JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
In the fall of 2013, there was fear in the air in Orthodox Brooklyn. Power was shifting in the district attorney’s office, and Orthodox leaders worried that the borough’s new chief prosecutor, Ken Thompson, wouldn’t be a friend. “He said he’s going to target the Jewish community,” New York City Council member David Greenfield said…
Brooklyn prosecutors have moved to dismiss all charges against Samuel Kellner, the Brooklyn man who helped bring abuse charges against other figures in the ultra-Orthodox community. Kellner, a key figure in several sexual abuse cases, had faced perjury, criminal solicitation, conspiracy and attempted grand larceny for allegedly shaking down suspected abusers. “After a careful review…
The prospect of a plea deal for accused child abuser Baruch Lebovits was shot down by both the prosecution and defense — prompting a judge to move toward a retrial of the tangled case. Brooklyn Supreme Court Judge Mark Dwyer set a new hearing on January 23, at which he is expected to set a date…
This is a story about religion, sex abuse, power, extortion, bungled prosecutions and the pitfalls of pursuing justice in an insular Orthodox community where disputes are solved internally and mistrust of outsiders reigns. It involves a convicted sex offender; a Hasidic multimillionaire oil and diamond dealer; a drug addict; a New York assemblyman; a supporting…
Longtime Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes lost his longshot reelection bid by a crushing 2-1 margin to Democrat Kenneth Thompson. Hynes, who had made his handling of sex abuse in the Orthodox community a key issue, fell to Thompson by 72%-to-28% in the general election. “I had a great, great run,” Hynes told a gathering…
Virtual
Dec 7, 2022
7 pm ET ·
A conversation with Julia Haart and her son Shlomo, stars of Netflix's 'My Unorthodox Life,' about the new season and much more.
