Yeshiva World News

Hillary Clinton has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the position of secretary of state, making her the public face around the world for the administration of the man who beat her for the Democratic presidential nomination, two confidants said Friday.

Mrs. Clinton came to her decision after additional discussion with President-elect Barack Obama about the nature of her role and his plans for foreign policy, said one of the confidants, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the situation. Mr. Obama’s office told reporters Thursday that the nomination is “on track” but Clinton associates only confirmed Friday afternoon that she has decided.

A second Clinton associate confirmed that her camp believes they have a done deal. Senior Obama advisers said Friday morning that the offer had not been formally accepted and no announcement will be made until after Thanksgiving. But they said they were convinced that the nascent alliance was now ready to be sealed.

(Source: NY Times)

The speculation is starting to sound like reality. President-elect Barack Obama is poised to nominate Sen. Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, sometime after Thanksgiving. CBS 2 has learned exclusively some of the names that are on the short list to replace her in the Senate.

Just 17 days ago, Clinton told CBS 2′s Marcia Kramer unequivocally that she would not join Obama’s administration if he won the election.

“I’m not interested in serving in the administration,” she said Election Day morning. “I want to roll up my sleeves and be a good partner in the Senate for the agenda that I hope will be successful in the next two years.”

But power is seductive and Clinton obviously did the math. Junior Senator from New York has a lot less clout than Secretary of State, and although the Obama people are guarded, it’s clear they want her.

“She’s obviously a talented public official and someone who would enhance any team,” said David Axelrod, an Obama senior advisor.

With Clinton appearing to have one foot out the door, speculation is rampant about who Gov. David Paterson will choose to succeed her. Sources tell CBS 2 he’s intent on doing what’s politically expedient for himself, picking someone who will enhance his chances of reelection.

On the front-runners list are:

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, who gives Paterson Long Island support
Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, a “two-fer” as a woman and a Latina
Hudson Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand
Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the favorite in a recent Marist poll

And the dark horse, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a sentimental choice who spoke only two days ago at the renaming of the Triborough Bridge for his father.

Paterson, of course, won’t have to pick until after Clinton officially resigns her seat.

Whoever replaces her will only serve a short time before having to face voters twice in a special election in 2010 to fill her unexpired term, and again in 2012 for a new term.

(LINK to WCBSTV)

The following are excerpts of an article written by Allison Hoffman for the Jerusalem Post about hos the economic crisis has hit Boro Park: 

Medium box. I need a large! I have my children to feed, please – please can I have a large box?

Sorry. Medium box.

That’s how it went on a recent Thursday night at the Tomche Shabbos food pantry in Brooklyn’s Borough Park neighborhood, one of the several that provide weekly baskets of strictly kosher food to 500 needy haredi families.

Jeno Herschkowits, who has run the pantry since 1975, says supplicants have gotten noticeably edgier in recent months, as people who were narrowly avoiding ruin before this fall’s stock market crash find themselves slipping over the brink, now that the American consumer economy has ground to a near halt.

“People are desperate; they get aggressive,” he said. “And there are more people, but less money.”

Evidence of pain is everywhere, from deep discounts at chain stores – as much as 60 percent off fall merchandise, that began weeks before the traditional Thanksgiving sales – to empty restaurants and upticks in late-night subway ridership by those who might previously have splurged on cabs. But in New York’s haredi neighborhoods, where most families subsist on a single income, the strain shows up in weekly debates over “small,” “medium” or “large.”

A WEEK ago, New York exploded with euphoria after the historic landslide election of Barack Obama to the presidency on promises of bringing change, and hope, to America. Now, his transition team is already racing to craft plans for his first weeks in office, among them a $175 billion stimulus package that would include extended unemployment benefits and food assistance.

But inauguration is still 68 days away, and in the meantime, financial markets are continuing their downward spiral, with Bush administration officials taking steps to make bailout money available to credit-card and student-loan companies, in hopes of keeping cash flowing into consumers’ wallets. Investors have responded to the apparent uncertainty over how to spend the $700 billion in bailout funds, driving the Dow Jones industrial average down another 400 points on Wednesday alone.

That, in turn, threatens to empty state coffers of much-needed tax revenue next year. New York State officials are already bickering over a proposed $5 billion in education and health-care cuts to close a yawning budget deficit, stoking concerns that food-stamp programs might be next on the chopping block.

Private charities say that if that happens, they will be ill-prepared to make up the difference, because donations have dried up, and fund-raisers are working overtime just to get donors to satisfy their current pledges, let alone worry about those to come next year.

“We lost one donor who used to give us $400 a week,” said Alexander Rapaport, whose Masbia kosher soup kitchen provides about 160 meals a day, prepared by a caterer at a local school. He said he has taken out advertising on local radio stations citing this week’s Torah portion – on Sodom and Gomorrah – to inspire donations.

While Masbia qualifies for some government grant programs, the organization’s strict observance of kosher standards means he can’t make use of many restaurant or overstock giveaways available for those following more relaxed codes.

Pantries that follow looser restrictions said they had seen a spike in requests from non-Jews, along with more Jews asking for help. One, the Oneg Shabbos pantry – run by Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch and his wife, Pe’er – has installed a fence along the sidewalk to protect bags of carrots and potatoes waiting to be packed in with containers of Sabra-brand feta cheese and other goodies for people who wait in a line snaking up the block.

“We’re seeing families who never in their lives thought they would have to ask for food,” Pe’er Deutsch told The Jerusalem Post. “The thing about us is that we pack it into boxes, and it looks like groceries – people know they can come here and the kids never have to know.”

LEADERS OF haredi organizations understand the irony of their constituents – most of whom backed Republican presidential candidate John McCain – waiting for a rescue from the incoming Obama administration.

“Our man always wins,” said Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel of America, winking. He said his organization, which has a staffer taking calls for assistance from the newly jobless or helpless, has always been able to work with both political parties, even if “people on the ground” disagree with one side or the other.

So, he said, there is hope. But with the first cold snap, the clock is already ticking.

Meeting in New York on November 13th, rabbis participating at the annual conference of the Association of Kashrus Organizations (AKO), learned that certain Anheuser-Busch beers were not kosher.

Although it has been known for generations that beer is inherently kosher, the rabbis noted that flavored beer produced by Anheuser-Busch were not.

Mott’s, a division of Dr Pepper/Snapple Group, sells a beverage called Clamato which contains clam powder, and Anheuser-Busch recently introduced a beverage called Chelada which is a mixture of Budweiser beer and Clamato.

In recent months, Kashrus Magazine wrote that since Chelada is tunnel pasteurized on the same equipment as other beer products, “the public should avoid all Budweiser products until the process is “inspected by a competent kashrus expert”.

The Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc), which certifies many items produced in the same plant as the Clamato, investigated this concern by visiting the plants where Clamato and Chelada are produced, reviewing formulas, extensive discussions with the companies, and independent research. They concluded that Anheuser-Busch beers sold in bottles are free and clear of any concerns.

Dr Pepper has already made changes to the production of the Clamato used in Chelada, without changing its basic recipe, so that Anheuser-Busch beers sold in cans will also be acceptable.

The kosher status of Anheuser-Busch beers are not affected by the Bud Light Lime beverage bottled on shared equipment.

(Source: Kosher Today)

Water rates in New York are likely to keep rising next year, but troubling new numbers indicate that cash-strapped homeowners may already be struggling to pay their bills, the NY Daily News reports.

Revenue from water was 11% below projections in the first 19 days of November, far below the first four months of the fiscal year, when it was just 1.4% short.

City officials told the Water Board on Thursday that more money may flow in before the end of November, bringing the total back in line. The number and amount of delinquent water bills are also lower than in the past, they said.

Still, the Department of Environmental Protection plans to send out thousands of past-due letters to customers at the end of the month – and is studying whether the economic crisis is hurting New Yorkers’ ability to pay.

Water rates went up 14.5% in July, and are projected to rise another 14% next year – even though better conservation means New Yorkers are using less water. The DEP’s $19.4 billion decade-long construction program accounts for a big part of the increase, as does the higher cost of debt to pay for it, thanks to the credit collapse.

Left unsaid was the annual payment – $178.6 million this year and rising – that the city siphons from water bills to help balance the budget. The Bloomberg administration has indicated it will work to reduce the amount next year.

(Source: NY Daily News)

There’s 911 in case of emergencies and 311 if you need help from the city. Now city residents can dial 511 to know the best way to get around.

The New York State Department of Transportation unveiled “511,” its new traffic and transit help line Thursday.

Travelers can get real time updates on road conditions as well as traffic reports.

Officials say it will soon include construction alerts and weather updates. They also hope to provide information on alternate routes as well as alternate modes of transportation.

Officials say the system will be up and running statewide by January 1.

Travelers can call 511 or visit 511ny.org.

Customers can also subscribe to the free 511 text service.

In May 2008, YWN reported about the launch of 511 in New Jersey. Click HERE for that story.

(Chaim Sharf – YWN / NY1)

10:45PM EST: [UPDATE BELOW] Attorney General Michael Mukasey (an Orthodox Jew) has collapsed a short while ago – while giving a speech to the Federalist Society in Washington, according to three senior administration officials.

Details about Mukasey’s condition were not immediately available.

Audience members said they began praying, fearing a stroke.

Mukasey is a former federal prosecutor from New York City who succeeded former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

At 10:30PM Eastern, medical officials were still working on him on the stage, administration witnesses said.

YWN reported the following in September 2007: YWN has learned that Mr. Mukasey graduated the RAMAZ Yeshiva – and a spokesperson for RAMAZ Yeshiva has in fact confirmed to YWN that Michael Mukasey graduated Ramaz in 1959. In addition, his wife Susan was a teacher and Headmistress of the Ramaz Lower School for many years.

He is also a prominent member of the Upper Manhattan Jewish community.

UPDATE 11:20PM EST: Mukasey was 15 to 20 minutes into his speech about the Bush administration’s successes in combatting terrorism when he began slurring his words. He collapsed and lost consciousness, said O’Connor, the department’s No. 3 official.

Mukasey’s was noticeably shaking during his speech before he collapsed shortly before 10:20 p.m. EST. His security detail called 911. Mukasey was on the stage for 10 minutes being attended to by his FBI detail before medics arrived, according to a Justice Department official who was there. Mukasey was still breathing at the time, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to talk to the media.

An FBI official said Mukasey got stuck on a word during his speech to the conservative legal group, repeated it several times and then “went down hard.”

A senior law-enforcement said Mukasey appeared to be talking when he was taken away. That official also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the situation.

He was conscious during part of the ambulance ride to hospital, the official said.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said President George W. Bush was informed about Mukasey’s collapse.

“The president has him in his thoughts and will be kept apprised and hopes that he will be back up and at ‘em again soon.”

(Source: Politico / AP)

Lakewood Police along with Ocean County authorities arrested five men and seized more than a kilogram of cocaine, more than $100,000 in cash and weapons after executing several search warrants Tuesday.

Those arrested are:

Larry Negron, 32, resides at 139 Colonial Drive
Paris Aguirre, 27, resides at 139 Colonial Drive
Maximino Madrigada, resides at 215 Elm Street
Julio Magna Estrada, resides at 215 Elm Street
Enrique Miguel-Asciendo, 42, resides at 125 Mountain View Drive

The suspects are charged with possession of cocaine and possession of more than 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute. They have all been booked in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, and bail amounts range from $20,000 to $150,000 bail, set by Superior Court Judge Barbara Ann Villano.

The investigation took about two months, county authorities reported. It is continuing, and more arrests are expected, they said.

YWN received countless emails on Thursday afternoon from Lakewood residents living in the area, telling us that they do not feel safe. Less then two weeks ago, YWN reported (HERE) that the LPD had made a large-scale drug bust, seizing more than 400 grams of cocaine at a township home. That home was also owned by a Frum Yid.

In July this past summer, YWN posted an extensive article along with a letter – signed by leading Lakewood Rabbonim, and undersigned by the Posek Hador, Maran Hagon Rav Elyashiv Shlita – regarding ”unsavory rentals”. Click HERE to read the original article.

The letter stated as follows: “In light of the many unfortunate episodes that have taken place in town, and in response to the continuous complaints that have come to our attention, we issue this urgent call to the bnei Torah of our kehilla kedosha of Lakewood in order to raise awareness of a pressing matter that has been causing emotional pain and physical damage to the tzibur of Lakewood for many years.

Many individuals have purchased homes in areas that over the years have been built up until the majority of the neighborhood has been converted to a yiddishe shechuna. Yet, these owners continue to rent out their units to unsavory individuals, and by doing so, cause damage and pain to the entire neighborhood in ways which need not be elaborated. Others have done worse, by purchasing units in areas that they know are quickly becoming an attractive location for bnei Torah families or even in areas that have already been firmly established as such. These opportunistic latecomers are certainly the direct cause of damage and unjustified hardship for the entire neighborhood, both physically and spiritually. 

In many situations it is halachically incumbent upon these owners to promptly remove their obstacle from the public. Even in cases where perhaps there isn’t a clear halachic enforceable mandate, nevertheless, ain ruach chachomim nocheh heimenu. Regarding situations such as these, the Gemorrah states that Yerushalayim was destroyed because people insisted on not going beyond the enforceable letter of the law.

Such people should fear placing themselves in the category of mazikei harabim and should be wary of shouldering the awesome responsibility of such actions. It is well-known that one who, G-d forbid, brings pain to others causes the middas hadin to take hold. How can he remain indifferent in face of the pain he’s causing others? Even Yom Kippur won’t atone until he appeases the one who was wronged! Certainly among bnei Torah there is an added element of chillul Hashem involved. It is clear that no blessings can rest upon ventures of this nature.

Therefore, anybody who owns such dwellings should promptly rid themselves of these investments, even in place of a loss. In the interim, they are obligated to demand from their tenants to live up to neighborhood standards. Anyone with the ability to influence these owners in any way possible should do so and fulfill a mitzvah of zikui harabim in this pressing matter. Certainly, one should seek to be counted amongst the mezakai harabim rather than be amongst those who place fear and pain on the tzibur. 

To those who abide by the above and fulfill the mitzvah of ve’ahavta leracha komocha, which forms the basis of the entire Torah, may Hashem bestow blessing and success in all of their financial and spiritual matters. May we see the fulfillment of the verse hinei mah tov umah na’im sheves achim gam yachad.”

Signed,
Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler
Rav Yeruchom Olshin
Rav Dovid Schustal
Rav Yisroel Neumann
Rav Yaakov Forscheimer
Rav Mattisyahu Salamon
Rav Dovid Feinstein
Rav Gavriel Finkel
Rav Avrohom Spitzer
Rav Osher Chaim Lieberman
Rav Shlomo Gissinger
Rav Shmuel Blech
Rav Shlomo Miller
Rav Yissocher Dov Kahan

Added note from Hagon Rav Elyashiv Shlita: 

“BSD: Due to the Hachlata of Gedolei Yisroel in Golah (outside of Eretz Yisroel) regarding the city Lakewood, to prevent the renting of homes to individuals who are causing damage and pain to the Tzibur (community) – both physically & spirtually – I too join with them, Bnei Yisroel should not do “an avlah”, and should listen to words of Rabonim and in turn be blessed.”

Click HERE to read view the actual letter.

(Eli Gefen – YWN / APP)

Ramapo officials today approved a policy allowing police officers to take days off for religious reason without pay after they’ve exhausted their contractual days off.

The Police Commission’s decision came despite the officers’ union promising to file a lawsuit challenging it. The Police Benevolent Association’s position is that such changes must be negotiated under its collective bargaining contract with the town.

Police Chief Peter Brower offered the policy so every police officer could take religious days off.

Richard Carey, deputy director of the New York State Association of Police, said he was not aware of a similar policy across the state. He said the association didn’t have a position on the policy, but the important issue was that the police continued to protect the public.

The Journal News will have an extensive article about this on Friday.

(The Journal News / YWN-782)