Postville Yeshiva: We're Not Closing

Rubashkin: "We are here to stay."

 

Postville yeshiva front view

Postville yeshiva rear view

Postville Yeshiva Not Closing
By COLlive reporter

"The Postville Yeshiva has had a lot of success in the past and will continue," Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin told COLlive, defying rumors that the Mesivta has been closed in recent months.

Rubashkin, a Lubavitch Chasid, spends most of his day in the Yeshiva now, after being ousted by court order from the Agriprocessors meat plant in Iowa, which he and his father founded.

"We've had tremendous growth and it shows on the bochurim," he said in a phone conversation Monday.

While the town was shattered by an immigration raid and the plant filing for bankruptcy, Rubashkin says "bochurim find a quiet environment here and get personal attention from the staff. I sit here for hours and I see it."

At the helm of the Mesivta is Rabbi Sholom Ber Gurkov, a senior Rosh Yeshiva who divides his time between Postville and Montreal, Canada. At his side is the director, Rabbi Eliyahu Bensimon and teachers Rabbi Gavriel Levin and Rabbi Zev Frimerman.

40 bochurim and Talmidim Shluchim learn there today. "Our goal is to keep the same number this coming year, and even grow," Rabbi Bensimon told COLlive.

Asked about the financial situation, Bensimon said: "Until now we didn't have to worry about money. Now we will be charging tuition and also do some fundraising."

The cost of living in the town is relatively low to the rest of the country, he said. "It will not be hard to keep up the Yeshiva. B'ezras Hashem we will continue to educate bochurim with high standards."

"What I like about the Yeshiva is that we have interaction with the yungeleit in the community," a bochur told COLlive. "We eat by them on Shabbos and farbreng together. The Ahavas Yisroel is strong here."

Rubashkin asked to add: "Now is the time to thank everybody for their help. Many communities were there for us – although I was not here to see it." (Rubashkin was released from jail on January 27, 2009).

"We are here to stay," he said.

[Hat Tip: Joel Katz.]

Comments

[Hometown Postville]

Meditating and finding religion? or getting a PHD in "Advanced Goy Screwing?", "Off-shore Hide-aways?", "Maintaining Credibility in a Doubting World?", "Maintaining anti-semetics to get ahead?"

[yidandahalf]

Of course "he is here to stay". Where else would he go? Back to Brooklyn with his tail between his legs?

[Curious Postville Native]

Fun to know-

The original framework of the structure, presently housing the Yeshiva, is a Sears kit house. These Sears Mail Order houses (kit homes) were popular in the early 20th century.

[state of disgust]

Yes, he may be "here to stay" if one considers living in an Iowa jail "here to stay."

[Curious Postville Native]

Though Postville is thought to be a quiet, small 'city' nestled in the heart of the Midwest, the presence of Agri generates a number of people who have a crime-related reputation. This is a safety issue. To my knowledge, no one has been assaulted-to date; but, the day will likely come.

[justice seeker]

"Pals"

Jose the lifer lived in a cell,
depressed and lonely he rarely felt well.

The warden was worried "Jose needs a bud",
its lonely at night spent pulling your pud.

An Iowa con called Ruby signed in,
Jose perked up and widely he grinned.

Ruby looked worried and started to pout,
i'm shafted by illegals who ratted me out.

Jose mused to himself, he's certainly not witty,
but alls not lost I'll pretend that he's pretty.

Shafted Jose quipped, is a reasonable fear,
but your problems not over best look to your rear!

Relax Ruby, I'll take you to bed
and 7 Iowa justices say we can wed!

[Minneapolis Man]

Torah in the middle of nowhere has to be worthe something special

[original Postville resident]

Maybe Sholom was pondering how to get rid of his "slum" rental properties while he's been sitting in the quiet of the yeshiva?
I saw 8 For Sale by owner signs between my house and place of employment this morning, and that's only a few blocks. All were Nevel Properties. I'm guessing if a person toured around town, they would find many more. Unless they aren't asking much, I wonder who he and Gabay think are going to come here and take these trashed properties off their hands now? Gal Investment listed a bunch with a real estate agent last week.

[sage]

Shalom uttered an unintended prophecy on himself.

Indeed, he's going to stay, not in Postville, but in an Iowa State or Federal Prison for life.

[Yochanan Lavie]

I like the spire on the building. It goes well with the theology of Chabadianity.

[steve]

LUBINSKY ADMITS THERE IS NO MEAT SHORTAGE. CALLS AGRI DEMISE "UNFORTUNATE" (FOR HIM):

The shortage of glatt kosher meat in the US may be over, but it has certainly changed the landscape of kosher meat since the bankruptcy of Agriprocessor, a survey shows. Major markets have more than replaced the meat although some still complain of inconsistencies in the delivery of all types of meat and provisions. Customers too in many markets complain that they cannot always get the products they want on a given day.

The recession, say some industry officials, has made a big difference in the demand for beef products as an increasing number of people are turning to poultry and fish. Many caterers say that they have seen a dramatic shift away from beef and veal to poultry products. This is true even for the pricier affairs, they say.

Kashrus officials say that they are not aware of any major shortages anywhere in the country of either poultry or beef although one industry official estimated that at least 50-75 stores that once carried Agri products no longer carry kosher meat, mostly in small kosher markets around the country.

Some Jews have already noted that they are traveling long distances to buy the kosher meat or in at least one case ordering on-line.

The demand for poultry has been rising, which is being met by smaller slaughterhouses, particularly serving the Chassidic population, increased production at Empire Poultry and continued slaughter of poultry at the Agri plant in Postville, the only slaughter that is being done there under the management of a court appointed receiver.

Even customers are finding an ample supply of meat in the larger kosher markets, they are probably paying as much as 25% - 30% more than they did a year ago, mostly as a result of the unfortunate demise of Agri. While the nation seems to have recovered from the aftershocks of the events in Postville, it is certainly a changed landscape, say most kosher food industry officials.

{KosherToday, Matzav.com Kashrus Division}

[Shmarya]

Lubinsky is such a fraud. Chicken prices did not rise for Passover in most locations and they even dropped in some.

Most of the price rise in red meat has to do with increased grain costs (i.e., cattle feed), and related price increases.

[Choni Davidowitz]

Hypocricy!!
"We are here to stay"
How come you "scream" Mashiach Now,(which entails the immediate move to Eretz Yisrael), and at the same time plan for an indefinite future in the Diaspora?

[State of Postville III]

There are definitely fewer students than say three years ago. How people can send their children to such an unsupervised unsafe environment is a mystery. The housing is not the best no doubt would not pass the new housing code. Using an upstairs attic area for bedrooms with one window in an 100+ year old house is not the most appropriate without an outside fire escape. Do parents come out here and look at the living arrangements?

[State of Postville III]

Postville WAS a quiet beautiful town. The costs of living here are not so cheap. The water bill is one of the highest in the state (if you pay it). Heat & electricity are no bargain either. Where do they get the idea it is so cheap to live here?? Do they NOT pay the bills!!! We are still having break-ins occur because of the labor force recruited by the wonderful plant. At a planning committee meeting (can be found in the Postville Herald) some suggestions were an airport and taxi service, also new businesses. Realistic? Hopeful? The Jewish folks complained of being excluded, well, no time like the present to pitch in and work for the community.

[Curious Postville Native]

Yochanan Lavie:

[I like the spire on the building.]

This was part of the original structure of the Sears kit house.

[justice seeker]

To Hometown Postville: Lets not forget,
taking advantage of the less fortunate, stealing from the poor, how to cheat your bank, document fraud 101. Last but not least, how to destroy the environment! Got to pass along these lessons to the next generation.

[state of disgust]

justice seeker:
I don't feel the least bit sorry for the banks. They took part in the debacle providing mortgages that reflected unrealistic over market property values. They could have stood up to Gabay and SMR but did not and instead aided and abetted the people who screwed workers and the town. Now they claim foul when they're left holding the bag. Its amazing that the bank officials haven't lost their jobs.

[yidandahalf]

"Breathing Their Last" Ko$her Robber Barons Hold on Against All Odds on the Prairie - Former CEO Vows to Stay on No Matter What.

Wake me up when it's over. As usual, when you think you have heard it all, the Golem never fails to to surprize and delight with more of his antics. What a guy! What a mensch! What an indescribable display of vulgar shanda-heit.

[state of disgust]

BTW, there are both a day school and yeshiva in town. So, who is paying for them now that the RCF has stopped scamming First Bank of St. Louis?
The AG of Iowa may want to talk to the AG of New York about money transfers from one state to another and whether laws are being broken.

[WoolSilkCotton]

These Sears Prefab Homes garner a lot of historic interest.

http://prefabcosm.com/blog/2007/07/26/historic-prefab-sears-homes/

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB114765321747952563-lMyQjAxMDE2NDE3NTYxNTUzWj.html

[Hometown Postville]

Justice Seeker: re Pals> Yochanan is the Parody King but you are giving him a run for his money! LOL!
Sage: re SMR IS staying in Iowa- in the prison system! Good one!
What a shame they ruined that lovely old Sears home with an addition. We have quite of few of those around here.

[lobbying4peace]

To State of Disgust:

The bankers didn't do anything wrong. It's basic economics. Housing was in demand and prices went up. The bankers were just doing their jobs. It would have been assanine for them to turn away the business.

I heard once that when Northeast Iowa Community College wanted to set up their school, they contacted Postville first, but that the residents here turned them away. I find that mind boggling. What on earth could any small town have against an institution of higher education? But after reading comments like yours, I have to wonder if you were one who sent them off.

BTW you can rest assured that no laws are being broken to keep our schools running (not that you are owed any explanations.)

[Curious Postville Native]

lobbying4peace:

Years ago-Lacrosse Lutheran (now Gundersen) wanted to expand. They wanted to situate a satellite clinic in Postville, based on location. The 'town' turned them away. The final clinic location-West Union. Their hospital is what our hospital could have been. Unfortunately, the Postville hospital was forced to close because of the lack of funds.

[Concerned for the Postville area..]

When were these pictures taken? This doesn't look like the place I've seen! The one I've seen looks pretty run down. I thought this the bar which serves vodka dew process.

[lobbying4peace]

CPN: (I apologize if this is duplicate, but I tried to post something a minute ago and it didn't show up.) I hadn't heard about the Gundersen offer. What on earth could have been so unappealing to the town about a hospital? Perhaps it was to be competition to the now non-existent hospital? But you would think people would have tried to work something out to interweave the two.

I had specifically heard about the community college, though, from a long-time local. Do you know anything about that?

[Curious Postville Native]

L4P-

I believe it was a result of the combination of [Perhaps it was to be competition to the now non-existent hospital?] (considered a threat to then-existing control) & the smug attitude of 'important' people who 'figured we didn't need any outsiders, that we'd do just fine on our own'. I describe the decision as ludicrous & sanctimonious.

I did not know about Northeast Iowa Community College. How sad.

Sometimes, I think we are our own worst enemy.

[s]

wonder what the man who ran both the lab and x-ray department at the former Pville hospital thinks of things that have gone on the last few years. Anyone ever figured out how many hours a month he must have been on call, if he ever did get time off? and possibly working for less than he could have if commuting to work in a larger town. One man told me in 1982 what a good job their staff did Thanksgiving day 1981 when he delayed going in with chest pain then "they had to use the paddles' after he came into the ER.

[state of disgust]

L4P said "It would have been assanine for them to turn away the business."

Yes, it made much more sense to make bad loans so they could loose a bundle for the Bank's investors.
The problem with your statement is that you assume market conditions were fair - all things being equal. They were not, and the banks knew it. When you participate in jacking up the price of real estate they you reap the rewards - or as in this case, the loses.
I'm sure the bank examiner looking into Agri bank fraud charges will eventually get around to looking at the real estate shenanigens in Postville. Wait for it.

[State of Postville III]

It was the Dept. of Corrections center that Postville turned away because they didn't want criminals in their town. What do they have now??? The Gundersen Lutheran must be a rumor as no one would be that stupid to turn that away and then accept the people they did. If those folks are still alive they must be very embarrassed, if dead, should be bouncing in their graves as to what they did encouraging the crime family to settle here. You know ICE and gov't is being blamed for this crisis and actually the blame falls on the owners and managers of Agri. Had they run the place in an honest fashion the raid would possibly been avoided. It is always cheat and make money illegally isn't it?

[State of Postville III]

Postville did not turn the community college away. They were looking at the Ford Garage for location, and the price of the land/building was too expensive. Needless to say, SMR paid the asking price. End of story.

[Curious Postville Native]

SOP III-

I just posted on another website-the former Ford garage is up for sale.

[Curious Postville Native]

[The Gundersen Lutheran must be a rumor as no one would be that stupid to turn that away and then accept the people they did.]

NOT A RUMOR- I can/and will explain the specific reasons, & disclose the names of those who were responsible, (G_d rest their souls), who/why-they fought to prevent LaCrosse Lutheran from expanding their care network to Postville, at that time . . . the next time I see you.

[Curious Postville Native]

SOP III-

I will give you a hint- I find it a bit ironic that the present day satellite clinic of the Gundersen facility is located in the building that was built by one of the foremost 'non-supporters' of the Lacrosse Lutheran offer.

[Curious Postville Native]

SOPII-

I am also thinking L4P was referring to when the college was first established; and not referring to-recently, as a satellite learning center.

[State of Postville III]

It seems Postville has a long tradition of "shooting themselves in the foot" and could have been a very progressive town. Ironically it is the same at this point in time--it is discouraging. Hope is ebbing away as time passes. At this point the past opportunities will not solve the present day problems.