According to reports appearing on a number of Chabad websites, a number of Chabad bochrim are sitting in jail because they trusted a man described a “frum” who they say is a con artist, warning others he lives in Efrat and goes by the name of Ami Katz.
Apparently, tens of Chabadnikim turned to him to assist arranging them a visa to travel to the United States as well as obtaining the necessary permits to avoid IDF military service.
An unspecified number of the boys got into a jam with US immigration officials, and some are banned from ever obtaining a visa or returning to the USA. Others find themselves in hot water with IDF authorities, and are sitting in jail awaiting a continuation of the judicial process against them. Just this week, four boys were sent to jail by IDF officials.
A parent reports the “con artist” made off with tens of thousands of dollars of hard-earned money and did nothing except ruin many lives while ensuring himself a handsome profit.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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16 Responses
If you want a visa to go to the US you don’t go to a guy on the street corner, you go to a counsalate. If you want to get a draft exemption you go through the proper channels. It sounds like there is more than one guilty party here.
“You can’t con an honest man”
From the slant of many articles here, it does not serve this site well to show a pro-Jewish stance while sacrificing journalistic integrity.
True love for and strength in Judaism is found in honesty and growth.
veryinteresting,
Let the canard known as “journalistic integrity” be sacrificed any day “to show a pro-Jewish stance.” Anyone who puts journalism over a pro-Jewish stance needs a value check-up.
One of the boys in jail is my parteners second cousin.
The people in “hot water” were trying to get to the US to learn in Yeshiva. That is something that thousands of charadim have done over the last tens of years since it is very difficult to get a ptur to learn in chutz liaretz. Instaed of playing “crazy” which is what most of the bochurim do, this guy said he had connections to get them a real ptur, turns out he did not do anything for them and they walked right into the hands of the authorities.
Keep in mind that this is one side of the story, Katz says that he really thought they were ok to travel and he got messed up.
all this info btw is 3d hand, so dont trust it -:)
Joseph,
Integrity in journalism or anywhere else may be a canard to you, but not to many of us.
To be clear, you are no more proud a Jew than I am. In fact, I would say that bending the truth in the name of being pro-Jewish is not Jewish at all.
Regarding your statement about putting journalism over pro-Jewish stances it totally outside the scope of what we are talking about and is no syllogism at all to your premise.
Your statement is a non-statement, therefore, invalid.
Oh no not again!!!!!!!!
Wow i know him for more then 10 years and all i want to say is stay away from him and his family
veryinteresting,
Your sophistry will not assist you in bending the truth.
The notion of a joirnalist with integrity is a canard. None exist. Journalism is corrupt trade by its very definition.
Anyone who advocates against “to show a pro-Jewish stance” needs their values tuned-up.
YES ,VERYINTERESTIG THE GARBAGE ‘TIMES’ WITH ALL THE NEWS THATS MIS-FIT TO PRINT IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF JOURNALIST INTGRERETY
#1, it’s called an expeditor. If you want something from the authorities, and you’re not an expert in the red tape required, or you just don’t want to stand in various lines for several days, you go to an expeditor and he takes care of it. This is perfectly normal. The problem is that this one was a fraud.
#9, Joseph.
Do you realize what you are saying? In my criticism of THIS story, you are saying it is a canard to expect the author of this article to show integrity. I disagree.
#10, jent1150. I agree with you. I do not read the NY Times, Newsweek, US News and World Report, etc. Maybe the Wall Street Journal. But all other news or news type services, I have little regard for. BUT, I do expect what I read in our world to be written with integrity, intelligence, and with fairness and honesty.
L’havdil, Our very own Torah does not edit or bend the truth or fudge or make things obfuscated in order to be pro-Jewish. Again, such a “canard” would not be Jewish at all.
I hope these bochurim are freed and released as soon as possible and all charges withdrawn completely.
medvar sheker tirchak. The boys should not be seeking extra-legal shortcuts and then they would not meet the wrong type of people.
veryinteresting,
Such sophistry does not assist in your distortion. You find me a journalist with integrity, and you are the prospective customer for a bridge in Brooklyn.
The media is institutionally corrupt through and through.
#15 Of course, they did not go to YU.
IT IS NOT ETHICAL TO DO ILLEGAL ACTS UNDER THE GUISE OF LEARNING AND SUPPORTING TORAH!
מצוה הבא בעברה לאו מצוה!MITZVA HA’BO B’AVEIRO, LAV MITZVO!!