Opuscula Drilling holes In Jewish boat

WHAT HAVE WE BECOME?

All peoples have a few who embarrass the majority, but Jews — in particular those claiming to be “orthodox” — seem to be making negative headlines in increasing numbers lately.

THE ONGOING embarrassment in Lakewood NJ.

Six more arrested in Lakewood welfare fraud case

Three more couples were arrested as part of a crackdown in a haredi community in New Jersey on illegally obtaining government benefits.

The couples arrested Tuesday night in Lakewood allegedly obtained over $670,000 in total in government benefits fraudulently, according to NJ.com.

They are Yitzchok and Sora Karanek, Chaim and Liatt Ehrman, and William and Faigy Friedman.

On Monday, four couples were arrested in the same probe for under-reporting their incomes to receive government benefits. A rabbi was among those arrested.

“My office gave clear guidance and notice to the Lakewood community in 2015 of what is considered financial abuse of these programs,” Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato said on Monday. “Those who choose to ignore those warnings by seeking to illegally profit on the backs of taxpayers will pay the punitive price of their actions.”

A few “bad apples” in a whole community of people who — in this case, pretend to — follow halacha “מין התורה”. Theft is even among the Big Ten!

Fortunately, most crimes committed by Jews — regardless of affiliation, if any — are financial, not physical (murder, assault, burglary, robbery of a person).

When I was a reporter for the Harrisburg Patriot-News in the mid-70s I visited Lewisburg Penitentiary — officially United States Penitentiary Lewisburg — to see how life would be for the a Watergate burglar.

What I found was an open dormitory. On each bed was the name of the occupant. I noticed a few “Jewish” names so I asked the jailer what did these folks do to get a free stay at a federal pen. “Paper crimes,” he said. This was well before Ponzi schemer Bernie Madof became a guest of Butner Federal Correctional Complex. Butner is an equal opportunity facility; it also hosted televangelist Jim Bakker.

Lately it seems prisons in the U.S. and Israel are home to an increasing number of (in)famous “religious” Jews, including:

Court Convicts Former Chief Rabbi On Charges Of Fraud, Breach Of Trust

Former Ashkenazi chief rabbi pleads guilty to corruption, faces jail

A current Member of Knesset from a “religious” party (graft, fraud and breach of trust)

A rabbi who disgraced a famous Moroccan family (bribery)

Mortgage, welfare fraud bust in Brooklyn, Orange and Rockland county Orthodox communities

Police arrested more than a dozen people Thursday morning in connection with alleged mortgage and welfare fraud operating within Orthodox Jewish communities.

Thirteen members of two extended families were taken into custody, accused of securing 20 mortgage loans totaling $20 million for properties. They are accused of vastly overstating their incomes and the amount of money in their bank accounts to obtain the loans, which then went into default

Wealthy Orthodox Couples Charged in $1.3M Brooklyn Benefits Scam

Federal prosecutors charged three Brooklyn couples lying about their assets to qualify for a raft of government programs meant to aid poor people.

The six men and women, all in their late thirties and early forties, were arrested in Williamsburg on September 27. News of their arrests spread fast on Orthodox social media channels.

Satmar Hasidic Activist Isaac Sofer Arrested for Food Stamp Fraud

The Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested prominent Brooklyn Satmar community activist Isaac Sofer on Thursday morning on charges that he lied in order to obtain food stamps.
Sofer manages government relations for the Central United Talmudical Academy, the Williamsburg yeshiva system that serves followers of the politically connected Satmar Grand Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum. Sofer was the public face of his community’s support for Bill de Blasio during the 2013 mayoral campaign.
According to a complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday, Sofer vastly understated his own income and assets in order to receive $30,000 in food stamps through the federal SNAP program.

Unfortunately, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Full URLs

In the event the embedded URLs fail to open the referenced site, cut and paste the relevant URL into the browsers address field.

Six more arrested in Lakewood welfare fraud case

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/231749?utm_source=activetrail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Court Convicts Former Chief Rabbi On Charges Of Fraud, Breach Of Trust

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Court-convicts-former-chief-rabbi-on-charges-of-fraud-breach-of-trust-490844

Former Ashkenazi chief rabbi pleads guilty to corruption, faces jail

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/231749?utm_source=activetrail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Rabbi convicted of trying to bribe the head of the Israel Police’s National Fraud Squad

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Rabbi-Pinto-headed-to-prisonFtrust-to-begin-1-year-sentence-445047

A current Member of Knesset from a “religious” party (graft, fraud and breach of trust)

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/01/israel-shas-deri-interior-ministry-comeback-bribery-prison.html

Mortgage, welfare fraud bust in Brooklyn, Orange and Rockland county Orthodox communities

http://abc7ny.com/news/13-arrested-in-alleged-mortgage-welfare-fraud-in-orthodox-communities/393517/

Wealthy Orthodox Couples Charged in $1.3M Brooklyn Benefits Scam

http://forward.com/news/351162/wealthy-orthodox-couples-charged-in-13m-brooklyn-benefits-scam/

Satmar Hasidic Activist Isaac Sofer Arrested for Food Stamp Fraud

http://forward.com/news/357987/satmar-hasidic-activist-isaac-sofer-arrested-for-food-stamp-fraud/

 

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

 

Comments: Comments on Drilling Holes

Opuscula Do haridim Really control “Jewish” state?Apparently the answer is YES!

Reform Jews in the U.S., and maybe Canada, too, are making headlines in Israel because they have the nerve to disagree with the religious establishment in the “Jewish” state.

The “religious establishment” — the haridi Super Jews — have a strangle hold on everything that touches on a life event in Israel —weddings, birth, conversions, divorce, death, and burial.

Representatives of the Reform movement went to Israel’s first prime minister — following his retirement from the Knesset — belatedly challenging his apparent caving to the haridim on a number of subjects — the wall, stipends for yeshiva “boys,” exemptions from military and national service, and control of all life events (ibid.), among other things.

The first prime minister told the Reform representatives that if 30,000 (Reform) Jews moved to Israel, he might be able to counter the haridim demands. That didn’t happen.

Nor did Jews affiliated with the Conservative movement flock to Israel. Those that did received zero support from the movement if there was an individual issue with the political rabbinate. “Don’t make waves.”

Meanwhile, the majority of Israel’s Jewish population either were heloni (non-observant) or what would now be categorized as “modern orthodox.”

Suddenly — in “Jewish time” — feminists are demanding a place at the Western (NOT “wailing”, ever) Wall not in the women’s section but to mingle with the men. Now come the non-traditional Jews of America (and elsewhere, but primarily the U.S.) demanding a special section for integrated sex prayer — as practiced in Conservative and Reform congregations.

The fact that there already are segregated sections for men and for women is not enough; apparently these men and women cannot function sans their spouse/significant other at their side.

The current government HAD a plan to set aside a section of the Wall, currently unassigned to men or to women, that would have satisfied a few of the less strident “progressives.” The Super Jews of the religious parties managed to cow the government — of which they are part of the ruling coalition — into cancelling the plan.

The Reform and Conservative movements are in high dudgeon over the haridim’s success in cancelling the bill.

The same religious-parties’ politicians also managed to subvert laws that would remove halakic conversions from the control of anyone but their hand-picked rabbis both within Israel and outside Israel (“hu’’l”) — never mind that one of their acceptable rabbis in America ended up in jail for secretly filming women as they prepared for ritual baths; while you are at it, never mind a former Israeli Chief Rabbi who also ended up in jail for 3-to-5 for corruption, or that a leader of a Mizrachi haridi political party was sentenced to four years in gaol for taking bribes — he now is a Member of Knesset!

Israel’s political leadership — less the Super Jews’ parties — are suddenly aware that Jews outside of Israel may be having second thoughts about supporting the state; their Zionism is waning rapidly as they feel they are being badly treated by the haridim,

Unlike most democracies, religion in Israel is part of government; there is no separation of “church and state.” There are few places — Vatican City comes to mind — where religious leadership so controls a nation’s politics. There have been attempts, but eventually, most rule-by-religion governments failed.

Israel’s helonim and “modern orthodox” Jews make up the majority population. For the most part, they have tolerated rabbinic control of their lives, but this seems to be changing.

The haridim, from their position of power — they can bring down the government — realize times are changing, but rather than compromise a little they apparently prefer to go down fighting. In the end, this will cost them their power. Not today. Not tomorrow. But eventually.

All non-traditional Jews, and perhaps modern orthodox as well, outside of Israel need to do to hasten the religious parties’ exit from power is to close their wallets.

This scrivener is a dual-national living in the U.S. who considers himself an observant Jew. I do not appreciate labels; a Jew is a Jew is a Jew. Some are more observant, some are less observant, but all are Jews.

 

 

If the links fail to work, see http://tinyurl.com/y82lye4d to learn how to find/access them. It's a Google problem.

 

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

 

Comments: Comments on Control of Jewish state)

Opuscula Giving a gift The gifted wants

I have three and a half children; my three plus my son-in-law. They all are keepers.

My first born called me before Father’s Day and asked what I wanted. I told him and suggested he and his brother, who live in the same area, go together for the gift. (They did.)

My son-in-law apparently asked my wife if I would like a new cell phone — a smart phone with all the bells and whistles. My daughter gave her mother her old smart phone and now my wife is au courant.

His mother-in-law told him that I was happy with my antique flip phone and that I probably would not use a smart phone if I had one. (She was/is correct.)

My cell phone is a ZTE 221 flip phone. It has a camera that I don’t use. It has text messaging capability that I don’t use. If I go overseas I can swap out the SIM card for a local carrier’s card so I don’t need an app for that. (I don’t plan any overseas trips in the near future.) My flip phone functions just fine as a phone, and that’s ALL I want from it.

There are no apps to download to it; consequently no apps to take up memory space. If I want to know about the weather I open a window or door and look out. (I also can check on the computer, but that smacks of “cheating.”

It’s smaller than any smart phone; it easily fits into a shirt pocket. The screen is protected by a hard case — unlike a smart phone.

Plus, it’s a darn sight less expensive to buy and operate than a smart phone. I have a Consumer Cellular $15 plan for more minutes than I use; the wife, with her “smart phone” has many more minutes plus text plus data … and she pays accordingly. Even adding the house phone minutes (via a ZTE WF721 adapter that turns landline phones into cellular phones) she still never maxes out her call, text, or data limits. (In the house, she connects to our Wi-Fi for data.)

I don’t know what my son-in-law paid for the smart phone he now must return for a refund. Consumer Cellular’s least expensive smart phone, a Motorola Mote E Lite, lists for US$40 which, as smart phones go, is inexpensive. But would I carry a “Lite” phone? Not on your tin type. (I don’t drink “lite” beer, either.)

The only thing my ancient flip phone lacks is GPS. I don’t want GPS to give ME directions — I have two (2) GPS units for the flivver — but it would be nice if I needed to be found by EMS/EMT personnel; the GPS phones are “pinged” from time to time to triangulate the phone’s position.

When I was traveling from Virginia to Florida one time, an 18-wheeler went off the road and rolled. I needed to call for help, but didn’t really know where I was … the road, yes, but close to what mile marker. A GPS would have been handy; the 9-1-1 operator could have “pinged” the phone GPS and known where to send assistance.

I am not adverse to technology, but I see no reason I need to keep up with the Jones. ”If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

I appreciate my son-in-law’s intent; I just don’t want a smart phone. (I’ll be the only hold out in the family — even my grandkids, 2 and “almost 7” are smart phone experts.)

I like simple things. I drive a (relatively) simple car that almost any mechanic can repair. I shoot a revolver rather than a semi-automatic; it’s easier to clean and less subject to jamming. (My son the cop spends hours cleaning his semi-autos while I spend minutes cleaning the wheel gun.)

There WAS a time when I wanted all the new toys for my work, but as a geezer, I’m fond of my old toys. I like things simple; things I can fix — or get fixed — without having to mortgage the G650.

 

---

If the links fail to work, see http://tinyurl.com/y82lye4d to learn how to find/access them. It's a Google problem.

 

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments: Comments on GIFTS

Opuscula Cohen’s blessing: This way and that

THE TORAH TELLS COHENIM

I cannot offer a translation, but most sidurim used in synagogues outside of Israel include translations into the local language.

Over the years — I’m in what Avot calls the “the fullness of (my) years*” — I have visited many different synagogues. In Sefardi congregations, the cohen(s) bless the congregation at least once every day.

* Pirkei Avot 5:21

Ashkenazim have different traditions.

But while I’m not supposed to look at the cohenim as the recite, word for word, the blessing, I do look.

I’m interested in how they move.

According to Moroccan tradition, at least as it’s set down in the Sedur Avotanu (one of two Moroccan sidurim I own, the other being VyZerach HaShemesh), I read that

IF the instructions in the small print above apply across the board, then it behooves rabbis to train their cohenim. It is unfortunate that (apparently) only a few sidurim include “How To” instructions

Somewhere, perhaps at Ellis Island where Israels became Cohens and Levys at the whim of a U.S. official unable to pronounce — let alone spell — the names of the new immigrants, there became a plethora of pseudo -cohens and levi’im.

Eventually, over the years, perhaps some of these ersatz cohenim came to believe they really ARE direct descendents of Aaron, the first Cohen Gadol.

Or, perhaps, the father of a real cohen forgot what his father taught him so he was unable to pass along the traditions. Sad.

The same can be said for the levi’im. They don’t have a lot to do now; one of the things they still do is pour water over the hands of the cohenim before the cohenim go to the aron to bless the congregation. As an Israel I once in a “blue moon” find myself a “pour man” and, frankly, I don’t know what to do.

An aside. Unless you are a cohen, visit a Jewish cemetery and pay heed to the markers. A cohen’s marker often has two uplifted hands; a levy’s stone often includes a pitcher. Actually, a visit to any cemetery is interesting; some stones offer a clue the person’s history; stones of infants and youngsters suggest a plague or other disaster took its toll on a community. It’s hardly “morbid,” but assuredly fascinating.

We have classes in many things, but I fail to recall ever hearing of a class for cohenim — or livi’im, either.

I’m not certain if the Moroccan way (ibid.) is the only way, and I’m open to being educated. (Yohanon.Glenn@gmail.com)

I’m always amazed at how many things Jews have in common regardless of where they lived for centuries. All (observant) Jewish men put on tallit and tefillin — albeit with some differences in the procedures — and all (observant) Jewish women light Shabat and holiday lights.

Bottom line: I am not a rabbi and I don’t play one on tv. I DO cite my sources.

 

 

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Opuscula When a “cheap” Flight isn’t cheap

I RECENTLY WAS TOLD ABOUT TWO “low cost” airlines flying MIA – TLV with only one stop.

Flying out of MIA (Miami International) is less of a hassle now that a fast train lets me beat interstate traffic and arrive at the airport quickly and in reasonable comfort. There still is the “40-mile hike” from the train to the ticket counter and then on to the boarding portal via the winding line to TSA. (Coming back to MIA is no better.)

ANYWAY . . .

I CHECKED the prices to fly MIA > TLV > MIA on Iceland’s WOW airline.

At first blush, the price was impressive. If I bought a ticket today for a flight in October (10/10) the I would pay US$479.99. Truely WOW!

But, like a tv ad, there was a “But wait” to the price. Actually, several “but waits.”

The ticket was one way with one stop – KEF.

That didn’t bother me; I’d LIKE to stop in Reykjavík, but preferably during the area’s one day of summer. (I went MIA > AMS > TLV in the first week of August wearing only a short-sleeved shirt; I was cold — but I enjoyed my over-night stay none-the-less. Schiphol is a nice airport.)

The FIRST “got’cha” was that the US$479.99 was only from MIA to TLV.

To come back to MIA a little more than two weeks later (10/25) I would have to pay an additional US$399.99. (I hate 99¢ pricing.)

So now the ticket would cost US$880 less 2¢ — plus taxes and all the other check-out add on surprises.

For US$880 (less 2¢) I could have one “personal” item — cannot be a computer; TSA won’t allow that as a carry on anymore — and one checked bag from MIS to TLV. On the way BACK to MIA, I would have to pay US$49.99 for the stowed bag. Maybe WOW knows about people going to Israel: they are loaded with gifts for their 5,000 closest relatives; the bag is empty on the way back.

(I note that the “booking summary” shows a current bill of US$925.96; that includes US$112.58 for “taxes and fees.”)

Did I mention that for the economy price — and the next level up — passengers need to brown bag their meals. This, of course, is not a problem for the very observant Jew who only trusts his rabbi’s heksure, but for the average Jew who will settle for OU, Star K, Circle K and local certifications, it could be a   l_o_n_g   time between meals. The KEF layover is in excess of 15 hours on the way to TLV, but only slightly more than 5 hours on the return flight. US citizens do NOT need a visa — just the passport — to leave the airport. Passport and suitable clothing.

There ARE options. Business class is attractive — for a price. But, passengeres DO get a meal, a bigger seat (there are only 6 such seats on the Airbus 321), “XXL legroom,” and priority boarding (translation: the passenger has more time to sit in the tube).

In order to travel in reasonable comfort, the price would be “a little higher.” From US$880 (less 2¢ and all the “taxes and fees), the trip to TLV would be US$1,472.

Granted, WOW’s tickets are a tad less than El Al’s — the carrier is preparing to offer a direct (non-stop) “economy” flight departing MIA to TLV on10/10 and leaving TLV on 10/24 for US$1,220 plus the usual taxes. El Al’s business class would set a passenger back US$4,675 plus taxes, etc. But, no layovers.

Even on El Al’s “cheap” flights passengers are fed and are allowed at least one carry on and one stowed item.

If a passenger is willing to suffer a long layover or is prepared to race from one terminal to another, then almost any airline (or airline combo) can get a person from MIA to TLV. (I have run the terminal gaunlet in New York, Madrid, Rome, London, and — never again — Paris.)

WOW has competition in the economy market from neighboring Finland’s Finnair. Finnair offers a round trip MIA > HEL > TLV for US$1,012 (plus taxes, etc.) Finnair will feed economy class — for a €12 fee. (There also is an a la carte menu.) Finnair allows one carry-on and one checked bag as part of the ticket price, but as with all airlines, there are weight and size limits.

There is a 5-hour layover in HEL on the way to TLV and a 10-hour layover on the way back to MIA.

All prices above are “subject to change,” but they convince me there ARE options to consider.

---

All prices are from the airlines’ web pages.

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.

Comments: In my opinion

Opuscula Meat or milk On Shavuot? Why not both?

WE HAD GUESTS during Shavuot — some Ashkenazi and some Sefardi/Mizrachi.

One question was “Why do Ashkenazim eat dairy food on Shavuot and Sefardim/Mizrachi eat meat?”

At our house it’s a moot question since we happily eat meat and dairy — albeit not at the same meal — during the holiday.

THE DAIRY, the Ashkenazi contingent surmised, is because Israel is called the “Land of milk and honey.”

Good enough, but why meat?

For Sefardim and Mizrachim, two things make a meal: meat and bread. Sans either and — well, it’s just not a complete meal. And a holiday is not a holiday without bread, meat, and wine.

On the second day of Shavuot we read (or at least hear)

ונתתה הכסף בכל אשר-תאוה נפשך בבקר ובצאן וביין ושכר ובכל אשר תשאלך נפשך ואכלת שם לפני '' ושמחת (דברים יד כו

And you shall buy whatever you desire, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatever you desire. (Deuteronomy C14 V26)

Obviously oxen and sheep are meat, so from the Torah Sefardim and Mizrachim understand that makes a person happy includes meat. Since milk is not mentioned in the verse — and in any event can’t be consumed at the same meal — the Sefardi and Mizrachi families have meat on the table.

The same Torah portion makes it abundantly clear that if carrying the offering to the Temple from a distant location was “too difficult,” then the person making the trip could buy what was needed in Jerusalem . . . which is why there were money changers in the Temple area, just as there are money changers today at airports and sea ports.

One of the guests recalls seeing a Hasid — which sect was not specified — that would eat cheese cake wrapped in a cloth or baggie, rinse out his mouth, and immediately eat meat. Shades of Passover and gebrokts !

As with Moroccan Mimunah that — despite the raving of the rabbis — almost all Israelis celebrate, dairy on Shavuot has become a tradition for most Jews in Israel, even Sefardim and Mizrachim.

Here, we have a meat meal in the evening and a dairy lunch the following day.

The best of both worlds.

 

 

PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.