The Anti-Semitism Mantra and the Victimized, Who Really are the Victims?

 

Who is Really Creating the Narrative?

Weaponizing the anti-Semitism “Mantra”

For those readers who do not know the definition, a “Mantra” is a slogan that is repeated over and over again for the purposes of concentration or meditation. It is, in other words, a form of mind-control. Some might say it can be a form of brainwashing. At it’s purest, a Mantra can be powerful tool for self-awareness, calm, a sense of peace. But, like all else, the pendulum swings both ways. Yin has its Yang.

Anti-Semitism as a Mantra, when used in weaponized form by those who would prefer to  distract attention from their behavior, shields any and all scrutiny. Criticism of the behavior gets viewed through the lens of a hater and not simply an investigator. As such the group, however irrelevant to the narrative, gets to act with impunity. The constant repetitive use of the term anti-Semitism is tragic insofar as it diminishes the value of the events and circumstances in historical context that led to the very word’s development in Judeo-Christian lexicon, the slaughter of millions of Jews.

While there have been other mass slaughters of people in human history, there does not appear to be a similar term for those who hate or show hostility against a group of people. The events of September 11, 2001, rightfully or wrongfully, led to a fear of and hostility towards overtly religious Muslims; but there is no similar word that describes that “group-hate” mentality. While anti-Semite might apply, it has not developed to describe the hatred towards Muslims.

African Americans and People of Color (trying to be sensitive with word use here) were enslaved, tortured, bought and sold as chattel and yet actions against them did not lead to a single defined term. Those who hate people of color are simply bigots or racists. Those who hate Asians don’t get a special adjective to describe them, nor do those who hate… well, you get the general gist. Haters of any particular group for whatever reason are defined under a single umbrella – bigot or racist.

Anti-Semitism was uniquely created as a term by history. It is now being uniquely weaponized as a mantra by behavior. That is a frightening and tragic reality. 

We have stated before and will repeat our sentiments here that the insidious distrust and tensions pervading New York and New Jersey are not foundationally about anti-Semitism. They are about over-development, unequal treatment under the law, corruption, judicial impropriety and a whole host of other indignities being perpetrated upon a myriad of different communities, including Jews. That the perpetrators are in large part ultra-Orthodox Jews is a function of the crime statistics and not a function of the community viewing that group harshly.

At least it did not begin that way.

Anyone who wants to turn the scrutiny of the behavior of: developers, landlords, tenants, not-for-profits, LLC’s, school board members, community members, community leaders and the list goes on, into a discussion of hate is allowing crimes to be committed with impunity. The financial crimes are at epidemic levels in New York and New Jersey, and they are going unchecked; because by shining light we are allegedly declaring war on religious Jews, on all Jews. This is the greatest con in history. It is an outright gaming of our very lexicon to allow a community’s members to act with impunity.  As such we are complicit in fostering the use of the anti-Semitism Mantra as a weapon; and it is being used against each and every one of us. This is a very dangerous precedent. 

It is high time that law enforcement, the judiciary, government officials and even Facebook open your eyes to the improprieties that are being committed. It is a moral imperative for ultra-Orthodox, Orthodox, Conservative and Reformed and otherwise unaffiliated Jewish leaders to take a stand against the blanket use of a the anti-Semitism mantra as a weapon. By participating in the repetition of the term you assist in the perpetration of crimes against entire groups of people.

Inevitably this will lead to real, unadulterated hatred. It is just a matter of time. People are getting hurt. Communities are being plundered. This is not victim blaming unless you sit and contemplate who are the real victims in the equation.

Look outside the box that would otherwise group the perpetrators because it is wholly irrelevant that so many are visibly religious Jews. Don’t let them convince you of a different reality. Had they been visibly religious Muslims or FLDS, or any other visibly religious group, there would not be a special word, to be used to create smoke and mirrors. Anti-Semitism is not the problem. 

But, a warning for the weary, tread that fine line of scrutiny and criticism carefully and be mindful. It is a treacherous road to travel. There are many innocent and visibly religious Jews who are being harmed both by the crime epidemic and by the repetition of the mantra. And they are worse off than everyone else.

Lakewood Vaad on Welfare-Fraud, Never an Excuse for Dishonesty?

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/featured/1306906/just-statement-lakewood-vaad-welfare-fraud-related-arrests.html

JUST IN: Statement From The Lakewood Vaad On Welfare-Fraud Related Arrests

The following is a statement from the Lakewood Vaad:

We are saddened beyond words by the arrests of seven couples in our town. As firm believers in the principle of ‘innocent until proven guilty,’ we suspend judgment until the disposition of these charges, and are comforted knowing that our judicial system is an able arbiter of justice.

Regardless of the outcomes of these cases, we have, in our view, a valuable teaching moment that cannot be wasted.

There is no such a thing as “justified” theft. Federal and State social safety-net programs are meant for those in need, even those in need have rules and criteria that must be strictly followed. To deliberately bend a safety-net eligibility rule is stealing, no different than stealing from your friend or neighbor.

We would all do well to redouble and triple our efforts in our communities, reminding each and every one of us that there is never any excuse for dishonesty in any form. Let us take this moment to speak openly of these matters, from the pulpit, in the classroom, and by parents at the dinner table, so that this tragic but necessary learning moment is not lost.

In the days ahead we will help launch a set of intensive educational programs that can ensure that such does not happen again, and will invite the public to participate in these timely programs.

Rabbi Moshe Zev Weisberg on behalf of The Lakewood Vaad

 

More on Taj Patterson – Beaten by Hassidic Men

Cops say they used ruse to get video evidence of gay black man’s beating at hands of Orthodox Jewish men

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/trick-beat-vids-article-1.2772050

Brooklyn investigators assigned to an alleged gang assault that led to a gay African-American man’s blindness had to “put on a ruse” to get crucial evidence, according to trial testimony.

“Many of the residents were being uncooperative,” said NYPD Detective Eric Sanchez, who worked on the Williamsburg crime scene where Taj Patterson was allegedly beaten by over two dozen Orthodox Jewish men on Dec. 1, 2013.

As investigators came to a standstill with retrieving video footage from neighbors on Flushing Ave., a Jewish officer had to pretend to be a victim of a robbery looking for evidence to help with the case, said Sanchez.

Sanchez was assigned to the case five days after the initial investigation was abruptly closed by a sergeant in the 90th Precinct.

DNA results link Orthodox Jewish man to beating of gay black man

“We were then able to get the videos,” Sanchez said in Brooklyn Supreme Court on Tuesday during Mayer Herskovic’s trial.

Herskovic faces up to 25 years in prison for his participation in the brutal beating of Patterson. DNA evidence of Herskovic was found on the heel of Patterson’s sneaker, which was hurled to the roof of a building after MTA bus driver Evelyn Keys intervened along with another passerby.

Keys’ route on the B57 was interrupted around 4:42 a.m. as several double parked cars blocked Flushing Ave.

“I stood in the doorway (of the bus), their backs were to me and I heard one of the Hasidic Jewish men tell a (Spanish) man to go away. He said, ‘No, I’m not going to let you hurt him,’” said Keys .

Hasidic men who beat up gay black victim get community service

Keys — who was blocked from seeing the alleged beatdown — tried to take pictures with her cellphone as the group, some in Shomrim jackets, dispersed, but panicked, she said.

To read the article in its entirety click here.

Witness Testimony of “Complete Mayhem” as Hassidic Men Beat Taj Patterson

 

Brooklyn witness describes ‘mayhem’ of gay black man beating – NY Daily News//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-M9G2T8//widget.perfectmarket.com/opt/tboptevent.html?v=2&a=v&d=%7B%7D//widget.perfectmarket.com/opt/tboptevent.html?v=2&a=u&d=%7B%22stp%22%3A%7B%22v%22%3A1%7D%7D //widget.perfectmarket.com/opt/tboptevent.html?v=2&a=u&d=%7B%22stp%22%3A%7B%22a%22%3A1%7D%7D

Brooklyn witness testifies ‘it was complete mayhem’ as Orthodox Jewish group attacked gay black man

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/brooklyn-witness-describes-mayhem-gay-black-man-beating-article-1.

A Brooklyn DJ who was giving his friends a ride home after a gig testified Wednesday that he rescued a gay African-American man who was getting attacked by a group of Hasidic Jewish men.

“I made a wrong turn and saw a group of men on the sidewalk on my left beating the crap out of young man,” said Jose Guzman, the last prosecution witness in Mayer Herskovic’s gang assault trial.

One of Guzman’s friends thought the group of almost 20 Hasidic Jewish men were jumping up and down on the sidewalk in celebration for Hanukkah during the Dec. 1, 2013 assault on Flushing Ave.in Williamsburg.

“It was completely mayhem,” Guzman said.

Brooklyn judge hears 911 calls from beating of gay black man

He approached the group and was stopped by a participant, later identified at Aaron Hollender, who told him the victim Taj Patterson allegedly hit them first.

Hollender’s case was dismissed in March 2015.

Continue reading here: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/

Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Danny Chun – What are You being Paid to Provide Leniency???

 

DANNY CHUN AND DESPICABLE TAJ PATTERSON RULING, DANNY CHUN AND BROOKLYN SLUMLORDS…. WHAT ELSE IS YOUR SOUL BEING SOLD TO DO?

This weekend we were provided a tip that the same judge who ordered community service and $1,400 in reparations fro the brutal beating of Taj Patterson may also be the same judge who is allowing slumlords to fleece their tenants. And, it turns out the tip was unsettlingly correct, making us wonder whether this Judge is just another piece of the ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn food chain allowing the Hasidim if various Brooklyn neighborhoods to act with impunity.

The Tal Patterson ruling that has drawn ire amongst many who believe that the men involved should have been charged with a hate crime and given the maximum sentence. They were instead punished withe community service (which they are now arguing should not be in a “socially diverse setting.” Let’s not forget the brutality with which they beat Taj Patterson. Were it up to us, they would be standing in a black neighborhood with signs like in the “Die Hard” movie wherein Bruce Willis must stand on a corner proclaiming his hatred for blacks, but using more derogatory terms. 

Int he current slumlord ruling, it looks like the judicial friend of the Hasidic community is again going to offer leniency, again to the detriment of anyone not Hasidic. All we can do is wonder how cheaply Judge Danny Chun’s services are being offered out. We are further unsettled that it would appear that not only do they have at lease one D.A. in their pockets, Kenneth Thomson, but they have a judge sitting there where D.A. Thompson decides to prosecute.

Have you no conscience Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun? Were you not put in your position to uphold the law? Did you do so in the Taj Patterson case? No.  

 

Brooklyn slumlord brothers accused of forcing out tenants so they could hike rents working on plea deal

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ARTICLE CLICK HERE.

BY Christina Carrega-woodby

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Thursday, August 18, 2016, 12:58 PM

Owing 1.3 Billion Dollars to Investors, Abe Goldberg Dies in Poland… and the Money?

 

Australian corporate fugitive Abraham ‘Abe’ Goldberg dies in Poland, owing more than $1.3 billion

http://www.theage.com.au/business/australian-corporate-fugitive-abe-goldberg-dies-in-poland-owing-more-than-13-billion-20160807-gqmys8.html

 

One of Australia’s most notorious corporate fugitives, Abraham “Abe” Goldberg, has died in Poland more than 25 years after his textile empire collapsed with debts of $1.3 billion and warrants were issued for his arrest.

Creditors and corporate regulators will be incensed to learn that Goldberg is understood to have left an inheritance of more than €500 million ($728 million) after amassing a vast property portfolio in Warsaw since fleeing Melbourne.

Abraham ‘Abe’ Goldberg, one of Australia’s most notorious corporate fugitives, has died in Poland more than 25 years after fleeing Australia.

However, the Australian Taxation Office, disgruntled shareholders and more than 30 major lenders will not receive a cent.

To add further insult, tributes in Poland last week have hailed Goldberg as a “distinguished benefactor” for the significant financial contribution he made to several Jewish organisations based in Poland.

In the late 1980s, Goldberg ranked as Australia’s fourth wealthiest person with an estimated fortune of $600 million.

Known in corporate circles as the “square dancer” for his habit of rapidly changing business partners, Goldberg lived in a sprawling faux-Tudor mansion on Toorak’s Orrong Road.

At the time, his company Linter Group was reputed to be the world’s biggest textile manufacturer, with a stable of famous Australian brands including Speedo, Stubbies, Pelaco and King Gee.

The company was battered by the sharemarket crash in 1987 but continued to take on more debt.

The empire crumbled in 1990, when Linter Group was placed in liquidation, but millions of dollars had already been siphoned to offshore havens and trust accounts.

Goldberg followed the lead of other corporate villains such as Alan Bond and Christopher Skase by fleeing to Europe and thumbing his nose at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

He sought refuge in Poland, where he was born in 1929. His family had emigrated to Australia in 1948 after escaping from a Nazi ghetto during the war.

He changed his name to Aleksander Kadyks but used several aliases, including Adam Goldberg and Aleksander Goldberg, before establishing a string of businesses in Warsaw with his daughter and son-in-law.

Australian corporate investigators issued more than 10 arrest warrants for Goldberg, but the only person to face justice over Linter Group’s demise was the company’s finance director Katy Boskowitz, who received a five-year prison sentence in 1998.

While the global hunt by ASIC and liquidators foundered, a journalist from The Bulletin magazine tracked Goldberg down in 2005. He was hiding in plain sight, living in a luxury apartment in an upmarket suburb of Warsaw.

Goldberg was coy when asked if he intended to return to Australia.

“When I’m ready I will come,” he said.

“People live to 100. There’s plenty of time. I’ll come when it suits me,” he told The Bulletin.

Goldberg was 87 when he died last month.

Platinum Partners Liquidating 2 Main Funds – The company is Insolvent… The Money is Privately Held

 

Lost Messiah, July 21, 2016

TO THE U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, TO THE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE, TO THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE – ANYONE HIRED BY PLATINUM IS PAID BY PLATINUM….

GET YOUR OWN INVESTIGATORS IN TO OVERSEE THE LIQUIDATION!!!! THERE IS MONEY – A LOT OF IT…LOOK TO THE CHABAD COMMUNITY AND FOLLOW THE TRAIL…

The event driven investments into life insurance policies likely came from the Shlomo Rechnitz nursing homes in California – a scheme to invest in the death of people who signed policies without knowing what they were signing. 

Black Elk was a mining venture – the investors lost millions in oil mines.

New Mountain Finance sustained losses, but not really. 

Africa Israel and Lev Leviev were connected to Platinum Partners, as was Jona Rechnitz who worked for Leviev and introduced Seabrook and Peralta to Platinum.

Donations and money, programs and prestige was filtered through the Simon Wiesenthal Center and other quasi “philanthropic” but in no means altruistic donations.

There is a trail…. The little stones are still waiting on the path to be found…

It is our firm position that Murray Huberfeld, David Bodner, their families, their foundations, their wives are sitting on cash and diamonds slowly but surely skimmed and hidden. We believe, based upon credible sources, that Huberfeld’s plea will allow him to return to immense wealth and allow his family and that of Bodner to live in luxury in the meantime.

YOU MUST FOLLOW THE MONEY. LOOK AT THE INVESTMENTS. IT’S IN GEMS AND IN OIL WELLS – BLACK ELK…

 

REUTERS REPORTS:

Platinum Partners to liquidate two main funds amid government probes

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-hedgefunds-platinum-idUSKCN10029U

Platinum Partners has hired an independent monitor to oversee the liquidation of its two main hedge funds amid investigations by U.S. authorities, according to a letter sent to investors on Wednesday.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has requested information from New York-based Platinum, according to a person familiar with the situation.

The U.S. hedge fund manager said last month it was likely to return the assets of its largest and oldest fund to clients following the arrest of a longtime associate on allegations he orchestrated a $60,000 cash bribe to secure an investment from a New York City union.

The SEC probe comes on top of a Department of Justice inquiry and a raid by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents last month. The focus of the various reviews was unknown and it was not clear if they are related.

To ensure the assets from its funds are distributed fairly, Platinum has hired Bart Schwartz of Guidepost Solutions to “assist…with the development and implementation of a plan for the orderly liquidation of the Funds under management,” according to a letter he sent to Platinum clients.

Guidepost will also report to the SEC at least monthly, Schwartz wrote in the letter, which was seen by Reuters. The communication with the SEC will include the sale of assets from Platinum’s portfolios and any potential violations of federal securities law, he wrote.

An SEC spokesman declined to comment.

Platinum, founded and led by Mark Nordlicht, has produced exceptional profits for investors since it launched in 2003. But the firm’s strategy of lending to troubled companies carries risks that have scared away many large investors. (See Reuters Special Report on Platinum from April 2016: here)

Platinum’s investors have been rattled by the arrest of longtime firm associate Murray Huberfeld on wire fraud charges related to a separate New York City corruption investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Huberfeld plans to plead not guilty, according to his attorney.

The firm recently blocked redemptions from its flagship Value Arbitrage fund and told investors they would not receive anything until at least 2017, according to Robert McIver, a Platinum client who has requested his money back.

The source who said the SEC was investigating the firm also said it would remain in business despite the gradual liquidation of the Platinum Partners Value Arbitrage Fund and the Platinum Partners Credit Opportunities Fund. The two funds contain the large majority of Platinum’s assets, about $1.35 billion as of April.

The source declined to be identified because the information is private.

“Bart Schwartz will play a key role in ensuring that investors’ best interests are served as we monetize the funds and meet redemptions,” Platinum said in an emailed statement. “His standing with the investment community, regulators and law enforcement is beyond reproach and we’re very pleased to have his assistance.”

Schwartz was chief of the criminal division in the Department of Justice’s Southern District of New York and more recently worked as the appointed receiver of hedge funds run by J. Ezra Merkin that invested in Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and a compliance consultant for the Department of Justice to monitor Steven Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management.