The following is an e-mail I just got from EQUAL AND FAIR JUSTICE FOR SHOLOM RUBASHKIN, http://www.justiceforsholom.org:
You signed the petition, EQUAL AND FAIR JUSTICE FOR SHOLOM RUBASHKIN, on Apr 8, 2010. The petition received 37411 signatures. The petition author, http://www.justiceforsholom.org, has now closed the petition and posted the results:
Message from the petition author, http://www.justiceforsholom.org:
B”H
Dear Friend,
Thank you for signing the Justice For Sholom Petition. Your expression of concern and request that Sholom be treated fairly was joined by many major Jewish organizations from all across the spectrum, including the ADL, Simon Weisenthal Center and representatives from major Chassidic, Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative organisations. Please G-d, the incredible unity among Jews worldwide will bring many open and revealed blessings for the Rubashkin family and all of Israel.
By signing this petition you fulfilled the greatest Mitzvah in the Torah “To Love your Fellow Jew as yourself”.
As we stand on the eve of sentencing, your prayers (and extra Mitzvos) for a just outcome for Sholom, his wife and 10 children would be most appreciated: Sholom Mordechai HaLevi Ben Rivkah.
Our sages teach us, One Mitvoh Leads to another.: Sholom who was known for his incredible generosity is now destitute. Hundreds of stories of his discreet generosity have emerged. One such, told by a young boy who witnessed Sholom coming out of the bank with 10,000 in Cash. He encountered a worried individual and asked for the reason of his concern. When he learned that this poor man was marrying off his daughter and did not have a penny to his name, Sholom, without any fanfare took the 10k in cash and put it in this mans pocket and walked away.
Although Sholom has made mistakes and used poor judgement, he is anything but what the goverment has portrayed him to be. He is a selfless person who has helped thousnads and thousands of Jews and non-Jews in need.
Sholom has a long legal fight ahead of him (with trumped up state charges as well to face). His wife and children -including a severely autistic child- are destitute.
Please consider making a donation to help this family. You can do so by texting JUSTICE followed by a space and the amount you wanto give to 27138 (E.g. Text JUSTICE 18 to 27138) or by sending an email with a pledge amount to [email protected] You can also visit justiceforsholom.org/donate for other donation methods. Any amount is appreciated and necessary.
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The Justice for Sholom Committee would also like to bring to your attention the plight of the many thousands of Jews -and their families- in prison in the US, and the ALEPH Institute that caters to their needs.
There are over four thousand Jewish men and women in American prisons all across this country. Many times there are very few Jewish inmates in an individual prison and it can be very difficult if not impossible to observe Torah and Mitzvot . To lift up the spirits of a Jew in prison is fulfilling “Love your fellow Jew as yourself” on the highest level. In one aspect, there is no worse situation that a human being can be in than prison. When one loses his or her freedom it is even worse than being sick because in prison you lose all control of your own life. A person may be in prison for committing a crime and may deserve to be there but we still have to show them love and help them to mend their ways and return to society as law abiding and contributing members of society. The Aleph Institute has been working with and assisting Jewish prisoners for close to thirty years all over the United States.
Every day, over 25,000 American Jews are punished with overwhelming and unbearable challenges%u2014due to no crime of their own, they are the wives, husbands, parents and children of individuals in prison. When a family member is in prison, the remaining family is confronted with momentous challenges. They face a confusing judicial system, financial ruin, embarrassment and total despair.
The ones that suffer the most are the children. These innocent souls need financial support, emotional support and guidance. They need to feel that there is normalcy in their little lives. In most cases the children of incarcerated parents suffer deeply. They feel loneliness, depression, insecurity, guilt and severance from their incarcerated parent. Such inconsistency puts these children at a much higher risk of being involved with the criminal justice system as adults. It is imperative that we help and support them while they are still young.
How can one describe the heartbreak of a child who sits by the phone and waits for her father to call with his allotted 15 minutes to say goodnight? Can we understand a child%u2019s painful realization that he can not ask for a bicycle so that he can ride with his friends, due to the family%u2019s lack of money to pay the bills? Imagine the feelings that rush through a child%u2019s head as she watches her friend%u2019s parents cheerfully meet their daughter after school, while she will have to wait for her heart broken mother or grandmother to pick her up after work. What is the holiday experience for a child whose parent is in prison? The usual joyful and life altering moments of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 16s, graduations, and weddings become lacking in ways that seem impossible to overcome.
This short insight does not do true justice to the pain, suffering and disintegration that these families continually experience.
These families need guidance, financial and emotional support. These families desperately need our help.
Please visit http://www.alephinstitute.org and/or email [email protected]
Please consider getting involved, lending an ear or a hand to a fellow Jew in prison and/or his/her family left behind.
Maimonides teaches us that we ought to to look at the world as though it’s on a scale that’s perfectly balanced between good and bad. And, one extra Mitzvah (my mitzvah!) can tip the scale and usher in the era of redemption!
May we all merit the ultimate redemption speedily in our days!
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