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ProjectTruth
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On June 22, 2004 the following letter appealing to the Jewish community's
conscience, was mailed by 1st class (60 cent) U.S. mail together with a
stamped, self-addressed, CPA verified return envelope,
to the 2423 households of the Chicago Orthodox Jewish Community listed in
the Acheinu Directory:
____________________________________________
Dear friend,
Although you don't know me, please weigh this matter carefully.
I was advised to seek the approbation of a leading Rabbi to enhance
this letter's success. However, I felt it more proper to rely on
the strength of my fellow Jews. My affinity for Am Yisrael brings me
to entrust my fate to you. If you help me confront this evil, it might not happen to
anyone else.
You have received this letter along with 2422 other households of the
Chicago Orthodox Jewish Community. With great trepidation and only
after all respectable private options have been exhausted, I herein appeal
to the community’s conscience. Please accept this in the communal
spirit in which it is being sent. Thank you.
(So that the successful resolution of this matter might serve as a deterrent
to other abusers, a copy is also being sent to 614 synagogue rabbis and
Jewish Newspaper editors in the U.S. and Canada.)
A CHICAGO RABBI USED HIS POWER TO HURT ME -
JUST TO PROTECT A wealthy PEDOPHILE!
ADDRESSING THIS MATTER,
OUR JEWISH AND STATE COURTS BOTH AGREED THAT...
ABUSE OF RABBINIC AUTHORITY
CAN BE CONFRONTED ONLY THROUGH
THIS COURT OF
 PUBLIC
OPINION
YOU HAVE THE
POWER TO
MAKE IT HAPPEN!
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PLEASE, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU simply...
...TAKE A STAND!
RABBI SHMUEL FUERST FRAUDULENTLY EXCOMMUNICATED ME
IN ORDER TO PROTECT A PEDOPHILE, but...
...no Rabbinical Court could confront Rabbi Fuerst.
Then, the Illinois Court of Appeals decided that the
“separation of church and state”
also prevents the state court from confronting Rabbi Fuerst.
Both courts encouraged me to find a forum.
Accordingly, I appeal to the Court of Jewish Public Opinion:
"DO YOU THINK RABBI FUERST SHOULD BE ABOVE THE LAW?"
WHAT YOU THINK, WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
This happened when I sued (with the Chicago Rabbinical Council Beit Din's permission) a Chicago couple
in Circuit Court because they comprehensively sexually abused my child,
and they refused to appear before the Beit Din.
Fearing trial, the couple asked Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst, head of Agudath Israel of Illinois, for help.
They are his contributors.
To pressure me into dropping the lawsuit, Rabbi Fuerst drafted a Ktav Siruv
excommunication Order (see below) issued by a fictitious convening of his Beit Din. The Order
fabricated charges that I had refused to appear before Rabbi Fuerst’s Beit Din, and
the Order instructed all Jews to “banish me from their homes.” To give the paper the appearance of an
official Beit Din document, Rabbi Fuerst approached two local rabbis separately to attach their
signatures. In deference to Rabbi Fuerst’s authority, they did so without the slightest inquiry.
Then Rabbi Fuerst sent the fraudulent Order to certain influential people in Chicago and Jerusalem
(where I had move to from Chicago). Due to Rabbi Fuerst’s international stature, the excommunication
Order  was imposed to a very painful degree.
KTAV SIRUV ORDER
To our great sorrow we are enjoined to fulfill our duty under Torah law
and publicly proclaim our anguish, that there now is a man by the name of
Aaron Thomas, on whom we have served three summonses, and to whom we have
also telecommunicated, to appear before the Rabbinic Court regarding the
complaint against Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Shabat (they should be blessed with
longevity); and he has defiantly refused to appear before the Rabbinic
Court; and not only this but he has additionally sinned in laying claim
to them in the gentile civil court, Heaven forfend, and even after being
warned, he remains defiant and maintains his suit in civil court.
Therefore, it is our duty to uphold our holy law and proclaim in the most
public fashion that AARON THOMAS IS A DEFIANT SCOFFLAW; both for his
defiant refusal to appear before the Rabbinic Court, and for his resorting to the gentile civil
court proscription for which is found in Choshen Mishpat, Sections 11 and 26, and in Yoreh
Deah, Section 334.
And the severity for which is explicit in Choshen Mishpat, Section 26,
that whoever resorts to the gentile civil courts is a blasphemous infidel who strikes out
against Mosaic Law, and he deserves to be shunned and excommunicated.
And therefore we proclaim it befitting that all good Jews banish this man from their homes,
and likewise do not let him participate as part of the worship quorum, or any religious activity
until he fully repents.
And we have also informed Mr. Aaron Thomas that he must reimburse the Shabat family
(they should be blessed with longevity) for all monies they have paid to their attorneys as
a result of his civil court claim against them, as elucidated in the codes.
Written and Signed for the sake of upholding the Torah; Tuesday, 2nd of Cheshvan, 5762;
Chicago.
Shmuel Fuerst,
Justice of Aggudath Israel of Chicago
Yosef Wainkrantz,
Secretary of Chicago Rabbinical Center
Chaim Goldzweig,
Congregation Tiferes Moshe
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The effects of the ban hurt economically, socially, and emotionally - but bowing to Rabbi Fuerst's pressure and dropping
the lawsuit was not an option. Prosecuting the perpetrators for their nefarious deeds was mandatory.
The pain of the ban was made bearable by the knowledge that Rabbi Fuerst
would soon have to answer for his perversion of Rabbinic Authority.
My Attempt to Convene a Din Torah to Examine the Excommunication
I applied in writing to the Chicago Rabbinical Council Beit Din
to convene a Din Torah to hear my complaint against the fraudulent K'tav Siruv
excommunication issued by Rabbi Fuerst. The Chicago Rabbinical Council Beit Din
answered through its menahel, Rabbi Abramson, that notwithstanding the seriousness
of the allegations, one Beit Din simply does not have the authority to summons another Beit Din.
I received a similar answer from the prestigious Beth Din of America, and its director,
Rabbi Yona Reiss. Rabbi Reiss explained that golut unfortunately leaves us
without a hierarchy of Rabbinical Courts wherein to appeal the action of a lower Beit
Din. He sympathetically advised me that I would have to pursue Rabbi Fuerst
through other means.
It was time to send out this public appeal for help, but I
perceived an obligation to honorably exhaust my private legal options
before turning to the community. Since the Beit Din could not provide
justice, it was incumbent on me to apply to the court of the
sovereign State of Illinois. After all, Rabbi Fuerst did injure me just
to protect wealthy criminal sexual abusers!
The Illinois State Court's Attempt to Confront Rabbi Fuerst
I filed a libel suit in the Cook County Circuit Court
(Case No. 01-L-013593) against Rabbi Fuerst for his excommunication Order.
The lawsuit focused on the libelous fabrication that “Aaron Thomas
defiantly refused to come before the Rabbinical Court.” Judge Randye
Kogan was aghast at the
excommunication, and began to deal with the matter forcefully.
She also insisted that the other two Rabbis signed on the excommunication be
sued as co-defendents. (Judge Kogan also said that, as a Jew, she
felt embarrassed that such a situation would not be handled by "our
Jewish community" itself.)
Ultimately though, Judge Lynn Egan ruled that, notwithstanding the seriousness
of the allegations, the doctrine of “separation of church and state” precluded
the state Circuit Court from exercising jurisdiction over
Rabbi Fuerst’s religious excommunication.
I appealed to the Illinois Court of Appeals (Case No. 03-795) and argued that the libelous
falsehood - “Thomas defiantly refused to appear before the Rabbinical Court” - was a
secular statement, the examination of which required no court inquiry into religious issues.
However, the Court of Appeals has recently affirmed Judge Egan's ruling -
that the State Court simply does not have the power to confront Rabbi Fuerst.
This also affirms
... the rectitude of Judge Kogan's Jewish feelings that only "our Jewish
community" itself has the real power to confront Rabbi Fuerst! This letter's
time has arrived. I can now honorably turn to my brothers and sisters in
the Court of Jewish Public Opinion:
"DO YOU THINK RABBI FUERST SHOULD BE ABOVE THE LAW?"
Insist on accountability -
Insist that Rabbi Fuerst answer this complaint
in a forum that will be empowered especially for the occasion -
YOU have the POWER to make it happen!
Simply mark which of the following statments you identify with; detach
it and mail it to me in the enclosed envelope. Each one of these 2423 envelopes is
important. I will post the results at www.ProjectTruth.info Rabbi Fuerst will
submit to the will of the community.
JEWISH PUBLIC OPINION
 I agree. There must be accountability. Although Rabbi Fuerst is innocent
until proven guilty, the allegations are too serious to ignore. An independent
commission should be empowered to examine the evidence. If the allegations are
proven, Rabbi Fuerst must compensate Thomas for his injuries.
I disagree. Having Rabbi Fuerst submit to an open and independent investigation
of his actions would undermine the community's faith in its Torah leadership.
Additional comments:
E-mail address:
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Take a Stand. Express your opinion. Every voice counts.
Convey your feelings to your shul Rabbi or Rosh Yeshiva. Contact the relevant
addresses listed below. Please communicate your position to me at
AaronThomas@ProjectTruth.info
RABBI FUERST WILL SUBMIT TO THE WILL OF THE COMMUNITY
See www.ProjectTruth.info for additional pertinent information regarding the
Rabbi Fuerst situation.
It's important that everyone benefit from each other’s wisdom and experience.
Please share your perspective with others (even anonymously). Indicate
your willingness to do so in your communication to
AaronThomas@ProjectTruth.info
and it will be posted on www.ProjectTruth.info
The collective pursuit of truth will be successful.
Thank you for taking a stand. I would do it for you.
Aaron Thomas
P.S. ProjectTruth was founded in
December 2000 to assist those hurt by abuse of authority, or by
sexual abuse, or by any combination thereof. ProjectTruth will coordinate
the handling of the Rabbi Fuerst situation.
Relevant Addresses:
Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst
6100 North Drake Ave.
Chicago, IL 60659
773-539-4241 phone
773-539-1208 fax
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ProjectTruth
www.ProjectTruth.info
c/o Aaron Thomas
5396 Laurie Lane
Memphis, TN 38120
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Aaron Thomas
5396 Laurie Lane
Memphis, TN 38120
901-681-9008 phone/fax
aaronthomas@projecttruth.info
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Chicago Rabbinical Council
2701 W. Howard St.
Chicago, IL 60645
773-465-3900 phone
773-465-6929 fax
crcweb.org
Rabbi M. Abramson, menahel
abramson@crcweb.org
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Beth Din of America
305 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10001
212-807-9042 phone
212-807-9183 fax
bethdin.org
Rabbi Johnathan Reiss, director
menahel@bethdin.org
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Honorable Judge
Randye A. Kogan
Daley Center
50 W. Washington, Room 2005
Chicago, IL 60602
312-603-6056 phone
312-6-3-6993 fax
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Agudath Israel of Illinois
6352 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60659
773-866-1655 phone
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Agudath Israel of America
42 Broadway,
Suite 1400
New York, NY 10006
212-797-9000 phone
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Daniel Shabat
6040 N. Bernard St.
Chicago, IL 60659
773-478-8325 phone
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YOU
CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN
EXCOMMUNICATION ORDER
Rabbi Fuerst circulated this fraudulent excommunicaiton
Order against me,
to pressure me into dropping the lawsuit against
the sexual abusers, his contributors.
HELP ME TAKE ACTION - PLEASE MAIL IN YOUR OPINION
RABBI FUERST WILL SUBMIT TO THE WILL OF THE COMMUNITY
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