Shlomie Gross collapses and dies!

Shlomie Gross with Rav Berenboim of Mir Z"L

YWN reports the sudden Petira of Reb Shloime Yehuda Gross Z”L, on Friday afternoon, at the age of 50 R”L.Reb Shloime was a tremendous Baal Tzedakah, who helped Mosdos and gave Tzedakah around the globe with an open heart. He was a true Ben Torah, who was extremely close with Maran Hagon Rav Shmuel Berenbaum ZATZAL, the Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva, and was a Mispallel at the Bais Medrash of HaRav Avrohom Schorr Shlita, Khal Tiferes Yaakov.
Reb Shloime suddenly collapsed into cardiac arrest on Erev Shabbos. Hatzolah Paramedics attempted to save his life, but were R”L unable to. He was taken to Methodist Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
He leaves behind an Almana, and Yesomim R”L, and will be sorely missed by his friends, and the thousands of Mosdos which he supported during his lifetime .
The Levaya is scheduled for Motzei Shabbos, at 8:30PM at Khal Tiferes Yaakov, 1212 East 15th Street near Avenue L, and the Kevura will be in Eretz Yisroel.
Boruch Dayan Emmes…

Kotel Wedding interrupted by Police, Video!

Chassidim adopting Arab Minhagim?

Vishinitzer Rebbe of Bnai Brak Passes away at 96

Rabbi Moshe Yehoshua Hager, the fifth Vishinitzer Rebbe in Bnei Brak and president of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudath Israel, passed away this evening just three months shy of his 96th birthday.

From Vosizneias by Sandy Eller
R’ Hager was the oldest son of the previous Vishnitzer Rebbe, R’ Chaim Meir Hager, also known as the Imrei Chaim, and succeeded his father upon his death in 1972.  The Rebbe’s health had been failing over recent years and the with the exception of holidays and the occasional tish, the Rebbe rarely appeared in public.

R’ Hager was born in Romania in 1916 and was appointed by his father to serve as the Rov of the Hungarian town of Vilchovitz at the age of eighteen.  When World War II spread into Hungary in 1944, the Hager family, with the help of local residents and askanim, made the arduous six month trek by foot, rail and boat from Hungary to Israel, where they were welcomed by joyous Vishnitzer chasidim in Haifa.

R’ Hager was also named by his father as the Rov and Av Beis Din of Kiryas Vishnitz, where he created the “Tzirei Vishnitz” youth movement in both elementary and high schools, to keep young Hungarian and Romanian Vishnitzer refugees close to the chasidus of their families.  R’ Hager served in these positions until the death of his father, whereupon he took over his father’s position as the Admor of Vishnitz.  His brother, R’ Mordechai Hager, was named the Admor of Vishnitz in Monsey at that time.

Upon arriving in Eretz Yisroel, R’ Hager was appointed by his uncle, R’ Eliezer Hager, also known as the Damesek Eliezer, to be the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Beis Yisroel V’Damesek Eliezer.  The yeshiva was originally located in Tel Aviv but later moved to Bnei Brak after the establishment of Kiryas Vishnitz and, in fact, R’ Hager was known to be his father’s proverbial right hand and was instrumental in establishing the Vishnitz community and its mosdos in Bnei Brak. 

R’ Hager was renowned for both his great skills as a lamdan and his extreme vigilance in shemiras eynayim and was instrumental in the establishment of Mehadrin bus lines in Eretz Yisroel.  As president of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah of Agudath Israel, R’ Hager established many Vishnitzer schools serving over 10,000 children. Both his davening and his legendary tishes, which were held until R’ Hager’s health began failing, were known to be events of great enthusiasm and joy and were attended by thousands.

A massive celebration was held last year on Rosh Chodesh Nissan in Binyanei Hauma in Yerushalayim to commemorate the R’ Hager’s creation of the Vishnitzer yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel seventy years ago. R’ Hager is credited for stressing the importance of serious learning and proper education among thousands of the Vishnitzer sect, second only in size to the Gerrer chasidim.

R’ Hager, who suffered from Alzheimers, had been in poor health for the last several years and had been in extremely serious condition for the last several months.  Last week, R’ Hager developed an infection in his leg which spread throughout his body causing his kidneys to shut down and calls had gone out to Jews worldwide to daven for R’ Hager’s recovery.

R’ Hager was niftar in his home on Rechov Ahavat Shalom in Kiryat Vishnitz just after midnight amid cries of “Shema Yisroel” from his sons, grandsons and gabbaim who were present at the time of his petira.

R’ Hager is survived by his second wife, Sheindel, his sons, R’ Yisroel and R’ Menachem Mendel and his four daughters, Rebbetzin Chana Chaya Twersky, wife of the Skverer Rebbe, Rebbetzin Sosha Teitelbaum, wife of R’ Aaron Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe, Rebbetzin Sara Rokeach, wife of R’ Yisochor Dov Rokeach, the Belzer Rebbe of Yerushalayim and Rebbetzin Hinda Ernster, Rosh Yeshiva of the Vishnitzer Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and thousands of loyal followers consider themselves to be orphaned as well.  The paroches was removed from the Aron Kodesh in the large Vishnitz Beis Medrash and hundreds of people have congregated outside R’ Hager’s home in Kiryat Vishnitz.

Thousands are expected to attend the levaya, which will take place tomorrow from the large Beis Medrash Ahavas Yisroel in Bnei Brak’s Kiryat Vishnitz and the kevura will take place in the Zichron Meir Beis Hachaim, where R’ Hager will be laid to rest near his father.  The Israeli police, Bnei Brak city officials, Magen David Adom and other agencies will be working together to close down sections of the area as needed and announcements will be made banning all work during the levaya.

R' Yitzchok Fischer still performing "Metzitzah" after being banned!

Hella Winston Special To The Jewish Week
A mohel who was ordered to stop the circumcision practice of metzitzah b’peh in 2007 by the New York State Department of Health is apparently still engaging in the controversial practice of “oral suction,” The Jewish Week has learned.

In a recording made within the past two weeks and obtained by The Jewish Week, Rabbi Yitzchok Fischer can be heard scheduling a bris with a caller who asks him to perform metzitzah b’peh. On the recording, Rabbi Fischer asks the caller whether the bris will take place “in Monsey or the city,” noting that he “can only do it in Rockland County.”
At one point during the call, the caller asks Rabbi Fischer, “We’re frum yidden [religious Jews], I want to do metzitzah b’peh, it’s not a problem?” to which Rabbi Fischer responds, “No, it’s not a problem.”
Asked to comment on the information in the tape, Michael Moran, a spokesman for the state health department, said: “The Department of Health will be contacting Rabbi Fischer to advise him that the order prohibiting him from practicing this ritual in New York State remains in effect.”
In 2005, it was reported that Rabbi Fischer had been linked to the infections of three infants, one of whom died, with the herpes simplex 1 virus. All three infants were circumcised by Rabbi Fischer in New York State. At the time, the city ordered Rabbi Fischer to stop practicing metzitzah b’peh temporarily while it investigated the matter.
When the city learned that Rabbi Fischer was not complying with the order, it ended up suing to compel him to do so, though the Bloomberg administration ultimately withdrew the suit. The city Health Department passed the matter on to a Jewish religious tribunal.
The state health department also issued a ban against Rabbi Fischer in 2005 but, according to reports, withdrew it in April of that year “after receiving a written assurance from a Hasidic business man, Jacob Spitzer, that the community was instituting its own self-policing procedures.” In 2006, an agreement between the state department of health, headed by Pataki appointee Antonina Novello, and a “broad array” of Orthodox rabbis resulted in what was called a “circumcision protocol regarding the prevention of neonatal herpes,” which outlined guidelines for the practice of metzitzah b’peh and steps the state health department would take if an infant were to become infected with the herpes simplex type 1 virus.
Last week, The Jewish Week learned that those protocols — which were widely criticized as ineffective by then-New York City health Commissioner Thomas Frieden and others — were rescinded the following year by Dr. Richard F. Daines, the late health commissioner under Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
In 2007, after Rabbi Fischer was linked to another case of neonatal herpes in May of that year, he was prohibited under Section 16 of the Public Health Law by the state Department of Health from performing metzitzah b’peh “in and throughout the state of New York.” Rabbi Fischer was also prohibited from engaging in any other practice in which he “[allows his] mouth or oral fluids to come in direct contact with an infant’s genitals…”
At one point during the phone conversation, the caller asks to be reassured by Rabbi Fischer about metzitzah b’peh.
“It’s perfectly OK,” Rabbi Fischer answers, and then goes on to claim that the recently reported death of an infant in September from a herpes simplex 1 infection was mistakenly reported to the public as being the result of metzitzah b’peh. He added that “the baby’s death had nothing to do with the mohel.”
“The baby passed away on Rosh HaShanah,” the mohel continued, claiming “it took five months for the health department to convince the medical examiner to add the words ‘oral suction’ to the cause of death. The medical examiner did not want to do it … but the newspapers picked it up and it was enough to make the issue.”
When asked by The Jewish Week about Rabbi Fischer’s claims, Ellen Borakove, director of public affairs for the chief medical examiner of New York City said, “Let me tell you that that cause of death was the way it was back in September. It was finalized [shortly after the death].”
Several attempts by The Jewish Week to reach Rabbi Fischer by phone at his home were unsuccessful.
Reached at his office and asked for comment, attorney Mark J. Kurzmann told The Jewish Week he hasn’t represented Fischer since 2005 and had no knowledge of the 2007 ban.
According to state health department spokesman Peter Constantakes, if the DOH were to receive a complaint with credible evidence that Rabbi Fischer was in violation of the order, the matter would likely be referred to the New York State Attorney General’s office for enforcement.
Calls to the Attorney General’s office were not returned.

Avram Simcha Samet killed by Car in Boro Park

A pedestrian by the name of Avram Samet z"l was killed while crossing a street in Borough Park Monday afternoon, according fire officials.

The accident occured at New Utrecht Avenue and 49th Street about 12:30 p.m., the fire department said.

The 68-year-old victim who lives in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center by a Hatzolah ambulence where he was pronounced dead.

NYPD of the 66th Pct and Chesed Shell Emes are all on the scene, Highway units responding.

While Jewish Children in Israel are getting Bombed, Satmar & Neturi Karta Gangsters burn Israeli Flag!

Rashi z"l wrote long ago "we don't need your honey or your bite"
Its time to tell the Romanian Satmars gangsters , we don't need your "chesed" and don't give us your "Chillul Hashem"
Notice there is not one Satamar guy who has guts to stop this atrocity! This is what they teach their children, hate for a fellow Jew!

Rottenberg doesn't believe his car was burned because of the New Square controversy !

A village dissident once set on fire for bucking rabbinical orders said his car was torched Thursday night by a drunken Purim reveler who was angry when he was denied more booze, according to Ramapo police.

Based on those circumstances, Aron Rottenberg doesn’t believe the arson fire to his car at 10:40 p.m. resulted from his previous problems with the New Square theocracy, police said.

“We’re looking to talk to that young man,” Ramapo Police Chief Peter Brower said.

Brower said Rottenberg told investigators that he “tried to counsel the young fellow against the dangers of drinking.”

“That led to some words along the line of ‘Don’t Tell me what to do’ and he left,” Brower said. “The next thing you know the car is ignited. Mr. Rottenberg stated there is no nexus between the incident last year and the incident last night.”

Parents of child that died because of Metzizah Be'peh, don't care if other children die !

According to a New York Daily News article the parents of the boy that died because the Mohel that  did Metzizah B'peh had herpes are stonewalling the investigation thereby causing hundreds of future children to be contaminated by that Mohel!

Authorities are being stonewalled by the family of a newborn boy who died after contracting herpes through a controversial religious circumcision ritual, the Daily News has learned.

Multiple sources in the Orthodox Jewish community said the 2-week-old boy’s parents were related to a herpes-infected rabbi who conducted the circumcision according to tradition — using one’s mouth to remove blood from the wound.

“You guys are barking up the right tree,” a law enforcement source said of word that the mohel was related to the boy. “But we don’t know yet who did what.”

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is investigating the death and trying to identify the rabbi, or mohel, but family members have not been cooperative, sources said.

City health officials have criticized the religious practice, saying that putting the open wound into contact with the mouth of the rabbi carries “inherent risks” for the infant.

The unidentified infant died at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Medical Center last Sept. 28. An autopsy listed the cause of death as

“disseminated herpes simplex virus Type 1, complicating ritual circumcision with oral suction,” according to a spokeswoman for the city Medical Examiner.

A Chabad Survivor Of Child Sex Abuse Speaks In Albany! Video

Activists and pols gather in support of the Child Victims Act which would extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse cases.
Agudath Israel of America and Satmar, along with the Catholic Church, oppose the bill.