My name is Yossi Gestetner, I am a Hasidic Jew, living in upstate NY. Journalism and writing in/for the Yiddish-speaking sectors of the Orthodox Jewish community is my job for the better part of the last four years.
Despite that we are now more than a week since the arrests in NJ and NY, I must reveal that I am still very ashamed of my own. I am actually disgusted with what they did. No, I am not ashamed that a handful of Rabbis and other orthodox Jews tried helping their fellow community member. A member who came to them begging for help and crying at his plight of imminent bankruptcy. No, I am not ashamed that criminal incidences committed by Jews are usually limited to white-collar type crimes rather than killings, shootings, gangs, and organized crime. However, I am ashamed of my fellow Jews (granted, not orthodox) who work in the press, the journalists, and the news producers in general, at the way they portrayed this unfortunate saga.
For the average reader/viewer of the news, those 44 arrested were one group of crooked criminals who hid under political and religious fronts in order to commit crimes. The fact however is, that the main, if not the only, thing tying these 44 people together is the “CW” (Cooperating Witness). “CW” tried getting the Feds off his back by entrapping others. Most of the people who he approached would not even consider doing him “favors” if not for his slick mouth and relentless pitiful begging requests that he be saved from creditors, banks and yes, the Feds that are on his back.
By following the news surrounding this story and the press conference given that Thursday by the Feds, one got the impression that murky cellars and dark parking lots of Synagogues were major meeting places for crime and conspiracy. The reality is that these were the places where “CW” found an instant to have a lone minute with a Rabbi or congregate. From the reports out there, one got the impression that the Rabbis were using some sort of Rabbinical code to wire money and body parts from NY and NJ to “halfway around the world”-another sad misconception. The fact remains that just one person was involved with this heartrending business of selling body parts, while using one or two of the other 44 that were arrested, to help him wash the illegal money.
The nastiest part of this whole tale is how these appalling journalists threw around the words “Jews” and “Rabbis” like that was the main factor in this case. When was the last time you read a report that “a group of Black men from a prominent Haitian Church were arrested for a certain crime”? The word “African American” is never used in any criminal report if the perpetrator is Black. Even a cartoon against a Black can’t go without an outcry, but a cartoon about Jewish “rabies” published in The NY Daily News, is ok. In the same context, did u ever see a headline saying “Catholics busted” for crimes? Of course you didn’t. But when it came to the group of 44 arrested, it was all about the Jews and Rabbis!
Speaking of Rabbis, I do not understand why Weysan Dun, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Newark Office, said during his press conference that people he arrested included “commissioners, to regularity inspectors, and of course a number of Rabbis from the Jewish community.” What is the “of course” all about? Are Rabbis really in the news all day committing crimes? And why say Rabbis from the Jewish community: Have you ever heard of a Rabbi from the Muslim community or a Rabbi being a catholic? Why the repetition? What was he trying to say by pointing out the Jewish community?
In general, it is beyond me how journalists slap the word Rabbi on every Hasidic Jew that gets arrested. On the day of the arrests, WCBS-880 had reports all afternoon (certainly until their local 3:30 report) that “fifteen Rabbis were arrested,” when in fact only five of them or less are actually Rabbis. (It was only after WCBS got bombarded at the station by calls from Jews outraged, that the report was corrected. At the 5:04 local news update they said “fifteen people, among them five Rabbis” were arrested). Those journalists, the so-called smart people in the room, should know better than using the term “Rabbi” so loosely. For starters, before using the word Rabbis, a journalist can open up a phone book and check to see if the person is at all listed as a Rabbi.
The Chutzpa did not end that day. The following Tuesday, it was reported that Jack Shaw, one of the 44, was found dead. Foxnews.com had a written story about his death and put next to it a photo of three people, two of them Hasidic, being loaded onto the Federal bus back on the arrest day. Since I am a pro-Fox News Conservative, a family member of mine blasted me with text messages asking me why Fox News, run officially by pro-Jewish politically conservatives, plastered photos of Brooklyn Jews? Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate to have pictures of NJ mayors or perhaps a photo of Shaw? Shaw’s alleged crimes were on the political side of NJ, and not with the money washers of Brooklyn.
All in all, I am not saying that washing $10,000 even one time is Kosher, nor am I suggesting that white collar crime under Rabbinical supervision is OK. However, I am asking that journalists and news producers should do a better job in following and reporting facts before running to press with a bundled up “crime ring of 44.” It would be appreciative if Jews were treated by reporters with the same respect as African Americans are treated when they are allegedly (or proven to be) involved in crimes. Finally, I ask the media/press to give full-fledged coverage when the acquittals and light sentences will be handed out to those Jews and Rabbis….
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32 Responses
Yossi Gestetner, you stated the position very well!
Excellent Essay.
thank you.
The nastiest part of this whole tale is how these appalling journalists threw around the words “Jews” and “Rabbis” like that was the main factor in this case. When was the last time you read a report that “a group of Black men from a prominent Haitian Church were arrested for a certain crime”? The word “African American” is never used in any criminal report if the perpetrator is Black. Even a cartoon against a Black can’t go without an outcry, but a cartoon about Jewish “rabies” published in The NY Daily News, is ok. In the same context, did u ever see a headline saying “Catholics busted” for crimes? Of course you didn’t. But when it came to the group of 44 arrested, it was all about the Jews and Rabbis!
No, ofcourse they single out ‘Rabbis’ for the obvious reason that crimes commited by Jews are harmless in nature and very infrequent.
Whereas the other nations of the world make up for a higher ratio EVEN per centage wise. That should make you proud not ashamed.
But nos. 1 made a good point.
Are you ashamed of what they did, or are you annoyed that it leaked out, so that the whole world has to KNOW,,,???
Great editorial.
I guess read again,
Of course “The Press”
Dog bites cat is not news. Cat bites dog is. Political figures involved in crime is not a new thing. Luckily, Rabbanim and frum Jews being involved in crime is. The news companies are in the business to sell the news so they will show “cat bites dog”. When, in recent history, has a group of chasidic and frum Jews been a part of this kind of crime?
About them calling all of the alleged criminals “Rabbis”- if so many people dont call themselves Rabbis, then the secular world wont. Only call yourself a Rabbi when you hold a congregation. The secular world call any “Rabbinical student” a Rabbi- maybe that is the cause for their confusion?
#1 most of the press IS our own.
#1 please read the article again before writing negative comments he started the article saying that he himself is a news writer get it ?
Perhaps he meant the “journalism” side of himself.
“… an instant to have a lone minute with a Rabbi or congregate …”
Don’t you mean “congregant” instead of “congregate”?
As is clear from the notes above the whole topic should be dropped as less coverage is better in this case. The whole ordeal is a Chillul Hashem from all angles and the more its discussed even in defense of the accused the more the Shem Shomayim is Mischalel.
We have a chiyuv to be dan likaf zchus but the less that its in the news the less there will be chillul Hashem.
Additionally I appeal to the YWN editors to stop “reporting” on all the chillul Hashem’s in the news and minimize coverage of these things even if they are “newsworthy” because “newsworthy” and proper are not always the same.
Ggh great comment!
You’re not the Lone Ranger, Yossi Gestetner. We are all ashamed.
BSD
Shalom uBrochoh!
I read your editorial as an email sent to me from Yeshivahworld.com. I have a few comments:
First, if you are truly a “professional” writer, then you must become more careful with how you word things. A clear example is this sentence ..
” All in all, I am not saying that washing $10,000 even one time is Kosher, nor am I suggesting that white collar crime under Rabbinical supervision is OK. ”
A quick reader can easily read that the crime was under the Rabbinical supervision of the OK !! Nonsense, you say! Ha, if someone can mistake all of these Yidden as “rabbis” just by a mere peek at their garb, certainly, someone quickly reading through your op-ed article can and will somehow conclude that in some way the OK Kosher Supervision was involved, or that these Rabbis are somehow involved with the OK. Your choice of words was very poor, indeed.
Next, it has been my experience that whenever “rabbis” are involved in some sort of possible crime or misdeed, the media regularly uses the expression of Jewish Rabbis. Yes, we Jews all know that being a Rabbi means being Jewish. As you pointed out, there is no such thing as a l’havdil catholic rabbi or a muslim rabbi. Nevertheless, much of the USA citizenry has no idea what a rabbi is, to which religion they belong, or how does one become a rabbi. Stop thinking in terms of Brooklyn, Monsey, or New Jersey. MOST of the world does NOT live in those cloistered areas. Very educated people all over the USA and Canada have no true idea of what a rabbi is – I know, I deal with it on a regular basis. Yes, most media – especially print media, do use terms like catholic priest, muslim cleric, baptist minnister, etc. – it helps clarify / define the type of person being presented in the article.
Yes, when it comes to Jews, it is often over used = I agree with you = perhaps over emphasized = but aren’t we supposed to be “a light unto the Nations”? Aren’t we supposed to set the example? Once people learn and become comfortable with what a rabbi is, what he stands for, etc., then yes, most people begin to look up to them, to treat them with respect, and yes, they do expect a certain behavior, a certain type of dress, character, etc. – and when we miss the mark, it makes a loud BOOM. Remember, you higher you are, the greater the fall. Even the the “higher” is only a perception, let’s face it, perception in most cases is reality. That’s what the media is all about – you should know that – the media creates the perception in order to create or re-create the reality.
I sincerely hope that the next time you are working on an article or some media presentation that you keep these perceptions and lessons in mind. As a Jewish writer, you, too, are being held to a higher level – by your fellow Jews and by the world at large.
AE, Chicago.
We are “am hanivchar mekol ha’amin” (see yesterday’s parsha). Fact is, that the whole world DOES expect us ALL to live up to a higher standard, and therefore they’re suprised when we don’t. The press, non-frum yiden, and goyim alike don’t make these chilukim about who IS a rabbi or not. Every frum jew in their eyes represents the same thing – a standard of life that we must conduct ourselves with. We’re all responsible for the recent chillul Hashem.
Rabbi Yossi, if you’re a journalist you can and should increase kiddush shem shamayim by writing much more about the immense tzedaka and gemillas chesed that takes place in the frum communities nationwide. Give americans a glimpse at the many positives of frumkeit today.
I am an outsider looking in and crying inside because I was born on the wrong side of the fence and cannot belong to that for which I konged for so long. From my view, I ignored the mention of faith or religion in the arrest articles. For those who brought disfavor upon the name of G-d, I have only prayers and forgiveness even though they must atone for the sin of their crimes. I am grateful to Hashem for thos ofyou who set the good examples and from whom I learn daily.
Oy. If this is who our journalists are, we have problems. First of all, the comparison to Blacks is completely wrong. The comparison should be: if there were a bunch of priests arrested, would it be news? Of course! The point, which R’ Yossi sadly missed, is that the rabbonim are our leaders. And if this is what the leaders are doing, imagine what the followers are doing! R’ Yossi’s shame is also misplaced. We should be ashamed … Every one of us. For every time we smiled and gave a “shkoiach” when someone we know told us how they got away with cheating on their taxes. And for every time we ask what the price of something is without tax. We need to grow up, look in the mirror, and take responsibility for inzere!
I am certain that the FBI (if not the press) can be sued for a variety of things, especially why they portrayed the 44 as one big gang of mobsters ‘including organ trafficing’.
Furthermore, make this point in the press.
These individuals are HEROES and need be commended! Just like a firefighter jumps into a fire risking himself, these people took the risk of helping a brother who cried “hunger!”. Some would even [b]knowingly[/b] go to jail if that means saving a family. They would do it in court!
Ask anyone, if YOUR brother/sister came crying to you to save his/her family, would you do it? NO???
I am pretty ashamed of my own too… when frum yidden refuse to follow the law. When “frum” yidden flaunt that they are breaking the law or that they are better than the law (like the chassidim and the Homowak), like the “frum” yidden that think it is ok to steal from the government because it’s not really stealing from someone not Jewish, like people who mistreat others without thought.. Yes, I am truly ashamed too.
Very well-written and to the point. I hope you only write about acts of kiddush Hashem from now on.
Perhaps the reason the media/FBI is justified identifying the alleged criminals as Rabbis is that their rabbinical status was a material part of the story – they used their rabbinical office to commit the crime. The same way the mayors were identified as such, because they were using the office of the mayor to commit criminal acts. I didn’t see the organ trafficker ever identified as a Rabbi, probably because it had nothing to with his crime.
Seems to be a common refrain, blame Dwek/media etc, but our community is innocent as driver snow.
No, the “CW” is not a nice guy or a good one, but he is not the issue; he is only the issue for those who are not willing to face up to the major problem that really does exist in the community.
The real issue is still the big Chillul Hashem caused by these activities and by those who are so quick to defend them. All of this gives the very real imression that the community is not committed to the idea of Dina D’Malchusa Dina unless they are about to get in trouble
Mr. Gestetner, Excelent point.
I would like to add the following, the Halacha states clearly in Choshen Mishpat about a Moser, You are not allowed to be Dan L’kaf Zchus, and of coourse Moridin Vlo Malin. That Drek that he is destroyed Jewish Communities. do you know when that Rasha went to Chacham Kassin Yes! Erev Yom Kippur begging for help, the list goes on if you know the details. I don’t want any body giving us Mussar now. Shame on the Yated Hamodia only the yid was able to portray the true Facts that we have in our midst some one who was Mechalel Shaim Shomayim Borabim. And make no mistake nobody ever said that doing illegals is OK.
Mr. Gestetner you are 100% right
I am ashamed of my own, as well. Specifically, I am ashamed of this editorial.
Mr. Gestetner, do you not understand that a terrible and very public chillul Hashem has been unmasked for the world to see? Large sums of money laundered? Organ trafficking? (Even it was “only” one person.) Do you not understand that, while it may be mentally soothing to scold the CW for ratting out his fellow Jews in the sting, it is also entirely beside the point?
Here’s a newsflash for you: the press ALWAYS invents and obscures the details. Believe it or not, biased and lazy reporting is not a phenomenon that begins and ends with stories about Jews. The days of honest reporting, if they ever existed, are long gone. Newspapers have to compete with television; they must be entertaining.
That being the case, it behooves you to understand that the fault lies not with the press for being the press and glamorizing a news item. The fault lies with the members of the intended Am HaNivchar acting like common criminals.
23 says:
‘frumme yidden are always innocent, and even if they are guilty, there are more goyim commiting crimes so they cancel out’
Nobody says they ‘cancel out’. Thats your RENDITION of what poster’s are saying in order to reinforce your point.
But how can you say that the ratio next to Goyim doestn reflect upon our unique nature? Isnt it obvious that we are Bayshonim, Rachmonim etc?
If not the sarcasm in your post, you might have made a few good points. But the facetious flavor
spoiled the whole message!
The point of this article was not to justify or talk about the chilul Hashem aspect of all this. The point was that the media are a bunch of racist pigs who know to be careful with the black people because of the likes of Al Sharpton and his followers. Because yidin are pushovers (cause we are in gulis…….) the media talks about us like dirt.
Response to the comments of “torahis1”
First of all, a jew is “Bchezkes Kashras” till proven guilty,
And the fact is that there is allot of loop-wholes in the US Tax Code, and Timmty Gethner is not the only one allowed to take advantage of them
(Not to justify illegal activity, but congregations in general have allot of different laws,
And yes, the press hate us, look what they did with rabbi glanz, and many more when they had a chance,
And yes, israeli press hates charedim
They are so eager to see a defeat in religious jews,
-hadassa hospital hates chareidim-
You are right about that too, if you followed the lates developments in the ” Starving mother case, after the conclusion of the psychiatrist you wouldn’t need to look for any proof that they hate Charedim,
No one said that the FBI are anti-semtic, but they knew how to spin in israel international money laundering when in fact it was only one out of the 44 that had to do with international money
-Its ok to call israeli police nazis
Is it ok to be Machlel Shabas?
What is worse (nazis) killing million of jews? Or Shmadan 1000 of jews,?
Check what the Gemura says, which is worse,
I think I answered all of you nonsense complains, and you should learn more stuff about “Ahavs Yisroel”
Sorry for my spelling
31,
Your last comparison is absolute NON SENSE!!!
Who wants to ‘shmad’ anyone? Just because the Israeli Police want to take control of a situation gone bad, dor even if they might be hateful, doesnt mean they want to shmad anyone.
Before you worry aobut your spelling, see to it that your comments are logical!
BS”D
How far a community should go to help a member is above me to comment on. However–you brought up a few very salient points which I do have something to add to.
1-There is quite clearly a double standard for religious and particularly “charedi-looking” jews. Comes to mind the time I was sitting on a bus in Jerusalem and I heard a lady cry out in hebrew “ATA CHAREDI VKACHA ATA DOCHEF–ATA LO MITBAYESH!!” Trans.–“You are ultra religious and you push in front of people like that–you have no shame!!” I did not see the incident. However, what enterd my mind at the time was–had the culprit been non orthodox then it would be alright to push and shove. Also what would she have said to a non religious shover. “you non religious are so disgraceful!” It just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
2-If the non religious (jews and gentiles) do believe that the RCJ must live by (and must be held accountable) towards a higher moral standard–then why don’t they consider becoming RCJ themselves?
3-When a young boy in grade school had asked the Telzer Rav “what do you have to say about all those orthodox people who steal?” He was suprised to recieve the following response”They are not orthodox.”
4-It is precisely because of these ironic double standards which the non RCJ society demands of the RCJ–that we who claim to be RCJ must do our utmost to portray the image of “Or Lagoim” “A light to the nations.”
YMP
THANK YOU Yossi !!!!
for now you are our hero !!!
i can keep my head upright !!!
Despite all the namecalling and general lack of eidelkeit in the postings, I find this whole discussion very heartening.
When I lived in NYC and would occasionally come across the “frum” person who thought it was clever to get around secular law, nobody said anything about it. “Oh, he gives so much tzedakah!” or “He’s such a nice person.” Breaking secular law simply wasn’t seen as relevant (Unless, of course, the person was caught, in which case the prosecutor was an anti-Semite.) Many people didn’t hold by this, but unfortunately quite a few did.
Now there are people who are really disturbed and not afraid to talk about it. Whether the accused are guilty or not is up to the courts to decide. I do know that it’s possible for someone to keep glatt and halav Yisroel, give generous Tzedakah, lay tefillin and the whole thing and still think that it’s OK to cheat the government or non-Jewish customers. I’ve seen it, and it broke my heart.
Now at last people aren’t afraid to say out loud that this is a malchus shel chesed and we are obligated to keep the law.
And remember – how did this person wind up an informant? He was caught breaking the law himself.
Yes, we have made progress.