By COLlive reporter in Crown Heights
A rally in support of a developer found guilty of bank fraud will be taking place today, Wednesday, in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood.
Supporters of Eliyahu Ezagui are calling on the community to attend the gathering at Lubavitcher Yeshiva hall on Crown St. corner Albany Ave. at 9:00pm.
“Eliyahu is facing the prospects of a Federal jail sentence as long as 15 years for bank mortgage fraud,” a poster for the evening read.
“His lawyer has spent hundreds of hours on his case and is owed over $300,000.00… His lawyer is in the process of foreclosing on the home of his brother Shlomo who put up his house as collateral to guarantee the fee.”
Ezagui was said to entice local Lubavitch families into buying homes at 770 Lefferts Avenue and 613 East New York Avenue but never turned over the deeds.
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson, who will be the main speaker at the rally, told COLlive.com: “Him sitting in prison will not help anybody pay their bills. We have a moral duty to help him reunite with his family speedily.”
Jacobson, Rabbi of Congregation Bais Shmuel in Crown Heights, added: “No children deserve to grow up without a father, especially such young children, and an oldest child who sacrificed himself for Jews in Eretz Yisroel, losing his arm in Gaza.”
Other expected speakers are member of Badatz Crown Heights Rabbi Yaacov Schwei and local Mashpiim Rabbi Pinyeh Korf and Rabbi Shlomo Majesky.
U.S. Army Chaplain (Col.) Jacob Goldstein will be delivering remarks via mobile phone from his current station near the Mexican border.
Donate online at EzaguiCase.com or mail to CHJCC General Pidyon Shevuim Fund 392 Kingston Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225 or call Musia at CHJCC 718-771-9000 ext 0
Related Articles:
+ Rubashkin Pleads for Ezagui
+ Ezagui Found Guilty of Fraud
+ Reina Ezagui Asks for Help
+ Ezagui Indicted in $18M Fraud
You are seriously misinformed
Is he an intentional criminal or not? What is this, the mafia?
stop judging! H-ashem takes care of that, just help a jew in need .
# 7 has a good point.
Can anyone answer?
I cant believe pple would right mean things about another jew!!!!!!!!! the fact is he is a father with little children that need his help!!! Eliyahu also has helped me personally as well as many others and to gd forbid know that he would be taken away kills me!! what am i gonna do without his help????? i cant believe the hate thats going around on these comments! hashem should help him and his family and moshiach now!!!!!!
I don’t understand your point, but if people don’t get punished for taking other people’s money, than other people will do the same.
And yes there are certain thing I don’t do because there is a punishment for it.
But what’s your point?
I am poster #13 – Concerned. I thought it over. My comments hold true al pi derech ha’teva. But clearly if Sholom Mordechai himself is spearheading and pleading for a campaign to help Ezagui, it is a tremendous zechus for SMR. The famous Chazal surely applies here, “Kol Ha’Misspallel….hu ne’enah techilah.” In this zechus may Sholom Mordechai be granted the full pardon he deserves.. He suffered over and beyond any charges levied against him, most of which were proven false. In his zechus, may Hashem help Ezgui in whatever way He sees fit.
This needs to be done quietly or there will be a very big backlash against our efforts for SMR. The emphasis in this case should be on saving his brother’s home from foreclosure and making sure his wife and children have a roof over their head and food on their table.
I dont see any true story revealed in this video.
Eli owes me money for over 30 years. He never made an effort to pay even after several requests.
a chabad person in Flatbush – may Hashem help him.
“if we let these things go unpunished, what will deter others from doing the same?”
please enlighten us, let us know what deters YOU from doing something??
Yes it is terrible that a Yid is facing prison, but there must be justice otherwise there will be terrible scamming happening in our community, unfortunately there are many ‘Frume’ yidden scamming others, but we don’t say anything. Perhaps it will take this to put a check to all of that. Yes, this is terrible, and I wish that this would never happen and I hope they are lenient with him, and someone comes up with the money and repays all those who have lost it, but what can we do about this? In Pirkei Avos it says that you… Read more »
Its crazy what is going on here!! im mamosh embarrassed! who do ppl think they are to say anything or put anyone in prison. no doubt that if YOU were in a situation YOU would want everyone to help! Learn from R’ Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev.. a Rabbi who found the positive in every single yid! what are YOU trying do do with nasty comments?? are yidden “mosering” on yidden like in Russia?? GEVALD!! in these trying times, we have to do extra, we have to show Hashem, ENOUGH is ENOUGH, show Hashem YOU care! and btw, what will YOU… Read more »
I understand you really mean well, and it disturbs you that another Yid is going to jail, and you understand that going to jail will not pay any bills.
But my question to you is, if we let these things go unpunished, what will deter others from doing the same?
Oh!
He stole from the bank, Okay so he’s a good man now.
Stop judging and playing G-d. We are in such a deep golus for ppl to sit in peace and judge a jew who is suffering. We are all responsible for one and other. If you have nothing nice to say keep ur comments to yourself, and dont judge another person until you are standing in his shoes. May Hashem only give good to Eliyahu and all of the yidden!
You should really really have to know the facts. I dont want to be in anyones shoes, you have to be careful, I am repeating your words WATCH YOUR WORDS, everything is recorded in the harddrive of Hashem computer, and by the way you dont take anything upstairs, with you only go the good deeds, and the learning of
Torah, therefor carefull what do you say and… do
how dare you all !! people are talking without any facts!!!. ru as a community aware how many people from the “condos” are so upset with what is happening to Eliyahu???they regret that they said anything to cause this situation. this case is not abt their apartments anyway . this case is abt bank fraud. for all those who don’t know all the answers go on to the website. the information is there. for all those who don’t understand what bank fraud is let me just say that according to the charges any one of us who deals with any… Read more »
Its very easy to talk when your pocket is not touch, some people put the entire life saving to get nothing , because they beleave in Esagui, its shamefull , that are compering ezagui and Rubashkin cases, they are day and night. Is the mitzvah when a jew cheat , the entire community should the taxed? and the goym should say look, jews dont beleave in the law, The Rebbe ones talk about someone who was cheating the entire comunity of Crown H. , why did the Rebbe mention anything? , I think that people should donate to Rubashkin, and… Read more »
it’s so upsetting to read all these horrible comments. It is a real embarrasment to the chassidishe Ahavas-yisroel-chinuch that all of you are suppose to have gotten. Shame on you! A little bittul, a little Da’as… A yid is being locked up! There is absolutely no question in Halacha that one may (and is OBLIGATED) even to sell a shul in for this case of Pidyon Shvuyim. In no place in Torah does it say that one who is found guilty is not a case of pidyon shvuyim. It’s all just Egoistic Goyishe emotions. This is very sad. EVERYONE BE… Read more »
Everyone in this country is entitled to the best legal representation possible. To help Ezagui with his legal costs is commendable. But why is everybody glossing over the fact that he did some pretty dishonorable things, As someone who has dealt with him as an owner in one of his buildings ( I have a deed only b/c I took a mortgage), he was insufferable to deal with. I don’t wish to see him spend years in jail, but did he ever acknowledge that what he did was wrong – on any level!? At this point the best thing he… Read more »
This is scary when frum people think to let down a Jew for
sake of revenge or for any other reason
How all the lost money of the world can justify to “kill” one jew and destroy a family
Lost of money did not destroy any family in 770 Lefferts or in any other building
EZAGUI is a good man victim of his Yetzer Haraa and certainly victim of his fellow jews who did not want to take it to Din Tora
its a pitty that acommunity should rally for a cheater, when he was living ” L a dolce vita
‘ with someone else monney, its true that jail is not for jewish people, but they foun you gilty, the rally should be done for the people that lost everything and have only a big bill and no were to go, the expensive cas and travels every week to florida, who doesnt want the king life?
Why, in this web posting, aren’t all the facts presented? Did Ezagui intentionally cheat or not? We have a right to know the whole story. No one says jail is a good answer to anything. Question: If a Jewish murderer (We almost had one here in Crown Heights, remember? The stabbing?) is released because of community influence (Just a supposition) and he/she murders again…they won’t listen or change…and they murder (Or steal) again…is the fault ours? #1 Rubashkin was not entirely guilty either. Alll that he did wrong was to inflate invoices-a victimless crime. The banks were aware of it… Read more »
I don’t know details about Mr. Ezagui so I cannot comment one way or another about the past.
I am very concerned that at this particular moment in time, this mass rally will cv”s impact Sholom Mordechai’s situation, negatively. The “system” will say that Orthodox, Chassidic Jews fight to release “their own”, regardless of the crime. This is not against Ezagui at all, , but I think my words have some vailidity. That doesn’t preclude raising money for the Ezagui family. May Hashem send a yeshuah quickly to all who need it.
to me it sounds like the “investors” where in it with him. When the going was good they where happy, the minute it went sour they turned on him, when all he did was with their full cooperation and knowledge. So to the greater community, consider that, and therefore, it’s a shame they lost their house ( if they did) and it’s a shame he should get punished worse than them when they where all in it together.
After reading the previuous comments, I am embarressed. NOONE should be accusing a fellow jew of a wrongdoing if they are not completely aware of every fact. Every human being makes mistakes and when Rosh Chodesh Elul is approaching it is essential to show Hakodosh Boruch Hu that you are availabe to help a fellow Yid in need!!!
What has happened to him till now is enough of a deterrent. He did not get away form what he did. No one wants to be in his position. Long prison sentence won’t add anything.
To all the above…
Kol Hamevorech Misborech…
Hamispalel be-ad chaveyro ne-ena techilo…
Yitamu Chatoim Velo Choytim…
Remember what you wish for….
Thank you so much to all the people that are helping out with the rally, i personally wish i could be there im just not in the states!!!! regardless of what pple think the fact is that this is another jew!! why on earth would you not help?????? he is another yid who needs the help and who has a family that needs him and he doesnt deserve to GD FORBID end up in jail!!!! ch – get together in support this is your chance to have ahavat yisroel!!!!
You sound like one of those who lost big money, and I am really sorry for your loss.
One main question to you: Did you, or anyone in the party that took Ezagui to court try with a Din Tora FIRST, as the Rebbe did with the seforim ganav in 1985. In that case the Rebbe took him to court ONLY AFTER he refused to come to a Din Tora, and that is the Halacha.
DID YOU/THEY TRY WITH A DIN TORA FIRST????
If not you have a big responsibility over your shoulders.
Someone please answer my question
What about having a rally to assist those who lost their houses ??!!!
I agree with #1.
I just don’t get it at all – and it says volumes who the backers or speakers are.
I’m trying so hard to stay above and help so many others that honestly are in such a bad place – all were straight up honest families that need so much yeshua…this event smacks of so much whats wrong with a handful in our midst
Whatever!
What they fail to mention is the deterrent factor. What will ensure that others won’t do the same to our community?
It may teach others not to do the same…. that is the point of punishments. On a personal level though, I hope he doesn’t
im sorry but there is a major difference in what the two did, dont idealize what ezagui did… People gave him alot of money in order to own something… not to get a deed…. it beyond reproach….
When will these people learn that you cannot break the law and then expect the community to support you. Shlomo Mordechai Rubashkin was a different story and the general concensus was that he was too severely punished although it appears that he was not entirely innocent. We cannot as a community ask that every jewish criminal not be imprisoned because he is jewish. If you break the law, you must bear the consequenses. We are getting to the stage of crying ,”wolf”‘ too often and we all know what happens.