FailedMessiah.com

Low Vaccination Rates Fuel The 2015 Measles Outbreak

Inadequate vaccine coverage is likely a driving force behind the ongoing Disneyland measles outbreak, according to calculations by a research team at Boston Children's Hospital. [The same low vaccination rates likely caused the London-Brooklyn outbreak in haredi communities, as well.] Their report, based on epidemiological data and published online by JAMA Pediatrics, indicates that vaccine coverage among the exposed populations is far below that necessary to keep the virus in check, and is the first to positively link measles vaccination rates and the ongoing outbreak.

Stabbing In Front Of Chabad Girls School In Melbourne

The attack took place at about 3.30 pm Monday in front of Chabad’s Yeshivah-Beth Rivkah College in Melbourne, Australia as dozens of children were waiting to be picked up.

Australian Archbishop Criminally Charged With Covering Up Child Sex Abuse

The case has striking similarities to the coverups allegedly instituted by Chabad in both Sydney and Melbourne, and could foreshadow criminal charges that may be brought against top Chabad rabbinic and lay leaders in both cities.

An Open Letter To The Citizens Of The Satmar Hasidic Village Of Kiryas Joel

"…Let's face it, the community of Kiryas Joel is a massive financial leech on Monroe, on Orange County, and on New York State. You trade votes for favors with corrupt politicians as a means of furthering your cultural goals. And you do all this with no regard for your neighbors, or for the degradation of the quality of life of the people around you that your behavior results in. This disgusts me.…"

Israel's Elections Law Forbids Interference With Individual Voters, But Haredi Parties And Rabbis Do It Anyway – Why Haven't They Been Prosecuted?

The answer is that Israel's elections law is really toothless, and even when it is enforced, it means almost nothing to the parties and individuals found to have violated it. This allows political parties – especially haredi political parties – to create new ways to skirt the law or even to openly violate it without any fear of significant punishment.

Breaking: Hung Jury In Case Of Accused Haredi Pedophile

A hung jury in the case of accused haredi pedophile Rabbi Todros Grynhaus, who jumped bail and fled to Israel on a false passport and then fought extradition and deportation before finally being deported to the UK in October, means a new trial – likely in about 6 to 9 months.

Haifa University Researchers Discover The Largest Bronze Mask of Greek Sex God Ever Found

Horns like the ones on the mask are usually associated with Pan, the half-man half-goat god of the shepherds, music and pleasure. A more thorough cleaning in the lab, revealed  strands of a goat beard, long pointed ears, and other characteristics that led Dr. Eisenberg to identify the mask as depicting a Pan/Faunus/Satyr.

High Court Rules Haredi Papers Do Not Have To Run Ads From Haredi All-Female Political Party

In part, Yated Ne’eman claimed that it cannot be compelled to run photos or depictions of women in Yated Ne’eman because doing so violates haredi modesty laws. There is no actual halakha (Orthodox Jewish law) banning modest photographs of women and the entire concept is a recent haredi invention. Yated Ne’eman also claimed that running an ad from a political party Yated Ne’eman’s rabbis oppose was akin to heresy and that a paper marketed and sold almost exclusively to Arab-Israelis could not be compelled to run an ad from a right-wing Jewish Nationalist party. Therefore, Yated Ne’eman could not be compelled to run the B’Zechutan ad, the paper insisted.

Video: Candidates From New Haredi Women's Party Campaign In Über Haredi Beit Shemesh

Ruth Colian and Noa Erez, candidates running for Knesset on the slate of the all-female haredi B'Zechutan Party, tried to campaign in the über haredi area of the town of Beit Shemesh. Here's a brief video showing how that worked out.

When Being Frum And "Tzniusdig" Isn't Enough For A Haredi Girls School

A haredi mother writes to Binah Magazine to complain that her oldest daughter's school has labeled her "tzniusdig" (modest) religious daughter a renegade because her daughter wants to have a career the school's leaders do not approve of. That career?

Satmar Hasidic Village Appears To Have Broken New York State's Open Meetings Law

The Satmar hasidic Village of Kiryas Joel, New York is notorious for its repeated violations of EPA regulations and alleged violations New York State's open meetings law. Here's another example.

Was The Resignation Real? Senior Chabad Rabbi Still Listed As Jewish Social Services Organization's Chief Rabbi, Despited Forced Resignation One Month Ago After Disgraceful Chabad Child Sex Abuse Scandal Testimony

On February 16 in the wake of his embarrassing testimony at the Royal Commission investigating child sex abuse at Chabad institutions, Chabad Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant resigned as the General Manager of Cultural & Spiritual services at Jewish Care Victoria and from his positions as the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (ORA) president and as an executive member of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV). But one month later, Jewish Care's website still lists him as both their chief rabbi and as the head of its cultural and spiritual services.

Top London Coroner Fears Violence After Being Labeled Anti-Semite By Haredim

Mary Hassell says she and her staff fear violence after haredim falsely accused her and her office of anti-Semitism.

2 Attempted Child Abductions In Far Rockaway Set Community On Edge

The Rockaway Nassau Safety Patrol (i.e., Shomrim of Far Rockaway and Nassau, Long Island, New York) and the NYPD have issued an alert for a person wanted in connection with two attempted child abductions, Both took place on Shabbat afternoon. The alleged perpetrator was driving a dark colored or black Nissan Altima (2002-2005) and is reportedly a Black male, 30- 40-years-old, approximately 5 foot 8 and about 220 pounds, wearing black clothing and a black cap with red lettering.

Report: Wife Of Convicted Chabad Pedophile Allegedly Harassing One Of His Victims

The wife of a convicted Chabad pedophile is allegedly harassing one of his victims online.

Scamming The Government From The Hasidic Village Of New Square, New York

“'Is this a scam?' I asked. Gavriel gave me a wary glance. 'Not at all,' he said. 'The rebbe doesn’t allow any more scams.' There’d been problems in the past, with fraudulent use of government programs. Four men, including Gavriel himself, were given prison sentences, ranging from several months to six years. Three other men had fled the country to avoid prosecution. We’d learned our lessons." And then Gavriel went on to explain to the hasidim how to cheat the government and steal public money.

More Apparent Corruption Tied To Law Firm Linked To Indicted NY State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver

Weitz & Luxenberg, the law firm accused of exploiting its connection to [then-Speaker of the New York State Assembly] Sheldon Silver in New York City’s asbestos court, has come under fire in another lucrative arena — multibillion-dollar bankruptcy trusts. The East Village firm, which gained more than 100 mesothelioma clients in an alleged kickback scheme by the disgraced [Orthodox] assemblyman, sits on 15 advisory committees for trusts set up by bankrupt companies to compensate victims — including Weitz’s own clients.

Haredi Woman Chained To A Hospital Bed By Police For Refusing To Follow Illegal Order From Haredi Rabbinical Court Is Now Running For Knesset

Gila Yashar, a haredi woman who made headlines after being falsely defined as a "get refuser" by a haredi-controlled state beit din (Orthodox religious court), is now running for Knesset on the slate of the all-female haredi B'Zechutan Party.

Israeli Court Orders Haredi Papers To Publish Campaign Ads From New All-Female Haredi Political Party – Despite Rabbis’ Objections

An Israeli court ordered two haredi newspapers – Yated Ne'eman, the mouthpiece of the Degel HaTorah faction, the non-hasidic half of the Ashkenazi haredi United Torah Judaism Party; and the Sefardi haredi Shas Party’s Yom Le'yom – to run campaign ads for the new haredi all-woman political party B'Zechutan – despite the fact that both newspapers’ rabbis vehemently oppose the all-female party.

Nearly 70% Of Evangelicals Do Not View Religion, Science As Being In Conflict, New Study Finds – But What About Haredim?

However, Jews taken as a unified group (42%), Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus (52% together as a group) and the nonreligious (47%) are more interested in new scientific discoveries than evangelicals (22%) are. But what would happen if haredim – or especially hasidim – were surveyed separately? What would the results be? Would they view science as an enemy of their religion?

Satmar Hasidic Village Of Kiryas Joel Sends Out New PR Mailing Touting Its High Density Housing As A Boon For The Environment – Which It Clearly Is Not

The Satmar hasidic Village of Kiryas Joel, New York issued a new PR mailing this week that claims Kiryas Joel is avoiding urban sprawl by building high density housing – the same high density housing neighbors oppose because it destroys the almost rural feel of the area. Kiryas Joel is a serial polluter and violator of EPA regulations with a horrible record on everything from environmental protection to its frequent failure to follow NY State's Open Meeting Law.

Iconic Photo Of Chofetz Chaim Isn't Really Him, Video Shows

The iconic photo and painting of the Chofetz Chaim used by the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Center and many other haredi organizations isn't really the Chofetz Chaim, a period newsreel shows.

Ever Dishonest, Israel's Prime Minister Uses US Congress Speech Footage In New Campaign Video

It was, the prime minister claimed, an event meant to transcend politics. But despite repeated denials from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party that his controversial speech to the US Congress was really a ploy meant to boost his sagging popularity only days before Israel’s national election, Likud has now released a last minute campaign video ad showing Netanyahu being applauded, cheered and getting a standing ovation from US congressmen – the bulk of whom are Republicans. The ad was released yesterday after new polls showed Netanyahu and Likud trailing the opposition Zionist Union by 3 to 5 seats. The election is Tuesday.

Agudath Israel Blurs Out Women In Flyer Advertising Event To Honor Woman Who Founded Haredi Girls Schools

Agudath Israel of America is sponsoring an event for women commemorating the life of Sarah Schenirer, the woman who founded the Bais Yaakov haredi school system for girls in 1917 – the first of its kind in the world. But in a fit of tzniut (haredi modesty) that would have been unthinkable in Schenirer's day, Agudah blurred out the women and girls in the historical photographs used in the event's flyer, and there is no portrait photograph of Schenirer in the flyer, even though several exist.

Ban Rabbis From Speaking At IDF Induction Ceremonies, Brigadier General Says

"I believe it is flawed that the central figures in the ceremony, alongside the unit commander, are the corps rabbi and the unit rabbi. The ceremony is not religious and there is no reason for it to appear religious.…The rabbinate does not have exclusivity over the bible. There is no reason for a rabbi, of all people, to speak at a swearing-in ceremony for the IDF and the state."

Accusations Are Revenge And Extortion Attempt, Haredi Alleged Child Sex Abuser Tells Court

Alleged child sex abuser Rabbi Toros Grynhaus claims the allegations made against him by two young teen haredi girls were made out of revenge and in a bid to try to extort money from him.

Some Genes ‘Foreign' In Origin And Not From Our Ancestors, New Research Finds

Many animals, including humans, acquired essential 'foreign' genes from microorganisms co-habiting their environment in ancient times, according to newly published research.

Repeatedly Caught Giving Alcohol To Underage Students, Chabad Rabbi Is Thrown Off Campus – And Then Honored By Governor

Rabbi Dov Hillel Klein and his Northwestern University Chabad House were delisted as a university-approved organization and Klein was booted off the Northwestern campus after he repeatedly and obstinately served liquor to underage students. Klein and Chabad sued Northwestern and lost, and then appealed that loss and lost again. Four months later, Klein and his Chabad House were honored by the governor of Illinois, the mayor of Evanston and the international head of the AEPi fraternity.

Complaints Against Rabbi Yisroel Belsky's Handling Of Divorce Cases Made By Agudah-Linked Opponents

Rabbi Shlomo Miller of Toronto and Rabbi Aharon Schechter of Yeshivas Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn complain about Rabbi Israel "Yisroel" Belsky's handling of Jewish divorces. Belsky is linked to Rabbi Mendel Epstein, who allegedly ran a get (Jewish religious divorce) extortion ring that used kidnapping and torture – including an electric cattle prod – to compel recalcitrant husbands to agree to issue a get.

Husband Of Victim Of Rabbi Barry Freundel Speaks Out

"Conversions should not be exclusively decided by men for men are not emotionally equipped  as women to deal with it…"

Vast Majority Of Haredi Soldiers Aren’t Really Haredim, Internal IDF Report Finds

An internal IDF report on the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox soldiers shows that almost all of the soldiers entering haredi IDF units are not actually haredim, confirming what FailedMessiah.com has been reporting for two years. The report also shows that the IDF is segregating new ‘haredi’ recruits by ethnicity.

Haredi Über Thief Eliyahu Weinstein Moved To Low Security Prison, Despite Being Deemed A Flight Risk By Judge

As soon as Federal Judge Joel A. Pisano retired, the Federal Bureau of Prisons moved haredi über thief Eliyahu Weinstein from a medium security prison in Colorado to a low security prison in Danbury, Connecticut, despite Pisano's plea to the BOP to keep Weinstein away from the major Jewish communities he often victimized and in a place that would be exceeding hard to escape from. But the BOP moved Weinstein – who stole hundreds of millions of dollars in a series of frauds (he even stole money while out on bail awaiting sentencing) and ruined many families – to a lower security facility on the East Coast even though he'd been in the Colorado facility for less than three months. Why?

A Response From A Victim To Chabad Of Melbourne

"…Anybody who was expecting that genuine and much needed reform was imminent will be sorely disappointed. You will find no acceptance of responsibility and no commitment to seriously consider adopting the recommendations of the Royal Commission. Instead, just confirmation that the Yeshivah Centre intends to continue operating in the farcical manner which led to this point in the first place. The seemingly self-appointed, unaccountable, men and woman who claim to represent the Yeshivah Centre will continue to do as they wish and treat their members, the parent body and the broader community with contempt.…"

An Open Letter To The Melbourne Chabad Community

"…We regret, therefore, that we find ourselves in a position where the good name of the [Chabad Yeshivah] Centre is under threat and confidence has been diminished. We wish it were otherwise. We want to reassure everyone that we are committed to making the Centre and our school better, stronger, and more transparent.…"

Four More Members Of Chabad’s Melbourne Leadership Resign Under Pressure

Four members of Melbourne, Australia's Chabad’s Yeshivah Centre’s committee of management (COM) have just resigned under pressure as Chabad's out of control child sex abuse scandal continues to take its toll on the men and women who enabled it.

Was This The Work Of The Alleged "Prodfather" Rabbi Mendel Epstein, Rabbi Martin Wolmark And Rabbi Yisroel Belsky?

Almost 20 years ago, Rabbi Abraham Rubin accused Rabbi Mendel Epstein of kidnapping him and torturing him to try to extort a Jewish religious divorce known as a get. Then-Brooklyn DA Charles J. Hynes refused to prosecute, and Epstein – who is now on federal criminal trial for a similar kidnapping and extortion plot – walked free. So did one of Epstein's co-conspirators, Rabbi Martin "Mordechai" Wolmark, and another haredi rabbi implicated – but never arrested or indicted – in witness tampering, harassment and related crimes committed against victims in child sex abuse cases, Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, the rosh yeshiva (dean) of Torah Vodaas yeshiva in Brooklyn.

Another Form Of Public Corruption? De Blasio, Cuomo, Other NY Officials Fail To Respond To Written Complaints Over Inadequate Haredi Education

“We wrote to the governor, the attorney general, the mayor and the chancellor. I do that periodically…and this is the first time I’ve never gotten a single response."

Controversial Comedian Sarah Silverman Gets Out Vote For Left-Wing Meretz Party

"ISRAEL! If you are a Meretz supporter you NEED to VOTE MARCH 17. Every vote counts. If you don't vote, you can't complain," Silverman tweeted today.

102-Year-Old Haredi Leader Tells Haredim To Get Out The Vote To Avoid A "Desecration Of God's Name"

Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman's speech was exceedingly brief and succinct, but its message was clear – get out and vote for the Ashkenazi haredi United Torah Judaism Party (UTJ) in next week's national Knesset election or you'll cause a massive chillul HaShem (desecration of God's name).

Has ISIS Come To Israel? Zionist Orthodox Jews Smash 'Immodest' Biblical Statue Over Alleged “Idol Worship”

A local artist made a statue of a woman depicting a scene from Tanakh (the Hebrew bible) and put it up on a traffic circle in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Tekoa, sparking a backlash of fundamentalism in the town that resulted in the statue being smashed and claims that local Zionist Orthodox Jews are acting like "ISIS."

200 Disruptive Breslov Hasidim Refuse To Leave Holiday Park In Holland, Park Threatens Eviction

The hasidim are followers of Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the Shuvu Banim Breslov leader wanted in Israel for alleged sex crimes against female followers – including at least one minor. Berland has been on the run for more than two years but was arrested in September in Amsterdam’s international airport on an international arrest warrant.

Chabad Refuses To Respond To Resignations Demand From Child Sex Abuse Victims

A Chabad Yeshivah Melbourne spokesman said the centre would not be responding to the victims' letter calling for resignations of Chabad's Board of Trustees and its Committee of Management.

Chabad Promised Help To Child Sex Abuse Victims But Then Failed To Help Victim In Time Of Intense Crisis, Emails Show

After 12 days, repeated emails, danger and frustration, Chabad's Yeshivah Centre in Melbourne still refuses to help a victim of child sex abuse who is in crisis, even though Chabad said it was opening a program to help victims get therapy. Yet Chabad was unwilling to act quickly when told a victim was in crisis and needed that therapy immediately. All Chabad's talk about understanding that child sex abuse is often akin to murder, that it deeply damages many victims and puts some into very dangerous crisis has been shown to be false. This victim remains in crisis without help because of Chabad which still does not seem to care or understand.

Jerusalem Supermarket Removes Haredi Modesty Sign But Admits No Wrongdoing

A haredi modesty sign has been removed from a public supermarket in Jerusalem's Talpiot neighborhood after customers, neighbors and, ultimately, a local politician and the store’s landlord complained.

Opponents Sue NY State Over Kiryas Joel Annexation

Opponents of an annexation petition to move 507 acres from the Town of Monroe into the Satmar hasidic Village of Kiryas Joel are suing the State of New York for appointing Kiryas Joel lead agency for the proposed annexation's environmental review, noting that Kiryas Joel has fined by the DEC and the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to comply with state and federal environmental laws.

An Open Letter To Chabad's Yeshivah Centre Board And Committee Of Management From 11 Survivors Of Child Sex Abuse Calls For All Leaders To Resign Immediately

"…It is astounding and a further indictment on the Yeshivah Centre that no genuine public action has been taken to date by your institution in response to the Royal Commission public hearing. Rather, Yeshivah has merely issued a carefully crafted public statement, which in our firm view is the continuation of a public relations strategy designed to deflect responsibility, and to refuse to confront the significant failures of leadership at Yeshivah.…"

Hasidic Abuse Whistleblower Sam Kellner Sues Alan And Nathan Dershowitz

“This is just to show for every kid, no matter how small you think you are, in the end the truth is going to come out. This is to give courage to those people. The top-notch lawyers are coming against you. You feel like you’re just a loner. But justice is going to come out in the end.” – Sam Kellner

Orthodox Jewish Gay Drag Queens Take NYC By Storm

“Being a drag queen frees you up to say whatever the f#*k you want.”

Corruption? Canadian Government Minister Violated Ethics Rules When Funding Chabad Project

Minister of Public Works and Government Services Diane Finley breached conflict-of-interest rules by giving preferential treatment and federal funding to a poorly run Chabad-Lubavitch project in Markham, Ont. that also featured “a number of interventions” by the Prime Minister’s Office in support of the funding, says Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson. The money appears to have been given to Chabad in return for its encouragement of political support for the Conservative Party.

Matisyahu Talks About His Religious Practice – And Lack Thereof

Matisyahu was once a Chabad-Lubavitch ba'al teshuva known worldwide as a hasidic reggae singer. Today, Matisyahu is no longer completely frum, as he explains in this new interview.