Help This Blog

FailedMessiah.com needs your help…

As many of you know, FailedMessiah has broken major stories, from the Rubashkin family's shenanigans to Rabbi Leib Tropper's extortion and sex scandal, along with important parts of the New Square arson/attempted murder story and child sex abuse reporting, to name a few. (You can see links to some of these stories on the far right sidebar of this page. I haven't seriously updated that list in a long time; if I had, it would be at least twice as long.)

FailedMessiah has made a difference.

Very few blogs are read by Jewish leaders –  haredi leaders and Modern Orthodox leaders and Federation leaders and Members of Knesset. But judging from the emails and calls I get, FailedMessiah is.

They read what I write – and they read what you write here, as well.

It influences them and, sometimes, it moves them toward positive change.

In order to make this blog possible, in order to keep making a difference, I need your help.

You may not realize that every story I personally report takes a lot of time and effort.

Some of these stories you see posted here.

Most you do not.

Why?

Because the leads I was given turned out to false or impossible to confirm or, sometimes, because victims of child sex abuse promise to go on the record using their real names, but then back out at last minute due to pressure from spouses or from other family members. 

All of this takes much more time and effort than you probably realize.

One the questions I get regularly from journalists is, How do I do it? How do I handle a workload that is, in their minds, insanely heavy?

A reporter for a large Midwestern paper told me he spent time trying figure out how much time I spent each day running FailedMessiah. He came up with 12 hours per day, 5 to 6 days per week.

He was close.

The real answer is 12 hours per day, 6 days per week, with Fridays and Sundays being a little lighter, and Monday through Thursday often heavier.

During the first 8 months after the Agriprocessors raid, I regularly pulled 16 hour days. During the time that Agriprocessors workers were left hungry and out in the cold, as heat and electricity was being shut off to their houses, as some were being evicted, and as Postville's small food shelf was being overwhelmed, the days were even longer.

Some of you may remember that Jeff Abbas, who ran Postville's radio station, opened a small soup kitchen during that time and fed hundreds of destitute Agriprocessors workers. He was also deeply involved in arranging transportation for these poor people if they wanted to go back to their homes in Indianapolis or Texas – or even Palau.

What you don't know is that I helped him in any way I could during that time. We played good cop/bad cop with the State of Iowa, which led to heating assistance for everyone in Postville who needed it – including many members of Postville's Jewish community – along with other help for Postville.

We spoke every day, except Shabbat and Yom Tov, for months at 5:30 am, and then through the day as necessary. (We even spoke once on Shabbat when the Jewish community was, supposedly, out of food.)

My point in telling you this is to show you that what I do through this blog is much more involved and extensive than you probably think.

It takes a lot of time and a lot of effort – even when there isn't a crisis like Postville.

And to keep doing it, I need your help.

Whatever you give will be appreciated.

Please give now, and please give generously.

Thank you for reading and for your generous support.

May you and yours have a happy, healthy and sweet New Year.

Thank you for your generous support!

 

Comments

[HH]

Obviously non frum people also shnor. But it is an attribute that most frum people have. I guess it is one thing that is left from your past life.

If you can contribute to society then find venture capitalists. If you cannot then close the site.

YOu are not embarresed to get down on your hands and knees to shnor?

What a shanda.

Go get a real job if you cannot earn a living. YOU HAVE TALENT. What is your excuse...

You freeloader...

[Edge]

lol please donate money to help me continue spreading shmutz on the internet, slander, gossip, and other vile stuff. Hey where can I sign up!

Ktiva v'chatima Tova. Recite those Slichot with fervor!

[Shmarya]

Go get a real job if you cannot earn a living. YOU HAVE TALENT. What is your excuse...

You freeloader...

Posted by: HH | September 26, 2011 at 02:55 PM

Then stop reading and commenting.

Go away.

You're the freeloader, expecting this to be free and hurling insults when you're told it isn't.

You have a big, foul mouth.

Pay to play, or leave.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

People like you are a credit to society, and should be supported as much as possible.

As your can see from the above comments, you have them running scared - as their boats are being rocked, and the complacency of their closed mindsets is being challenged.

One day, real logical thoughts may cross their minds. I"H.

Keep up the good work !!!

[smr]

Wow. You want money for this? This takes you 12 hours a day? I would say, imagine what you can do if you put your mind to it. But the answer is staring at us, not much.

[.]

Is there a way to contribute without disclosing my identity?

[Shmarya]

Wow. You want money for this? This takes you 12 hours a day? I would say, imagine what you can do if you put your mind to it. But the answer is staring at us, not much.

Posted by: smr | September 26, 2011 at 03:26 PM

Then stop reading and commenting.

Go away.

You're the freeloader, expecting this to be free and hurling insults when you're told it isn't.

You have a big, foul mouth.

Pay to play, or leave.

[Shmarya]

Is there a way to contribute without disclosing my identity?

Posted by: . | September 26, 2011 at 03:27 PM

Yes.

You should have the option to do that through PayPal.

Click the above link.

It should work.

[p]

I think it is about time to have FM be a subscription based service. This will get rid of the rif-raf and will provide a steady source of income and remove the need to beg. You probably have a critical mass of people who would pay.

[Anon]

Shmarya,

Why don't you make this a pay-to-read blog, and charge a subscription rate of $1.99/month. Or whatever you need to cover your labor.

[centrist]

I think I'll hold onto my money. This blog reports news the way the New York Times does, reporting political opinions as news, and this blog does not report conservative opinions accurately.

[notsofrumjew]

I agree with the pay a little to see alot mentality.

[anon]

I think you should charge a monthly fee of 5.99 to 7.99 like others do, this way you'll clean out the haters.

[HH]

Start charging. Great idea! Your base of readers will diminish dramatically so you your base of people you can shnor from will decrease exponentially. The people who run facebook, google etc.. understand this.
Yes, I expect google and facebook to be free and I understand that they should earn money from advertisements.

Guess what, if google would charge I would go to Yahoo.. If you would charge there will be someone else to replace you.

I only give in the train station to people who have children or puppies next to them..

Please post a picture of yourself with a puppy next to you and I might consider giving....

Additionally, you are hypocritical to the highest level and taking advantage of people by putting up this post this time of year... I thought that you have higher moral standards.

And again. YOU ARE THE FREELOADER. YOU LIBERAL JERK. YOU WANT OTHER PEOPLE TO SUPPORT YOU....

Process!

[Maple Bacon]

Actually, I've been inundated via e-mails and snail mail from different Jewish organizations to donate this time of year, and at least twice, so far, from Chabad--so who is taking advantage of who? With the way some of my friends and I have been treated by Chabad, I'd rather give tzedakah to Shmarya rather racist, child molesting evil doers or enablers.

[HH]

"I'd rather give tzedakah to Shmarya rather racist, child molesting evil doers or enablers."

Are you counting it toward maser?

[HH]

Rabbi tendler paskened that you could count this donation towards maser/tithe.

I am so glad.....

I have to ask my accountant whether I could get a tax deduction.

[Wigmore]

Have you considered more advertising?
When I look at VIN or YWN and their progeny, they have lots of paid ads which seem to be targeting the same audience.

Good luck.

[Schnorrer Schmendrick]

May you use every cent you schnorr for medical expenses!

[p]

Guess what, if google would charge I would go to Yahoo.. If you would charge there will be someone else to replace you.

I would pay for Google as long as it is reasonable. I purchase plenty of Apps from Apple's App Store. Many of the items that I purchase have I could get free variants but not quite as good. It is a balance between free and quality for a reasonable price.

Come to think of it I am paying Yahoo for their Mail Plus service - so there!

[p]

"Many of the items that I purchase have I could get free variants but not quite as good"

What was I drinking!

"Many of the items that I purchase have I could get free variants, but not quite as good"

[I. Revel]

I saw you in American Greed. Good reporting. It's important to have alternasourced media. Keep on keeping on.

[MamzerHaKodesh]

I think this is a VERY important blog. While I think it can be overly harsh and critical, I also think that most of the time it is what is needed, especially in a climate where it is one of the very few voices reporting all of the insanity in the Orthodox world.

Every community has it's own kind of insanity, but we have developed a system that rewards predatory behavior, misinformation, abuse, cover-ups of abuse, idolatry in many ways, and all kinds of things that need to be exposed. We've tried to protect our community and our people by making sure nothing was every made known outside the community, or even made public that could reflect badly on us or give others an excuse to persecute us.

This kept us alive for about two thousand years, perhaps more, with various exiles. But what kept us alive for so long is killing us.

The refusal to explore Judaism with fresh eyes, including recognizing and supporting vitality for secular Judaism and Jewish Renewal, as well as all non-Orthodox approaches, is pushing people away more than ever. Recognizing that the ways we have traditionally viewed Torah and the universe are no longer accurate in all cases has caused us to ignore reality and worship the idolatry found in p'shat.

Our insistence on upholding our long-held custom (rabbinically speaking) of rejecting Jews born by patrilineal descent has caused so much suffering and heartbreak, and weakens us. Similarly, the insistence on rejecting Jews of matrilineal descent, I'm sure, has caused the same in the Karaite tradition.

Covering up for child molestation, abusing non-Jewish workers, and even swindling our own community investors must stop if we are going to hold on to something more than an ethnic idenitification with bagels and lox. And if it's going to stop, it has to be uncovered. Thank you so much for doing the work you commit yourself to, Shmarya.

[Sigmund Schlomo Freund]

HA HA HA HA !!!! that's the funniest thing you've ever written. I hope you go broke and shut this POS site down!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Adams]

Perhaps also some other ads, What was that Kosher Tznius sex toys? I think you can get more ads here I would not mind.

This is a very noble site, in truth, it is rather like public television which many support as members. IN addition to being informed on many stories I would not, the humor here is phenomenal, I always have a large laugh over here.

[Korbendallas72]

Hierarchies generally don't like to come down. They get very grumpy and bitey. They act like children when the gig is up.

Too bad.

[Avi]

steal money like every other bearded man does..
wear a black dress a beard and start your own ztdaka box and call your self chabad plenty of stupid people will fall for the beard black dress crap its easy i see it all the time...

[Shmaryahu,should change his name to Julius Streicher]

Shmaryah,you have some nerve,are you asking jews to finance your antisemitic nazi filthy blog?
even Julius Streicher would not have had the chutzpah,to ask the jews to help finance his rag DIE SHTURMER

[Anonymous]

May you use every cent you schnorr for medical expenses!

Posted by: Schnorrer Schmendrick | September 26, 2011 at 06:03 PM

What a worthless douchebag! How dare you wish sickness on another Jew! Go back to the kolel in the basement where you belong.

[jvliv]

Why don't you get ordained as a Reform Rabbi and get to run a Reform shul and make a paid living?

At least you admit you spend and average of 12 hours a day to be the equivalent of TMZ (gossip) but without the $$$

[501]

shmarya
do u have a 501 3 c?

[hypocrite]

What a shnorrer. and a hypocrite! Get yourself a job (a paying one) and you will be able to support yourself.

Are you requesting a wage for your time, or simply maintenance for your anti-semetic blog? Either way, don't you think that you should be held accountable to the people on what exactly your expenses are and how much money has come in etc.

Oh wait, only everyone else has to be held accountable. You are the only one who has to be trusted by his word etc,

How pathetic!

[hypocrite]

Maybe the anti-semite al sharpton can partner with you. I don't know who does a better job.

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

Shmaryah,

I highly appreciate your efforts for shining light upon despicable acts within the Jewish community and for creating this blog where you allow people to voice their opinions on the matter.

However, I regret to say, that I can't donate anything to you because sometimes you go against the Law of Moses yourself (i.e gay issue), which, in a way, makes you no better than people you are trying to expose.

I understand that this is your blog and the above is just my personal opinion that you may not agree with, but unless that changes I will not be donating.

Only thing I can suggest is to opt out for Google AdSense, as it will provide you with some stable income due to high traffic your blog generates; plus you get bonus per ads that get clicked.

[Ken]

As NPR shows, publishing is a 501-c3 eligible activity. But it's probably not worth the effort in legal and accounting fees until some foundation decides to chip in to keep this going.

Something for readers who run with the Jewish foundation world to keep in mind. Though I suspect those readers are savvy enough not to waste time reading or writing comments.

[Heshy Fried]

Pay to read blogs all end up going down the tubes, the whole point of a blog of to blast ideas to the farthest reaches of the sphere beyond those who would normally read such stuff. I wonder if most of the Naysayers would say the same thing to the thousands of people in the yeshiva system and other Charedi folks who ask for donations to marry their children off, support kollelim and give money to big rabbis - all of these people are obviously doing something worthwhile to someone and few of those people will give, but when you do get a donation (I can personally attest to this) it's very inspiring that someone was willing to give any amount of money to support a good cause.

Not only did I not think twice about giving a donation, the first thought that entered my mind was one of Rosh Hashanah - which has to do with tefilah, teshuvah and tzedakah.

[jvliv]

@. hypocrite "I don't know who does a better job."

Al. at least he does not hide behind a mantle of a Jewish name.

[HH]

Chances are, though I cannot prove it, that a lot of us pay for this site by paying in our fair share and tax. Uncle Sam probably provides Shmarya with a fad check on a monthly basis. i.e. medicaid, food stamps. Why do you think Shmarya is a lib? The liberal theory probably pays his bills.

People who do good things should not be exempt from working in order to eaqrn a living.

Shnorer that you are!

[Guest]

Do these donations count as income for Shmarya? Would he need to report it to the Food Stamps and Medicaid offices.

Or he could hide the income. Just like the haredim and some other minorities I know.

And us taxpayers who have a normal job (and are taxed like hell to support these lazy bums) are the suckers. As usual.

[centrist]

Yeah Guest I know. Why do you think Shmarya hates the tea party so much? Balanced budget means a more minimal EBT and he'd actually have to WORK oy gevalt!!!

[centrist]

Yeah Guest I know. Why do you think Shmarya hates the tea party so much? Balanced budget means a more minimal EBT and he'd actually have to WORK oy gevalt!!!

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

Guys, our responses make Shmaryah a sad panda :(

[ah-pee-chorus]

i've no doubt that FM has an impact, and a positive one at that. i have donated thru paypal what i can and urge others to do the same.
keep up the great work, shmarya. this blog is essential.

[Anonny]

Had this been before the Kletzky story, I would have given generously.

Your slander of shomrim and shoddy reporting were terrible and you still haven't owned up to it.

[p]

I am confused. I thought Shmarya's mother passed away this year:

“Helen Mae Rosenberg (nee Gleckman), age 86, of St. Paul, passed away January 9, 2011. Preceded in death by husband, Harold (Sonny) Rosenberg and sister, Florence Shapiro. She is survived by son, Scott; daughter, Amy (Andrew) Rose, sister, Lorane Abramson… and Gary Shapiro

So I assume that money should be available upon liquidating of the estate which I thought included a house that Shmarya stayed at so one would think that there would be funds available to cover this shoestring operation.

http://benatlas.com/2011/01/the-subliminal-legacy-of-the-al-capone-of-st-paul-leon-gleckma/

[OMG]

Posted by: ah-pee-chorus | September 27, 2011 at 02:06 PM

Last night I paid for my subscription, I do not call what I gave a donation, because they way I look at it, I get information and views from Shmarya’s work, as any artist, Shmarya is entitled to a royally.

[rebitzman]

Shmarya - I assume you know by now that every time you post one of these appeals, the sharks are going to attack what they perceive to be blood in the water.

I also assume many more do donate.

______________________________

Don't post a lot any more as both sides of the issue are getting real ugly. That said - that someone would throw your father's death in your face in order to - I suppose - make a point genuinely shames all Jews.

Stay strong - I look forward to reading for many years.

[Adams]

He tells the truth. I think the google ads ia very good idea. This way you have a generated income. Also you can have other services going that generate an income. I see nothing horrible about this. It's not so intrusive. Perhaps you can do a podcast also this will greatly expands your audience, a live podcast with callers, see stickam for free for that. It will also get you noticed by additional important people.

[parasite]

shmarya
get a job,dont be a a parasite begger

[Moshe MS]

Shmerel:

I will gladly donate to you, you do a great service keeping all the trolls and jew-(self)haters contained to one little crappy site - where they come up with their stupid poems and vile hate messages against other Jews.

I assume that a mental institution will be more then glad to help support this site, you do a great deal of work with their patients by giving them a place to comment and vent their anger that they feel for being born Jewish.

I only have 2 cents to donate but if I had more I would give you a nickel for each sin that you have transgressed here on this site, you will be a multi-millionaire!

Have a happy new Year, at least the new year should be happy for you, you deserve some happiness in your lonely and depressing life.

Ksiva v'chasima tova

[Adam Neira]

To All,

I chanced on FM a few years ago. Shmarya raises some very interesting issues with ramifications for the Jewish community and wider world. The site is not perfect and no site is. But it is a place of lively debate and interesting discourse that should get the visitors thinking. Sometimes it resembles the bar scene out of Star Wars, but so be it. Arguing in cyberspace where you don't know where everyone is coming from is like trying to debate in a tumble dryer.

Every human being alive has their own frame of reference and will interpret various discussions and media through their own prism. For those who can and would like to donate...

"Good on you !"

For the haters...

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

Happy Rosh Hashana Shmarya Rosenberg !

May your next year be filled with peace, joy, health, prosperity and adventure.

['Yechiel']

Shmarya
I recently paid to play and will do so in the future IY"H. I view this blog as my personal venting station. All from my little gadget that also makes phone calls. A service like this is priceless.
However, please note that sending a thank you email to contributord is essential for future campaigns.

Ketiva vachatima tova.

A great and prosperous new year.

['Yechiel']

Oops: Contributors

[dh]

It is important that people have a place to spew their vitriol when faced with truth and free speech. They won't pay for their platform so we must. Sadly, there is a price to pay for free speech. You are paying Chabad et al not to have it. Now pay FM to have it. Who else is going to listen to you?

[OMG]

From my family to the FM family, may you have a healthy and prosperous New Year.

[Yochanan Lavie]

Happy New Year to the entire FM community.

[NotASlaveToAnyGods]

I discovered this site last week. It is one of the best blogs I have ever seen. It is a daily read for me now. Please keep it up. Look for my donation soon.

[centrist]

Hey Shmarya, how come you aren't sticking up for free speech when it's against Obama? http://www.ology.com/politics/watch-obama-supporters-attack-offensive-signs

Of course we jews have an interest in protecting free speech in America and one of your favorite lines is that halacha says that silence = letting it happen and being apart of the avayrah.

[Shmarya]

Hey Shmarya, how come you aren't sticking up for free speech when it's against Obama? http://www.ology.com/politics/watch-obama-supporters-attack-offensive-signs

Of course we jews have an interest in protecting free speech in America and one of your favorite lines is that halacha says that silence = letting it happen and being apart of the avayrah.

Posted by: centrist | September 30, 2011 at 08:39 PM

Please.

I have to know what's going on in a city a thousand miles away from me? I have to know about something that didn't get national media coverage?

Every city and town has the right to enforce zoning laws and nuisance ordinances as long as they're constitutional.

I realize this is very big news to someone like you, but it's true, nonetheless.

If he's violating those laws or ordinances, then the signs should come down.

If not, unless he's in violation of some other law, they should be allowed to stay up.

Now here is a rule for you:

>>>Stop squatting. Leave another comment unrelated to a post and I'll delete it and ban you.<<<

Process that.

[Devorah]

I just donated and want to thank you for all the information I have learned from this site. As a Conservative Jew, I was not aware of many of the topics mentioned here, but I was cognizant of how the "Frum" tried to cheat my family and or friends in business. This blog only reaffirmed my convictions.

Keep up your amazing work--you have educated thousands of people. You are the Jonas Salk of Frum sexual abuse in your own way.

[Hells manager]

Every penny i donate will go towards the fuel of your fire awaiting you in hell. I will therefore be kind an hold back my donation.

[Mechel]

Donate today!

[Mechel]

please

[nachos]

Posted by: Hells manager | October 03, 2011 at 04:30 PM

Hell is a christian concept.

[birdy]

nachos,

actually it is not.

[What kind of goyishe name is Harold z"l?]

(I am apologizing for the previous selfish poster who left the bold attribute open).
I love you Shmarya. May God bless you with all that is good. I will donate as soon as I have the resources. Sorry it is taking so long but my mother in law has been dying any minute now for the last 25 years so I, just as you am playing the dreaded waiting game.

[Jake]

Shmarya

כל הכבוד
!גמר חתימה טובה

Jake

[Askan]

יהי רצון שתזכה לשנה טובה ומתוכה. חג שמח
!

[yidandahalf]

I will be giving you something, Shmarya. All who read here, give something to this blog as you can.

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

Ok, you have convinced me, yidandahalf.

I'm going to give Shmaryah a gift of of my expertise in HTML: I'm going to close that open "b" tag.

Here:

You see, now its not bold anymore ;) lol

[Chicago Sam]

I am very proud to donate money to this amazing website. You should too--even if you don't agree with all its content.

[ultra haredi lite]

90 votes and counting for OUR Jewish Hero...

[TooSmart4U]

And now the truth comes out, you can't do anything but tell lies about Jewish people and you want us to pay you to continue. No thanks. Shmarya, there is one thing you forgot when you learned about being Jewish. Hashem is watching, and in the end you will get what you deserve. Take that anyway you want.

[TooSmart4U]

Scott, it is you who "Failed" at being a Jew!

[Litvish]

I just read all the comments and now will go to Paypal and donate.

Shmarya is a brave and noble soul who is truly doing hashem's work.

I look forward every day to reading his work.

The more people criticize him, the more he must realize just how powerful his work is. Otherwise, these scum would never leave such obnoxious comments.

Give 'em hell, Shmarya, until not one frumik piece of shit is left standing.

[Askan]

Litvish: as long as your alive shit will be standing!

[TooSmart4U]

YOU who complain about raising funds for SMR are not collecting for yourself? YOU want people to pay you for all your loshon horah instead of going out and getting a real job to support yourself? You are not telling us anything that is not being reported elsewhere. You are just taking great pleasure in retelling the stories.

[Shmarya]

Actually, Shree Belsky, if you weren't so dull you'd know that I;ve broken literally dozens of stories. You can see a few of them on the right sidebar of this page.

But you're nothing more than a big mouthed loser who can't stand the fact that your dear haredi community is seen for what it really is, rather than for the myth it tries to spin.

Now haul your rather copious ass out of here.

[ultra haredi lite]

Shreee Belsky?

[marc rosenbaum]

ur dooshbag that posts crap none of ur stuff thst u put up has any truth to it what so ever so we should pay you for 12 hours that u put up ur BS !! please go and pick apples u might be better at that.
ur a self hating jewish natzi that destroys jewish lives for a living . so go screw ur self and wouldnt even give u a nickle even if i was the richest man in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[ahad ha-am]

to mark rosenbaum and h h.: the best form of defence is attack. i do not know who is the bigger jerk of the two of you, but you are both sad little jerks. this author has balls to undertake exposing what goes on, mostly verifiable but you two are bodering certifiable twits.

[Shimon of Jerusalem]

why not ask some of your grandfather's fine reputable friends for help.Maybe he left a good inheritance.
I am sure that your zeide and his friends would love your charedi bashing site.

[Shmarya]

I'm sure they would. Many of them were the sons of haredi rabbis.

If you knew a little history – which you clearly do not – you'd know that these guys grew up with thieves, many of whom wore long black coats and big black hats and wouldn't eat regular kosher food because it wasn't kosher enough.

You'd also know that literally hundreds of haredi rabbis were bootleggers who sold fake synagogue memberships at inflated prices to drinkers, who then were legally entitled to legally buy a certain about of liquor from the "synagogue" through a loophole in the prohibition law.

Some of them were Chabadniks, BTW.

But you're not a bright man and you're certainly not intellectually honest.

So you don't know and you don't care. All you care about is hating me.

And you hate me because I print the truth – the crime, the corruption and the abuse that permeates your community.

Every day in Crown Heights, Borough Park, Flatbush, Williamsburg, Monsey, Kiryas Joel, New Square, Lakewood, Tosh, Jerusalem, Tzfat, and Bnei Brak kids are raped by frum men with beards and black hats, and those crimes against children are covered up by the rabbinic leaders of those communities.

Every day in those communities frum men steal and cheat and rob. And their crimes are covered up by the same haredi rabbis.

These creeps steal from widows and orphans, from poor people and immigrants. They violate biblical prohibitions every day. And your rabbis cover for them.

My grandfather never stole a penny from a poor person or from an immigrant – but your friend Sholom Rubashkin did.

My grandfather never killed anyone or ordered anyone to be killed. He was never charged or even accused of anything like that, not even by the FBI.

And he didn't pretend to be an Orthodox man and use that to traffic in illegal liquor – but your rabbis did.

My grandfather owned a legal finance company. He was known for refusing to foreclose on people.

When he was killed, literally hundreds of people thanked his wife for that, for saving their homes, for allowing them to pay pennies when they owed hundreds.

You want to know where his money went?

Almost all of it went there. The rest of it went to Jews who wanted to open businesses or to rabbis whose synagogues needed it or to the Haganah when it needed arms. (As a 16-year-old, a friend of mine's uncle collected hundreds of rifles and lots of ammunition and got a priest at the Bacillica in Minneapolis to agree to ship them to Palestine in cases marked "Bibles." He went to Jewish community leaders and haredi rabbis to get money to pay for the shipping but they refused to do it. So he went to see my grandfather. He needed about $5500 for the shipping. My grandfather gave him that in cash and told him if he needed more to come back and he's give it to him.)

And there are thousands of people here who survived the Great Depression because of it.

Most of those people weren't Jewish.

A lot of them were Blacks and Latinos.

And none of this did anything to help my grandfather who, because of how the police operated here (a system that long preceded my grandfather), didn't have to worry about being arrested.

But, again, you don't know history. You don't know the facts. You just hate.

The garbage you read elsewhere comes from a former friend of mine upset because I dared to write that the head of Jews for Sarah [Palin], my old friend Buddy Korn, is ultra-Orthodox and close to Chabad.

Buddy is a public figure, the former editor of two large Jewish publications, and is well known as being both haredi and close to Chabad.

But he went on national TV to promote Palin without a yarmulke or a hat to try to mask that.

At any rate, when my former friend did what he did a few days after my mother died (and the ever psychotic 'Ben Atlas' cooperated), the first person to apologize for it was a local Chabad rabbi who was truly appalled that Atlas and my former friend had done it and that so many Chabadniks and haredim – like you, for example – were stupid enough to participate in it.

Of course, that Chabad rabbi knows some history, and he knows what my grandfather did is far milder than what Jimmy Gourary did or what the Frierdiker Rebbe did, etc.

But again, you don't know the history or the facts and all you care about is hate.

[Korbendallas72]

Shmarya, remember that every backwards haredi pig that spews hatred at you for this site is essentially doing you a favor - He shows his own ignorance AND increases your share in Olam Haba.

Even if you were wrong (which you're not), Hashem would reward you for your tenacity alone. Heroes stand up to mobs.

[Mendy Hecht]

I think this site serves an important function: Reminding Orthodox Jews that they have to be ethical.

The rate at which they forget is a lot, lot lower than the impression you'd get from this site.

This site does not make that clear. It reinforces ugly "see I told you so!" stereotypes--especially for readers who come here with closed minds and/or preconceived notions.

Still, it's not enough.

So, while I may not at all like what's being reported here, cold hard facts are cold hard facts.

The underlying message of this site is: Orthodox Jews can, and must, do better.

Even if 99% of us are already there.

This site is about the 1%.

So Shmarya deserves some backhanded credit here for raising issues otherwise swept under the rug.

In light of all of the above, I suggest changing the byline of this site from "Covering Orthodox Judaism since 2004" to "Keeping Orthodox Judaism accountable", or "we face up to tough issues" (there actually was a group about 15 years ago called the Orthodox Caucus that used that slogan; not sure what happened to them).

And, if/when that's done, to mimic the editorial policy (and accompanying style) of HealthNewsReview.com. Go check it out and see what Gary Schwitzer has to say about health news.

The man knows what he's talking about. And I think it would be great if this site were like that too.

As a Lubavitcher, I cannot in good conscience financially support a man who vilifies my spiritual mentor, but there is no intellectually getting around the moral objection to unethical Orthodox Jewish behavior that this site represents.

Period.

And in that regard, this site--or the moral revulsion and rejection of unethical behavior it ostensibly stands for (or so I hope, unless I'm a naive sucker falling for some disguised agenda here)--has the silent support of the 99% of Orthodox Jews who live their daily lives governed by the Torah's laws of ethics and morality.

I don't know if we owe Shmarya a thank-you, but I can say for sure that there's less BS in our community because of this site.

Have a great Shabbos, everyone.

[Shmarya]

It isn't 99% v. 1%, Mendy.

More than 1% of haredim are involved in crime.

And haredi leadership does not censure them and rank and file haredim do not object to that or censure them themselves.

There's a halakhic principle called shtika k'hoda'ah, silence equals acquiescence.

If you don't publicly object to crime, you endorse crime.

That's how it works.

[Jesus Jimenez]

Sen. Joseph McCarthy, during the early 1950's, made quite a name for himself exposing "communists," in and out of the State Department.

A few of those he outed were in fact communists. A few others were fellow travelers, those who were sympathetic to Stalin, or had been before WWII. But most merely knew people who were leftists, or were accused by anonymous rumor-mongers of being Reds. Many lives were destroyed, mostly those of innocents.

This blog paints in an extremely broad brush. I don't know if the percentage of Hasidim who are financial criminals, or who are sex offenders is 1% or 2% or 5%. Police statistics, which Rosenberg will dispute, of course, suggest that crime -- especially violent crime -- is rare in the frum communities. But, of course, Rosenberg knows better, as do a few of his sychophants such as the vile JewishWhistleBlower and the even more odious CALA-NY.

As long as Rosenberg believes in guilt by association, and as long as he vilifies those who disagree with him or with his tactics, he'll never see a dinar, a dime or a drachma from me.

Therefore, I suspect Shmarya's blog will have more of those annoying pop-ups in the future, ironically from the likes of Newmax which is purportedly 180 degrees opposed to Shmarya's views.

Hey, but anything for a buck, right?

[Shimon of Jerusalem]

You can read what Mr Rosenberg has to say.
I would like to note the many times this man uses the word hate about me.I don't have a site against or hating mr rosenberg.
Maybe I don't know the facts about his grandfather I only relyed on others just like Mr Rosenberg does.Maybe I was wrong-I have never heard him say anything close.
I am aware of Charedi corruption but what percentage is involved in coverups.How many children are being molested in the community.There are for sure cases of molestation handled in the wrong way.Am I guilty?!According to what Rosenberg writes,I am since I am charedi and,therefore molesting children or stealing from widows and oephans.He may be reporting events that are happening but his attitude about the community he covers is far from love.
Shmarya you confesss to have been hurt by Chabad.They may have been wrong 'but you seem to have a vendetta against them and charedi by repoorting facts and then portraying the entire charedi world as being corrupt.
Scmarya some of the "criminals" you write about have done,on the other hand,no less chessed than your grandfather an accused gangster.Accusations against him may be as strong as some of the accusations you level against people you report on.If I listen to you why noy use the same criteria on your grandfather.
BTW calling me names does not make you right.
BTW did you know that before WW2 there were Jews who did some of the things the Germans claimed(Lied,cheated,extorted.took advantage of goyim)but it was not all of the Jews and it was not 6 million..

[Shmarya]

Posted by: Shimon of Jerusalem | November 05, 2011 at 07:29 PM

It's quite evident that you're not a bright person and that you're ignorant.

As I noted above, Chabad (and for that matter, haredim in general) have many prominent members who made their money by stealing from poor people.

The Frierdiker Rebbe raised money to rescue Jews from the Holocaust but instead used it to buy 770 and open his Brooklyn yeshiva. Tens of thousands of Jews died while that happened.

And thousands of haredi rabbis were bootleggers during prohibition.

The list of truly horrible haredi thieves and criminals is quite long.

Yet, because you're completely dishonest and dumb as a rock, you attack someone whose crimes were less that those haredim (except for the haredi rabbi bootleggers).

He didn't pretend to be Orthodox or a rabbi and he didn't hide behind religion while committing his crimes.

But your haredi criminals did and do – and so do the haredi rabbis and community leaders who cover for them.

Unlike you and unlike your claim about me, not only do I have information from many people who knew him, I also have his FBI file (13 pages – extremely small, for a major criminal even then) and lots of published data.

And what do you have?

The stupidity of a demonstrably mentally ill blogger who has alienated every friend he ever had of every political and religious persuasion.

And where did that come from?

An intellectually dishonest right wing extremist and Kachnik who was upset because I exposed a pathetic attempt to make it appear as if Sarah Palin had wide support in the Jewish community – when all she really had was support from Kachniks and other right wing extremists, many of them Chabad, haredi, and Modern Orthodox.

And this former friend of mine knew very well there was no money from him and that the vast majority of his personal funds went into saving people during the depression.

Of course, he's very dishonest and he didn't bother to note that when he did what he did, or after when he saw the results.

And that should tell you something about the character of this man, about his near complete disregard for the truth when it serves him to lie.

As for you, you're a fool to be sure, but you're also a dishonest person motivated by hate, not by truth.

But that should make you feel right at home with haredim, hasidim and Orthodoxy in general, where nearly everything is based on lies.

[Mendy Hecht]

Hi Shmarya,

In response to two of your comments:

You wrote: "The list of truly horrible haredi thieves and criminals is quite long."

That may be true. But the list of haredim who are not is much longer.

Also: "More than 1% of haredim are involved in crime."

How would you, or anyone, know that?

But let's say it's even 40%. (Probably a lot less. Does anyone have statistics?) Still, the majority are not.

You also write: "And haredi leadership does not censure them and rank and file haredim do not object to that or censure them themselves." Again this is not something you or anyone can know. How would you know that Haredi people who plan or commit crimes are not told to cease and desist by their leaders when they get wind of it?

You also write: "There's a halakhic principle called shtika k'hoda'ah, silence equals acquiescence."

I don't agree that shtika k'hoda'ah applies here. Like a co-worker who told me his neighbor is scamming Medicaid; has some kind of scheme going in which Medicaid somehow covers his rent (!) I couldn't believe it. You call that an Orthodox Jew?! But he had a good point: We always had, and always will have, dishonest people among our people. So the hoda'ah is there, no question--but the shtikah doesn't equal an endorsement. There are a number of variables, mainly revolving around old European Jewish "shtetl" thinking, that explain the silence. But that's a whole other discussion.

[Shmarya]

"The list of truly horrible haredi thieves and criminals is quite long."

That may be true. But the list of haredim who are not is much longer.

Also: "More than 1% of haredim are involved in crime."

How would you, or anyone, know that?

But let's say it's even 40%. (Probably a lot less. Does anyone have statistics?) Still, the majority are not.

Mendy, you really are a fool.

As I clearly noted, haredi rabbis and community leaders cover up for those haredi criminals and rank and file haredim don't protest.

There's a halakhic principle I noted above (and many times previously), shitka k'hoda'ah, silence equals acquiescence.

If you don't protest the crime is yours.

The crimes are public, Mendy, and there are no haredi protests against them or against the rabbis who cover up for them.

Just to help you process, the Rebbe held that a;; Palestinians were responsible for the crimes of Palestinian terrorists because they did not protest the terrorist attacks.

Chabad has said that innumerable times.

But the first time the criminals are haredim and Chabadniks, suddenly shtika k'hoda'ah no longer applies?

How stupid do you think we are?

[Mendy Hecht]

Hi Shmarya,

Before you call me or anyone a fool (or any other slur), why don't you adhere to your own site's rules of no name-calling.

Now, your honor, would you kindly instruct Mr. Shmarya to the question which I shall now repeat: How would you, or anyone, know that more than 1% of haredim, or any specific percentage of haredim, are involved in crime?

As for "shtikah k'hoda'ah," I addressed that. Again, too many variables. It would take a small book to explain haredi silence.

As for my thoughts on your intelligence, I think the tone and level of my comments answers that. I'm not the one calling people fools here.

[ultra haredi lite]

Shmarya,
Many many upstanding Bnei Torah are indeed outraged by the garbage that goes on. You have no idea how they are ostracized when they attempt to speak up. Shtika khodaah is NOT applicable at all!

[Mendy Hecht]

Here's an additional thought:

In any industry, culture or society, the one guy who stands up against the machine is not going to be popular.

The buggy whip companies didn't exactly like Henry Ford.

And this applies to Jews, non-Jews, military or government whistleblowers or whoever.

So you take a culture that is even more dominated by conformity as is the Orthodox community and you get one guy, like Dr. Wilner (who has posted here) to challenge rabbis to speak out on various subjects, you're going to run into resistance.

My point here now is that that's not necessarily a "haredi" thing at all. It's just human nature.

[Shmarya]

osted by: Mendy Hecht | November 05, 2011 at 10:32 PM

Please.

You're a rank apologist and not a very good one, at that.

Shtika k'hoda'ah applies. There is no caveat in halakha that says if it's a bit inconvenient, you get to pass on doing the right thing.

As for point about percentages, look at it this way.

250,000 haredim in the US, most of whom are children.

So take 100,000 and then take 1% of that. You get 1,000.

Then look at basic crime stats.

Pedophiles molest on average more than 100 different kids before they are caught, and the vast majority of pedophiles are never caught.

More average criminals are caught, but the percentage is far less than 100%, and most commit dozens of crimes before they are arrested.

In other words, if you know of 100 haredi criminals, there are arguably really closer to a thousand haredi criminals.

Now add to that the ban against mesira, which police will tell you allows a lot of haredi criminals – especially molesters – to walk free.

Now add in the haredi welfare cheats in KJ, Willi, BP, Monsey and New Square.

Add in the mortgage flippers in Willi.

The number of haredi criminals that we know about is over 100, and the real number is clearly in excess of 1000 – maybe several times that number.

And that's way more than 1% of the adult haredi population.

And lest you argue it isn't, add in the Chabad bochrim who scammed the telephone company in the Crown Heights pay phone scam of the 198os and 90s.

Add in the Chabad bochrim who scammed Rockport shoes in the 80s and early 90s.

Add in the phone card scams, too.

And shtika k'hoda'ah, Mendel. Add in your family, too. After all, they covered up these scams and for these scammers to protect the name of Chabad.

[Shimon of Jerusalem]

But you're not a bright man and you're certainly not intellectually honest.

I have not called you names.If I am wrong correct me.What I ahve said is not motivated by hate but by my feelings that you may be interested in exposing crime but you then rant on how everyone in the charedi world is more or less guilty.This is the way of antisemites who take one wrong doing and apply it to the enoire Jewish world.
I feel it is useless to continue writing when all you can do is repeat over and over along with your facts that I am a hater,stupid ,ignorant etc.
I hope that you raise your funds to keep up yoour work of reporting crimes among religious Jews and dismissing them as criminals of the worst order.

[Shmarya]

Anyone who writes what you wrote, not knowing the facts and not caring about the facts, doesn't deserve kind treatment.

So lets be clear.

Your rebbe's rebbe raised money for Holocaust rescue but he spent that money on buying 770 and opening his yeshiva, and he did so while hundreds of thousands of Jews were being murdered.

Hundreds of haredi rabbis were bootleggers, and some of their descendants sit in your yeshivas today as teachers, roshei yeshiva and students. But you don't question them or attack them for it.

Haredi communities today are full of welfare cheats, thieves and other criminals )including pedophiles) and your rabbis protect those criminals and help cover up their crimes.

You come from a community that hides behind religion but which is, in truth, corrupt.

And you don't like it that I report that corruption, that I expose it, that I show the world what you really are.

And that's just too bad.

[Jesus Jimenez]

In other words, if you know of 100 haredi criminals, there are arguably really closer to a thousand haredi criminals.

-- Shmarya Rosenberg, Nov. 6, 2011

This is the best inflationary math I've seen since the Haggadeh turned 10 plagues into 50, then 250.

Did you all know that Jerry Sandusky, a retired assistant football coach at Penn State, has been arrested for shtupping little boys (not Penn State football players) in the locker room, and that the Penn State athletic director (not Joe Paterno) was arrested for covering it up?

I didn't know that Jerry Sandusky, who was once regarded as Paterno's replacement, was Haredi. I always thought he was a Polish Catholic. But since he's been accused of pedophilia, he's obviously Haredi, and since pedophiles can't be gay, at least according to what I've read here, he's straight, even though nobody's accused him of schtupping little girls.

Obviously, for every pedophile coach, there are at least 10 hiding under a Slippery Rock (a college town in central PA not far from State College), so we must conclude that pedophilia is rampant among football coaches, who are generally not known for being Jewish except Marv Levy. Maybe these guys are all closet Chasids.

As for the phone scandal, wasn't there a Hasidic fellow who died recently named Steve Jobs involved with scamming the phone company way back when, along with a bochur named Cap'n Crunch? Jobs did pretty well in the phone business, as I recall. I guess he must be Haredi, too, even though his birth father's supposedly Syrian.

[nachos]

Can you please name one Jew living in Postville that condemned Shalom's actions? Please just name one.

[Shmarya]

Posted by: Jesus Jimenez | November 06, 2011 at 03:48 AM
nachos

Please.

I realize even simple logic is significantly above your pay grade, but do try to get that inefficient little mind of yours to process:

1. The question at hand was whether or not more than 1% of haredim are criminals – not whether more than 1% of Americans are criminals.

2. Statistically, most crimes are unsolved and most criminals are not arrested for or convicted for the crimes they commit, meaning that while they will most likely eventually be arrested for a crime, that arrest does not reflect the scope of the crimes committed.

3. Most crimes are not reported, and any given crime is not linked to a specific criminal.

4. That means there are more criminals than arrest records show and more crimes than police records show.

5. All of this is basic criminal justice studies, well supported by statistics and peer reviewed research.

6. That means the number of known criminals can be multiplied by a factor to get the actual number of criminals, which is significantly higher.

7. Add up the known haredi welfare cheats, pedophiles, scammers, money launderers and thieves, and add up the rabbis and other community leaders who knowingly cover for them.

8. Multiply by the factor above.

9. You get well over 1% of the adult haredi population – and that's without taking the strong taboo against mesira into account.

10. Whether you like or not, there is a significant amount of haredi crime and a significant number of haredi rabbis and community leaders who either cover for the haredi criminals and/or are criminals themselves.

11. Instead of being ashamed of this fact, instead of doing something to reduce the number of haredi criminals and stop the coverups, you whine about the media coverage of those same criminals and coverups.

12. You do that because all you really care about is the reputation of the haredi community.

13. The plight of the victims means little to you.