tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post5200186734000128622..comments2024-03-27T15:07:31.495-04:00Comments on <b><center>Unorthodox-Jew </center></b> <br><small>A Critical View of Orthodox Judaism</small>: ISAAC HERSH HAS BEEN FREED FROM THE CLUTCHES OF AARON SCHECHTER AND HIS MINION STEVE MOSTOFSKY!Paul Mendlowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887774341136059873noreply@blogger.comBlogger343125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-37835609823883897302008-04-01T17:14:00.000-04:002008-04-01T17:14:00.000-04:00Please re-post!Please re-post!Paul Mendlowitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05887774341136059873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-15356387762890841802008-04-01T17:06:00.000-04:002008-04-01T17:06:00.000-04:00I wrote a whole post on the night of the 28th or 2...I wrote a whole post on the night of the 28th or 29th and it's never showed up!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-11702853113320226952008-04-01T15:08:00.000-04:002008-04-01T15:08:00.000-04:00These comments are making me sick to my stomach.Wh...These comments are making me sick to my stomach.<BR/>Why is klal yisrael so quick to jugde each other?<BR/>Im crying for my fellow Jews who are so quick to drink up this hot button gossip and destroy the name of a Torah family, rather than -at the least- be dan l'kaf z'chus.<BR/>Do you know how guilty we are of shfichas domim? We are killing the reputation of a Torahdik family. 99% of you DO NOT know the story and its a chutzpah to comment, let alone make the father out to be a rasha. Chas v'sholom!<BR/>And to involve the members of hatzalah? To harrass them like this? How low have we fallen? This is NOT l'shem shomayim. Theres too much chillul Hashem for it to have been lishmah.<BR/><BR/>Do you know that the mishmah calls someone who is m'vazeh talmidei chachamim an APIKORES? And there's no chelek in Olam habbah for them.<BR/>People are being m'vazeh R' Aaron Shechter- people who dont even reach his ankels in gadlus- in public forums all over the internet. Oy lonu!<BR/>We have a lot of t'shuva to do.<BR/>There is definitely another side to this story. There hasta be.<BR/>Michael Hersh, based on the many wonderful things weve heard about him, has a chazakah for being an ehrlich, straight man.<BR/>Please lets not be m'kabel this- its motzi shem ra.<BR/><BR/>As a side point,<BR/>I know the Hersh's very well. They are wonderful people; intelligent, high functioning, well meaning, humble people who only have their childrens best interest in mind. They were blessed with 8 children, two of whom are deeply disturbed. <BR/><BR/>Isaac (Yitzchok Meir) and his twin, Shlomo Zalman are boys that I know well. They are brilliant, adorable kids with incredible personality... but they are also quite disturbed.<BR/>Their parents tried everything under the sun to help them, spending every cent they dont have. These boys have been out of control since they were babies.<BR/>Isaac is a danger to himself, as well as to those around him and for many reasons, something drastic hadda be done.<BR/>R' Aharon Shechter realizes this and therefore stands alone in his support of the parents decision.<BR/><BR/>I know the boys well, and I like them A LOT. Theyve stayed at my house, too. I also know that they need a lot of help. Their parents are absolutely wonderful and the community should be ashamed of themselves for butting in now- when they can pat themselves on the back, instead of 10 years ago when it was more private but when they desparately needed help. <BR/> <BR/>Oh, and btw, UOJ<BR/>you do realize you're gonna burn in hell for all this, right? You better take a trip to cancoon and start getting used to the hot weather...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-15279811096160567892008-04-01T12:37:00.000-04:002008-04-01T12:37:00.000-04:00One thing should be clarified. There are several ...One thing should be clarified. There are several community organizations that are being implicated in this ordeal by association, and there is probably no reason that they should be seen as bearing any responsibility whatsoever. In terms of the personal responsibility, the next several days will probably involve revelations that will tell much more than is known as fact.<BR/><BR/>Yeshiva Chaim Berlin has probably done nothing here. The Rosh Yeshiva was involved, but that would be personal involvement.<BR/><BR/>The Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel was also not involved. Rav Schechter is a member of that body, but any involvement of his was not the capacity of a member of the Moetzes, nor of Aguda in general.<BR/><BR/>Hatzoloh was also not involved at all. That Michoel Hersh was an officer or that Zvi Gluck is a Hatzoloh member is irrelevant.<BR/><BR/>National Council of Young Israel was also not involved. The attorney, Mostofsky, happens to serve as NCYI’s president, but any involvement of his was via his law practice.<BR/><BR/>It is common to associate organizational affiliation as a basis for responsibility, but that does not mean that there is any accuracy. None of these organizations should be vilified because of what happened here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-48931839225009286252008-04-01T08:39:00.000-04:002008-04-01T08:39:00.000-04:00I love the UOJ because you document your claims. D...I love the UOJ because you document your claims. DO YOU HAVE THE PAPERS ACTUALLY IMPLECATING cHAIM BERLIN IN THE THE JAMAICAN COURT PAPERS W/ MOSTOFSKY TO KEEP ISAAC THERE? THIS WOULD BE THE MOST DAMNING EVIDENCE IMAGINABLE. sINCE TILL NOW CB IS ONLY HEARSAY INVOLVEMENT.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-7314713003290531052008-03-31T11:11:00.000-04:002008-03-31T11:11:00.000-04:00Bruria Keren, the wacko who dresses like the Talib...Bruria Keren, the wacko who dresses like the Taliban, whipped her kids with electric cords and let them have sex with each other is married to a shnorrer who collects money overseas. He may have interrupted you during shacharis at Landau's shul or rang your doorbell on a Sunday.<BR/><BR/>The London Jewish Chronicle is reporting that he just returned from a shnorrfest and was arrested upon landing at Ben Gurion Airport.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-84210967187747703562008-03-31T10:58:00.000-04:002008-03-31T10:58:00.000-04:00R' Elya Boruch Finkel, one of the roshei yeshiva o...R' Elya Boruch Finkel, one of the roshei yeshiva of the Mir Yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel, passed away suddenly at 60 years old after suffering a massive heart attack Monday morningAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-6317726033124397342008-03-31T10:56:00.000-04:002008-03-31T10:56:00.000-04:00http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/032808/...http://www.jacksonville.com/apnews/stories/032808/D8VMGMK00.shtml<BR/><BR/>Efraim Diveroli is a yeshiva boy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-36791575767421407522008-03-31T10:53:00.000-04:002008-03-31T10:53:00.000-04:00http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080330/NEWS01/803300307<BR/><BR/>Forrest Co. grapples with funding for new jail<BR/><BR/>By TERRY L. JONES <BR/><BR/>The new jail is designed to be a single-level, 103,000-square-foot facility with a 9,136-square-foot mezzanine.<BR/><BR/>But already architects have been asked to go back to the drawing board to reduce the maximum-security areas in the new jail. That could bring the price down to between $13 million and $14 million, Marshall said.<BR/><BR/>"We just did a new floor plan for them," confirmed Mike Pinter, senior staff architect at Dean & Dean Architects in Jackson.<BR/><BR/>Pinter said in their current sketches for the jail the number of maximum-security buildings was scaled down to two instead of three.<BR/><BR/>"When you're building a maximum-security area, just guessing, it can cost $250,000 or more per square foot," he said. "(That's) because you've got solid concrete walls and extremely heavy doors and frames with electronics built into them."<BR/><BR/>The new facility will contain 600 beds, Pinter said.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-30512658542467715242008-03-31T10:43:00.000-04:002008-03-31T10:43:00.000-04:00Ultra-Orthodox tradition grants nearly sweeping ap...Ultra-Orthodox tradition grants nearly sweeping approval of smoking on Purim, even among the "infants of Beit Rabban" - in other words, innocent children. But in recent years, some have attempted to spoil the ultra-Orthodox child's use on Purim of firecrackers and consumption of cigarettes, in their mandated topsy-turvy celebration of the reversal of the evil plot against Persian Jewry. Research presented by the Ministry of Health and the Israel Cancer Association suggest that the average ultra-Orthodox smoker - and there are many - smoked his first cigarette as a child on Purim. How early does this smoking begin? To judge by the approach of a prize-laden campaign organized by the "Hayim Bri'im Bihesed" (Healthy and Righteous Living) organization and the Maccabi health maintenance organization - at a very young age. From today and until Purim ends, "Every child who is at least 8 years old who refrains from smoking or possessing cigarettes, or products containing tobacco," and who presents a signed document from his parents attesting to his abstention from smoking, is entitled to participate in a raffle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-47202196949204448352008-03-31T10:13:00.000-04:002008-03-31T10:13:00.000-04:00http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-liwash0401,0,...http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-liwash0401,0,7197274.story<BR/><BR/>March 31, 2008<BR/><BR/>A driver who was dissatisfied with the service at an Elmont car wash became enraged when he was told to wait in line for a free, second car wash Sunday afternoon, the Nassau County police said. The man repeatedly rammed his Chevrolet Silverado truck into the car wash's computer controller, trapping three employees behind the broken machinery, the police said.<BR/><BR/>It was around 2:20 p.m. at Mr. Hand Car Wash, on Linden Boulevard in Elmont, when Assi Touti, 37, of 108th Street, Forest Hills, complained that his truck was not clean enough after going through the car wash, the police said.<BR/><BR/>He was offered another wash at no cost, a police report said.<BR/><BR/>But, the police report said, "Touti reportedly became agitated at having to wait in line longer and for a second time, and intentionally drove his Silverado truck into the car wash's computer control, repeatedly, trapping three employees between that machinery and a fence."<BR/><BR/>The controller, valued at around $12,000, was demolished, and the company lost revenue due to the damage, the police said. No one was injured.<BR/><BR/>Touti was arrested at the car wash and was charged with second-degree criminal mischief, a felony, and three counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment. He was scheduled for arraignment Monday in First District Court, Hempstead.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-21474358897631983662008-03-31T09:58:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:58:00.000-04:00Client #7 has been fingered. Another lapsed member...Client #7 has been fingered. Another lapsed member of the Tribe in the form of sexual pervert Marv Albert who disappeared from NBC News after a woman complained he left bitemarks in her.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-69909921748224376992008-03-31T09:52:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:52:00.000-04:00Adass Yisroel is where Malka Leifer plied her trad...Adass Yisroel is where Malka Leifer plied her trade.<BR/><BR/>http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/107669.html<BR/><BR/>Published: 03/23/2008<BR/><BR/>Police are investigating an alleged assault at a kosher bakery in Melbourne. <BR/><BR/>Emma Forovski, an 84-year-old grandmother, was hospitalized last Wednesday with a fractured nose after she allegedly was kicked by a staff member at the Haymishe Bakery in Melbourne’s heavily Jewish Balaclava neighborhood. The dispute apparently began over the freshness of a cake that Forovski wanted to buy. <BR/><BR/>Forovski, a Russian immigrant, told Sky News, “She pushed me and then kicked me and I fell [and] there was blood.” <BR/><BR/>But the owner of the bakery, which is under the supervision of the fervently Orthodox Adass Israel community, has strenuously denied the allegations. <BR/><BR/>Eva Weisner told 3AW local radio that Forovski, who was with her 90-year-old husband, had racially abused staff.<BR/><BR/>“An old Russian lady came into the shop, bought a cake and then started yelling at the serving ladies, saying ‘You are a dirty Jew’ and ‘You should die today.’ ”<BR/><BR/>But Forovski, who is also Jewish, denied that she had racially abused staff.<BR/><BR/>Raizl Fogel, a spokeswoman for the bakery, said the incident was unfortunate.<BR/><BR/>"We wish her well," she said, "but we’ve always prided ourselves on excellent service.”Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-80928642134969794802008-03-31T09:49:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:49:00.000-04:00http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20N...http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/1265067/<BR/><BR/>Mar 27, 2008 (McClatchy Newspapers - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- -- In early March, the most pressing legal scrape for a youthful Miami Beach munitions merchant was a DUI arrest after a night of partying on South Beach. <BR/><BR/>But this week, Efraim Diveroli's life got a lot more complicated. <BR/><BR/>The 22-year-old officially learned his Miami Beach company's $300 million contract with the U.S. Army was suspended because he may have violated U.S. law by selling decades-old, Chinese-made ammunition to supply Afghan soldiers, federal authorities said. <BR/><BR/>Diveroli is also under criminal investigation by federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and Miami, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the case. And a congressional oversight committee will hold a hearing next month on federal contracts awarded to his company, AEY Inc. <BR/><BR/>He could not be reached for comment. His grandfather, Angelo Diveroli, 72, who lives in North Miami-Dade, defended him on Thursday, saying he's being accused of selling older weapons by "jealous competitors." <BR/><BR/>"This is a shame because my grandson is a genius," the grandfather said. "He's a genius about anything to do with weapons. Ever since he was a little boy, I would take him to gun shows and he could identify every model of guns. People would ask: How can he do that so young? He has a gift, I would tell them." <BR/><BR/>His Miami lawyer, Hy Shapiro, said Thursday his client's company received the suspension notice on Wednesday but was awaiting further documentation from the Army. <BR/><BR/>"There's nothing I'm prepared to say right now," he said. <BR/><BR/>The improbable story of such a young man winning such a lucrative military contract was first published by The New York Times, which detailed Diveroli's history as a munitions maverick who had allegedly misled the Army by saying most of his machine-gun cartridges were Hungarian. <BR/><BR/>According to the Times, much of the ammunition came from aging stockpiles of old Communist bloc countries _ but also from China. <BR/><BR/>Both the Department of Defense's inspector general and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are investigating Diveroli's alleged network of weapons trafficking, the Times reported. <BR/><BR/>The suspension of Diveroli's contract, which his company won through competitive bidding last year, is temporary _ depending on the investigation's outcome. <BR/><BR/>A copy of the suspension notice obtained from the Army said that on Nov. 25, 2007, Diveroli provided military officials with "false or misleading" information. He indicated that the rounds of ammunition for AK-47s and other assault rifles were made in Hungary between 1965 and 1975, the notice said, but the Army discovered most of the munitions were, in fact, manufactured in China between 1962 and 1974. <BR/><BR/>In the March 25 suspension notice, Army officials cited a "prohibition" on sales of Communist Chinese military munitions to the U.S. government. <BR/><BR/>In a related document, the Army summarized the history of Diveroli's company, AEY, which was founded by his father in Miami Beach in 1999, noting that it started out selling surplus goods, wholesale scrap and waste materials. <BR/><BR/>Diveroli's fortunes rose with U.S. military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. <BR/><BR/>The company landed its first military contract in 2004, generating revenue of more than $1 million. But Diveroli's business with the Defense Department grew so dramatically that he snared contracts worth $200 million last year. The largest was to supply ammunition to the Afghan National Police and the Afghan National Army, which were fighting al-Qaida and Taliban insurgents. <BR/><BR/>All that government contract work transformed Diveroli's lifestyle. <BR/><BR/>"He's overseas right now, trying to fill government orders for weapons," said his grandfather, Angelo. "He is doing this work to help the American government. They are picking on him because he's a young man, but he's a hard worker. He works like a dog." <BR/><BR/>Angelo Diveroli, who is of Italian-Jewish descent and came to the United States from Rome, said his grandson was born on Miami Beach and attended schools in Europe, Israel and the Northeast. <BR/><BR/>The grandfather said he knows little about his grandson's private life. He lives in a high-rise condo on 38th Street and Collins Avenue and has an office on Arthur Godfrey Road. <BR/><BR/>"He's a young man. He has girlfriends and he goes out," Angelo Diveroli said. "I know sometimes he stays up all night because he has to deal with people in different time zones." <BR/><BR/>While living on Miami Beach, AEY's youthful president has had several run-ins with the law but no criminal convictions, Miami-Dade court records show. <BR/><BR/>Since 2005, Diveroli was accused of physically assaulting and harassing a former girlfriend. He also was arrested on charges of beating up a valet parker at his condo. Police said he was carrying a fake Florida driver's license that indicated he was four years older. <BR/><BR/>His latest legal problem is still pending. Earlier this month, on March 5, Diveroli was again arrested by Miami Beach police _ this time on a drunk driving charge. <BR/><BR/>He was released the same day on a $1,000 bond, said Janelle Hall, a Miami-Dade Corrections spokeswoman. He has an April 11 court date. <BR/><BR/>Diveroli might be the only U.S-approved munitions supplier with a Myspace account. <BR/><BR/>Diveroli kept his active until 2005. In his bio he describes himself as "a super nice guy." <BR/><BR/>He adds: "I know what I want out of life but not exactly quite sure how to get it yet." <BR/><BR/>And he confesses: "I had problems in high school so I was forced to work most of my teen years and I probably grew up way too fast. I finally got a decent apartment and I'm content for the moment, however, I definitely have the desire to be very successful in my business and this does take up a lot of my time." <BR/><BR/>He says he considers himself to be suffering from a case of "undiagnosed ADD." <BR/><BR/>What kind of women would he like to meet? "A sweet, pretty girl with a good attitude and love for life," according to his Web site posting. "A woman that will stand by her man because she knows he would do the same for her no matter the circumstance."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-17674792761102737252008-03-31T09:36:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:36:00.000-04:00Talmud Bavli (Moed Katan 17) discussed just this i...Talmud Bavli (Moed Katan 17) discussed just this issue.<BR/>--------------<BR/><BR/>I will not get a free pass. I will have to answer why I waited so long!Paul Mendlowitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05887774341136059873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-2888761582135584162008-03-31T09:31:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:31:00.000-04:00http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/967870.htmlRec...http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/967870.html<BR/><BR/>Recent incidents point to heightened tensions inside Israel between the ultra-Orthodox community and messianic Jews, who believe in Jesus but consider themselves Jewish. <BR/><BR/>In the desert town of Arad, a religious argument recently ended in an attempt by a messianic Jewish man to run over a member of Yad L'Achim, a Haredi anti-missionary organization. <BR/> <BR/>Edwin Beckford, a messianic Jew and resident of Arad, has been charged with assault and is now under house arrest. He says his action was a result of years of provocation and abuse.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-75529178118601664112008-03-31T09:25:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:25:00.000-04:00http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2008...http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080328/NEWS/803280416<BR/><BR/>LAKEWOOD — The man Orthodox Jews here knew as Nathan Levi was a rising star among them, having in three short years gone from a religious layman to a Torah scholar capable of mentoring others, those close to him said.<BR/><BR/>The same man is now in a Kansas prison awaiting trial on federal identity fraud charges under the name "John A. Doe," according to court papers that list his real name as Ted Riley Floyd.<BR/><BR/>As news of Levi's sudden departure spread, feelings of betrayal consumed this intensely close-knit Orthodox enclave, with many raising doubts about the purported Jewish roots of the newcomer they had embraced as one of their own.<BR/><BR/>"We gave him the confidence and all the support he needed to feel comfortable and honored here. To find out he's pulling a scam on the community is heartbreaking," said Rabbi Ike Lewis of the Congregation of Etz Haim, where he had tutored Levi for three years. Lewis would only give his secular name out of concern for his safety.<BR/><BR/>Levi was arrested at his home on Forest Park Circle Feb. 21 by U.S. Department of State agents on a 2002 warrant for submitting a fraudulent passport application in Wichita, Kan., according to authorities. That day, a New Jersey magistrate judge released him on $100,000 bail on the condition that he receive mental health counseling and return to Kansas to face the charges, court papers stated.<BR/><BR/>On March 24, a U.S. District Court judge in Kansas jailed Levi after determining he was lying about his identity, according to the detention order. At that hearing, Levi said his real name was Ted Riley Floyd. The court "it appears that Defendant is not Nathaniel James Levi, and that Nathaniel James Levi is in fact deceased."<BR/><BR/>"We essentially told the judge we can't trust he'll show up every time in court, because we just don't know who this guy is," Jim Cross, of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Kansas, said.<BR/><BR/>Levi's next court hearing is May 12, with trial set to begin May 20, Cross said.<BR/><BR/>It remains unclear how truthful Levi was about his Jewish background or what ties he has in Wichita other than having in-laws there.<BR/><BR/>No rush to judgment<BR/><BR/>Some Orthodox leaders refrained from quick judgment.<BR/><BR/>"How can I say he betrayed us? Do we know these allegations are true?" Joseph Atles, a member of Lakewood's council of Jewish leaders, the Vaad, said Thursday. "I could not say that with a straight face. I hope he didn't take advantage of us."<BR/><BR/>Levi at some point contacted Partners in Torah, a Lakewood-based nonprofit group that helps people discover their Jewish heritage by matching them up with a volunteer mentor, Shalom Rosenberg, the group's national follow-up coordinator, said.<BR/><BR/>"We had no reason to believe he was being dishonest about anything," said Rosenberg, who would not elaborate on when or for how long Levi was involved with the organization, or what was unearthed.<BR/><BR/>Lewis said Levi was matched with a Partners in Torah mentor about three years ago and brought to Lakewood from Kansas for a visit. Having liked what he saw, the self-employed graphic designer decided to move his family here.<BR/><BR/>Several neighbors in the Forest Park section told of helping him and his wife, Jamie, with everything from stocking up groceries for the Sabbath to finding private Orthodox schools for their three or four young children.<BR/><BR/>"Have done so much for him, how should people feel now?" asked one Orthodox woman who, like the other residents interviewed, asked that her name be withheld due to concerns of exposure. "They're really hurt. It's like a slap in the face."<BR/><BR/>Once settled, Levi tackled his role as a rabbinical student with vigor, spending long hours at the yeshiva university, Beth Medrash Govoha, and taking classes at Etz Haim, which was within walking distance of his home.<BR/><BR/>Lewis described Levi as a "very powerful" intellectual and a "multi-talented" tradesman who could switch effortlessly from religious scribe to construction worker to graphic artist.<BR/><BR/>"He excelled in his studies to a level where he was mentoring others," the rabbi said. "He was an unbelievable character."<BR/><BR/>During their time together, Lewis would receive only random snippets of information about Levi's past. While doing some handiwork for the synagogue when he first arrived, for instance, Levi told of his time as a sniper in the Persian Gulf war, where he supposedly was rewarded for making a kill shot from a mile away. He also claimed to have worked construction in Kansas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-17311943730829299892008-03-31T09:24:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:24:00.000-04:00http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2008...http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080328/NEWS02/803280436<BR/><BR/>Is this kid Avromi Rotenberg related to Rabbi Mickey Rottenberg?<BR/><BR/>Is Reich's Jewelers owned by frum people?<BR/><BR/>What's the story with the Rotenberg reject?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-39951473349560797662008-03-31T09:21:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:21:00.000-04:00Talmud Bavli (Moed Katan 17) discussed just this i...Talmud Bavli (Moed Katan 17) discussed just this issue. A prominent scholar was alleged to have committed various sexual improprieties. While the rumors about him were widespread, the scholar was also an important member of the community who influenced budding young scholars. <BR/><BR/>The sage Rabbi Yehuda agonized over whether or not he should publicly condemn the man and ostracize him. Though this would justly punish him for his actions, it would also rob the community of a valuable asset and could create a hilul Hashem (desecration of God's name) when it became public. Rabbi Yehuda chose condemnation, and refused to repeal his decision. <BR/><BR/>Years later, on his deathbed, Rabbi Yehuda faced the scholar, and smiled. <BR/><BR/>"Do you now mock me as well as having condemned me?" asked the scholar. <BR/><BR/>"No," said the sage. "I smile because I had the courage to condemn you for your crime and to hold fast to my convictions. In heaven, that will hold me in good stead, and the angels will smile upon me, too."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-77864870056356191152008-03-31T09:16:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:16:00.000-04:00R' Yaakov Weinberg comes from a family of Slonimer...R' Yaakov Weinberg comes from a family of Slonimer chassidim. Slonim has a very unusual minhag that they demand a kesuba for their daughters worth 50 grand, which is more than 5 times more than anyone else asks.<BR/><BR/>There have been incidents at chassunos where the chosson, who was not told about it earlier, refuses to go ahead with the chuppa until the nusach hashtar is changed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-86508393375047653512008-03-31T09:11:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:11:00.000-04:00http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/Leifer_Malka.htm...http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/Leifer_Malka.html<BR/><BR/>Shmarya jokes that another male fantasy has been shattered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-41204219499989784242008-03-31T09:05:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:05:00.000-04:00http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2008/03/case-o...http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2008/03/case-of-malka-leifer-ner-israel.html<BR/><BR/>Please note that it was learned that the case of Malka Leifer has connections to Ner Israel and the Weinberg Family. More information to follow soon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-21273078417899114442008-03-31T09:02:00.000-04:002008-03-31T09:02:00.000-04:00http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/969944.htmlPol...http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/969944.html<BR/><BR/>Police: Bnei Brak has by far the highest rate of sexual offenses<BR/><BR/>By Roni Singer-Heruti<BR/>Haaretz <BR/>March 31, 2008<BR/><BR/>Police investigating suspicions that a sex predator is wandering about in Bnei Brak said Sunday that they believe there are more cases of sex-related crimes in that city than in any other locale in Israel.<BR/><BR/>"The number of sex offenses in the Bnei Brak area is higher than any other city by tens of percentage points, and it is clear to us that we do not know about many cases that are not even reported because of the well-known fact that in the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community, there is great reluctance about reporting such incidents," a senior police officer in the Tel Aviv District said.<BR/><BR/>The Dan Region police received reports of 10 sexual assaults of girls in recent months. Two cases involved rape; the rest were instances either of attempted rape or indecent assault. In all cases the girls, aged approximately 12, gave a similar description of their assailant, who they said wore the garb of a specific Haredi community, and used the same modus operandi in his assaults. The suspect followed his victims and then attacked them in the yard or the lobby of a residential building.<BR/><BR/>However, police are also exploring the possibility that more than one assailant is involved.<BR/><BR/>In recent months the police have been tightening their relations with rabbis in Bnei Brak as a way of countering the attacks. According to police sources, the cooperation has often been successful and the rabbis have encouraged parents to complain about sexual assaults perpetrated on their children.<BR/><BR/>"Contrary to the past there is greater trust in the police [among the Haredi community] and less shame in filing a complaint. We recognize these phenomena that occur occasionally, and recently there have been many publications in the city, which have warned children about sexual predators," a senior public figure from Bnei Brak told Haaretz Sunday.<BR/><BR/>"Now the approach tends to be inclined toward involving the police as soon as possible after we learn that the attack has taken place. More than ever there are reports in various places, especially in schools and in letters to the parents, warning against the phenomena that threaten the children," the local source added.<BR/><BR/>He explained that there are mediators whose role is to liaise between the families and the police.<BR/><BR/>However, police sources still say that "the number of complaints that are filed is far from being high," adding that they are aware that in reality, there are many more instances of sexual assault which police only learn about through their intelligence sources.<BR/><BR/>The information is often received from "messengers" who are members of the religious courts of individual rabbis, and who disseminate rumors, recommending that the police investigate them.<BR/><BR/>A week ago, a 33-year-old resident of Lod was arrested in Bnei Brak on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenager who returned home late one night. The suspect, who has been indicted, followed the teen and her friend, and assaulted one of them. As they fled, he chased one of them and attacked her in the lobby of the building where she lived. Her father and brother heard her screams and came to her aid, and the assailant was arrested.<BR/><BR/>Police say that "this is a widespread phenomenon and children are harmed by it. The problem is that this is a closed community where it is not customary to report such cases. Thus sexual assailants, and other kinds of criminals, know they can operate without fear in Bnei Brak, and know that the chances that complaints will be filed against them is minimal."<BR/><BR/>Nonetheless, police stressed that "the community in Bnei Brak knows the situation a lot better than us."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-56147631399178863692008-03-31T05:04:00.000-04:002008-03-31T05:04:00.000-04:00Something very unusual has happened on the Awarene...Something very unusual has happened on the Awareness Center's website in the last few hours, the "Isaac Hersh" cannot be found. <BR/><BR/>Is this temporary, like a technical glitch, or has something more serious happened?<BR/><BR/>Ever since the Isaac Hersh saga has gripped the headlines on the Jewish blogosphere, The Awareness Center has reported on it. The easiest way to reach the subject on its site was to search for "Isaac Hersh" on its own website, like so: <BR/><BR/>http://www.google.com/cse?cx=014421550565519737414%3Arfjbn50hc-4&cof=FORID%3A0&q=Isaac+Hersh&sa=Search<BR/><BR/>and up came the full story, but now NOTHING comes up. What's going on here? Have the Fruchnadlre/Shechter legal shocktroops struck?<BR/><BR/>Does anyone know what's happened and can anyone confirm what's up with Vicky Polin and the reporting of the Isaac Hersh case on The Awareness Center's website?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21519732.post-20021767201184464612008-03-31T02:45:00.000-04:002008-03-31T02:45:00.000-04:00Anyone know how we can see a picture of Malka Leif...Anyone know how we can see a picture of Malka Leifer?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com