Lerner: Rubashkin Wants Out

By Katie Wiedemann (KCRG-TV) and COLlive

Dubuque – About a dozen rabbis from New York and across the country are asking for the release of former Agriprocessors CEO Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin.

Rubashkin is being held without bail in the Dubuque County Jail, on charges stemming from an immigration raid at the meat packing plant back in May.

Now the rabbis are protesting the U.S. Attorney’s claim that Rubashkin is a flight risk.

After visiting Rubashkin in his jail cell, these Jewish leaders spoke out against the ruling that is keeping Rubashkin behind bars.

Rabbi David Zwiebel of Agudath Israel of America said they were protesting “The use of the law of return as a factor in denying him bail and keeping him locked up for 9 months until his trial is set to begin.”

In prior hearings prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney General’s office said Israel’s “law of return” which gives Jews the right to become Israeli citizens, is a large factor in calling Rubashkin a flight risk.

Rubashkin’s Attorney Guy Cook said, “They have asserted this so-called law of return which was designed to protect Jews from being persecuted and ironically used it against this man to detain him while he is pending trial.”

HE AIN’T RUNNING

The group included: Rabbis David Zwiebel of Agudath Israel of America, Pesach Lerner of National Council of Young Israel, Yaakov Wasser of Rabbinical Council of America, Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union (OU) and Rabbi Shimon Hecht of NCFJE.

They were joined by Rabbi Yossi Jacobson and Rabbi Levi Goldstein of Lubavitch of Iowa in Des Moines, IA, and Rabbi Avremel Blesofsky of Chabad of Iowa City, IA.

The entire Orthodox Jewish community is behind Rubashkin, and he knows how much that means, they said.

Rabbi Wasser, Vice President of Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), said, “We really feel he does not represent a flight risk. Knowing him personally and knowing the effort other people are making, we really don’t feel he’s going to run. Also he has a family that needs him and misses him at home. ”

The rabbis would not discuss whether or not they believe Rubashkin is guilty of a crime. They say that is up to the court to decide. They say they are simply asking Rubashkin be treated like any other United States citizen.

Federal agents say when they searched Rubashkin’s bedroom they found 20 tthousand dollars in cash and silver coins packed along with passports.

But his lawyer, Guy Cook, tells TV-9 those findings were taken out of context.

VISIT DETAILS

In an interview with COLlive, Rabbi Pesach Lerner told of his visit: “We came down to Iowa b’achdus – with unity – members of Jewish organizations, to show that Rubashkin is not a ‘local Joe’ but someone who has got a connection on a larger scale, he’s part of a community.”

“He was wearing an orange prison jumpsuit. We made a minyan in the prison – he was the chazan. He used somebody’s hat and gartel. We shmoozed for an hour and a half.

“He was in good spirits – but relating that this is not where he wants to be. They are treating him well, allowing him to daven, eat Kosher and learn. He can talk to wife once every three weeks, but through a video conference – not face to face.

“Our visit was to give him and his family chizuk and to protest the challenge of the law of return. The court case is called for September 2009, so theoretically speaking he’s in there until then.

“In the current circumstance, he is unable to plan his defense properly (from prison). He told us that he believes the truth will come out that the government stretched so many things.”