By COLlive reporter
The Jewish inmates in Otisville, New York, enjoyed and tried to make the most out of an inspirational visit this month by Rabbi Leibel Groner, a talmid chacham who served as the Rebbe’s secretary for over 40 years.
Rabbi Groner made the trip from Brooklyn on chol hamoed Sukkos to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville that has a high accumulation of frum Jews, some say the largest Jewish concentration in the country.
“The inmates were most thankful for his words of chizuk,” said Crown Heights activist Eli Slavin who accompanied Rabbi Groner together with Chanina Sperlin, intergovernmental liaison for the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council.
The early morning visit began with a minyan for the reading of the Torah and touring the Sukkahs placed on the prison grounds in Orange County by the Chaplain, Rabbi Avraham Richter, who also serves as a Chabad Shliach in Queens.
“The inmates as well as many of the volunteers that visit the inmates have testified about Rabbi Richter’s tireless work and dedication” to serving their religious needs, Slavin said.
Rabbi Groner visited the medium-security prison where Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, a Lubavitcher who ran the Agriprocessors meat plant in Iowa, is currently incarcerated. Ahead of his birthday on 28 Tishrei, Rabbi Groner shared chassidic tales with him and others.
Some of Rubashkin’s supporters were saying chapter 54 in Tehillim on Sunday, praying for the justice of be served in the bank fraud case that is widely perceived as skewed, or even corrupt.
Later on, Rabbi Groner continued to Otisville’s satellite prison camp for minimum-security male white-collar offenders.
i dont know what u r talking abt. rabbi rubashkin is so full of hope and optimism and if u r ever feeling low u cud serioously email him at [email protected] and he will really relpy and it is really worth ur time, i promise.
if only all of thse yisurim would end now
i was zoche to visit rabbi rubashkin in the otisville prison and a harrobile place like that should not deserve someone as special as rabbi rubashkin and he is an amazing man, and good for all thos ethat are able to visit him and do things in his zchus and may mashiach caom right now and with it rabbi sholom mordechai ben rivkas freedom from prison
Be careful what you wish others….
The mailman sometimes RETURNS mail to the sender…
to R’ Chanina and R’ Eli המצלחה רבה ומופלגה
I heard from family members, that Sholom Mordechai was most thankful for this visit.
He has tremendous hope in the Aibeshter – everything else was just the way to go b’derech hateva.
To #8
wonderful!!
but neither of them would last there for a day. There are no cushony chairs like in the glitzy photo shown with the article.
B Ezras H` he will be freed
NOW IF SPERLIN OR SLAVIN REALLY WANTED TO DO SOMETHING USEFUL, THEY SHOULD HAVE SWAPPED CLOTHES WITH SHOLOM MODCHOH AND GET HIM OUT.
Bringing hope and chizuk to him is so nice though he has no hope anymore its so sad
We remember the rabbi when he lived in Crown Heights.
Was is and always be a TRUE SHLIACH OF THE REBBE.
הזק חזק
This TZOROH has united Kllal Yisroel like no other issue.
The Eibershter will sooner rather then later be Mekabel all the Tfillos. Omeim
The ONLY hope for this is תפילת הרבים (davening and more davening)
Thank you for everyone that keeps the Rubaski saga alive.
PS thank you Reb Eli Slavin for caring for Rabbi Groner, who cared for the Rebbe.
Thank you COLLIVE.
Thank you for keeping this tragedy ON THE FRONT BURNER.
May Hashem Yis-bo-rach have Rach-monus on this noble person Reb Sholom Mordechei.
‘Todah Raabah’ Rabbi Leibel Groner, Eli Slavin and Chanina Sperlin.
May S.M. Rubashkin be a free man soon…freed of this corruption of justice…’In the greatest country in the world?’
So those who cruelly imprisoned S.M. Rubashkin and caused much pain and suffering to his family and friends, BE”H, should suffer much worse in their own lives, ‘Amen!’