$5000 Raised in a Single Day

By COLlive reporter

A staggering $60,000 – most of it donated in small amounts – was raised from Crown Heights Lubavitchers and Jewish residents for the legal battle of imprisoned Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin.

An additional $5000 was raised by his son Yossi Rubashkin on Thursday, June 2, by standing in front of the Empire Kosher grocery and reaching out to customers. He was out in front of the large supermarket again on Friday, June 3.

The Brooklyn neighborhood was chosen as a pilot project for the national campaign “Sholom Across America” advocating a new trial for the former manager of the Agriprocessors meat plant in Iowa.

Rubashkin, 52 and a father of ten with no previous convictions, was sentenced to 27 years in Federal Prison on charges of bank fraud. 72 immigration charges were dismissed.

Campaign volunteers in Crown Heights visited Jewish homes to raise awareness of Rubashkin’s plight and the June 15 hearing when his lawyers will argue in front of the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals for a new trial.

The unusual circumstance—those convicted of white-collar crimes are not commonly imprisoned while awaiting appeal—has been called into question by numerous members of Congress.

Equipped with wireless credit card terminals, residents were asked to donate to Rubashkin’s legal fees and received a new DVD describing the Postville Jewish community and the trial which almost had it closed.

COLlive.com was told that based on the Crown Heights model, the campaign will be visiting some 16 major Jewish communities across the United States and Canada.