The strict Satmar sect issued the decree, seen by The Independent, warning that university education for women is “dangerous”. Written in Yiddish, the decree warns: “It has lately become the new trend that girls and married women are pursuing degrees in special education. Some attend classes and others online. And so we’d like to let their parents know that it is against the Torah.

Ultra-Orthodox rabbis ban women from going to university in case they get ‘dangerous’ secular knowledge

Exclusive: The decree seen by The Independent warns ‘We will be very strict about this. No girls attending our school are allowed to study and get a degree. It is dangerous. Girls who will not abide will be forced to leave our school’

• Siobhan Fenton, Dina Rickman
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The Board of Deputies of British Jews estimates that there are around 30,000 strictly orthodox Jews living in the UK, of which Satmar is the largest sect (file photo) Getty

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish rabbis have banned women from going to university, The Independent has learned.

The strict Satmar sect issued the decree, seen by The Independent, warning that university education for women is “dangerous”. Written in Yiddish, the decree warns: “It has lately become the new trend that girls and married women are pursuing degrees in special education. Some attend classes and others online. And so we’d like to let their parents know that it is against the Torah.

“We will be very strict about this. No girls attending our school are allowed to study and get a degree. It is dangerous. Girls who will not abide will be forced to leave our school. Also, we will not give any jobs or teaching position in the school to girls who’ve been to college or have a degree.

"We have to keep our school safe and we can’t allow any secular influences in our holy environment. It is against the base upon which our Mosed was built.”

The decree was issued from the sect’s base in New York and will apply to followers of the faith group around the world.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews follow a pre-enlightenment interpretation of traditional Judaism and discourage interaction with the modern or secular world. Men wear 19th century Eastern European dress including long black coats and black hats, while married women must dress modestly and cover their hair.

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• As a rabbi, I am worried about the damage being done to my community by ultra-Orthodox Jewish schools
• Jewish woman made to move aeroplane seats by Ultra-orthodox man says rule is 'not in the Torah'

The Board of Deputies of British Jews estimates that there are around 30,000 strictly Orthodox Jews living in the UK, of which Satmar is the largest sect.

Last year, it emerged that some ultra-Orthodox Jews in north London had banned women from driving, citing concerns that it was immodest for them to do so.

It was condemned by Dr Sharon Weiss-Greenberg, Executive Director of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, who told The Independent the decree would “force” people to stay in their communities.  “The Satmar community chooses to live in an isolationist enclave. They believe that the secular elements of the world would tarnish the lives and beliefs of those who consider themselves to be religious.

“There are probably other factors at play, but, ultimately, the results are devastating. Because people from similar communities are not provided with a foundational primary education, they cannot pursue higher education nor careers. When one does not have access to education, career opportunities are out of reach. It forces one to stay within the community as everyone's personal lives are tied up with their professional lives as well.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ultra-orthodox-rabbis-ban-women-from-going-to-university-in-case-they-get-dangerous-secular-a7204171.html

Shamir was accused of multiple counts of indecent assault, rape, having sexual relations with a client and other charges...

Therapist charged with sex crimes against three sisters

NLP practitioner denies series of offenses, including against a minor

By Times of Israel staff

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Alon Shamir, a 50-year-old therapist, is escorted by prison service guards at the District court as he arrives for a court hearing in Jerusalem on August 7, 2016.

• Rape in Israel

A neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) therapist pleaded innocent Sunday to charges that he raped three sisters and committed other sexual offenses with them.

Alon Shamir, 50, was arrested two weeks ago and was indicted Sunday in the Jerusalem District Court. He was remanded in custody based on the prosecution’s claim that he may obstruct proceedings if freed.

The indictment alleged that Shamir was very close to the sisters’ family before and during the period of the alleged abuse.

Shamir’s alleged acts were only revealed in 2015 when the sisters spoke with each other about their experiences.

Shamir began working as a guided imagery therapist in 2006 and began treating the eldest sister that same year, when she was 17 years old.

In 2013 he also qualified as an NLP therapist. In 2014 he began treating the second sister and in 2015 the third sister also came to him for therapy.

Today the sisters are aged 20, 25 and 27.

He would meet with his clients in various locations including in his home, in public parks, and in his car.

Shamir was accused of multiple counts of indecent assault, rape, having sexual relations with a client and other charges.

“The indictment itself raises many questions and issues,” Shamir’s lawyer, Shiran Golbary, said in a statement. “This is an innocent man and we are certain that after we have read and gone through the appropriate material matters will become clear.”

There is no scientific evidence to support NLP therapy, and is referred to as “pseudoscience” by experts. Guided imagery therapy was once considered an alternative therapy but is now finding some scientific support.

Shamir was a regular contributor to the Srugim website, offering tips on health and lifestyle.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/therapist-charged-with-sex-crimes-against-three-sisters/

"A society that refuses to rally against its own criminals at least with same roar as it rallies against other sectors of society is indeed doing a lot of harm to itself."

The Hasidic teachers in court, Tel Aviv, August 2, 2016.

It’s Time for the ultra-Orthodox Community to Tackle Sex Abuse Head-on

A society that refuses to rally against its own criminals at least with same roar as it rallies against other sectors of society is indeed doing a lot of harm to itself.   

Last week in a bold and unprecedented move, Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau penned an open letter to Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) educators cautioning them to “deal seriously” with instances of child abuse that have been reported at educational institutions and in some homes. “Burying our heads in the sand is not the answer to these difficult and painful issues,” Lau wrote, urging members of the community to take responsibility for the atrocities.

Lau’s letter came in the wake of a report that as many as six teachers from a Hasidic school in Tel Aviv have been charged with abusing almost two dozen preschool and elementary school students. This is by no means an isolated incident: In the last few months at least three Israeli Torah scholars have been accused of sexually abusing women and girls, and in two of these cases the victims involved close members of the perpetrators’ families.

To make matters worse, such abuse within the ultra-Orthodox community has not been confined to Israel. Similar abuse cases, in which rabbis preyed on naïve young women, have been reported in the United States and the United Kingdom, while Australia has established a royal commission to investigate why a school had concealed the abuse of its students for 20 years. We know about these cases because the authorities have managed to prosecute and punish these criminals. There are other cases where offenders have evaded punishment by exploiting the Law of Return and escaping to Israel. Sadly, there are some rabbinical miscreants who not only go unpunished – they continue to occupy their pulpits owing to the victims refusing to press charges and the communities that wish to sweep such allegations under the rug.

This shocking situation obviously does not mean that the ultra-Orthodox community is uniquely guilty of sexual abuse. A community as large and diverse as this one surely deserves the presumption that most of its adherents are decent individuals who strictly uphold religious law. Indeed, the overwhelming majority frowns upon any sexual impropriety, and barriers are set up to avoid such eventualities. Men and women are rarely on a first name basis and meetings between the sexes are always held with open doors to prevent any hint of intimacy. Children, from a young age are not placed in close confines with relatives of their extended families of the opposite sex, and religious teachers are trained to spot and report suspicious signs of child abuse.

The problem is that the community often fails to report and publicly protest crimes such as child and sexual abuse – a failure that may be traced to Haredi culture. From a young age, the Haredi child is taught that emunat hakhamim, belief in Torah sages and rabbis, is such an important principle that it renders many sages infallible in their eyes. They are also familiar with the dictum that the Torah serves as an antidote to one’s evil inclination. These combined beliefs place Haredi children in a double bind, so that not only are their teachers “incapable” of erring, they have also been “immunized” from committing evil acts.

Given such a framework, what is a Haredi child (or naive adult) with personal knowledge of sexual crimes meant to think when he knows the perpetrators are Torah scholars? How can he contemplate that his teachers or mentors are sexual deviants? And if these perpetrators are so evil, why is it only the Chief Rabbinate that reacts? The only body that counts within this community is the Council of Torah Sages; while it regularly calls for mass protests when it feels its religious lifestyle is under threat, the council has remained eerily silent on the subject of abuse. How are these children to know that such actions are intolerable and that any Torah taught by such offenders is worth very little?

Sadly, they probably won’t. A child growing up in an insular Haredi neighborhood will learn by the ever-present posters he sees, and by the demonstrations he attends, that sexual deviancy is not all that important. It certainly does not trump the issue of dead bones being exhumed to make way for a highway or hospital. It is no more important than secular Jews wishing to enjoy themselves at the cinema on a Friday night, and is probably no less evil than a Haredi traitor who dares put on an army uniform.

In such an environment, why should there be any incentive to report sexual offenses? This is especially true where reporting comes at a cost: whistleblowers and victims are keenly aware that any exposure severely harms their own and their progeny’s marriage prospects. Is it any wonder then that abuse continues as long as it does until one courageous man or woman has the guts to go to the police?

Unfortunately, this situation is not mitigated by the argument that the Haredi sector’s individual members and organizations have done much to benefit society as a whole. And yet a society that ignores its own internal problems, that refuses to rally against its own criminals at least with same roar as it rallies against other sectors of society, and that steadfastly conceals its misdeeds, is indeed doing a lot of harm to itself.

If the Haredi community in Israel and abroad is to reclaim the public’s trust it must shun all acts of sexual abuse. It must act seriously and it must act now. The time has come for the community to demonstrate to itself as well as to others that there is zero tolerance for harming the sexual integrity of anyone created in G-d’s image, especially children.

David Fachler has a Masters in Law from South Africa (LLM) and a Masters in Contemporary Jewry from Hebrew University, Jerusalem (MA). He is contactable at davidfachler@yahoo.com.

read more: http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.737652
 

"This is my response to Rabbi Wallerstein, of Ohr Naava, after his recent video. It was horrifying for me to listen to and watch. Here are my thoughts about it, after I've had a chance to calm down and try my best not to allow myself to experience re-traumatization..."

News Feed

 by Sima Yarmush

5 hrs · New York, NY · 

This is my response to Rabbi Wallerstein, of Ohr Naava, after his recent video. It was horrifying for me to listen to and watch. Here are my thoughts about it, after I've had a chance to calm down and try my best not to allow myself to experience re-traumatization. 

1) Belittling victims – Your tone is dismissive, disrespectful, and insulting to all victims and survivors of trauma, abuse, or otherwise. The theatrical way in which you expressed your thoughts was totally uncalled for. You should know better!

a. If you are going to discuss this topic, understand that your words will affect many sensitive people who are most vulnerable. Please seek professional guidance in the future before attempting to address this population. Being a rabbi, does not qualify one to discuss this topic without proper training. Qualified individuals spend countless hours of training and doing research to understand the impact of trauma and the brain and how best to address it. 

b. Validating the daily struggle that one goes through after trauma, is paramount to discussing the issue.

2) The analogy of the holocaust is a chutzpa for obvious reasons.

  Among other reasons, the Jews were being persecuted by anti-Semites intent on annihilating them for no other reason than being Jewish – simple hatred. The atrocities of the holocaust are acknowledged by all. I, and other survivors of abuse, on the other hand, are victimized by people who are meant to love us and then, our perpetrators are protected, again, by people who we are taught to trust. We, as a community, have a problem. Until we acknowledge that we are victims of abuse, we can’t be survivors. You are stopping us from being survivors.

a. As a granddaughter of a survivor of Auschwitz, I’ve witnessed my Bubby cry and grapple with the trauma of being a victim. It is a daily struggle for her; however, throughout, she remains a survivor, upholding the Torah, without diminishing idea that she was, and remains, a victim of the Nazi’s atrocities. 

b. Being a survivor does not mean that you can’t discuss the perpetrators, point your finger at them, and hold them accountable. Look at Elie Weisel.

c. We can, and will continue, to point fingers at those who have committed the crimes and atrocities, while saying “never again.”

3) The basic fundamentals of trauma psychology are to acknowledge what you have been through, and then attempt to heal. By you refusing to acknowledge and validate the hardships that victims have been through, you are not allowing them to heal and become survivors. 

a. I personally run a support group for women survivors of child sexual abuse. There was discussion about your video in the group. In short, you have re-traumatized many of us, and have caused more damage than good.

b. Healing requires comfort and validation. Pointing fingers at those who abused us is entirely necessary. Aside from it being a part of the healing process, it also ensures - in a deterrent kind of way- that the person in question, and others, do not repeat those crimes.

https://www.facebook.com/simayarmush/posts/10153671936181254

MORE GENIUS FROM WALLERSTEIN: 

"....One such famous rabbi — let’s call him the Zumba Rabbi — is Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, the founder of Ohr Naava, a Torah center for women and girls, ostensibly for those who are at risk. Rabbi Wallerstein, a true tzadik bestowed with unparalleled wisdom by God, uses his pulpit, err stripper’s pole, to preach to women about sexism and racism, condoning both.

That is exactly what he did last summer when he took the Orthodox world by storm, declaring that Zumba, a dance fitness program that has been the latest craze in gyms across the U.S., is for monkeys in the jungle. Zumba, whose kosher version for kosher women was recently reported in the Wall Street Journal, lure modest women into a trap, sometimes leading to divorce, loss of one’s children, or worst yet, prostitution, Rabbi Wallerstein said.

In this video (beginning at around 39 minutes), Wallerstein suggests that women who shake their hips in kosher Zumba and slide up and down the pole in pole dancing classes will inevitably end up in a gentleman’s club in Times Square, giving lap dances to animals.

His pearls of wisdom, which include referring to Latin singers as animals, really resonated with Orthodox women. We are all a bunch of racist and sexist animals who love losing our kids and our souls to Zumba moves."

 MORE:
http://forward.com/sisterhood/196355/rabbis-gone-wild-about-modesty-and-gasp-zumba/

Sexually abused by a rabbi in her Lubavitch (a branch of Hasidism) community, abandoned by her parents, and turning to Bulimia to try and make herself disappear, Deena Chanowitz has stared down mountains of suffering to go from suicidal to getting into med school.

 ZECHARIA WALLERSTEIN: THERE'S A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN HELL FOR YOU AND YOUR ILK! MIND-NUMBING DIRTBAG!

Who's In Charge?

Who's In Charge?

by Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz - The Yiddishe Licht - June 8, 1923

לא תתגודדו לא תעשו אגודות אגודות - Tractate Yibamos - folio 14

In regard to the question – “Who's in charge?”, we have paid dearly more than once.

In the very early history of the Jewish nation, when our people were in their developmental period, this question of: “Who is in charge” was the one that hindered our further development, and led to our development as a Jewish people. This was after King Solomon died and his son, Rehoboam, was supposed to become king. Then Jeroboam ben Joash went and tore away ten tribes and founded the Kingdom of Ephraim. And according to the Midrash's explanation, it was not a matter of something different, but about the question of “Who Is In Charge.”

The Midrash intends to say with this, that there was no question of principle, or that he wanted to establish a more democratic government, or that he wanted to convince the people, and also not because he wanted to have a different government. No! All of this was no more than to fling sand in the eyes of the people, and in truth, it was only about “Who Is In Charge”. And the chasing after kavod or power of one person, or at most, from a small group of people.

This cost us dearly.

Here, in the breaking-up; when the Kingdom of Ephraim separated from the Kingdom of Yehuda, the fate of the Jewish people was sealed, to what in reality, hundreds of years later occurred –- to being chased out of our land.

The same question of “Who Is In Charge” has already cost us much here in this land, and if it will not reach a conclusion as quickly as possible, it will, God forbid, cost us dearly here as well. I mean this in regard to the four organizations of rabbis with whom, in this land, we have been smitten. There were times when we did not have even one, and now, blessed be He, we have four. But since we have a rule that the Jews cannot welcome both "Good Rabbis" and "Dangerous Ones", the four organizations perhaps can be accepted as the Good Rabbis,[or] perhaps the four "agudas" are possibly worse for us than nothing, considered like the "Dangerous Rabbis".

And if we want to be entirely honest and without any bias, and examine the reason that led to this, that we should now have four organizations of rabbis instead of one, we absolutely cannot find any serious reason that could have led to this. For American Jewry’s tragic division, when there are no principle oppositions, when there is no real difference of opinions among the four organizations, the question is "Yesodei Hadaas"... the foundation of common sense and knowledge. Is not one of the requirements of our religion, "Yesodei Hadaas" the foundations of common sense, not now found nebach even in the smallest tradition of Klal Yisroel?

It is not a question of Orthodoxy, Conservatism and Reform, which must be divided into more camps. It is no more nor less, regrettably, and regrettably once again, about the question” “Who Is In Charge?”

It is sad that one of our own people should find it necessary to accuse rabbis, and among them four elder sages and greats, and I, with such a humble motive in many ways, would generally consider it a chutzpah.

But I think that such a chutzpah is in the correct place, and it is, in general, not from the category of "az panim l'gehinom" but rather separate from the rule, or as chasidim call it "az l'kedusha", brazenness for the sake of holiness, and according to this chasidic lore, is not only not a sin --- it is a good thing, the brazenness of evil, [displayed by the various rabbis], from which, regrettably, we have so much in this land, and thereby gives me the freedom to criticize the behavior of the rabbis for making four agudas or separate divided organizations.

And I openly accuse the rabbis for their handling of this matter this way, dominated by their own small personal interests. [See the Markevet Hamishna in the foreword of the Rambam]

It is like making two Torahs from one Torah. One builds and one destroys...

And I ask the rabbis: can you take upon yourselves the great responsibility that your small interests might, God forbid, cause the entire Judaism to collapse?

And when sometimes you sit by yourself and think about the destruction of Jewry in this land, does not your conscience plague you, that you alone are mostly guilty of this destruction, at the very least in a large part of it? When all the rabbis would be united, it would be easy to unite the entire Orthodox population and miracles could take place.

Dear friends in New York have a completed plan which would be very simple to implement, and it would result in enough money to give decent subsidies for the rabbis, so they would not find it necessary to work with those things that are against the honor of rabbis, and there would be enough money for ritual slaughterers, so they should not be forced to become lowly creations, and there would still be enough money to support a Talmud Torah and Yeshivas on a grand scale.

But this uniting cannot occur as long as the rabbis are torn into parts, and regrettably, the four organizations are the "Arba Avos Nezikin" and not only destroyers who do damage to all of Yiddishkeit in this land, they are also destroyers who do damage to themselves from a spiritual and territorial standpoint. [See Tosefes Yom Tov Bava Kama Mishna Aleph]

And I give myself permission to ask the rabbis of all sides, will this dire situation remain like this forever? Has not the time arrived for you to put your own personal selfish reckonings to a side, and think about all of Klal Yisroel?

Rabbis! The Jewish people appeal to you! Have pity on the honor of the Torah and the honor of Judaism, most especially on your own honor, the honor of rabbis. Remember how much holiness and respect the title of Rabbi once contained!

Remember that the seat of the Rabbinate is also an inheritance from our holy sages and from the highest heights from the Ribbono Shel Olam Himself with Moshe Rabeinu a"h. Moshe Rabeinu wanted to sacrifice himself for all of Yisroel, and you cannot sacrifice for a foolish fleeting second of kavod, for the respect of the Torah and the entire Judaism?

No, I cannot believe that the spiritual leaders of Judaism have sunk so far! No! And therefore, I appeal to you once more. Do not forget! Do not forget Jewish responsibilities! Do not forget that the present and the future of the Jewish people is in your hands. Do not forget that the eyes of all Klal Yisroel are upon you, and which of you will dare to take on his conscience such a great responsibility?

Rabbis, remember your holy mission, that talmidei chachomim are suppose to bring peace to the world , and see to make peace -- "Hashem oz l'amo yiten, Hashem yivorech es amo b'shalom".

"And who gave the right to these rabbis to turn the Torah into a cash machine?"

In “Das Neutige Operaziya” [The Necessary Operation], published in Dos Yiddishe Licht I (1923): 3-4, Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the principal of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, launched a bitter critique of Orthodox life in America, particularly by rabbis.

PARAPHRASED FROM THE YIDDISH IN EASY TO READ ENGLISH:


“In “Das Neutige Operaziya” [The Necessary Operation], published in Dos Yiddishe Licht I (1923): 3-4, Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, the principal of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath, launched a bitter critique of Orthodox life in America, particularly by rabbinical misconduct and malfeasance! ( He was just 37 years of age at the time)

 "I read last week a proclamation from certain rabbis; that was considered by them an important meeting. The outcome of this meeting was that they all agreed to was, that a group of butchers place kosher tags on non-kosher meat!

They warned the Orthodox Jewish community that they need to be cautious as to where they buy their meat. 

They appealed to the various meat packing companies and slaughter houses that they should cease and desist from selling non-kosher meat as kosher!

They determined that 90% of the meat sold from these packing houses is not kosher!

The above is the summary of their of their statement.

Now, If I were to be part of this group of rabbis, I would have been joyful with this statement. But, I am NOT part of this group and while I have respect for the holy rabbinate, it pains me that I must condemn them in no uncertain terms!

Therefore, as I write the truth as it really is, at the very least, where I believe the truth really is to be found, as well as thousands of other sincere Jews. Let it be known - THE SIGNATURE OF GOD IS TRUTH (TORAH) - we must never fear the truth of coming to the fore, the way it really is, without any fear of repercussions.

I want to ask those "rabbis" - which Jews did they warn that they must be careful as to where they buy their meat, to be certain NOT to buy treifas, non-kosher meat?

For those Jews who do not have an ounce of Jewish tradition left in their lives, and intentionally eat non-kosher food, because they tossed their Jewish values out of the window, because for them, it's kosher enough to buy meat anywhere?

These wayward Jews do not need any proclamations from these rabbis, nor will they adhere to any warnings, and in this case perhaps the rabbis are not responsible parties to their misdeeds.

But if these rabbis want to issue warnings and proclamations, they should issue them to the observant Jews, that seek to only eat kosher, but are not that cautious as to where they purchase their food!

These good Jews would not step foot in an establishment that the proprietor is not a person of deep trust, and would have a resident mashgiach (kosher supervisor) on the premises.

But the question still remains --- what exactly did you warn the people against? Why not warn them against the "rabbis" that issue fraudulent kosher certificates? 

Don't you know the ugly truth - that the vast majority of non-kosher food sold to Jews are because of these rabbis issuing fraudulent kosher certificates to these establishments? Why not stand up to them? Are you expecting these Cossack/Communist Jewish slaughterhouses to do the right thing?

Why not stand up to these "rabbis"that toss around kosher certificates everywhere? (for a few dollars).

Why not, once and for all, go after these very rabbis, to whom kosher means absolutely nothing, who certify kosher every forbidden food item?

You will probably respond by saying, that it is impossible for us to create such a firestorm!

But I say, that it is only because of "mesiras nefesh", undying loyalty to the Torah, that kept Judaism vibrant and alive until today!

NEVER - in any time, in any country was it easy to uphold Torah Judaism - but our spiritual leaders and or great and righteous people gave their lives with mesiras nefesh, to destroy the evil in their midst. In fact, all mitzvos that require great sacrifice are the mitzvos that need to be fulfilled.

Unfortunately,the "rabbis" are not willing to sacrifice the slightest,  besides a handful of rabbis.

And these rabbis that are willing to sacrifice themselves are unfortunately in the minority, a minority of a minority.

Besides the true Torah giants of the Jews, all the others are willing to issue fraudulent kosher certificates as much as they can get paid for! And where did these rabbis find the right to create from the entire Torah a cash machine?

Why can't we expect from them what the holy RAMBAM required from the rabbinate, " From Rabbonus, except for certain situations, no money should exchange hands, for the benefit of Judaism."

But here in our country, unfortunately, besides rabbis getting paid for fraudulent kosher certificates, they demand that they receive "speakers fees" when they are asked to speak to children in Hebrew schools (Talmud Torahs) and yeshivas.

HAVE THEY NO SHAME?

Not only are these so-called rabbis not leaders that are suppose to attract the working people, they alienate the good hard working people (baalei batim), because if they are convinced to speak to young children, they speak with "half a mouth", because there's no money in it!

Does it not rock Judaism to it's core, that these hard working Jews that support the yeshivas in every way possible, see that these rabbis DEMAND "speakers fees" for addressing children in yeshivas!

GOD IN HEAVEN!!!

Is there no holiness in anything to these "rabbis"?

Who can possibly understand that these so-called spiritual leaders sold their souls to the "Egel Hazahav" the idolatry of money?

Are you not aware that the way you conduct yourself -- you shame the Torah --which is already at an unbelievable low point in this country?

Are your ears so clogged, your hearts so impurified, that you are incapable of hearing the voice of right and justice - that emanates from the Torah?


But you fool nobody! Among the nations they already speak in derogatory terms about rabbis!


And who is not responsible for this Chilul Hashem if not these rabbis alone, who sold their souls for money?


How much embarrassment must the Jewish people endure from these people -- who are not really rabbis --but just crooked business people!


We must also look at the rabbis who have gone into the wine business.

How much shame, how much degradation, how much desecration of the honor of the Torah lies therein! Rabbis who ought to be the ones to ensure that the laws of the land (Prohibition) are upheld are instead the direct or indirect cause of their violation.
 
If truth be told, even if wine for ritual purpose were a biblical commandment, the current desecration of God’s name would still not be justified, how much more so that it is only a rabbinic commandment, and it can be fulfilled by using raisin wine! . . . 

Therefore, I beseech you, my brethren, no matter how great a Torah scholar a rabbi is, if he is a cause for the desecration of Heaven, he must be removed from the community.

The Jewish newspapers not to fall victim to these charlatans, they must only accept advertising from legitimate kosher companies.



It is true that a rabbi's job is to clarify Jewish law for our people  --  but when it comes to the questions of the age of the universe, or if humans evolved from animals, or if intermarriage is ever permissible, the secular Jewish press does a "wonderful job" of determining these matters -- they do not ask rabbis -- because they deem these issues more important than whether one needs kosher wine for kiddush.


Even if wine for kiddush was a biblical decree, but since it is on a rabbinical decree, they decided that any wine is good enough, kosher or otherwise.


Everything that I have written here is really not news at all.


The authentic rabbis realize this, and just last Sunday I was informed that a God fearing rabbi came out with anger and force against the those fraudulent rabbis for the fraud they perpetrate on Judaism.


These rabbis' fraudulent kosher certificates on food must be removed from all establishments!


Unfortunately, a darkness has befallen the Jewish nation. We no longer know which certificates of kashruth are authentic and which are not. We have rabbis that bellow out with a pretense of being God fearing, but we can no longer even discern, who is a God fearing rabbi from those that are not, who is honest and who is not, who is trustworthy and who are the ones that have been compromised.

Fellow Jews:  I beseech you, if you have any respect for the Torah whatsoever, and you want to restore honor to the Jewish nation and your own self-respect, which unfortunately has become polluted beyond belief, then bring this situation under control!

Weed out the rotten fruit again and again, DO NOT DELAY --- How great this would be for the Torah! Those rotten apples that continue to be m'chalel shem Shomayim --- YOU MUST EXCOMMUNICATE THEM FROM THE JEWISH NATION!

Only then, the glory of the Torah and the respect for the legitimate rabbinate will the beauty once again shine.



Those God fearing Jews, whose hearts have been moved to do right --- you must show them your respect --- and I ask you to assist them in every holy endeavor --- and together you will strengthen Judaism and our Torah. THE TIME IS NOW --- because our holy laws have been trampled on and degraded to such an extremely low level!"


Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz

Ban, Ban, Taliban:The Idiots Losing Control of Their Sheep!

Haredi blogger Haim Shaulzon

Anti-Internet Gathering at Citifield

How many haredim actually use the Internet?

Given the efforts by haredi leaders to clamp down on the use of computers and the internet, how widespread is internet usage among haredim?

For more than a decade, rabbinical leaders within the haredi community have sought to clamp down on internet usage by the haredi public, banning the use of unfiltered internet, and restricting the use of filtered internet connections to business needs.

Some leaders, particularly within Hassidic movements like Gur, have even issued strict rulings barring internet users from serving as witnesses, leading prayer services, or even from raising their own children.

Despite these efforts, however according to a report published by the Israel Democracy Institute on Tuesday, 54% of haredim admitted to regularly using computers and 41% said they surfed the web. Among the general population, by comparison, some 70% said they use the internet.

The number of haredi internet users, the report noted, has dramatically increased over the past 8 years.

The study also revealed that members of the haredi community are significantly less likely to hold a driver’s license, with only 43% of haredim possessing a license, compared to 79% of the general population.

http://en.web1.inn.co.il/News/News.aspx/216170

You CAN Have It Both Ways! (...AND YOU SHOULD!) WHAT AMERICAN YESHIVAS SHOULD EMULATE!

Presidential Citation for Excellence   Date: August 2015

BTJ graduate, Matan Malichi, is to the right of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

MORE THAN 5000 BOYS TOWN JERUSALEM STUDENTS HAVE SERVED IN THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES.

Israel Air Force Sergeant Matan Malichi, 21, a 2012 graduate of Boys Town Jerusalem, was among the 120 Israel Defense Forces soldiers cited for excellence by President Ruby Rivlin at a gala ceremony on Israel’s 67st Independence Day. The award was presented to Malichi and his comrades at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem in the presence of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. The Israeli Air Force paid its own traditional salute to the soldiers in an impressive aeronautic “flyover” held during the ceremony.

For Sgt. Matan Malichi, the award was a tribute to his devotion to duty and his professionalism in assuming command of his unit when the superior officer was reassigned to a special mission. Malichi serves in the Air Force Technology and Logistics Branch in a unit geared for training observant recruits to operate the Air Force’s heavy machinery and equipment. From building electrical and mechanical infrastructures to operating armored bulldozers and other engineering and construction missions, these soldiers make a major contribution to Israel’s security.

Matan himself enlisted in this unit “because I wanted to serve my country while maintaining my religious values.” He soon rose to the rank of sergeant, and made the smooth transition to leading the unit when the situation dictated. Rabbi Elimelech Yaakov, director of Jewish Studies at Boys Town Jerusalem, noted that Matan Malichi was an excellent high school student who already showed strong leadership capabilities. Malichi, whose family is of Yemenite origin, attended Boys Town for four years and majored in Electronics and Computers.

In presenting the Exemplary Soldier award to Matan Malichi and the other prizewinners, President Ruby Rivlin declared, “The IDF is outstanding not because of its force, but because of its spirit.”

“The ceremony was a very exciting moment in my life,” Matan admitted. “Now I look forward to my last five months of IDF service, where I’ll continue to lead my unit until someone comes to replace me. It’s been a great challenge and a great honor for me to serve.”

Matan Malichi is the sixth Boys Town Jerusalem graduate to be granted the Presidential Award for Exemplary IDF Soldiers.

http://www.boystownjerusalem.org/news/836/presidential-citation-for-excellence/ 

Boys Town Jerusalem (Hebrew: קרית נוער ירושלים‎, Kiryat Noar Yerushalayim) is an Orthodox Jewish orphanage and educational institution in Jerusalem, Israel. Founded in 1949, it houses over 850 boys aged 12 to 20 on its 18 acres (7.3 ha) Bayit Vegan campus^[3] and provides on-site religious, secular, and technological education on the junior high through college levels.^[4]

It is the largest yeshiva/vocational school in the world^[5] and is one of Israel's most important technological training centers.^[6][7] It maintains a close working relationship with the Israel Defense Forces, which partnered in the founding of its on-campus College of Applied Engineering and makes frequent use of that college's facilities and graduates.^[8] It also has a publishing division. Boys Town Jerusalem originated the Jan Zwartendijk Award for Humanitarian Ethics and Values, which it awards annually to Holocaust-era rescuers and other proponents of humanitarian values.^[9]

Contents

• 1 History
• 2 Student body
• 3 Academic curriculum
  • 3.1 Judaic studies
  • 3.2 Academic studies
  • 3.3 Scientific and technological training
  • 3.4 Other programs
• 4 Faculty
• 5 Campus
• 6 Funding
• 7 Boys Town Jerusalem Publishers
• 8 Jan Zwartendijk Memorial Award
• 9 References
• 10 External links
•  

History

Boys Town Jerusalem was founded in 1949 by Rabbi Alexander Linchner (1908–1997),^[10] a native of Brooklyn, New York, and son-in-law of Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz.^[11] Linchner sought to establish a home for child Holocaust survivors,^[12] war refugees, and impoverished immigrants.^[13] He was encouraged by his father-in-law, who urged him from his deathbed "to go to Israel and save the Sephardi children from secularism".^[5] Linchner based his educational model on the Torah im Derech Eretz (Torah study combined with work) approach articulated by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.^[3][10]

Initial enrollment was 14 Yemenite Jewish children^[3][10] in a refugee camp.^[14] In 1953 the school moved into prefab huts in Bayit Vegan.^[15] Its current campus opened in 1964.^[10] By 1968, enrollment was at 650; by 1985 it had reached 1,000.^[15]

From its inception, Boys Town Jerusalem continually expanded its academic, vocational and recreational facilities. During the second half of the 1950s, vocational schools for printing, precision mechanics, and furniture design were opened, and the first high school class was graduated. In the 1960s, schools of lithography, electronics, and technical education were established. The 1970s saw the opening of the College of Applied Engineering, a computer center, a recreation center, and junior high school. The 1980s introduced special programs developed for Russian, Iranian, and Ethiopian immigrant students. The 1990s and 2000s saw the addition of a Torah and Technology Academy, an electronics center, an interdisciplinary Holocaust studies program, and a special program for French immigrants.^[15]

After Linchner's death in 1997, his son, Rabbi Moshe Linchner, assumed the position of dean and his grandson, Rabbi Meir Linchner, became rosh yeshiva of the orphanage's yeshiva.^[3]

Student body

Boys Town Jerusalem enrolls students from 45 different countries.^[16] The staff includes speakers of many languages, including French^[17] and Persian.^[3] Special cultural programs include:

• Naale Zion program for French students who come to Israel without their parents^[15]
• Naale OhrDessa program for Russian immigrant students^[18]
• Ethiopian program^[15]

Approximately two-thirds of the population are Sephardi Jews.^[14] The majority of boys are from economically-deprived families and receive scholarship assistance.^[16] Students are encouraged to live on campus and are served kosher meals.^[1]

All students are required to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, and most become Israeli citizens.^[12] Over the course of its history, 61 graduates and three staff members have fallen in the line of duty.^[1]

Academic curriculum

Boys Town Jerusalem operates a three-track academic curriculum consisting of Judaic, academic, and technological studies.^[4]

Judaic studies

The on-site yeshiva is called Tiferet Yerushalayim–S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program.^[19]

Academic studies

Students attend grades 7 through 12 on campus, completing the full academic curriculum mandated by the Israel Ministry of Education.^[1] The school also schedules daily, 3-hour tutoring groups to prepare high school seniors for their Bagrut (matriculation) examinations. In 2012 the school received a special commendation from the Israel Ministry of Education for the large number of students passing the Bagrut examinations in 2010 and 2011. The Ministry noted that 73.5% of Boys Town Jerusalem graduates earned full matriculation certificates, compared to a national average of 50% of high school students.^[20] Boys also engage in community service projects such as camp counseling and assembling home care equipment.^[12]

Scientific and technological training

 

Boys Town Jerusalem operates two college-level programs, the Technical Teachers College and the College of Applied Engineering. Students in the latter college have the option to pursue a 2-year or 4-year degree.^[12] The College of Applied Engineering was established in 1971^[15] in partnership with the Israel Defense Forces, which makes use of its facilities and graduates.^[8] Students receive a 2-year deferment from military service in order to attend the College, and then commit themselves to a minimum 4-year service in the IDF as applied engineers.^[8]

In the 2000s the IDF established several specialized programs at the College of Applied Engineering. The Shachak program trains a select group of electronics students for work on technological support teams in the Israel Air Force. The Marom program trains English and mathematics students to be officers in the Israel Ordnance Corps.^[21]

Courses at the College of Applied Engineering include electronics, computer science, precision mathematics, and computer-aided design and manufacturing.^[22] In 2013 a robotics laboratory was installed. This laboratory will also provide training for electronics specialists for the Israel Air Force and Ordnance Corps.^[23]

Among the products developed by Boys Town Jerusalem engineering students are a hand-held orientation device for the blind and a security system for Israeli settlements.^[12]

Other programs

 

In 2011 an animal therapy pilot was initiated by request of the Israel Ministry of Education. This project has expanded to accommodate students with emotional issues.^[3] The orphanage also offers art therapy, music therapy, psychodrama, and psychotherapy.^[3]

Faculty

Rabbi Alexander Linchner zt'l - Founder -Brilliant Visionary

Rabbi Moshe Linchner

 

• Rabbi Moshe Linchner, Dean
• Rabbi Meir Linchner, Rosh Yeshiva

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_Town_Jerusalem 

For the past year, the Israeli police have been investigating charges against Israeli magistrate judge, Shamai Becker. He is accused of raping his 14 year-old daughter.

BREAKING: Israeli Judge Accused of Sexually-Abusing Daughter, Investigated in Secret

 By Richard Silverstein 

Israeli police request for gag order in case of Judge Becker (whose name is not mentioned)

.השופט שמאי בקר חשוד בביצוע עבירות מין בבתו. צא”פ הוטל על זהותו

For the past year, the Israeli police have been investigating charges against Israeli magistrate judge, Shamai Becker.  He is accused of–depending on which source you consult–raping or fondling the breasts of his 14 year-old daughter.  The investigation has been conducted in secret.  During much of this period, Becker conducted trials and made legal rulings, many of which involved the police themselves.  It’s easy to see that the judge was in effect held hostage by the police.  If he wished to retain his judgeship he could not afford to alienate the very party investigating him.  This is certainly justice compromised.  Any defendant convicted of a crime involving police testimony now has an opening to challenge his guilty verdict.

Original News1 story which was later censored, removing Becker’s picture and name from the report

In the past few days, Ynet reported that Becker had “gone on vacation” according to his staff.  He simply disappeared.  No one knew where he was or when he was returning.  Since the case has been under gag order, the media could not report his name.  But News1 and blogger, Lorry Shem Tov violated the gag order and did so.  Later News1 removed Becker’s name from its report.  Shem Tov’s blog post remains uncensored.

The police intend to close the case against Becker from lack of evidence (as opposed to lack of guilt).  This determination, according to an Israeli attorney I consulted, will likely prevent him from returning to the bench.

As an interesting piece of trivia, the judge who approved the gag order in Becker’s case is a blast from the past for long-time readers of this blog: Einat Ron, a former military prosecutor and the judge who cooperated in silencing Anat Kamm by approving the gag order in her case.  Judge Ron appears to be the police and Shabak’s go-to judge when they need a favor.  By the way, she’s been promoted since the Kamm case.  She’s now presiding judge of the Central District Magistrate’s Court.

There does seem to be a propensity toward child abuse among Israeli judges and diplomats.  I reported that Senior Judge Rafi Aranya had beaten his children and that the case had been closed by investigators out of “respect” for the dignity and privacy of his children (ahem!).  A few months ago, Israel’s consul general in Miami, Chaim Shaham, was accused of causing lacerations to his daughter’s arm when he grabbed her in the shower.  This investigation too appears to have been dropped.  Does anyone get the impression there is a culture of impunity amongst Israel’s senior civil servants?

I first learned about this story from a reader e mail.  I often get good stories sent to me in this fashion.  But I’ve never had anything quite like this happen.  Here’s the e mail:

Hey faggot (thought it’s a secret? it’s not)
Tell us the secret details of this:
http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4804050,00.html
in the mean time, fuck off fudgepacker

Time: May 17, 2016 at 1:31 AM
IP Address: 31.210.187.100

The sheer chutzpah of an Israeli homophobe who wants to both smear me and at the same time uncover the latest Israeli news scoop is mind-blowing.  But I figured, he may be an foul-mouthed idiot, but he may also be on to a good story.

http://linkis.com/com/3wDGc

"I'm done. I'm done pretending that everything is OK. It's NOT!"

 Submitted by Heshy Deutsch of Brooklyn, New York.

Dark secrets, Scarred wrists, Broken souls and Bruised fists. I think it's Enough, Enough with the hiding, Enough with the covering up, Enough with the keeping secrets for the "Sake" of the Community.

Like it or not, It's time we speak up, and this time loud enough for everyone to hear, loud enough to make a difference, loud enough to save a soul.

The time to SPEAK UP and the time to do something is NOW.

Who Was Viktor Frankl? Jewish Biography as History Dr. Henry Abramson - Viktor Frankl was a noted psychologist whose experience in the Holocaust formed the basis of logotherapy, his therapeutic approach to help people find meaning in suffering and in life.

According to the indictments, the offenses were allegedly committed over the course of 11 years from 2000 to 2011 against 22 complainants aged 3-10, who were taught by the defendants. During that time, the defendants committed daily physical and emotional violence against the students, which was characterized by cruelty, humiliation, and intimidation.

Teachers at Hasidic school accused of sexually abusing students

Main defendant accused of raping boys aged 3-10 while at school, tying students and force-feeding them black pepper or soap, and forcing them to relieve themselves in their pants, among other allegations; indictment states students called the school 'Bergen-Belsen' and the main defendant 'Rosenazi.' Six teachers from a Talmud Torah school ("Cheder") belonging to the Belz Hasidic dynasty were indicted on Tuesday for the abuse and assault of minors, with the main defendant accused of many cases of sodomy with minors, indecent assault, and extortion.

According to the indictments, the offenses were allegedly committed over the course of 11 years from 2000 to 2011 against 22 complainants aged 3-10, who were taught by the defendants. During that time, the defendants committed daily physical and emotional violence against the students, which was characterized by cruelty, humiliation, and intimidation. 

 

Four of the defendants (Photo: Gilad Morag)

According to the indictments, the students called the school "Bergen-Belsen," referring to the Nazi concentration camp, while the main defendant, 49-year-old Avraham Mordechai Rosenfeld, was dubbed "Rosenazi."

Rosenfeld, the indictment states, brought students to a lounge at the school that contained beds and a closet in which he kept sweets, some of which he confiscated from the students. He allegedly ordered the students to come with him into the room, where he sexually assaulted them. After they stopped crying, he gave them sweets and sent them on their way.

In many of the cases, Rosenfeld beat the students using wooden sticks or planks that he ordered the students to gather during recess.

The indictment also details some instances in which Rosenfeld tied the students to chairs or desks using ropes or cable ties and had them stand in class with their hands and feet bound. While tied, he force-fed them a spoonful of black pepper or soap and forbade them from washing their mouths after.

In other cases, he forbade students from going to the bathroom, or otherwise forced them to relieve themselves in their pants while sitting in class.

Rosenfeld is also charged with animal abuse. In one instance, when a cat entered the classroom in which Rosenfeld was teaching, he beat it in front of the students with an umbrella or wooden sticks, and eventually shoved it out of the window, killing the cat.

Additionally, Rosenfeld is suspected of terrorizing his wife and children at home. He allegedly subjected one of his children to abuse for years until the child left home. His wife claimed he threatened to keep her from their children, threatened to divorce her, and controlled the food in the house.

The other five defendants are Yisrael Haim Shapira, 65, Haim Fishgrond, 69, Moshe Hirsch, 39, Menachem Alberstein, 63, and Avraham Pinchas Deytsch, 53. 
 
The six defendants denied the offenses attributed to them, with each providing explanations and interpretations of the incidents, claiming they did not intend to harm the minors. Some admitted to some of the less serious incidents, while presenting them as mere jokes.

Apart from Rosenfeld, the other five teachers were released from detention under restrictive conditions. 

Zion Amir, who also represented former president and convicted rapist Moshe Katsav, now represents some of the defendants.

"Some of the people I represent completely deny the allegations against them," he said. "There is going to be a long trial that will acquit whoever needs to be acquitted from this important community."

Rosenfeld's lawyer, Yehuda Fried, claimed that "the acts described in the indictment are exaggerated.

Regarding his family, the accusations are completely made up by those seeking to get between him and his wife."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4836408,00.html