Pesach Program Discussion Master Thread

[Dan]

The shayla boils down to:

1. Is anyone actually going to sign up for a program run by HG or has he irreparably damaged himself to the point that nobody will  sign up for a program that he runs in the future? Included in this is can he change the name again to hide who is running it, as he did this time.

2. Is highlighting out things that he has shared publicly going to potentially help a criminal case against him?

[Definitions]

A chronic אנזעצער is usually a crook and often a scammer too.

My Yiddish isn't great. What's an אנזעצער?

[JMHO]

The shayla boils down to:

1. Is anyone actually going to sign up for a program run by HG or has he irreparably damaged himself to the point that nobody will  sign up for a program that he runs in the future? Included in this is can he change the name again to hide who is running it, as he did this time.

2. Is highlighting out things that he has shared publicly going to potentially help a criminal case against him?

1) 100% people will still sign up. People who don't know, people who are looking for a less expensive program, etc, PLUS anyone can come back, especially someone who has a history of doing this.

2) Yes, since not everyone is on FB, sees ZB show plus I'm sure that your write up will be a lot clearer (and factual!) than all the current swirls that are circulating.

[aygart]

2) Yes, since not everyone is on FB, sees ZB show plus I'm sure that your write up will be a lot clearer (and factual!) than all the current swirls that are circulating.

It will probably also show up more easily on Google.

[zale]

New Jersey doesn’t have a homestead law?

I’m not a lawyer, but maybe one can chime in.

AFAIK, homestead protection does not work if you signed your home as collateral for a loan.

There is an exemption called tenancy by the entirety which HG attempted to use. Unfortunately for him, he signed his home as collateral while the home was only in his name. He then transferred 50% to his spouse after there was a judgement against him. The judge declared the transfer as “fraud” and allowed the creditor to move forward with collection on the home asset.

[dealmaster]

We need to start caring about other's instead of focusing on ourselves. What i mean to say is that we are so busy about not being Over on Loshon Hara that we are willing to let people lose their pants, women and kids get mo-lested, Rebbeim destroy our kids, speakers who aren't fitting teachers to poison our friends, and so much more...
What about others? So you may slip and get a little Gehenim. It's not worth it to save your friends, neighbors, relatives, and fellow congregants?
Enough Is Enough!

Wow, I don’t think I have ever heard such misguided piety in my life. If you truly cared about Klal Yisroel you wouldn’t be so callous about Loshon Hara. See Hakdomah Chofetz Chaim where he blames LH as the MAIN BASIS for all our problems. So an attitude of let’s lower the LH gates so we can protect more people is absurd. Of course there are many situations where it is in fact a Mitzvah to talk bad about someone in order to protect others, so my 2 cents- either learn the laws of LH well or talk to a competent Rabbi before saying negative about a fellow Jew, even if it is in the name of “helping” Klal Yisroel. Ps it boggles my mind that people think G-D didn’t figure out how to make the laws of LH in a way that covers our modern world. Learn the Halochos, know G-D’s will and follow it. It is as applicable today as it always was and will always be. That is how you can help Klal Yisroel

[ExGingi]

The judge declared the transfer as “fraud” and allowed the creditor to move forward with collection on the home asset.

Probably declared it "fraudulent conveyance" which is slightly different than fraud. (The former being a civil issue, the latter being criminal IINM).

[biobook]

2. Is highlighting out things that he has shared publicly going to potentially help a criminal case against him?

IANAL, but was once a juror on a case that was decided based on something the accused admitted in his testimony.  The prosecuting attorney hadn't noticed it, but some jurors did, and it was the fact that allowed us to reach a unanimous decision. 

So, yes, I can easily imagine that you might have picked up on something that would otherwise go unnoticed by those prosecuting a criminal case.

Is your goal to help the hundreds of frum yidden who lost thousands of dollars, so you want to provide information that would help their criminal case?

Or is your goal to hinder the criminal case, to help one frum yid avoid jail?

If the first, your information should go directly to those affected.  If the second, keep mum.

[Moshe Green]

Wow, I don’t think I have ever heard such misguided piety in my life. If you truly cared about Klal Yisroel you wouldn’t be so callous about Loshon Hara. See Hakdomah Chofetz Chaim where he blames LH as the MAIN BASIS for all our problems. So an attitude of let’s lower the LH gates so we can protect more people is absurd. Of course there are many situations where it is in fact a Mitzvah to talk bad about someone in order to protect others, so my 2 cents- either learn the laws of LH well or talk to a competent Rabbi before saying negative about a fellow Jew, even if it is in the name of “helping” Klal Yisroel. Ps it boggles my mind that people think G-D didn’t figure out how to make the laws of LH in a way that covers our modern world. Learn the Halochos, know G-D’s will and follow it. It is as applicable today as it always was and will always be. That is how you can help Klal Yisroel

100% agree with you (besides the first 2 sentences )
Of course we can't lower the LH gates. The idea is that when something comes our way, whether its a technician, a teacher, an investor, or anything else, and we have some information on them that can help someone save himself, we can't just play the "It's maybe LH" card.
As you write, either learn the Halachos well or ask a competent Rav. But don't just do nothing because you're so scared of saying the wrong thing. All i'm adding is that, yes, you may say too much by accident, but you had Halachic guidance and you did your best That's what Hashem wants of you.

[Dan]

Is your goal to help the hundreds of frum yidden who lost thousands of dollars, so you want to provide information that would help their criminal case?

Or is your goal to hinder the criminal case, to help one frum yid avoid jail?

If the first, your information should go directly to those affected.  If the second, keep mum.

A criminal case will help them get money back?

More likely the money is gone and it's a warning for the future. But they can use the information to take to a bais din and try to get something.

[daybyday]

The shayla boils down to:

1. Is anyone actually going to sign up for a program run by HG or has he irreparably damaged himself to the point that nobody will  sign up for a program that he runs in the future? Included in this is can he change the name again to hide who is running it, as he did this time.

2. Is highlighting out things that he has shared publicly going to potentially help a criminal case against him?

Trying to be impartial because I am curious to see what you have.
It does seem clear that DDF readers will likely never get close to any dealings with this guy, but let's not forget there are many people who have no clue and never read the forums. Having the information published will likely help prevent others from being scammed by this peculiar individual.

[rbs-g1.5]

100% agree with you (besides the first 2 sentences )

so edit your previous post that sounds like apikorsus. "don't so much that hashem will punish you for going against his will, you have to take a risk to help yidden"

[rbs-g1.5]

A criminal case will help them get money back?

More likely the money is gone and it's a warning for the future. But they can use the information to take to a bais din and try to get something.

According to what somebody said on the second podcast, a criminal case that ends in a court ruling requiring payment will put those damaged on the top of the list of creditors waiting for money.Otherwise they can just get in the back of the very long line

[biobook]

A criminal case will help them get money back?

I have no idea. Said that based on:

There is little or no recourse for the people that got scammed other than to try to force a settlement out of him in criminal court.

[Dan]

According to what somebody said on the second podcast, a criminal case that ends in a court ruling requiring payment will put those damaged on the top of the list of creditors waiting for money.Otherwise they can just get in the back of the very long line

No idea if that's true or not.

[dealmaster]

100% agree with you (besides the first 2 sentences )
Of course we can't lower the LH gates. The idea is that when something comes our way, whether its a technician, a teacher, an investor, or anything else, and we have some information on them that can help someone save himself, we can't just play the "It's maybe LH" card.
As you write, either learn the Halachos well or ask a competent Rav. But don't just do nothing because you're so scared of saying the wrong thing. All i'm adding is that, yes, you may say too much by accident, but you had Halachic guidance and you did your best That's what Hashem wants of you.

if this was the intention of the original post i apologize. i was responding to the way i understood what was written.

[Moshe Green]

so edit your previous post that sounds like apikorsus. "don't so much that hashem will punish you for going against his will, you have to take a risk to help yidden"

I'm sorry but i don't recall writing that? Maybe you saw it on another website.

I simply wrote that people have to stop "playing it safe" and not entering into dangerous ground when our friends and family can lose out big time from it. No, we need to act. That could mean getting a "no" from our Posek, but not getting involved at all is not an option.

I understand (from dealmaster -thank you) that i was misunderstood and therefore clarified my point.

Feel free to disagree with me. I'm open to debating anything that i believe in.

[Afrages6]

No idea if that's true or not.

I think it depends on where the money is (if there is anything there).

[biobook]

1. Is anyone actually going to sign up for a program run by HG or has he irreparably damaged himself to the point that nobody will  sign up for a program that he runs in the future? Included in this is can he change the name again to hide who is running it, as he did this time.

Yes, I might.  Not right now, of course, and not knowingly.  But in a year or two or five, (whenever covid is over  ) if I were to see a program advertised where the location and the speakers and the activities and the price were appealing, I wouldn't go digging to find the names of the owners or partners involved.  Just like I don't dig around to find the accident record of the pilot of the plane I'm flying on.  Not that I don't care, and not that I think nothing can possibly go wrong, just that I have to compartmentalize which things I'm going to worry about.  And even if I were to see the name HG at that future time, I'd probably think, "I know I've heard that name somewhere... Isn't he the one who's done a lot of Pesach programs?  Good, he must be experienced..." Memory is short.

IOW, I would appreciate the PSA at the time that it's relevant.  Either specific advice when you next hear that he's offering a program, or, general advice before other Pesach/yomtov programs. I don't see the value in either the specific or the general PSA right now.

[aygart]

I'm sorry but i don't recall writing that? Maybe you saw it on another website.

I simply wrote that people have to stop "playing it safe" and not entering into dangerous ground when our friends and family can lose out big time from it. No, we need to act. That could mean getting a "no" from our Posek, but not getting involved at all is not an option.

I understand (from dealmaster -thank you) that i was misunderstood and therefore clarified my point.

Feel free to disagree with me. I'm open to debating anything that i believe in.

I understand this may not have been your intent and it may have just been poorly written, but I don't really see any other way to read this line. You may want to modify it if you still can.

What about others? So you may slip and get a little Gehenim. It's not worth it to save your friends, neighbors, relatives, and fellow congregants?
Enough Is Enough!