Friday, September 3, 2021
Texas abortion law: The implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58426145
Just because the court declined to pass judgement on the merits of the Texas law doesn't mean the court's ruling won't have an immediate knock-on effect. Texas appears to have found a way around quick judicial review of constitutionally questionable laws.
The state law outsources enforcement of the abortion ban to private citizens, who can file lawsuits against abortion providers and individuals who "aid and abet" the procedure - collecting $10,000 (£7,230) in damages for each case they win. With no government official or entity enforcing the ban, the Supreme Court majority held, there's no one for opponents of the law to sue until those private cases start showing up in court.
The tactic doesn't have to be limited to abortion, either. One can imagine liberal states passing legislation allowing citizen enforcement of handgun bans, global warming regulations or vaccine mandates.
‘It’s Time to Get Out’: Why Jews Are Fleeing South Africa for Israel
In the first eight months of 2021, 350 South African Jews moved to Israel – more than the total number for 2020. At the current pace, Jewish Agency officials estimate that more than 500 will arrive by the year’s end. That would be the largest number in any given year since the fall of the apartheid regime. It would be surpassed only by the aliyah waves that followed the 1967 Six-Day War and the Soweto riots of the mid-1970s.
Thursday, September 2, 2021
Number of ultra-Orthodox With COVID on the Rise, and Most Are Under 18
The number of confirmed COVID cases in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community has surged over the past few weeks following the reopening of schools and other educational institutions, and are now far exceeding national rates.
According to Health Ministry figures obtained by Haaretz, some 20 percent of all those diagnosed with COVID in Israel on Tuesday are ultra-Orthodox; that figure was just 10 percent three weeks ago, and five percent just one month ago.
More than 1,000 ‘Rabbis for Repro’ work for abortion rights. Their fight just got tougher.
Some Jews, mostly Orthodox, oppose abortion, and have been active in the movement to overturn Roe. But Ruttenberg said that Orthodox Jews are represented in Rabbis for Repro. That subgroup includes Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, a popular writer and motivational speaker, and several Orthodox women who have been ordained and use the titles maharat or rabba.
Orthodox theology does not assign a fetus the status of a person, as do many Christians opposed to abortion, Rabbi Avi Shafran, a spokesman for Agudath Israel of America, a leading Orthodox group, told the Forward in 2019. And abortion is permitted in Orthodoxy to save the life of the mother and sometimes for other medical complications with permission from one’s rabbi.
Tamar Epstein: With the denial of R' Gartner and R' Stern - the Kaminetskys are the only Getless marriage supporters known to exist
Bs"d R. ... shlita shalom rav, how are things, long time no speak. It's come to my attention that certain individuals (bloggers et. al) are identifying me as one of the Rabbonim who signed off on the Tamar Epstein heter of kiddushei ta'us. This is totally untrue. Please feel free to disseminate the gist of this email as you deem proper on a need-to-know basis.
All the best and have a 'gutten vinter'
Tzvi Gartner
My brother Rav Dovid Eidensohn sent this todayב״הלכל מאן דבעי למידעהובא לידיעתי, שנתפרסמה בשוק, שאני הייתי מהב״ד שעקרו הקידושין של ״אהרן פרידמן״ להאשה ״תמיר עפשטיין״, ובצירוף הרבנים הרב שלום קמנצקי והרב צבי גרטנר.ומצאתי לעצמי חובה להודיע, שדברים הנ״ל דברי שקר הם.מעולם לא עסקתי בדברים כאלו. ולא היה לי שום שייכות לדבר כמו עקירת קידושין של הזוג הנ״ל. את הרבנים הרב שלום קמנצקי והרב צבי גרטנר אני לא מכיר. ומעולם לא דברתי עמהם, ותו לא מידי.ולאות אמת באתי על החתום ביום ל׳ תשרי א׳דר״ח מרחשון תשע״וגבריאל שטערן
I spoke to Rabbi Gavriel Stern that somebody named as a signer on the permission for Tamir to remarry and he vehemently rejected it. I sent in his remarks in Hebrew to my brother. I know people who are seeking out a name of people who signed for her to remarry. So far, the only thing that makes sense is that Rabbi Greenblatt relied on Rabbi Kaminetsky and his son. And I know Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetsky and also somebody who got a Kesubo from him and it was invalid. He does not know the laws of Gittin, and he once asked me where in the laws of Gittin does it say about writing names. If he doesn't know that, he is surely not a Gadol and he surely has no right to tell Tamir to remarry without a GET.
We know a few other rabbis who have in the past indicated that they would annul a marriage, but none of them are "Gedolim" and Rabbi Greenblatt told me that he did what he did because Gedolim wanted it done. I doubt if any Gedolim signed it, because the big names that I spoke to all were furious about it.
Rabbi Mordechai Willig was so angry that he almost sputtered when he talked about it. Nobody believes that any Gadol who knows Gittin laws signed the paper, and the Kaminetskies I know are not experts in Gittin. I talk about Gittin because I have the warm backing of Reb Moshe Feinstein and Reb Yosef Shalom Elyashev and Reb Shmuel HaLevi Wosner and other Gedolei HaDor. I did my shimush homework for many years, learning under Reb Aharon Kotler and every Gadol I could meet. But today, who knows the laws of Gittin? A lot of them are making it up as they go along, and the result will be many questionable children in the coming generation.
I know that these people are concerned about women who need a GET. But why are they not concerned about babies born mamzerim? After all, some of them will be ladies.
Eternal Jewish Family - Rav Nachum Eisenstein where are you?
Last November Eternal Jewish Family held a major event in Washingston. The participants included"
In addition to the chief rabbis, major presentations were delivered byTorah luminaries from around the world, including Harav ReuvenFeinstein, (Staten Island), President, EJF Halachic Committee, HaravBaruch Dov Povarsky, (Ponevezh) Harav Yitzchok Scheiner, (Kaminetz)-via video link, Harav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi, (Ateres Yisroel), HaravMoshe Shapiro, (Ulpana) Harav Hillel David (Sharey Torah) , HaravSimcha HaCohen Kook, (Rechovot), Harav Shmuel Lazer Stern, (Beis Din ofHarav Hagaon Shmuel Wosner), Chairman, EJF Halachic Committee inIsrael, Harav Shmuel Dishon, (Yad Yisroel, Karlin-Stolin), Harav AbbaBronspigel, (Touro Rabbinical College), Harav Nochum Eisenstein, (Va'adl'Inyonei Giyur, Yerushalayim), Harav Yakov Velvel Katz ( Rosh Kolel,Yad Chaim Mordechai), Harav Mordechai Dov Fein (Rav, Machzikeh Hadas)Harav Moshe Meiselman (Toras Moshe) Harav Mordechai Neugroschel, ,Harav Pinchus Rabinowitz, (Rosh Beis Din Ezer Mishpat), Harav ShlomoRyback (Rabbinical Council of America), Harav Nota Schiller (OhrSomayach International) Harav Dovid Schochet ( Beis Din of Toronto),Harav Mendel Senderovic, (Rosh Beis Din, Milwaukee), Harav MosheSoloveitchik, (Merkaz Rabbonim, Chicago), Harav Leib Tropper, (YeshivaKol Yaakov/Horizons), Harav Avrohom Union, (Va'ad Rabbinical Council ofCalifornia), Harav Yisroel Webster( Beis Din of New York), Harav DavidYosef, (Yichaveh Daas and son of Harav Hagaon R' Ovadia Yosef as wellas Conference Chairmen Mr. Marvin Jacob, Esq., Mr. Neil Auerbach, Mr.Malcolm Hoenlein and EJF Chairman Thomas S. Kaplan.Next week - a year later [after Rav Sternbuch & the Bedatz issued condemnations of EJF and Rav Eliashiv had their convention in Argentina canceled in February] - Eternal Jewish Family is holding a much more modest event in Philadelphia. The participants are scheduled to be:
The overseas guests will include Dayan Avrohom Sherman, Chief Dayanof Israel’s Supreme Rabbinical Court, Dayan Raphoel Eliyahu Aisherig(Chief Rabbinate, Israel), Dayan Chanoch Ehrentrau, Chairman of theConference of European Rabbis and Dayan Menachem Gelley (UK). Some 40dayanim and Roshei Yeshiva will participate in the conference whichwill air some of the important emerging halachic issues that constantlycome to the fore on universally accepted conversion standards inintermarriage. All but some of the dayanim at the conference are partof a growing network of independent batei din in North America thathave adopted the geirus standards of leading poskim, as is beingpromulgated by EJF International.
The conference will be opened by Harav Shmuel Kaminetsky, RoshYeshiva of the Yeshiva of Philadelphia and a member of the MoetzesGedolei Hatorah of Agudas Yisroel. Also addressing the conference willbe Harav Reuven Feinstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta of Staten Island andChairman of the Halachic Committee of EJF, Harav Dovid Olewski, RoshYeshiva of the Gerer Mesivta (Brooklyn) Harav Betzalel TuviaWettenstein (Belzer Dayan of Monsey)and Rabbi Eliyahu Levin (Lakewood).
Why is there no mention of Rav Eisenstein - Rav Eliyiashiv's representative for geirus - who was prominently involved in previous conventions? Would greatly appreciate any information - including whether the failure to mention Rav Eisentein was just a error and that he in fact will be there.
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
After six years on the run, Israeli man arrested over divorce refusal
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-six-years-on-the-run-israeli-man-arrested-over-divorce-refusal/
An Israeli man who disappeared nearly seven years ago after refusing to give his wife a religious bill of divorce, known as a get, was found sitting in his car in south Tel Aviv and has been arrested, advocates representing the woman said Wednesday.
Madison Cawthorn Is Openly Talking About Civil War at This Point
“If our election systems continue to be rigged and
continue to be stolen, then it’s gonna lead to one place and that’s
bloodshed,” Cawthorn said
at the Republican event. “And I will tell you: As much as I am willing
to defend our liberty at all costs, there’s nothing that I would dread
doing more than having to pick up arms against a fellow American. And
the way that we can have recourse against that is if we all passionately
demand that we have election security in all 50 states.”
Divorce Court Battle Heats Up
https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/divorce-court-battle-heats-up/
But Rabbi Auman’s petition expands the criticism to include more moderate members of the Modern Orthodox movement. Among the signatories are Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, N.J., a self-described “lefty” because of his leadership in Shvil Hazahav, which supports the Oslo Accords; Rabbi Simcha Krauss of the Young Israel of Hillcrest in Flushing, Queens, an advocate of women’s prayer groups; Rabbi Yosef Adler of Congregation Rinat Yisroel in Teaneck, N.J.; and Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt of the Riverdale Jewish Center in the Bronx.
Israeli Supreme Court: Infidelity in marriage should not be a factor in dividing property during divorce
After 30 years of marriage, the husband petitioned for a divorce at the Rabbinic Court, together with a petition to divide the couple’s property. The Regional Rabbinic Court, in accordance with the legal precedents ruled by the Supreme Court (the “specific community property rule”), concluded that the wife is entitled to half of the family home that was registered under the husband’s name (as it was built on property belonging to him before the marriage) and where the couple lived throughout most of their married life. The husband appealed to the Grand Rabbinic Court arguing that the wife had committed adultery just before the end of their marriage (a claim that was denied by the wife) and, therefore, she is not eligible to receive her portion of the residential property. The appeal was accepted and the Grand Rabbinic Court concluded that because it was convinced that the wife was unfaithful and “based on this infidelity” she was not eligible to receive any part of the residential property. The wife turned to the Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, requesting that it overturn the decision. The request was rejected by a majority of the judges.
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