A rally to raise funds for a developer found guilty of bank fraud took place Wednesday in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood.
Supporters of Eliyahu Ezagui, who is facing a prison sentence as long as 15 years, called on the community to help raise $300,000 to cover the cost of his defense.
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 was the main speaker at the rally, said that prison is not the place for a Jew to be. “We have a moral duty to help him so that his children will be reunited with their father.”
Rabbi Yaakov Schwei of Badatz of Crown Heights, remarked that even if one has money dedicated to a charity, one may give it instead for the mitzvah of Pidyon Shevuyim.
Other speakers were Vaad Hakohol member Yossi Hackner, community activist Rabbi Shea Hecht, and local Mashpiim Rabbi Pinyeh Korf and Rabbi Shlomo Majesky.
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
Photos: Zelig Shaul
i saw rabbi osdoba in shul today
The reason i say this The US,is in economic trouble.All states are in Debt,which will effect tuition,Cuts in programs,health for children.The US is becoming a 3rd world country.15million are laid off here.All children learning to become Rabbis,are very fortunate that after becoming Rabbis,they will be sent anywhere in the World to do Mitsvahs.There no hope as to Goims,in the US,as so many are struggling to make ends meet. Its going to get worst then better,the next 10 years.Intilements,Medicare,Social Security isnt guaranteed.Do your best in Yeshiva,and become a Rabbi,you will do much better,then the Goim World.I already look forward,helping Chabad education,in… Read more »
Again,my article was about keeping children from reading confidential issues that really has no place on a Web,COL,where beautiful children read,6-12? We only want them to read Spituality,Articles that benefit that child. I would personal;ly find it not Right asking for Money from people we dont know,pay my Bills for something that was Wrong in the first place.WE WANT MOSIACH NOW. Jeffrey
Eli Ezagui was greatly responsible for rebuilding CH with the explicit brocha of the Rebbbe. Please help hom so that he can reunite with his family.
BS:D To # 27.Your heart may feel one thing, understanably, but that is why we have a Shulcan Aruch to live by which states that this is a priority over the examples that you gave and the Rav who spoke we listen to his words more than yours, alto we understand where you are coming from
To # 25.
I know for a fact. That Elyahu Ezagui was given EVERY oppurtunity to take care of this matter. QUIETLY. He chose to make a joke of the whole matter and not show up to pre-arranged meetings, where all parties were sitting around a table, He had no interest in settling this matter before a Bais Din or otherwise. He was warned and again.. I sincerely hope he gets nothing more then a slap on the wrist. G-D in heaven should take mercy on him and his family. And also on our community .
ISN’T PIDYON SHIVUIM ACTS OF KINDNESS???
Please,Chabad isnt in business,to come to the assistant of every Jew.Chabad,has TORAH,DEEDS,ACTS OF KINDNESS TO IMPLEMENT.It must help Children get a Judiack education,and children,8-13,shouldnt be reading why we are helping ones indighted by our Govt,for personal reasons.They need to be free ,of distractions,of people that have done wrongdoing.We need to set a example,and not get children to hear,on COL,the rescue of ones,that is a personal issue.COL,shouldnt broadcast ones who are indighted,by our Govt,this doesnt look good to children.Lets have children see the Light of the World,by acts of kindness,deeds,Mitsvahs,charity,Tsedka.The Rebbe,would have believed what im saying,dont use COL,as a Fundraising entity,to… Read more »
Could you give some more details so the rest of us can be melamed zchus
the wrong doing here was to take this matter to goishe courts. the eibeshter created a bais din for a reason. rabbonim should judge if he did something wrong or not, and this should have never reached the courts and we would’nt have to face the fact that a fellow jew can chas vesholem be put to jail. I strongly believe that those who claim to be his victims never expected such an outcome and are probably regreting what happened. him going to jail won’t get them their deeds or save their homes from forclosure.
all those still upset with fisher now back someone who ripped off more people, well done ch
Pidyon shvuyim is very important. But what about a rally for those who have no where to live who he messed over?
PLEASE don’t Mix Sholom Rubnashkin with Ezagui this is giving us a bad name, to our enemies.
You don’t care where Rav Osdoba was, nor do you care where Zaki Tamir was, and I venture to guess that you don’t give a da.. about Ezagui either. You are just haters trying to stir up some anger and animosity in a time when Ezagui needs G-d’s help. Please don’t get the Satan started just because you are full of hate. But just in case you REALLY want to know, Rav Osdoba is not in town these days and he won’t be back till next week. And Zaki can handle himself, I don’t need to defend him, he’s doing… Read more »
Both Rubashkin and Ezagui broke the law and yet both should receive our support as fellow Jews.
There is a Yid who is in jail, and as it is now he will be there for the rest of his life.
Before he lost all his money, he was a big philanthropist, he gave millions to illness research and millions to hospitals.
His name is Bernard (a.k.a. Bernie).
Good questions!
BS:D To 15 :Your really a troublemaker disguishing yourself as a concerned individual, were yout there.? The 3 of them work as a team, they divide responsibilities, there is no need for all 3 to attend every event. Furthermore, Zaki , it seems to me has been working pretty hard for the benefit of the community so he is entitled to take off one event especially when his 2 collegues show up,or he might have been at another event the same evening or maybe he was tired or under the weather or wanted to spend some time with his wife… Read more »
it is not a public apology, if you are not telling your name!
thank you Yossi Hackner and Fishel brownstein for joining this emrgency meeting. were was Zaki Tamir?
hurray for yossi hackner and fishel bronstein for coming to this important event!
were was Rabbi Osdoba Shlita?
We never heard the Rebbe beate a Jew even if he wasnt”close”to being a ” Tzadik ” al pi toras moshe and chaddius ” especially someone who helped many uknownest to others, and took great personal and financial risk with all he had to build our Shcuna. I hope “we” all have a Yeshua……
To all those who are criticizing or comparing eliyahu in any way:
The sotton is the accuser. Please do not be a partner with the sotton, but with Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev who looked at every Yid favorably.
Are we all free of wrongding that we are to judge who deserves to be punished harshly and who we have to rescue for “various reasons”
I understand The Rebbe said in a Sicha that the Torah does not condone Prison as a means of punishment .Should we
stand by with apathy or help with Pidyon Shvuyim. Jail is not a place where any YID should be in !!!!!
Eliyahu we r with u’
i’m so upset that i misjudged you and thought that you did the horrible things that others have said abt you,
i found out the truth and am feeling guilty- i know how much you helped others without people knowing and i apologize to you publicly for misjudging you.
may Hashem bless you for the chessed you have done for others! Hashem will send you your yeshua!!! how sad i feel that i spoke unfairly of you, forgive me.
And now lets have a second rally to raise money for the victims of his dealings, who paid for apartments but never got their deeds and face eviction from the banks that are foreclosing on the apartments.
BS:D to no 2 if you knew the facts you would know that the people who were hurt by his “fraud” as you put it were willing participants in skirting the laws enacted to protect them ( condominium laws as administered by the Attorney Generals Office of the State of NY ).When their willing participation went afoul they mosired. There is no greater offense than that.
Ezagui is probably a fine man which certainly deserves a yeshuah. I actually contributed to his fund. But I was disheartened by using Rubashkin to promote the cause for two reasons: 1) Rubashkin’s image gets tainted by the comparison. Rubashkin is a korbon tzibur, picked on by anti semites. He delivered a great service to the community faithfully, until the government’s evil stranglehold on him, led him to do several things he would otherwise have done differently. Whereas Ezagui should have done things differently without being in a stranglehold by the government (he deserves a yeshua nonetheless). 2) It can… Read more »
1) Do not misunderestimate Yossi Hackner – he is savvy, capable and will leave a positive impact on our communi ty.
2) The Mitzvah of Pidyon Shivuim is no more relevant to SMR than EE. Give all you can to both. Dont be hater.
To try and compare Elyahu Ezagui to Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin in anyway. Is absurd. SMR while he was in business lived his life “al pi toras moshe and chassidus” He gave everything he had to help others. he continues to be a Tzadik in the truest sense of the word. I don’t want to mitigate Elyahu Ezagui’s plight, but he is no Sholom Mordechai, not even close. I hope he has a Yeshua..
We are in the middle of the Rubashkin Ordeal, now the Ezagui Ordeal. We have two serious issues confronting the Jewish community-at-large. Not one, but Two. And they are both equally important. One is as serious as the Other. Therefore, we can daven double hard, double kavanah, double chesed, double deeds, so that the Justice System doesn’t “DOUBLE CROSS” us again!!!
I’ll admit I don’t know the details of the case and cant judge but are we now going to rescue everyone that’s convicted of a crime?!! Have we no regard for law and order?
I’m all for fighting against the harsh Judgment on SMR for various reasons but this doesn’t seem right to me. Many individuals in our community were hurt by his fraud.
It is so funny to see you up there…. good for you, you made something of yourself! a Source of nachas to your family and to all of us who believed in you long before you did in yourself!