Agudath Israel of America Allegedly Pressuring Yeshivas And Camps To Hire Convicted Sex Offender Rabbi Yehuda Kolko

Agudah is allegedly telling camps and yeshivas to book buses through Rabbi Yehuda Kolko's new booking agency. Why the strong arm tactics to help a convicted sex offender? Because allegedly Agudah believes Kolko – whose crimes are very well documented – is innocent.

 

DovBear posted a letter from a reader who has a friend in the tour bus booking business. He teaches full time in a yeshiva and does the bus business part time.

For years he's booked buses for camps linked to Agudah. And so he did this year – until they cancelled.

He asked the logical question of these Agudahniks – why are you canceling? I've served you well all these years. My proces are fair. What did I do wrong?

And this is what he heard:

…In the past 20 years, my friend has been arranging buses for all the frum camps and has given them fair prices and excellent service. Two of his biggest accounts were Camp Agudah and Camp Bnos. They booked with him again this year like in all years past. However he received a call a week before the buses were scheduled to go out from the camp administrators saying that they had to cancel. When he asked why, he was told that they were ordered by the higher ups in Agudah to give the business to Rabbi Kolko who needs the parnassah [income] since he is now unable to teach due to the false accusations against him. In the past week several other camps have cancelled buses with my friend and followed the lead of Agudah and Bnos. The other camp directors told him that they were contacted by "gedolim" whom they refused to identify and told to give Rabbi Kolko the parnassah and had no choice but to obey.

My friend said it is ironic that Kolko is rewarded for doing an "aveirah" and he who has spent his entire life doing nothing but mitzvos and chesed has to bear the punishment by losing the customers to Kolko.…

Rabbi Kolko now lives in Lakewood, New Jersey.

Update 7-1-11 at 2:30 pm CDT – DovBear posted a partial retraction today [Hat Tip: DBSesq]:

Kolko's bus company: the other side of the story

Reliable and knowledgable people have told me that Camp Agudah discontinued its relationship with the first bus company because they were unhappy with the service provided. Apparently, there was a big foul up last year. These reliable and knowledgeable people  are also claiming that the new bus company is not run by Kolko; however, it has been verified that Kolko is providing other services to the camps. For instance, he runs events and rents facilities as an agent for the camps.

People, if you distributed yesterday's story, please share this one, too.

I don't know the truth, yet, but its important that the information we share is accurate. Based on what I am hearing, I am close to calling "Old Timer's" post a false allegation. We will know soon

Comments

[Yochanan Lavie]

Agudah should throw Kolko under a bus (literally).

[Abracadabra]

This stinks REALLY bad. Gedolim indeed...

[jancsipista]

this is beyond belief if its true the agudah israel should be excomunicated for our midst.

[mark m]

not suprised by theese infidels

[ah-pee-chorus]

its too bad kolko hasnt done the right thing by killing himself.

[Bench Kvetcher]

Blowing chunks right now. Let the aguda send their kids on the bus with kolko.

[thelionroars]

why dont we all call up kolkos bus company and ask for prices
does it inclede fondling of passengers
is aguda aware that they are the biggest joke in judiasm today

this is another aguda embarrasment

[ah-pee-chorus]

in a normal society many parents would hear about this, contact one another by phone, email, or facebook, and refuse to send their kids on any bus besides the one that had served them well prior. they would collectively let the camps know that this is unacceptable, and soon enough the camps and those they answer to would be forced to give in.
but in the bizzarro world of haredim and gedolim, the sheeple do as theyre told, which is why they deserve every bit of the totalitarian lifestyle they readily accept.

WAKE UP YOU MINDLESS COWARDS!!!

the gedolim are immoral , unwise, and unethical. their system relies on fear and intimidation so as to isolate those who would question. but that wont work if many stick together and refuse to be bullied.

THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES!!

[thelionroars]

can you get the number of kolkos service

[steve]

Beyond contempt.

[mordecai]

If Kolko is awaitng trial he has not been found guilty of anything. If he has been sentenced and served time then he has paid his penalty to society. If he is being given work then what is wrong with that? Let the criminal justice system take vengeance, let the families sue him civilly.

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

Kolko, there's a bus leaving in 10 minutes. Be under in it.

[steve]

The only bus he should be directing is the one that takes him to Rikers. It's one thing to argue that he has a right to earn a living while he awaits trial for his probation violations. However, to purposely steer business his way and to take it away from innocent Jews is despicable. There is no shame anymore at Agudah. Last month they were telling parents and mandatory reporters not to report child molesters to the police, but to rabbis. Now they are promoting a notorious serial child molester. Kolko's reign of terror spanned parts of five decades. When will they ever learn?

[Loshonhora]

I don't understand it nor believe it. Even if someone needs parnosoh it is not permitted to take away someone else's parnosoh.
If there was already a contract or even a price deal, it is very likely an isur d'eorayso of hasogas gvul.
If this story is true, the earlier contractor should call the new one to an emergancy din Torah & win.If he refuses to come he should sue for breach of contract & RICO.

[FBF]

I actually cannot believe this to be true. I hate Kolko but I can't believe Agudah can be so stupid. So don't be shocked when we find out this is a hoax.

[thelion]

ITS NOT A HOAX

i know the man who SET UP THE BUSES FOR YEARS

aguda is a disgrace

can someone get kolkos bus company number

[seymour]

I actually cannot believe this to be true. I hate Kolko but I can't believe Agudah can be so stupid. So don't be shocked when we find out this is a hoax.

Posted by: FBF | June 30, 2011 at 07:57 PM

are you from this planet have you been following agudhau and the frum communities actions when it deals with molesters.

molesters are rewarded and the victim pay a very heavy price.

He was convicted did not pay his dues to society because of the involvement of gedolem.

This story is still beyond believe even for low lives of agudhta and gedolim.

[seymour]

Posted by: Loshonhora | June 30, 2011 at 07:54 PM

how can he sue if he sues he will never get another contract from a frum person?

[seymour]

of course they gave it to kolco

I think kolco knows much dirt on the yeshiva and maybe agudtha regarding financial criminality and they have to give him this or he talks

[Gefilte Fish]

If indeed this is true, then why doesn't the DA step in? It would seem logical that a sex offender shouldn't have anything to do with children, including running bus companies for summer camps.

[Loshonhora]

Posted by: Loshonhora | June 30, 2011 at 07:54 PM

how can he sue if he sues he will never get another contract from a frum person?

Posted by: seymour | June 30, 2011 at 08:24 PM

If the guy refuses beis din he couls sue.

[OMG]

This is exactly why we are reluctant to believe anything that Rabbis tell us, because every aspect of their leadership revolved around money. If a family with a criminal background is on the brink, I am not going to argue that nobody should try to help them financially. Nevertheless, you do not go out and take away business form another person it is asinine to take away financial security from a person who did not molest anybody, to help a molester. Unfortunately, the Jewish religion is about personal financial gain, they dispense Sodom and Gomorrah justice.

[eli]

I hear that Kolko has gone into partnership with his cousin Ari Parnes, who is also one of Margolis' big supporters. I dont know why people find him so loveable

[anuran]

mordecai writes

If Kolko is awaitng trial he has not been found guilty of anything. If he has been sentenced and served time then he has paid his penalty to society. If he is being given work then what is wrong with that? Let the criminal justice system take vengeance, let the families sue him civilly.

Were you born that stupid, or did you have to study? He was convicted of sexual offenses against minors. Giving someone like that a job at a school or summer camp is supernaturally irresponsible. It's on a par with letting a pyromaniac loose with a flamethrower during a drought.

[Vicki Polin]

If anyone hires him, knowing he's a convicted sex offender, and Kolko lures in another victim with any connection to where he was hired, that individual, agency or organization will most likely be sued. I'm hoping that everyone is aware of that.

[The nudnik]

I am not a fan of the Agudah. It would be wrong if someone there or anywhere else pressured organizations to switch their business to him.

Also, I think that the Brooklyn DA messed up big time with the plea deal, and I hope that the upcoming civil trial against Torah Temimah has a result which will cause a number of "leaders" some sleepless nights.

Having said that, does anyone know if Kolko is driving the buses, or just running the company?

[seymour]

I hear that Kolko has gone into partnership with his cousin Ari Parnes, who is also one of Margolis' big supporters. I dont know why people find him so loveable

ari parness another tzaddik

[DBSesq]

http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2011/07/kolkos-bus-company-other-side-of-story.html