Lag BaOmer Dancing Upstate

Bochurim from Rabbi Shterin’s (Rabbinical Institute of Upstate New York) Yeshiva dancing on Lag BaOmer, with the Shir Hashirim Band playing live music.

More pictures in Extended Article.

Brazen Mugging on Montgomery and Albany

At 1:45 this afternoon a resident of 742 Montgomery St., a large apartment building, was mugged in the elevator. The woman in her late fifties had entered the elevator followed by a black male around 19 years of age, she selected the floor she lives on and the perp selected the second floor, upon arriving on the second floor the perp grabbed the woman’s purse and ran out of the elevator.

The woman yelled that she was robbed and alert Bochurim that were in the area began to chase the perp down Montgomery St. towards Kingston Ave. screaming behind him ‘Chaptzem!’ which alerted store owners to the chase and brought them out. One store owner that came running out managed to grab the mugger on the corner of Crown and Kingston.

The police were then called and they responded immediately with over 10 cars and arrested the suspect and the victim was brought around along with the Bochurim who chased the perp to identify him, and the all positively identified him.

More pictures in the Extended Article!

R. Osdoba Visits Organic Meat Plant

Recently many of you have seen a new item on the meat shelves, Organic Meat under the brand ‘Wise Organic Pastures’ with the CHK hechsher, this Shechita takes place in South Dakota, in a factory built by the Wiesenfeld family, which has been selling organic chicken under the Hechsher of the CHK for the past 15 years. Recently they decided to build this place exclusively for organic meat to be suitable for the needs of a kosher Shchita, according to the requirements of The Marah De’asrah Harav Osdoba Shlita.

This past week R, Osdoba (together with his son R. Shneur Zalman Osdoba, along with the kashrus administrator, R. Yossi Brook) visited the slaughterhouse in South Dakota and reviewed the whole procedure of the Shechita and Hachsharah. R. Osdoba was very pleased with the whole procedure and setup of the plant and its operation, especially from the Chassidishe Shochtim and Bodkim that work there, Rabbi Chaim Ezra Tzfasman, Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Klimovitsky, and occasionally, Rabbi Saadia Dahan. The Shochtim and Bodkim pointed out to the Rav that they are very happy to work in this place because everything is set up at the highest standards of kashrus, and it is also a pleasure to work with the local workers, who are very cooperative with the kashrus staff. As the Rav was able to see for himself the Hiddurim, and the qualities of the place.

Federal judge allows synagogue to continue lawsuit against Hollywood

A federal judge gave leaders of a Hollywood synagogue the green light to continue their legal showdown against city officials who want the orthodox Jewish group out of a residential neighborhood.

In a 62-page order signed last week, U.S. District Court Judge Joan Lenard rejected the city’s motion to dismiss a discrimination lawsuit filed by the Hollywood Community Synagogue Chabad Lubavitch.

The group claims city officials violated their constitutional rights to exercise religion and their right to assemble when they denied the Chabad a zoning variance based on religious denomination.

Chabad Richmond Hill to get its own building

Richmond Hill, Ontario — Chabad Lubavitch of Richmond Hill will break ground for a new building on June 4.

It’s evident that larger quarters are needed as director Rabbi Mendel Bernstein gives a visitor a tour of the current 3,000-square-foot storefront at Bathurst Street and Elgin Mills Road on a recent weekday morning.

As preschool children are happily occupied with arts and crafts projects, Rabbi Bernstein opens a door into a modest-sized adjacent storage room. “On Shabbos, all the preschool stuff goes in here, and we take out the tables and chairs [for services],” he said.

City to Drop Lawsuit Against Transit Strikers

The city has agreed to drop a lawsuit seeking huge financial penalties against individual members of the city’s main transit union, while the union has accepted terms for payment of $2.5 million in fines assessed against it for its 60-hour strike in December.

The deal did not appear to bring Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union or the Metropolitan Transportation Authority any closer to the bargaining table, or to a settlement of their stalled contract. But it tied up legal loose ends for a union that is already under financial duress, and had been threatened with more fines.

Michael A. Cardozo, the city’s corporation counsel, appeared in court on Dec. 13, before the transit strike, and said the city would seek $25,000 in fines from each Local 100 member on the first day they walked off the job, and that the amount would double on each day of a strike.