FailedMessiah.com

Money Laundering Rabbis, Black Market Kidneys And Corrupt Politicians

"The Jersey Sting: A True Story of Corrupt Pols, Money Laundering Rabbis, Black Market Kidneys, and the Informant Who Brought it All Down" (St. Martin's Press), by Ted Sherman and Josh Margolin.

Why Can't We Change The Prayerbook?

After all, it contains blessings that are problematic – especially blessings that seem to insult women and non-Jews. So shouldn't we change it?

Rabbi Milton Yehoshua Balkany's Very Unhappy 'Vacation'

The convicted blackmailer and extortionist (who is also the brother-in-law of convicted fraudster Rabbi Sholom Rubashkin of Agriprocessors infamy) is serving his four year prison sentence in…

Russia Again Refuses To Turn Over Chabad Library

"The Schneerson collection is part of the Russian State Library's collection, which, in turn, is indivisible and cannot be subject to separation."

Bus Explodes In Jerusalem, Chabad School And Haredi School Reportly Attacked

Security forces close exits from the city. At least 50 reported wounded. One dead.

Haredi Uber Thief Sholam Weiss

Tonight, Rabbi Sholom Rubashkin will be profiled on the CNBC's American Greed at 10 pm Eastern. To give you an idea of what an American Greed show looks like, here is American Greed's profile of haredi über crook Sholam Weiss.

Hasidic Rebbe Blames Japan Earthquake And Tsunami On Japan's Prosecution Of Accused Hasidic Drug Smugglers

“God is landing blow after blow on the Japanese. But they’re like Egypt and Pharaoh. Japan does not understand…only goyyim know what drugs are…"

Yeshiva Cries Antisemitism, Court Rejects Claim

“The fact that plaintiff is unhappy that defendants would not permit it to operate as it pleased does not rise to any evil intent on the part of defendants,” Lawson wrote. “In fact, there is still a question of whether plaintiff could have operated as it pleased had it simply sought a variance. This case is just an example of a town enforcing its zoning ordinances.”

Haredi Poverty Increased By 50% Over The Past Decade

The Governor of the Bank of Israel, Stanley Fischer presented data to the government indicating the poverty rate among haredim and Arabs in Israel has increased by 50% in the past decade. Meanwhile, the poverty rate has not risen among the general population, remaining at 13%.

Chabad Prints Tanya – In Rikers Island Jail

Rikers Island holds 14,000 inmates. When Chabad outreach first began at the jail, there were 7 Jews joining the programs. Now there are well over 150. On Purim, Chabad made a Purim party for the inmates and printed an edition of the Tanya – the foundational book of Chabad theology – in the jail.

Only 9% Of Zionist Orthodox Israelis Say Orthodox Soldiers Must Obey Orders

A majority of Zionist Orthodox Israelis believe that Israel Defense Forces soldiers must disobey orders to evacuate Jewish communities in the West Bank.

Katsav Sentenced To 7 Years

Convicted rapist and former Israeli president Moshe Katsav was sentenced today to seven years in prison for two rapes he committed while in office.

Video Preview: Rubashkin On CNBC

Here's a video preview of Wednesday night's episode of CNBC's American Greed profiling Rabbi Sholom Rubashkin and Agriprocessors.

Rabbi Mordechai Tendler Subpoenas Google To Reveal The Names Of The Bloggers Who Exposed Him

Rabbi who was expelled from the Rabbinical Council of America for conduct unbecoming to a rabbi tries to do an end around previous court rulings to comple Google to reveal the names of the bloggers who reported on his activities.

Satmar Hatzaloh Member Gets 21 Traffic Tickets For Reckless Driving

A Kiryas Joel ambulance corps member faces charges of reckless driving for allegedly running a patrol officer and other motorists off the road in a frantic dash to get to a traffic accident where other ambulances were already on scene. Officers arrested Menachem Kramer and cited him for 21 violations of vehicle and traffic laws in the Feb. 18 incident. He is scheduled to appear in village court April 7.

Rebbetzin Gives Birth At Age 52

For 33 years, the Rebbe of the Mevakshei Emunah Hasidism in Jerusalem prayed for a miracle that would help his wife become pregnant and give him a son. The rebbe and his wife tried to conceive a child for years, but were unsuccessful despite dozens of fertility treatments and the family members' prayers. But Friday, at the age of 52, the rebbe's wife gave birth to twin girls, which brought him a lot of happiness–but not the male heir he had been waiting for.

Rapist's Punishment Is Due To Politics, Not Rape, Rabbi Says

Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, who serves as chief rabbi of the Elon Moreh settlement and the regional rabbi of Samaria, says former President Moshe Katsav's conviction of two counts of rape is not directly related to his actions. According to Levanon, Katsav is really being punished for not trying to stop the disengagement from Gaza.

Calling A Spade A Spade: Why Orthodoxy Is Wrong

Liberal Judaism makes a powerful claim, and the claim is that Orthodox Judaism is, at its core, wrong. Orthodox Judaism is built around a narrative that contains a foundational error: “The Torah was written by God and given to Moses on Mount Sinai”. This statement, and the orthodox religious narrative that emerges from it, has been disproven by generations of Biblical scholars, archaeologists, sociologists of religion, and historians. These scholars have demonstrated “beyond a reasonable doubt,” in the late Rabbi Louis Jacobs’ words, that the traditional, orthodox understanding of Jewish history is false. The origins of Judaism are much more complicated than that.

Do Ethiopian Jews Fit In?

Israel has tried to assimilate Ethiopian Jews for two decades now, but it can’t quite fit them in. “I think Ethiopians have gone bad here. In Ethiopia they didn’t smoke, drink, steal, or anything.”

Gang Of Haredim Stabbed Me 10 Times, Christian Arab Says

Israeli citizen Alber Halul, who was stabbed Saturday night by a group of masked men he claims are haredim, recounted the attack Sunday. "They threatened to shoot us if we resisted and stabbed me 10 times – in my head, my leg, and my neck."

Don't Send Meshaloch Manot Purim Food To Non-Orthodox Jews, Haredi Rabbi Says

Rabbi Dovid Feinstein says don't send meshaloch manot to non-Orthodox Jews, because it is helping sinners.

Israeli Secular Activists Meet To Counter Haredi "Influx"

Secular activists fighting the influx of ultra-Orthodox families into their neighborhoods across the country have begun meeting and exchanging advice. The meetings are reportedly being organized by Yaron Yadan, a well known anti-Haredi activist, but they have yet to produce a new nationwide group.

Happy Purim!

If you're going to drink, drink safely and responsibly, and make sure to supervise your children so they do not abuse alcohol in the guise of celebrating Purim.

Growing Number Of Undocumented Workers Report Employers Steal Their Wages

Complaints about unpaid wages among Latinos in central Iowa have sharply increased in the past four months, immigrant advocates say, mirroring the abuses done to Latino workers by Agriprocessors and the Rubashkin family.

Following Esther's Lead: Women Reading The Megillah

For more than a month now, Shulamit Phillips has been practicing reading the Book of Esther aloud. She will read this text, known as the Megillah - which provides the basis for the holiday of Purim - in a synagogue, in front of dozens of women who will make noise every time wicked Haman's name is uttered. Not in secret, and not in the women's section, but rather in the main section of the Orthodox synagogue of the the Jerusalem neighborhood where Phillips lives.

Neturei Karta To Burn Israeli Flag And Support Ahmadinejad

"It has come to our attention that on Sunday, March 20, at 12:00 p.m., in front of the Iranian UN Mission at 633 Third Avenue, corner of 40th Street in Manhattan, certain rabble-rousers plan to hold a Megillah reading with the purpose of insulting the Iranian president and heating up tensions. Authentic Jews will be there to register their protest against these troublemakers, as well as express their pain and sorrow at this insulting and provocative behavior, which is a part of an approach that can have catastrophic consequences."

The Rising Stakes Of Israeli Kosher Supervision

According to a food industry source, himself religiously observant, who requested anonymity, "The Badatz says there are people who are prepared to pay for strictness in kashrut, and if so, we are prepared to be strict. It isn't that rabbinical law requires extra strictness, but there are people who want this and the Badatz provides the goods. With them, everything is taken to an extreme - in the adjustments to production, in unnecessary cleaning, in excessive strictness regarding shmita [when land lies fallow for the biblical sabbatical year]…

International Rubashkin Psalms Event Compares Rubashkin To Gilad Shalit

Former Agriprocessors VP Rabbi Sholom Rubashkin, serving 27 years for bank fraud and related crimes, is compared to Israeli solddier Gilad Shalit, who is being held captive by terrorists.

Israel's Most Wanted On International Agunah Day

The State of Israel has a “wanted” list. It is a list with a Jewish twist. It is not put out by our equivalent of the FBI. Rather it is issued by the rabbinic courts – photographs included. The photographs do not show shameless bank robbers, they display shameful men who have turned their wives into agunot.

Heeb Magazine: Crimes and Misdemeanors

Who's been very bad this week?

Parshat Zachor as a Model Response to Ancient and Contemporary Trauma

There is something jarring here, that I have missed in years past. Does not the positive commandment to blot out the memory of Amalek (if we read this literally) directly contradict the negative act of not forgetting? Strangely, we are being told to forget and to remember simultaneously.

Tefillin In The Air: Why Alaska Airlines Called The FBI

"Shortly after Flight 241 departed from Mexico City bound for Los Angeles yesterday, flight attendants observed unusual behavior from three male passengers that continued during the four-hour flight. Out of concern for the safety of all of the passengers onboard, the crew erred on the side of caution and authorities were notified. The crew did not realize at the time that the passengers were Orthodox Jews engaging in prayer ritual in Hebrew.…"

Haredim Cause Creeping Gender Separation In Public Sphere, Study Finds

Since 2001, the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC) has been monitoring demands by haredi extremists to introduce gender segregation in the public sphere. These demands first emerged on buses, and were met with approval by the Transportation Ministry and Egged. Segregated buses grew in number, until at the end of 2010 there were about 90 segregated lines. They were soon joined by segregated health clinics, where women come in by a different entrance and sit in a different waiting room.

Jewish Identity Course To Remain Open Despite Reform And Conservative Teachers, Israel's Chief Rabbi Says

The army's course taught to non-Jewish soliders and immigrant soldiers can continue, Sefardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar said, because it is not a part of the Army's conversion to Judaism process.

Chabad Yeshiva Under Investigation

Yeshiva College in Melbourne is under investigation for possible misuse of federal Government grants.

Revered As A Business Guru, Haredi Rabbi's Finances Appear To Be In Shambles

In New York, appearances by the charismatic rabbi can draw more than 100 people to his Midtown Manhattan yeshiva, including Israeli-born real estate moguls and Jewish communal heavyweights. LeBron James, the superstar professional basketball player, has also consulted with the rabbi.

Chief Rabbi Says US Rabbis Take Bribes For Conversions

Sefardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar stressed that the decision to recognize American and Canadian conversions by selected rabbinical courts only had the full consent of the Rabbinical Council of America, a leading American organization of Orthodox rabbis. Many Orthodox rabbis, especially from the Modern Orthodox movement, do not belong to the RCA, and they say this decision was aimed primarily at reducing their power. But Amar insisted that the decision's sole purpose was to create an "orderly" conversion process run by "worthy" rabbis.

No Reason Haredim Should Be Poor

"I am pleased that everyone emphasized that the employment situation and poverty need not exist in haredi (ultra-orthodox) cities, and that there is no reason for this to continue. It contributes nothing to the things that are important to us as Jews and Israeli citizens."

Haredi Newspaper Bans Ad Due To Man's "Mischievous Eyes"

A source linked to the newspaper explained that the sight of an adult man winking does not match Hamodia's educational line. "A secular wouldn't understand," he argued. "Our newspaper is first of all an educational tool. The wink, along with the position of the presenter holding the snack in his hand, is unacceptable.

Fight Between Haredi Factions May Doom Haredi Hospital

It’s a shame that the future of the hospital has been determined from considerations of ego and power struggles and not from those that benefit the real aim." No comment was available from Litzman, a Gur hassid who in the past has denied that disputes with the former power brokers at Bikur Cholim Hospital – the Porush family – were stymying efforts to save the hospital.

Incoming National Security Advisor Slams Rabbis

“If someone is sick, it is not the rabbi who determines what he can eat on Yom Kippur, and a rabbi would encourage such a person to follow the doctor’s orders. The danger that refusing orders poses is to Israel’s national security, and there is no room here for rabbinic considerations – rabbis don’t know about national security, and their pretentiousness to understand it is like their pretentiousness to understand medicine."

Haredi Mob That Attacked Secular Teens Screamed: "Seculars Aren't Allowed Here! You're Russian Thieves!"

The attorney representing the haredi suspects, whose detention was extended, claimed that "it is impossible that they were identified among all of the Yeshiva students [in the mob], who [all] look alike."

As Revolution Begins In Bahrain, The Kingdom's Ambassador To The US Is A Jewish Woman

As the Kingdom of Bahrain faces a revolution and has Saudi troops on its soil to protect the monachy, the kingdom's ambassador to the US is one of Bahrain’s 36 Jews, Houda Ezra Nonoo. She recently told Moment Magazine that she never experienced religious prejudice in her home country. “I had a normal Jewish upbringing. I was born into Judaism. It’s no different from growing up like a Jew in America. It’s my religion.”

Extortion In The Name Of Modesty

How the Williamsburg Va'ad HaTznius (Modesty Squad) allegedly extorts families in the name of modesty and upholding the Torah.

Rubashkin Writes To Accused Imprisoned Chabad Drug Smuggler

Rabbi Sholom Rubashkin sends an email from federal prison to accused drug smuggler Rabbi Eli Hecht, who is currently in prison in Spain awaiting trial.

Haredim Arrested For Attacking, Beating And Imprisoning Two Secular Boys

Three youngsters from Haifa's haredi neighborhood of Kiryat Vishnitz were arrested last night because they allegedly attacked, imprisoned and tortured two secular boys, aged 12 and 14, who entered the neighborhood. "Seculars are not allowed here!" the haredim allegedly told the secular boys during the attack.

Chabadniks In Sin City

A bar in Tel Aviv? Yes. But it is also a Chabad outreach center.

Uproar Over Plans To Name Street After Controversial Professor

The Herzliya municipality plans to name part of city's Naomi Shemer Street after the renowned scientist and philosopher Professor Yeshayahu Leibowitz. "What kind of message are we sending out to today's youth when we name a street after a man who called IDF soldiers 'Judeo Nazis'?" said City council member Yaron Olami in protest.

Fundamental Flaws

Where are the more tolerant others among us? The day seems to be carried by increasingly anti-modern, xenophobic fundamentalists. Those who increase bans reject modern technologies and attempt to hide the realities of abuse as they deny the needs of the abused and support the abuser.

Drinking On Purim: Another View

Purim is associated with public drunkenness, and it would seem that getting drunk is mandated by halakha. Yet many rabbis prohibit it. Why? What is the source of this dichotomy?