New York – If Leib Tropper were by some chance to segue into a career as a Jewish music singer, he’d better take care not to perform material that’s too “creative,” or dangerously approaching a vague similarity to “goyish” music. If he does, hoo-boy, he’ll be in big trouble. In some corners of the frum world, the rabbinical establishment would come down on him like a ton of bricks. Cherems [bans] and kol korays [proclamations] would be flying. They’d have no choice you understand: the Jewish people’s very status as an Am Kadosh V’tahor [a holy and pure nation] would be at stake. Children, even adults, would be in desperate danger of being led astray. Rabbinical leaders, no doubt, would stand up to be counted; weighing in on a life and death issue in which silence simply would not be an option.
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Similarly, he’d be smart to not go into the human hair sheitel business, or author honest biographies of great modern sages, or open a Chareidi news website in Israel. A guy could get into a lot of trouble dabbling in such spiritually dangerous lines of work.
If Tropper decides to leave Monsey and relocate to the Five Towns, he’d better not start a blog. As a former “doer” — someone who made things happen in the Jewish world — the last thing we would want to see is for him to become a lowly blogger — some kind of journalistic bottom feeder with nothing better to do than to point out others’ misdeeds.
No. A much smarter play by Tropper would be to keep doing exactly what he’s doing right now. He should be a rosh yeshiva and the head of a Jewish outreach organization. Apparently, no one’s going to say a word about that.
Even after being caught on tape in the worst, [read here] most compromising sort of way, he’s still running his yeshiva in Monsey and heading a non-profit through which flows millions of dollars — millions that were the source of his power in the world of Orthodox conversions and (who knows?) may yet be again.
If you catch some zealot’s ear the wrong way with Jewish music that isn’t quite Jewish enough, you run the real risk of that someone making it his business to shut you down, put you out of business and simply break you — and all by rabbinical fiat; nice and kosher.
But Tropper is literally getting a free pass.
Are we the only ones taking crazy pills or does anyone else find it strange that virtually not a single prominent rabbinical figure outside the leadership of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) — and they are hardly household names — has said a public word about the incredible scandal this man created? After years of instigating holier-than-thou controversies over conversions and other issues, funded by someone else’s millions, Tropper was unmasked as the worst sort of hypocrite — he has denied nothing — and yet, he continues to go to the office each day and call himself a rosh yeshiva.
Really, this one takes the cake.
Don’t attend his yeshiva. End of story.
I attended a wedding, not long ago, where a “Rosh Yeshiva” notorious for having shielded a child molester for many years, was give a kibud under the Chuppa. The molester subsequently pleaded guilty to the lesser crime of endangerment. No one, apparently, cares one whit about sins of this nature. But, let someone’s wife wear a brightly colored outfit, or let someone do anything else, deemed morally repugnant by the morality police (e.g. Lipa), and every name will come crawling out of the woodwork, to sign petitions lambasting you. And then, people wonder why Emunat Chachamim is vanishing!
It really is outrageous.
Wow, normally the Jewish Star is too left wing for my tastes – but this is emes!
Only because he’s NOT Chasidush
This article is just silly. Troppper’s had to resign from EJF. His life as a respected person in the Jewish community is over. What else do they want? That Agudah should issue a kol korey saying that it is illegal to have extramarital relations with a goy?
הכסף יענה הכל Money “pains” everyone, some by having it others by not having it.
כסף מטהר……….וכו’
Still, the correct response to this should not be to allow cynicism to spiral out of control, throwing away all of yiddishkeit because of some bad apples.
Golus Hashchina
Lipa just keeps trying to make an honest living by entertaining people. Sheitel machers actually work very hard for a living. Working hard and honest, character traits which Chazal seem to value highly, as evidenced by Chazal saying that the 1st question the Heavenly Beis Din will ask is if you were honest in earning a living. Obviously the Heavenly Beis Din isn’t on EJF’s list of preferred batei din. However bad all this sounds, gedolim and rabbonim covering up their own while castigating anything else, these are no reasons to lose faith not emunas chachomim. However, caveat emptor. Be careful who your chochom is.
תנא דבי ר’ ישמעאל אם ראית תלמיד חכם שעבר עבירה בלילה אל תהרהר אחריו ביום שמא עשה תשובה שמא סלקא דעתך? אלא ודאי עשה תשובה
Anyone is capable off falling. This is not a danger to society, just succumbing to temptation. אל תאמין בעצמך עד יום מותך.
However shameful, this is not a place to start judging people.
I am sure that the public humiliation is enough to cause sincere regret and teshuva, certainly from someone who knows what תשובה means.
We must be careful not to be stricter than the Creator, lest He be strict with us.
This has nothing to do with Rabbonim taking measures to stop the public from transgressing en masse. If the halacha calls for dressing with tznius, then don’t find fault if the Rabbonim feel it necessary to deal with the issue
The cynisism in this article, makes it seem like the author is jealous and wishes he could get away with such aveiros without repricussions. Think about it.
I think the main reason no one is saying anything is this: if you dredge it up again and again it will just garner more headlines ala a certain golfer who shall remain nameless. That will just conribute to the Chillul Hashem. The real questions is if you don’t make a big deal out of it will it happen again or have we all quietly learned our lessons. If not then…well
the reason why tropper is getting a pass is very simple: nowadays yiddishkeit has been reduced to a specific wardrobe and a set of social conventions. unfortunately, HKB”H, chessed, emes, etc., only receive lip service from us (if that). today, the ikkar is to wear the right hat, a white (ch”v not blue) shirt, talk a certain way, send your kids to a certain school, get married at a certain age, and then go and learn in lakewood. all we care about is the ‘chitzoniyus’. our decisions are often not governed by ‘what would hashem think’ or even by halacha, but rather by ‘what will everyone else think?’ ‘will my daughter get a shidduch if i wear a blue shirt or if my son goes to college?’
when all that matter is ‘chitzoniyus’, its very easy to understand why tropper gets a pass. he still looks “frum.” he’s got a beard, hat, and i’m sure he shuckles a lot during shemona esrei, and would probably never touch milk that wasn’t cholov yisroel or attend a wedding with mixed seating. nowadays, sadly, that’s what being frum means to most people.
those who get elicit bans, cherems, etc., do not violate any halacha. rather, they have simply dared to act, dress, or think a little differently.
When the gedolei Yisroel ask why people question their authority, they should hold a picture of Tropper up and understand. It is beyond me that any of our leaders can remain silent and not criticism the actions of this pervert.
Has Yiddishkeit become this corrupt?
Rav Dunner and Rav Sternbuch have publicly come out against Tropper. Rav Dunner quite vociferously. While the Rabbonim have, as a whole, been quiet, we should acknowledge these two Rabbonim.
Smart Rabbonim know when to keep their mouth shut. There is no need to condemn a man that is so obvious wrong. Anyone with a bit of sechel can see that, and choose to act appropriately. For a rav to come out against him, it is only going to bring him into the mud. Rav Dunner did come out publicly against him and that only caused him to be drawn further into it when the EJF publicly responded.
As for coming out against tznius and music, that they are correct in doing so, as they are responsible for the public sinning. By comparing the two, the author of this article, who for some reason remains anonymous, shows that he is not of a mature caliber, and doesn’t understand what it means to be a true rabbinic leader. I am sick of tired of “feel good” Rabbis that ignore the torah and use emotions as a basis for their public statements. They are just as lowly as Tropper.
very well written and impressive…kinda makes one angry
Doesnt it seem strange to anyone why the the Roshie HaYeshivas have not said anything publicly against R’ Leibb Tropper ? Maybe the answer is the tape is a phony.Today anything can be dubbed, or made voice over. R’Leibb Tropper is not some”guy” he is a big Talmud Chacum. I would suggest to people before reading the yellow journalism of todays newspapers, it would be wise to refrain from talking bad about him. After 120 years we have to answer why we talked bad about a person. ( Yes, the TT case is different, this is not the same)
Tropper is an ehrleche yid who made a one-time error in judgement. The issue is now between he and his wife and should not be dredged up over and over again. What do we gain by putting him in cherem, questioning the validity of all the geirus he brokered etc. Lets move on.
this is ludicrious, for you to shame every godol in such a disgusting manner. whom ever wrote this article is filled with sarcasam, cynicism, and hate mongering. when the gedolim come out against a concert it is usually before the fact. what ever people do is there business. over here what ever you are implicating on this person is already after the fact. what more damage do you want them to do ? i guarantee you the auther of this article is surely sniffing something which is causing all this halucinating
I am as dissapointed with this situation as everyone here. I think we need to go back to the hashkufah of Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch ZTZAL who saved the Yidden of Western Europe with his Sefer Nineteen Letters. His hashkufah of living a life of Torah out of emesdikeh Ahavas HaShem and Ahavas HaTorah MUST be the basis of the renewal of emunah in today’s horribly cynical Kehillah. I don’t trust many people anymore, but I trust HKBH and his Torah. We must throw out the compromised leadership and build up and support only the few remaining trustworthy Rabbonim. May HKBH lead us on the derech hayashar and m’chazek us. Amen.
I think it is fabulously hilarious that the skirt length should be viewed as more important than doing the actual act that tznius wants to avoid…
…looks as though those folks were mixing up the means and the end…
Indian Hair is a halachic manner, is the writer implying that it’s not a big deal? well then he could drop the word ‘Jewish’ from ‘The Jewish Star Magazine’…
There is a fundemental difference between someone doing something as a way of life, branding a product for the public, and someone’s one time mistake.
and besides, the bans were on the very product which represented the problem, not a ban on the person.
We live in a generation where the less wise and less responsible are closer to ‘enter key’ then the wise. Be careful…
” Maybe the answer is the tape is a phony.Today anything can be dubbed, or made voice over.”
This is flatly untrue.
The article is a good one – and fair. The bleating of those saying that hegmon Tropper has acted honorably are hiding behind little facades. He should resign from the yeshiva and kovesh rosho bakarka. The man has not been roundly condemned, which he deserves in the face of his holier than thou attitude.
Perhaps it is all part of follow the money, and as for EJF, it seems to be doing business as usual – perhaps they should review all what has transpired over the years under their aegis and see if it comes up to the standard of ehrlichkeit and decency. It is very easy to be righteous at another’s expense – and there are many prospective gerim who want to do what is right but have not had the correct and understanding guidance.
When the history books covering this period are written, it’ll be clear as to when Emunas Chachamim went into a fatal freefall, r’l.
In the zechus of today’s Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch ZTZAL may our emesdikeh Rabbonim be strengthened to guide Am Yisrael in the derech hayashar. Amen !!! I absolutely believe that only the hashkafah of Rabbi Hirsch can save and strengthen ourselves and our yeshivos. Without it our hearts may be lost to HKBH and his Torah for yet another generation.
the real problem here is not tropper – it’s all the roshei yeshivah who were bought off by him. that’s why nobody dares to say anything.
i have no problem with this whole mess not being talked about. obviously he was wrong, there is no reason to dispute it. what im mad at, and no one here has mentioned it yet, is the fact that he’s still a rosh yeshiva.
yes a person can fall and make mistakes, but that person cannot still call himself a rosh yeshiva!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps if he would step down from his post at the Yeshiva and relinquish his financial control of the EJF we would leave him alone. That has not happened.
Just a reminder, that anonymous posts can be written by anybody, so I have no doubt the Tropper and his cronies are the ones writing the comments here that defend him. How can anyone defend him? The tape was dubbed? Give me a break, if that were the case, Tropper himself would have used that defense. And as far as the gemarah that when a talmid chacham does an aveira, you assume he did teshuva, we can assume he did teshuva, but that doesn’t mean we should let him continue to be the morality police. Yes we should judge others favorably, but no we should not let someone with serious character issues decide delicate issues such as geirus.
Read the article in Tablet Magazine by Allison Hoffman. It appears as though Tropper was set up by his nemesis Aguiar. Not saying that Tropper isn’t anything other than a bad apple, but that there’s a lot more to this story, which appears to be about money, not conversions.
One rabbi’s take: >>As a Rabbi in a major city please allow me to share a few of my experiences with this same situation. Instead of having potential converts learn from local Rabbis and having these Rabbis (or others in the community) teach and mentor them, they were sent to an outside beis din, often in far away cities where they were not known. This was even done in cases where there was a very good beis din in the city the potential convert came from. Local Rabbis who questioned this were surprised to find that many of these potential converts were less than fully interested in keeping the Mitzvos. They (myself included) were even more surprised to find that when they started asking questions, threatening phone calls came from individuals associated with this organization, which focused mostly on bashing the few Modern Orthodox Rabbis who may have done less than ideal conversions (or worse).
Continued: >>However, the fact that the use of “stronger” batei din was often designed to go around and ignore the local community or the fact that these converts were often not serious, and also that these included cases not at all related to marriage or even worse,to dating couples–these questions were never answered, just the same tired stories about the few Modern Orthodox Rabbis they could point to (correctly or otherwise) that did not have the strictest standards. This was a power play from the get go and any Rabbi who had the misfortune of dealing with this group found that out very quicky; integrity and higher standards were never really part of the picture. It sounds like this same story is now being played out in Montreal, at least now everyone should know what they are facing. (January 13, 2010 4:59 PM)
What a stupid article, What should be done? stone him to death?
Singers and concerts, as far as the rabbi’s are concerned is not appropriate for our style of living. This guy is dead meat already, what will a kol korah help or achieve?
Real nice to grind his rabbi bashing axe on the Tropper scandal.
Both are problems but Lipa and Lieb are different problems with different approaches.
I wonder how many of you would be so charitable towards Tropper if he wore a kipah srugah or once turned on a light intentionally on shabbos. He didn’t err just once. It was multiple aveiros and he didn’t stop until he was caught.
One of the saddest aspects of this scandal is that an issue that is purely halacha was transformed into a political one. In halacha, there is no bias, favoritism, blackmail, or bribery. It either is in compliance with halacha or it is not. (I am ignoring the intricacies of halacha in which there are disagreements.) In politics, the direction rests with the side that has the most force. Democracies are founded on this force being that of numbers. In dictatorial countries, the direction goes to where the power (often money) is. This entire state of affairs is corrupt, regardless of which individuals you side with or against. This is horrible, and points to a condition that has encumbered Klal Yisroel for a while. It existed before, but never with the magnitude it now has. I am frightened about what this forecasts for us.
Why are the manhigim/gedolim not on record coming out against him having anything to do with a yeshiva or kiruv organization ?Does that mean they don’t care
or is it perfectly ok or are they afraid and don’t wan’t rock the boat ?
Anybody there ?????
I commend Rav Dunner for having a backbone – I don’t agree with him re: EJF
if it’s true that Gedolei Ertetz Yisroel wrote to Kaplan to continue his support and efforts with EJF.
But at least he is a Rav that is not afraid to speak his mind.
We need emese gedolim with pleitzes that don’t run from contoversy and make a machoah when faced with such a colossal chillul Hashem.
Az es tut vei shreit men !!!!!!!
The problem is that he doesn’t even have any Bushah!!
one chasidishe rebbe in boropark made an indiscretion and the agudah and other yeshivisher and litvishe organizations had 17 meetings “ןעשית הישר והטוב” explaining how wrong he was and what the rightous path is.
dont you think we in the yeshivisher world need some introspection to examine where our shortcomings are. lets examine what took place in the past 12 months and from which schools these people came from.
1-finkel meat scandal
2-dwek
3-weinstein-the lakewood madof
4-tropper
5-flatbush meat scandal
etc. etc.
chasidim do have their own major issues. however by us only focusing on their problems we are not adressing our issues and what we should be teaching our children
Stupid article. The rabbis are not judge and police over anyone. Would he want them to be? If a situation involves their perceived kehillah then they feel an obligation to give them some direction. IE don’t buy these shaitels don’t attend this event or listen to that music etc. But to ask the Rabbis to start judging people!?! You have got to be nuts!
Tropper has left the EJF and who knows what is happening at Kol Yackov , I’m sure if Tropper stays they’ll have to close down because no one will fund it anyway.
If the writer of this article knows of any other thing that we should all stay away from because of Tropper’s influence then let him tell us what it is. If there is nothing, then be quite!. Don’t blame ‘the Rabbis’ for this!
“Are we the only ones taking crazy pills or does anyone else find it strange that virtually not a single prominent rabbinical figure outside the leadership of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) — and they are hardly household names — has said a public word about the incredible scandal this man created?”
What motivation to people have to say things that will only make them look like total idiots for falling for this person for so many years?
Which Rabbis do you insist come out against Tropper? Most don’t even know who he is.
The author of this article has said everything I have been thinking since the story came out.
It is mind boggling that there isn’t a greater voice of condemnation in denouncing the disgraced Tropper coming from the Torah leaders for his actions, who knows what of the story we don’t know yet.
Thank you author.
The editorial is more focused than assumed. Tropper created a scandal some twenty years ago. He dumped and divorced his honorable wife for a supposed “balaas teshuva” that he mentored. In the video disemmenated on the internet, hard to forge or fake, the new “aishes chayal” can be seen in bed with grand rabbi tropper and his wife the “balaas teshuva.” The editorial clearly sends us a message that we might be potur from the cancer called tropper.
Further, tropper has not removed himself, nor has been removed by others, from his position at the yeshiva and/or at the kiruv organization, both of which are the recepticle of funding that empoywered the now hopefully defunct EJF.
As Mr. Avreich in number 43 alludes, there sadly is a money trail with millions of dollars having gone to certain rabbis (rosh yeshivas) from whom we do not hear any words of rebuke of tropper’s immorality.
The RCA, Rabbi Dunner, and Rabbi Wachtfogel must be commended for their moral stature and calling a spade a spade.
If memory serves me, I recall that the Badatz of Yerushalayim condemmed EJF from the very beginning as did the Igud Rabonim of US & Canada.
The simple answer to the question posed in the article is; People may need guidance from Rabbonim about matters such as internet/music etc which are (possible) treif things that a normal frum person may otherwise bring into his home. NO NORMAL FRUM PERSON NEEDS TO BE TOLD BY A KOL KOREH THAT HE SHOULD’NT DO AVEIROS THAT ARE YEHORAIG VE’AL YAAVOR!!!
Didn’t this guy resign?
the kol korei is screaming from shomayim ;
DO U NEED TO SEE IT IN THE YATED????
pointless article but enough to fool the public
do you think there aren’t round the clock phone calls & meetings trying to minimise the damage ,,do u for one second think that the roshei yeshiva involved dont cry bitterly over the “chilul hashem ” even if half the allegations are false
Reb reuven shlita is only ratzon hashem we cant imagine his pain for tzaar hashechina KOL KOREIS ARE NOT THE ANSWER
Who cares what he did in HIS bedroom?! Bunch of pervs!
If we ever wondered why we can’t get our youth to respect our Torah leaders and embrace their life styles, this article may serve as our answer.
When our youth see no condemnation from Torah leaders about a story like this they only see outrage from Torah leaders on other things they simply lose respect.
We need to show tem true Torah leadership.