FailedMessiah.com

Haredi Schools Still Use Corporal Punishment, Ex-Haredim Tell Government

A charity and support group for ex-haredim has warned the British government that corporal punishment is widely used in unregistered haredi schools.

Haredim Protest, Arrests Made, As Haredi Men Who Incited Against Haredi IDF Soldiers Arraigned

Dozens of haredim staged a protest this morning outside the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court where three haredi men who were arrested yesterday for their alleged roles in harassing haredi IDF soldiers were being arraigned.

Rivky Stein's RICO Lawsuit Against Recalcitrant Husband, His Family And Business Dismissed

Rivky Stein repeatedly failed to respond to discovery ordered by the court, and yesterday a federal judge tossed out her RICO lawsuit as a result. 

Members Of Marc Gafni's Former Havurah Community Come Out Against Him

Members of ex-rabbi Marc Gafni's Elat Chayyim community come out in support of the change.org petition called Stop Marc Gafni from Abusing Again.

Alleged Child Victim Of Rabbi Marc Gafni Says She Wrote To Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Decades Ago To Tell Him About The Abuse, But Riskin Did Not Respond

"…I am the woman [Marc] Gafni molested when she was 13 years old. This is the first time I am telling my story in my own name. If …[abused] children are lucky, someone will notice there is something wrong. But too often, the police are not involved, and these children are unlikely to be protected. I wasn’t.…"

 

Haredi Get Kidnapper-Torturer Gets 7-Year Sentence

Rabbi David Wax was arrested for kidnapping and torturing a recalcitrant husband until the husband agreed to give his wife a Jewish bill of divorce known as a get. Wax later informed on Rabbi Mendel Epstein, leading to Epstein and nine others being arrested for a similar Jewish divorce kidnapping ring. Today, Wax was sentenced in federal court.

Police Bust 2 Haredim For Alleged Incitement To Violence Against Haredi IDF Soldiers

The two arrested haredim are accused of violating privacy laws and “insulting public servants in the performance of their duty,” police said in a statement, by publicizing their names and personal contact information in an effort to facilitate harassment of the haredi IDF soldiers and their supporters and to allegedly incite violence against them.

The Brainwasher

"…The first inclination of many observers is to label young people who seek out nativist causes like ISIS or the Hilltop Youth as “crazy,” “lunatics,” or “hormone-laden kids.” But behind this perceived lunacy is a certain philosophy, or a general tendency, that we can trace back to leaders who either taught fundamentalist and nativist philosophies or whose teachings have been interpreted to support violence and terror. One such leader affiliates with the Chabad movement in Israel. His name is Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, and many Hilltop Youth attended the yeshiva Od Yosef Chai [which he founded and] where he serves as president…”

Sullivan County Ends Fight To Block Hasidic Votes

The Sullivan County, New York Board of Elections has ended its fight to disqualify votes cast by newly registered hasidic residents of the tiny village of Bloomingburg.

Report: Israeli Government Accidentally Funded Pro-Price Tag Hate Crime Groups

The Knesset's Transparency Committee has proof that various government ministries “unwittingly” funded groups that promote Jewish “price tag” hate crimes against Christians and Palestinians and which fund illegal West Bank Jewish settler outposts.

Cuomo Skates On Moreland Commission Tampering

US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara announced today that there is “insufficient evidence” to indict New Governor Andrew Cuomo on corruption charges related to Cuomo’s abrupt shutdown of the state’s anti-corruption Moreland Commission in 2014.

'Modesty' Israeli Haredi-Style: A Court Order Isn't A Court Order – Even Though It Is

For years, the Sefardi haredi mayor of Beit Shemesh, Rabbi Moshe Abutbol, has refused to order city workers to remove illegal gender-segregation and modesty signs posted by haredim. Last year, a court was so fed up with Abutbol's behavior that it fined the city. Abutbol still refused to remove the signs and, because this is Israel where rule of law isn't always followed, nothing happened – until now.

Satmar Continues To Illegally Gender-Segregate Kiryas Joel Park

The Satmar hasidic village of Kiryas Joel's illegally gender-segregated playground is still gender-segregated, as these signs show. The Yiddish sign warns men and women to stay on their respective sides of the park divider and not mingle or stop to talk with the opposite at the park's the dividers. The New York Civil Liberties Union promoted its out of court settlement with Kiryas Joel over this behavior – a settlement FailedMessiah.com immediately said would not hold. And it hasn't – despite NYCLU insistence that it was a good deal that would last. The English sign warns non-residents that the park is private and they are not welcome to use it. Failure to leave could result in an arrest for trespassing. 

Fire Targets Left-Wing Rights Group, Jewish-Arab School, One Hospitalized

A suspicious fire believed almost certainly to be arson broke out tonight in a building that houses the office of human rights group B'Tselem and the offices of the Jewish-Arab Hand-in-Hand school.

Alleged Sex Abuser Hasidic Rabbi Allegedly Given South African Citizenship, Diplomatic Immunity

Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the head of the Shuvu Banim Breslov hasidic sect, likely now has “a kind of diplomatic status, making him criminally immune" and is holed up in the sect’s secret compound “somewhere between Midrand and Pretoria." Berland is wanted in Israel for a string of alleged sex assaults against female followers, at least one of whom was only 15 when the alleged assault took place.

Haredi Man Arrested For More Than 100 Alleged Sexual Assaults Against Young Female Relative

An 50-year-old haredi resident of Beit Shemesh, Israel was indicted today in the Jerusalem District Court for allegedly committing a string of more than 100 sexual assaults over a four-plus-year period against his young female relative.

Nathan Lewin Spins For The “Prodfather”

Ashkenazi haredi Rabbi Mendel Epstein bragged he would use an electric cattle prod on the genitals of a recalcitrant husband to force him to give his wife a Jewish bill of divorce known as a get. Now Nathan Lewin claims Epstein did no wrong – at least no wrong that deserved FBI intervention.

Do Playgrounds Tell Israel’s Story Of (Dis)Integration?

Israel’s unequal treatment of Palestinians in Jerusalem and other areas was highlighted today when an Israeli court ruled in a case about…playgrounds.

Netanyahu Government Unanimously Approves Twice-Convicted Unrepentant Bribe-Taking Haredi Felon As Interior Minister

If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government get their way, twice-convicted unrepentant haredi felon Aryeh Deri will be Israel's new Interior Minister. 

Catholic Cemetery In Israel Vandalized In Possible Hate Crime

The Catholic Church issued a statement condemning the most recent vandalism. The Church statement also called on Israel Police to find the attackers and bring them to justice. But the Church noted that police had failed to do so after similar incidents.

Iconic Manhattan Modern Orthodox Synagogue Threatens NYC’s Most Prominent Kosher Restauranteur That It Will Have The OU Pull Its Kosher Supervision Unless The Restauranteur Withdraws A $1.8 Million Civil Suit Against It

Lincoln Square Synagogue, the iconic Modern Orthodox Upper West Side congregation founded decades ago by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, allegedly told Joseph Allaham, the owner of Prime Grill and several other high-end kosher eateries in the city, that if he doesn’t withdraw his $1.8 million civil suit against Lincoln Square Synagogue, it will make sure that all of those eateries and their related catering operations lose their Orthodox Union OU Kosher supervision.

Ex-Rabbi Marc Gafni Talks With Advisors About Suing The Forward For Defamation

Ex-rabbi Marc Gafni's alleged affairs (clergy abuse, according to some observers) and his earlier predatory sexual behavior toward two teen girls have put him in the hot seat again after the New York Times published an exposé on Gafni. But now Gafni and his team are talking about suing a publication for defamation to essentially warn other media outlets that writing anything but a fluff piece or praise of Gafni will cost you dearly. How do we know this? Gafni's team mistakenly sent a recording of Gafni's conversation with advisors, including his attorney, to the Forward. And that quickly led to a threat from Gafni's attorney to sue the Forward if it published the recording. The Forward published it anyway.

Haredi City Demolishes Building Because African Asylum Seekers Were Living There

The administration of the City of Bnei Brak, Israel demolished a building in the Pardes Katz neighborhood after it found out the building was being used as housing by African asylum seekers. The demolition was reportedly part of an ongoing plan to force Africans out of the haredi city.

High Court Orders Baby's Immediate “Limited” Autopsy Despite Haredi Riots

Moshe Mizrahi, the 4-month-old grandson of Beit Shemesh’s haredi mayor Rabbi Moshe Abutbol, was buried Thursday night – but not before his body was autopsied against the wishes of his family and the haredi community.

Chief Rabbinate’s Behavior “Inhumane,” Judge Says

“This is a person’s life, we’re talking about very serious matters,” Ben-Or said after first describing the situation many people have found themselves in through no fault of their own: waiting for extended periods of time for the Chief Rabbinate to decide if they are Jewish enough to marry in Israel without the Chief Rabbinate even answering questions regarding the inordinate delays.“It is a right to start a family. I am ashamed that in a functioning state this information cannot be provided. It is an unprecedented scandal. It is not Jewish, and [is] inhumane.”

Yosef Kolko Loses Appeal, Will Stay In Prison Until At Least 2026

Rabbi Yosef Kolko will remain in prison. The former haredi camp counselor from Lakewood, New Jersey will serve the rest of 15-year sentence in state prison after a two-judge appellate court panel rejected his claim that he was coerced by members of the haredi community to falsely plead guilty to sexually assaulting an 11-year-old child in his care at the camp.

How Alleged Sexual Predator Rabbis Gain And Keep Community Support

Based on recent reporting about ex-rabbi Marc Gafni and the people who still support him despite his history of predatory behavior, the founder of the Center for Jewish Feminism, writes about how guys like Gafni, especially rabbis still in the Orthodox community who are like Gafni, get and maintain community support despite allegations of sexual abuse.

To Catch A Rapist

The New York Times Magazine has a long profile of the New Haven, Connecticut Police Special Victims Unit (SVU) that deals with abuse of children and similar crimes.

UPDATED: Haredim Riot And Stone Police Over Baby's Autopsy

Haredim rioted, stoned police, and set garbage dumpsters on fire in Jerusalem overnight to protest a state-ordered autopsy of a four-month-old baby likely killed by an abusive caregiver.

Video: Haredim Scream "Nazi!" At Police And Help Suspect Flee Justice

A small mob of haredim screamed "Nazi!" at Israel Police in Jerusalem as cops reportedly tried to arrest a haredi man Wednesday morning. The mob managed to free the man from police and helped him flee.

Chabad Rabbi Aryeh Leib “Larry” Dudovitz Gets 8 Years For Child Sex Assault

Dudovitz has struggled with “fighting homosexual urges — not sexual predator urges,” his attorney told the court, echoing – perhaps unknowingly – the position of the late Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who allegedly attributed cases of child sex abuse to latent homosexual tendencies and told at least some Chabad rabbis not to report child sex abusers to police.

Israel’s Supreme Court Issues Conditional Order Against Amendment That Gutted Haredi Draft

Israel’s Supreme Court issued a conditional order this afternoon against the recently passed Knesset amendment to Israel’s draft law that further pushed back mandatory military service for haredim and inserted various measures that would essentially ensure that few, if any, actual haredi yeshiva students would be drafted.

Jewish Hate Crimes Down Dramatically, Cops Say, But Stats Reveal Apathetic Response By Police, Shin Bet, Government

Over the last three years, police have opened a total of 1,562 investigations into right-wing price-tag hate crime attacks. But only 287 indictments – under 18% – have been filed in those cases. Almost 40% of those cases – 566 – were closed because police supposedly could not solve them. 275 others were closed due to “insufficient evidence.” And most tellingly, 105 of these Jewish hate crime cases were closed because of a lack of “public interest.” That supposed lack of interest is determined by police and prosecutors and is not subject to any reliable third party review.

18-Year-Old Alleged Extremist Released To House Arrest After 5 Months In Shin Bet Custody

An 18-year-old Jewish alleged extremist from Ma’aleh Adumim, a moderate West Bank Jewish settlement just outside Jerusalem, was released to house arrest from from administrative detention, where he was held by the Shin Bet in connection with a church hate crime arson. Two minors confessed to the crime several days ago.

Zionist Orthodox Soldier From “Haredi” IDF Unit Sentenced To Almost 4 Years For Espionage Against The IDF

A Zionist Orthodox IDF soldier, Corporal Elad Sela, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison yesterday for leaking classified IDF operational plans to extremist West Bank Jewish settlers.

Parents And Their Supporters Ask Chabad Leaders For Transparency In Open Letter Made Necessary By Chabad's Refusal To Honor Its Promise Of Same

The independent group of parents and their supporters that helped bring resignations of many Chabad lay and rabbinic leaders who covered up child sex abuse (or supported those leaders who did so) have asked Chabad's Melbourne Yeshivah Centre trustees for transparency, transparency Chabad promised months ago. But the group, PFYM, had to ask for this transparency in an open letter to the entire local Chabad community because Chabad leadership has consistently refused to answer private correspondence from PFYM or provide any real transparency at all. That stonewalling began in earnest just after lead abuse victim Manny Wax agreed to promote Chabad's efforts at 'reconciliation' with abuse victims – efforts that do not include reconciliation with the advocates, supporters (like PFYM) parents and other family members of those victims.

Video: Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi On Rape

You 'wanton' women who walk around in short skirts and painted faces bring rape on yourselves, and every time you entice men by your dress or your actions you will be tortured in hell for it, Sefardi haredi kiruv (outreach) Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi (also spelled: "Mizrahi") says.

Haredi Kabbalist Loses US Defamation Lawsuit

Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, his top aide (and ex porn distributor and relative) Benzion Suky, and Pinto's US organization sued Ilana Dayan and Israel's Channel 2 News in a New York court last year for defamation. Today a US court threw the lawsuit out and castigated Pinto and Suky for filing it.

Convicted Felon Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto Loses Appeal

Earlier today, Israel's Supreme Court rejected the Sefardi haredi kabbalist’s appeal of his one-year prison sentence for attempting to bribe top police officers and obstruction of justice – a sentence given him as part of plea bargain. That sentence is half of the minimum the law calls for. Pinto appealed it anyway.

Prosecutors Release Some – But Not All – Of The Evidence In The Murder Of Chabad Rabbi Joseph Raksin

Deandre Charles' DNA may have been on Chabad Rabbi Joseph Raksin's right sleeve. But will that at this point limited and seemingly weak DNA evidence along with a seemingly shaky ID be enough to convict him?

Rabbi Barry Freundel's Haredi Voyeurism Victim

One of Rabbi Barry Freundel's self-made voyeurism videos was unlike the other 51. Rather than being taken in the mikvah (women's ritual bath), it had the backdrop of an apartment. Who was this woman? Whose apartment was this? And how did Freundel have the access to secretly video record her naked in her most private intimate moments?

Chabad's Melbourne Yeshivah Centre's Board Of Trustees Explains Why 6 Months Wasn't Long Enough To Hold New Elections

It's almost a year since the Royal Commission exposed decades of child sex abuse and coverups at Chabad's Yeshivah Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Chabad promised Yeshivah Centre restructuring, which was due to be completed by last week at the latest. But it still isn't finished. And that may be because some of the worst offenders – at least in terms of nepotism and abuse coverups – are still in power, as a new letter from the centre's board of trustees shows.

Still Hiding From The Law, Rabbi Eliezer Berland Celebrates 79th Birthday, Allegedly In South African Exile

On the lam for more than two years, fugitive from justice Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the head of Breslov’s Shuvu Banim hasidic sect, celebrated his 79th birthday with 79 balloons given to him by a small subgroup of his followers who allegedly came from Israel to South Africa to celebrate with him.

5 Indicted Hilltop Youth Allegedly Burned Jerusalem's Dormition Abbey

The five were also indicted for the hate crime attempted arson of a Palestinian taxi in the West Bank village of Yasuf, setting fire to a grain silo in the West Bank village of Akraba, two instances of tire-slashing in the Jerusalem Arab neighborhood of Beit Safafa, an assault on a Palestinian shepherd near the West Bank settlement of Kochav Hashahar, and even more acts of violence against Palestinians.

Leader Of Douma Arson-Murder Ring Is New Breslov Hasid, Wife Is Member Of Haredi Taliban Women Burka Cult

After the arson-murders, Ben-Uliel and his wife and 1-year-old daughter reportedly moved to Jerusalem and became, so they told friends, followers of Rabbi Eliezer Berland’s Breslov hasidic movement, Shuvu Banim. Berland has been on a more than two-year flight from justice, running from country to country to avoid deportation and extradition to Israel, where he is wanted for questioning in the rapes and sexual abuse of several young female followers, most of whom were married at the time of their alleged assault, and at least one of whom was a minor at the time the alleged sex assault took place.

Criminal Charges Filed Against Jews In West Bank Arson-Murders Of A Palestinian Baby And His Parents

Two extremist Jews have now been criminally charged in the July 31 arson-murders that killed an 18-month-old Palestinian baby and his sleeping parents in the West Bank Palestinian village of Douma (Duma), and two other Jewish extremists were charged for other racist violence against Palestinians.

Ex-Rabbi Marc Gafni Exposed – Again

“He’s still out there,” said the woman who made the first charge. “And he’s still the same guy who molested a 13-year-old. He’s not a different person.”

Soldier From “Haredi” Battalion Court-Martialed Over Notorious “Wedding Of Hate” Video

The soldier is seen on a video from the wedding celebrating the arson-murder of a West Bank Palestinian baby and the baby’s sleeping parents. Revelers danced to Dov Shurin’s racist song Zochreini Na and waved machine guns, knives and a mock Molotov cocktail in the air which they lit and used to burn a photo of the murdered baby – but not before they took their turns stabbing and slashing the photo with their knives.

Hasidic Couple Busted In Ukraine For Drug Smuggling; But Was It A Setup By A Gur Hasidic Modesty Squad?

The former couple’s divorce was recently finalized and she quickly became engaged to a man the divorced couple’s rabbi had assigned to them as a (likely unlicensed) marriage counselor meant to prevent them from divorcing. The engagement caused widespread anger in the Gur community and even in the woman’s own family.

Haredi Sex Abuser Loses Sex Offender Appeal

Martin Vegh wanted his sex offender status ranking reduced from the Level 2 status he was given. A New York State appellate court ruled against Vegh's appeal today. Vegh's case is perhaps best known because it was allegedly discussed on an illegal recording made by a PI working for haredi child sex abuser Baruch Lebovits. The recording was allegedly heavily and deceptively edited and spliced with other recordings in order to falsely incriminate hasidic anti-child-sex-abuse advocate Sam Kellner.