arcane tax loophole (the ''Little Egypt Bump,'' named after a Chicago stripper) in their $2.8 billion purchase of Gulf Canada in 1985. The tax break, which saved them $500 million, led to questions in Parliament. The Tory Government's Deputy Minister of Finance, Marshall (Mickey) Cohen, who had monitored the sweetheart deal, was hired by the Reichmanns two months later. Whether the timing, Mr. Bianco writes, was ''an example of naivete or Machiavellian calculation remained open to debate. . . . At a minimum, Cohen and Reichmann had flouted proscriptions against the appearance of conflict of interest.''
Anthony Bianco, a senior writer at Business Week and the author of ''Rainmaker,'' a biography of the former Wall Street deal maker Jeff Beck, spent four years working on ''The Reichmanns.'' The usually reclusive Paul Reichmann granted him five long interviews, and he was helped by other family members, but the result is far from hagiography, if that's what the hypersensitive family expected. If it was once said of the Reichmanns that their word was their bond, Mr. Bianco writes, as the empire crumbled not even Paul's signature was his bond. ''In his increasingly desperate efforts to save Olympia & York from bankruptcy while maintaining his domination of the company, Reichmann dissembled and connived in ways that left all sorts of people feeling ill-used, including many of Olympia & York's most valued employees.''
''The Reichmanns,'' a nicely balanced study, tells you everything you want to know, and then some, about the family's convoluted real estate deals, but Paul Reichmann, a man charged with contradictions, remains an enigma. He lost Canary Wharf in 1993, as well as the family's immense natural resource holdings, in what was arguably the largest corporate bankruptcy in Canadian history. Then in 1995 he regained a toehold on the project, and now owns 5 percent of it. Mr. Bianco concludes on a grace note of sorts. He says Paul Reichmann ''appears now to have a decent chance of going down in history not as the Man Who Blew $10 Billion but the Man Who Blew $10 Billion and Changed the Face of London.''
All this trouble from Pinter, Kolko and Margo means you guys need help from the big boys. As one of the only people capable of pinning down even Margo, just give me a holler anytime. These shmucks need a "sit down". After I sit on them you wont be hearing from them anymore.
I'm sorry for intruding. I'm not part of the Jewish tribe but I gave a speech about the Reichmanns in 1993. I know, I must be a closet Anti-Semite. No letter-bombs please.
Peter Foster Author, Towers of Debt
UNRAVELLING THE MYTH
Chairman: Robert L. Brooks
President, The Empire Club of Canada
Introduction
Seven years ago, today's guest, Mr. Peter Foster, wrote these words: The Reichmanns have become victims of their own success in a uniquely Canadian way; they have been encouraged by a financial and political system that loves size and indulges those with talent and chutzpah to the point of folly. It is the Canadian corporate equivalent of the Peter Principle. It might even be called the Paul Principle. As corporate executives tend to be promoted to the level of their incompetence, so Canadian companies in a prevailing climate of mega-loans and economic nationalism tend to expand to the point of self-destruction.
It remains to be seen if they proceed, like Dome Petroleum, to the point of a financial trauma so great that it threatens to bring down the banking system. With perhaps twice Dome's overall debt load, they certainly have the potential.
As a banker, why is it that I so suddenly feel the need of a sword to fall on?
Perhaps it is because Mr. Foster is a relative newcomer to Canada, having emigrated here from England in 1976, that he seems to have had insights into the Reichmann family that others--notably some of us in the banking industry--lacked. But having garnered more than a dozen writing awards since beginning his career here with The Financial Post, it is clear that his insights are not limited to the Reichmanns alone.
His first book, The Blue-eyed Sheiks, has been called the most readable account of Calgary's wildcatters and energy barons yet written. Mckapitalism, his story about Moscow's McDonald's, which appeared in Canadian Business, recently won the 1992 Canadian National Magazine Award for best business article.
But it is his newest work, a revised and updated version of the Reichmann saga entitled Towers of Debt, that brings him here today. Depending on what he says in the next few minutes, I'll either rush out to buy a copy when it hits the book stores this Saturday, or start considering early retirement.
In the introduction to The Master Builders, his first book about the Reichmanns published in 1986, Mr. Foster asked:
Had growth led to a change in-indeed forced a change on-the way the Reichmanns did business? Had Paul Reichmann perhaps become the victim of his own success? Or was it, perhaps, that the Reichmanns had never been equal to the mythology that had grown around them?
I'm sure we'll all enjoy hearing him answer those questions today. Please join me in welcoming our distinguished guest.
Peter Foster
Almost exactly a year ago, Olympia and York was forced out of the commercial paper market when investors--spooked by rumours of default--refused to roll their paper over. When a small company runs out of money, it goes bankrupt. When a large company does so, it has a restructuring. Everybody attempts to keep the music playing and resist the urge to dive for one of the too few remaining chairs.
The question I shall address today is how and why--in the broadest sense--did this happen?
In one way, the answer is simple. Real estate has witnessed a devastating collapse. Olympia and York was the world's largest private real estate developer. It was engaged in one of the world's most ambitious projects, at Canary Wharf in London. It was borrowed up to the hilt. Having risen so high, it inevitably had the farthest to fall.
But the question is: How did it rise so high? It is here that we begin to deal with the most fascinating aspect of this sad story. The Reichmann Myth. It Is here that we have to examine an extraordinary man and his extraordinary relationship, both with his bankers and the media.
It was traditionally a matter of family loyalty to speak of the Reichmann brothers--Ralph, Albert and Paul--as equal partners in O and Y. In fact, Ralph, the youngest brother, remained primarily involved with their original tile business, while Albert, the eldest, although acknowledged as a fine developer, was essentially a sounding board and perhaps a moderating influence on the real mastermind and driving force behind O and Y's rise and fall: Paul Reichmann.
I say at the beginning of my book that Paul Reichmann was always easier to describe than fathom. A tall, stooped, sombre figure, always dressed in dark suits, he reminded me of an undertaker. His courtesy and modesty were certainly appealing traits.
He once expressed apparent surprise that the media should be interested in him. After all, he and his brothers were just your regular old single-generation multibillionaires.
Paul always spoke softly, with an almost labyrinthine speech pattern which reflected the complexity of his thinking. Some of his own employees used to carry tape recorders into meetings so that they could, afterwards, bend with knitted brows to decipher their master's voice.
When we write of corporate moguls, we often concentrate on the superficial aspects of their characters, and on their so-called lifestyles. But the Reichmanns did not live anything in which Robin Leech would be interested.
They reputedly relaxed on the Sabbath with the Talmud. They didn't buy yachts or hockey teams; they didn't get involved in messy divorces. The only thing that raised Paul Reichmann's pulse, reputedly, was walking.
What Conrad Black called Paul Reichmann's "rabbinical inaccessibility" seemed all the more astonishing when set against his business achievements. If there was a Reichmann Myth, it was certainly based on solid ground.
The Reichmanns came to Toronto in the mid to late 1950s from the more exotic locale of Tangier, fleeing, as they had done throughout their lives, political unrest. They had a small tile importing business and stumbled into real estate development when they decided to build a new warehouse for themselves.
From there they expanded their operations until, in the early 1970s, they undertook First Canadian Place. The project put them both on the map and into The Guinness Book of Records.
But it was the purchase, in 1977, of eight New York skyscrapers for $320 million (U.S) that led to the transition from mere reputation to mystique.
New York City had been facing commercial default. There was widespread fear that it might go up in flames. Literally. The Reichmanns made their purchase at what turned out to be the bottom of the market. Henceforth, the multiplication in value of those buildings provided not merely the collateral base against which O and Y could expand, it led to a belief that the Reichmanns were magic men, who somewhere within their modest baggage carried a corporate crystal ball.
The reputation was further burnished when, in the early 1980s, Paul Reichmann, in the face of considerable scepticism, pulled off the development of the huge World Financial Centre in lower Manhattan. The project drew both rave reviews from architectural critics, and lots of high-profile tenants, such as American Express and Merrill Lynch.
O and Y appeared to weather the 1981-82 recession as if it wasn't there. Or at least they successfully created that impression. As a result, to the crystal ball was added another mythical attribute: deep pockets. The question was what would Paul Reichmann do next?
I first became intrigued by the Reichmann mythology in 1985--when the brothers took over Gulf Canada. Because of a tax break--picturesquely known as the "little Egypt bump," which was worth more than $500 million and the fact that Petrocan, where empire building had always taken precedence over value for money, bought $1 billion worth of assets that the Reichmanns didn't want, Canadian taxpayers wound up paying as much for the Reichmanns to take over Gulf as the Reichmanns did.
The Gulf takeover could hardly have been worse timed. Early in 1986, the price of oil collapsed. And yet, instead of regrouping, almost immediately Gulf was pushed by Paul Reichmann into staging an assault on Hiram Walker resources. I studied these takeovers closely and decided that there were some problems with the Reichmann mythology.
Both deals showed that Paul Reichmann and his lieutenants were obsessively tough negotiators who never left a dime on the table. Paul Reichmann had claimed he would never carry out a hostile takeover, and disliked using lawyers. In fact, Hiram Walker turned out to be both hostile and extremely litigious.
I wrote an earlier book on the Reichmanns, entitled The Masterbuilders, in which I expressed these concerns. I noted that getting to the heart of the Reichmann Empire was a little like reaching the end of the yellow brick road. When you drew back the curtain, there was just one man pulling the levers. This was both intriguing and frightening.
The final chapter of my book was entitled The Paul Principle. I put forward the proposition that Paul Reichmann was in danger of being elevated by an enthusiastic banking system to the point of self-destruction. No bankers, it seems, read the book.
One of the reasons for concern was that I had written a previous book on the debacle of Dome Petroleum, when Jack Gallagher and Bill Richards, having been deemed by bankers to have the magic touch, were henceforth given enough financial rope with which to hang themselves.
At the time, there was a great deal of talk and writing about the somewhat vague supposed dangers of corporate concentration. In fact, the dangers of concentration and conglomeration relate not to those of excessive corporate power--whatever that may be--but to lack of competence. And yet the Reichmann Myth remained intact. Indeed, perhaps its height was reached when Paul Reichmann was announced to have had himself appointed to a special exploration committee of the board of Gulf Canada. The crystal ball, presumably, was assumed to have a seismic device attached.
People seemed to imagine that Paul Reichmann would go to the map and mark the spot where oil might be found. The mystique was certainly a key factor in peddling more than $500 million of Gulf equity in 1987. But it wasn't just the essentially more gullible equity market that clamoured to put up cash.
J. P. Morgan once said that the most important consideration in providing credit is the character of the borrower. It stood to reason that anybody regarded not only as more upright than mere mortals but also financially superhuman should have the vaults opened to him.
Paul Reichmann once confided to one of his bankers that he had unlimited funds available to him. This message was designed both to impress and frighten the banker. Bankers like to lend primarily to people who don't need money, so lending to Paul Reichmann was the banker's dream. But then again, anybody with unlimited credit might choose not to borrow from your particular bank--the banker's nightmare.
Paul Reichmann was as skilful at dealing with bankers as he was at dealing with the press. If a banker was too inquisitive about the precise depth of the pockets, he might return to his office to find that Paul Reichmann had taken terrible action: he had repaid his loan! For Paul Reichmann to repay a loan was, at one time, a mark of abject failure on the part of a banker.
It would be a parody to suggest that the banks merely handed out money to O and Y willy-nilly, but the financial structuring of the Reichmann's empire was such that money was often raised against particular assets, with a guarantee given by the mother company. To ask to look into the mother company's pockets would, of course, have been impolite.
In the end, Paul Reichmann's character--in the J. P. Morgan sense--became a self-feeding phenomenon. He had to be the dream credit. Otherwise why were they all lending so much money to a man who wouldn't show them his books? And if they were content with less than full disclosure, that was hardly Paul Reichmann's fault.
The media played a critical part in perpetuating the mythology. Back in 1982, when things were surely very tight, Paul Reichmann "came clean," revealing that O and Y's net worth was $5 billion. Fortune obligingly printed the figure. As late as 1991, the Reichmanns were prominent in both the Forbes and Fortune lists of billionaires. The most monstrous misreading of their fortune came in May, 1992, when, at the end of a week in which Paul Reichmann had been fighting for his financial life at Canary Wharf, The Sunday Times declared the Reichmanns to be worth $15.6 billion.
Where can they have come up with these figures? We can only assume that they were being released from sources within O and Y, whose view of reality was, to say the least, optimistic.
How did things go so terribly wrong? The answer lay partly in Paul Reichmann's desire for ever-bigger challenges. Canary Wharf seemed to more than fit the bill.
The Reichmanns had once before undertaken development in London in the early 1970s. They'd put up a small building in Kensington. Such were the frustrations of the stratified and sclerotic British mode of construction, that the project took the same time to put up as First Canadian Place. The Reichmanns decided they wanted no part of the British Disease.
However, by the mid-1980s, Maggie Thatcher appeared to be in the process of changing all that with her "enterprise culture." In 1981, she'd created the London Docklands Development Corporation to revitalize the derelict stretches of land downstream from the city. In 1985, some American bankers came up with the idea of building a new financial centre at Canary Wharf, a plot of land set within a bend of the Thames known--now somewhat ironically--as the Isle of Dogs, about 2-1/2 miles east of the Tower of London.
Paul Reichmann took over this already ambitious plan, to build a British Wall Street on the Water, and made it even more ambitious, to build the heart of a whole new third business district in London which would do nothing less than shift the city's gravitational centre.
The deal was not based simply on ego. At the time, following the so-called Big Bang of financial deregulation in 1986, the arteries of the City of London were clogged. Its buildings were badly out of date. Just as he had with the World Financial Centre in New York, Paul Reichmann hoped to create an address by offering top-quality, sophisticated buildings at lower than city rents.
It's easy, with hindsight, to see his miscalculations. First there was a traditional reluctance on the part of financiers to move from the square mile. Second, Paul Reichmann didn't see the implications of a counterattack by the city, which had in fact taken place even before he took over Canary Wharf.
In 1986, the city had relaxed its planning regulations. Although this led to no project as large or spectacular as Canary Wharf, it led to a surge of construction that helped kill the property market when the deep recession--,a third factor-hit. Paul Reichmann, like the rest of the world, also failed to foresee the fall of the Berlin Wall and the shift this meant in Europe's financial focus.
The reluctance of business to move to Canary Wharf wasn't just a matter of the Brits being stick-in-the-muds, for the final, and perhaps most devastating, problem with Canary Wharf was its lack of transport infrastructure.
Not only was Paul Reichmann flying in the face of location, location, location, he was engaged in a back-to-front process. He was putting in the buildings before you could get there, presumably believing that, if you built a better building, then the world would beat a subway to your door.
The first phase of Canary Wharf wound up costing more than $3.5 billion. The borrowed element of this money had to be serviced from North American cash flows that from 1990 onwards were being squeezed both by recession and the hefty debt loads they were already carrying.
One might say that Paul Reichmann showed extraordinary skill in keeping all the plates spinning for so long. I believe that he was experiencing considerable pressure for at least a year before the commercial paper problems hit early in 1992.
In retrospect, I think we can trace the beginning of the end back more than three years, to Paul Reichmann's involvement with Robert Campeau. Robert Campeau was another business genius whose personal foibles and insecurities were, nevertheless, hardly a secret. Campeau's takeovers of Allied and Federated stores in the U.S., for a total tab of over $10 billion (U.S) must surely rank as two of the more bizarre episodes of the 1980s.
Paul Reichmami became involved with Campeau by buying half of Scotia Plaza, then investing more and more, and then way too much, in Campeau's wild ambitions.
When Campeau ran out of cash in the fall of 1989, the bankers raised Hallelujahs when Paul Reichmann stepped in to help with the restructuring. In fact, his involvement was predicated on trying to salvage a disastrous investment. He inevitably failed. His involvement with Campeau not only cost O and Y some $600 million, it angered bankers, who had expected the magic man to pull something out of the hat.
Throughout 1990, Canary Wharf lost momentum. By the time of the Gulf War, it had ground to a halt. From examining documents that have emerged during the negotiations of the past year, it is obvious that O and Y was having trouble with its loans in the fall of 1990 when the Reichmanns put 20 per cent of their U.S. holdings on the market. The problem was: Who would want to buy if the Reichmanns were selling?
I believe that an increasing number of banks, individually, began to express concern throughout 1991. But, of course, when you see your loans to an entity like O and Y going sour, you don t mention it to your banking colleagues. You try to get your money back or increase your collateral.
I find it astonishing, however, that O and Y's true situation should, according to recent press reports, only have become apparent to the majority of its bankers--including its lead Canadian backer--in the spring of last year.
The restructuring seems to have been marked by a comprehensive misreading by Paul Reichmann of his relative power in the affair, a toughness which was all too typical but which, in the end, has led to the family being ousted from the running of O and Y, which is now being kept on life support primarily for its tax losses.
It is perhaps worth mentioning that the Canadian banks were, at the end, far less exposed in relative terms to O and Y than they had been to Dome Petroleum. I'm not sure if this had much to do with learning lessons, however, since one of the fallouts from the near Dome disaster was that restrictions were placed on lending to individual clients.
However, when Paul Reichmann ran out of Canadian bankers, he had no problem in lining up foreign bankers who were consumed both with the Reichmann Myth and real estate fever. Not surprisingly, Japanese banks are more deeply and embarrassingly in hock to the Reichmann Myth than any other national group.
Some posturing continues but the story seems essentially to be over. What's left of the Reichmann Empire apart from a lot more litigation and lawyers fees?
Well, for a start, the assets haven't gone away. The brothers--and here we must drag Albert back into the picture--will remain among the world's great property developers. First Canadian Place, the World Financial Center and even Canary Wharf are embellishments to the cities where they stand.
O and Y's non-real-estate operations, however, have not thrived under Reichmann ownership. The myth of the Reichmanns as patient investors was among the most mythical aspects of their makeup. In fact, as time went on, it appeared that there had never been more impatient investors. The need to squeeze cash from their holdings to meet the demands of Canary Wharf led to myriad complex moves that helped neither corporate morale nor balance sheets.
During the promotion of my book, the media almost always ask: What's next? What will he do now? Will he come back? The questions seem almost symptomatic of the mindset that helped create this problem in the first place: A desire always to be rushing onto the "what's next" without reflecting sufficiently on the past.
Paul Reichmann can obviously never be what he was because, for a start, the environment is no longer conducive. As important, he has not just lost his fortune, he has lost his credit, that nebulous but all-powerful attribute that, as J. P. Morgan said, is ultimately based in perception of character.
What lessons are to be drawn from all this? Nothing that the bankers didn't know already. How could they prevent themselves from doing this again? The answer is that they probably can't. However, I think it might be a good idea to make a thorough grounding in financial history and psychology a prerequisite of every banker's training.
It would be immodest to suggest that my own little tomes should appear on young bankers' reading lists. However, I think that a very old book--written in the 1860s and called Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds should be compulsory.
The problem in the end is that experience tends to be the best tutor and the real estate mania which was one of the roots of the O and Y debacle is unlikely to return in such virulent form for many years, perhaps even in our lifetimes.
People often ask what this means for Canadians, how much more we'll have to pay in bank fees or whatever to make up for the losses on O and Y. The answer is that, of course, there will be a cost. I've noticed that on phone-in shows that I have been on recently, some people choose the fall of the Reichmanns as yet another opportunity to berate the whole notion of free enterprise and capitalism, which is where I come to my other recent book, which was about Petro-Canada, entitled Self-Serve, and subtitled How Petro-Canada Pumped Canadians Dry.
I calculated in that book that if we assume that the government of Canada had borrowed the $6 billion which it pumped into our state oil company, and had to pay an average of 10 per cent on its money, then the amount of national debt now associated with Petro-Can is more than $15 billion, which happens to be around what the Reichmanns, or rather O and Y, wound up owing.
More important, Petro-Can's present worth in the market is less than $2 billion. O and Y, however great the disaster, is worth a great deal more than that. What I am saying is that, in terms of costs to Canada, Petro-Canada is a far bigger disaster than Olympia and York. The difference is that, since its cost is buried in the national debt, we hardly seem to have noticed. The consequences, nevertheless, are creeping up on us.
I make this point to emphasize that, whatever the failings of the so-called free-enterprise capitalist system, they inevitably pale into insignificance beside the shortcomings of public ownership. Moreover, where there are always more unpublicized successes than trumpeted disasters under a free-enterprise system, or what might be more appropriately described in Canada and elsewhere as "fettered capitalism," I can think of no successes of public ownership.
To return finally to the story at a personal level, Paul Reichmann is a tragic figure. Tragic figures in traditional drama are great men with fatal flaws. He was an undoubted business genius but he was, after all, just a man. In his case, the gods destroyed him by giving him, in both the mythological and banking sense, too much credit.
and so the witch hunt begins: I SAW GOODY PROCTOR WITH THE DEVIL!!!! I SAW GOODY LAWRENCE WITH THE DEVIL!!!! ....
Yeah yeah, that's right! Accuse away, smear everyone's name who has a bigger house, or more kavod or maybe a better looking wife, or perhaps was mean to you in school once upon a time!!!
The internet has levelled the playing field. It allows oisvorfs to pretend to be serious people.
My advice to all of you, especially the minuvel who just attacked paul reichmann (wait, he didn't feel any kids up? what a piker! someone, quickly, expose him for the molester he is!) is get a job or a hobby. You're all patently pathetic jealous hacks who are really and truly ruining Judaism today. IMHO, the issues isnt taht people are corrupt or perverts. The issue is very clearly that people are jealous and spiteful (which has ever been the Jews' problem).
Disclosure requirements are the responsibility of the banks. They violate the law for not doing so. Reichmann isn't a lawbreaker for their omissions. Reichmann tried to use every legal tool to forstall opening the books, and finally did so when he ran out of options in compliance with the law. So would anyone else in his shoes. As I mentioned, the bankruptcy was not of his own doing. If you've got goods on Reichmann, let's see if you can articulate them in a mature and sensible manner instead of going ape about the Klausenberger Rebbe. Reichmann does have extended family that is not so kosher, if you like you can rant about them.
Hey UOJ, why badmouth the Novominsker Rebbe, who was on your good guy list months ago?
this reminds me of the time that the yidden accused me of having sticky fingers and stealing their emeralds when I made the luchos. I saved their sorry behinds, and then they called me a ganif and corrupt. It goes to show you that no matter what, there's an erev rav that will always have a bad thing to say about jewish leadership or an egel to make or something.
What G-d should do is make the earth open its mouth and swallow up all the korachs who've been doubting.
Just made a few phone calls about this thief pinter.
Seems he tried convincing the world that he was r' shmuel barinbaums personal secretary. then there was some other politics with his side-kick Asher Kalmanowitz (SLIFKIN STORY!!) and some thing major went on in the yeshiva. they took his name off the stationary but he still runs the place.
why do people support a yeshiva who has a person who sat in jail (for stealing) and just stole more then $50,000,000 running the place?
this guy also told me that they took his name off so noone would bother the office, but he is still in charge of the construction in the new building. he also learns there every.
sick place.
Our resident hatchet man has found another anti-Reichmann hero among the old school Toronto WASPs and their contemporary British comrade in arms Peter Foster, who cringe when any outsider is successful. That crew does everything to keep out and smear any non-Anglo Saxon Protestant wether it's a haymishe guy like Alberto Friedberg or the French Canadians. I have been across the table from these kind of guys at investment banker meetings and can tell you that they are the snobbiest, most bigoted and cold sons of bitches you have ever met.
Congratulations. Who will denouce Reichmann next ? The Chairman of Hamas ?
Mr Anonymous.
Thanks for defending me. You're right it's those Anti-Semitic Anglo-Saxons at the banks that put us in bankruptcy. Nothing to do with our bad business habits.
Anglo-Saxons run the banks in England, Canada and the US. Anglo-Saxon is just a fancy shmancy name for German. Those nasty Germans.
Mr. UOJ,
[1] If you don't delete the stuff about my old man Sam and Grebler the Nazi, I'll sue you the way I sued Toronto Life magazine.
[2] I know I was a partner with this sheik prince dude from Saudi Arabia with a shmatte on his head but he is anti-Zionist not anti-Semitic.
[3] Why are you Un-Orthodox, you must must be a neologue. Hey we can't associate with people like you.
[4] Remember, we are ehrliche oberlander yidden. My mother was wearing a sheitel and drinking cholov yisroel, while your bubbe was going to mixed dances on Yom Kippur and eating Good humor ice cream.
picture of my zayde
http://www.businessweek.com/1997/03/b35105.htm
picture of your zayde
http://www.historycentral.com/Bio/people/images/trotsky.gif
See you in court,
Paul
My customers complain they wouldn't let their kid have a Pinter as a rebbe. Is the yeshiva nuts ?
Why isn't anyone defending my maternal zayde? He translated the Zohar isn't that worth something. Just because he was a rabbi and a scoundrel. If he would have given loads of tzedakah to schnorrers, you guys would be defending him.
Elliezer Segal
The Return of the Priestly Breast-plate*
First Publication:
Jewish Free Press, August 23 1991.
Bibliography:
J. Dan, The Hasidic Story--Its History and Development, Jerusalem 1975.
S. A. Halpern, The Prisoner and Other Tales of Faith, Jerusalem and New York 1981.
I. Robinson, "`A Letter from the Sabbath Queen': Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg Addresses Montreal Jewry," in: I. Robinson, P. Anctil and M. Butovsky, eds., An Everyday Miracle: Yiddish Culture in Montreal, Montreal 1990.
Several months ago an unscrupulous and underpaid columnist (myself) published in the pages of this newspaper an article purporting to describe the discovery of the breast-plate of the ancient Hebrew High Priest. Having discredited my veracity on the topic I must assure my readers that the information contained in this article is actually reliable and true.
As anyone knows who has ever seen an Indiana Jones film, the question of the fate of the lost Temple treasures is one that has long fascinated writers of fiction. Among the most distinguished of such speculators was none other than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle composed a story entitled "the Jew's Breastplate" which deals with a fictitious theft of the artifact from the British museum. The story was first printed in a magazine in 1899 and subsequently included in a collection entitled "Round the Fire," published in 1908. The story is admittedly not one of his better known works, and has rarely been reprinted.
In 1913, there appeared in Piotrkow, Poland, a book entitled "Sefer Hoshen ha-Mishpat shel ha-Kohen ha-Gadol"--"the Book of the High Priest's Breastplate." The Hebrew volume told a story that was virtually identical to Conan Doyle's with one significant difference: the hero was the 16th century Bohemian Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague, better known by his acronym "the Maharal." In the story, the Maharal journeys to London in order to solve the mysterious theft of the breast-plate from the "Belmore Street" museum.
The author of this story was one of the most popular Hebrew writers of the early twentieth century, Rabbi Yudel Rosenberg. Combining traditional rabbinical education and a broad general literary erudition, Rosenberg authored over twenty works while serving as Rabbi in various Polish communities. He was best known for his collections of wondrous tales about famous Rabbis, especially Hasidic masters. Most of these stories were works of out-and-out fiction, though usually not presented as such.
The Maharal was one of Rosenberg's favourite protagonists and appears in several of his books. In fact, Rosenberg (who apparently believed himself to be a descendant of the Maharal) is responsible for inventing the one detail about the Maharal with which most people are familiar; the famous "Golem," the artificial monster allegedly created by the Rabbi to save the Jews of Prague from anti-Semitic plots. So popular did this "super-hero" become that we find it difficult to believe that the story had no basis in either fact or legend before Rosenberg introduced it in a book published in Warsaw in 1909!
It appears that several of Rosenberg's stories, whether about the Maharal or Rabbi Elijah Guttmacher the "Greiditzer Rebbe" or others, were really Judaized versions of popular whodunits and adventure stories.
The tale of the Priestly Breast-plate was in any case destined to be one of Rosenberg's last stories. In 1913 he left Poland for Canada, where he took up rabbinical positions--first in Toronto, and later settling in Montreal--turning his attentions to more respectable rabbinic activities. From this point onwards, his production of stories ceases.
Rosenberg had presumably learned the important lesson that in Canada one cannot get away with publishing fictitious accounts about the High Priest's Breast-plate.[2]
So Sammy's, let me get this straight. My position is that you should not believe the lashon harah for the truth of the rumors, but that you should protect and arm your children accordingly so that if the rumors are true, the children have a line of defense - and you have an issue with that? If so, I expect Yidi to be the babysitter in your house next time Tatty and mommy have a night out. And then I'm sure you'll expect the gemachs to foot the bill for all the therapy your kids will need because your insurance won't cover the counseling needed since Yidi decided to go fishing and reeled in your kid's big one.
To the anonymous fellow who made calls about Pinter, I have a different version of the story. You have to know which button to hit in the Mir as many in the hanhala are politically apathetic. I and others who have complained about this ganav have gotten nowhere for this reason. Gil Student has been shouting from atop his internet perch that it was Yankel Kalmanowitz, not his brother Asher, with whom Pinter coordinated the Slifkin drive. Yankel, who is best known for being a zealot, is not connected to the Mir, despite his dogged attempts to get onboard with them. It must have fed Pinter's BIG EGO to be the go between for the gedolei Eretz Yisroel.
Pinter you SICKO, I'm talking to you. No one in their right mind wants you polluting the Mirrer Yeshiva Hakedosha so call your parole officer and crawl back into your jail cell!
If nothing better, Shmelka Pinter's shul is in a cockroach infested building he owns on East 9th Street. Maybe he and Leib can stay there until they go back to jail.
Leib Pinter's shver was Chaim Berlin rosh yeshiva, but he wouldn't dare hang out there. The Fruchthandlers would have his rear end booted into Coney Island Ave.
When I first learned the phrase "yoshvay kranos" in yeshiva I really didn't understand it. People who don't have jobs but sit around in corners talking all day? I was told it's similar to a 'Moyshav Leitzim", but I wasn't too clear on that either. Now, however, I understand both phrases all too clearly.
This blog and others like it are the yosheiv kranos and the moshav laytzim of today. It exists in the blogosphere not in the atmosphere, but it exists nonetheless.
The lashon hora that is traded here is not shayech (the non-to'eles hoc). The malicious slander and venomous hatred raises a stench stronger than a chassidishe bays medrash after a 3 day yom tov when everyone was mekayim mitzvos oneg yomtov kedas ve'kadin.
Congratulations, may you merit to go me'chayil el chayil u'me'darga le'darga down the madron, the slippery slope to nowhere.
9th Grade YTT Rebbe:
Are you suggesting Kolko is innocent?
How does Kolko justify all the other narrishkayt that gets put up by random people about other random people.
If you want to bash greasy sleazeballs who steal then get your own blog.
A note to UOJ and esteemed members of the blog. The rogue gallery of Brooklyn crooks mentioned here are getting a nervous twitch. They can't figure out how to silence the free flow of information that's exposing them for what they are. The rich ones can try bringing suits which will most probably not succeed. They can hire IT people to hack the site, but UOJ seems to have fortified himself against earlier attacks. All they can do is make squeaky noise and take lame potshots at their critics. Keep stewing you vermin.
Now a special note to the Pinters. We have some surprises in store exclusively for you. We are going to dredge up dirty secrets in the coming days and weeks. You are going to regret the day you were born. Take that Leib & co. We know you are reading this and remember that in cyberspace, no one can even hear you scream.
Mr. 9th grade ytt rebbi,
You are holier than thou & at the same time you take a shot at chassidim.Nice, real nice.
Lippy...the countdown to your destruction can now be counted in hours.
Dear Agudah,
Thanks so much for participating in the my coming out party. If the Agudah honors me I guess I can steal and swindle another ten million or so from holocaust survivors. Special thanks to the Grand Rebbe Novominsk and the entire Agudah gedolim board. Special thanks as well to Avrohom Fruchthandler, we're two pissers in a pod.
Oh yes, I forgot to say CRIME PAYS, ask Leib Pinter my good old buddy from Pirchei.
hey sruli, you low-life MF. Make sure zwiebel gets himself a new suit and tie for your coming out party.
The Pinters and Olympia are the talk of the D.C. Beltway. The House Committee on Financial Services has been grumbling about the immense damage the Pinters have inflicted on the industry. Chairman Oxley, R-Ohio wants their heads on a pike. Leib Pinter has accomplished a feat unmatched in history, creating upheavels that Congress has had to deal with in two different centuries. Leib won't be able to bribe anyone this time like Dan Flood 30 years ago. Every branch of government wants a piece of Leib and Samuel and there will be nothing left of the Pinters when we are finished. I also made it my personal business to bring this to the attention of the White House. Say your prayers you pissers.
The frimmer here sure now how to raise their voices in protest when irresponsible bloggers post lashon harah, which I do not condone. However, knowing that this very moment a frum child is being taken advantage of and perhaps even being molested by an authority figure posing as a frum person (I don't think you can be frum and be a molester) gets nary a sigh.
It makes sense then that the poster named 9th grade YTT rebbi has such a problem with this blog. Thank you YTT for being meakeiv the geulah for all of us actually trying to make a difference. Torah like yours makes the reform movement look sophisticated by comparison.
Oh no !!!! I'm scared of the Boogie Man !!!! Please don't bother me. All I did was make investors lose their pants in pump n' dump scams. They should be learning Tayre and not playing the stock market anyway. Pinter is the bad guy. Go after him.
I walked by that dive that houses Shmelka Pinter's shul on East 9th btwn M & N. The shul is called Bikovsk.
As a business partner of the Pinters, it's a little difficult for me to overtly criticize them, but one has to wonder how the Pinter sons could become rebbes and teach children. We know that Leib and Shmelka will pay any price for kovod and to find jobs for the boys but gosh darn why still would any yeshiva want to hire them? I am trying hard to figure out what the Pinter boys have going for them. It's not their lousy personalities.
Ruach Chaim update.
We had previously reported here that Ruach Chaim was closing next year, but apparently that's not the case. There was an orientation meeting on Sunday with the new puppet, oops I meant menahel, Yudi Berkowitz, some chasidishe kid that Klor brought in from Chicago. You would think that for such an important meeting parents would come to see who is this "Jesus" that Klor brought in to save the school. Well believe it or not 25 parents showed up, yes only 25. Only 25 parents cared enough to see who would be the new principal. Well it turns out that the rule of s'yag l'chachma shtika would apply to him. Every time he opened his mouth he made a bigger fool out of himself. We found out that he is illiterate, he can neither read or write in English, English is his spoken second language. Klor brought in a guy name Phil Russ who will be running the English Department. So Klor brought in this 26 year old Chasidishe kid from Chicago who does not read or write English to save our yeshiva. Simcha what have you been drinking??
I have spoken with every one of the Rebbeim about next year.They do not want their names mentioned publicly because they are afraid they will not get paid for the end of the year. I think that is the biggest joke because they will not get paid anyway. Everyone one of them has confided to me that they either have a job in another yeshiva for next year, or they are actively looking. Get this Klor and Berkowitz, you will show up in September to a school of 25 kids with NO rebbeim.
Tell your family, neighbors and friends to insist that the Mirrer Yeshiva tell Pinter he is not welcome in the building. It's a chutzpah nayra that he hangs out in the yeshiva and by the shul of the alter Mirrer Rav Brodsky on Ave S.
These Pinter people are unbelievable. Leib's mechutan Kranz is even hooked up with the Moonies at Unification Church, an outrage considering that the Moonies target Jews for shmad.
http://www.tparents.org/UNews/unws9903/JHPak_Cosmic_Peace.htm
Unification News for March 1999
President Kim Dae Jung of Korea responded to True Father's invitation to attend the Saegae Times Tenth Anniversary Banquet
President Kim is Catholic. His wife is Methodist. The Blue House has many Christians on staff. They were not happy that President Kim was being supportive of Reverend and Mrs. Moon.
The participation of Judaism, represented by Rabbi Herzel Kranz from Washington, DC was another outstanding victory. In another article, I reported about his favorable participation with True Parents on stage at the Blessing in Korea. I recently learned that Rev. Chang Shik Yang in Washington took some big, delicious Korean apples and pears to Rabbi Kranz and how Rabbi Kranz reportedly responded by saying, "Korea must surely be a special chosen land to have such delicious fruit! He also reportedly said that he thinks Reverend Moon is a great man.
Maybe Pinter and Kranz can apply these "moral" teachings to themselves.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/churches091498.htm
On Saturday morning, a portion of the Torah, a parchment scroll that includes scripture, was read at the Silver Spring Jewish Center service on Arcola Avenue. The reading during the Orthodox service, which addressed 12 blessings and curses, had previously been planned. But Rabbi Herzel Kranz noted how applicable it was to Clinton's situation.
He read remarks on the readings by a 12th century commentator known as Rushbaum: "There can be no contradictions between public and private morality; a nation that considers it acceptable to sin in private will inevitably see erosion in its morality."
Here's a picture of Pinterite Hertzl Kranz.
http://www.cesj.org/specialreports/focusonfed_050415.html
Don't Pinter and Kranz know that avodah zara is yehurag val yavor?
http://www.unification.org/ce/newsreport8.html
SEOUL - A Hindu swami draped in orange, a papal delegate in black and leaders of six other faiths showered a sea of 37,000 white-veiled brides and blue-suited grooms yesterday with prayers for eternal bliss in the latest, largest and perhaps final mass wedding by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.
Participating clergy sharing the podium included Rabbi Herzel Kranz,
chairman of the American-Jewish Assembly
After they spoke, Rev. Moon and his wife, Hak Ja Han Moon, dressed in white and gold robes, prayed and sprinkled holy water on couples
closest to the podium.
Do you see what we can do, today we shut down MUST and tomorrow we will shut you down.
enduoj@hotmail.com
You guys had better stop making fun of me and the Pinters. My buddy Jack Abramoff has some prison gang friends that are due to be paroled soon and I have a lot of friends in powerful positions.
http://www.cesj.org/about/cesjnetwork/directors.htm#Rabbi%20Herzel%20Kranz%20bio%20brief
Rabbi Herzel Kranz, an Orthodox Rabbi in Silver Spring, Maryland, is a member, co-founder and Counselor of CESJ. He is the Founder and Rabbi of the Silver Spring Jewish Center with 300 member, as well as the Founder and Dean of the Hebrew Day School of Montgomery County. Rabbi Kranz was instrumental in the formation of the 1986 Presidential Task Force on Project Economic Justice, helping to bring together Representatives Mike Barnes and Phil Crane, and Senators Russell Long, Chris Dodd, Paul Laxalt, Richard Lugar, and Steve Symms, to co-sponsor the legislation mandating the Task Force. He was appointed Counselor to the Task Force which presented its report to President Reagan, Pope John Paul II in 1987. In CESJ's 1987 delegation to the Vatican, Rabbi Kranz used "the power of the yarmulke" to persuade then-Archbishop Achille Silvestrini to arrange for the delegation a private audience with the Pope. Rabbi Kranz has strong ties to the Orthodox Jewish community in the U.S. and Israel, and is a major mover in the American branch of the Likud Party.
http://www.trueloveking.net/Fruits%20of%20True%20Love/Chapter07/html/07_192.html
A picture says a thousand words. Here's a Pinter's mechutan embracing the Chief Moonie himself.
What in tarnations is MUST?
My friend Moshe Majeski told me about all the yeshivishe reid in Flatbush.
Kolko and Margo, you're fired !!!
Has Scheinerman tried to explain his way out of what happened in shul last Shabbos ? Surely someone's told him by now that he is being savaged over here.
The level of sinas chinam here is rising fast. there is such venom dripping from this website that I'm sure its words are reaching heaven and making a roishem. Pretty soon, hashem's going to turn your lives over and rain fire and brimstones into your houses. Hashem yirachem that we'll all be punished for your aveiros of moytzi shem ra and rechilus.
I hope He doesnt kill tzaddikim along with the reshaim who post here in the name of public service but who really only want to make themselves feel chashuv and porekei oyl.
Hashem yirachem indeed.
Idiots. Cooperation between religious leaders is necessary for purposes of peace, which prevents anti-semitism and ultimately genocide.
Have some vision outside of your four cubits.
To set the record straight, the "enduoj" post is not from me.
Anything not posted under my "enduoj@hotmail.com" name, is not from me.
Any variation or change in the name means it is not from me.
Thank you.
Of course it is pathetic that people have to try to pass themselves off as someone else to get attention here.
Listen, UOJ does it with Gross and his other names. What a sham.
enduoj@hotmail.com
"Surely someone's told him by now that he is being savaged over here."
Have you ever seen Scheinerman speak? It's he who appears like one of the savages on Gilligan's Island.
Sounds like Kranz is paving the way for Pinter's return to jail.
http://www.washingtonjewishweek.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=5137&TM=324.932
Although they didn't succeed in time for Passover, Jewish leaders have been meeting with Maryland officials to try to forge a way to allow kashrut-observant Maryland prisoners to receive kosher food.
A March 16 meeting between representatives of Agudath Israel and the Orthodox Union, among others, and Mary Ann Saar, the Maryland secretary of public safety and correctional services, was a "positive" development, said Agudath Israel Washington director and counsel Rabbi Abba Cohen.
Cohen said both sides agreed to do some research on the procedures and costs for the 32 states that do provide kosher food to inmates before meeting again at an unspecified date in the near future.
Among those lobbying on the issue is Silver Spring Jewish Center Rabbi Herzel Kranz. He raised the matter with the governor both at a Chanukah party last December and at the Maryland Jewish Alliance's Advocacy Day in February.
Kranz said that providing a kosher diet should not be that costly because dinner is the only meal for which significant provisions must be made. He noted that inmates can eat fruit and most cereals for breakfast, and, for example, a tuna fish sandwich for lunch without much of a problem.
The rabbi also said he is disappointed with the provisions the prison system is making for Jewish inmates to observer Passover. Vernarelli said a seder meal was to be served last evening at eight of the state's 13 major prisons, and each inmate would be given three boxes of Passover matzah. They also were being permitted to purchase Passover grape juice.
"What do you eat after that first night?" wondered Kranz.
I don't see why you guys are all ganging up on Krantz. First of all, he is not a real Rabbi. He does not have any smicha, which is one of the reasons why Rabbi Ainemer does not get along with him. He is just a quiet silly little man, doing his thing out in the boondocks. Lets worry more about real ganovim and pedophiles instead of bangin on about some harmless loser.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Sex-Offender-Polygraphs.html
May 3, 2006
Court Upholds Polygraph for Sex Offenders
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 10:21 a.m. ET
NEW YORK (AP) -- A federal appeals court ruled that lie detector tests can be used to ensure convicted sex offenders are obeying the rules of their probation and that a ban on Internet use is appropriate for some offenders.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling pertained to Jeffrey A. Johnson, an aerospace engineer and sophisticated computer user who, the court said, had used the Internet to conduct sexually explicit conversations with children from 1995 to 1997.
Johnson had been accused of luring several children to meetings, having sex with two victims under age 18 and arranging to have sex with a third. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison and three years probation.
Johnson challenged polygraph testing during his probation on the grounds that it could deprive him of his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination and subject him to testing that is unreliable and not reasonably related to sentencing purposes.
U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy in Albany ruled against Johnson but agreed to install safeguards to the polygraph testing process, including a requirement that questions be limited to information necessary for supervision, case monitoring and treatment.
The appeals court said in its ruling Monday that polygraph testing ''produces an incentive to tell the truth, and thereby advances the sentencing goals.''
The appeals court also upheld the ban on Johnson's Internet use, agreeing with the lower court's finding that Johnson's skills would likely allow him to circumvent software needed for monitoring.
A ban on the Internet would be an external control on Johnson's behavior to substitute for his ''deficient internal controls,'' the court said.
The court said it did not believe a ban was appropriate for every sex offender who has used the Internet, which it said is virtually indispensable these days. It said ''a careful and sensitive individualized assessment is always required before such a ban is imposed.''
A message seeking comment from Johnson's lawyer was not immediately returned.
Kranz is relevant because of the Pinter pattern of deception. Leib likes doing shidduchim with people that can be seemingly associated with chashivus. Since many in Flatbush stay the hell away from him, he seeks out out of town rabbonim with some kind of baggage. In comes shyster Kranz and Rabbi Boruch Taub who is a baal teshuva. The biggest irony with Kranz is that Moishy Pinter, who thinks he's a heavy duty Brisker, would marry the daughter of a "smicha-less loser" like Kranz, who is a bigwig at the Zionist Organization of America. If Morton Klein has any self-respect he should throw him out of there.
To all my old Mirrer friends, if you remember the Thrilla in the Miira you know me. I kicked the other guy's ass.
You see what happens not that Joe is gone? He would have given Kolko the keys treatment, you can be damned sure.
Hey, whatever happened to the guy who would collect tzedaka in the white suit telling us all to "Be Rabbis?"
I thought Handelsman ran the show. Who is this Pinter guy and where is Zeisha? Are the eggs they serve still blue, or is that Kolko?
What makes Moishy Pinter a heavy duty Brisker ? Because he chain smokes ? He doesn't have the sharp tongue. He's just a little squirt with a murderous look on his face who is too much of a misfit to talk to anyone he didn't grow up with. Unless, don't tell me he thinks he's being a snob ? I hope Mirrer yeshiva thinks Leib's payoff was worth it for giving Moishy a job.
The Pinters think it's beneath them to go to my father's yeshiva, so they go to AJ to maximize their kovod. I think I once by accident bumped into Moishy's brother Zvi on Shabbes when I wasn't wearing my glasses. It's a Brisker thing. Isn't Zvi the one who always looks like he has got anal retention ? And the youngest Pinter boy, Yossi ? What a spacey little farfrumak.
Vos ?
Why is Schron so tight with Pinter? I know they are neighbors, but why does Schron need a pisher like him?
That's a good question David. Stupid Pinter never mastered the art of just being slapped with civil SEC violations and winds up in jail all the time.
Oy, a broch. Being gabbay for the seats in Mirrer beis midrash can be pretty rough. You can't imagine how many people insist they won't sit within four amos of a rosho like Pinter. I have to speak to Reb Shmuel about it.
http://godolhador.blogspot.com/2005/04/kanoi-hador.html
According to this guy, Leib Pinter is also in cahoots with Leib Tropper and Reuven Shmeltzer, both of Monsey.
Leib Pinter is such a karga cheapskate, he won't even build himself a shul with all the money he stole. No wonder he hangs out in the Mir.
UOJ,
The NY Magazine reporter originally told people the blockbuster piece on Kolko and Margo was coming out right after Pessach. Two editions have passed by us since then. Did the editors kill the story ?
Leib Tropper of Remsen Avenue and Camp MaNaim fame?
HOLY S--T, Batman!
Dear Leib Pinter YMS"M
Since you are reading this I would like to tell you that you are a scumbag - dirt eating PIG who will find that the end is getting close. You better stay far away from the Mir office. Don't let yourself be seen there. We can't stop you from learning in the Bais Medrash since that's what the Rosh Yeshiva told you to do. But that office? STAY AWAY, DUDE!
We will find out if your there and we unlease the public media against you. They are waiting for a specific piece of information which we will be giving them if you are seen walking near that office. You are a skank artist, Ganav, sonofabitch who will very soon be sitting in jail I"H. Go cry to your lawyer tomorrow, and tell him what we are telling you. Perhaps he can call some of his former defendants to take care of us. Puff Daddy, Sammy The Bul etc. You actually fit right in there with those filthy ROTZCHIM.
You are a Rasha Merusha who has stepped on the wrong people's toes ONCE TOO MANY TIMES.
DROP DEAD, PIG.
the sinah and kinah here are sickening. I am afraid of what all this lashon hora and and just plain rishus will bring.
hashem help us from the evil people who write these things, and defend your people from the attacks of the erev rav here.
Has everyone been following the Shmuel Juravel story? The guy was caught in a federal sting and is now going up for trial in Alabama, Baltimore, Savannah and Wyoming. There are many pieces and threads on him at http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2006/04/thread-2-case-of-shmuel-juravel.html
yup, 67 years old with a Taiyvoh for 16 year old chicky-poo.
I guess his missus didn't give him good enough service. Probably suffers from PMH.
I wonder if the cops let him take the rugelach with him to the arraignment?
What's so yeshivish about Pinter? He's a Hungarian fake like the rest of them.
Boog, you obviously didn't read up on him and have the wrong Juravel in mind. The pedophile from Savannah is in his 20s. There have been allegations that he was molesting kids while still in Baltimore and that his well-connected rabbonishe family conspired with a couple rabbis to hush up what happened and get him to move out of town.
That is what happened. The last time this blog posted something about Juravel someone asked if this was the Juravel who makes children's tapes. This blog dismissed him as some mortgage broker in Alabama. Bad Research. Shmuel Juravel is the nephew of the Juravel who makes the kids tapes and comes from a big Baltimore Rabbinical family. There are stories that he abused children in Balimore as a teen (he was a counselor at TA Chofetz Chaim camp) and that the Balto. Rabbis tried to hush it up by sending him out of town (some say to Wyoming). Anyways, Juravel ended up marrying a nice girl in Savannah who had no clue about the past allegations against him. They had 3 children. The FBI caught him in a sting in which they enticed him to come to Alabama to have sex with 3 young boys. He was caught red-handed. Now multiple stories have come out about victims in several places. He is being charged in Birmingham, AL, Baltimore, Savannah and Wyoming.
Baltimore Rabbis and Ner Israel Rabbis hide this stuff and shove it under the carpet. Now look what happened.
It was Yakov Kalmanovitz AND Osher Kalmanowitz behind the SLifkin thing with Pinter. Osher recruited Leib Tropper as his front man.
This person juravel faces 70 years in Federal prison (no parole) and a $750.000.00 fine. After the trial,which will be coming up soon, he faces extradition to Savannah,Ga., Baltimore and Wyoming where charges are being prepaired. This a one evil person !
Juravel case is shocking. I KNOW HIM!!! THAT IS THE SCARIEST THING! I drove with him and a few friends to a wedding in Toronto. Sure, he was 'wild' and was clearly not living the life that his very wonderful and ehralch parents wanted, but this??? This is unbelievable. I am in shock...
A view of all this Meshugas from a Baal Teshuvah......
This is all very sad to see. I am a Baal Teshuvah in my early twenties who entered the charedei world on my own volision. I love Torah, and the way of life it promotes. I especially love the Chasidic communities for there warmth and koach, I know many people who are true Torah jews, real erlicheh yidden, living here in New york, people who have taken me into there homes with no ulterior motives at all, simply to do a mitzvah and show true chesed and spread Torah. However i am not naive or a fool, I do realize that not everyone is perfect, and that sometimes these sickening things occur in our community. IT IS WRONG, IGNORANT AND AN AVAIROH TO BLAME THESE THINGS ON TORAH. THese are all problems of the individuals. There is absolutly nothing wrong with torah, it pure and if we chose to follow it, it will offer our lives only emes, only beauty, only growth. THESE pedophiles and criminals you speak about- I am in no position to judge what they have done as it does not concern me and i am no dayan. However i believe that if a fully conscious jew, who is learned in Torah, and knows what he is doing is absolutly wrong and unnatural and continues to do it, then i consider that person to be evil and not following the derech of our Holly Torah. No matter how long there beard is, or how long there payes are, regardless of what type of hat you wear, or how many blat you learn. if you go against torah then you are wrong and an evil person, simple as that....
My only and very limited explanation of all this tzures is that it is part of living in Golus....- in this golus society- a "frum" jew can be a criminal,a liar, a pervert, a deviant...and a non observant jew can be a kind hearted and honest person, who would never hurt anyone or anything.
As frum yidden we must not let these evil things that are occuring in our community to effect our emunah..... Our faith must stay strong, because that is a real test of a torah jew, if we see others doing things that are not right, we are obligated to continue on the righteous path only doing mitzvos....
This is a problem with human beings and as we know human beings are not perfect. Only Hashem and his Torah are perfect: we must try to emulate the Torah and what it prescribes rather than human beings.
and one other thing... All this name calling from either side is horrible. It is true Sinas Chinum- to hate our fellow yidden over ideas, we must have Achdus and Ahvas Yisroel for one another- put aside politics. and just stop all this hatred. If someone does something that is trully wrong and evil, it is up to our rabonim to rectify the problem. I believe that if we all do teshuva (frum and non frum jews alike) then hopefully we will all merit in the comming of the Moshiach and have a 3rd beis hamikdosh, isnt that what you want? I think that redemtion is going to be the only thing that will stop this madness.
yours trully
A Baal Teshvua
To the person that call himself "A Ball Teshuvah".
I just finished reading your comment, and within the text you say "I am in no position to judge what they have done as it does not concern me".
That statement seems to sum up the fellings of an entire community, and the rabbi's. Everyone seems to be looking away, for fear that more rabbi's and people will be exposed. Hide your head in the sand. "It does not concern me".
Nonsense. If it were your child that was being molested by a juravel or a rabbi, I bet you sure would be concerned BUT sinse it isn't your child, it's of no concern to you.
Zombies, walking around looking at blank walls, murmering scripture as your walking, seeing nothing as your only looking at the ground or the wall..out of this world.
That is the crux of the problem with the frum world and yur know what, nothing will change as it doesn't concern "you". Help !
The young Baal Teshvua in his early twenties makes some wonderful points about our faith but after reading several hundred blogs regarding the state of the Baltimore community and the frum community all over, I certainly take exception to his statement,"if someone does something that is truly wrong and evil, it's up to our rabonim to rectify the problem"..Please, all I've seen from the rabbi's is a disrespect for the victims, a hear no evil,see no eveil and certainly speak no evil about a fellow rabbi or frum person. They are protecting each other, through non action, looking the other way, putting their combined faces deeper in their books and closing out the real world, while waiting for the world to come. Can't trust any of them to do the right thing, at least that's what the facts are indicating abut the rabbi's and the protection offered to the their perverted own. Don't make waves, in fact, we really don't want to know anything. That way, we don't know ANYTHING. A truly sick approach to rectifing the problem. Trust the rabbi's..no more. I can't !
Hypocrisy abounds in drooling mounds doesn't it? I have read many of the posts and personally In my opinion the people who feel the need to degrade other people are no better than the ones who corrupt and pervert Justice and perpetuate this Dark Age for Orthodoxy. Its total garbage. Many knock others and then proceed to call them evil? Whatever sounds like a stinking load of zevel to me on either side. Secondly rise up people! We can't wait for others to do this anymore. Each of us must take some measure of responsibilty and stand up to what we know to be unjust, not just perpetuate it by name-calling.
I can't stand any more ! I was brought up to stand when a rabbi, any rabbi walked into a room. Didn't matter if I knew him or not, we stand up. Well, I can't stand any more ; not because I'm to weak to stand but because I'm so strong to be able to stand.
These blogs have opened my eyes to the in bred corruption, the faulty
thinking that was taught to me regarding "the rabbi's".
Seeing how so many operate, hand rubbing hand together, that holy look, the "protrayed wisdom" behind the beard, and looking beyond the beard, the black suit, the pious stature,et.al, the find some very talanted actors,kunning individuals, knowing how to get their combined hands in our pockets,of the adults and now the children.. I can't stand any more. They have been exposed to all. I've been fleesed long enough,intimated long enough and it's now time to say, "never again"..I can't stand any more.
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6063435274605325288&postID=7101564653058917903
For the two years there was a kollel Youngerman in the Yeshiva who had a job to talk to young bocurim who needed someone to talk to them. it turned out that this youngerman was having explicit sexual conversations with at least six young students over a period of two years. THe Hanhala , the Rosh Mechina and the board of trustees was aware of this at least a year before it became public. Parents of some of these students spoke to the Rosh Menchina but nothing was done about this for months. As usual nobody card about the students, only about the reputation of this Youngerman. When people received antonymous letters about this terrible situation, they contacted Harry Brown. It seems that Mr. Brown told this Hanhalla that they should immediately expel this Kollel Youngerman from the yeshiva. They did (not) like his advice and did nothing about this terrible sexual (situation) for months.
The Hahalla did not do anything about this terrible situation and then sent this person to another local Kollel. The Bochurim that were involved in this sexual situation are afraid to say anything for obvious reasons.
There is only one common denominator in Telz, they all hate Zalman Gifter and nothing will stand in their way to try to get rid of him. They don't care about the Yeshiva.
Harry Brown always represented the Rabbinical College of Telshe. He is a world renowned attorney and a big Talmid Chochum.
Harry Brown tells the truth and will only do what is right. These people who are trying to run the Yeshiva will not use Harry Brown because he will tell them like it is. The fact is, that there was a Din Torah and Moshe Barkin and company are in direct violation of the Psak.
http://boomp3.com/listen/bypt7o5jz_3/aclevien-letter
Telz-Chicago rosh yeshiva R' Avrohom Chaim Levin was on the phony beis din with R' Shmuel Kaminetzky & Tort Putz Twerski that was arranged by the Agudah to let Kolko & Margo off the hook.
Here he is denying the Telz-Cleveland story and saying whoever speaks about the yungerman is a rotzayech.
He seems to say that even when a story is true, no one should speak about it or warn people about the vadai rotzchim who are molesting children.
Has Rabbi Levin just been added to UOJ's hit list?
which telshe had this pervert, cleveland or chicago? and when did this whole story happen?
http://telzyeshiva.blogspot.com/2008/07/law-firm-2.html
Here is another letter- note who the CC is to
You think that you in America have it bad?
We here in EY have to live with the daily peshkavilim,new cherems and novelle mitzvos that these clowns can create.
Excellent schools, tzedaka organizations and community people are constantly degraded because they don't "tow the line".
In my own city Rav Chaim Solevechick, a great talmid chochum and Rav (as well as being the son of Rav Aharon, z''l) is ridiculed and not even recognized as he is not "Charedi" enough.
HaShem help us!
read this and cry some more.
Did these g'dolim go out of the way to . . .
YWN has been in possession of a letter signed by Lakewood Rabbonim for the past month, but for various reasons chose not to publicize it. Unfortuanatly, a Yungerman was R”L stabbed in Lakewood - and last night the letter was resent to us - this time with the added signature of the Posek Hador, Maran Hagon Rav Elyashiv Shlita. (Link to letter in extended article)
YWN feels there is no better time to publicize this letter:
The issue of unsavory rental units in the midst of many prominent Lakewood neighborhoods has been at the forefront of many peoples minds. From the older areas to ones more recently populated by the frum community, residents have had to deal with homes that are unfortunately owned by frum people who rent them out to individuals that ruin the quality of life and general equilibrium of the neighborhood. Aside from the obvious issues that affect the immediate neighborhood, such as loud music, general unsightliness - and at times, unlawful behaviors, more serious issues that affect the tzibbur at large abound as well. Crimes committed by those who reside in such homes affect everybody throughout town. Indeed, the crime rate of Lakewood is higher than the national average, despite the fact that over 50% of its inhabitants belong to the frum community.
While the owners would never consider placing such tenants next door to their own homes, they don’t think twice before placing them next to someone else’s home. This basic lack of sensitivity is in clear violation of man desoni alach lechavrach lo sa’avid.
Rabbonim receive daily calls about these homes, with neighbors voicing their growing frustration at the intolerable situation, seeking to find out what they can demand al pi da’as Torah. In response, the Roshei Yeshivos and Rabbonim in town, together with Rav Dovid Feinstein and Rav Shlomo Miller, have issued a directive to these owners, apprising them of the appropriate course of action to take.
[PLEASE SEE IMPORTANT YWN NOTE AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE]
The directive states as follows: “In light of the many unfortunate episodes that have taken place in town, and in response to the continuous complaints that have come to our attention, we issue this urgent call to the bnei Torah of our kehilla kedosha of Lakewood in order to raise awareness of a pressing matter that has been causing emotional pain and physical damage to the tzibur of Lakewood for many years.
Many individuals have purchased homes in areas that over the years have been built up until the majority of the neighborhood has been converted to a yiddishe shechuna. Yet, these owners continue to rent out their units to unsavory individuals, and by doing so, cause damage and pain to the entire neighborhood in ways which need not be elaborated. Others have done worse, by purchasing units in areas that they know are quickly becoming an attractive location for bnei Torah families or even in areas that have already been firmly established as such. These opportunistic latecomers are certainly the direct cause of damage and unjustified hardship for the entire neighborhood, both physically and spiritually.
In many situations it is halachically incumbent upon these owners to promptly remove their obstacle from the public. Even in cases where perhaps there isn’t a clear halachic enforceable mandate, nevertheless, ain ruach chachomim nocheh heimenu. Regarding situations such as these, the Gemorrah states that Yerushalayim was destroyed because people insisted on not going beyond the enforceable letter of the law.
Such people should fear placing themselves in the category of mazikei harabim and should be wary of shouldering the awesome responsibility of such actions. It is well-known that one who, G-d forbid, brings pain to others causes the middas hadin to take hold. How can he remain indifferent in face of the pain he’s causing others? Even Yom Kippur won’t atone until he appeases the one who was wronged! Certainly among bnei Torah there is an added element of chillul Hashem involved. It is clear that no blessings can rest upon ventures of this nature.
Therefore, anybody who owns such dwellings should promptly rid themselves of these investments, even in place of a loss. In the interim, they are obligated to demand from their tenants to live up to neighborhood standards. Anyone with the ability to influence these owners in any way possible should do so and fulfill a mitzvah of zikui harabim in this pressing matter. Certainly, one should seek to be counted amongst the mezakai harabim rather than be amongst those who place fear and pain on the tzibur.
To those who abide by the above and fulfill the mitzvah of ve’ahavta leracha komocha, which forms the basis of the entire Torah, may Hashem bestow blessing and success in all of their financial and spiritual matters. May we see the fulfillment of the verse hinei mah tov umah na’im sheves achim gam yachad.”
Signed,
Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler
Rav Yeruchom Olshin
Rav Dovid Schustal
Rav Yisroel Neumann
Rav Yaakov Forscheimer
Rav Mattisyahu Salamon
Rav Dovid Feinstein
Rav Gavriel Finkel
Rav Avrohom Spitzer
Rav Osher Chaim Lieberman
Rav Shlomo Gissinger
Rav Shmuel Blech
Rav Shlomo Miller
Rav Yissocher Dov Kahan
Added note from Hagon Rav Elyashiv Shlita:
“BSD: Due to the Hachlata of Gedolei Yisroel in Golah (outside of Eretz Yisroel) regarding the city Lakewood, to prevent the renting of homes to individuals who are causing damage and pain to the Tzibur (community) - both physically & spirtually - I too join with them, Bnei Yisroel should not do “an avlah”, and should listen to words of Rabonim and in turn be blessed.”
Click HERE to read view the actual letter.
It s interesting to note, that the day following the brutal baseball-bat beating of Rabbi Moskowitz in October 2007, YWN ran an article titled “UPDATED: Lakewood Askan: What Needs To Be Done With The Crime (UPDATE On Lakewood Assault)” [Click HERE to read it]
YWN now prints excerpts of that article:
Yeshivaworld has just interviewed a prominent Lakewood Askan, who has vented his frustration at last night’s brutal, unprovoked bias attack by an African American male on a Lakewood Cheder Rebbe.
According to him, and practically every single Rosh Yeshiva, Rov, Askan, and Lakewood resident, the root of the problem is that Lakewood is filled with slum-housing that is occupied by violent gang members. Many (95%) of these properties are owned by members of our own community.
He feels that not enough is being done to correct this dangerous problem.
“Perhaps it is time to get the public records of every criminal arrested in the last 5 years in Lakewood, and see what their address is. Close to 100% of these addresses are owned by Frum landlords/slumlords. The names of these slumlords should then be publicized. Let the community see what the real reason for the crime in Lakewood is.
The most crime-infested properties in the town of Lakewood are owned by prominent members of our community. Downtown is a fearful mess.
Criminals from the High Point neighborhood prey on the adjacent neighborhoods. One frum landlord owns some 40 units in High Point alone. Thugs from Woodlake can cruise through Lakewood at will, looking for victims. Raintree is filled with homes of dealers of all sorts. Shootings take place on Seventh Street by people who live on Seventh Street, and if not on Seventh then on another block nearby. The abductor of the frum girl from Trim Gym lived in the home of a frum person.
Last nights brutal assault was another wake-up call! We need to get the community to stand up and force these landlords to evict these vile creatures.
Everyone knows that if you invite 500 terrorists to live in Lakewood they will plant a bomb in one of our Shuls. This is no different. Bring 500 violent thugs - all gang members - into the heart of our community and we then have incidents such as last night.
Steps were taken to stop this in the past by Rabbonim and Poskim, which failed in the face of strong landlord opposition.
Just last year the slumlords were outraged when a law was passed requiring that properties be kept in decent condition. Their reaction? They staged a demonstration outside the home of Mayor Lichtenstein!
They are now fighting a law that would require a yearly inspection of rental properties. What is wrong with a yearly inspection? What are they afraid of? Is it the countless violations that will definitely be found in the properties?
Enough is enough! It is time to stand up!”
[The letter has been uploaded at http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/]
(Moshe Altusky - YWN)
UOJ, you may be off on this one...Levin is a pretty straight shooter. I listened to the tape - he says clearly that there are cases that have been brought to him that are true, that he works with the police and court systems, and is not afraid to do ao. The situation in Telshe is aggravated by the internal politics of the place. Be sure of your facts on this one...and keep up the good work!
The facts on the Levin/Telz cases is that Levin refused to meet with the accusers.
He went way out on the limb here as ALL of the "gedolei hador" have done on all abuse cases - protecting the "yungerman" when he refuses to meet with the more than 6 accusers and their parents.
This is their official {Stale Matzas gedolim} policy - insult the accusers as shakranim - before you do a thorough investigation. I will have none of this. Levin is in my crosshairs!
I’m Sorry!
This is so typical of Telshe-Chicago it’s sickening. Nothing changes, just the same old, same old.
I left the yeshiva, because all the kollel leeches of Telshe-Chicago sat and hocked in the coffee room istead of learning. For four damn years the fools talked about a guy they never met, nor knew anything about. All they knew was that he came from a “chosheve” family, but threw them out of his life. Rav Levin allowed a local rov and his family to smear the name of the poor guy.
I know for a fact that more than one member of the Telshe-Chicago hanhallah reads this blog regularly. Please submit this question to my former Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Levin, and ponder it yourselves as well.
Why when a yungerman in Cleveland is accused of SERIOUS violations of decency, you say keep quiet because it’s retzicha, yet you allowed a local rov, and your kollel to spill the blood of innocent man, Why is the kollel yungerman’s blood redder than the blood of Motty Finkel?
This is why I‘m embarrased to be a Telshe-Chicago alumni, and will bli neder never give a penny to that place.
The dripping blood of the Chicago Avrohom Mondrowitz victims, are on Levin's filthy hands as well. He sends him off to Brooklyn - and says nothing of the monster to anyone.
Look at the Moetzes members.
Levin - Mondrowitz
Kaminetzky - Eisemann
Feldman - Eisemann
Feinstein - Kolko
Perlow - Kolko
They either sent them away from their playing fields - or did nothing! Some gang of rotzchim these guys are!
Oh yes ....I left off another Moetzes menuvel ... Aron Schechter!
OUT OF CONTROL~! LOOK AT THE LENGTHS THESE GANGSTERS WILL GO THROUGH TO DECEIVE THE PUBLIC! THE OU IS IN - UP TO THEIR EYEBALLS!
--------------------------------
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2008/07/5w-pr-illegally.html
We exposed the 5W frauds on Shmarya's blog weeks ago. Shmarya confirmed it today. Those incompetent fools were so transparent with their phoney names and their typical Rubashkin drivel. They make Chaim Neuhoff look like a professional.
Regarding R' Levin, didn't he once state that "there is no more room under the rug", about sweeping away sexual molestation? I guess it was "simanei taharah"- the pig putting his split hooves forward.
Levin was referring to Mattisyahu Salomon's rug - And Salomon was referring to Levin's rug. This is the way the game is played.
Kaminetzky kept his rug safe - and sends Eisemann to Baltimore! Feldman/Neuberger keep their rug safe by denying there is even a rug.
Perlow can't seem to see outside of Borough Park.
Dovid Feinstein does not know who Margulies is and is too busy learning.
And Aron Schechter buries the kids in concentration camps.
We're in good shape. Klal Yisroel is eating tarfus on a daily basis...and Hersh Weinreb & Co. (OU) get involved with dirty tricks rather than clean up the mess.
I'll go after Weinreb another time. I'm gathering a dossier on this shtik drek!
R' Avrohom Chaim Levin's brother-in-law is R' Lazer Ginzberg.
http://www.chicagojewishnews.com/story.htm?sid=1&id=252105
Hey, I like UOJ's nickname for Talansky so much, I think I'll borrow it.
Don't mind me, I'm just trying to make up for hiring the accused molester of the South Bend yeshiva.
Its a dirty job, lets leave it at that!
The above statement was given when asked how they clean a septic tank full of "GEDOILEM".
Uoj!! keep it up, our eineklach will thank you for it.
Its been 2 years this week since Leizerowitz fled like a dog, I have learnt alot from you over this entire period of time, some of the things I have seen, litterally stabbed me like a dagger to the heart, the judaisim I grew up to love, the gerer chassidim I was taught to be proud of, Is no more!! Uoj!!! you are my beacon of light, my only hope for a better future of the klal, keep it up and may you never be silenced.
P.S. the gerer rabbonim who covered for A.M.Leizerowitz all those years have not heared the last of me, I promise!
What do you have against me?
I came in to the OU as its leader after the Baruch Lanner affair in which a rabbi of NCSY was molesting kids for 20 years and the head of the OU had to be fired. There was an investigation done by A.J. Twersky, Pelcowitz, Susan Shulman, Richerd Joel and other professionals as to how this diastrous crime was allowed to happen.
All I did was BURY the report. But if I had opened it up to the public then the public would have seen that EVERYBODY not just Rafi Butler had known all along. Everyone from the top down to the secretaries. So we would have had to close the OU down. And where would klal yisroel be without this institution? How did we survive for 2000 years if not for the OU? (Okay we're really not that old, but you know what I mean).
Aside from that, look at what else I've done for victims of sexual abuse. You know I'm a psychologist, right? So I knew about Moshe Eiseman, as a shrink in Baltimore for 20 years, and didn't lift a finger. What and go up against Herman Neuberger's machine of personal destruction? And what about Aron Tendler? People came to me about him, but what was I gonna do? Woudld you have me expose him? That all got taken care of just beautifully, no? So what that a few more victims happened under my watch and I have Jewih blood on my hands. I am not my brother's keeper, and have no control or power to stop these eents. All I can do with my position is encourage and facilitate letters written to cover up the gross misdeeds of Rubashkin so that nobody sues us at the OU, because again, that would mean the possible destruction of the OU. That would not necessarily be bad for the Jews (especially the ones who really want to keep kosher, and the ones who want their children kept safe), but it would be bad for me because I continue to draw my salary fom the OU G-d forbid.
http://www.vosizneias.com/17930/2008/07/10/tel-aviv-israel-school-careworker-jailed-for-29-years-for-abusing-29-children/
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Violation points: 37 Inspected on March 19, 2008.
1755 CONEY ISLAND AVENUE, BROOKLYN "OH BAGELS CAFE" inspected: 41 violation points
Violation points: 41 Inspected on March 3, 2008.
1510 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN CAFE UNIVERSAL inspected: 47 violation points
Violation points: 47 Inspected on March 3, 2008.
1523 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN FALAFEL STOP BROOKLYN CORPORATION inspected: 6 violation points
Violation points: 6 Inspected on March 3, 2008.
1720 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN PRESSER'S KOSHER BAKERY inspected: 22 violation points
Violation points: 22 Inspected on February 29, 2008.
1410 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN DUNKIN' DONUTS inspected: 12 violation points
Violation points: 12 Inspected on February 28, 2008.
1635 CONEY ISLAND AVENUE, BROOKLYN BARMODA CAFE RESTAURANT inspected: 19 violation points
Violation points: 19 Inspected on February 28, 2008.
1424 ELM AVENUE, BROOKLYN CHAP A NOSH inspected: 22 violation points
Violation points: 22 Inspected on February 13, 2008.
1523 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN FALAFEL STOP BROOKLYN CORPORATION inspected: 3 violation points
Violation points: 3 Inspected on February 7, 2008.
1710 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN MEISNER'S GLATT KOSHER inspected: 12 violation points
Violation points: 12 Inspected on February 4, 2008.
1523 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN FALAFEL STOP BROOKLYN CORPORATION inspected: 47 violation points
Violation points: 47 Inspected on January 31, 2008.
1802 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN BENNY'S inspected: 15 violation points
Violation points: 15 Inspected on January 30, 2008.
1424 ELM AVENUE, BROOKLYN CHAP A NOSH inspected: 63 violation points
Violation points: 63 Inspected on January 24, 2008.
1710 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN MEISNER'S GLATT KOSHER inspected: 37 violation points
Violation points: 37 Inspected on January 17, 2008.
1423 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN KOSHER BAGEL HOLE inspected: 26 violation points
Violation points: 26 Inspected on January 15, 2008.
1802 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN BENNY'S inspected: 59 violation points
Violation points: 59 Inspected on January 8, 2008.
1219 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN SUBWAY OF KINGS HIGHWAY INC inspected: No violation points
Violation points: 0 Inspected on January 3, 2008.
1919 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN CHADASH PIZZA inspected: 14 violation points
Violation points: 14 Inspected on December 31, 2007.
1324 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN PIZZA TIME inspected: 12 violation points
Violation points: 12 Inspected on December 31, 2007.
1523 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN FALAFEL STOP BROOKLYN CORPORATION inspected: 41 violation points
Violation points: 41 Inspected on December 27, 2007.
1510 ELM AVENUE, BROOKLYN DUNKIN' DONUTS inspected: 9 violation points
Violation points: 9 Inspected on December 13, 2007.
1920 AVENUE M, BROOKLYN MEAL MART inspected: 3 violation points
Violation points: 3 Inspected on December 12, 2007.
1720 CONEY ISLAND AVENUE, BROOKLYN SHNITZEL KING inspected: 22 violation points
Violation points: 22 Inspected on November 15, 2007.
1223 AVENUE J, BROOKLYN KOSHER DELIGHT inspected: 26 violation points
Violation points: 26 Inspected on November 5, 2007
HaRav Avrohom Chaim Levin will be in Williamsburg tonight at the Vayoiel Moishe banquet hall tonight Thursday, July 10, 2008.
His nephew, Rav Mordechai Mannes’s son is marrying the daughter of a great, huge, taireh tzaddik, yarei shomayim HaRav Shloime Mandel of Yeshiva of Brooklyn.
Anyone have any onfo on the case against yona weinberg? It is hard to believe that it's true if you know him.
Rabbi Rafi Butler is currently the rabbi of the hashkama minyan in the downstairs of Young Israel of Jamaica Estates. The senior rabbi of this shul also serves as the President of the OU's RCA division.
Whenever Butler's name comes up in context with Lanner, most rabbis in Queens jump to Butler's defense that Butler didn't know all that much and asked gedolim what to do.
Is this simply the Nuremburg defense of just vollowing orders?
I though UOJ was getting rid of Belsky? Now he's busy with Weinreb?
The Forward is reporting that the CEO of 5W is investigating Juda Engelmayer and other employees to see who is impersonating people on Shmarya's blog. Of course "5E" is also investigating which was not reported.
Leave my father in law Rabbi Weinreb alone or I will throw some dog food at you which I farkoif for a living.
News website "The Gawker" has picked up the Engelmayer story. Paul Levy of Public Citizen says the Rubashkin PR Putzes are in violation of State laws if any comments were defamatory.
CEO of 5W is investigating Juda Engelmayer and other employees to see who is impersonating people on Shmarya's blog. Of course "5E" is also investigating which was not reported.
-------------
Deep Nose is claiming Margo is also investigating the allegations against Kolko. 5E believes Margo is in contact with O.J. Simpson - who believes his wife's killer is hiding out on a golf course in Florida. So all the investgations continue...
Yeedle Engelmayer is an honorable PR flack.
Rabbi Weinreb...and I'm talking to Rabbi's in general and politicians too.
What do the little people expect from you? We expect that when you are appointed or elected to a position of power or authority, that you remember why you are there...you are there to serve the people; whether to guide them spiritually as a Rabbi/leader or to look after their interests politically...that is what we expect. We expect you to carry out your duties in an honorable manner. When executives at a public company act in violation of their duty to their stockholders (little people), they are held accountable and the little people sue them. Too bad we can't sue you.
We expect you to remember that every one of us has a soul that is equally precious to our creator...we are all the same in his eyes...money and power does not make you better then me.
And if you do not fear G-d, then fear UOJ and the little people. The internet has given us a voice...a loud voice.
From today's Jerusalem Post
The Orthodox social justice group Uri L'Tzedek has called off a boycott of Agriprocessors' products less than a month after it began, following what it sees as a "number of important reforms" instituted by the company.
The Postville, Iowa-based company is the largest kosher meatpacking plant in the United States. Its kosher products are marketed under the brand names Aaron's Best and Rubashkins.
Former US attorney James Martin, hired by Agriprocessors as a compliance officer, assured the NGO in conversations over the past week that the company has begun to take "significant steps" toward addressing concerns of Jewish leaders and consumers.
"He has assured us he is not a short-term fix," said Shmuly Yanklowitz, co-director of Uri L'Tzedek. "He is committed to addressing our concerns and to creating permanent solutions."
The steps already taken include the creation of an anonymous tip line for employees to report safety and rights violations, a new safety department and safety training initiatives.
"In light of these early signs of reform, Uri L'Tzedek is no longer calling for the community to abstain from purchasing Agriprocessors' products," the group said in a statement on Tuesday. "Time will show what kind of results these reforms will yield for the workers at Agriprocessors."
On May 12 US Immigration and Customs Enforcement staged a raid on the plant that was described as the largest in US history. Hundreds of illegal immigrant workers were arrested, including 290 Guatemalans, 93 Mexicans, four Ukrainians and two Israelis.
Employees have since claimed they were underpaid and abused. Agriprocessors officials deny the allegations and the federal government has yet to bring any charges against the company's owners.
Uri L'Tzedek warned Tuesday that should Agriprocessors fail to implement Martin's recommendations or to demonstrate "full compliance" with laws on worker safety, pay, and rights, they would once again raise concerns with the company and kosher consumers. The group also called attention to problems that persist in Postville including families left without work who are unable to pay for necessities and a "deeply flawed" federal immigration policy.
"Addressing these larger issues is integral to our work as activists."
Uri L'Tzedek said they had helped raise funds for the families hurt by the raids, in addition to holding meetings with US House and Senate staff, and a conversation with Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, to express concerns about the consequences of current enforcement tactics.
Anonymous on VIN said:
well we can start with a yungerman in BMG yeshiva, who owns countless property in mostly frum Coventry Square in Lakewood. He has been asked very nicely over the years by Yidden living next door to his units to please remove them. There was even a sign in yeshiva asking him personally to take a little less rent and rent to yidden again he stonewalled them. lets take one landlord at a time and maybe people will stop getting stabbed and brutally beaten because these people want make maximum on their investments. So call him ask him WHY HIS PARNASSAH is more important than jewish lives. Im sure he has a great answer for you and If he dosnt then he better have one for GOD. HIS NAME IS YOSEIF YAFFE.
*****
I don’t like to mish with things outside of Booda Pahk, but here is a gutte shtickel advice.
Go to the wedding in Williamsburg tonight of the Levin/Keller/Prager crime family, and talk to him. Maybe Yoseif, Levin, Keller and yourself can have you picture taken by the Yated paparazzi photographers. Pinny is doch mishpoocheh.
At least UOJ is finally getting off of my shvugger Eichenstein’s case.
Perhaps the Agudath Israel will furnish an Amicus Brief
----------------------------------
Bible Publishers Sued for Anti-Gay References
Thursday, July 10, 2008
By: Rick Pedraza - Newsmax
A Michigan man is seeking $70 million from two Christian publishers for emotional distress and mental instability he received during the past 20 years from versions of the Bible that refer to homosexuality as a sin.
Bradley LaShawn Fowler, a gay man, claims his constitutional rights were infringed upon by Zondervan Publishing Co. and Thomas Nelson Publishing, both of which, he claims, deliberately caused homosexuals to suffer by misinterpretation of the Bible.
Fowler, 39, is seeking $60 million from Zondervan and another $10 million from Thomas Nelson.
According to a USA Today report, Fowler’s two separate suits against the publishers claim the intent of the Bible revisions that refer to homosexuals as sinners reflect an individual opinion or a group's conclusion.
Fowler says the deliberate changes made to first Corinthians, chapter six, verse nine caused him "or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder."
Fowler, who is representing himself in both lawsuits, claims the publishers are misinterpreting the Bible by specifically using the word homosexuals, which made him an outcast from his family and contributed to physical discomfort and periods of demoralization, chaos and bewilderment.
“These are opinions based on the publishers and they are being embedded in the religious structure as a way of life," he tells a local NBC TV station affiliate in Grand Rapids.
Fowler admits that every Bible printed is a translation that can be interpreted in many ways, but he says specifically using the word “homosexual” is not a translation but a change.
Fowler says Zondervan Bibles published in the ‘80s used the word homosexuals among a list of those who are “wicked' or unrighteous and won't inherit the kingdom of heaven.”
Zondervan, for its part, issued a statement to the Grand Rapids press stating it does not translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations it publishes
“We rely on the scholarly judgment of the highly respected and credible translation committees behind each translation and never alter the text of the translations we are licensed to publish,” the statement reads.
“We only publish credible translations produced by credible Biblical scholars.”
U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr., who will hear Fowler’s case against Thomas Nelson, says the court “has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of [Fowler’s] claims."
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Guests at an Israeli wedding hall can now insert a credit card into a machine at its entrance, tap in a sum and leave a gift for the bride and groom.
"It's new in Israel and the world," Aya Alon Kaufman of the Gan Oranim hall in Tel Aviv said on Israel's Channel 10 television. "It's very convenient ... guests can give a gift even if they forget their chequebooks."
She said couples pay 500 shekels ($155) to rent the device, which resembles an automated teller machine, and the recorded funds are transferred into their bank account the next day.
The machine, shown being used in the television report, prints out a "deposit" slip with the guest's name, which can be put into an envelope along with a congratulatory note and inserted into a slot in the device for the couple to retrieve.
Rather than bring boxed gifts, guests at Israeli weddings usually leave cash or cheques in envelopes they slip into a safe placed at the reception hall's door.
(Writing by Jeffrey Heller)
Levin's comments are outrageous. You would think that he would have learned something from the events of the past two years. Yet, he goes on and on about not publicizing the identities of molesters. Who is he trying to protect? Which halacha is he following? "Never anything public..even when 'some' of these stories are true...protecting 'everybody'". Rabbi Levin, how can you be protecting other potential victims if you do not publicize the identities of the molesters? Obviously the only one who's protected is the predator. This is like a bad movie repeating itself over and over again. Then you have him railing about "shkorim gemurim" and "halbanas panim". How does he know for sure that the accusations are not true? How does he know for sure that six Jews conspired against this individual with vicious lies? I would think that an investigation is warranted. Speeches like this, as well as the recent Baltimore conference, will set us back years, and will produce more molesters and more victims, c"v.
He davened for the amud
And lained a holy tongue
He benched and he mezumaned
He really had some fun.
He preached unto his neighbors
He mussared day and night.
He memorized gemorah
To learn the wrong from right.
He dressed in bidgay kavod
A black hat and a beard
He shuckled and he shivered
Chareidi all his years.
But then the boys told stories
Of probing hands and worse
They told it to their parents;
They told it to the nurse.
They told it to the papers
"For news and publication!"
They told it to the state
They told it to the nation.
BUT WAIT, said Rabbi So and So.
THERE WAS NO PENETRATION!!!!!
rafi butler knew. We all knew. Stolper knew . Julie berman, rudolf, shimmy,...they all knew. I told them to follow the money. Lanner was a very sick but brilliant businessman .
Farshtoonkena:
Glad you're back - in print,
better than in person - mine kint,
unless you cleaned up and used soap,
to "hear" from you again - is my hope.
Go back to your room and do write,
because we need you to join our renewed fight,
the gedolim shakronim have lost their minds,
and I will have no choice but to kick their behinds!
Keep in touch ---- well you know what I mean,
"Farshtoonkena" Yiden should be heard - but not seen!
B'yididus...
UOJ
Wainhaus from Hillel Torah came to Telz in Chicago via Baltimore. He was “relieved” of his responsibilities after certain “incidents” occurred with Telz boys. The shmuck Levin passed him on to Hannah Sachs Girls High School because “he’s erlich enough not to touch girls chas v’sholom”. Hannah Sachs “eliminated” the position when they found he was “acting unprofessionally” with the girls. Under Levin’s orders he was sent to Hillel Torah because “it’s messed up modern kids anyway”. Hillel Torah FIRED the bastard for MOLESTING kids.
Levin knows you can’t back a molester so he’s careful to never say the word MOLEST. This thug is in charge of Torah Umesorah who is supposed to protect kids. Call Jack Rajchenbach and Pinny Lipschutz and demand his resignation.
uoj, not bad not bad, actually pretty good, its good to see you still got your sanity, and a good sense of humor with that.
Indeed, the crime rate of Lakewood is higher than the national average, despite the fact that over 50% of its inhabitants belong to the frum community.
Despite or because of?
Who are the real farshtunkene yidden????
Please invetigate the Kosher Gym AKA KG fitness for fraudulent and deceptive business practices and their connection to the Chillul Hashem Oorah organization. It seems Yehuda Fulda - the owner of KG fitness is also a big supporter of Oorah and helped them start Cucumber communications. These are the same people behind the 1800 Kars for Kids fiasco. They really seem to think they can do whatever they want and get away with it by manipulating the legal and the beis din system. They also seem to have certain Rabbbis in their pocket such as Rabbi Mintz and Rabbi Moshe Meir Weiss.
Here is the link for the video of the channel 11 Expose` on Oorah and their Kars for Kids sham. The Chilul Hashem and embarrasment and humiliation they caused to the entire Jewish Community is outrageous. And who are they accountable to? No one. And did any of the Rabbonim who banned, the sheitel store,the Lipa Concert,etc. come out with a statement that Chilul Hashem is not permissible in the pursuit of Kiruv?NO! Were these people censured in any way? NO! Did they at least have the decency to apologise to the Tzibur? NO! Instead they go and make another Chilul Hashem with their Summer Kiruv Camp in the mountains. Oorah and Yehuda Fulda take your cucumbers and 800 them to where the sun don't shine.
http://cw11.trb.com/news/local/newsatten/wpix-factfinderhome,0,2707029.htmlstory
I wish no one had brought up my name in connection to Lanner. UOJ is already unhappy with me over my support of Sruly Singer and because my toilet overflowed and destroyed Rav Soloveitchik's kisvei yad in my basement.
Someone hinted that Pinny Lipschutz is related to Rabbi AC Levin.
How is that?
Don't forget that another Telshe Chicago rosh yeshiva, Rav Schmeltzer, has a son who is said to have hatched the scheme against Slifkin with Pinter & Tropper.
It's not fair to associate R' Chaim Dov Keller with that lowlife putz thief Prager from Scheinerman's shul. At least someone insinuated that in an earlier post. It's not Rav Keller's fault.
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