Category — Crime

Rabbi David Zwiebel, the executive vice president of Agudath Israel of America, explains in the NY Jewish Week why the haredim will always be prone to financial impropriety.

What is especially troubling about Charendoff’s essay, though, is his mocking contrast of observance of kashrut and synagogue laws with casual attitudes regarding financial laws. He seems as perturbed by the former meticulousness as he is with the latter laxity. He appears not to understand that respecting the letter and spirit of the law is demanded of Jews equally in every realm.
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Our sages teach that the mitzvot are divided into two broad categories: bein adam la’Makom, those that are between man and God, and bein adam la’chaveiro, those between man and his fellow man. Both categories, though, are part of an organic spiritual whole. When we received the Torah at Sinai, we accepted both tablets equally: our obligations to our Creator, and our obligations to one another.

Understand this: Rabbi Zwiebel is not limiting “meticulousness” to a classic understanding of kashrut or other ritual observance. Rabbi Zeibel is talking about every type of new stringency that the rabbis add on to an already overweight luggage suite of minutia. These news stringencies are not merely a burden, they steer haredim to poverty.

At the end of the day, something’s gotta give. And that something is not going to be the inflated cost of super-duper (if dubious) kashrut protections. It is not going to be time away from full-time Torah study for secular studies. It is not going to be any of the publicly visible activities (or refraining from secular activities and education) that define an upstanding member of the right-wing ultra-Orthodox community.

What will give is respect and obedience for the secular rule of law. Because at the end of the day, the “tablets” given are not equal in the eyes of the haredi. The rabbinic laws — even the ones added five minutes ago — are considered the revelation of God as transmitted through Moshe and the present day rabbinical leaders.

And the laws (and largesse) of a secular state are those of a goy.

The reality is, the dysfunction of the haredi world as demanded by all the haredi leaders is the root of all crime for the haredim.

Charendoff’s original essay may be seen here.

So it’s Monday. A new week has started, and a new month.

And you know what that means — time for another ring of Orthodox thieves to be busted stealing from the gentiles!

So my questions is…can anyone verify that Rav Marvin Berkowitz is indeed Orthodox? Also, which sect does he belong to? I would like to know which sect he belongs to, thanks!

Sorry, one more! Have to start the month out strong, guys! And this criminal is a woman, but she won’t have to wear an ankle bracelet, because she is too frum.

And support Aish HaTorah! Orthodox Jewish morality is the greatest morality that man has at his disposal. There is no morality that is as pure. Can you think of anything better for the country or the world than for all Jews to become ultra-Orthodox tomorrow? It would be a utopia.

Confirmed: Criminal is Orthodox.

And the culprit is…MATERIALISM! American materialism is the villain. That is what is ensnaring ultra-Orthodox Jew after ultra-Orthodox Jew. Blame Madison Avenue, not the yeshivas.

It’s not the disrespect ultra-Orthodox Jews are taught for the laws of the land. Rather, it’s American materialism.

Rabbi Yitz Greenman, a very high ranking Aish Kiruvnik, explains,

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The Forward reports,

To add to what already has been a bad year for fraud at Jewish organizations, Harvard University’s Hillel announced that it had lost nearly $800,000, and a former accountant has been accused of diverting funds into his personal account.

William O’Brien was indicted July 6 on 17 counts in connection with the five-year, $780,000 fraud.

At least this time, we don’t have to debate about whether or not the culprit is Orthodox.