Oy Vey. New York City ordains first Lesbian Rabbi.

The Conservative movement ordained their first openly gay rabbi in a ceremony earlier this month at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City.

As reported in the Jerusalem Post, Rachel Isaacs, 28, was ordained at the Seminary on 19 May, the first openly gay person of either gender to hold the position.

Ms Isaacs had begun her rabbinical training at the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, but switched to the Conservative seminary after it began admitting openly gay and lesbian students in 2007.

In her new position, Isaacs will serve as the part-time rabbi at Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville, Maine, where she has already served as a rabbinic intern. She will also hold a part-time position as the Jewish chaplain of Colby College, where she will also be a member of the faculty.

The JTS only began accepting openly gay and lesbian students in 2006 and according to Rabbi Isaacs, studying there may still be a challenge for her fellow LGBT people. Speaking to the Jewish Daily Forward, she said: “As much as the struggle for gay and lesbian equality has made great strides there are still people who struggle with their sexual orientations or have families who aren’t supportive or are scared they won’t get jobs. That’s just life as a gay or lesbian person.”

מאדוף החרדי יישאר במעצר: "עקץ גם את בני משפחתו"

בית-המשפט האריך את מעצרו של "מאדוף החרדי" בשל חומרת העבירות. כתב האישום: כך הונה מוישי זוסמן במיליונים, לאורך תקופה. בפרקליטות הסבירו כי מדובר בדפוס שיטתי של מעשי הונאה חמורים, כשבין הנפגעים נמצאים גם ידידיו ובני משפחתו. כל הפרטים מתוך כתב האישום

בית המשפט המחוזי בתל-אביב האריך היום את מעצרו של איש העסקים מוישי זוסמן החשוד בהונאת משקיעים ובגניבת כספם.

זוסמן, שכונה "מאדוף החרדי" חשוד שהונה את לקוחותיו וטען בפניהם כי השקיע את כספם, בזמן שבחר לשלשל את הכסף לכיסו.

הפרשה התפוצצה לפני כשנה וחצי, ומיד לאחר-מכן נמלט זוסמן לחו"ל.

התפנית התרחשה לפני כחודשיים כשנתפס על-ידי ה-FBI בארה"ב. מאז שוהה זוסמן במעצר וכיום הוחלט להאריכו עד תום ההליכים, וזאת בשל חומרת העבירות.

הערב, חושף "כיכר השבת" סעיפי אישום כתב האישום המלא נגד זוסמן בו מפורטות העבירות.

ע"פ כתב האישום "במהלך ספטמבר 2009 פנה זוסמן לח.ב. וביקש ממנו להקים עבורו אתר אינטרנט שיתחזה לאתר של חברת איזי פורקס.

בפגישה בין השניים, במשרדו של זוסמן ברח´ סמטת מנשה 4 ב"ב, הנחה את ח´ להיכנס לאתר הרישמי של החברה ולהעתיק את הלוגו.

כמו כן ביקש ממנו להזין לאתר המזוייף נתונים כוזבים בנוגע לתשואות, בכדי שהמשקיעים יוכלו להתרשם מהרווחים כביכול.

בחודש מרץ באותה שנה פגש זוסמן את ד.ס. בביתו בת"א והציג עצמו כסוחר מט"ח שהשקעותיו מניבות 60% לשנה ללא סיכון רב. בעקבות כך העביר סלומון לזוסמן 100,000 דולר, בהעברה בנקאית לחשבונו של זוסמן שעשה בו שימוש לצרכיו האישיים.

הוא שלח דוא"ל המצביע על תשואה של 10% לחודש, במהלך החודשים הבאים העביר סלומון עוד 400,000 דולר לחשבונו של זוסמן.

עוד עולה מכתב האישום כי במהלך 2009 העביר א.י. 126,000 דולר לחשבונו של זוסמן בכדי שישקיע את כספו. גם כאן חזרה השיטה על עצמה: זוסמן שילשל את הכסף לכיסו אך שלח דוא"ל ללקוח כאילו כספו נושא רווחים, בעקבות כך השקיע הלקוח עוד 139,000 דולר אצל זוסמן.

בפרקליטות הסבירו כי מדובר בדפוס שיטתי של מעשי הונאה חמורים, כשבין הנפגעים נמצאים גם ידידיו ובני משפחתו.

Rabbi slams blind obedience to rabbis

Dr. Benny Lau says parents' fear of laicization leads to complete dependence on religious leaders. 'We stop wanting to be free and become slaves of spiritual trends,' he states

Rabbi Dr. Benny Lau has called on the national-religious public to reduce its dependence on rabbis and become "free". According to Lau, the blind obedience which has infiltrated the Zionist-religious society in recent years is an inappropriate phenomenon stemming from a "paralysis of fear".

The rabbi spoke during a symposium held recently by the Sha'arei Mishpat College.

"There are some who are so fearful of laicization that they strive to a world of obedience and search for a person who will guide their ways," Rabbi Lau argued. "We willingly give up on freedom to reach a safe haven."

He implied that criticism against religion, even if it causes some people to leave, is not as serious as blind obedience: "The crisis of those who make themselves a rabbi and hope to avoid doubt is seven times bigger than that of a person who made choices and didn’t find his way.

"Whoever educates his son to ask questions should be ready to receive alternative answers. Educating a person to ask questions is raising a person with internal strength, which creates him as a free man.

"The children want to fly to South America and get a bit confused there. Most of them say wholeheartedly, 'We want to search, let us! We may become disoriented, and you may have to send a helicopter to rescue us, but we need this search.'"

'Open gates, ears and hearts'

According to Dr. Lau, not every former religious person in a family undermines his parents' security and leads to attempts to "protect" the other children from "the raging wind outside." This fear, he said, claims a price and makes them search for spiritual teachers in order to obey them – a phenomenon he defines as "a huge missed opportunity".

"We stop wanting to be free and become slaves of spiritual trends," he said. "The world isn't static. The fantasy that there is only one word of God which is the pure truth and which we must follow is shattered time and again when we discover that the king is naked."

So how does one deal with a child that has given up on religion? According to Rabbi Lau, the way to treat a child who picks a different way is to "create a conversation, open a gate, ears and mainly hearts.

"You can kick respect, you can argue with dignity – and then we have a chance to find all our children at home. There's a heavy price in locking gates and a 'huge profit' in listening and holding a dialogue."

Suspect in Officer’s Death in Country Illegally

suspect Johoan Rodriguez

Suspect in Officer’s Death in Country Illegally: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

HOUSTON - There's new information on the drunken driving suspect responsible for the death of a Houston police officer over the weekend.

At a probable cause court late Sunday night, it was revealed that Johoan Rodriguez is in the country illegally.

Police say Rodriguez was drunk when he drove his car into a road block, striking and killing an officer with the Houston Police Department .

He had .3 grams of cocaine in his pocket along with an alcohol level of .238, according to HPD.

Rodriguez has since been charged with intoxication manslaughter of a peace officer, felony evading, and possession of a controlled substance.

The suspect did not appear in court because he’s still in the hospital being treated for his own injuries.

A judge refused to give Rodriguez any kind of bond, and his first court date was set for Wednesday.

== The Death of an Officer, Husband, Father, and Friend ==

Houston police officer Kevin Will started his shift joking with fellow officers that he wasn't a rookie anymore.

He had no idea on his one year anniversary in the "vehicular crimes division" he would be hit and killed by an accused drunk driver.

He died a hero. The 38-year old officer couldn't get out of the path of an alleged drunk driver, but the officer did save a citizen's life.

“He credits officer Will with giving him the prior warning of yelling 'get out of the way,’” HPD Chief Charles McClelland told the media Sunday afternoon. “It actually saved his life.”

Officer Will was on the 610 North Loop at Yale at 3:45 Sunday morning, investigating a hit and run accident involving a motorcycle. Officers were interviewing witnesses, and the freeway was blocked off and barricaded by a police car.

Houston police say 26-year old Johoan Rodriguez drove a silver Volkswagen bug right past the barricade, slamming into and killing Officer Will.

“He loved his work, and gave is life to this city trying to keep it safe on such an important weekend where we highlight all men and women who wear uniforms,” said Chief McClelland.

It was this same day, early Sunday morning Memorial weekend 2009, when Houston Police officer Lloyd Morrison was investigating a DWI accident. He was hit and also run over by two different drunk drivers.

Officer Kevin Will leaves behind his wife, who is 6 months pregnant, and their two kids -- ages 6 and 10.

Sandra Bernhard: Arnold Schwarzenegger once hit on me

While the world was recently rocked by news of Arnold Schwarzenegger fathering a love child with his housekeeper, comedienne Sandra Bernhard wasn't surprised.

This is because, as she claims, the former California governor once made a pass at her.

Before his Hollywood career and political run, during a time when he was only known as the reigning Mr. Olympia, Schwarzenegger approached Bernhard along Venice Beach, she claims.

"In the '70s when I moved to LA I was on the beach by Gold's Gym," Bernhard told PopEater. "I was young, skinny as a stick, staring at the ocean, dreaming of the future, and Arnold came up to me and he was hitting on me."

"I don't date Germans so nothing happened," she added.

Years later, Schwarzenegger went on to marry a doe-eyed Maria Shriver, the daughter of Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of John F. Kennedy.

Despite constant allegations of Schwarzenegger's wandering eye, Shriver stayed by her man – until recently.

On May 17, the "Terminator" star admitted he fathered a love child with a household staffer and said he was "truly sorry."

Buxom baby mama Mildred Baena, the family's housekeeper for 20 years, has been in hiding with the boy she delivered just one week after Shriver gave birth to her youngest son Christopher in 1997.

And like many people, Bernhard wonders why Shriver never noticed what was going on right under her nose.

"I love Maria Shriver," she said. "All these years it's been, what is she thinking? It's the Kennedy tragedy. Just to keep it going."

Circumcision Opponent, Rabbi Face Off Over Circumcision Ban

Things got personal Friday on CNN.

A leading opponent of circumcision and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach sounded off over the merits of a proposed ban on circumcision being considered in San Francisco.

Lloyd Schofield, director of the San Francisco office of the Male Genital Mutilation Bill organization, says his proposal is intended to "protect the rights of men to choose for themselves when they're old enough if they want to become circumcised."

"It's a human right to have intact genitals, unless you choose otherwise," he said.

"I always believed that San Francisco was a live and let live city, I now see that it has a curious attachment to the male foreskin," Boteach hit back.

Boteach -- who some TPM readers will remember as the celebrity rabbi who appeared with former CNN anchor Rick Sanchez back in January -- rattled off a number of statistics laying out what he sees as the benefits of circumcision, including increased "sexual sensitivity."

Schofield, of course, rebutted with his own facts and figures, at one point describing the procedure in brief, graphic detail. Shmuley claimed circumcision drastically reduces the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. but Schofield wasn't sold.

"If women really want to be safe, they should move to Europe and the Baltic nations ... or even Israel, because they have much lower incidences of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases compared to the United States," Schofield said.

The MGM Bill garnered the more than 7,000 signatures necessary to get their ban on the ballot in November, the Associated Press reports. If it passes, circumcisions would become a misdemeanor offense carrying a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year in jail. Opponents slam the proposal as an attack on religious rights and customs. Read more here.

Threat of violence keeps police out of Jerusalem Haredi neighborhood

Officer admits in court that sometimes police do not enter Mea She'arim to arrest suspects for fear of confrontations with residents.

Police are reluctant to enter the ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea She'arim because of residents' violence, a police spokesman said during a recent court hearing over the remand of a neighborhood resident.

A police official said in court Thursday that the reason the police had not arrested a wanted man for more than a month, despite knowing where in Mea She'arim he was, was that every time they go into the neighborhood police property is damaged and they do not want unnecessary confrontations.

Police issued an arrest warrant on April 13 for Shalom Baruch Roset, who is accused of assault, property damage and making threats.

The official said police have "often tried to detain suspects for questioning" who belong to the same group as Roset, with the result that "we were attacked and the station chief sustained a head injury as a result of a stone thrown at him."

He added that efforts to send police patrols into the neighborhood have "failed."

Roset was arrested last week, an hour after arriving at Ben-Gurion International Airport, where he was planning to catch a flight to England. Police asked for Roset to be held in custody for six days.

Roset, 54, is considered to be one of the leaders of a radical Neturei Karta faction in Mea She'arim known by some as the Sicarii, after the Jewish zealots who fought the Romans in Jerusalem around the time of the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E.

Roset's group has a running dispute with the Gur Hasidim, who they say are trying to push them out of the "Warsaw homes," 150 19th-century homes in the neighborhood that are designated for Jews from Poland.

Roset was arrested over what police said was a leading role in an April 13 fight that has come to be known as the Warsaw Homes Pogrom, in which a group of Hasidim broke into a home, destroyed the kitchen, poured kerosene on a 1-year-old girl and tried to light the home on fire.

Several violent altercations followed the incident.

Multiple Swastikas Found On Williamsburg Homes

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit has been sent to investigate a bias crime in the heart of Williamsburg’s Chasidic community,

Numerous swastikas were found by a residents late Sunday afternoon, all along Marcy Avenue – from Hayward Street to Rodney Street. The swastikas are reportedly written on homes all along the street. At least eight swastikas have been found.

Williamsburg Shomrim (WSPU) had received a call to their hotline reporting the swastikas and dispatched their members to investigate. Upon their arrival, they contacted the NYPD’s 90th Precinct, and Hate Crimes Unit.

Shomrim are reaching out the community, and asking if anyone saw anything suspicious, they should please call the 24hr Williamsburg Shomrim Hotline at 718-237-0202.

Netanyahu warns Egypt losing control of growing terror groups in Sinai

An Egyptian Bedouin rides his camel in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt












PM says Hamas and international terror groups are strengthening presence in Egypt and that the country's military government is having trouble 'realizing its sovereignty' in Sinai.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that Egypt's new military government was having a "hard time" controlling the rise of international terror organizations in the Sinai Peninsula.

"Egypt is having a hard time realizing its sovereignty in Sinai," Netanyahu said during a meeting of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "International terror organizations are stirring in Sinai and their presence is increasing due to Sinai's connection to Gaza."

Netanyahu also warned that Hamas is getting stronger and that Israel is concerned for its future in the region, in particular with its peace partners Egypt and Jordan.

"Hamas is strengthening in Egypt," Netanyahu said. "It transferred more of its activities to Egypt and less to Syria due to the turmoil there. The Muslim Brotherhood is also not an insignificant player in Egypt."

The prime minister noted that Israel must act responsibly in light of the Arab world turmoil, saying that even though Israel supports the hope for democracy, it is unclear when and if this will happen.

Meanwhile on Monday, Egyptian security forces were pursuing 400 al-Qaida members who have been located in Sinai, said a senior Egyptian security source on Sunday.

According to a report on Egypt's Al-Hayat television channel, the operatives were planning terrorist attacks in Egypt and in Sinai.

The source said the al-Qaida members include Bedouins, Palestinians and foreign Arab nationals. They reportedly attacked a number of security stations in the past in the El Arish area.

Last January, Egypt's interior minister said al-Qaida is trying to establish terror cells in the Gaza Strip. His remarks came as Egyptian security forces had arrested 19 suspected al-Qaida militants, who were suspected of planning suicide bombings at holy sites throughout the country.

Rep. Weiner grilled over lewd pic that recipient claims was sent by 'stalker'

U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner with his wife, Huma Abedin



















US Rep. Anthony Weiner yesterday spent the day on the grill after a lewd photo purporting to be of him was sent to a pretty Seattle coed from his Twitter account -- but the young woman insisted a stalker was the culprit.

The six-term Democratic congressman struggled to play defense as rumors swirled, continuing to insist that the illicit tweet -- a below-the-waist photo of a man in bulging gray boxer-briefs -- was the work of a hacker. His rep called the incident nothing more than "a distraction."

The woman on the receiving end of the tawdry tweet -- 21-year-old Gennette Nicole Cordova -- said in a statement published in another New York newspaper that she was sure the questionable photo came from a person who had harassed her many times "after the congressman followed me on Twitter a month or so ago."

She insisted that while she's a "fan" of Weiner, she'd never met him in person.

Cordova did admit she once sent a tweet referring to "my boyfriend @Rep-Weiner," but insisted she never was his "wife, girlfriend or mistress,"

In fact, she said, she'd jokingly made "similar assertions" about other public figures, including President Obama; Boston Celtic guard Ray Allen and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo.

She said the motive of the man who harassed her was "defaming" Weiner."

And she added she's never had an "inappropriate exchange" with Weiner.

Still, it appeared that Cordova and Weiner -- a prolific user of social-networking sites who has run for mayor and indicated he will do so again -- had some interaction on Twitter before.

Cordova began following Weiner on Twitter during the time his own tweets previously placed him in Seattle, and according to her statement, he began "following" her on the site, too.

Despite the quiet holiday weekend, Capitol Hill was buzzing about what quickly became known as Weinergate.

Some DC wonks were skeptical of Weiner's hacking story and questioned the lack of a police report about a crime as serious as Internet identity theft, a Washington insider said.

The uncertainty was also fed by Weiner's decision to quickly delete the posted photo -- and every other photo connected to the account.

As for Cordova, she took her Twitter and Facebook pages down after her name surfaced in connection with the congressman.

Weiner's rep, Dave Arnold, told The Post yesterday, "This is intended to be a distraction, and we're not going to let it become one.

"Anthony's accounts were obviously hacked. He doesn't know the person named by the hacker, and we will be consulting on what steps to take next."

Weiner, who represents parts of Brooklyn and Queens, was married last summer to Huma Abedin, a former aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton.