Dear Acheinu Bnei Yisroel,

Representatives from most major Jewish organizations are working closely with the Sholom Rubashkins legal team on a critical effort to convey a message to the US Attorney and the Judge that many Americans are concerned about the handling of the Rubashkin case.

As frume yidden we dedicate our lives to helping others in need, certainly we must help a person who dedicated his life to upholding the highest levels of Kashrut and fighting against those who want to outlaw shechitah in this country. We hope you will send this out to your email lists. This request does not ask for Sholom Rubashkin to escape justice – bur rather that he be treated with “equal and fair justice”.

The next week is absolutely critical for Sholom Rubashkin. The prosecutor has to submit their recommendation on April 9th. The Judge almost always sentences within close proximity to their recommendation. Askonim involved in the case feel that it is imperative that we implore upon the US Attorney to act within reason. In issuing this call , we are in no way condoning any criminal conduct. However, as detailed in the memo attached, prepared by a lawyer familiar with the case, it is clear that the federal government has been overly zealous in pursuing Mr. Rubashkin and has submitted him to considerably more severe restrictions and potential punishment than others in similar cases.

With respect to the sentencing, Sholom Rubashkin faces the possibility of life in prison (the Pre Sentence Report prepared by the probation department tallied the sentencing guidelines to be life in prison) and the probability of a 28 year sentence, – far beyond the sentences imposed on others whose crimes were significantly more severe than anything Mr. Rubashkin may have done.

Please don’t rely on the next person to do what you can and must do yourself. This cannot be pushed off to after Pesach. After Pesach will be too late as the prosecutor in the case will be coming out with an official sentencing recommendation on April 9th.

The Rubashkin family is also looking for respected members of the judiciary community to weigh in on this matter before sentencing. If you know of any Law Professors; former Judges, former US Attorneys, former state prosecutors or former law enforcement officials and or Justice officials that are willing to write letters on Sholom Rubashkin’s behalf, Please have them email those letters on letterhead as a pdf emailed to [email protected]

Please try to do all three of the following things after you read more information about the case:

1. Please sign an online petition available at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/fair-and-equal-justice-for-sholomrubashkin

2. Please call the Justice Department’s Intergovernmental and Public Liaison Office 202-514-3465 and express your reservations and concerns and ask them to give your message to Attorney General Holder. They will be counting every phone call that comes in.

3. Please email or send a fax to the Department of Justice at [email protected] or 202 514 2504 and ask them to forward your email to Attorney General Eric Holder. Each and every email or fax that comes in will be counted and read. It is also very important that you blind copy [email protected] and send copies of your faxed letters to 212-918-3468 and ask them to forward your email to Attorney General Holder. (It is also very important that you blind copy [email protected] as we will be requesting that those who wrote well written emails forward their email directly to the US Attorney of Iowa.)

Click HERE to read more about the case.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)