FailedMessiah.com

Video: Broken Trusts, Broken Childhoods – Understanding Child Sexual Abuse

Here's a Twin Cities Public Television documentary on the impact of child sexual abuse on its victims. Much of it is heartrending, and it's well worth watching – especially for those of you who criticize victims of child sex abuse and the efforts of advocates to help them.

Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto Reportedly Indicted, Free To Leave Country After Posting $6.3 Million Bail

Sefardi haredi 'kabbalist' Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto has apparently been indicted on bribery, money laundering, obstruction of justice and coercion charges.

Swiss Haredi Schools Under Scrutiny Over Secular Education

How much religious education is too much and how much secular education is too little? Haredi schools in Zurich, Switzerland are about to find out the government's thoughts on this matter, and those thoughts could dramatically change haredi education in Switzerland.

Haredi MK Wants Government To Double Child Stipends

The child allowance payments are one of the methods used by haredi families to survive when their chief breadwinners – haredi men – choose not to work and instead study full time in yeshivas well into middle age, if not longer.

Haredim Vow To Fight “Immodest” Mock Beach

The City of Jerusalem is planning on importing enough sand to fill a 22,000 square foot area near the old train station which will be set up as a mock beach for city residents to enjoy. But this bit of pleasantness for the landlocked city that has no natural beach of its own has raised the hackles of haredim, who are vowing to stop the city from importing the sand and setting it up.

No One's Heretics

"…[The Novominsker Rebbe Rabbi Yaakov] Perlow heads an organization [Agudath Israel of America] that is, by definition, extremist. They believe themselves to be upholding the strictest, and thus most correct, interpretation of God’s own Divine law; they believe that the existence of the Jewish people, the coming of Messiah, and quite possibly the world itself depends on the painstaking observance of that interpretation — which is not, in their understanding, an interpretation at all, but simply Jewish law, halakhah.…"

Journalist Who Exposed Alleged Crimes Of Haredi ‘Kabbalist’ Threatened

Journalist Ilana Dayan is facing threats of physical violence after her exposé on Sefardi haredi ‘kabbalist’ Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto aired on Israel’s Channel 10 last week.

Victory Of Hard Right Wing Nationalists Good For The Jews, British Pro-Shechita Advocate Claims

The victory of the hard right wing nationalist misogynist United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in the European Union elections might help the Jewish community’s campaign to protect shechita (Jewish ritual slaughter) and other Jewish religious practices like circumcision because the ultra-nationalists who lead UKIP are opposed to any regulations imposed on member states by the European Parliament, Britain’s top advocate for Jewish ritual slaughter claimed.

Indian Court Asked To Rule Whether Guru Is Alive Or Dead After Guru Dies, Followers Claim He Is Only "Meditating"

The family and followers of one of India's wealthiest Hindu spiritual leaders are fighting a legal battle over whether he is dead or simply in a deep state of meditation.

Chabad Hasid Arrested For Draft Dodging, Imprisoned

A Chabad hasid, Rabbi Schneur Kanelsky, has been arrested and jailed by the IDF for 35 days for dodging the draft. Kanelsky is reusing to eat IDF prison food, claiming it is not kosher.

Chabad Community Harasses, Ostracizes Child Sex Abuse Victim

Daniel "Gug" Hayman sat in court reading his siddur while his victim's impact statement was read. The victim said that his biggest loss and greatest disappointment was the response from the Chabad community. “Sadly, I have discovered that, when the offender is one of your own, the response is different to if the offender was one of 'them'.” He said that his own adopted family urged him not to contact the police about his abuse, and that his adoptive family approached many of his friends and sought to have him cast out of the community for reporting the assault to police.

The New York Times Calls Out NYC Mayor Over Hateful Remarks Against Non-Orthodox And Open Orthodox Jews

Michael Powell of the New York Times has written a column about the Novominsker Rebbe Rabbi Yaakov Perlow's hateful rant against Open Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews which Perlow delivered Tuesday night at the Agudath israel of America fundraising dinner in front of several politicians – including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio – and those politicians disgraceful silence.

Lakewood Robo-Call Says Cutting Your Sheitl To Make It Shorter Will Save Lives

It's all about women's modesty. A robo-call in the haredi community of Lakewood, New Jersey tells women that having their wigs cut to a shorter length will save lives, reduce the number of tragedies and reduce the number of calls to Hatzolah, the haredi volunteer EMT service.

Corruption: Israel’s Law Against Animal Cruelty Rarely Enforced, Fines Issued But Almost Never Collected

Almost none of the fines levied on animal abusers by the Government of Israel are ever collected as the Likud-led government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to ignore its own blackletter law. 

Haredi Women Say New Affirmative Action Policy For Haredi Men Discriminates Against Haredi Women

Haredi women say a new program backed by Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett is discriminatory becuase it excludes them.

Brooklyn Borough President Allegedly A No-Show At Chabad Dinner Where He Was Supposed To Be Honored

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams was supposed to receive a community service award from Chabad's Oholei Torah school in Crown Heights last night. The school was founded by Chabad's late Rebbe Rabbi Menchem Mendel Schneersohn 58 years ago. But Adams was apparently a no-show and Chabad news blogs have nothing posted on the dinner at all. Why?

No More Free Haredi Bus Rides, Government Says

No more free rides for haredim. That is the word from Israel’s Ministry of Transportation to the Egged public bus company, which has been giving haredim and free rides home from the Kotel (Western Wall) after the end of Shabbat for many years.

Haredi Leader Calls Open Orthodoxy, Non-Orthodox Judaism Heresy As NYC Mayor Watches And Says Nothing

The Novominsker Rebbe Rabbi Yaakov Perlow is the head of Agudath Israel of America. At Agudah's dinner last night, Perlow called Open Orthodoxy and non-Orthodox Jewish movements heretical and called on Modern Orthodoxy to join with Agudah to combat them. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke immediately after Perlow. But de Blasio said nothing in defense of the liberal Jews who helped elect him.

Satmar Hasid Graduates YU, Headed To Law School

“I think that hasidishe people should get more education and moreover, there are so many kids rejected from hasidishe schools for reasons that aren’t worth risking having them go off the derech. Parents and kids need to know that the world doesn’t end in Kiryas Joel or Borough Park and there are other options to explore. Hashem [God] knows what he is doing and the answer might be to find a different school."

Haredi MK: Supreme Court Justice “Evil One Who Stole Bread From [Haredi] Children”

Member of Knesset Rabbi Moshe Gafni of the Ashkenazi haredi United Torah Judaism Party lashed out at Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein from the podium of the Knesset today, calling Rubenstein a “rasha [evil one] who stole the bread away from [haredi] children.”

Report: Wife Of Haredi Kabbalist Tries To Kill Herself Over Bribery Charges

Devorah Pinto, the wife of embattled Sefardi haredi ‘kabbalist’ Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, tried to kill herself Tuesday night over the bribery, money laundering, embezzlement and corruption charges she and her husband face.

Pope Is “Vermin” And An Impure “Idol,” Haredi Outreach Rabbi Says

Yemenite kiruv (outreach, intra-Jewish missionary) Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak, known for his ‘megachurch’-style gatherings and his fire and brimstone sermons meant to convince secular Israelis to become haredi, lashed out at Israel’s haredi chief rabbis over their meeting with Pope Francis this past weekend and in the process equated the pope with "vermin" and called him an impure idol.

Lapid: Haredi Knesset Members Admit Privately That Haredim Will Have To Serve In The IDF

“[W]e now tell haredim these are our values and you will accept them,” Lapid reportedly said.

Plea Deal With Orthodox Alleged Mob Boss In Rabbi Extortion Trial Draws Widespread Condemnation

Shalom Domrani agreed today plead guilty to lesser charges. He will reportedly receive only nine more months in prison on top of the five months he has already served while at trial – meaning Domrani will only serve a total of 14 months in prison.

Child Sex Abuse Victim Tells Court He Was Ostracized And Abused By Chabad For Reporting Abuse To Police

A victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of Chabad pedophile Daniel Robert "Gug" Hayman told a court in Sydney, Australia how he has been ostracized, bullied and intimidated by the Chabad community for reporting his abuser to police.

3 Yeshiva Students From Radical Chabad Rabbi’s Yeshiva Charged With Anti-Arab Hate Crimes

Three yeshiva students from the radical Od Yosef Chai yeshiva in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar were charged today with committing anti-Arab hate crimes in the Galilee village of Jish.

Yad Vashem Statement On Pope's Visit, Holocaust

"Yad Vashem attributes great importance and special significance to the visit of Pope Francis, which we hope will foster greater Holocaust awareness around the world. In his remarks at Yad Vashem, the Pope stressed the momentous place of the Shoah in human experience, noting the boundless and incommensurate tragedy of the Holocaust. His remarks in the Hall of Remembrance, which were characterized by poetry and prayer, dealt with the question where was man during the Holocaust and how could man have committed such a crime?…"

Report: ‘Kabbalist’ Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto To Return To Israel To Testify Against Former Top Cop

The State Attorney's Office reportedly made a deal with Pinto that will allow him to return to Israel, testify against Arbiv, and then return to New York without being prosecuted for a string of bribery, embezzlement and corruption charges stemming from thefts from a charity he controlled. Pinto will supposedly be brought back to Israel at a later date to face those criminal charges – although in reality, that would seem unlikely.

Another Haredi Rabbi Rules Looking At Pope Makes Jews Impure

Rabbi Moshe Tzedaka, the rosh yeshiva of the Sefardi haredi flagship Yeshivat Porat Yosef located in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, ruled today that Jews who intentionally went to see Pope Francis, who was visiting Israel, had become “tamei” (ritually impure). Tzedaka also ruled that anyone who saw the pope’s face must immerse in a mikva (ritual bath) to rid himself from the impurity transmitted to him through seeing the pope's face.

Right Wing Jewish Settler Group Used Forged Documents To Steal Arab Land, Police Say

“The story of Amona involves a great crime, perpetrated by a small company of criminals, and this forgery is just the latest in a long history of similar criminal acts. Time after time, it turns out that the settlers’ claims of purchase, which always happen at the last minute, are based on forged documents. Despite this, the government allows these claims to hold up enforcing the law, and prevent the evacuation of illegal structures built on private land. The Amona outpost is built entirely on private Palestinian land, and we hope and believe that it soon will be completely evacuated and returned to its rightful owners."

Orthodox Youth Take Over Purported Tomb Of King David To Protest Pope’s Visit, Riot

To stop police from closing the purported tomb of King David and the room located above it which is the purported site of the Last Supper for the visit of Pope Francis, a group of Orthodox youths took the building over Saturday night and then violently rioted when police came to remove them.

Satmar Yeshiva Forbids Mothers Wearing "Dusters" To Come To Yeshiva To Pick Up Their Children

A Satmar yeshiva, Torah V'Yirah in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has ordered mothers not wear dusters (heavy housecoats that cover the arms to the wrist and the legs to at least the ankle) when picking up their children. Why? The housecoats are not modest enough.

Chabad-Linked Haredi Anti-Missionary Organization Calls On Pope To Condemn Missionary Activity By Non-Catholics – Many Of Whom Hate The Pope

Catholic Church policy has opposed attempts to convert Jews for decades. Organized attempts to convert Jews to Christianity come primarily from fundamentalist Christians and fundamentalist churches – which are from the dozens of denominations that grew out of Martin Luther’s Protestant reformation. Many of these fundamentalist denominations harbor anti-Catholic biases and some do not even consider Catholics – including the pope – to be real Christians.

On Arrival In Israel, Pope Gets Lackluster Greeting From Israel’s Government

The Pope arrived in Israel today and the government held a formal welcome to Israel ceremony for him at the airport. But unlike a similar ceremony held to greet US President Barack Obama, who was welcomed at the airport by every single cabinet minister in March 2013, Pope Francis was greeted by far less than half of the sitting cabinet – and none of them were from the Zionist Orthodox HaBayit HaYehudi Party, which appeared to be boycotting the event.

3 Lost Haredim Assaulted By Bedouins Who Though They Came To Burn Down Mosque

Three haredi men from the small Upper Galilee town of Hatzor Haglilit were assaulted Thursday night in the nearby Bedouin village of Tuba-Zangariya by a mob of Bedouins who thought they had come to burn their mosque down.

Updated: High Court Rules Government Stipends For Haredi Yeshiva Students Are Illegal, Discriminatory And Must End

The High Court pointed out that only a few hundred university students were actually eligible for the stipends, which were tailored to help haredim and exclude others, while approximately 10,000 haredi yeshiva students were receiving the stipends each month.

New Head Of Australian Rabbis Group Says He Wants To Clean Up Child Sex Abuse

Rabbi Meir Shlomo Klugwant wants to clean up and modernize how Australia's Orthodox community deals with child sex abuse.

Zionist Orthodox Rabbis: Medical Marijuana Use Okay During Shmitta, Recreational Use Forbidden At All Times

"I receive grass as a medication. The shmitta year will begin in four months, and observant IDF disabled veterans have been asking themselves whether the grass should be grown differently [during the shmitta year] like fruits and vegetables [are to avoid the shmitta restrictions],” a disabled IDF veteran asked the Chief Rabbinate – which passed the question off to Zionist Orthodox rabbis to answer.

Lander Institute In Jerusalem Files For Bankruptcy Protection

The college has about 1,200 students, many of whom are haredi, and offers eight degree programs. It has an exclusively haredi campus as well as other locations in the city and a staff of approximately 170, most of whom are reportedly teachers. It also has a $6.45 million debt and now way to meet it or pay the rent or it payroll.

Video: Exposé Alleges Sefardi Haredi Kabbalist Has Mafia Ties, Steals, And Illegally Harasses Opponents

Israel's Channel 2 News' news-magazine Uvda did an hour-long exposé on Sefardi haredi kabbalist Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto last night. Here he is in all his alleged glory – the alleged bribery, extortion, Mafia ties, thefts and harassment that have allegedly made Pinto one of the top ten richest rabbis in Israel.

Haredi ‘Kabbalist’: Don’t Look At The Pope, He Will Make You Impure

In a class lecture given by Israeli kabbalist Rabbi Yaakov Adas, Adas ruled that Jews should not look at the pope when he visits Israel this weekend because he is “metamei” – an impure person who causes others to be come impure.

Mir Fudraising And 'Chizuk' Weekend Cancelled

The Mir Yeshiva weekend featuring Rabbi Nissan Kaplan – the haredi rabbi who said that all things being equal, haredi leader Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman would murder Israeli cabinet ministers – has apparently been cancelled.

Haredi-Controlled School District May Have To To Return Millions Of Dollars Of Improperly Gained State And Federal Aid

The Lakewood, New Jersey township's haredi-controlled school district could be forced to repay more than $6 million in improperly (and possibly illegally) gotten state and federal grants.  The district allegedly cheated by inflating enrollment figures and in other ways to get government money it didn't qualify for. It also used government funds in ways it apparently cannot account for.

"A Liberal Scandal"? Compassionate Lenient Ruling In Divorce Case Enrages Haredi Rabbinic Leaders

A compassionate lenient ruling by a state rabbinical court run by Zionist Orthodox rabbis has drawn a howl of haredi criticism and the accusation from a close confidant of late supreme haredi rabbinic leader Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv that the compassionate ruling is a “liberal scandal.”

Jewish Truck Driver In 100 KPH Tefillin Bomb Scare

An Australian Jewish truck driver, Shmuel Potash, led police on a high speed chase after they thought the tefillin he was wearing were bombs.

More Victims Of Chabad Pedophile Known To Police

“Some of those victims might be on a contract not to speak [i.e., were paid hush money by Hayman or Chabad], other victims feel tremendous pressure from the Jewish culture about how it manages its own issues, some are afraid they will be criticized by their own Jewish community and others simply don’t want to relive their abuse."

Four Haredi Rabbis, One Of Their Sons Indicted In Divorce-Compelling Kidnap Conspiracy – All Face Possible Life In Prison

A federal grand jury today indicted four Orthodox Jewish Rabbis and one of their sons for allegedly conspiring to kidnap and force Jewish men to grant their wives religious divorces, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

2 Haredim Busted For Drug Trafficking

Gershom Barros is a close friend of Agudath Israel of America’s spokesman, Rabbi Avi Shafran. Shafran’s book on the conversion process, Migrant Soul, is largely based on Barros’ life. Barros' son-in-law, Neal Gerstman, was also arrested.

2-Year Old Who Fell Out Of 6th Floor Window Dies; Hasidic Building Had Safety Code Violation That Likey Contributed To Child's Death

The hasidic developed building in Crown Heights was reportedly not up to city safety code, with at least one major violation that arguably caused the child's death.

Large Protest Scheduled Against Hasidic Slaughterhouse To Be Built In Upscale Residential Area

New York State gave a $1.6 million grant to the New Square slaughterhouse project despite its questionable location and the damage it will do to nearby residential property values.