President Donald J. Trump commuted the prison sentence of Sholom Rubashkin

                              ברוך מתיר אסורים
A Chanuka Miracle The Frum world were shocked and elated with the wonderful news as Shalom Mordechai Rubashkin was freed from Jail after President Trump commuted his sentence.

INN News

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday commuted the prison sentence of Sholom Rubashkin, the Iowa kosher slaughterhouse executive who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for fraud and money laundering. 

The decision was “encouraged by bipartisan leaders from across the political spectrum, from Nancy Pelosi to Orrin Hatch,” said a statement from the White House.

Rubashkin is a 57-year-old father of 10 children. He previously ran the Iowa headquarters of a family business that was the country’s largest kosher meat-processing company. In 2009, he was convicted of bank fraud and later sentenced to 27 years in prison.

Rubashkin has now served more than eight years of that sentence, which many have called excessive in light of its disparity with sentences imposed for similar crimes, the White House said.

“This action is not a Presidential pardon. It does not vacate Mr. Rubashkin’s conviction, and it leaves in place a term of supervised release and a substantial restitution obligation, which were also part of Mr. Rubashkin’s sentence,” the statement stressed.

“The President’s review of Mr. Rubashkin’s case and commutation decision were based on expressions of support from Members of Congress and a broad cross-section of the legal community,” it continued.

“A bipartisan group of more than 100 former high-ranking and distinguished Department of Justice (DOJ) officials, prosecutors, judges, and legal scholars have expressed concerns about the evidentiary proceedings in Mr. Rubashkin’s case and the severity of his sentence. Additionally, more than 30 current Members of Congress have written letters expressing support for review of Mr. Rubashkin’s case.”

In a recording circulated on the web, Rubashkin’s son said following the news, “I can’t even breathe. I can’t even try. I can’t even talk. My father is coming home. Baruch Hashem. G-d bless.”

Last year, more than 100 former judges, attorneys general and prominent politicians signed a letter supporting Rubashkin.

Rabbi Meir Soloveichik lights the Menorah at Whitehouse Chanuka Party with President Trump

NYT Photo

The Republic WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated an “especially special” Hanukkah at the White House, a day after declaring Jerusalem Israel’s capital and setting off criticism and clashes.

“Right now I’m thinking about what’s going on and the love that’s all over Israel and all about Jerusalem,” Trump said in the White House East Room. The president was flanked by his daughter Ivanka, who converted to Judaism when she married her husband, Jared Kushner, and their three children.

The president broke with decades of U.S. policy with the Jerusalem announcement, putting the United States at odds with most other countries. The European Union, Germany, Britain, France, the Pope and key Arab allies have denounced the move. But inside the White House Thursday, Trump got only applause, cheers and thanks from the crowd, which included Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Holocaust survivor Louise Lawrence-Israels and Orthodox Rabbi Meir Soloveichik.

Israels spoke of standing up to hate. And Soloveichik recited a traditional prayer that he said has additional meaning this year.

“For the first time since the founding of the state of Israel, an American president has courageously declared what we have always proclaimed, which is that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,” Soloveichik said.

Rabbi Eytan Feiner Call On The OU to Break From Open Orthodoxy

Crosss post from Matzav.com -This past Shabbos, Parshas Vayishlach, Rav Eytan Feiner, rov of Cong. Knesseth Israel, the White Shul, in Far Rockaway, spoke about the Orthodox Union’s non-response to Open Orthodoxy and the havoc that Open Orthodoxy is wreaking on Yiddishkeit.

Rav Feiner said that he is willing to break the White Shul’s OU affiliation if the OU continues to be non-responsive on this important matter. The OU has continued allowing Open Orthodoxy synagogues to remain as members of its umbrella organization. Rav Feiner spoke out strongly about Open Orthodoxy’s apikorsus.

His comments come on the heels of two Open Orthodox shuls wishing mazel tov to people who underwent unconventional marriage ceremonies. Congregation B’nai David-Judea of Los Angeles is led by a male Open Orthodox rabbi, Yosef Kanefesky, and a female “rabbanit,” Alissa Thomas-Newborn, the latter of whom was given semicha at Avi Weiss’ Yeshivat Maharat. B’nai David-Judea’s weekly bulletin for Shabbos Parshas Vayeira, 2017, wished mazel tov upon the birth of a baby to a couple who have an unconventional marriage.