Friday, October 11, 2013

Rabbis Accused in Plot to Force Husbands to Get Divorces

The world needs to understand, when someone takes advantage of a particular religion to hurt others, the only way to fight back is through that same religion.

Three rabbis, including one who claims to have conducted more than 2,000 divorces, were arrested for allegedly pressuring Orthodox Jewish men into giving their wives religious divorces.  Rabbi Mendel Epstein, Rabbi Martin Wolmark, Rabbi Jacob Goldstein and a fourth man, Ariel Potash, are facing charges.

As many as six others people are also in custody but may not be charged.  The investigation revealed that unhappy Orthodox Jewish wives who wanted a divorce were paying $100,000 to the rabbis. In exchange, the rabbis would facilitate divorce, frequently by hiring armed thugs kidnap the husbands and beat them until they agreed.

ABC 7 News reports.


News 12 reports.

NBC 4 reports.


News 12 reports



More from ABC 7



10 comments:

Anonymous said...

They are innocent unless proven guilty. That's what it is supposed to be. Sadley it's not like this anymore.

chaya said...

I don't think this belongs on gruntig

Anonymous said...

Gruntig... shame... one of the few "frum" sites that I can frequent, knowing that I won't be exposed to politics or lashon hora. I come on here looking for plain, pareve and neutral entertainment.
Please conform to your own standards, as per the instructions on the top of this comment box, "Think three times before you shout. Lashon Hara will not be tolerated."

Anonymous said...

Very sad story dosn't go by a week observant Jews are not on the news we need to be careful

Chaim said...

Why are some of you saying this is Loshon Hara? Freeing Agunas is a great Zechus.

Anonymous said...

i agree.. its not lashon hara... the rabbis accorded with halacha.... its a shame that the law doesnt agree with jewish law

Anonymous said...

I think that you can consider recorded conversations PROVEN. There is no excuse to do what they did without even talking to the alleged husband first, without confirming the woman's story, without trying other means of convincing him, and for charging these woman any money at all. had they done any of these things it would have blown the sting operation. The Rabbonim's behavior makes me sick and is embarrasing.

tzvi hirsh said...

I don't understand why it's a problem to charge money for a job. When you go to any din torah the Baisdin charges both sides money.
Also if the husband is picked up and agrees to follow the baisdin's ruling he doesn't have to get hurt at all.

This is not a Chilul Hashem, the guyim just don't like Yidishkit. If the FBI has the resources to pull of this waste of time during a government shut down they can simply legislate that deadbeat husbands need to provide a get.

tzvi hirsh said...

What the problem with doing a job and getting paid? If you go to any baisdin they charge you money. If you don;t like the cost find a cheaper one.

Davethemave said...

One of the problems here was that they paskined that it was ok to beat the husband without any input from the husband. (In the sting, they were planning the kidnapping without speaking to the husband; there was no husband.) In the past when a Beis din exhausted all other means working with both spouses, they could pasken that a get was necessary and arrange a beating. According to the complaint, These guys were just running a business where you could buy a get without the inconvenience of going to a Bies Din.