MESIRAH IN THE COMMUNITY OF PASSAIC, NJ

In the Orthodox Jewish community of Passaic, New Jersey, (and in other Orthodox communities), certain Jewish women have been utilizing civil courts and restraining orders in violation of halacha, and without obtaining permission from a kosher Bais Din.  A number of Jewish husbands in Passaic have been jailed, and/or have suffered the loss of their property, and/or are being denied parenting time with their children.  Coercion against Jewish husbands to obtain Gittin has been reported. As in other Orthodox communities, fraudulent seiruvim (rabbinic court contempt orders) are being relied upon to ban Jewish men from certain shuls.

An Email Message

A while back ago, an anonymous e-mail message was sent out to the Jewish community in Passaic, New Jersey.

That e-mail message stated in part:

" It is strictly forbidden to moser either a Jewish person or his property. One who mosers a Jewish person has no share in the world to come.      
       Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, Chapter 388

It is one of the most serious crimes in the Torah. In fact an additional
Bracha (v'lamalshinim) was added to the Shemonah Esrei (making it 19 Brachas instead of 18) to plead for HaShem's intervention against those who moser on a fellow Jew. ... "

 

The anonymous e-mail referred to above also alleged that the following four incidents occurred in Passaic:

1. Rabbi "A" was a member of the Ahavas Israel synagogue, whose wife allegedly had him arrested and incarcerated in Passaic County Jail on false domestic violence charges.  Rabbi "A" was known in the community as a decent, non-violent, law abiding citizen.

 

2. Mr. "B" was a member of the Ahavas Israel synagogue whose wife allegedly filed a Court action against him in violation of halacha. His wife also allegedly had a false domestic violence restraining order served on Mr. "B" by the Passaic Police, who entered the Ahavas Israel Synagogue on one Shabbos. Mr. "B" was known in the community as a decent, non-violent, law abiding citizen.

 

3. Mr. "C" 's ex-wife allegedly prohibited him from attending the Shachris and Musaf of his son's Bar Mitzvah at the Ahavas Israel synagogue, despite the contrary ruling of one of the most prominent rabbis in the community.

 

4. Dr. "E", a member of the Ahavas Israel synagogue, who was allegedly banned from davening in the Ahavas after his ex-wife complained that she felt uncomfortable seeing Dr. "E" davening in the same shul.

Later Events

Subsequent to the email alleging the four incidents above, a number of other incidents involving mesirah and injustice have been reported in Passaic.

5. Mr. "F" and his family were GERIM, converts to Judaism, who lived in the Passaic community for a number of years. They davened at the Ahavas Israel synagogue on a regular basis and were pleasant, well liked people. One day, without any prior notice, Mr. "F" and his family suddenly moved out of their apartment and left the state of New Jersey. An individual who was able to contact Mr. "F" inquired as to why Mr. "F" and his family had suddenly departed Passaic.  Mr. "F" allegedly stated that he believed that certain individuals in the Passaic Community had mosered himself and his family by making false allegations to a New Jersey state agency. As a result of this alleged mesirah, Mr. "F" and his family were then forced to depart the state of New Jersey.

 

6. Mr. "G" was allegedly jailed by his wife in violation of halacha, and a GET procedure was allegedly performed while the divorce was still being litigated in NJ Superior Court. Such a GET would be of questionable validity according to Chareidi poskim - see the Kol Koreh.

 

7. a. Mrs. "H", a member of the Ahavas Israel synagogue, filed a divorce lawsuit against Mr. "H" in NJ Superior Court, asking that court to adjudicate ALL issues, in violation of halacha.

 

b. Mrs. "H" then contacted a controversial Bais Din which had been previously condemned by a number of Gadolei Torah. The Bais Din notified Mr. "H" they would be holding a 10:30PM hearing, on a nite Mr. "H" had custody of his children, without Mrs. "H" being present. Such a hearing would be in violation of halacha, and Mr. "H" informed Mrs. "H" 's Bais Din that he would be referring the matter to another Bais Din. 

 

c. Mrs. "H" then obtained a fraudulent "seruv" which contained the name of a non-existent Bais Din, and which lacked any address, phone number, and seal. Certain persons in Passaic then allegedly informed the Passaic community that Mr. "H" was "in cherem". 

 

d. Mr. "H" was then allegedly called to a meeting by two Passaic rabbis, and promised he would be allowed to speak freely. At the meeting, Mr. "H" was prevented from speaking, was called an "am ha aretz" and a "pipsqueak", and was told he was banned from certain shuls in Passaic.

 

e. Mr. "H" 's wife then obtained a Court order, in violation of halacha, evicting Mr. "H" from the couple's legal two family home. Mr. "H" moved into a modern, safe, basement apartment, owned by a Jewish landlord. It is believed a person connected with the Ahavas Israel synagogue then contacted the landlord and urged him to to evict Mr. "H" from the basement apartment. When the landlord did not evict Mr. "H", Mrs. "H" then complained to the police that the apartment was unsafe. The police forcibly entered the basement apartment on a nite Mr. "H" had legal custody of his children, and dragged Mr. "H" 's screaming children away.

 

f. Mr. "H" was forced to move to another apartment. Mr. "H" 's new landlord was also allegedly contacted and was urged to evict Mr. "H". Mrs. "H" then filed an unsuccessful Court action attempting to remove Mr. "H" 's custody time with his children, in violation of halacha. 

 

g. Mr. "H" obtained a letter from his Bais Din stating that the so-called "seruv" against him was BATUL MAVUTAL (totally invalid), as Mr. "H" was prepared to appear before another Bais Din. (This halacha is stated in DINTORA_LEKETDIBREPOSKIM ). Mr. "H" 's Bais Din issued an authentic seruv against Mrs. "H". The seruv stated that all those assisting Mrs. "H" are "OZER L'MOSRIM".

 

h. Although no Bais Din had ever ordered Mr. "H" to provide a GET to Mrs. "H", Mr. "H" 's rabbis put a Bais Din on call to do a GET. Mrs. "H" declined to cooperate and declined to negotiate a settlement. During this whole time Mrs. "H" was apparently welcome in the Ahavas Israel and other Passaic synagogues, while Mr. "H" was allegedly banned from a number of Passaic synagogues.