New York, NY – A group of Lubavitch Chassidim, members of the Chabad Jewish Community in Brooklyn, NY, is planning on monitoring the well being of Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin, imprisoned head of the Agriprocessors Kosher meat plant in Postville, IA.
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The group, which has years of experience in assisting community members with legal troubles, turned their attention to Rubashkin six weeks ago. Called The Committee of Concerned Anash for Pidyon Shevuyim (Anash meaning Chassidim, Pidyon Shevuyim – the mitzva of redemption of prisoners) will focus on assisting the Rubashkin family.
The Committee is working with top lawyers for the best defense and a public relations group, and will be collecting funds for the legal defense and keeping the community involved.
Committee members include Levi Balkany, Yingy Bistritsky, Ari Chitrik, Sholom Duchman, Mendel Feller, Noson Hecht, Shea Hecht, Shmuli Hecht, Sholem B. Hecht, Sholom B. Lipskar, Benjy Stock, Zalman Vishedsky and Yaakov Weiss. They are joined by Suri Ciment, Hindy Labkowski and Molly Resnick.
In a press release sent to COLlive, they wrote: “The committee wants the public to know they are the official group to assist and aid the Rubashkins, endorsed by the family. The committee has years of experience in dealing with pidyon shevuyim cases, and now they have turned their attention to helping Sholom Rubashkin.”
Several members of the committee held a private meeting today (Sunday) at the offices of The National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE), a Brooklyn-based educational and humanitarian organization (which both Hecht brothers direct).
Following the meeting – of which COLlive was invited to photograph but not record – the committee held a press conference for the Lubavitch media in an effort to “call on the worldwide Lubavitch community to take action, get involved, and donate to the Rubashkin legal fund.”
Other Jewish groups are expected to speak out on behalf of Rubashkin, citing that “the case is now an attack against shechita.”
Rabbi Pesach Lerner of Young Israel and Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zweibel of Agudas Yisroel are said to be planning a trip to Iowa to meet with Rubashkin in prison.
This Tuesday, lawyers from Grefe and Sidney will be visiting Crown Heights to meet with the committee and residents. They are scheduled to meet with Aron Rubashkin, patriarch and founder of the Agri plant.
“Lubavitch in Crown Heights, and around the world, needs to know – from S. Padre Island, Texas to Shanghai, China, Kosher meat was available because of the Rubashkins,” Rabbi Sholem Ber Hecht said. “Any traveler, as well, benefitted from Rubashkin. This affects every single person that eats kosher throughout the world.”
what took so long for you guys to get it together……Finally some action from the Jewish leaders Yay!!!
Legal defense fund? More like ILEGAL!
Whats next? The Pidyon Madoff Solidarty Fund???
Would it help Rubashkin get out on bail if Mondrowitz is (finally) extradited?
rabbi shea hecht is great – much hatzlocho to the folks involved.
its about time, and it shouldnt only be chabad, it should be a united front from satmar belz ger young israel, all jews should do what they can to get someone on bail
I’m getting worried now.After all the only reason Rubashkin was not bailed out was because he listened to all kinds of chachumim and spinmeisters.
The anti-semitic defense card is the absolute worst idea.The thought that an organized “attack” on the judge by vocal Chabad rabbis will help is foolish.No judge worth his s alt will back off if he is attacked in this way.
What has to be done is a quiet, behind the scene attempt.Many people are prepared to give money for bail.I’m sure that within a week or two ten million$ could be raised.
Sha, shtil the old fashioned Jewish style of advocacy is still the best way to go.
We tried the “new” way and Rubashkin gets to sit pre-trial!Imagine that.Pre-trial and nebach he is allready in chad gadya.
Time we called in real proffesionals
May they be blessed for their efforts, and may they have Hatzlacha!
this is what SMR needed from the onset of his situation real street fighters, i know these people and they have a great track record. there are many of you out there that have always blasted the rubashkin family, their product, etc. you should be ashamed of yourself, your a larger disgrace to the jewish world than madoff, mondrowitz etc. will ever be you people seem to KVEL on someone elses problems. SMR stay strong.
For the record i grew up and live in Boro Park and there is a restaurant on 13th ave. called CROWNS bet.50th and 49th street which is owned by the Rubashkin family for over 45 years and every poor and hungry person can eat there at NO cost. The community owes it to the Rubashkins now that they need the HELP we should all be there for them. May the ones who are involved in helping those wonderful people (guilty or innocent) hashem should pay you back that you should never EVER be in such a position…Shlach Lachmechu Al Hamayim KI beroiv haumim Timtzuenu….
Kol Hakavod to the Vaad. May you be blessed with much Hatzlacha. I will do what I can to help out.
Well now lubavitch is doing things right. Instead of crying that Rubashkin is innocent and crying anti-semitism, now they are working to help his defense.
Rubashkins do so much no one knows about.
Two weeks ago they hosted Yeshiva University for a Shabbaton.
All 75 or so were invited to Fabringe at the Rubashkin home.
If yingy is here to help that means something will be done. he is a man of action!!
I think #23 is one pf PETA’s Chevra. Hatzlocho Rabba to the committee and with Hashems Help he will be a free from his Tzoras very soon.
beter late than ever,
to all of you helping out i say more power to you!
no one can stay on the sideline, everyone who belongs to “kol yisroel achim” need to, and we are going to do whatever it’s necesarry for the “rubashkins” one of the greatest family’s, they always came forward to help us, now is the time to help them. no body said it will be easy, the soton has many ways to obstruct, don’t lea son to any of them just do the holy work regardless of the mekatregim and reshoim. for them i say 3 times every day, “velamalshinim”
Anash is a acronym for: Anshei Shlomenu