A Bnei Brak man who spent the last three years in a Polish prison was released on Wednesday after the fine of 400,000 Zloty ($150,000) was paid to Polish authorities. The fine was paid before Shabbos and the man was finally released today.
However, the tribulations of the avreich have not ended. As soon as he was let out of prison, he was arrested again by police officers who were waiting for him under the charge of his being an illegal immigrant on Polish territory. The story came to a positive end when the Avreich was finally let go, and regained his complete freedom. He is now making his way back to Israel and to his family.
As previously reported the man, Avi, had gotten into trouble with Polish authorities after his “friend” had gained access to Avi’s bank account and began making money transfers that amounted to money laundering in Poland.
Avi was tricked by the Polish government into coming to Poland to sort out his account, and when he landed he was immediately arrested. Over the past three years, Avi had been held in prison without a trial, and was continuously brought before a judge to be remanded into custody for elongated periods of time.
A fund was started by Kupat Hair on The Chesed Fund last week, and in just a few days, nearly 3,000 people chipped in and covered the needed funds to have the man released.
Mi K’amcha Yisroel!
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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20 Responses
May all 2926 people who donated to his release, enjoy freedom, wealth, Simchos and Nachas, Ad Soff haDoros, and may this so called friend of Avi, get what s/he deserves for such a terrible “Avlah” which was committed against an innocent fellow.
Chasdei Hashem!!
Ditto to comment #1, by 147. With friends like that who needs enemies.
ברוך מתיר אסורים
Amazing! I just wish the news of this came out sooner, so the campaign could have been sooner!
Yes klall Yisroel should celebrate when a fellow Jew is release from prison, I myself donated to the cause when an appeal was made in Shull ,but my question is -why must we whitewash every crime committed by a frum Jew and call it anti-semitism,happen to know details of this story and believe you me his sitting in jail had nothing to do with antisemitism
it might be better to donate to stronger education in ehrlichkeit.
Am I missing something? Why did it take 3 years to raise funds to get this man released? Why wasn’t this done sooner? Is there something we’re not being told?
Boruch Matir Asurim
Hate to be the pessimist here but this sounds super fishy.
So we only hear about this THREE YEARS after he gets locked up ‘for no reason’ at all? Why no outcry?
He says a ‘friend’ used his account.. yup sounds legit.. that’s what they all say.
He tried to make a quick buck and it failed miserably.
Sounds like another classic case of someone breaking the law and then using Tzedoko money to evade justice.
As with happened with the 3 ‘innocent’ boys who took drugs to Japan (where I heard directly from the 4th boy who didn’t travel in end, that they knew exactly what they were taking & they got offered free trip to Meshibutsh for it) and happened here again.
So many stories like these happen, sometimes the ‘Askonim’ know better, sometimes they don’t. The Rabonim though, like us, get the wool pulled over their eyes.
Of course we have to be Don Lekaf Zechus, but this is ridiculous.
The Mitzvah of Pidyon Shevuyim DOES NOT APPLY to help criminals avoid justice & Dinah Demalchusa.
(P.s. the Rubashkin case is a bit different as even though he did commit crimes there was obvious anti-semitism in the sentencing there, as opposed to both these cases.)
My fellow Yidden, don’t be naive. Open your eyes. חסה התורה על ממונם של ישראל.
P.s. if you gave from Ma’aser money you most probably have to give it again.
Wow, some of the comments here are so judgmental, what a shame. no wonder moshiach didn’t come yet.
and for those of you who want to call themselves righteous, look in your closet and clean out those skeletons your not perfect, so don’t act like it.
Shayndl, “clean out those skeletons your not perfect”…. we aren’t expecting anyone here to be perfect. We are expecting minimally and at the very basic to follow international law, money laundering laws, and Chillul Hashem. We don’t know much about this particular case or individual, the tzedaka organization was very discrete with details, so I gave nothing.
Its amazing how you boast about giving nothing. Spectacular.
shayndal, tell us how you were able to explain what brings moshiach? maybe ehrlichkeit? maybe ahavat yisroel?
Imho rav chaim gave a brocha to those that help this yid.i wanted a piece of the bracha so i donated.if i understood correctly until the trial “which took place after 3 yrs of sitting in prison” we did not know what the polish govt wanted in exchange for his freedom.after the trial was revealed that $150,000 would get him out so fund was created,bh we did it,hes out,and may rav chaim bracha on all those who helped him be mekuyim…
In yrs ago stories of yidden being thrown into jail for not paying the poritz his rent was also considered pidyan shvuyim nobody said well he technically owes the poritz $,he did wrong,so let him take care of himself and ill give my tzedekah elsewhere…
Does YWN review comments left here? Why would they post the comment left by Tim? It’s pure Motzei shem rah. How is this allowed? Is the Torah hefker?? Rabbi Hoffman do you not agree??
Hakadosh Boruch Hu is able to discern and judge everyone fully as He knows all their circumstances. There was a reason this man spent three years in a Polish jail. We are only treasurers of the money the Eibishte has entrusted us with therefore we are obliged to ensure that the tzedoka we give is being given in a responsible way. Giving to a public campaign three years after the man was arrested where very scant details of why money is needed, except that he is in trouble, make it difficult to fulfill that obligation.
Yisroel_H It’s called כבדהו וחשדהו. The Torah does not want us to be naive.
*concerrned mom* – Firstly Reb Chaim was told exactly what we were told, so if he did actually money launder, he would have no idea.
Also, the case of a Poritz is different because 1. it was always disproportionate punishment (anti Semitic) 2. the people redeeming him knew the facts, and 3. paying money late is not a crime.
*Yisroel_H* – It’s called כבדהו וחשדהו. The Torah does not want us to be naive. The Mitzvah of דן לכף זכות was not meant to make Yidden throw their Tzedoko money away. This is the reason all Meshulochim get looked into incessantly. We should at least hold the same standards when giving money to vague Pidyon Shevuyim cases like these.
I knew when I gave a few dollars that his story was probably a bit fishy but I also knew it’s not nice to let a Jew sit even if he did something he should not have.
Most of us are not perfect one time or another.
On a different note how much was raised in total and what happened to the remaining funds ?
Kupat ??