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BREAKING! Labor Contractor Pulls Workers Out Of Agriprocessors, Cites Unsafe Working Conditions

A labor contractor hired to send workers to Agriprocessors, the Rubashkin family's Postville, Iowa kosher slaughterhouse, has pulled its workers after 10 days on the job citing…

Rubashkin: Bad Landlord, Still Abusive Employer

It's not just GAL Investments that is reportedly pushing former Agriprocessors workers onto the streets – it is…

OU Admits Replacement Of Sholom Rubashkin Ploy To Keep Kosher Supervision

Rabbi Menachem Genack of the OU has admitted what many of us thought all along – the "ouster" of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin as Agriprocessors CEO is…

New Rubashkin Workers Claim Abuse; Rubashkin Also Alleged To Be Recruiting More Illegal Workers

After reams of negative media attention in the wake of the largest immigration raid in US history, you would think the Rubashkin family would have learned behave in civilized society.

But nothing, it seems, could be further from the truth.

Agriprocessors is now alleged to be abusing its new workers…

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef In Slap Against Ashkenazi Haredim: "Conversion Courts Too Strict"

In what is clearly a slap at Ashkenazi haredi led by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef – the leading Sefardic rabbi of this generation – says that conversions are being made…

UPDATED: Chabad Landlord – Pay Rent Now Or Get Out; Gal Investments Largest Postville Landlord

Allegedly, Gal Investments, a Postville landlord that may have connections to Agriprocessors management and the Rubashkin family…

Is Rubashkin Scamming The Jewish Community? Move To "Oust" Sholom M. Rubashkin A Ploy To Avoid Prosecution?

If Agriprocessors CEO (and its Vice President) Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin's nephew is telling the truth, the answer is…

BREAKING! OU Pushed For Sholom Rubashkin Ouster, Jewish Star Reports – Is The OU Conning American Jews?

Mayer Fertig of the Jewish Star is reporting that…

Did A Rubashkin Flee The Country?

This is still an unconfirmed rumor, so take it with a large grain of salt. I've been told by a normally reliable source that…

BREAKNG! Rabbi Who Voided Druckman Conversions: Hearing And Speech Impaired Cannot Convert, Any Conversion Done Invalid

Basing himself of the halakhic idea that…

Pravada Ne'eman Returns

Pravda Ne'eman, the insider haredi blog which set out several years ago to expose the lies and propaganda of Yated Ne'eman, the haredi newspaper mouthpiece is back – but with…

Is This How Rabbi Zeilingold's "Independent Investigation" Of Agriprocessors Was Run?

Formerly There writes:

Rubashkin's PR Spin Continues

Rabbi Asher Zeilingold, the man whose kosher symbol appears on all Rubashkin non-glatt (but still kosher) meat, weighed in on the massive immigration raid at Agriprocessors…

Kasztner's Train, Part Three

Reuters has a brief but still interesting report on several new works documenting Rudolph Kasztner's attempts to save Jews during the Holocaust.

And one thing is clear…

Comptroller: Most Rabbinic Court Cases Mishandled

No surprise here, as…

When The State Pays The Rabbis

The Jerusalem Post has an interesting article on illness and mourning in Israel. While in the US (and in most other western countries) rabbis visit sick and console mourners, in Israel this really is not true.

Why?

Star K On Chabad Shochtim

On Zev Brenner's radio show last night, Dr. Avraham Pollack of the Star K was asked for the Star K's position of Chabad shochtim, especially Chabad messianist shochtim. Would the Star K hire them? Approve their shechita?

The answer?

Lubinsky on Talkline Defending Rubashkin

He's claiming antisemitism.

Listen here.

Slave Labor: Rubashkin Workers Allege Forced, Unpaid Overtime

It just keeps coming…

BREAKING! Rubashkin Out – Agriprocessors Seeks New CEO

Details below…

Washington, DC Modern Orthodox Rabbi Calls For Rubashkin Ban

The ban is temporary, meant to be in place only until allegations against Agriprocesors and the Rubashkin family are proved false or true.

Still, once in place – and with the high probability of Rubashkin guilt, combined with so many previous Rubashkin crimes – it is likely the ban would stick.

Details…

And The Lid begins To Close…

How likely is it that management of Agriprocessors, the Rubashkin family's Postville, Iowa slaughterhouse and packing facility, will be indicted?

Very, if stories like this are true:

UPDATED: Alleged Rubashkin Bag Man Subpoenaed

The man many think recruited underage workers for Rubashkin and paid them – and other illegals – off the books has been subpoenaed by a grand jury.

Sins of Omission, Part 2

Earlier this week, I highlighted two articles on the Agriprocessors Scandal that I believe missed the mark by a wide margin.

One was a JTA piece by Sue Fishkoff. A second, less objectionable piece, was from the Forward.

Now we have a third, this one…

Conservative Rabbis Stop Short Of Boycotting Agriprocessors

In a joint statement, the Conservative Movement's Rabbinical Association and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism in effect punted.

Despite widespread calls within the movement for a boycott against Agriprocessors (Rubashkin), the rabbis decided to leave the decision of whether or not to consume Rubashkin meat up to the individual Jew, synagogue and organization.

Why?

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner and Child Abuse

Over the past few years, I've often thought no group of people fails their public duty as often as rabbis.

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, a leading National Religious rabbi in Israel, gives us the latest example.

First, the good news…

Police Turn Crown Heights Into Armed Camp

The New York Times has a generally good article on the current tensions in Crown Heights.

But the Times does screw up big time.

What did the Times do wrong?

BREAKING! Rabbi Haim Druckman Forced Out Of Conversion Authority, Ynet Reports

Ynet is reporting Rabbi Haim Druckman was removed as head of the Conversion Authority by PM Olmert.

Olmert– scandal-ridden and desperately clinging to power – needs haredi votes to keep him in the Prime Minister's office. Olmert apparently gave into haredi pressure and removed Rabbi Druckman.

Links below…

Haredi Rabbi Revokes Death

A haredi rabbi revoked a death almost 25 years after it occurred. Why? To raise the dead?

Design Firm Files Suit Against Agriprocessors – Claims Rubashkin Owes More Than $270,000 In Unpaid Bills

A Kansas City design firm that has designed hundreds of package labels for Agriprocessors filed suit yesterday in…

Sins of Omission

Two major Jewish media stories on the Agriprocessors immigration raid deserve special mention – not for a job well done.

Israel's "Government Fails to Provide for Ethiopians" – Stinging Comptroller's Report Voices Criticisms Raised by Activists for 25 Years

This is a landmark day for Ethiopian Jews and those who have tried to help them.

Israel's comptroller, Micha Lindenstrauss, issued a 1500 page report that blasts the government for ignoring the needs of Ethiopian Jews, botching their absorption and wreaking havoc on their families and social structure.

The details…

Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu In Critical Condition

Former Sefardic chief rabbi and mentor to much of the settlement movement, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu seems to have gone into respiratory arrest during a medical checkup at Shaarei Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem, and is now on a respirator in a medically induced coma.

His family…

BREAKING! European Haredi Rabbis Void All Conversions Done By Israel's Conversion Authority And Rabbi Haim Druckman

Following the lead of Israel's haredim, the largely haredi Conference of European Rabbis has voided every conversion done by Rabbi Haim Druckman and Israel's Conversion Authority.

Why?

Will Crown Heights Erupt?

The more I hear, the more I think that the answer is yes, it will.

Below are two mp3 files of Rabbi Shea Hecht being interviewed by Zev Brenner Saturday night.

Several things seem clear:

Rubashkin Workers Said Forced To Grant Sexual Favors For Promotions, Shift Changes

I guess Rabbi Weissmandel and his rabbis were not in this room – or, just maybe, they were…

UPDATE: Animals Neglected At Illegal Oorah Petting Zoo

A rotting carcass was found Saturday, along with skeletal remains and live, neglected animals.

Government officials had to bring in food and water for the animals. And what is located next to this illegal zoo of horrors?

Rubashkin's Rabbis Visit Jail

Rabbis from Postville, Iowa have visited an Iowa jail holding detainees from last Monday's massive immigration raid at Agriprocessors.

Who did Rubashkin's rabbis visit?

Even The Bathrooms Are Kosher

Rabbi Weissmandel, the head honcho of Rubashkin's rabbis, says he knows the government's allegations against Rubashkin are false.

No meth lab on premises. No duct taping a worker's eyes and beating him with a meat hook. No extortion. No fraud. No company-run identity theft aggravated or not. All these allegations and more are absolutely false, Rabbi Weissmandel claims.

Why does Rabbi Weissmandel "know" this with "certainty"?

Crown Heights On The Edge Of Riots

I just got the following report from a Crown Heights resident who…

The Pious Chabadnik

Rabbi Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, son of Agriprocessors founder Avraham Aaron Rubashkin and head of Agriprocessors daily operations…

18 Juveniles Arrested During Rubashkin Raid, Some As Young As 13

Here it is, buried in a story…

Lawsuit Alleges Rubashkin Extortion, Racketeering, Other Crimes

Rubashkin workers have formed a class action lawsuit against Agriprocessors. Here's what the workers allege…

Rabbi Weissmandel: Allegations Against Rubashkin "False"

Supreme Kosher's Rabbi Moshe Weissmandel weighed in on the massive immigration raid conducted against Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa Monday.

What did the  uber-haredi have to say?

Eternal Haredi Family

At least one American haredi rabbi has revoked a conversion more than one year after supervising it.

Who is that rabbi? Why did he revoke the conversion? Could something be…

Experts See Charges for Rubashkin Bosses

Yesterday the Jewish Week printed the opinions of two prominent legal scholars who, after reading the affidavits used in Monday's raid on Agriprocessors in Postville, Iowa, thought senior plant managers (i.e., Rubashkins) were soon to be charged with crimes.

Today we hear a similar story, this time with different experts, from the Des Moines Register:

Rubashkin Family State Campaign Contributions May Have Purchased Pols Silence On Wrongdoing

Yesterday we learned about Rubashkin federal campaign contributions thanks to a Des Moines Register article.

Today, we move on to bigger, unregulated money donated to Iowa state politicians by Rubashkin family members – and what very well might be influence peddling:

Government Laying Groundwork For Indictment Of Rubashkin, Senior Managers, Legal Experts Claim

Surprised by the breadth of the affidavits used in the raid against the Rubashkin family's Agriprocessors plant in Postville, Iowa early this week, legal experts believe…

What Did The Rabbis Know And When Did They Know It?

In the wake of the largest immigration raid in the modern history of America, a question must be asked: What did the rabbis supervising Agriprocessors know and when did they know it?

Rubashkin Food Safety, Worker Safety and Pollution Violations Detailed

The Des Moines Register has a long list of all Agriprocessors violations of safety, food safety and pollution regulations over the past two years. As regular FailedMessiah.com readers certainly know, the article stresses Agriprocessors has a…