FailedMessiah.com

Tel Aviv Mayor Says Chabad "Irritating" Ramat Aviv Residents

Ron Huldai slams haredi movement's activity in Ramat Aviv neighborhood, says "their inappropriate behavior should be condemned."

Letter from Jerusalem: Non-Jewish Until Proven Otherwise

According to new regulations issued by Chief Rabbinate, even if you were not about to register for marriage, and had not appealed to rabbinic court – it can summon you and initiate a hearing that will inquire into your Jewishness.

Surrender: Government Proposal Would Effectively Exempt Haredim From Military Draft

Proposal would free haredim from national service and would allow them to legally join the workforce rather than rely on yeshiva student exemptions earned by studying in yeshivas for most of their adult lives.

Court Rules Catholic Woman Must Live As Hasidic Jew

"I truly feel it's an intrusion on my home life. That I have to now obey certain aspects of being kosher and following Shabbat in order for my husband and I to see his son, is wrong."

Anti-Chabad Demonstration Planned

"For over two years many of the residents feel threatened by the ever-increasing activities of the Chabad hasidic movement."

NY Private And Religious Schools Get Failing Grade On Fingerprint Checks To Expose Pedophiles

Fewer than 1 percent of New York's 1,900 private schools run fingerprint checks on job applicants to screen for sex offenses and other criminal behavior.

Orthodox Offended By Department Store Ad Depicting Western Wall

A new advertisement has managed to offend both ultra-Orthodox and National Religious because it makes use of a picture of the Western Wall.

Kadima Seeks To Bridge Israel's Secular-Religious Divide

"The traditional religious public has become haredi, the Sephardim have become more like the Ashkenazim in terms of their religious level, and the secular public, which was once traditional, is no longer. Each one moves in his own direction, and it is crucial that we create a situation in which we live Jewish and democratic values together."

Quebec's Education Ministry Orders Hasidic Yeshiva To Shut Down

Quebec's education ministry has obtained a court injunction to shut down a private Jewish school in Montreal for not maintaining scholastic standards.

Rubashkin Lawyer Urges State Investigator: Guess The Ages

For nearly 45 minutes Thursday, Sholom Rubashkin's defense attorney showed picture after picture of fresh-faced Latino workers to a state criminal investigator and asked him to guess their ages.

Shechita Banned In New Zealand

The days of a Jewish mother making the traditional chicken soup for the family Friday night Shabbat dinner have come to an end for New Zealanders.

Massive Jewish Identity Conference Takes "Anti-Haredi" Turn

Leading haredi rabbis back out at last minute due to the presence of "unworthy people" – Reform and Conservative rabbis.

Rubashkin Trial Day 10 Afternoon Summary: Rabbis, Orthodox Jews, Testify For Rubashkin

Rabbi Weissmandl testified that 170 years ago there was a split in the Jewish community when some wanted to modify or loosen the Jewish codes. Only the Orthodox community kept true to the original code of Jewish law, he said.

Rubashkin Trial Day 10: Morning Summary

A former Agriprocessors security director said he never saw anyone walk into the plant he thought was under the age of 18. Cletus Pladsen said everyone had to walk by him to enter the plant. A prosecutor showed him a picture of a young-looking former worker who testified. “Does that look like an adult to you?” “No,” Pladsen said.

Letter from Israel: Don't Be So Quick To Condemn Haredim Over Anti-Sefardic Segregation

Separating Ashkenazi and Sephardi schoolchildren may seem bigoted but it has merit.

Does Orthodox Jewish Life Promote Eating Disorders In Women?

In some cases, the prospective groom's family not only wants to know the girl's dress size, but that of her mother, so they can project what the potential bride will look like in 18 years. "Sometimes, they put a girl's health records online," she said. "It's like buying a horse. I think women can be silenced in that community. The eating disorder is the red flag."

No Minors Seen At Agriprocessors, Rubashkin Witnesses Say

The defense called its first full day of witnesses on Wednesday. Several testified they never observed underage workers during unannounced visits to the plant, while others said they had difficulty determining the laborers' ages by sight.

Kids Violent Because Mothers Work, Leading Israeli Rabbi Says

"People say that the youth has a problem of violence. The problem is that the mother works and it's hard for her to devote herself to her home." According to the rabbi, a woman pursuing a career – whether in a public office or a private one – is not doing the ideal thing as her job is to be a housewife.

Conservative Movement's Magen Tzedek Inches Forward

After years of discussion and planning, the “Magen Tzedek” — which the Conservative movement calls the world’s first Jewish ethical certification seal — will complete beta testing with two food companies by the end of 2010.

Education Ministry Orders Male Students Writing Bible Verses To Wear Kippot, Teachers Object

As part of a project for schools in which more than 20,000 seventh-graders participated in writing out all the verses of the Bible, the ministry told schools that male students should wear skullcaps while carrying out the task.

Haredim Riot In Jerusalem, Bnei Brak: "We'll Fill Up The Prisons"

After two days of calm, riots resume. Hundreds of haredim from Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood on Wednesday clashed with police and blocked roads, while chanting "We'll fill up prisons."

Bakers Suspected Of Fixing Bread Prices For Haredi Communities

The Antitrust Authority has thrown its entire division of investigators into the “bread cartel” case. Yesterday, new suspicions surfaced that bakeries colluded on special deals for bread sold in haredi neighborhoods.

Agriprocessors CFO Sentenced To More Than 3 Years In Prison

Mitch Meltzer was sentenced for conspiring to make false statements to a bank. Meltzer admitted that he overstated the value of the company’s collateral as as part of his employer’s request for an advance on a revolving bank loan.

Rubashkin Trial Day 9 Afternoon Summary

Aaron Goldsmith briefly sobbed and wiped his eyes when he told of efforts by Jewish journalists and other opponents of Agriprocessors to smear the Rubashkin family name. He said the critics, which included union organizers, had no long-term interest in the health of the town or the company.

Former Agriprocessors Manager Gets 10 Months In Plea Deal

Former beef operations manager Brent Beebe pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to commit document fraud. Beebe admitted that he conspired with former vice president Sholom Rubashkin and others to buy fake identification documents for 19 employees.

Rubashkin Trial Day 9 Morning Summary: Defense Begins

An attorney who represented Agriprocessors said the kosher slaughterhouse did not knowingly hire minors, and the state department of labor refused to provide the names of underage workers it had discovered before a May 12, 2008 immigration raid.

Underage Employee Says Agriprocessors Told Him To Lie About His Age

Elmer Lopez Marroquin said the employee, Karina Freund, instructed him to lie to state inspectors and say he was an adult. Instead, he told the truth.

Rubashkin Trial: Attorneys Battle Over Motion To Dismiss Case

“The case is underwhelming and ill-conceived and should be put to a stop right now,” said defense attorney Mark Weinhardt. “The evidence in this case is that Mr. Rubashkin did absolutely nothing.”

Haredi Chief Rabbis Order Stricter Marriage Restrictions

The new directives demand that marriage registrars send any person whose parents’ wedding was not performed by a rabbinate-recognized body to a full-fledged “inquiry into their Judaism” at a rabbinical court. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis fall into that category. All expenses related to this inquiry must be paid by the bride and groom.

Rabbi Bans Women From Holding Public Office

"The first problem is giving women authority, and being a secretary means having authority The second problem is mixing men and women. Secretary meetings are held at night and sometimes end very late. It is not proper to be in mixed company in such situations.…Within the family certain debates are held and when opinions are united the husband presents the family's opinion. This is the proper way to prevent a situation in which the woman votes one way and her husband votes another."

Haredim Riot In Bnei Brak

Hundreds of haredim hurl stones, block traffic in ultra-Orthodox enclave.

Hasidim Demand Stricter Observance From Sefardic Families Before Ending Segregation

Hasidic parents demand the Sefardic girls adhere to a particularly stringent dress code, that they do not associate with non-haredi friends or family, and various other restrictions.

Rubashkin Trial Day 8: The Prosecution Rests

The state has rested its case, and the jury is excused until tomorrow morning. The attorneys will be back at 1:30 p.m., most likely to ask for a directed verdict – i.e., the defense will ask for all charges to be dismissed.

Shimon Haber, Who Pleaded Guilty To Money Laundering In Dwek Scheme, Gets 5 Months In Prison

Haber was also ordered to serve five months of home confinement. Haber pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to help Dwek launder between $10,000 and $30,000 in purported criminal proceeds through a religious charity.

Synagogue Shutters Soldiers' Counseling Center Due To "Immodesty"

Volunteer says rabbis may have been upset by presence of female soldiers in “immodest dress” - pant uniforms as opposed to skirts.

Agriprocessors Underage Workers Hidden From State Inspectors

Brian Griffith said he hid the workers under orders from his supervisor, a forceful, intimidating man named Jeff Heasley. Heasley faces child labor charges in a separate trial.

CEOs Of Israel's 3 Largest Bakeries Arrested For Price Fixing And Collusion

The suspects allegedly coordinated prices and tenders for price-controlled bread intended for poor people and divided the bread market among themselves.

Jailed Haredi Former Cabinet Minister Expected To Be Denied Pardon

The Justice Ministry's pardons department is expected to recommend turning down former minister Shlomo Benizri's pardon request.

Rubashkin Prayer Rally Slated For Tonight In Crown Heights

"All of Anash are encouraged to attend a Kinus in the merit of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin tonight…"

Former Chief Rabbi Changes Story In Fake Smicha Trial

Rabbi Bakshi-Doron said he thought he was approving only 100 unqualified rabbis, not several thousand.

Teacher Who Called Ethiopian Officers Nazis Gets Probation On Appeal

A judge had originally sentenced the teacher to 180 hours of community service so as not to compromise his job as a teacher.

Former Supervisor Testifies He Was Told To Hide Underage Workers From State

A former supervisor at a kosher slaughterhouse raided by federal agents testified Monday that when child labor inspectors toured the facility, he took two workers he thought were underage and hid them in the basement. Griffith said his boss told him to hide the underage workers.

Rubashkin Trial Day 7 Afternoon Summary

The prosecution said it would call its final witnesses tomorrow morning. Defense will begin making its case Wednesday morning.

Former Chief Rabbi To Testify For The State In Forged Smicha Case

Former Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Bakshi Doron Shlita will be giving testimony on Monday in the state’s case alleged rabbinical ordination was sold for profit, costing the state hundreds of millions of shekels.

Haredim Stone Shas Chairman

Eli Yishai was paying a condolence visit to Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv when he was attacked.

Rubashkin Trial Day 7 Morning Summary

Knife injuries, machinery injuries, more minors testify.

Rubashkin Federal Sentencing Delayed

Sentencing delayed due to state child labor trial.

Civil Disobedience When In Love: Getting Around Israel's Haredi-Controlled Chief Rabbinate

Yael and Yoav are observant Jews, yet they decided to get married illegally rather than through the Chief Rabbinate.

Reform, Conservative Synagogues Vanalized In Israel

On Thursday vandals threw bricks at the Ra'anana Masorti Congregation, breaking two of the Conservative synagogue's windows, and the week before, vandals broke six windows in the Reform synagogue Kehilat Ra'anan.

Former Agriprocessors Child Workers View Return To US As Opportunity

Several of the young men said in interviews last week in Postville that they hope to stay in the United States long enough to pay off their debts and save their family's land from "coyotes" — guides who help immigrants cross illegally into the United States.