Yolish Krauss, operations officer of the Eida Chareidis who received a presidential pardon l and released from prison did not waste time announcing he will reopen his illegal slaughterhouse.

Kraus was released last week after serving less than six weeks of a five-month prison term on his conviction for operating an illegal slaughterhouse. President Reuven Rivlin pardoned him as his wife is about to have their 17th child.

The following was taken from his interview with Chadrei Chareidim.

CC:

How was it in prison?

Krauss:

Baruch Hashem very good. It was a vacation and now I need two a two-week vacation from the vacation.

CC:

Did you write a book?

Krauss:

I did not have time as I learned most of the day. I originally believed I would not have a matzav to learn but this was not so. Perhaps if I would have remained another two or three weeks, but I don’t think so.

CC:

What did you do about food? Did you refrain from coffee as is your norm?

Krauss:

B”H, I received matzos since I do not eat bread not baked at home or anything with flour or oil. I ate tuna in water, fruit and vegetables under the Eida Chareidis. I ate matzos from Pesach Sheni until Shavuos and afterwards, as Kretchnif chassidim have the minhag to eat matzos.

CC:

It’s no secret that the president of the Zionist state pardoned you, the president of the ‘State of Kofrim’. Do you have something to say about this?

Krauss:

If I hadn’t sat in jail, perhaps I could thank but I sat fifty days for failing to report to tax authorities. I had a gemach for Materna and they told me I must report despite the fact the turnover was 400 shekels monthly. Today, one who needs Materna from me, I only give the amount required and no more. I no longer sell and do not give Materna.

CC:

When are you going to return to work?

Krauss:

I hope in another two weeks so I can rest from the rest.

CC:

Will the slaughterhouse startup again? Is this an option?

Krauss:

I thought everything would be easier now but I think I will return to two days weekly. This is with the required permits of course as my taxes go to either Mir or Ponevezh as the avreira is only to accept [from the government and] not in paying.

Krauss, 44, who never applied for an ID (teudat Zehut) card, never reported for IDF service and never got a driver’s license, explains during his trial he was compelled to get a teudat zehut and he has been rejected for ten months. He has even filed a motion with an administrative court, and he is repeatedly rejected, telling him “where have you been till now?”

“They didn’t want to permit my children in to visit me since they too do not have ID cards. What are they thinking, that I brought children from the street to come and visit me?”

At the end of the interview, Krauss thanks everyone who wrote and davened on his behalf. He adds one must contemplate how many must suffer because of him for each tzoro HKBH brings to a person, and the pain of each one, citing something occurred that never occurred before, insisting this was a public and not a private matter.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)