Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin is Placed in Solitary Confinement After Inmate Threatens To Kill Him
A Matzav.com Exclusive Report By Dovid Bernstein:
Word has leaked out from the Linn County Correctional Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that R’ Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin, who has been denied bail pending his sentencing, has been placed in solitary confinement. This absolutely shocking revelation compounds the already continuous travesty of justice in the Rubashkin case, as has been recorded and analyzed here on Matzav.com over the past few months.
This transpired after a new cellmate was introduced to Shalom Mordechai’s cell. This fellow, who had expressed dislike for Jews, threw Sholom Mordechai - while he was wearing his tallis and davening - across the room. Sholom Mordechai had expressed a fear for his life.
It should be noted that Sholom Mordechai has been a model prisoner from the day he was taken, in handcuffs, from the courthouse following his trial.
“People don’t realize what goes on in a jail,” an askan told Matzav.com this evening. “It is not a ‘country club’ jail out there in Cedar Rapids.”
When he was first placed in solitary confinement, Sholom Mordechai was not allowed any communication with family and friends. He now sits in a cell with nothing but a cement block on which to sleep and a skimpy towel to use as a “pillow” - all because of the ghastly actions of an anti-Semite.
Sholom Mordechai, based on what has leaked from the prison, is permitted to leave his cell for 45 minutes a day.
Solitary confinement can last from five to ten days.
The Jewish community has already expressed profound concern over the position taken by federal prosecutors in Iowa with respect to the pre-sentencing detention of Sholom Mordechai. Last year, Sholom Mordechai was imprisoned for 76 days prior to his trial, also on the ostensible theory that he was a flight risk. Eventually, the District Judge agreed that pre-trial detention was inappropriate.
Although Sholom Mordechai complied with every detail of the terms under which he was ultimately released before trial, the District Judge, at the urging of the prosecution, imprisoned him again after the jury’s verdict - as a result of which Sholom Mordechai has been held in prison since November 12, 2009, pending his sentencing. His appeal from that decision is now pending, after an unexplained denial by three Circuit Judges, before the full Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Noteworthy is the fact that the prison administration has shown a great deal of sensitivity to Mr. Rubashkins many religious needs. Thank G-d, the prison administrator is known to be a very reasonable and fair person. Community leaders are confident that under his guidance, this issue will be resolved shortly G-d willing.
Please continue to daven for Reb Shalom Mordechai ben Rivkah.
You can easily donate by clicking on the following link:
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Pidyon Shvuyim Fund
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Monsey NY 10952
{Dovid Bernstein-Matzav.com Newscenter}
42 Responses to “Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin is Placed in Solitary Confinement After Inmate Threatens To Kill Him”
2. Comment from Dag
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:07 PM
Source please?
3. Comment from Moshe
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:17 PM
Number 2, use your brains. there is obviously a reason why no names can be named. use a little seichel. it is so obvious.
4. Comment from Dag
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:20 PM
#3 Humor me…Why can no names or evidence be presented?
5. Comment from Moshe
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:29 PM
Humor you? Let me explain for the dimwitted. A jail is a sensitive place. The wardens are very possessive and very into their power. When things get leaked and what goes on in the jail gets exposed, it puts them into a bad light. They don’t like that.
I think this should be obvious to anyone who knows anything.
6. Comment from Moshe
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:30 PM
I meant to add that often (as in one other case that I was involved in), information that is leaked can end up hurting those who trying to be helped if the prison figues out who it came from, how it got out, etc. etc.
7. Comment from Dag
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:34 PM
IF you are right, don’t you think the Warden would do anything to find the leak?
8. Comment from oooooooyyyyyyyyyy
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:35 PM
why cant they show all these proofs to some big judge it is pure anti-Semitic attack
hellooooo this is crazy lets cont to daven
9. Comment from Bubby
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:50 PM
Am Yisroel: Maybe it is time that we organize daily civilized demonstations in front of the prison. If a busload of people can be brought there every day or twice a day, with signs, speeches, poliltical figures, we would create a situation that this prison and Judge Reade has to answer to. Let’s not forget that Russian Jewery was helped very much by constant demonstrations in front of the UN.
Of course, everything must be done with Rabbinical supervision and da’as torah.
Can anyone elighten us as to what took place at last weeks meeting in Washington?
Or, perhaps, demonstrations should be held daily in Washington, or maybe in New York, where frumme yidden have alot of clout. Let these demonstrations be held in front of the justice department. If we get enough media attention, maybe we can get this whole thing turned over.
May Hashem help us all.
10. Comment from Anonymous
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:51 PM
WHy are you guys focusing on the leak. THIS IS A SHANDEH! It is unbelievable. Anti-semitism. Anti-humanism.
SOMEONE OUT THERE HELP THIS YID!
11. Comment from Anonymous
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:54 PM
We should continue to mobilize as a community to support him. We have a responisiblity to help a fellow Yid.
12. Comment from Dag
Time February 10, 2010 at 11:03 PM
#10…I am trying to verify the report before I take any actions
13. Comment from reuvein
Time February 10, 2010 at 11:08 PM
“Maybe it is time that we organize daily civilized demonstations….”
To demonstrate what??? That you think the American justice system is anti-semetic?
14. Comment from Until
Time February 10, 2010 at 11:12 PM
I’m. Not sure I believe this. Id like to see this printed somewhere else…
15. Comment from Sonny
Time February 10, 2010 at 11:20 PM
Where are all the “askanim”?
16. Comment from Anonymous
Time February 10, 2010 at 11:21 PM
May Hashem have rachmonus.
17. Comment from anonymous
Time February 11, 2010 at 12:04 AM
May Hashem have rachmanus on this tzaddik. We must daven, daven, and daven some more. Like it says, where something is lacking, either it wasn’t davened for, or wasn’t davenend for enough. Its up to us.
18. Comment from Ayei?
Time February 11, 2010 at 12:10 AM
Thank you for keeping us posted so we can keep him in our tefillos
Question: where are his lawyers?
where is guy cook
where is nat lewin
cant anyone do anything here?
where is the agudah????
how about YI, and the OU and the others who went to washington last week? where are they?
19. Comment from Anyone Surprised?
Time February 11, 2010 at 12:10 AM
This is the daily life of a prison. The warden is the dictator, and the officers do whatever they want.
They are nice to those they feel like being nice to, and if they feel like they want to be mean, they will take any prisoner and beat them mercilessly, or treat them in some other inhumane way.
Prison gang-leaders are second in command. Other than the officers, they control everything. If they want to kill another prisoner, they will do it, and nobody will ever know what happened. This is not for all eyes to see, but they do very immoral things to other prisoners by force.
A prison is a terrible, terrifying place to be. It is a nightmare.
Every minute that Sholom Mordechai is in prison, his life is at risk.
Demonstrations can be very, very effective, as they intimidate the warden and the officers.
Tzedaka and Tehilim can also be very effective…
20. Comment from Inside
Time February 11, 2010 at 12:15 AM
As someone involved in helping Sholom Mordechai, I can state unequivocally that every word of this report is true - and more.
This is a travesty of the highest proportions.
We need a mobilized, unified effort to put political pressure on those in power to stop this.
21. Comment from hopeless?
Time February 11, 2010 at 12:28 AM
What could you do when you have such a Jew Hating Judge?
There are many people who enjoy watching a Jew suffer!
22. Comment from BshteiEinayim
Time February 11, 2010 at 12:56 AM
So many people want to help. How can we help?
23. Comment from Rebbe
Time February 11, 2010 at 1:25 AM
Hashem Yerachem.
24. Comment from RRFE
Time February 11, 2010 at 1:34 AM
AGUDAH WHERE ARE YOU?????????????????????????????
25. Comment from Truth
Time February 11, 2010 at 1:38 AM
This is very sad to hear. So much suffering to a good person, who is viewed as our representative. We must help him.
How did a white collared matter end up in the same cell as a thug?
26. Comment from ikvesa dimishicha
Time February 11, 2010 at 1:43 AM
I think the first thing we can do is donate money so that his wife and kids have what to live on and so that he can pay his legal bills. The appeal alone is probably a few hundred thousand dollars.
Then we should find out from those in charge of the campaign who we can call in positions of power to deal with this.
The we should get the AGudah, OU, YOung ISrael and everyone together to work on this, raising money and making sure he’s not being abused in prison like this
We all know that this could have been us! It could be me or you!! hashem yerachem.
Anyoen else who knows: Please advise what we can do to help!!
27. Comment from Chabad
Time February 11, 2010 at 1:46 AM
WHERE IS CHABAD WITH ALL THEIR 4000 SHLUCHIM WHO HAVE POLITICAL CONNECTIONS???????? THEY CAN KOSHER THE WHITE HOUSE KITCHEN BUT THEY CANT HELP ONE OF THEIR OWN????
28. Comment from Wannabee Reb
Time February 11, 2010 at 1:55 AM
I have read the following phrase over and over again and I am trying to figure out its meaning; could someone help me.
“The thug physically threw Sholom Mordechai … across the room …”.
The pitcher physically threw the ball.
The quarterback physically threw the ball.
Pierre physically threw Honore out the window.
Little Johnny physically threw up.
Is this part of the “exculsivity” of this report?
Does “physically” mean that you claim all this really happened?
29. Comment from Anonymous
Time February 11, 2010 at 2:06 AM
All Yidden are responsible for one another why do some say He is one of there own refering to Chabad. We are all Yidden and we should strengthen Achdus during these difficult times.
30. Comment from kh
Time February 11, 2010 at 3:19 AM
one of the things WE can do, is to make kiddush hashem, show the world that we are the best we can be….in his zechus
31. Comment from I want to help
Time February 11, 2010 at 3:27 AM
I want to help. If a demonstration is organized I am more than willing to go. But more needs to be done and NOW. His lawyers need to bring law suits against all those seeking to destroy c’v Sholom Mordechai and really all Yiddin as yes this could have been ME or YOU, a yid is a yid, no matter Chabad, litvish or otherwise - We all need to daven to Hashem OUR aibishter, and beg and insist that Sholom is released from prison NOW, alive and well. Please Hashem set him free. YOU can do anything.
32. Comment from PbP
Time February 11, 2010 at 4:21 AM
No. 9, Bubby’s idea seems to me like the best one, by miles, that I have heard so far regarding the matzav. However, askonim (lawyers etc.) should, and I suppose would have to, be consulted first.
33. Comment from Tefillah
Time February 11, 2010 at 4:42 AM
Daven Daven Daven
34. Comment from anonomyous
Time February 11, 2010 at 6:56 AM
Is there any place to send letters to??
35. Comment from ploni
Time February 11, 2010 at 8:54 AM
I was a prison chaplain. With respect, some of you should never see what goes on in prison. For a yid, it is worse than Gehinnom. There should be an outcry from as many rabbanim as possible to Obama or Mrs Clinton. Maybe something will be done.
36. Comment from to the skeptics
Time February 11, 2010 at 9:08 AM
Sholom presumably has at least limited access to a phone - he probably discussed this with people who then spread the word
37. Comment from observer
Time February 11, 2010 at 10:24 AM
#28, self-proclaimed “wannabe”:
I don’t know what it is that you have against this Yid, nor do I (and I hope everyone else,for that matter),care.It’s obvious that you pick on the nostrils trivial points to make your “comment”.
FYI,”threw” probably means just that–forcibly pushed–
But I’m sure you knew that already…
why then,the “comment”?!
38. Comment from observer
Time February 11, 2010 at 10:27 AM
correction: should read”most trivial points”
39. Comment from donald
Time February 11, 2010 at 11:10 AM
#10, this is exactly the problem, everyone says “SOMEONE please help this yid” but nobody does anything
40. Comment from friend
Time February 11, 2010 at 1:28 PM
To#28:
It seems that you are in need of some remedial help in reading as well as an attitude adjustment.other than that I’m really at a loss ti understand the point of your comment.
41. Comment from a broken yid
Time February 11, 2010 at 2:08 PM
They should demonstrate in front of the justice department in Washington D.C. there are many other frum yideen in prisons in the New York New Jersey area that are suffering terribly, THIS IS NOT JUSTICE…..the treatments in prisons especially to frum yiden is INHUMANE……..letters should be written to the attorney general Eric Holder…….
42. Comment from Albert Salmon
Time February 11, 2010 at 5:07 PM
Bubby #9: “Of course, everything must be done with Rabbinical supervision and da’as torah”.
There is absolutely no argument whatsoever that such a demonstration absolutely must be done with da’as Torah.
But how will we decide just which will be the right one?
1. Comment from simple_jew
Time February 10, 2010 at 10:02 PM
This is heartbreaking. I feel so bad for him> Hashem please help Shalom Mordechai ben Rivkah come out of this predicament right away!