Ex-CTLawyer

Avi:
Hate to burst your bubble, but this is NOT true:
“Until Torah uMasora was established after WW2 there were no day schools (all of the yeshivot you cite were for older boys – there was nothing for girls)”

The New Haven Hebrew Day School (now Southern CT Hebrew Academy) started classes in 1944
My brother-in-law’s eldest sister was enrolled in the first class. his next older sister and he attended through 8th grade. He went on to a yeshiva in NY, and last June he retired after a career as a pulpit rabbi in Massachusetts.

Over the years, that school had a boys high school which closed, but has had a girls high school since the 1960s in continuous operation.

MW…
I see others answered before I saw your post.
There was a yeshiva started in my hometown of New Haven prior to 1920 and it operated for several decades, it was followed by others over the years.
Unfortunately, one of the current Yeshivos in New Haven is mired in scandal and has lost its student body and almost all faculty, while the other has continued to expand and grow.
New Haven had Jewish settlers in Colonial Times and a synagogue chartered by the State of Connecticut in 1840…all religious institutions in CT had to receive charters from the state until the first quarter of the 20th century. It was a center of Jewish learning in the early 20th century as a successful orthodox merchant and manufacturing class wanted to provide the best for their sons, they imported and supported rabbonim, melamdim, shotchim, sofrim, etc. and funded the construction of Jewish institutions. In addition to the yeshiva, a Home for the aged and an orphanage were established in the nineteen teens.

Joseph//////////////////
Inventing Facts with no backup…Alternative Facts like Trump

I am one of 972 observant descendants of a frum couple who arrived in NY back in 1872
I grew up in New Haven, which had a long tradition of learned Rabbis leading congregations and yeshivos/day schools since the 1890s
Not all learned rabbis came from Europe. RIETS started training American rabbis back in 1896…they may now be too far left for your taste, but were frum back then.

Lots of Frum Jews in Europe had descendants that were no longer frum by the 1930s..this is not solely an American occurrence..

Spoken like a greenhorn………………..
There was NO mass migration of frum Jews to the US in the run-up to WWII. They were blocked by the changes in immigration laws of 1924.

Far more non-frum, than frum Jews arrived as refugees after WWII and they were more than happy to take the economic help provided by agencies/groups established by non-frum American Jews such as HIAS and B’Nai B’rith.

My maternal side arrived in the US in the 1860s, they came for economic opportunity reasons…my great-great grandfather was sought out in Germany for his particular manufacturing and management skills.

My paternal side came in 1872 from the Pale of Settlement. They were proactive Jewish Pilgrims. Although living in a very frum-Jewish area, they reacted to the Odessa Pogroms of 1871 and the fear that pogroms would spread throughout the Russian Empire. My great-great grandmother’s letters back to the old country (which were used in visa applications by other relatives) explained this fear.

Joseph and many newcomers (defined in my family as those who entered via Ellis Island–we old timers arrived at Castle Garden in Mnahattan) perpetrate this revisionist history that the US was a frum wasteland before WWII. Yes, Jews could easily go OTD, but that happened in Europe as well…especially in the western lands such as Germany with the rise of the Reform movement. Rabbonim were imported, shuls and yeshivos were started in the US. This was mostly the misnagid community. Chassidim were loathe to leave their geographically based dynasty courts. There was no chance of being appointed ‘chief rabbi’ of a city or area in the US. With freedom of religion, the government did not need to have official contact with these rebbes running insular communities of Jewish residents with limited rights.

I come from a long line of misnagdim, but in the 1930s, 40s and 50s they did all in their power to apply political pressure in the US to allow in more Jewish refugees from Europe and sponsor them economically. There was no differentiation by American Jews between frum and non-frum Jews when trying to rescue Jews from the shoah.

I have resigned from the BOD of Yeshivos who refuse to comply with the law. I will not be held personally and/or criminally libel if they think they can ignore what education is mandated for ALL students, public and private.

Read the law, know the law, follow the law…work within the system to change the law, BUT don NOT break the law.

I recently took action against a public school principal who told teachers to keep students from attending, gym, art and music if they had not completed all homework assignments due that day. Threat of a lawsuit, cancelled the policy, Principal is on probation and will likely lose her job. More than 1100 hours of lost PE was discovered last fall semester in that one school.

They won’t run out of names because they use a 6 year cycle to repeat names, only retiring names when there is a storm of scientific significance that will continue to be studied and taught about.
Thus Katrina was retired and won’t be back as scheduled in 2 years (if we reach K)

Become a Talmid Chochom in your own right and you may be an acceptable choice for a Bas Talmid Chochom.
Otherwise, having lots of money and being able to support her male relatives that learn all day doesn’t hurt…………….

Joseph…………
the President ordering someone to Prosecute does NOT make the President a Prosecutor no matter how many time you try to spin it. He also can’t order Civil Service personnel within the DOJ (which is Executive Branch) to do anything. He can only order political appointees to act.
Trump ios NOT and will never be the Chief Prosecutor of the US. He might be prosecuted for High Crimes and Misdemeanors, but it would be by the Legislative Branch. That is called Impeachment and trial.

You simply say, No, thank you…then either hang up the phone, or turn your back to the salesperson

Bill Clinton did NOT dodge the draft.
While in college he had a IIS student deferment which existed for all full-time college students at that time.
When in Law School, he was subject to the draft, then conducted by lottery. You were assigned a number matched to your birthdate (randomly picked) and if that number was not reached during the year of your exposure, you were no longer subject to the draft. Clinton’s number was 311. The highest number drafted that year was 135.

Your casting aspersions is despicable and an insult to every American, myself included, who registered for the draft, was assigned a lottery number and subject to call up to active duty.

I commented early on in this thread that it is not enough to be impeached, the Senate must convict.

Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached, BUT neither was convicted by the Senate and they finished out their terms of office.

Here it goes again………………….
Living OOT in a house with large fenced in grounds, we have 4 dogs at the current time.
We don’t have issues of walking them on a leash on Shabbos or having to pick up after them, as we open a rear door and they have a fenced 1/2 acre to romp and play undisturbed.
Years ago, our LOR preached against having dogs because one might buy and have treif to feed them. We cook for them and use no commercial pet food.
They bring great joy and comfort to our family, especially when Mrs. CTL was so ill last year.

In more than 6 decades of living, I have always had at least one dog and imagine I always shall have them.

DY………..
There is a Huge difference between suggesting people curb wedding expenses. which merely reduces the amount spent, than stating not to buy a product that eliminates all money spent.

OOT. the chances are much greater that the florist, photographer and union musicians are not frum yidden or even Jews at all.

I married off one daughter last year and another will be wed I”H this August at our home. The caterer is a frum yid coming from NY. The florist, photographer, table and chair rental company are all local businesses, not frum. They do business with me and Mrs. CTL and we in turn do business with them. There is no local frum alternative and no reason to import these items or people. The chosan and his parents are providing the band. I have no information yet as to the name of the band, only know that it will be 6 men.
I know that the engagement and wedding jewelry are coming from frum craftsmen, but this is a purchase I am not involved in.

Real Jewelry…diamonds, high karat gold, precious stones (Emeralds, Sapphires and Rubies) are high value, low weight, easily transportable, hidden wealth that may be concealed, used to buy one’s way to freedom, greasing the palm of a border or prison guard or visa granting official.

My family may have arrived in the USA back in the late 1860s and early 1870s, but until my parents bought their first house in 1951 always rented and kept gold and jewels on hand should an instant flight be necessary as was too often the case in Europe. My generation all own real estate, but all keep ready gold, gems and cash in easy reach should the need arise.

No special license plates.
BTW…The US State Department does not issue Diplomatic license plates in the assorted states. You register your car and get a plate issued by the Motor Vehicle Dept in your own state. No special designation. No ability to be a scofflaw and not pay parking tickets.
No tax breaks, etc.
Being the Consular representative cost me out of pocket money. I operated out of my office and a secretary on my staff handled calls and took messages. I had open office hours one afternoon each week from 2-4 when I assisted with travel visas, those nationals who had stayed long and needed to renew passports, etc. All I did was collect the documents and send them on to the embassy in Washington for processing via a weekly courier.
There was a large immigrant community from this country and I was the ‘polished’ local face of authority. Appearing at cultural events, speaking at Chamber of Commerce and Business Industry association meetings trying to facilitate trade. I was not responsible for stimulating the leisure tourist trade, that was handled by regional sales reps from the national airline.

There are some small countries who do not maintain embassies in all countries with which they have diplomatic relations. It is just too expensive Sometimes they appoint an ambassador to serve several countries and he is based ion a physical embassy in one of them. He occasionally travels to the others as needed, but a consulate handles every day needs. When my cousin was the Consul for the Central American country they did not maintain an embassy in Israel. When they finally established one it is in an office in Herzylia Pituach and is not staffed by a resident ambassador.

Actually,
A country can’t move its embassy without the permission of the host country. The embassy and its grounds function as quasi-sovereign territory of the host country. Over the years we have seen examples of asylum seekers spending years living in an embassy compound unmolested by the host country. Each existing embassy in Washington DC and to the UN in NYC were approved by the US government before the property was purchased and the foreign flag hoisted. The embassy property often has foreign military with arms, something a host country would not allow to be placed willy nilly around the country. This is why countries establish consulates outside capital cities. The Consul is generally a citizen of the host country with limited Diplomatic Authority granted by the foreign country to serve visiting nationals and stimulate business and cultural/travel exchanges.

Joseph………..
I can’t speak for Yehudayona,
BUT
Mrs. CTL and I have 7 children. We are the birth parents to 5 and adoptive parents to 2.
They were NOT adopted at the same time. They are about 9 years apart in age. One was a domestic adoption. We were approached by the doctor. We never met the birth mother, but had her name and date/place of our daughter’s birth.
Our daughter knew she was our child by choice from the time she was old enough to comprehend what adoption mean.
When she became engaged, she sought ut her birth mother for the sole reason of getting medical history that might affect future offspring. The talked on the phone and by email a few times. Neither had a desire for a continuing relationship.

Our younger adopted daughter was adopted by us in China. She knew she was adopted as soon as she could did differences in skin color and racial/facial features. There are no records of who her birth parents are. During the time she was born China had a one child law. Women giving birth to a second child would leave it outside the orphanage during the dark of night so as to not be discovered by the authorities and be fined and/or imprisoned.
In our town of 35,000 we know more than30 girls adopted in Chin during that time period. None will ever find their birth parents…unless there is universal DNA registry for 8 billion people on this earth.

Is a Rolex really overpriced?

I wear a Rolex ss/18K YG Rolex Oyster as my everyday watch. I paid $1600 for it in 1983. I’ve had 34 trouble free years for about $47 per year. I don’t think that’s overpriced. Chances are I’ll continue to wear it for at least another 20 years (hopefully 40). After that it will go to my eldest son.

Yehudayona>
“Unfortunately, there’s still a stigma attached to birth mothers who give up their children. People notice when a woman is very pregnant one week, not pregnant the next, and there’s no baby around.”

This is why in the time before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion on demand in t he US there were homes for unwed mothers where single pregnant females spent most of their pregnancy, gave birth and the adoptive parents picked up the baby.
Neighbors and friends would be told that the young woman was traveling or visiting relatives for an extended period.

lesschrumras……………….
My mother was born and raised in the Bronx…guess things were different there.

Avram,
” if Democrats really see themselves as pro-woman, they should spend at least as much breath advocating for universal access to and improvements of prenatal care in the U.S. …”
They do. It’s called the Affordable Care Act, which Trump and Congressional Republicans are trying to Repeal.
ALSO social benefit and educational programs such as WIC and SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps).
Even if one does not approve of pregnancy termination performed under the auspices of Planned Parenthood, they also provide prenatal care and pregnancy education.

We have different opinions of his actions that can be considered impeachable offenses.

I believe he is in violation of Article I Section 9 of the US Constitution, specifically the “emoluments” clause. He is being enriched by foreign government spending at his properties.

In the early 20th century there were a number of Orthodox Jewish farming communities in Connecticut (Colchester area), NY (Catskills) and New Jersey.
My BIL of 45 years comes form one of those Colchester, CT Orthodox chicken farming families. went away for high school and yeshiva and just retired from his career as a pulpit rabbi. His eldest sister’s grandchildren are still running the egg farm

BenK…Let me put responses to your questions/statements/plight together in a cohesive answer<

There is no such thing as a FREE lunch. Schools not charging students for lunch receive some USDA surplus food at no charge to use in making the meals, BUT the school (if private) or school system and taxpayers pay the rest of cost of cooking and serving those lunches. Ingredients, labor, equipment, utilities.

Yeshivos and Day Schools cannot allow students to bring lunch from home (imagine the politics and insults in allowing food from one house and not another). It may be cheaper to use an outside vendor (caterer) than to make lunch in the school (economy of scale). Would it make you feel better if the annual school fee was $500 higher instead of seeing a bill for lunches $500?
Don’t equate ‘caterer’ school lunches with the $150 per plate meal at a chasunah.

Field trips and high costs. NO, the schools don’t ask parents. Get involved in the parents association and offer to help plan these things. It may be that the current group of parents helping to plan are those who can easily afford ‘high’ priced trips and a different point of view is needed. The school authorities will not buck their biggest donors, the other parents must join in the planning and be represented.
Our grandson’s school sponsored a trip to Great Adventure last Friday. They were charging $100. Because CT state law does not allow school trips in ‘yellow’ school buses to out of state locations, they had the high cost of chartered coaches. My daughter and son-in-law, said no, they got other parents together to also say no. The trip was cancelled for lack of response. Instead, there is an instate trip to a go-kart track and sports venue this Sunday. Cost $20. Mrs. CTL and I are providing coolers full of cold drinks and bagged snacks for less than the cost for 2 students to have gone to Great Adventure.