Newly released court documents suggest that a Jewish Mixed Martial Arts fighter was murdered in a botched drug-related robbery, WPTV reported. Teenagers Summer Church, Jace Swinton, and Roberto Ortiz were indicted by a grand jury last year for shooting and killing then 25-year-old Aaron Rajman. The murder took place in Rajman’s Florida apartment, which he…
(JTA) — An Israeli citizen accused of belonging to an international crime organization was captured and extradited from Colombia. Binyamin Cohen, 35, was arrested in Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city. He is accused of crimes including arms trafficking, car robbery, home burglary, human trafficking, and smuggling cocaine from the South American country to the Jewish…
I served as a congregational rabbi for 35 years. My wife and I raised two children who are now adults. We provided them with a good Jewish education, Jewish camp and a kosher, observant home. Both our children, in large part, have not embraced Judaism. Is it our fault? Some might say we should have…
WASHINGTON (JTA) — U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is setting up a special task force on Hezbollah’s drug trade activities to revive investigations that languished during the Obama administration. “The Justice Department will leave no stone unturned in order to eliminate threats to our citizens from terrorist organizations and to stem the tide of the…
The Obama administration derailed a major investigation into Hezbollah’s globe-spanning drug trafficking ring in order to save the Iran deal, a Politico report found. Beginning in 2008, the Drug Enforcement Agency ran a classified investigation into Hezbollah’s trading techniques, amassing evidence on how the terrorist group launders money and moves cocaine in North America. It…
“Jews don’t use” is often quoted as an example of misconceptions and denial about addiction in the Jewish community. Why is there such a deafening silence on the subject, especially in light of the current opioid crisis and the overdose epidemic? As a rabbi who worked with recovering addicts, I know we need to review…
A congregant, let’s call him Joe, walks into a rabbi’s office and bravely discloses that he is addicted to illicit opioids. After a lengthy discussion the rabbi sends Joe away with a twofold prescription: 1. Start attending 12 Step meetings; 2. Start attending regular worship and study sessions at the synagogue. The rabbi seems to…
When people tell me, again and again, that the Orthodox community has gotten better with regard to mental health issues, I secretly cringe. They point to the Jewish magazines, the organizations, the public talks, the community initiatives, as proof that Orthodox Jews, as a community, are no longer afraid to look mental illness in the…
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