Brooklyn, NY – Hikind Decries Abandoned Shaimos-Filled Vehicle

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    Brooklyn, NY – Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn) was outraged to learn that a van full of shaimos had been abandoned in Borough Park.

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    A resident of the community called the Assemblyman this morning to complain of a van that had been parked in the community since Pesach. When a member of the Assemblyman’s staff went to investigate, he discovered a box van with out-of-state license plates that had received several parking tickets. A look inside revealed that the back of the van was full of boxes containing shaimos (books or other sacred objects which can no longer be used but may not be destroyed).

    “This is not the first time that con artists have pulled this kind of stunt,” said Assemblyman Hikind. “The disposal of shaimos is often done around Pesach when people are cleaning and they have no idea who it is that’s accepting their packages of shaimos on the streets. It’s a cash-and-carry business that’s ripe for scammers. What an absolute disgrace.”

    The Assemblyman is working with local law enforcement who are looking into the matter. Further announcements will be made as this story develops.

    Shaimos


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    38 Comments
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    CountryYossi
    CountryYossi
    11 years ago

    I learned the hard way ,couple of years ago i rented my 2 car garage before pirim,the guy didnt bargain on price and paid 1 month security and 2 months rent up front..
    I was all excited till after 2 months passed with NO rent i called his cell which of course was long disconnected…After few days i opened up and saw my CHORBEN.
    I was somehow very lucky that a neighbor had a camera system which took great shots of him and he was caught and the end his parents paid to have it all removed which i believe was very expensive…Lesson…Never rent a small space withour proper ID and do NOT drop off Shaimos only if they have a telephone number with a hecsher on it…

    maxedout
    maxedout
    11 years ago

    Last time it was digging up someone else’s property and leaving the shaimos piled high, and now abandoning the truck after taking everyone’s money. Wonderful.

    shodancpa
    shodancpa
    11 years ago

    The concerned resident of the community who called Dov Hikind’s office should be given a “hartzika skoiach” for bringing this travesty to the public’s attention. People collecting “shaimos” should get a city permit and a valid “hechsher” from an reliable source before engaging in this “dovor shebekdusha”.

    11 years ago

    How low can these scammers get. What chillul Hashem. Literally. A shanda.

    yaakov doe
    Member
    yaakov doe
    11 years ago

    Assuming that it’s a rental truck, it should be easy to determine who rented it. With the minimum charge of $10 for a shopping bag collecting Shamos is quite a lucrative business even if you pay to bury it properly. I hope the Assemblymember releases the names of those responsible for this.

    UyVey
    UyVey
    11 years ago

    The shaimos business for some is a sham.
    I spoke with a friend who operates such a “business”
    what they do is charge for the bags– and then they decide if it is shaimos.
    Such as if you give a bad of Tzitiz or Newspapers, and they “hold” you can just double wrap it and throw it out– that is what they will do.
    Basically, for you paying $70 they will double wrap it for you.

    the real question is that you may be a מסיע לדבר עבירה because in this country it is illegal to bury paper, and thus you are having them do something illegal… what is the option?? who knows?

    But yes– they should have a הסכמה on them!

    11 years ago

    What people will do for money… One wonders what other nefarious things people will do for the right amount of money… *so disgusted*

    shprintzyobermeister
    shprintzyobermeister
    11 years ago

    we should find out who this chayya is and dump the shaimos in his front yard.
    shaimos behaimos

    BP-Roadify
    BP-Roadify
    11 years ago

    THERE IS MUCH MORE TO THIS SCAM. This truck is one of 20 or so of these trucks that were stationed throughout the neighborhood prior to pesach advertising “Sheimos L’gnuza” with a hechser. On the morning of erev yom tov all these trucks lined up on 62nd St bet. N.U. and 15th Ave. and started transferring the sheimos from these trucks into a trailer to be hauled away. Apparently they ran out of room or time and left this truck on 62nd abandoned with all the sheimos in it. But what is much worse is that they dumped loads of sheimos near the LIRR tracks behind the parking lot on 62nd St   15th Ave. There is sheimos all over the place along the tracks, some of the posters that were on the trucks are there as well. WHAT A SHANDE

    deskjockey627
    deskjockey627
    11 years ago

    The gemorah already tells us that is you don’t teach your children a trade you are teaching them thievery. Enough said.

    ShlomoH
    ShlomoH
    11 years ago

    Where were the police all these three weeks when the truck was just sitting there abandoned on the sidewalk? In these times where terrorism is a real threat, a box truck abandoned and parked on the sidewalk getting ticketed daily doesn’t arouse suspicion to find out what’s in there? It took a resident to alert the authorities? After three weeks? Scary!!

    ShmutzVesh
    ShmutzVesh
    11 years ago

    It’s very simple. These guys know that someone will not let this shaimos go in the trash. Just as all the frum ganovim who dump shaimos in shuls.

    yksraya
    yksraya
    11 years ago

    Shaimos internment has unfortunately been a problematic issue for decades, with the standard of service in this area leaving much to be desired. Much of the shaimos that people would carefully set aside for internment ended up in landfills. In better-case scenarios, they were buried in a manner that was not halachically proper, or in a manner that violated the legal requirements for the usage of the property. Just recently, the Lakewood municipality ordered a large shaimos-burial plot to be uncovered and the shaimos removed, because it was not done with legal authorization. Other stories of dumped shaimos being discovered caused much indignation in the frum world, but not much could be done to rectify the situation.
    All this is now being changed with the establishment of the Beth Genizah Cemetary in Liberty, New York. The cemetery is overseen by the Vaad L’mishmeres Hashaimos, under the personal directorship of Rabbi Yosef Schwartz. The Vaad purchased over 25 acres specifically for this purpose, causing a breakthrough that is being applauded by the entire frum community. A solution to the troubling Shaimos situation is finally being implemented!

    yksraya
    yksraya
    11 years ago

    The Beth Genizah is under the strict rabbinical supervision of the CRC (Hisachdus Harabbonim) and the OU. In addition, all procedures are pre-authorized by pertinent state and local agencies to ensure full compliance with the law.
    Beth Genizah is equipped to deal with large quantities of shaimos, servicing shuls and yeshivos by request. They also provide services to individuals, handling each and every piece of shaimos with the dignity and respect it deserves. The site of the cemetery is visible to those traveling to the Catskills, and visitors are welcome. The entire operation conforms to the rigorous standards of the DEP, whose requirements caused major problems in the past with proper shaimos disposal.
    Since this isn’t a once-a-year venture but a continuous service, it is no longer necessary to wait with shaimos internment for Erev Pesach. The Beth Genizah can be contacted all year round, and they accept shaimos for burial any time with advance notification.
    The Beth Genizah is located near a prestigious Yeshiva. The internment is done with the help of the Yeshiva boys who are on site to ensure that everything is done according to halacha.

    yksraya
    yksraya
    11 years ago

    With the Beth Genizah finally established, people will no longer have to rely on questionable shaimos services. A well-rounded solution to a longstanding problem has finally been found, to the relief of the frum community. Please look out for ads in your area about Shaimos pick-up times and locations in your neighborhood. For more information, the Vaad L’mishmeres Shaimos can be reached at 845-782-2648, or visit http://www.bethgenizah.com

    shaimosboss
    shaimosboss
    11 years ago

    i was in the buisness for many years and i know what it entails and the expenses .no one should put in their 2 cents untilll they themselves got involved .the over head is huge!i know people that lost their houses and cars in this buisnes .so instead of us jumping on him we as a frum god fearing community we should get together and make a fund to raise money to not only help bury it but also help this poor bucher cut his losses .and then maybe moshiach will come .it never hurt to have a little bit of ahavas yisroel .who knows if this guy is able to sleep at night .thanx in advance .god bless all the shaimos collecters for all the good things they do for the community .its time for us to give back

    misheluni
    misheluni
    11 years ago

    from what you see here
    this was a poor boy who could not make it only few bags full.
    he is crying and you all dance on the blood

    11 years ago

    I don’t get it. There are trucks with young people accepting drop offs of shaimos parked on city streets for days at a time. Isn’t there some sort of regulation on street vendors? If they began selling sandwiches, the city would jump on them for fees and taxes. I’m not looking for additional expenses, and certainly not govt regulation. But there needs to be some level of accountability, and this would be one way to maintain a list and record of who is using which vehicles and where. The city cannot mandate hashgachos. But there should be some way of tracking who is taking responsibility for shaimos. Gosh, we have found chumros for everything else. Why not shaimos?

    11 years ago

    I think it’s also high time that the organizations that flood our shuls with torah bletlech every week own up and collect them back otherwise shuls should forbid them to dump on them…. Or perhaps shuls should pack it all up after shabbos and ship it back to where it came from we’ll see how long they’ll keep sending it out.

    benzion
    benzion
    11 years ago

    I understand that al pi halacha shaimos collection and proper burial is the responsibility of the community at whole, not to each his own. see shulchan aruch.

    dovidk
    dovidk
    11 years ago

    Oh ya! I cant wait till this will be on Rabbi nuchem rosenbergs hotline!!

    Insider
    Insider
    11 years ago

    To No 27 & 29:
    Visiting the cemetery without an appointment is an invitation to free-lance shaimos disposal. The gentleman that operated the vehicle in the picture may then easily have “visited” the shaimos cemetery and just left his load there. Kapish??