Rockland County, NY – Relatives of a man who was severely burned in an arson attack were shouted down by a resident of this Hasidic enclave Wednesday for going against the will of the community’s grand rebbe.
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A lawyer for Aron Rottenberg, the 43-year-old plumber who suffered burns on half his body Sunday, held a news conference in front of the Rottenberg home to call for state and federal investigations into the arson attack.
Lawyer Michael Sussman, joined by Rottenberg’s son and son-in-law, said that Rottenberg was harassed for months by the Skver Hasidic sect that runs New Square because he would not pray at the main synagogue, as required by Grand Rebbe David Twersky.
“This is nothing other than religious bigotry,” Sussman said. “If it doesn’t stop, it will get worse.”
Early in the news conference, a six-year New Square resident, Shulem Sofer, began screaming that Sussman was lying. He yelled out that Rottenberg broke the community’s rules and that it was justifiable to try to burn down Rottenberg’s home, but not to injure the man.
“The rabbi never said to do fire to people,” Sofer screamed in a high-pitched voice. “It’s anti-Semitism. It’s anti-New Square.”
Sussman countered that people in the United States are free to pray where they want, but Sofer said he followed the grand rebbe’s rules.
“I am from Jew land,” he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
How sad that we have stooped this low. This event in no way represents chassidus, and not even Skver. It is the zealousness that should be part of avodas Hashem run amuck, to where it legitimizes damaging and injuring another Yid, indefensible by any aspect of Torah law. I feel so bad that chassidus has been pillaged and diverted from fervency in Torah and tefillo to this. I can’t blame the hecklers for the fears about the consequences that are likely to be met by the bucher, which could be quite serious and damaging to his life. But he will have earned every long year in prison. I hope that justice is done, and I hope that every chassid in the world sees this as a symbol of what happens when the teachings of chassidus and ahavas Yisroel are corrupted to allow behaviors like this.
What a massive chilul Hashem. What is wrong with these “people”? (and I use the term with extreme generosity)
“i live in jew-land.” best line EVER!!!
but seriously, for that “chussid” to be saying it’s against judaism, yada yada, HELLO?!?!!!!!! like burning someone isn’t? attempted murder?
This crazed fanatic showed to the whole world what normal Yidden are facing these days.
Reply to #1 The Rambam says in Hilchos Daos that the Torah requires that we observe the Torah using the middle road. This incident clearly shows the results of violating this important principle of Torah. This incident should be a lesson to all Jews and Jewish leaders who have drifted into the camp of extreme observance in recent years that we must be normal and moderate in out Torah observance. Maybe Hashem is letting us know that we have neglected the basics of Judaism for too long and we should throw out the extremism that has no foundation in Torah observance and return to the basics. This includes working for a living and not depending on goverment programs as this community has. The Talmud endorses that in order to have a normal life one must do normal things like have a job etc. So #1 , this community has lost its way and does not live a normal lifestyle which has lead to such behavior and thinking. The Talmud says that if one doesn’t work it could lead to mental illness. So it is a matter of these people going to work to save their sanity and not because the Chasidic path has lead to this terrible situation.
#4 – The problem is that world doesn’t understand the difference between this nut and us. Many people out there will just view us all the same. We know we’re different, but they dont. The scary part is that this guy might not be alone. Hes the only one who came to the protest, but how many people in Skver agree with him?
i don’t think that the the Erloi Rav Shlita woud agree. There is a thing of called Beth Din. why all of a sudden isn’t Beth Din valid? i am sure the Erloi Rav of Eretz Yisroel Shlita would be angry about someone taking Din into his own hands!!!!!! Shulem, learn Shulchan Aruch and show me where does it say, that mand can take law into his own hand with out Beth Din?????? Don’t tell your Grandfather shlita what you think, because he will set you straight.
i don’t think the Sqver Rebbe shlita, the Erloi Rav agrees with Shulem’s Sofer’s remark.
There is a group called Beth Din for Disputes!!!!!!. Burning down houses is a Mazik.
Learn Meschta Baba Kamah & some Choshen Mishpat. a man has no right to to penalize anybody. It ghas to go through Beth Din. Sreifah, is only through Sanhedrin Bzman Hamikdash!!!!!!! Living in in New Square doesn’t mena they hae the Sanhedrin!!!!!!
If the story isn’t ugly enough, this guy sure made it uglier. Is it not enough that the story is in every paper and every channel, he had to make it worse by talking such nonsense. The only good thing he said was that if one person does something wrong don’t blame the group. Don’t blame all of Square for this idiot’s talking just the one’s that believe like him. A real chilul hashem. At least Rottenberg’s side had the brains to stay quiet and let the attorney handle it. He sure added fuel to the fire.
The last person I can remember that encouraged burning people alive was Adolph Hitler. How quickly they have forgotten. Their grandparents were thrown out of their homes and burned alive in the ovens of Auschwitz. It is a sad day in the Jewish world when yidden can violate one of the three aveiros
We don’t have TVs so this did not happen
It is high time to clamp down on your diatribes. I’m no fan of what this kid did and he is being held responsible, but stop blaming the entire Chassidus for this issue. Enough is enough. I read these comments and some come from those who are quick to admonish anyone who bashes Arabs as a whole because many are terrorists, but when its one isolated violent incident from their own brothers they go on a rant how an entire sect is wrong. This double standard against your own people is preposterous! We are all shocked because this does not happen in our communities. So one incident should tell you that clearly this was an anomaly. Stop bashing Skver and stop bashing Yidden, the kid will be held accountable. Moshiach now.
Question of the day. Imagine the scene had this been a non-haredi who committed this act? It would be a political media circus the likes we have yet to see in our “beloved” harmonious Ramapo. The silence of the politicians and the religious leaders is very telling and increases exponentally with each passing day. Oh wait, today is the Rockland Boulders’ first away baseball game. I guess our esteemed Supervisor has more important matters to attend to than the protection of the civil liberties/rights of the citizens of this town. It surely shows were his heart it. Keep talking residents of NS. Each sucessive video will be introduced as d*mning evidence that will ultimately evolve into a Federal case. Signed: Disgusted and frightened in Monsey.
The anti-semitic anti Jewish sentiment on this article posted at the comment section at The Journal news web site, is very scary…
Wow. The lawyer couldn’t have hoped for a better press conference. Here we have a Yid who admitted publicly that the Rebbe sanctioned arson. He said that it was “justifiable” in the words of the article. At this point, the Rebbe will now have to either call this chosid a liar, or admit to sanctioning arson.
Either way, something is very messed up in a place where people consider that to be normative behavior.
Seriously, ruining someone’s property is ossur. Creating sakana and injuring people? There shouldn’t even be a question. Yet, these chassidim are engaged in these behaviors like it’s normal for them. Something is very wrong here.
Appalling. #6 pretty much sums up what the Gemara says, Torah study alone with no parnassah will not be productive study and will lead to moral breakdown. Here we are.
JN attacts all sorts of Jew-hating commenters. It doesn’t help when the Jewish community hands them reasons to hate us on a silver platter.
The Media had this Sunday Night on onle of the TV channels – the chillul hashem is that the Yiddish world today has fogotten that the Hitler did not make a difference what jew believed in what – they are a Jew and had to be eliminated.
What good is it if one davens, and is shomrei Mitvos – but looks down on his fellow man. It’s time to wake up and change. You may not agree with one’s way of observing the mitzvos – but look at yourself first.
This chilul hashem is of tzunami proportions ! What happened to our mission as “Atem Edai” to bear witness to Hashem by enhancing kvod Shomayim – respect for Hashem ? All this is lost when we are viewed in any negative way because of our wrong, stupid and, at times, criminal actions. HashemYeerachem.
Let us face the facts that week after week events such as this casts a bitter picture of our faith. Burning our own people, violating children, attacking a woman on an airplane, and speaking so badly on this and other web sites about Jews who are not up to “our standards.”
These actions only make it worse for everyone who feels that we ourselves are delaying final redemption.
This story was on channel 7 news several months ago with vandalism as a response to other minyanim. The tape of that story is on youtube and mentions reports to the police. So this was not an isolated incident.
this is an act of terrorism. we need the Dept of Homeland Security to step in and protect the residents of new square.
Dear Sofer;
For us chasidishe people that work in the free world and deal with all kind of people, you have NO IDEA the chillul Hashem you created. You embarrased your holy ancestors and all of us Yiddin.
shulem, don’t embarrase your choshover grandfather, one of the Gedolim of our generation. if you don’t have what to say, sometimes keeping quiet is better. it says in Pirkei Ovos, Syog l’chochma shtika. also, “im milah b’chad, shtika b’tray!!!!! did you evr learn mesechta Baba Kama?????? did you evr learn Parshas Mishpotim? just because you wear the boots all year round, you have no authority!!!!!!
Is this Shulem Sofer the spokesman for New Square? They are oif gebrokte tzoores.
Chassidus is a done religion…
Hopefully, all of those ehreliche yidden in New Square who say this episode is a horrible aberration and not condoned by the rebbe, are cooperating with the police investigation. Clearly, it would be a great mitzvah, rather than messirah, to identify and put in jail, anyone else who was involved with this attack.
nebach….this is happening in sefirah, days that remind u to treat your fellow Jew with respect and love. the students of rabbi akiva died because of lack of respect to one another and now this happens….what a shame. is he considered a chosid shotah, amongst other things?
Im sure he lives in Jew Land, but loves to take America’s free money.
this jew-land guy has surrendered his brains to the rebbe.
with such an attitude it’s no surprise to me how it has come to where it is. hopefully, this has brought enough embarrasment to new square (or jew-land) for them to realize that some drastic steps need to be taken to stop this.
Why is everyone using the term religious dispute? Community dispute would be more appropriate. This has absolutely nothing to do with religion!
skverer rebbe has yet to say anything since this happened except lag be’omer torah..
If ever there was a time for a rebbe to lead it’s now. The Skver Rebbe must announce a significant drasha on Shabbos afternoon, demanding that EVERYONE, “ravrevayeh im zeirayeh taflah uneshayeh” attend. The Rebbe must address the question of how the spritual values of some of his chassidim could have become so corrupted that such a tragedy ensued. Now is a time for intense cheshbon hanefesh on the collective soul of Shikun Skver. And the Rebbe has to lead it.
I don’t think Shulem is all there…seriously! He comes across as being a bit off. So why is the media and fellow Jews exploiting this? Not sure exactly what, cuz I am not a psychiatrist, but something is definitely off with his demeanor. He should have been ignored or at least definitely not exploited like he was. Horrible, Horrible.
JUST DONT GET IT!
Granted some young hot heads over reacted and yes the should pay the price for it. But how in the world does someone justify such a disrespectful behavior coming from the Rottenberg family and their friends. Granted this is America and you could do whatever u like. Who in the world even cares how they wanna live or behave. Just GET THE HACK OUT OF THAT COMMUNITY! who forces them to live there. This a community that was built with blood in sweat for one reason and one reason only. So those who wanna live in a community that their Rabbi would be their leader and should decide for them how to run their lives should have a place to live. Regardless of how stupid it may sound, but it is still thier right. A long as they dont force anybody to live there. In fact if i heard correct they dont even allow everyone to move in there in first place and those who do end up there are committing them selves to such a life style.
And by the way looking at the lohud interviews with his wife Ruth or his Daughter and son in law it is quiet obvious that in no way are they dressed according to the new square accepted dress code, again Nothing wrong with the way they are dressed its just very obvious that they dont belong there in first place they r just there to spite them and to rebel against them and proof their point.
My heart goes out for Mr. Rottenberg and his family because even they acted stupid they certainly didnt deserve this. But to say that he is an Innocent Tzadik is totally insane
Oy vey. My heart breaks reading so many posts here blaming the victim. This is America, not Afghanistan. People have the right to live wherever they want. Last I heard, New Square is still part of the Unites States, and it is our tax dollars that go to help with their town infrastructure. It is not a private estate, where a person would have to abide by their rules to live in. To even insinuate that in some way Mr. Rottenberg is to blame for the cycle of intimidation or harassment that he endured, and now attempted murder, is in and of itself a symptom of the deplorable mental state of many in our Jewish communities. The culture that has developed here over many years is the very definition of religious extremism and fanatacism. We should have no tolerance for this kind of behavior, or for those that are complicit in its perpetuation. Come on people, let’s call a spade a spade. (And by the way, the Rottenbergs tried to move out, but the rebbe would not allow anyone to buy their house for a reasonable price. )
The one common factor among anti-Semitic authorities, all over Europe, throughout the ages, was to concentrate all the Jews in one place. Those places were known as ghettos.
Why, therefore, now that we are “free”, do chareidi sects insist on living in self-imposed ghettos?
jews dont do this to other jews. i am ashamed at how much sinus chinum there is in this world. we are are own worst enemies and we show it to the world. how shameful. a person should be allowed to daven where he wants and not to be told where to go and what to do. if he/she are shomer shabbos and present themselves in the fashion that is required to live there then so be it, but to force someone to daven in a particular shul is just not right. Didnt we learn enough from the HOLOCAUST — SHAMEFUL
The truth is that both sides are right… it is the tactics that are offensive and shocking. It is true that as American citizens people have every right to open and Daven in any Shul that they want. At the same time when people live in a K’hila they are obliged to follow the P’sak of the Rav of that K’hila. However, the tactics are what is wrong… If someone chooses to to go against the P’sak of the Rav the mechanism for addressing that is Cherem if the Rav so chooses… not gangster tactics like burning down his house.
The attacker and The victim did very wrong. Victims sin wasn’t just praying in a different Cong. rather him leading a group of 20-30 people to denigrate and disappoint the hope and desire of all 1000 families who live together like brothers, in n.s. The fact that he was up all night expecting action to happen, shows how he was totally asking for trouble, who wouldn’t think that a teenager can get overexcited and do trouble in such a case. But butler did something really wrong even though the butler claims that he had a cellphone in his hands and he wanted to put fire on the house and call in to let know the family to leave immediately, but still “men shpilt nisht mit kein fire”. anyone familiar with religious Jews don’t suspects that he was attempting to murder, or that this teenager was advised or sent by any religious Jew. And every one Who lives in that area knows how strong their Rebbe reacted against this matter.
Their comments aren’t posted on the web because “these ultra orthodox Jews avoid access to any internet connection because of all the immodesty which is available on the web.
unfortunately what happend was wrong from both sides.
By all means
Yisroal613
Skokie IL