Friday, August 30, 2019

James Comey helped save democracy when he wrote his memos

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/08/29/james-comey-helped-save-democracy-when-he-wrote-his-memos/

Okay, so former FBI director James B. Comey failed to dot his i’s and cross his t’s in creating and retaining memos detailing his private conversations with President Trump during the months between Trump’s inauguration and his sacking of Comey on May 9, 2017.

The report issued on Thursday by Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz found that Comey broke no laws and did not release any classified information.

But Horowitz took Comey to task for retaining the memos rather than leaving them with the FBI when he departed. The inspector general concluded that the memos were “public records,” not personal documents, as Comey had argued.

Horowitz also larded his report with civics lessons on the rule of law and the “dangerous example” in Comey’s failure to strictly follow FBI guidelines concerning the handling of government records. There is a strong sensation of outrage in the Horowitz report, which the New York Times characterized as “blistering.”

New IG report rebukes Comey — and debunks Trump's lies


But the report also discloses that the FBI has declined to prosecute Comey for these violations, and — notably — it says there is “no evidence” that he or his attorneys leaked classified information.

That last point is key, because Trump has accused Comey of exactly that, and repeatedly — at least 10 times over two years, according to a review of Trump’s comments.

“James Comey leaked CLASSIFIED INFORMATION to the media,” Trump tweeted July 10, 2017, shortly after news broke of the leak. “That is so illegal!”

New: Translation of Vayoel Moshe!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rjm328cgza96vpd/Hakdama%20Vyoel%20Moshe%20In%20English.pdf?dl=0

In connection with the yahrtzeit
of the Satmar Rebbe zy"a this week
we are sending around
this new English translation
of the Hakdama to Vayoel Moshe.
(The translation of the whole sefer
is currently a work in progress.)
Feel free to print and distribute everywhere.


To contribute and take part in the mitzvah
of spreading the Rebbe's works

and the true Torah view on Zionism

NY county’s Republican ad warns of a Hasidic ‘takeover’

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ny-countys-republican-ad-warns-of-a-hasidic-takeover/

 Facebook campaign ad from a US Republican branch has been slammed as anti-Semitic and “deeply disturbing.”
Titled “A storm is brewing in Rockland,” the video by an upstate New York county’s Republican Party took aim at the large and growing Hasidic Jewish community in the county, the specter of “overdevelopment” and a proposed yeshiva campus.
The video, which appeared to have been removed on Thursday morning, features menacing music, the slogan “If They Win, We Lose” and a warning that “they” will “change our way of life.”

Trump’s Steel Industry Claims

https://www.factcheck.org/2019/08/trumps-steel-industry-claims/

Summary
To hear President Donald Trump tell the story of the U.S. steel industry, it went from “dead” or “going out of business” to “thriving” all because of the 25% tariffs on imported steel he instituted in March 2018. While the tariffs have benefited U.S. steel producers, the reality of the impact isn’t that stark.
Domestic prices went up, for instance, but are now back down below the level they were when Trump was inaugurated. Production has gone up, too, but has been higher as recently as 2014. While the industry has announced several new investments, it’s simply not true that a new mill hadn’t been built in “30 years,” as the president wrongly claimed. Steel and iron mill jobs have increased, but they’re below the pre-Great Recession level. And technology has been a major factor affecting the long-term jobs decline.
Below, we’ll look at several claims Trump has made about the steel industry in recent months and how they measure up to the facts.
In late March 2018, Trump instituted the 25% tariffs on imported steel, and 10% tariffs on aluminum, with temporary exemptions for some countries, using his authority under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. As required by the act, the Commerce Department had determined that the imports threatened national security. Two months later, he permanently exempted Argentina, Brazil and South Korea from the steel tariffs, with quotas on imports instead. Australia was also exempted, without a quota. In August 2018, Trump increased the tariff on steel from Turkey to 50%.
This year, in May, Trump lifted the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and lowered the tariff on Turkey back to 25%. U.S. companies also have received exclusions on certain imports.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Trump Reacts To Justice Department Finding James Comey Violated FBI Policy

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-responds-james-comey-fbi-memos_n_5d67e1f0e4b022fbceb797ac

President Donald Trump on Thursday welcomed parts of a report by the Justice Department’s inspector general that concluded former FBI Director James Comey had violated FBI policies in his handling of certain memos regarding his interactions with the president.

While ignoring parts of the report that refute his own repeated claims, Trump said the IG’s findings leave Comey “thoroughly disgraced and excoriated”:

How Sherlock Holmes’ Creator Saved the ‘Scottish Dreyfus’

https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/news/.premium-how-sherlock-holmes-creator-saved-the-scottish-dreyfus-1.6513947

Oscar Slater had all the characteristics needed to become a “suspect” of a heinous crime. He was Jewish, German, an immigrant and a gambler. His police file included complaints about assault under aggravated circumstances, he changed his name several times and hung around with dubious underworld characters. There were also rumors that he was a pimp.

FOX NEWS' SHEPARD SMITH SHREDS TRUMP OVER FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT BORDER WALL, PUERTO RICO: 'THERE'S NO NEW WALL... NOT TRUE'


Fox News anchor Shepard Smith on Wednesday called out Donald Trump's false claims about the southern U.S.-Mexico border wall and Puerto Rico after the president lashed out at the network.

During a segment on Shepard Smith Reporting on Wednesday afternoon, the Fox News host fact-checked Trump's recent claims about Puerto Rico. "President Trump is calling the island one of the most corrupt places on earth. He added [on Twitter] that 'by the way, I'm the best thing that's ever happened to Puerto Rico.' Those are opinions as opposed to facts," he said.

Smith went on to declare that Trump also "repeated his false claims" about the $92 billion aid that Puerto Rico has received, citing a tweet the president posted yesterday.

"That is decidedly not true," Smith said in response. "We checked with sources including the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. The latest numbers show that as of the end of June, the federal government has allocated $42.7 billion for Puerto Rico... About $21 billion is binding. In other words, Congress has to pay it. Of that, Puerto Rico has received less than $14 billion. So $14 billion or less. Not $92 billion."

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

ALH Report #2 (28 Aug.)"Violating the Vineyard?




BS"D  "Violating the Vineyard?"



27 Menachem Av, 5779  °° Wednesday, Aug. 28, '19 




Parshas Re'aih, "Lo sish'mah ... kee m'naseh HaShem Elokaichem Es'chem laDa'as haYish'chem Ohahavim es HaShem Elokaichem b'Chol levav'chem u'v'chol naf'shechem." (Devarim 13:4)




By Binyomin Feinberg, Jewish Press contributor*




* Opinions and perspectives expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ownership or management of The Jewish Press.



"I will violate (or "desecrate" / "profane" - "A'challail") the Vineyard - and I'll start with your daughter."



Venture to guess who made that statement - to an Orthodox Jewish mother -  about her devoutly religious, and precocious 17-year-old daughter. A Cossack band leader? An SS Lieutenant?  A member of the Soviet Politburo?  No; reportedly, it was Keren L., an officer in the Israeli military Draft Office, in February of this year.



Keren evidently made that statement in response to the refusal of the girl's mother to allow her daughter, Avigail, to submit to the IDF's female draft. Female enlistment into the IDF is forbidden by all leading Torah authorities across the spectrum. Avigail's mother, Mrs. Ester R. H., is herself a baalas teshuva - and former Israeli Air Force captain. Now she finds herself  simultaneously fighting two epic battles. For over six years, she's been fighting daily for her own life, against a formidable medical condition. Now, she's also fighting for the life (spiritual, at the very least) of her only daughter, Avigail Leah, to save her from a military persecuting her for simply following the Torah.



We first reported on this shocking story yesterday (see https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2019/08/another-religious-girl-and-her-idf-vet.html ). However, revealing details continue to emerge in this ongoing saga. Their struggle to resist the female draft extended over most of the past year. Avigail successfully applied for her religious certification documentation in mid-November '18.  The government's resistance to providing Avigail her religious exemption - to which religious girls are entitled to by  law (and status quo) - became apparent this past February, when her mother had a phone conversation with the aforementioned draft officer.  In response to the Draft official's insistence that Avigail enlist, her mother explained that her daughter is fully religious and entitled to a religious exemption no less than any other religious girl. 

In the face of the mother's resolute stand, the aforementioned officer retorted:


     "Achallel et haKerem" ("I will violate/ desecrate/ profane The Vineyard") "-- and I will start with your daughter."


Thereby, in addition to revealing her intransigence, she exposed her true motivations.

That statement, on its very face  reveals three things, for starters: 

(1) a shocking sense of entitlement;

(2)  a clear social-engineering agenda; and

(3) the unmitigated chutzpa to utter such terrible words.

In reality, many officials within the Israeli government make no secret of the fact that they have an agenda of drafting religious girls, and - quite apparently - especially religious girls. Moreover, as many individual cases of attempted drafting of religious girls reveal, many officials also feel entitled to act on that agenda, drafting religious girls at whim, even in blatant violation of Israeli law and the status quo.

This targeting of religious girls is actually reflected in a declared military policy shift about six years ago, when the Israeli government openly declared increasing the drafting of religious girls to be an official objective. That itself was no less than a declaration of war against the religious community.  Concurrently, the funding of key religious institutions and community services has played a vital role in helping keep strategic individuals in positions in which they can partially blunt communal religious reaction to the ongoing crusade against Kedushas Bnos Yisroel.

We could delve into the deeper meanings of the aforementioned statement, but that isn't necessary at the moment. Suffice it to look at the tangible actions of the draft officials against religious girls, in this case, as well as many others, including those cases briefly reported on in the Jewish Press  ever since Rinas bas Chedva was tormented for 39 days for fleeing her abusers in the IDF, and for her refusal to return to her abusers, and enablers, in the IDF.

It is also noteworthy that Keren used the term "Kerem," vineyard. In Tanach, the Jewish People are  referred to as a grapevine (e.g. in Tehillim 80), as well as a vineyard ("Kerem"), e.g. Yeshayah 5:7.  Violation of The Vineyard is an apt description of what drafting girls- especially religious girls - is all about. They take 18 year-old girls - just about ready to marry and start a family, and tear them away from their families, and out of their natural spiritual growth trajectory. Far worse, they place these girls into an environment that overall is secularist-dominated, highly promiscuous, and exploitative*. This is not to mention the escalated physical dangers of women being in a military environment, especially in the female - and even mixed (yes) -combat units. If that's not a "violation of the Vineyard," what is?

Please daven for Avigail Leah bas Ester Rus Leemor, and for her seriously ill mother, Ester Rus Leemo bas Tzippora. Avigail is facing the threat of imminent arrest anytime now, while her mother's condition has recently deteriorated.

The time to speak out against this unmitigated rishus is now.  Our federal elected officials need to hear from us, in America and beyond. We are judged by how we stand by those in precisely this type of danger.

###
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* For further research, linked below are a few sample articles: (Warning: Some or all of these articles include text and/or images that are too explicit for unfiltered access for many of our readers.)

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Promiscuity & Abortion in the IDF:

Trump's Instability Threatens To Deprive Him Of One Of His Arguments Re-Election | Deadline | MSNBC



Tuesday, August 27, 2019

פסק הלכה ובירור מציאות הדברים מאת מגן חינוך הטהור בארה״ב ומגדולי הפוסקים ויושב ראש התאחדות הרבנים דארצות הברית וקנאדא































Another Religious Girl - and her IDF Vet mother -Targeted by the IDF




17 y/o Chabad Teen Threatened with Arrest if She Doesn't Comply with Draft Orders

This Sunday, Aug. 25th, Avigail Leah H., a demonstrably very religious 17 y/o teenage girl from Rechovos, was threatened with arrest, if she refuses to comply with IDF Draft Office orders to show up this Wednesday at the Draft Office. According to Jewish Law, it's absolutely prohibited for girls to serve in the military. In fact, leading Rabbis have declared it "yai'horaig ve'al ya'avor," a prohibition requiring giving up our lives to prevent. One primary reason for this is the rampant immorality and exploitation pervasive throughout the IDF.

Therefore, according to leading Rabbis, an act that could result in a girl enlisting is likewise prohibited, including submitting to a Rayon Dat. A Rayon Dat is a "religious test" often assuming the character of a belligerent military interrogation. Underage girls are often ordered to appear unrepresented and alone at these intimidating sessions, facing a battery of seasoned military officers. Quite apparently, they're well-trained in how to psychologically break girls down. Many religious girls are tripped up on by carefully selected questions, which many frum girls won't necessarily know how to answer. (See https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bO2Xh07BEzGbWiqI-MbF8dMY8nzbn3gysSmPQXjLXBU/edit?usp=sharing

)
The family's Rabbinic guidance was unequivocally adamant against submitting to a Rayon Dat, despite repeatedly being harassed by the IDF to do so. And, as faithful frum Jews, the family has been steadfast in their adherence to their halachic guidance. And it is precisely for their very fidelity to Torah that Avigail is being denied her religious exemption, under the veneer of being uncooperative with her IDF persecution. (George Orwell: step aside.)

Avigail's parents are baalei teshuva. Their family is demonstrably religious. She even has letters from Chiloni friends testifying to her religious observance, in addition to the Tatzhir Dat, which she submitted properly. Ironically, her brother risked his life in an elite (religious) combat unit under the K'fir division (akin to the Marines), often working with the Shabak (internal security service) in apprehending and neutralizing terrorists.

Moreover, Avigayil's mother, prior to rediscovering her Jewish heritage, actually had been an officer in the Israeli Air Force. Additionally, her mother has been suffering for years from a severe medical condition. The relentless IDF pursuit of her daughter, now extending for about a year, has been taking a real toll on her health. Nevertheless, none of the above deters the government. That uncomplementary picture itself says more than ten thousand words. The Brisker Rov ZTL is quoted as saying that while one who has bad character traits is a flawed person, an ingrate isn't truly a person at all.

דיין בכיר מארה"ב נגד בית הדין בישראל: האשה אינה עגונה


מבוכה בבתי הדין הרבניים: בית הדין האזורי בתל אביב קבע שחרדי, תושב ארה"ב, מעגן את רעייתו מספר שנים. נגד אביו, 'נגיד' בחסידות גדולה, הוצא צו איסור יציאה מהארץ עד שבג"צ התערב וביקש שבני הזוג ינהלו משא ומתן ישיר, אך כעת דיין בכיר מארה"ב - המוכר על ידי הרבנות - קובע: האשה לא עגונה.

הסיפור החל לאחר שבית הדין בתל אביב קבע כי חרדי מארה"ב שנישא לרעייתו לפני 19 שנה, ובמהלך השנים היא לקתה באירוע מוחי בישראל ונאלצה להישאר בארץ בעוד הוא חזר לארה"ב, מעגן את אישתו.

Monday, August 26, 2019

British court orders businessman pay wife maintenance until he gives her a ‘get’

https://www.timesofisrael.com/british-court-orders-businessman-pay-wife-maintenance-until-he-gives-her-a-get/

A British businessman must continue to pay his wife maintenance payments until he gives her a religious divorce, or get, a British appeals court ruled.

Alan Moher of Manchester was ordered last year by a High Court judge to pay his wife maintenance as well as about $1.7 million in a lump sum by the completion of their civil divorce in May 2018, and then pay interest on any outstanding sum of the lump payment and an additional yearly payment until he gave her the get.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Trump Accidentally Said the Anti-Semitic Part Out Loud



Jerusalem Post Diaspora 38 SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS TO SUE YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/38-sexual-abuse-victims-to-sue-Yeshiva-University-599399

At least 38 former students of Yeshiva University High School for Boys filed a civil lawsuit for sexual abuse on Thursday in the New York Supreme Court.

One of the group’s lawyers, Kevin Mulhearn, said that the victims were sexually abused at YUHSB (also known as MTA: the Manhattan Talmudical Academy) by a teacher and a principal from the 1970’s through the 80’s.

ISRAEL'S PRESIDENT CONTRADICTS TRUMP'S 'DISLOYAL' JEWS REMARKS, SAYING TIES 'NOT DEPENDENT' ON ONE POLITICAL PARTY

https://www.newsweek.com/israel-president-contradicts-trump-disloyal-jews-remarks-1455576

The Israeli president released a statement saying he had communicated to Pelosi that "the relationship between the State of Israel and the United States is a link between peoples, which relies on historical ties, deep and strong friendships and shared values that are not dependent on the relationship with one particular party," The Times of Israel reported. Although the statement did not specifically mention President Donald Trump, it said the call came "against the backdrop of recent events."

Rivlin called Pelosi after Trump's controversial comments on Tuesday in which he said that "any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat — I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty." Many Jewish leaders and Jewish groups in the U.S. were quick to condemn the comment as not only inaccurate, but also anti-Semitic in that it nodded to the "dual loyalty" trope that has long been used to demonize the Jewish community.
Despite significant criticism, Trump doubled down on the remark in Wednesday comments to reporters.

"In my opinion, if you vote for a Democrat you're being very disloyal to Jewish people and you're being very disloyal to Israel. And only weak people would say anything other than that," the president said.

"The Democrats have gone very far away from Israel," he added.

Despite Trump's assessment, Israel's president and other Israeli leaders disagreed, with some even calling out Trump's remarks as anti-Semitic. But, Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has developed a close relationship with Trump, has thus far avoided addressing the remarks.

Ivanka and Jared publicly missing in action again amid Trump's 'disloyal' claim

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/22/politics/ivanka-trump-jared-kushner-trump-jewish-disloyal-claim/index.html

The President's daughter and son-in-law -- who are Modern Orthodox Jews -- stayed silent publicly as Trump caused a firestorm by questioning the loyalty of some Jewish Americans to Israel. Trump has recently decided that branding the Democratic Party as anti-Semitic would be savvy political strategy -- and aides have largely supported the fight, but when he questioned the intelligence and loyalty of Jewish people who support Democrats, some inside the West Wing privately conceded to CNN he had gone too far. The comments prompted criticism from many groups that what he said was anti-Semitic, but Trump dug in during the days that followed.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

If President Donald Trump Is The 'Chosen One,' ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’ | Morning Joe



Trump is either trolling everyone or thinks he's like a god

There's been a change in President Donald Trump. He used to say he had accomplished more than any other President, a debatable claim. But now he's using messianic language about himself.

"I'm the chosen one," he said Wednesday about what he claims is a singular, and still only hoped-for, trade deal with China.
That was after he quoted a conspiracy theorist who described him, literally, as being like the King of Israel and said Jews "love him like the second coming of God" - -- also known as the Messiah.
Then Trump joked in front of a group of veterans about giving himself the Medal of Honor -- an award that recognizes the highest levels of military valor.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

in opposition to NYS Educational Equivalency Regulations

BS"D

20 Menachem Av, 5779 °°° Aug. 21, '19


By Binyomin Feinberg

feinbergbinyomin@gmail.com


As the September 2nd deadline for submitting comments against the proposed Regulations for NYS Educational Equivalency approaches, we offer a sample letter that addresses the key issues. NY residents, you may use this to write your own letter to the NYS Board of Regents. We emphasize the need to ensure that any letter sent is properly edited, especially given the issue at hand.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Here is some important contact information:


New York State Education Department 89 Washington Avenue Albany, New York 12234 Phone: 518-474-5889 E-mail: RegentsOffice@nysed.gov

Send your letter (email) to all of the following:

seregcomments@nysed.gov Christina Coughlin, NYSED

regulations@nysais.org NYSAIS will keep a record of all comments

Regent.Brown@nysed.gov Regent for the county where our school is

Regent.Cottrell@nysed.gov Regent at Large who will vote on the regulations

Regent.Norwood@nysed.gov Regent at Large who will vote on the regulations

Regent.Reyes@nysed.gov Regent at Large who will vote on the regulations

Regent.Young@nysed.gov Regent at Large who will vote on the regulations


°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

B"H

With G-d’s help, I would like to bring to your attention my deep concern over the new proposed Regulations released on July 3, 2019 by NYSED, known as “Substantially Equivalent Instruction for Nonpublic School Students” (7/3/19 St. Reg. EDU-27-19-00010-P).

The majority of the founders of the Orthodox Jewish communities emigrated to this country in pursuit of religious freedom, fleeing religious persecution in their countries of origin. Our parents taught us to appreciate this country for the Constitutional liberties it guarantees. We immigrated to this country to live a life of Torah, and pass it on to our children and all future generations, just as our ancestors have done for thousands of years, ever since G-d gave us His Torah on Mt. Sinai. This is because Judaism obligates us to transmit to our children that which was transmitted to us by our parents.


Specifically, every Jew is commanded by G-d in His Torah to transmit our Faith to our children. We are obligated to instill in our children an unwavering belief in the absolute, objective truth of the entirety of Torah, starting with the existence of our Creator, Who created the universe and fully controls it. We are further obligated to teach G-d's commandments, and our obligation to observe them, as it states: “Only take heed and guard your soul exceedingly so that you do not forget the facts that your eyes have seen and that they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life: and make them known to your children and your children’s children; the day that you stood before G-d your G-d, at Horeb (Mt. Sinai) when G-d said to me ‘Assemble this people for me; I will let them hear My words so that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on earth and teach their children accordingly’” (Deuteronomy 4:9,10).

Thus, in Judaism, Education is not just about teaching information. We are commanded to have children in order to raise them to grow to become servants of the Almighty. We are obligated to train to fulfill His commandments, and to abstain from what He prohibited. For us education is not just a part of life; it is the purpose of our life.

Additionally, it is specifically prohibited by Jewish law to expose ourselves or others to ideology that runs contrary to the ideology of our Holy Torah (e.g., see Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Idolatry 2:2-3; Sefer HaChinuch 387; Bi'ur Halacha 1:1). It is absolutely prohibited to expose ourselves or others to studies of immoral lifestyles. Therefore, to study or teach the theory of Evolution - or immorality - violates core Torah prohibitions, and would entirely jeopardize our Education.
It is prohibited by Jewish law to expose ourselves

Even worse, in a sense, is teaching that LGBT-advocated conduct - the most evil of "lifestyles" (explicitly branded an "abomination" in VaYikra/ Leviticus 18:22) - is acceptable, much less to be "respected." Yet, in 2010, the N.Y.State Legislature passed the "Dignity for All Students Act," which mandated precisely that type of LGBT indoctrination.

That law modified section 801a of NY State's Education Law, to require schools to teach children to respect flagrant displays of immoral conduct that the Torah unequivocally commands us to abominate (Lev.18:22). Many of us were unaware of this legislation at the time, and only were alerted to it in the wake of the recently-revoked Guidelines of the Department of Education.

Last November, shortly after the elections, Dept. of Education Commissioner Elia - not surprisingly - publicly reinterpreted the aforementioned law. She applied it to religious schools as well. Thereby, she enabled the extension of the anti-Jewish LGBT assault on public school children to the large majority of Orthodox children, studying in religious schools.

[Please be aware that even if we were confident that the LGBTQ propaganda law would never be applied beyond public schools, we would still oppose this reprehensible policy, even if tolerance of such a policy would somehow procure "benefits" for our schools.
Sacrificing public school children for other children is anathema, and antithetical to everything Judaism stands for.]

After a judge subsequently dismissed those NYS DOE Guidelines as procedurally flawed, NY State proceeded to promulgate the same agenda, but this time in a procedurally correct - and tactically far more effective - manner. The recently issued Regulations carefully and predictably omitted explicit reference to the ultimate goals of LGBT indoctrination, and other red-flag policies. Yet, those Regulations emphatically allow the forthcoming Guidelines to cleverly include the most objectionable policies - AFTER passage of the public comment period.

This is absolutely unacceptable. Such policies are anti-Torah, as well as anti-Jewish, un-American, and unconstitutional. It is imperative to vote down any Regulations that even passively allow adoption of Guidelines mandating LGBT indoctrination.


°°°
Furthermore, please understand that the integrity of Torah institutions is only possible when complete control of what is acceptable in our curriculum is decided by qualified Rabbis and religious leaders. Please realize that government oversight influencing how Orthodox Jews operate their Yeshivas undermines the very purpose for which those institutions were founded. The curriculum of our schools, calibrated to enable our children to secure appropriate vocational employment, has been established by our Rabbis, and is not up for discussion. Our schools have enviably produced multiple generations of peaceful, law-abiding communities, blessed with successful businessmen and philanthropists. The past seventy plus years testify to the success of the Torah education system, producing tens of thousands of caring, responsible, moral and upstanding families who contribute considerably to society and the economy. Communally, we have the lowest rates of violent crime in the state. Any tampering with our curriculum is bound to ultimately increase crime in the state, by decimation (incremental or otherwise) of our religious values. If we can't unequivocally teach - without any exception - that everything the Bible forbids is objectively wrong and must not be committed, or tolerated, then, by definition, other prohibitions like murder, theft etc. will ultimately be neglected too. If the Divine origin of any part of the Torah is rejected - an evil in its own right - then adherence to all other commandments is also at risk, to the detriment of society at large.


°°°
Torah observant Jews have proudly lived as G-d-fearing Jews throughout history, and have sacrificed our wealth and even lives to secure the ability to live a Torah-true way of life. It is our sacred duty to further transmit pure Torah-true Judaism exactly as it has been passed down to us from generation to generation from Sinai. And that is exactly how we intend to educate our generations forever, whatever the price may be, be it fines, prison or even our lives.

Additionally, what good is government funding if that interferes with what is most precious in our lives – pure Torah education? Any governmental oversight, reform or slightest interference in the curriculum, subjects, etc. constitutes persecution on the basis of our religious beliefs and way of life, and therefore cannot be tolerated. We came to this country for religious freedom; please don't impose on us to flee this country due to a form of religious persecution even worse than that of Czarist Russia.

We humbly plead with you, please reject any and all Regulations or forthcoming Guidelines that would infringe upon our Religious Liberties, ensconced in the Bill of Rights. Please stand up for the values upon which the Founding Fathers have established this Republic. No American should collaborate in undermining these Religious Liberties, so foundational to our Constitutional Republican form of government. Please abolish the proposed regulations, and shun complicity in anti-constitutional policies with which tens of thousands of New York citizens will be unable to comply.

Thank you kindly,

Sincerely,

The unfortunate case of Meir and Lonna Kin - the perspective of Meir Kin

The following documents were sent to me by a supporter of Meir Kin - I am willing to publish a similar post from Lonna Kin's perspective. 

THE HIPPOCRISY AND THE LIES FROM THE RABBIS AND ORA  AS WELL AS THE TRUE CREATORS OF AGUNOT :   By Akiva Wasserstein

It is astounding and disgusting how the Rabbis and ORA are knee deep in their corruption as well as their hippocrisy.  Daattorah has covered extensively the fake heter issued to Tamar Friedman to remarry without a Get  by Shmuel Kaminetsky and Nota Greenblatt. Then we see that Aharon Friedman, Tamar’s husband, is still barred from entering shuls in his area despite the fact that she is remarried! Then we have the Bais Din of Rabbi Dovid Feinstein that has ruled that The Kaminetsky heter was erroneous but failed to instruct the couple to separate. They also failed to publish their ruling for public viewing,  after all this can create confusion in the public eye whether a future child is a Mamzer?  Now lets move to a different case where the similar has occurred with Halacha on the mans side but with hippocritical and vicious condemnation of the man. I’m referring to the divorce between Meir and Lonna Kin. Meir has been seeking a Bais Din resolution all along, and Lonna Kin immediately sued him in Divorce court and Family court against halacha! Meir deposited a GET in 2008 at his Bais Din but Lonna has not come to his Bais Din. Meir remarries with a Heter from 100 rabbis and lo and behold the masses came to his own wedding to shame him and his new wife for remarrying with a heter?!

Why is Meir Kin’s Halacha allowed remarriage condemmed, yet  Tamar Friedman s remarriage which was  disallowed  by a Bais Din of the choosing of Kaminetsky and that marriage was accepted without public condemnation?! According to the Torah Tamar has violated a serious Aveira, yet Meir Kin has not?! Why has ORA not organized rallies at Tamar and Adam Fleischer’s home? Why have Tamar and Adam not gotten  kicked out of their local shuls and Aharon Friedman and Meir Kin have? Ladies and gentlemen, this is  A DOUBLE STANDARD, DISTORTION AND CORRUPTION  IN HALOCHO !!!

Now , Lets begin to analyze the Meir/ Lonna Kin case. Most people are ignorant of the facts and do not understand why Lonna Kin has not picked up her Get. The reality is that the Rabbis in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, as well as ORA have essentially “blocked” her from receiving the GET as their continuous aggressive measures against Meir constitutes “kefiya” (coercion)and  according to most poskim, such a GET would be invalidated as active coercion is ongoing. The rabbis and ORA have unsuccessfully ejected him from his local synagogues,  and continue to defame him using the internet and other publications . Rabbi Gestetner, Meir’s Bais Din in Monsey Ny, has repeatedly asked Lonna herself as well as her emissaries who have called him to remove all acts of coercion prior to negotiating an end to this saga. According to Rabbi Gestetner, Halacha dictates that this be a precursor to negotiating delivery of a kosher Get.  Lonna, the Rabbis and Ora have refused to make this first step and therefore 12 years later still have  no Get.  The Rabbis, Lonna Kin, and Ora have essentially assured themselves that Lonna Kin will remain “stuck” so long as the harassment, intimidation and humiliation continues.  How stupid can they be to continue the same strategy for 12 years which yielded no results!   After Meir was expelled from all of las Vegas shuls, the Rabbis and Ora have expended their last bullet and now have no new strategy to end this case. Lonna as well as her 3 daughters have on a ORA website video admitted that their shidduchim have been adversely affected by this  acrimonious divorce.  If Lonna  Kin would stop listening to the bad advice that the rabbis and Ora are giving, and begin to make the necessary steps as outlined by Rabbi Gestetner to remove coercion tactics, then a resolution can be achieved. In the meantime no resolution is possible so long as the rabbis and Ora continue the status quo .  Therefore what we see here is that the very same Rabbis and Ora that shout loud about Agunas,  are in fact the very ones that enable them and prevent the resolution as they seek only methods that empower the feminist women with disregard to a man’s halachic rights.  Until the masses will wake up and stand against these evil Rabbis and Ora , we will see countless women paraded as “Agunot” where in fact they are not Agunot but have statuses as “Moredet”- rebellious women who have violated the Torah on many fronts. Ironically, these women have no right to even receive a GET for their audacious and atrocious crimes committed against their husbands. In the meantime, Meir is happily married while Lonna and her daughters appear stuck in their quest to move on with their life.  In my next article I will explain and cite sources that forbid the expelling of a man from a shul which the rabbis and Ora have been instituting against innocent men.
 ============================================================
From: Shmuel Attal
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2014 5:47 PM
To: israkin@hotmail.com
Subject: Confidential only for Israel kin


Israel

Due to your present situation,
I would just like to clarify that you are not welcome at our Shul until:

You sign a notarized letter that you are willing, and accept to go to a Beit Din ( besides Rabbi Gestetner/Rabbi Abrahams) to discuss the get with your ex wife.

I don't want to be Mebaysh Pene Chavero Berabim, and this is why I did not ask you to leave the Shul last night, but from today if you come either by yourself, or with others, during weekday, Shabbat or Yom Tov, I will have no other choice but to ask you to leave the Shul.

Rabbi Attal
........................................................
From: Chabadofsummerlin
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2014 11:44 PM
To: israel kin
Subject: Confidential - for Isreal Meir Kin

Dear Isreal Meir,

Due to the fact that you have entered a new marriage without giving a universally recognized Get, you are no longer welcome in Chabad ofSummerlin and may not attend. I have heard your side of the story and the unfortunate situations that you endured, yet Torah dictates the necessity of a bringing disputes to a proper Beis Din. Once you resolve this issue with a reputable and recognized Beis Din in both Isreal and the US we will be happy to have you back.

Wishing you Haztloch to overcome your obstacles and do what is proper in the eyes of HaShem and in the eyes of man.

Sincerely ,
Rabbi Yisroel Schanowitz

WHY IS IT FORBIDDEN TO EXPEL A MAN FROM A SHUL :   By Akiva Wasserstein


In Shulchan Oruch Orach Chaim , Siman 153 , Seifim 16-22, it discusses halochot pertaining to davening in a shul. In seif 16, the Shulchan Oruch (SA) rules that even in a shul belonging to a private individual, the owner cannot decide to exclude a particular person. This is mentioned in Orchot Chaim as one of the Cherems(ban) of Rabbeinu Gershom.  Rabbeinu Gershom instituted many bans and this was one of them. You can learn more about Rabbeinu Gershoms bans from the Beer Hagolah on the SA at the end of a section on “Nidui Vecherem” (Yoreh Deah 334).  The Mishna Berura s.k.88 cites the Gemara Gittin which talks about the story of Kamtza Bar Kamtza as a reason why it is forbidden to expel someone from a shul. The expelling of Bar Kamtza led to the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh.  The Tashbetz IV:7 brings another reason. The Rema rules in accordance with his contemporary, Maharam Padua 85, that the Cherem Rabeinu Gershom can be circumvented by arranging an advance stipulation. Essentially, the owner of the shul can first exclude EVERYBODY and afterwards readmit them on condition. However this ruling would be problematic to the Mishne Berura as how can a stipulation be permitted to be used to humiliate a neighbor? The Tashbetz explains that the reason one may exclude an ENTIRE congregation is that we may assume that the congregation as a whole will manage to find another place to daven, whereas an individual does not have this option if there is no other shul as is in the case of Meir Kin who has just 1 shul in his area.  Therefore we see that the evil rabbis today make up halacha as they go, and choose to expel men from shul as they see fit, disregarding the poskim and Cherem Derabeinu Gershom. They continue to  invent the Torah as they go. The sin of expelling a man not only violated the Cherem Rabbeinu Gershom, but causes these men untold public shame which we know the Gemoro states that a person who shames one in public loses their share in Olom Haba. It is my sincere hope that my articles penetrates the hearts of these rabbis/activists and lend them understanding that not only are they guilty of heinous crimes in the eyes of Hashem, but that their tactics have served no purpose as kicking out Meir Kin and Aharon Friedman have not helped achieve a Get on behalf of Tamar Friedman or Lonna Kin.  Attempting to extort a Get  from a man by violating the Torah is like going to the Mikva while holding a dead insect in your hand.  After the conclusion of the Mendel Epstein debacle, the world can see that these rabbis have been committing fraudulent acts under the “DISGUISE” of helping women receive a GET. The time has come to change gears and approach hilchot Gittin the correct way by using Torah principles and by approaching resolution using Darkei Noam.

DONALD TRUMP HAS SPENT NEARLY A THIRD OF HIS PRESIDENCY VISITING HIS BUSINESS PROPERTIES AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE: REPORT

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-spent-one-third-presidency-visiting-business-properties-report-1455319


President Donald Trump has spent nearly a third of his presidency visiting his business properties at taxpayer expense, according to a new report by the government watchdog group Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington.

CREW has found over 2,300 conflicts of interest resulting from Trump's decision not to divest ownership of his global business empire upon entering office. The group used social media, news reports, Freedom of Information Act responses and other sources of information to tally these instances. The nonprofit added that there are likely more conflicts of interest than the ones they have been able to identify.

"This corrupt relationship between the Trump Organization and the White House leaves the American public in the dark about whether presidential decisions and policy are being made in the best interest of the country or in the best interest of the president's own bottom line," Noah Bookbinder, CREW's executive director, told Newsweek.

DONALD TRUMP ACCUSES JEWS WHO VOTE DEMOCRAT OF 'A TOTAL LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OR GREAT DISLOYALTY'

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-jews-vote-democrat-great-disloyalty-1455355

President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Jewish-Americans who vote for Democrats of showing "great disloyalty."

"Any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat — I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty," Trump told reporters at the White House as he discussed a Monday press conference by Democratic Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, in which they criticized Israeli leaders for barring them from entering the Mediterranean nation.

https://time.com/5657042/trump-jewish-democrat-uninformed-disloyal/

 Showing a fresh willingness to play politics along religious and racial lines, President Donald Trump said Tuesday that American Jewish people who vote for Democrats show “either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.”
Trump’s claim triggered a quick uproar from critics who said the president was trading in anti-Semitic stereotypes. It came amid his ongoing feud with Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, both Muslim.

https://www.jpost.com/American-Politics/Trump-Jews-voting-for-democrats-show-lack-of-knowledge-or-great-disloyalty-599207

As soon as Trump completed his interview, a storm of comments surfaced on social media and in press releases. 
 
Halie Soifer, executive director of Jewish Democratic Council of America, called the president's remarks "yet another example of  Donald Trump continuing to weaponize and politicize antisemitism. 

:At a time when antisemitic incidents have increased -- due to the president's emboldening of white nationalism -- Trump is repeating an antisemitic trope," Soifer said in a statement. "If this is about Israel, then Trump is repeating a dual loyalty claim, which is a form of antisemitism. If this is about Jews being 'loyal' to him, then Trump needs a reality check. We live in a democracy, and Jewish support for the Republican Party has been halved in the past four years."

The American Jewish Committee (AJC) likewise sharply criticized Trump's remarks. 

"Enough, Mr. President," the organization tweeted. "American Jews – like all Americans – have a range of political views. Your assessment of their knowledge or loyalty, based on their party preference, is divisive, disrespectful, and unwelcome. Please stop. "


AJC's CEO, David Harris, added that "for the President to assert that Jews who vote Democratic show 'disloyalty' is outrageous. This is a free country. Jews aren’t a monolithic bloc, nor single-issue voters/ Some will vote Democratic, others Republican. As Americans, that’s their right. Please keep loyalty out of it." 

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, joined the criticism. He tweeted, "It’s unclear who the president is claiming Jews would be 'disloyal' to, but charges of disloyalty have long been used to attack Jews. 

"As we’ve said before, it's possible to engage in the democratic process without these claims. It's long overdue to stop using Jews as a political football."

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

הלווית אישה נעצרה - בגלל בנה סרבן הגט rabbi errs and tries pressuring son to give get by interfering with mother's funeral

https://www.kikar.co.il/327902.html

נשיא בית הדין, הגאון רבי דוד לאו, הורה לחברא קדישא שלא לקיים הלוויה לאשה שבנה, תושב ארה"ב, מעגן את רעייתו למעלה מעשור, וזה בכדי להביא לשחרור העגונה 

נשיא בית הדין הגדול, הרב רהאשי הגאון רבי דוד לאו, הורה לחברא קדישא בירושלים שלא לקיים הלוויה לאשה שבנה, תושב ארצות הברית, מעגן את רעייתו כ-16 שנים.
ההחלטה של הגר"ד לאו הגיעה בתיאום עם בית הדין בארצות הברית וזה בכדי ללחוץ על בנה לשחרר את רעייתו מהעגינות, שכאמור נמשכת למעלה מעשור וחצי.
"Meir deposited a GET in 2008 at his Bais Din but Lonna has not come to his Bais Din. Meir remarries with a Heter from 100 rabbis..."

Meyer Kinn's mother passed away in Israel, and Lonna is apparently seeking to prevent her from coming to kever Yisrael, until Meyer gives her a Get. 
The problem is, that Meyer apparently got a Hetter 100 Rabbanim to remarry, and had a Get written for her in 2008, which was deposited at a Beis Din in Monesy. 
All Lonna has to do, is go and pick it up. 
We call that a FAKEgunah.
https://www.bhol.co.il/news/1025413

https://www.timesofisrael.com/chief-rabbi-halts-womans-burial-until-son-grants-wife-a-divorce/
Israel’s Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau on Tuesday ordered the Jerusalem burial of a woman put on hold until her son agreed to grant his estranged wife a religious divorce.
Hours later, the man in question expressed his willingness to grant the get, and the funeral of his mother was set to proceed, reports said.
The woman, whose body was flown to Israel from the US, was due to be buried in the Mount of Olives cemetery Tuesday morning but Lau instructed the burial society to stop the proceedings until her US-based son delivers the divorce papers, known as a get, to a rabbinic court.

Fact check: Trump falsely claims Google 'manipulated' millions of 2016 votes

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/19/politics/trump-google-manipulated-votes-claim/index.html

Facts FirstEpstein himself says Trump was wrong about his findings. Epstein did find "bias" in Google search results, but he says there is no evidence Google "manipulated" the results to favor Clinton. Also, critics of the study note that there is no definitive link between search results and voting behavior in presidential elections.

First let's address what Epstein says Trump got wrong. Then we'll delve into Epstein's research.Trump's words and numbers were inaccurate

Epstein, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in July, found what he alleges was a pro-Clinton bias in Google's search results.
In an interview with CNN on Monday, Epstein said the pro-Clinton bias was "sufficient to have shifted between 2.6 and 10.4 million votes" to Clinton.
There is no basis in Epstein's research for Trump's claim that the alleged bias might have affected "16 million" votes. Epstein did testify in July that big tech companies in general could potentially shift "upwards of 15 million votes" in the 2020 election, but he didn't claim that this happened in 2016.
In the Monday interview, Epstein rejected Trump's claim that Googl


Sunday, August 18, 2019

Omar and Tlaib rightly blocked from visiting ‘non-existent’ country Palestine


https://nypost.com/2019/08/17/omar-and-tlaib-rightly-blocked-from-visiting-imaginary-country-palestine/
At first blush, Israel’s decision to bar Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib looked like a mistake. My gut reaction was that the move would simultaneously make Israel appear weak and allow critics to claim the incident proves the Jewish state has no interest in peace with the Palestinians.

It didn’t help that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had initially signaled the two Democrats could visit despite their support for the BDS movement, which Israel has outlawed. When it became clear that Net­anyahu reversed his decision at President Trump’s urging, the situation appeared to go from bad to worse.

Both the United States and Israel looked to have blundered. Or so I thought.

Then facts and history had their say. Now, I believe Trump and Netanyahu made the right move.

They had no good options and chose the lesser of two evils.

Trump Fat-Shames His Own Supporter



Friday, August 16, 2019

Ben Shapiro: Israel made a 'big mistake' barring Omar and Tlaib from visiting

https://www.foxnews.com/media/israel-omar-tlaib-ben-shapiro-trump

Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro claimed Thursday that Israel made an error in judgment by barring Rep. Ilhan Omar D-Minn., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., from visiting the Jewish state and said the Israeli government played right into the lawmakers' hands.

"Is this a smart move by Israel? No. It is a very not smart move by Israel," Shapiro said on his eponymous radio program Thursday.

"If Omar and Tlaib had just gone to Israel and then they had done their little propaganda tour about how Israel is evil and shouldn't exist -- then their ten fans would cheer and everybody else would sigh and roll their eyes," Shapiro said. "This is actually giving Omar and Tlaib what they want in terms of PR so they can falsely claim that Israel doesn't tolerate dissent."

How Trump Bullied Israel Into Punishing His Political Opponents, to the Jewish State’s Great Detriment


https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/289728/trump-bullied-israel-into-punishing-his-opponents

On July 19, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, announced that Israel would permit entry to U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, despite their support for boycotting the Jewish state: “Out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America, we would not deny entry to any member of Congress into Israel.” Dermer, Netanyahu’s closest confidant and colloquially known as “Bibi’s Brain,” had reportedly recommended this course to his boss. As Haaretz correspondent Amir Tibon later reported, the decision was made to focus on this past week’s pro-Israel visit of 41 Democratic representatives, led by House Whip Steny Hoyer, rather than give more oxygen to an anti-Israel trip by just two Democratic congresswomen.
That entire plan, however, was detonated by Donald Trump for his own political purposes, to Israel’s great detriment. The president’s effort to undermine and alter the Israeli government’s approach began in early August, when Axios’ Barak Ravid reported that Trump was privately signaling that Israel should bar both Omar and Tlaib—personal antagonists who he had repeatedly assailed, often in bigoted terms. “Trump’s private views have reached the top level of the Israeli government,” Ravid reported.
Trump’s complaint put Netanyahu and his government in a bind—between their own original judgment that banning members of Congress would create a major rift with American Democrats and an erratic president who could be alienated by the smallest slight. Netanyahu himself, facing a tough reelection fight, could not afford a spat with Trump—the man whose face he had festooned on giant campaign posters. In an effort to buy time, the government announced on Thursday morning that it was “reconsidering” its position. Then Trump forced the issue:

Editorial: The Omar and Tlaib ban from Israel is a disgrace. True democracies aren’t afraid of critics

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-08-15/ilhan-omar-rashida-tlaib-israel-ban-trump-netanyahu

Last we checked, both the United States and Israel were democracies — and allies. Yet on Thursday the leaders of both countries sounded more like crazy autocrats with a penchant for silencing their critics. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to prohibit U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) from entering Israel on an official congressional visit not only smacks of tin-pot authoritarianism, it elevates his critics.

Netanyahu justified this shameful decision by citing a recent bit of daft legislating, an Israeli law prohibiting foreign nationals who back boycotts against Israel or its West Bank settlements from entering the country. That’s bad enough. Even more outrageous is that President Trump appears to have goaded Netanyahu into making this decision.

Not content to call for Omar and Tlaib (and their two progressive Democratic colleagues on the so-called “squad”) to leave the United States, Trump has been pressing Israel publicly not to let them into that country. To quote his tweet Thursday: “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds.” He added, “They are a disgrace!”

The only disgrace here is Trump’s behavior.

Israel Bans Reps. Omar and Tlaib From Entry Over Support for Boycotts

https://time.com/5652989/israel-bans-omar-tlaib-representatives/

Israel said Thursday that it will bar two Democratic congresswomen from entering the country ahead of a planned visit over their support for a Palestinian-led boycott movement, a decision announced shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that it would “show great weakness” to allow them in.

The move to bar Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from visiting appeared to be unprecedented. It marked a deep foray by Israel into America’s bitterly polarized politics and a sharp escalation of Israel’s campaign against the international boycott movement.

The two newly-elected Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and have repeatedly sparred with Trump over a range of issues. Tlaib’s family immigrated to the United States from the West Bank, where she still has close relatives.