Sholom M. Rubashkin: Messianist

Agriprocessors former boss and many of his Jewish employees – including schochtim – are Chabad messianists. How did KAJ and the OU put their kosher supervision marks on Agriprocessors' products?

Sholom Rubashkin wearing a "Yechi" messianist yarmulke declaring the late Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson the messiah late last month in Postville.

All pictures can be clicked on to enlarge.

A reader wants to know how the OU and other kosher supervisors could put their supervision marks on Agriprocessors' products when Sholom Rubashkin and many of his Jewish employees are messianists. Didn't the OU (and KAJ) promise not to do this?

The answer to the above question is simple: Money – it talks and theology walks.

To give themselves a fig leaf of respectability, the OU and KAJ made a deal with Rubashkin: No messianist paraphernalia – Yechi signs, yechi yarmulkes, etc. – allowed in Agriprocessors.

Outside – in the synagogue, cheder, yeshiva, private homes – any and all messianist material and behavior allowed, but not endorsed.

A smarmy deal made by smarmy people.

Now here are a few pics of Sholom Rubashkin's dining room in his Postville home. Taken late last month, these should help you understand how much money Rubashkin had.

More pics on Chabad.info.

[Hat Tip: a reader.]

Comments

[yo]

Do you have evidence that they made such a deal? That is a strong accusation? (Not about the messianism-that part I believe 100%-just whether there was a formal agreement to the effect that you described.)

On another note, can you teach me how to look up what web service a company is using? Ronn Torossian of 5WPR has added me to an email list and I have repeatedly asked him to remove me, yet he has not, so I'd like to report this abuse, however his email address is @5wpr.com so I don't know who to report it to!

[Yochanan Lavie]

He's gonna need moshiach to save his ass.

[sage]

Hi YL,

Even the Moshiach would not be able to save his ass.

Jewish tradition states that someone who continuously refuses to repent, will eventually not be given the means to do so.

SMR has, long ago, past the point of no return.

[Shmarya]

Do you have evidence that they made such a deal? That is a strong accusation? (Not about the messianism-that part I believe 100%-just whether there was a formal agreement to the effect that you described.)

I heard it from several Chabadniks, both messianists and "antis," while I was still Orthodox.

Re: 5WPR:

ISP is CrystalTech:

abuse@crystaltech.com

[Shmarya]

I should add those Chabadniks are friends of Rubashkin.

[critical_minyan]

a shandeh. a whole generation lost to Yiddishkeit. some of the boys in that picture still have a little spark of judaism - a pintele Yid.
Avodah Zaraniks like Rubashkin, have infected Yiddishkeit, dressing up like old fashioned Jews from the old country and speaking with fiddler on the roof accents to mislay, uneducated Jews with misplaced nostalgia.
The fact that they had taken hostage to our "kosher" food supply is a signal of how far we let them take over.

[Dr. Dave]

Would you eat meat processed and sold by jews for jesus?

[yo]

Thanks.

[yankele]

SMR is not a moshichist. His God and messiah are the greenback.
In Chicago, there is a man who used to be the primary shochet at one of Rubashkin’s slaughter houses dedicated to lamb (I believe it was in Indianapolis). The guy is a meshichist and is one of the leaders of Chicago’s Meshichist storefront synagogue. The Agudah and CRC made an issue about this, and he was ceremoniously dumped. It took a few months before Rubashkin lamb was available in Chicago (perhaps this was SMR way of punishing the city).
I would think that a meshichist would stick up to for his kind? Hide him? Not SMR!
Wouldn’t Schneerson ride down in his heavenly Caddy to save SMR had SMR stood up to the Agudah and CRC??? I mean, SMR believes that Schneerson is going to rise from the dead and save the world, couldn’t schneerson save SMR’s company???
I am not a meshichist and I don’t know the shochet, but I just found it revolting that SMR, who would walk into the local Jewel with a big Yechi yarmulke, send his daughter to the meshichist girl’s school in Chicago, would, for money, dump someone who believed the exact thing as he did. To add insult to injury, I think said shochet or his wife taught SMR’s daughter. I just find that gutless. (again, I am not a meshichist. But there is nothing worse than someone selling out his own kind.)
Considering that SMR likes to compare Postville to Nazi Germany, I find it only apropos to compare SMR behavior to those of the Kappos. In the end, he is sharing the same fate as most Kappos!

[state of disgust]

Agri used to send rabbonim out to Colorado to the Swift plant to slaughter lamb. The sides were sent back to Gordon or Postville for cut-up.

[justice seeker]

Would you eat meat processed by the poor and disadvantaged, expolited and cheated by Jews for Jews?

[justice seeker]

I may need to correct myself...

Would you eat meat processed by the poor and disadvantaged, exploited and cheated by Jews...

I doubt they had any noble intentions of doing anything other than making a buck for themselves.

[Bub]

Anyone can see what Sholom's house looks like. Just to www.Iowaassessors.com and go to Alamakee County. When you are in Beacon's website just enter his name.

Nice house, for Postville.

[yidandahalf]

These fools are totally debauched. They find any excuse to drink and as for the Golem's house. Look, I live in a trailer on waterfront and I find his shitpile not in the least impressive. Truly they have modular homes now better than what has been called "Kosher Hill". I ask you.

[Chicago Samson]

I find it amazing that the Orthodox still eat and endorse Rubbashkin in a lot of communities; shame on them!

[F B Meyer]

This is a slanderous web site. I am not Chabad, but have been friends with the Rubashkins for years. They have done many, many kind acts for Jews and non - Jews throughout the years. Shame on you for your ignorant, profoundly bias comments.

FB Meyer

[Itchiemayer]

FBMeyer - "Kind acts" paid for with ill-gotten gains are actually nothing to boast about.

[s]

maybe the work needed in maintaining a large house gives a person a chance to have an income cleaning homes. A lot of versatility there if his wife could make a vegetarian meal for visitors from Fairfield, Iowa (boychicks in the Hood book)and also have meals with meat at the same meal for other visitors. No wonder a large dining room table is needed.

[state of disgust]

"They have done many, many kind acts for Jews and non - Jews throughout the years."

So did Bernie Madoff.

[Carol-Anne]

I have wondered about this paradox as well...

Dr. Dave made a good point: if JFJ performed shechita the same way would the kosher observant purchase their products?

Food for thought.

[A E ANDERSON]

If this photo is meant as an indication of "wealth," I would carefully examine it again... the furniture is downright utilitarian. Looks more like a shul or bes medrash than a dining room. Where is the purported opulence?

[Shmarya]

Look at the SIZE of the room. Also look at the very EXPENSIVE leather furniture lining the side of the room.

[Josh]

I live here in Iowa and have followed the Rubashkin story for quite sometime and let me tell you . . . It doesn't matter if Rubashkin is a Jew, a Muslim, a Christian . . . In my humble opinion, what he and his family did, in knowingly taking advantage of the weak, the poor, the needy, the vulnerable brothers / sisters of our society is a sin and a crime and he should pay for his actions.

[honest]

but should he serve more time than a serial killer?

[SSSDSSFE]

I heard it from several Chabadniks, both messianists and "antis," while I was still Orthodox.-----shmarya

so shmarya, y do u even care if u dont even eat kosher????????????????????????????????????????????

[rav nachman]

it has come to our attention, that in all probability, moshe mordechai has been declared the messiah by the spirit of the rebbe as the mantle is thrown onto sholoms shoulders. his travails are in the footsteps of job. the moishiach is upon us.