tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post2971028356514957909..comments2023-08-17T06:45:58.317-07:00Comments on "Yeshiva" of Brooklyn also Guilty of Child Abuse: On The 6th Day Of Chanukah... Israel Retaliates... Hamas Thugs Blown To Hellexposemolestershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02097300261898413798noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-22775348039944812212009-01-11T17:31:00.000-08:002009-01-11T17:31:00.000-08:00{We in Baltimore have wonderful mechanchim and mec...{We in Baltimore have wonderful mechanchim and mechanchos...}<BR/><BR/>www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/annearundel/bal-md.ar.abuse10jan10,0,4377361.story<BR/>baltimoresun.com<BR/>Man convicted of sexual abuse of minor<BR/>Hein, 62, faces 25 years for abuse of 7-year-old girl<BR/><BR/>By Julie Scharper | julie.scharper@baltsun.com<BR/><BR/>January 10, 2009<BR/>Click here to find out more!<BR/><BR/>Wearing a pink sweater and clutching a stuffed bunny rabbit, the 7-year-old girl spoke in a quavering voice as she answered the prosecutor's questions. The man she knew as "Mr. Mike" had kissed and fondled her numerous times, she told the jury, when her baby sitter left them alone.<BR/><BR/>The second-grader wiggled in her chair and colored furiously with markers as she told how the man had warned her to not to tell anyone. She put her hand up as if blocking from view the white-haired man sitting at the defense table.<BR/><BR/>That man, Michael Phillip Hein Sr., 62, was convicted of the sexual abuse of a minor, a third-degree sex offense, and two counts of second-degree assault by an Anne Arundel County Circuit jury in Judge J. Michael Wachs' courtroom yesterday.<BR/><BR/>Assistant State's Attorney Laura S. Kiessling said Hein had been "grooming" the girl. "He was doing his best to get access to her," she said, as the girl's mother quietly wept in the courtroom. "He was making it into a relationship of sorts."<BR/><BR/>Two teenage girls called police after they saw Hein kissing the girl in the back seat of a truck parked at Marley Station Mall on March 1.<BR/><BR/>The girl told police that Hein had kissed her or touched her inappropriately as many as seven times over a period of several months.<BR/><BR/>The baby sitter, Dorothy Simmons, testified that Hein was a friend who often visited her Glen Burnie apartment when she was taking care of the girl.<BR/><BR/>Twice she walked into a room to find the man and the girl kissing, she testified, but she did not tell the girl's mother.<BR/><BR/>Hein, of Brooklyn, told the jury that he was "longing for affection" and had a special bond with the girl but that he did not molest her. Defense attorney Denis O'Connell said that the kissing was "inappropriate" but did not rise to the level of sexual abuse.<BR/><BR/>Hein could be sentenced to as many as 25 years in prison at a hearing scheduled for Jan. 21.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-3445734818712282692009-01-11T17:24:00.000-08:002009-01-11T17:24:00.000-08:00A timeline for the Adam Herrman caseBY TIM POTTERT...A timeline for the Adam Herrman case<BR/>BY TIM POTTER<BR/>The Wichita Eagle<BR/><BR/>From records and recent interviews, The Eagle compiled this timeline for Adam Herrman:<BR/>June 8, 1987: Adam is born in Wichita with the name Irvin Groeninger III. He becomes a foster child of Doug and Valerie Herrman, and they adopt him when he is between 2 and 3 years old. His new name is Adam Joseph Herrman. The Herrmans also adopt two of Adam's younger siblings.<BR/><BR/>1990 or 1991: The Herrmans lose their foster care license after an investigation, which they declined to discuss in detail during a recent Eagle interview.<BR/><BR/>August 1996: Adam is enrolled in the Derby school district as a fourth-grader at Pleasantview Elementary. Records show his previous schools were St. Mary's, a Derby Catholic school, and El Paso Elementary, a Derby public school.<BR/><BR/>Nov. 26, 1996: Derby police receive and investigate a report of suspected abuse of Adam at his Derby home, in the 900 block of North Westview.<BR/><BR/>The brief, public portion of the police report lists it as a child-in-need-of-care case. Derby police Lt. Tim Brant said in an e-mail about the case that "it was investigated by our detective and SRS. The matter was referred for counseling through SRS."<BR/><BR/>SRS spokeswoman Michelle Ponce said SRS knows of one case of suspected abuse of Adam in 1996. "It was investigated and found to be unsubstantiated," she said.<BR/><BR/>Ponce said she could also confirm Valerie Herrman's statement in the Eagle interview that Adam spent two days at the Wichita Children's Home. Valerie Herrman said Adam spent the two days at the Children's Home, then was returned home, after she spanked him with a belt. She said a psychological counselor saw bruises and called police. Doug Herrman said in the interview that they were told that Adam could not be disciplined with a belt.<BR/><BR/>"I don't think they felt he was in any danger," Doug Herrman said.<BR/><BR/>Jan. 9, 1998: Derby police receive a report, apparently from Adam's school, Pleasantview, of suspected abuse.<BR/><BR/>The report says the possible abuse occurred days earlier, on Christmas Day 1997 at Adam's home in Derby, in the 300 block of South Willow.<BR/><BR/>Derby police classified it as a miscellaneous report because an investigation found that no crime occurred, Brant said.<BR/><BR/>"The investigation revealed the injuries occurred while the child was engaged in sporting activity with siblings," Brant said in the e-mail.<BR/><BR/>Asked by The Eagle whether she could recall the incident, Valerie Herrman said: "They were out playing football... and he had just some bruises on his arms."<BR/><BR/>Jan. 14, 1998: Adam runs away, according to Derby police.<BR/><BR/>He "returned on his own within two hours of the report and no further action was taken," Brant said.<BR/><BR/>Valerie Herrman said that Adam ran away a total of six to eight times, to get attention. Usually, it was for an hour or two, "and we always found him," she said.<BR/><BR/>February 1998: Adam withdraws from Pleasantview while in the fifth grade. The family told the district it was moving, records show.<BR/><BR/>Around the same time, the Herrmans moved to a Towanda mobile home park, Valerie Herrman said. She was the park manager.<BR/><BR/>She said she might be mistaken but thought that Adam had gone to public school for a short time in Towanda. But the Circle school district, which includes Towanda, said it has no record of him being enrolled.<BR/><BR/>For most of the family's time in Towanda, Adam was home-schooled, Valerie Herman said. She said he disliked regular school and preferred the one-on-one attention he received from her. Home-schooling also was a better fit for him because he had psychological problems, she said. His younger siblings, meanwhile, attended public school.<BR/><BR/>First week of May 1999: Adam disappears from his Towanda home. Valerie Herrman said she thinks it was on the weekend.<BR/><BR/>The 11-year-old ran away after Valerie Herrman spanked him with a belt, she said in the Eagle interview. He didn't return and her husband searched for him, they said in the interview.<BR/><BR/>They said they didn't report him as a runaway because they feared the spanking would lead to him and his two younger siblings being removed from their home.<BR/><BR/>Around Thanksgiving 2008: The Herrmans' biological daughter, Crystal, calls SRS in the hopes of learning something about Adam.<BR/><BR/>She learns from SRS that records show Adam was with the Herrmans until 2005, which contradicts what her parents had told the family for years: that Adam went back to state custody in 1999. She shares this with SRS and voices her allegations that Adam had been abused by her mother, Valerie Herrman.<BR/><BR/>Crystal's contact with SRS uncovers the fact that Adam disappeared in 1999 and triggers a law enforcement investigation, led by the Butler County Sheriff's Office, of what happened to him.<BR/><BR/>Dec. 15, 2008: Investigators search the Herrmans' current home in Derby and take a computer, pictures of Adam and medical and psychological reports about him, among other items.<BR/><BR/>Dec. 31, 2008: Investigators search the Towanda mobile home park where Adam was last seen.<BR/><BR/>Jan. 3, 2009: Adam's biological parents, now living out of state, and his biological sister tell The Eagle that investigators are seeking samples of their DNA -- to match it with any possible evidence of Adam they might find. The biological parents and sisters say they are stunned to learn that Adam has been missing for nearly 10 years.<BR/><BR/>The Herrmans' attorney, Warner Eisenbise of Wichita, tells The Eagle that the couple feel "horribly guilty" for not reporting Adam missing in 1999.<BR/><BR/>Jan. 5, 2009: Butler County Sheriff Craig Murphy holds a news conference in El Dorado, telling reporters that detectives are treating Adam's disappearance as a death, although he could still be alive. Without elaborating, Murphy says investigators are "holding tightly" to something they found and not revealing it. He welcomes national attention to the case, saying it could help locate Adam if he is alive. He asks for the public's help and releases Adam's fourth-grade picture.<BR/><BR/>In an Eagle interview, Valerie Herrman's relatives accuse her of abusing Adam, including keeping him chained to a bathroom faucet -- allegations she denies. She says Adam had been a difficult child but that she has always loved him and misses him.<BR/><BR/>Jan. 6, 2009: Investigators release an age-progressed image of what Adam might look like now.<BR/><BR/>During an interview with The Eagle lasting more than two hours, Valerie and Doug Herrman say they love Adam and miss him. Valerie Herrman denies her relatives' accusations that she abused Adam. She says she did not chain him to a bathroom faucet but did keep him locked in the bathroom on the advice of a psychiatrist after Adam threatened the family.<BR/><BR/>The Herrmans say they continued to list Adam in court documents as late as 2003, and in a follow-up telephone call, she says they continued to accept $700 monthly adoption subsidy payments for Adam until his 18th birthday, in 2005 -- six years after he disappeared.<BR/><BR/>"I feel very guilty for stealing that money," she says.<BR/><BR/>Ponce, the SRS spokeswoman, said SRS has determined the total amount of subsidies the state paid to the Herrmans for Adam over the years. Ponce said SRS won't disclose the amount because it could hinder any potential criminal prosecution. She wouldn't elaborate, but added that if anyone knowingly gives false information to the state to get benefits, "that is a crime."<BR/><BR/>"We would pursue all legal avenues," she said.<BR/><BR/>To receive an adoption subsidy, a family must complete an annual, self-reported form asking whether they continue to be legally and financially responsible for the person adopted. The form's questions include whether a child lives with them and whether there are any changes that would affect payment eligibility.<BR/><BR/>Generally, adoption payments end when the child turns 18. Payments are negotiated before the adoption based on the child's needs, Ponce said. The subsidies are common when a family adopts siblings. Ponce said she couldn't say why the Herrmans received the payments in Adam's case.<BR/><BR/>The payments are designed to help in cases where adoption placement can be difficult because of a child's medical, emotional and social needs or because the adoption involves a number of siblings, she said.<BR/><BR/>Jan. 7, 2009: Investigators search the manufactured home that the Herrmans had moved from Towanda, in Butler County, to an area between Bentley and Sedgwick, in rural Sedgwick County.<BR/><BR/>Jan. 10, 2009: Investigators use dogs to search along the Whitewater River on the west side of Towanda.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-52044058077184820092009-01-11T17:21:00.000-08:002009-01-11T17:21:00.000-08:00I submit exhibit A. It was my assertion all along ...I submit exhibit A. It was my assertion all along that children lie and here is proof. <BR/><BR/>Man accused in Santa letter says family set him upAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-80729484656071789252009-01-11T17:16:00.000-08:002009-01-11T17:16:00.000-08:00ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A convicted sex offender won ...ANCHORAGE, Alaska — <BR/>A convicted sex offender won a $500,000 Alaska raffle that was a fundraiser for a nonprofit organization that helps victims of sexual abuse.<BR/><BR/>Alec Ahsoak of Anchorage, 53, came forward Saturday to collect his prize.<BR/><BR/>The state sex offender registry lists Ahsoak as convicted of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in 1993 and one count in 2000.<BR/><BR/>The raffle drawing was Friday night.<BR/><BR/>State law says all games of chance must benefit a charity. The designated beneficiary for the half-million dollar raffle was Standing Together Against Rape, or STAR.<BR/><BR/>Ahsoak says he plans to use the money to buy a home and to improve his life. He tells KTUU-TV he will donate $100,000 to STAR.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-59523034101444964502009-01-11T01:28:00.000-08:002009-01-11T01:28:00.000-08:00http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a1452...http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a14524/News/New_York.html<BR/>-----------------------------<BR/><BR/> in breaking down the walls that separate them. <BR/><BR/>by Doug Chandler<BR/>Special To The Jewish Week<BR/>The Muslim-Jewish dialogue group he attends is small, private and unusually close-knit, says Rabbi Simkha Weintraub, a resident of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, who works at a Jewish agency in the city and has been active in human rights advocacy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-13591082677846433462009-01-11T01:23:00.000-08:002009-01-11T01:23:00.000-08:00Hamas uses innocent civilians as human shields and...Hamas uses innocent civilians as human shields and this "rabbi" expects them to agree (and most importantly live up to their word)on all these conditions? really? <BR/><BR/>Hamas don't play by the rules so why should Israel reward terror with infinite appeasement? For a terrorist organization so intent on destroying and killing Jews, as seen in the latest intifada, one would have hoped that such ridiculous lopsided gifts to the bad guys, the time of rewarding terrorism, should have long been over. <BR/>___________________________________<BR/><BR/><BR/>http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=81611&sectionid=3510203<BR/>Rabbi: Israeli stupidity breaks my heart<BR/><BR/>American Rabbi and political activist, Michael Lerner, says that the Israeli military campaign in Gaza is "understandable, but stupid."<BR/><BR/>In an article published in The Times, Rabbi Lerner said that a military counterattack is not an acceptable response from the Israeli side, as Hamas can never pose any threat to its existence.<BR/><BR/>The editor of the progressive Jewish Tikkun magazine said a ceasefire is the only way to end the crisis in Gaza, adding that speaking in an empathic language "toward the suffering of each people in a climate of discourse in which both sides' stories are heard and understood", guarantees the existence of any declared ceasefire.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Lerner, who is also the founder of the Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, proposed that the declared ceasefire entail the following clauses:<BR/><BR/>1- Hamas should stop the firing of missiles and other violent actions including any cooperation in actively jailing individuals from different factions.<BR/><BR/>2- Israel should stop bombings, targeted assassinations or other violent actions aiming to kill activists in the West Bank or Gaza.<BR/><BR/>3- Israel must open the border with Gaza and allow free access to and from the occupied territories. Israel must allow the free travel of food, gas, electricity, water and consumer goods.<BR/><BR/>4- Israel must release all Palestinians in detention and return them to the West Bank or Gaza. Hamas must release Gilad Schalit and anyone else held by Palestinian forces.<BR/><BR/>5- Both sides must invite an international force to implement these agreements.<BR/><BR/>6- Both sides must agree to end teaching and/or advocacy of violence against the other side in and outside educational institutions and the media.<BR/><BR/>7- This ceasefire would last for 20 years. The NATO, the UN, and the US must all agree to enforce this agreement and impose severe sanctions in the event of any violations.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Lerner proposed that as the first step Israel implements a massive Marshall Plan in Gaza and the West Bank with the aim of tackling poverty and unemployment.<BR/><BR/>Israel would also have to rebuild infrastructure, encourage investment, and dismantle settlements or compel settlers to become citizens of a Palestinian state.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Lerner also called on Tel Aviv to allow the return of 30,000 Palestinian refugees and recognize a Palestinian state within borders already defined by the 2003 Geneva Accord.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-47177388823839012842009-01-11T00:09:00.000-08:002009-01-11T00:09:00.000-08:00How you all doing out there? Hope you don't mind m...How you all doing out there? Hope you don't mind my saying so, but the Israeli jail food is not as bad compared to American jails. This is one of the reasons I told anyone who'd listened that I will not let myself be extradited to Brooklyn. I have friends in high places who are working on my behalf.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-76666819699961890602009-01-10T23:57:00.000-08:002009-01-10T23:57:00.000-08:00WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush rejected a p...WASHINGTON – President George W. Bush rejected a plea from Israel last year to help it raid Iran's main nuclear complex, opting instead to authorize a new U.S. covert action aimed at sabotaging Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program, The New York Times reported.<BR/><BR/>Israel's request was for specialized bunker-busting bombs that it wanted for an attack that tentatively involved flying over Iraq to reach Iran's major nuclear complex at Natanz, where the country's only known uranium enrichment plant is located, the Times reported Saturday in its online edition. The White House deflected requests for the bombs and flyover but said it would improve intelligence-sharing with Israel on covert U.S. efforts to sabotage Iran's nuclear program.<BR/><BR/>The covert efforts, which began in early 2008, involved plans to penetrate Iran's nuclear supply chain abroad and undermine electrical systems and other networks on which Iran relies, the Times said, citing interviews with current and former U.S. officials, outside experts and international nuclear inspectors who spoke on condition of anonymity. The covert program will be handed off to President-elect Barack Obama, who will deciding whether to continue it.<BR/><BR/>According to the Times, Bush decided against an overt attack based on input from top administration officials such as Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who believed that doing so would likely prove ineffective and could ignite a broader Middle East war.<BR/><BR/>Israel made the push for permission to fly over Iraq for an attack on Iran following its anger over a U.S. intelligence assessment in late 2007 that concluded Iran had effectively suspended its development of nuclear weapons four years earlier. Israel sought to rebut the report, providing evidence to U.S. intelligence officials that they said indicated the Iranians were still working on a weapon.<BR/><BR/>Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the National Security Council, declined to comment Saturday.<BR/><BR/>In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this week, Stephen Hadley, Bush's national security adviser, said he believed that Iran is the biggest challenge Obama will face in the Middle East and that more sanctions will be needed to force Tehran to forgo its nuclear ambitions and support for extremists. He said the Bush administration has been trying to "shore up and store up leverage" to bequeath to the Obama administration.<BR/><BR/>Last month, Obama suggested that a combination of economic incentives and tighter sanctions might work. Tehran rejected the proposal. Obama also has said he would pursue tough-minded diplomacy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-6709013963784531772009-01-10T23:55:00.000-08:002009-01-10T23:55:00.000-08:00Meshaal Intervenes to Stop Hamas-Gaza from Succumb...Meshaal Intervenes to Stop Hamas-Gaza from Succumbing to a Ceasefire<BR/><BR/>DEBKAfile Special Analysis<BR/><BR/>January 10, 2009, 11:55 PM (GMT+02:00)<BR/><BR/>Saturday, Jan. 10, Day 15 of Israel's Gaza Strip offensive against Hamas, top Palestinian leaders gathered in Cairo for ceasefire talks with Egyptian officials.<BR/><BR/>DEBKAfile's military sources report that Jemal Abu Hashem, who rarely appears on public, Salah Bardaweel, leader of Hamas parliament faction, and Heiman Ta'a, member of the military wing's command, were allowed to exit Gaza Friday after signaling their willingness for the first time to discuss an unconditional ceasefire.<BR/><BR/>After traveling to El Arish in northern Sinai Friday, they were flown to Cairo by an Egyptian military plane.<BR/><BR/>Saturday, they were joined by two colleagues from Damascus, Hamas' senior operations chief Imad al Alami and politburo member Muhammad Nasser. Separately Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority chairman and head of the rival Fatah also arrived in Cairo.<BR/><BR/>The Hamas delegates were preparing for their talks on Egypt's ceasefire proposals to begin Sunday with intelligence minister Gen. Omar Suleiman, when their Damascus leader, Khaled Meshaal, dropped his bombshell.<BR/><BR/>Speaking over Damascus TV, he declared Hamas must fight on until Israel ends its military offensive, withdraws from the Gaza Strip and opens the enclave's crossings. Egypt too must open the Rafah gate. Hamas would never accept any restrictions on its armament – a hint at Israel-Egyptian plans to block the Philadelphi route – and would treat international monitors as an "occupation" force.<BR/><BR/>Meshaal demanded an immediate Arab summmit which Egypt and Saudi Arabia have firmly refused. Israeli losses were much higher than admitted, he said, adding that Saturday, Hamas rockets had hit Israel's Palmachim missile and satellite base more than 50 miles away.<BR/><BR/>DEBKAfile's sources report that the Hamas leader's emotional tirade raised suspicions in Jerusalem that he may have obtained pledges from Tehran and Hizballah for a last-ditch operation to save Hamas from collapse. They also noted the widening rift between Hamas-Damascus and Hamas-Gaza, which is paying dearly for Palestinian "resistance."<BR/><BR/>The Hamas leaders' resort to Egypt's good offices three days after rejecting its proposals came after the failure of the UN Security Council resolution of Friday night, which stressed the urgency of a ceasefire and called on member-states to help "prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition and to ensure the sustained reopening of the crossing points…"<BR/><BR/>Hamas also turned down the UN motion, while Israel said it was "unworkable" as long the rockets kept coming.<BR/><BR/>Our military sources report that Hamas was preparing to haggle over ceasefire terms, chiefly the opening of the crossing points, to save face, but had come closer than ever before to accepting a pause, any pause, without counter-demands – until Meshaal intervened.<BR/><BR/>Six developments brought Hamas near to breaking point, our military sources disclose:<BR/><BR/>1. Desertions are spreading among the 18,000 rank and file and police officers, who were left out in the open to shoot missiles and rockets and fight off Israeli attacks, while Hamas leaders and commanders stayed under cover in bunkers.<BR/><BR/>Seeing the fading resistance, Hamas' Grad rocket specialist, Ami Mansi, emerged from hiding Saturday and took over a mortar position against Israel troops. Quickly identified, he was killed by an Israeli helicopter missile with two aides. That night, Al Qaeda's Gaza commander, Ghassen Maqdad, was killed in Khan Younes in the south.<BR/><BR/>2. The Hamas hard core of fighters, estimated at 3,500 before the war, has suffered painful losses - at least 550 men, including high profile operatives. Israeli forces continued to press forward Saturday, disabling Hamas' bunker hideouts, booby-trapped tunnels and buried passages designed to serve as escape hatches and the abduction of Israeli soldiers. Their missile production workshops have been destroyed but Hamas is not finished yet, say Israeli military sources.<BR/><BR/>Saturday, 12 Israeli soldiers suffered minor injuries.<BR/><BR/>3. Signaling an intense push ahead, Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over the Gaza Strip Saturday with this warning: "The IDF will soon raise the level of attacks on tunnels, weapons caches and terrorists. For your own safety and that of your families, keep your distance from places where terrorists are hiding, active and store weapons."<BR/><BR/>4. The commander of Hamas' military wing, Muhammad Jabry, has lost his credibility after failing to follow through on his vow that Israeli troops would never set foot in Gaza City. Our military sources disclose that as of Saturday, the Gazan capital is virtually defenseless after desertions left Hamas bunkers, defensive tunnels and anti-tank positions unmanned.<BR/><BR/>Hamas tacticians have decided to deploy their dwindling manpower to maintain the missile and rocket-fire, which began dipping from 40 Thursday, to 30 Friday and 20 Saturday.<BR/><BR/>5. The southern town of Rafah is in the same dire straits as Gaza City.<BR/><BR/>6. Gaza's population is increasingly estranged from its invisible Hamas rulers, accusing them of fighting their battles to the last civilian. Hamas has planted booby-traps, weapons caches and firing positions in private homes, so that civilians take the brunt of explosions and counter-attacks.<BR/><BR/>DEBKAfile's military sources report senior IDF commanders are anxious to build on Hamas' weakness at this moment to step up the tempo of their offensive and finally push Hamas to the wall. Israel will then be placed in position for attaining its targets – an end to Hamas' eight-year missile assault on the South and its ability to rearm as well as the release of the captive Israeli soldier GilAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-90848417743745924252009-01-10T23:53:00.000-08:002009-01-10T23:53:00.000-08:00Israel is poised to teach Hamas terrorists a sting...Israel is poised to teach Hamas terrorists a stinging lesson in the coming days. The bottom line is that most of the world hate Jews and Israel. The two go hand in hand. <BR/><BR/>So when they cry out "disproportionate," we should all remind the beastly thugs that they were right. It isn't equal footing. Hamas target civilians while Israel takes extreme precautions to limit citizen casualties.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-7131798618277747802009-01-09T11:09:00.000-08:002009-01-09T11:09:00.000-08:00Article published: Jan 8, 2009Agriprocessors rampi...Article published: Jan 8, 2009<BR/>Agriprocessors ramping up production<BR/><BR/>Bankrupt kosher meatpacker Agriprocessors is ramping up production of poultry and taking steps to reopen its beef lines to meet demands for the upcoming Passover season.<BR/><BR/>Joseph Sarachek discussed the steps in a prepared statement Wednesday discussing his desire to preserve the company's role as a leader in the kosher meat industry. His company, Triax Capital Advisors, was appointed to oversee the company's operation in bankruptcy by a federal judge.<BR/><BR/>"By way of underscoring our confidence in the future, we have placed new eggs for growing chickens which will allow us to meet increased demand during the upcoming Passover season," Sarachek said. "We are also taking steps to reopen the beef lines so that the plant is processing meat for Passover as well."<BR/><BR/>Sarachek hopes to find a buyer for the plant through a competitive bidding process. He said reopening the company's production lines and supplying customers is key to the sale process.<BR/><BR/>About a dozen interested bidders have come forward, Sarachek said, and all would like to continue production.<BR/><BR/>In an open letter to clients, Sarachek portrayed the company has having motivated, dedicated employees working with veteran meat industry executives Alan Glueck, Arnie Mikelberg and Marshall Samler.<BR/><BR/>"Together, we are reopening up many of Agri's production lines, ensuring that when this plant is sold to new owners it will have the means of assuming quickly its dominant position in the marketplace," Sarachek said.<BR/><BR/>Some customers have already begun returning, according to Sarachek.<BR/><BR/>Agriprocessors filed for bankruptcy protection in November after First Bank Business Capital of St. Louis, its primary lender, commenced foreclosure proceedings at the end of October. The company blamed the impact of a federal immigration raid in May which resulted in the arrest or detention of nearly 400 of its employees.<BR/><BR/>The bank was owed about $32 million by Agriprocessors when it commenced foreclosure. It has loaned millions more to keep Agriprocessors in operation with bankruptcy court approval.<BR/><BR/>Can be read at:<BR/><BR/>www.gazetteonline.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-61998768982974658852009-01-09T11:06:00.000-08:002009-01-09T11:06:00.000-08:00We understand that children experiment with each o...We understand that children experiment with each other. Our camp is extraordinary for that reason. Herr-Komf Kolko was the overseer er of the operation and will surely be missed. Any potential employees must submit their credentials and house of corrections address. <BR/><BR/>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28539822/<BR/><BR/>Child-On-Child Molestation 'A Complicated Issue'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-21484184561165413182009-01-09T10:58:00.000-08:002009-01-09T10:58:00.000-08:007-year-old girl gives testimony in sex abuse caseH...7-year-old girl gives testimony in sex abuse case<BR/>HomesInAnnapolis.com<BR/><BR/>Annapolis<BR/>Defendant once certified to drive children to county schools<BR/>By SCOTT DAUGHERTY, Staff Writer<BR/>Published January 09, 2009<BR/><BR/>Sitting in a county courtroom, her light-brown hair barely visible over the stuffed gray bunny in her hand, the 7-year-old girl didn't want to say what the man had done.<BR/><BR/>She started to explain how 62-year-old Michael Phillip Hein Sr. kissed her last March in Glen Burnie - only to stop and put the stuffed animal to the microphone in front of her. She wanted the bunny to tell the rest.<BR/><BR/>"He did it like seven times," the second-grader eventually told the jury as a prosecutor kneeled next to her.<BR/><BR/>The testimony - unusual in the fact that it came from a child so young - came yesterday during the trial of Mr. Hein, a friend of the girl's former baby sitter.<BR/><BR/>Mr. Hein, a former employee of Associated Cab in Glen Burnie who once was certified to drive children to county schools, is charged with two counts of sex abuse of a minor and several lesser crimes. If convicted of either top charge, he faces up to 25 years in prison.<BR/><BR/>Assistant Public Defender Denis O'Connell, Mr. Hein's attorney, told the jury his client is not guilty.<BR/><BR/>But when it came time to cross examine the young girl, he did not pounce on her disjointed and often halting answers. He simply clarified that she testified Mr. Hein never touched her under her clothes. Mr. O'Connell then let the girl leave the stand and join her mother outside the courtroom.<BR/><BR/>Deputy State's Attorney Laura Keissling and Mr. O'Connell declined to comment about the difficulties in questioning a child so young.<BR/><BR/>Frank Gray, a prominent Glen Burnie attorney and former prosecutor, said it's hard to do without looking like an "ogre."<BR/><BR/>"It's a very, very treacherous task that no one looks forward to doing," he said, noting how children usually are very good or very bad witnesses - but rarely in the middle.<BR/><BR/>Catherine Hereford, director of development for The National Children's Advocacy Center, said prosecutors try to avoid putting young children on the stand.<BR/><BR/>"It can be a very traumatic experience... but sometimes it is necessary," she said.<BR/><BR/>Ms. Hereford said the center recommends children participate in mock courtroom activities so they better understand what will happen the day of trial. She said it can be difficult even for adults to talk about sex crimes in front of strangers and their alleged attacker.<BR/><BR/>Mr. Gray, who left the county's State's Attorney's Office in 2000, said prosecutors regularly encourage children to bring stuffed animals and toys to the stand.<BR/><BR/>"Anything you can do to make the child more comfortable, you do it," he said.<BR/><BR/>The questioning yesterday proved difficult for the attorneys and the girl - who needed a 10-minute break from the courtroom before she could finish.<BR/><BR/>Down on her knees to be at the same level as the girl, Mrs. Keissling asked dozens of detailed questions - about where and how exactly Mr. Hein touched her last year. Over the objections of Mr. Connell, she would regularly provide the girl with some possible answers in an effort to solicit a response.<BR/><BR/>Despite the often leading questions, however, the girl repeatedly said she did not remember a key part of the state's case against Mr. Hein. Police arrested Mr. Hein on March 1 after witnesses said he sexually abused the girl in the back seat of a truck outside Marley Station mall. The girl told police at the time that Mr. Hein kissed her and touched her and Mr. Hein eventually confessed, police and prosecutors said.<BR/><BR/>Yesterday, however, the child said she did not remember the trip to the mall or talking to police. Instead, she spoke about several other incidents where Mr. Hein kissed and touched her at the home of her baby sitter.<BR/><BR/>Bob Mosier, a county school spokesman, said in March that Mr. Hein no longer was a certified driver with the schools and hadn't transported students for the system since 2002. He did not know of any problems involving Mr. Hein or Associated Cab, which is still under contract to the school system. Mr. Mosier said the company usually drives students who are homeless or live in isolated areas.<BR/><BR/>No charges have been filed against Mr. Hein in connection with his work with the schools, according to court records.<BR/><BR/>The trial is scheduled to continue today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-5091573282627444032009-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:002009-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00In an expected move, state legislators vote 114 to...In an expected move, state legislators vote 114 to 1 to make Blagojevich the first Illinois governor to be impeached. The state's Senate will try him on the charge that he abused his power.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-69360783297602396852009-01-09T10:52:00.000-08:002009-01-09T10:52:00.000-08:00Add me to the Rabbi-pedophile enabler list. Rabbi ...Add me to the Rabbi-pedophile enabler list. <BR/><BR/>Rabbi Weinreb to speak at Chevra Kadisha Dinner<BR/><BR/>By Michael Feldstein<BR/>Published: Wednesday, January 7, 2009 1:40 PM EST<BR/> <BR/> <BR/><BR/>STAMFORD - Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, the executive director of the Orthodox Union, will be the featured speaker at the annual dinner of the Chevra Kadisha of Stamford, to be held on March 3, 2009.<BR/><BR/>His topic will be "Moshe as Our Model for Leadership in Contemporary Society."<BR/><BR/>"We're delighted to be able to have Rabbi Weinreb as our featured speaker this year," said Bernard Shapiro, president of the Jewish Burial Society of Stamford. "Rabbi Weinreb is one of the most important leaders in the Jewish community, and I'm certain that his words will inspire all those who attend the dinner."<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Weinreb has been executive vice president of the Orthodox Union since January 2002. In that role, he heads the multi-purpose agency that represents and serves Orthodox Jewry through hundreds of synagogues across North America and beyond. A teacher, writer and orator, Rabbi Weinreb was previously the spiritual leader of Congregation Shomrei Emunah in Baltimore, Md., which he joined in January 1989. Under his leadership, the congregation grew from approximately 160 to more than 400 families.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Weinreb received his rabbinic ordination in 1962 from the Rabbi Jacob Joseph Yeshiva in New York. He received his Master's in Psychology from the New School for Social Research, and in 1970 earned his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. Prior to assuming the pulpit of the Congregation Shomrei Emunah, Rabbi Weinreb served as Assistant Supervisor of Psychological Services for the Prince George's County Public Schools, as Chief Psychologist of the Potomac Foundation for Mental Health, and also maintained a private practice of psychotherapy.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Weinreb is a vice-president of the Rabbinical Council of America and past chair of its annual convention. He is rabbinic liaison for NEFESH: the North American Network of Orthodox Mental Health Professionals, and is a member of the Ethics Committee of the Veterans Administration Hospitals. To make a reservation for the dinner, or to learn more about how you can volunteer to help the Chevra Kadisha of Stamford, please contact Phyllis Shapiro at phyllshap@yahoo.com or call (203) 327-6711.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-25856446322750976362009-01-09T10:41:00.000-08:002009-01-09T10:41:00.000-08:00So Zev Brenner knew about Mondrowitz a month befor...So Zev Brenner knew about Mondrowitz a month before he escaped to Israel but kept his mouth shut. Another enabler to add to the list.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-51899032352713914502009-01-08T17:14:00.000-08:002009-01-08T17:14:00.000-08:00R'H - I hereby sanctify and anoint you to be t...R'H - I hereby sanctify and anoint you to be the voice of reason. You are enshrined into the land of common sense. How refreshing it is. Who'd have ever thought an Orthodox Rabbi like yourself would have the spunk you've displayed. You are one of a handful!.<BR/><BR/>EM<BR/>======================================<BR/><BR/>Why Avrohom Mondrowitz must be extradited<BR/>Jan. 8, 2009<BR/>YAKOV HOROWITZ , THE JERUSALEM POST<BR/><BR/>I do not anticipate receiving an invitation to address the judge presiding over the extradition case of Avrohom Mondrowitz on charges of molesting young boys over two decades ago in Brooklyn. However, given the opportunity, here is what I would say:<BR/><BR/>Your Honor: One of the great Torah sages of the 19th century famously stated that one of the main functions of a rabbi is to advocate for and support the weakest members of his community. I respectfully suggest that our judicial system, as well, has a similar mission - to provide a venue for the downtrodden individuals among us to be heard and fairly represented.<BR/><BR/>I can think of no group of people who are in need of rabbinic and judicial support more than child-abuse victims. For the vast majority of them were abused or neglected many, many times - first by the monsters who ravaged their innocence and cruelly stole their childhood, later, inadvertently, by the adults in their lives who weren't attuned to their silent cries for help while the abuse was taking place, and finally by those who passively or actively protected the abuser rather than the victim once the abuse became known.<BR/><BR/>On behalf of the hundreds of abuse victims that I have tried my very best to comfort and support over the years, I beg you to remove the legal barriers that stand between Avrohom Mondrowitz and his long overdue date with justice in America.<BR/><BR/>MONDROWITZ CRUELLY abused and ruined the lives of many dozens, perhaps hundreds, of vulnerable kids who came to him for counseling and support. I personally have met many of his victims and know of at least one who committed suicide after years of a tortured existence. I met victims of his who became alcoholics, heroin and cocaine addicts, and those who are my age and unmarried - never becoming whole enough to love and be loved. This evil monster robbed them of the joy of holding their own child, while my wife and I became grandparents 18 months ago.<BR/><BR/>Thankfully, I was never molested as a child. But I often think of how I could very well have been one of the kids who were ruthlessly sodomized by Mondrowitz. I lost my father before my fourth birthday and, due to my restless nature, was a very poor student in school. In short, I was a perfect candidate for a ghoulish predator like Mondrowitz - who was a practicing social worker when I was struggling in school as a teenager. Because I was spared that horrific fate, I feel all the more morally compelled to stand with his nameless, voiceless victims and advocate on their behalf.<BR/><BR/>I am far from an expert in legal matters. But, one human being to another, I plead with you to do everything in your power to see to it that the people he violated finally gain a modicum of validation and support after all these years - seeing him stand before an American court of law and squarely face his victims. This is where he committed his crimes, and this is where he must face justice.<BR/><BR/>Two years ago, several months before the attempt was made to extradite Mondrowitz, I wrote a column in The Jewish Press decrying the fact that this fiend was permitted to live a peaceful life in Israel after the atrocious crimes he committed. At that time, the public at large was apathetic, as this case was under the radar of the average person on the street. Thankfully, the tide is turning and there is now a groundswell of support for his extradition. It is difficult to convey to you what a body blow it would be to the fragile emotional health of long-suffering abuse victims to see this high-profile case fall into the win column for this monster and the immoral people who are protecting him.<BR/><BR/>WORD ON the street is that there are powerful people backing Mondrowitz. Having him successfully avoid extradition will confirm that suspicion in the minds of many. It will also reinforce a horrible message to the public at large and more specifically to abuse victims - unfortunately the one that is prevalent - that the blood of innocent children can be washed away if the molester knows the right people. Additionally, it will be a huge step backward for those of us in the trenches who are begging abuse victims to step forward and assuring them that they will be taken seriously.<BR/><BR/>At the risk of overstepping my bounds, I appeal to you from the depths of my heart not to be a party to yet another rape of his victims - and of all survivors of abuse and molestation who are watching this case carefully - which offering Mondrowitz shelter from justice would most certainly be.<BR/><BR/>Thank you for offering me the opportunity to address the court.<BR/><BR/>The writer is the dean of a yeshiva in the New York area and the director of Project YES, a program that assists at-risk teens and their families across North America. He has authored books on parenting and recently received the 2008 Covenant Award for excellence in Jewish education.<BR/><BR/>www.rabbihorowitz.com<BR/>This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1231167305942&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFullexposemolestershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02097300261898413798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-61457232137651550432009-01-08T16:28:00.000-08:002009-01-08T16:28:00.000-08:00Mondrowitz should have his balls cut off and fed t...Mondrowitz should have his balls cut off and fed to him. Agudas Israel is more concerned with the "law of return" and the slimy Rubashkins', than to beseech the Justice Department to extradite one of their own. When Iyov was silent he was punished severely. GOD should erase the individuals who disgrace their power, for the world would be far better off with those who seek justice, peace, and tranquility - of those trio, none does the Agudas Israel seek except when it serves their own depraved agenda.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-78553652054490678202009-01-08T16:17:00.000-08:002009-01-08T16:17:00.000-08:00Mohammed Nazzal, a member of Hamas' Damascus-based...Mohammed Nazzal, a member of Hamas' Damascus-based political leadership, said, "We will never raise the white banner. I believe there are going to be fierce battles and the resistance factions will fight house to house, street to street and neighborhood to neighborhood."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-9401101542025073792009-01-08T09:49:00.000-08:002009-01-08T09:49:00.000-08:00The power of a simple act of kindnessBetween you a...The power of a simple act of kindness<BR/>Between you and me<BR/>By Leah Dunaief<BR/>write the author<BR/>January 08, 2009 | 07:43 AM<BR/>This first column of the New Year, 2009, should be a positive one, and I have an appropriate story to share with you that will fit the bill. It is about the triumph of love over hate, of humanity over bigotry. Best of all, it's a true story.<BR/><BR/>The time is 1991, the place is Lincoln, Neb., and the hero is Michael Weisser, a rabbi. Weisser was the cantor and spiritual leader of the South Street Temple, the oldest Jewish congregation in Lincoln. A few days after he had moved into his new house with his wife, Julie Michael, and three of their five children, the phone rang. The voice on the line called Weisser "Jew boy," and told him the KKK was watching him. The man also told him he would be sorry he had come there. Weisser, who goes to the gym five times a week, was not easily intimidated.<BR/><BR/>The caller, it turned out, was Larry Trapp, Grand Dragon of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Nebraska, who, according to a recent article by reporter Manny Fernandez in The New York Times, kept loaded weapons, pro-Hitler material and his clan robe in his cramped Lincoln apartment. He was 42, nearly blind and was a double amputee in a wheelchair, the victim of diabetes.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Weisser did some sleuthing until he had a pretty good idea that his caller was Trapp. Weisser was able to get his phone number and then in turn began calling Trapp, leaving messages on his answering machine. Sometimes he spoke of love in the world, sometimes he pointed out that Trapp would have been one of Hitler's earliest victims because he was disabled. Then one day, Trapp actually answered the phone.<BR/><BR/>Prepped by his wife to "say something nice" in the event that might happen, Weisser said, "I heard you're disabled. I thought you might need a ride to the grocery."<BR/><BR/>One night soon after, Trapp called Weisser and said, "I'll never forget it, it was like a chilling moment, in a good way," referring to the kindness. He then added, "I want to get out of what I'm doing and I don't know how."<BR/><BR/>Weisser and his wife drove to Trapp's apartment that night, where the three talked for hours. Incredibly they formed a close friendship, and Trapp moved into the house of the rabbi and his wife so that they might oversee his care. As his health worsened, Ms. Michael became Trapp's caretaker and confidante.<BR/><BR/>The story becomes even more incredible. Eventually Trapp renounced the Klan, apologized to many of the people he had previously threatened and converted to Judaism in Rabbi Weisser's synagogue.<BR/><BR/>This story became a book in 1995 by Kathryn Watterson, titled "Not by the Sword: How the Love of a Cantor and His Family Transformed a Klansman."<BR/><BR/>Trapp ultimately died in Rabbi Weisser's home, and the rabbi spoke at his funeral.<BR/><BR/>A simple act of kindness, even just the offer of such an act — a lift to the grocery store — made such a profound change possible.<BR/><BR/>As we watch the Israelis and Palestinians battle each other, as we see hatred and violence seemingly unending, just this one story of the victory of forgiveness over bigotry lights a candle in the dark.<BR/><BR/>A Healthy and Happy New Year to All! And be sure to plan some fun for this last year of the decade.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-52614623876139711972009-01-08T09:44:00.000-08:002009-01-08T09:44:00.000-08:00Rockets hit northern IsraelRockets hit northern IsraelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-80623004606324681112009-01-08T09:42:00.000-08:002009-01-08T09:42:00.000-08:00No mention of dusty Borsalino hats at all in here....No mention of dusty Borsalino hats at all in here.<BR/>---------------------------------------<BR/><BR/>Ask the Rabbi: The way you wear your hat<BR/>Jan. 8, 2009<BR/>Shlomo Brody , THE JERUSALEM POST<BR/><BR/>Q What is the source and reason for men to wear a kippa (yarmulke)?- A.S., Jerusalem<BR/><BR/>A Religious garb, and head coverings in particular, stirs strong religious and sociological emotions. The Muslim hijab, the Catholic miter and the Jewish yarmulke, to take a few examples, each represent, in their own ways, important symbolic messages and shape the identity of individuals and communities. The ambiguous legal origins of the kippa, as we shall see, only underscore its evocative power.<BR/><BR/>While the Babylonian Talmud depicts in multiple places male head coverings, known as sudra, it appears that in the talmudic era not all men covered their heads at all times. Covering one's head, the Talmud explains, expresses one's reverence for the divine power above (Kiddushin 31a). Indeed, the word sudra itself connotes those who fear Him (Shabbat 77b). As such, the Talmud implies that head coverings are only worn by those who possess this desired characteristic of fearing God, such as married scholars (Kiddushin 29b). In particular, it is worn on occasions that require greater reverence, such as court decisions (Shabbat 10a), life cycle ceremonies (Kiddushin 8a) or grace after meals (Brachot 51a).<BR/><BR/>Prof. Yitzhak Zimmer, author of an authoritative historical study on the kippa, has further noted that the Jerusalem Talmud never mentions a sudra or other coverings. Similarly, an eighth-century gaonic text contends that in the Land of Israel kohanim offered the priestly blessing with their heads uncovered, as opposed to their Babylonian counterparts (Hillukim Bein Bnei Mizrah Uma'arav 42). Collectively, these sources indicate the male head coverings originated in Babylonia and only spread to Israel and other localities in early medieval times.<BR/><BR/>Be that as it may, by early medieval times, the practice of wearing a kippa had extended to major Jewish populations and included the entire male populace. Spanish authorities in particular contended that one should always cover his head. They cited, for example, the talmudic statement prohibiting one from walking four ells with his hair uncovered (Shabbat 118b). Similarly, prayers and blessings require head coverings (Sofrim 14:12). Others, however, treated these sentiments as pietistic exhortations but not normative requirements, and a number of sources indicate that early medieval French males, among others, did not always cover their heads (Sefer Kolbo 11).<BR/><BR/>In his various writings, the preeminent 16th-century decisor Rabbi Yosef Karo argued that head coverings are mandatory for all males and all times (Beit Yosef OC 8), and this became the dominant position. Two notable detractors were Rabbi Shlomo Luria (16th century, Poland) and the Vilna Gaon (18th century, Lithuania), both of whom insisted that kippot are not always required. Nonetheless, even these sages acknowledged that popular practice adopted constant head coverings. Many Italian and Moroccan Jews still follow their heritage that asserts kippot are non-normative requirements.<BR/><BR/>As Prof. Zimmer speculates, the symbolic differentiation created by kippot helped distinguish the Jews from their gentile neighbors. A couple of 15th-century German sources, for example, indicate that leaving one's head uncovered inappropriately imitates gentile habits and leads to assimilation. Similarly, in the 17th century, Rabbi David Halevi Segal ostracized those Jews who, like their non-Jewish neighbors, remove their hats when sitting down (Taz OC 8:3).<BR/><BR/>Conversely, those who wanted to break down the laws and symbols that distinguish Jews from non-Jews historically fought against this practice. While the earliest Reform Jews did not abandon their kippot, by 1844 this requirement was dismissed as an act of talmudic pietism. American Reform Jews in particular downplayed this custom, ruling it unnecessary not only in public but in synagogues as well. Recent traditionalist trends within the Reform movement have reintroduced kippot to this community, and some Conservative and Reform women have begun to wear kippot as an egalitarian sign of their proud Jewish identity.<BR/><BR/>Some of the most fascinating questions regarding kippot shed much light on the larger cultural context. One 18th-century rabbi, for example, struggled to emphasize the obligation of always wearing a kippa while allowing his congregants to remove it in order to greet the king and other noblemen. Rabbi Samson R. Hirsch, the famed 19th-century German leader of neo-Orthodoxy, allowed local youth to remove their head coverings to attend gymnasium classes.<BR/><BR/>One decisor who dedicated much ink to these questions was Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (20th century, United States). He famously allowed American Jews to remove their kippot for work purposes, but insisted that they put them back on when returning home (Igrot Moshe OC 4:2) In one particularly fascinating responsum, he ruled it was better not to remove one's kippa when (sinfully) entering an inappropriate place like a dance club, even though some feared this would desecrate God's name (YD 2:33). As with many other decisors, Feinstein recognized that the kippa has served an important sociological role for many centuries, and refused to allow this person to remove himself, even in the most irreverent of places, from the community of those that fear God.<BR/><BR/>The writer, editor of TraditionOnline.org, teaches at Yeshivat Hakotel and is pursuing a doctorate in Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University.<BR/><BR/>JPostRabbi@yahoo.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-57113652703094237602009-01-08T09:37:00.000-08:002009-01-08T09:37:00.000-08:00Rabbi Aaron Shlechter and Rabbi Israel Beslky in t...Rabbi Aaron Shlechter and Rabbi Israel Beslky in the Yated katanim section this week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-66814599010298986532009-01-07T23:12:00.000-08:002009-01-07T23:12:00.000-08:00Some girls are just asking for it and these were n...Some girls are just asking for it and these were no exception, I would have molested them too.<BR/><BR/>-<BR/><BR/>LAS VEGAS, N.M. (AP) — The leader of a small religious sect was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison for sexual misconduct with two teenage female followers.<BR/><BR/>Wayne Bent, 67, who claimed the encounters were spiritual, not sexual, was convicted this month of criminal sexual contact with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.<BR/><BR/>Judge Gerald Baca imposed the maximum sentence of 18 years but suspended eight years. He will have to serve at least 8 1/2 years before becoming eligible for release.<BR/><BR/>Bent, who calls himself Michael Travesser, is the leader of The Lord Our Righteousness Church. Its almost four dozen adult followers live in a compound called Strong City in a rural area of northeastern New Mexico.<BR/><BR/>A jury this month convicted Bent for lying in bed with naked 14- and 16-year-old sisters in separate incidents in 2006. But Bent maintained Tuesday that no crime was committed.<BR/><BR/>"Nobody has been molested," he said, adding that he had "never touched a girl sexually."<BR/><BR/>Bent and the sisters testified the incidents were spiritual exercises. The teens said Bent did not touch intimate areas, and Bent testified he had placed his hands on the chests, but not the breasts, of the girls.<BR/><BR/>The judge, in explaining his sentence, said Bent had "crossed the line" under state law in allowing the girls to lie naked with him.<BR/><BR/>"I am not punishing you for your religious beliefs," Baca told Bent.<BR/><BR/>However, Bent said prosecutors never tried to understand the group's religious beliefs and his actions before charging him with sex crimes.<BR/><BR/>"I have been accused and convicted over the rumors of my enemies who just hate our kind of living," Bent said.<BR/><BR/>Bent's lawyer, Sarah Montoya, said she would appeal his convictions and was surprised by the severity of his sentence. She had recommended that Bent be spared a prison term and instead be allowed to live on the sect's land while wearing an electronic monitor.<BR/><BR/>About a dozen of Bent's followers spoke to the court Tuesday, describing him as a kind and caring man who was unwavering in his religious beliefs.<BR/><BR/>His son, Jeff Bent, told the judge, "If he were a child molester, I would know it by now."<BR/><BR/>Jeff Bent said in an interview that his father would begin a fast. Wayne Bent refused to eat or drink while in jail after his arrest this year.<BR/><BR/>The elder Bent was a minister for the Seventh-day Adventist Church but separated from it more than 20 years ago. He claims God spoke to him in 2000 and told him he was the Messiah.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-47882041925672404052009-01-07T23:06:00.000-08:002009-01-07T23:06:00.000-08:00If I sing in yidish would you let me do it to the ...If I sing in yidish would you let me do it to the tune of Rock n roll?<BR/><BR/> BY RABBI DANIEL COTZIN BURG<BR/><BR/>I have a confession: I like Christmas music. The upbeat rhythms of a carol often bring a smile to my face. Hearing the soulful timbre of a song like "Silent Night" encourages contemplation. Yes, even a rabbi can appreciate Christmas music.<BR/><BR/>We should enjoy the cultural output of other cultures, and, yes, religions. Yet, isn't it strange that in recent ears one is less likely to hear "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Chanukah?" More often we get "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" -- sometimes perhaps when we shouldn't.<BR/><BR/>An example appeared in the Chicago Tribune last week. "Santas All Revved Up to Spread Holiday Cheer," the headline read, along with a picture of Santa Clauses in the Toys for Tots parade. A wonderful organization to be sure, but since when does Santa spread "holiday" cheer? I don't recall Santa showing up to spin my dreidel. Santa's job is Christmas, which is why as a child I was OK living in a home with no chimney. Our presents arrived via UPS.<BR/><BR/>"Happy Holidays" is not a new phrase. Originally, it referred to Christmas and New Years. But now it's intended to convey best wishes for Christmas and Chanukah, as well as Kwanzaa, Devali, Winter Solstice and more. Wikipedia even includes "Festivus," the fictional holiday popularized by Seinfeld.<BR/><BR/>Some argue this conflation of the holidays is good, that we've learned sensitivity. But I'm not sure that's the whole story. I walk around with a kippah on my head and I think many people know that it means I'm Jewish. And yet, it's pretty rare for a store clerk or a passerby to say "Happy Chanukah!" It makes about as much sense to say "Happy Holidays" to someone wearing a yarmulke as it does to say it to someone with a crucifix. Are we embarrassed to point out the differences between us?<BR/><BR/>Surely, acknowledging the multiplicity of faiths is a good thing; I'm just not convinced that "Happy Holidays" is the only or best way to do it. And I wonder: Has a well-intentioned desire to be more inclusive and avoid mentioning "Christmas" actually led to increased ignorance of other winter holidays like Chanukah? Why bother learning about other beliefs if I can get away with a generic "Happy Holidays?"<BR/><BR/>Some say that we Jews, given our minority status, should appreciate this trend. After all, if this recent election proved anything, it's that we are ready to stop defining ourselves by what divides us.<BR/><BR/>Though there are many for whom Obama's skin color doesn't matter, there are ways in which the real victory for the American people was not simply one of color-blindness. For some, it was selecting a candidate based on ideas despite his race or "foreign" sounding name.<BR/><BR/>For others, Obama's election signaled a different achievement. During this election, narrative was front and center, and his narrative cannot be separated from his race or ethnicity. I would suggest that some people, whites included, voted for him, at least partially, because he is black. Many were proud to elect someone who looks and talks or even believes differently than they do.<BR/><BR/>So what does this have to do with saying "Happy Holidays?" I would argue that in recognizing others' differences, each of us secretly hopes that others will recognize our own uniqueness, our own differences as well.<BR/><BR/>In the Bible, 20 years after their estrangement, and immediately after their reconciliation, Esau says to Jacob: "I have enough, my brother; let what you have remain yours." Jewish tradition understands these two brothers were to father two nations: Israel and Rome, or, in more religious terms, Judaism and Christianity. Understood in this way, Esau's statement is a powerful example of how to celebrate differences.<BR/><BR/>We are a nation of immigrants, more tossed salad (or fruit cake, maybe?) than melting pot. There are some times when it's appropriate to say "Happy Holidays." But we should avoid complacence. Not knowing can give way to not bothering to know. In the meantime, let's remember the lesson of Jacob and Esau. True understanding comes when we deepen our appreciation of the other, when we recognize and honor our differences.<BR/><BR/>Daniel Cotzin Burg is a rabbi at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com