Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Why the silence in the Elwood v. Yesodei dispute?


From "Yesodei dad"

Dear AJN Watch editor

I am a parent of 2 boys enrolled at the Yesodei Hatorah College in Elwood and am upset at the fact that you haven't thought it important enough to bring to the attention of your readership the appalling situation that our school have been facing due to the unreasonable, irrational  and obstinate attitude of some members on the board of Elwood Shul. 

It is no secret that for the past few decades Elwood Shul is in decline. They can rarely put together a Minyan during the week and  despite the efforts of the rabbis is basically an empty shell. The late Rabbi Chaim Gutnick z'l understood this well and sensibly encouraged the board to welcome the Yesodei school into its empty ex-Moriah premises thus returning the sound of Torah and children studying it back to Dickens Street. This brought much Nachas to those who have warm memories of the Elwood Talmud Torah and Moriah College of years gone by. Rabbi Gutnick did not for a second consider local 'politics' and affiliations. He made his decision to help because he knew that this was the right thing to do from all aspects.
Since Rav Chaim's passing however, a number of those 'in power' seem to have gone to war against this "shidduch". They wish to reverse such a remarkable and rare achievement of 'Techiyas Hameisim' of a local Shul property. Yes, remarkable and rare. Imagine how grateful the people who belong to Shuls like Toorak, Brighton, Moorabbin, East Melb would be if they could host such a vibrant and lively Jewish centre with 100s of kids operating out of their premises 6 days a week? And even being paid for the privilege! 

But what is happening in Elwood? The board has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in legals trying to remove the students and make difficult the continuing Torah and general education of hundreds of Yiddishe kinderlech! How shameful is that? 

Why isn't the entire community up in arms? Why are the rabbis silent about this? Indeed, what about Elwood's own rabbis? Shouldn't they be in the front line of battle to save this most important Torah mossad? Wouldn't one expect to see Rabbi Mordechai Gutnick leading the campaign for continuance of one his late father's greatest achievements? (I apologise in advance, if Rabbi Gutnick has been doing so quietly. Though doing so openly would be far more useful and effective.) Hundreds of thousands of dollars are being wasted on legal costs and we don't hear a peep anywhere. Why no in-depth enquiry by the AJN? And aren't the members of Elwood Shul concerned at the waste of so much of their money?  Finally, where are you AJN Watch? Isn't this a topic that you should be headlining? 

I agree with your criticism of  Caulfield Shul for its treatment of poor collectors. And I usually agree with your stance on most communal issues. But, why oh why,
have you been silent in this painful and sad case of a few angry old men fighting against 
  של תינוקות של בית רבן הבל פיהם  .

Why is your voice is not heard at all?

Why?


Comment from AJNWatch:

While we haven't directly addressed this issue, it has been mentioned on this site previously.
Click here:
But to answer your main complaint, can we just say that AJNWatch is run by a few volunteers who, believe it or not, each has another life as well. They toil for hours behind the scenes because they genuinely feel an obligation to try and improve matters - rather than simply sulk and kvetch. We hope to at least somewhat remove the חילול השם of silence and accusations of מדשתקי שמע מינה דניחא להו

Having said that, we do not claim to have even scraped the surface of  issues that require commenting upon. As a partial solution we are happy to host appropriate posts (like yours) that reflect the aims and viewpoints of AJNWatch. So - be our guest...

41 comments:

  1. While I sympathise with Yesodei, it may be difficult for Rabbi M Gutnick to get involved. He does not have the influence and power of his later father and has to watch every step very carefully. Rabbis their days are completely at the mercy of their boards

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unfortunately the school has 2-3 sworn 'enemies' on the board. I am unsure why this is so. Maybe too frum or too chareidi for them.

    But why they would prefer to have the buildings standing empty for another dozen years, I don't understand.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Speaking to someone involved with Yesodei Hatorah, he tells me that because of the impasse with the Shul, the school has lost over $1,500,000 worth of govt building grants.

    Now that is shocking. Imagine throwing that kind of money in the garbage

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have friends in Elwood. As they explain it the young rabbi is interested in establishing his own educational facilities there for youngsters and some feel that there isn't enough room for both.

    I can't understand why yesodei hasn't been searching elsewhere. This dispute has been around for a long time.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Old friend of Elwood ShuleWednesday, March 14, 2012 12:47:00 PM

    The Yesodei Hatorah dad presents only one side of the issue. Has he bothered to even investigate the other side before writing such a one-sided article? As I hear it, there is a LOT more to it than he says -including Rav Chaim Gutnick's expressed disappontment at how the College did not support the Shule in the way he originally envisaged. Communal organisations and individuals working closely together often have differences of opinions - particularly when it comes to financial matters. That unfortunately comes with the territory. But the real shame here is not the actual machlokess but that this issue has been taken to the supreme court and not finalised within the community as called for in halucha. As the Supreme Court ruling states, it is the elwood shule that is the defendant. In other words yesodei hatorah obviously initiated the court action and this is where the hint is bagrooben. Has the yesodei dad seen a psak from a beis din or even an accepted moreh horoo-oh allowing the College to take action against Elwood in secular court? If anything it is this that ajn watch should be highlighting - particularly following its midirected original posting asking why the matter has not been settled through din torah.

    ReplyDelete
  6. "Imagine how grateful the people who belong to Shuls like Toorak, Brighton, Moorabbin, East Melb would be if they could host such a vibrant and lively Jewish centre with 100s of kids operating out of their premises 6 days a week? And even being paid for the privilege!" From "Yesodei dad"

    I agree. But why non of the above mentioned organisations use this unique opportunity to to invite Yesodei to use their premises? Really this sounds strange.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Old friend, as someone who has a general interest in this matter, I would appreciate if you could disclose to us what is teh reasoning behind the shul board's wish to get rid of yesodei?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Max, maybe you could ask the creator of the other melb orthodox blog putpitim, who is on the board of elwood, to respond to your question

    ReplyDelete
  9. Following up on this post I came upon the Purim in the Outback pics of Elwood Shul.
    http://www.elwoodshule.org/

    Advice to those who were demanding that Caulfield remove their rabbi's purim fashions, definitely shouldn't view pics 6 and 7!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and the connection is? One's a Rabbi, the other an indigenous Australian...

      and having looked through the photos myself, 'Yesodei dad' may want to reconsider his quote "and despite the efforts of the rabbis (elwood shul) is basically an empty shell."

      They seem to draw large crowds for all their events...

      Delete
  10. Also noticed on their website a completely different report re Yesodei

    Yeodei HaTorah Boys School

    Following many years of exhaustive negotiations the Board is pleased to announce that a resolution has been reached which allows both parties to move forward into the future.

    The Board is committed to the establishment of a Crèche and ultimately a kindergarten to provide a wide range of stimulating learning programs incorporating Yiddishkeit for the benefit of our members and the larger Jewish community for the Elwood and surrounding precincts. Preliminary work has commenced on this project.


    So who or what to believe?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yesodei Dad, where are your boys going to go to school at the end of 2014? I hear Mt. Scopus are recruiting now.
    @Yaakov Levy, the school buildings were un-occupied for two years but Mt. Scopus were still renting them prior to Yesodei Hatorah's occupation. Many Jewish organisations are wanting to move into the Elwood site.
    @mimoshe ad moshe, Yesodei missed out on some government grants because they refused to sign a lease but they did receive many grants [EDITED BY AJNWATCH] who are so reckless with throwing around money. That is shocking!
    @Mendy P, Yesodei are looking for other premises but only in the Caulfield area.Are you offering your place?
    @Old Friend of Elwood Shul, you seem to know what you are talking about.
    @Anonymous, you have to be kidding! No shul in Melbourne or any other Jewish organisation will go anywhere near Yesodei after the grief they have given Elwood. Fancy taking Elwood to Alan Goldberg for arbitration. Losing that arbitration, haveing costs of $219,745.00 awarded against Yesodei that the AJNs Peter Kohn thinks is for rent, take Elwood to the Supreme Court because they didnt like Goldbergs decision. Goldberg saw right through the lies that Yesodei told in that arbitration. Yesodei might win the Supreme Court hearing on a technicality but win or lose, that wont be the end of this saga.
    @Max, would you have "squatters at your place for ten years"?
    @Emes, instead of asking a question of another blogger, why dont you, the wider Jewish Community and the parents of Yesodei ask the people running Yesodei for the minutes of their meetings to see what is really going on in this dispute.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Please, please, careful with what you write. We don't want to edit (or totally reject) your comments, but have had to do so a number of times in the past week.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I see that Isaac Balbin the owner of the Pitputim blog who together with his father Soniek are board members of Elwood has made some comment about this matter.

    The truth will come out
    Posted on March 15, 2012

    Various sprinklings of disinformation, sock puppeting and outright lies find their way across the internet about the court case where two individuals from the governing “board” of Yesodei Hatorah College (YHT), took Elwood Shule to court because they didn’t like the Arbitrators ruling . The Arbitrator was an eminent Judge and QC of the highest rank who ruled against YHT and ordered it to pay Elwood’s costs. That’s not to cast aspersions on the School itself and its educators, who I understand do a sterling job, especially for children who have challenging special needs. There is definitely a place in our community for an American style Aguda school.

    Ironically, it was those two members of their “board” who insisted that all matters be kept secret. Elwood never entertained such secrecy but reluctantly had to sign on in order for Arbitration to proceed. We have had, and continue to have nothing to hide. Make no mistake: Elwood will not only survive this, but they will become a shining example to other communities through innovative programs that enfranchise those elements of the community who are the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the fiercely Zionist Holocaust survivors who paid for and built every brick of the Shule.

    In good time, with Hashem’s blessing, the real story about these two interlocutors will come out, and hopefully they will donate their money to the School and not lining lawyer’s pockets. We would be happy if, as per the Arbitrator’s ruling, the College goes from strength to strength in their eventual own premises and Elwood Shule is able to carry out its ambitious renaissance program, unencumbered and designed for its own membership.

    Watch this space when the dust settles. In the meanwhile, just don’t believe everything that you read.

    Disclaimer: I am a board member and long-term member of Elwood Shule. This post, however, was not approved of by the Board and is not to be seen as representing anything but my own private opinion.

    I look forward to hearing his side of the story, especially as to date nothing makes enough sense to understand the demand of removal of a Torah school from an empty building. And while I don't know much about the "grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the fiercely Zionist Holocaust survivors"
    I have no doubt that the survivors themselves would'bebeen proud a more than thrilled to have such a Torah institution in their midst

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Yaakov Levy,

      On Yom Kippur we ask for forgiveness for relying solely on our ability to understand especially when we know that we do not see all pieces of a puzzle

      Delete
    2. @Yaakov Levy, how long would you put up with squatters in your property? How would you expect the good natured people at Elwood to react with squatters in their property for 10 years?
      Why did Yesodei take Elwood to an arbitrator and then the Supreme Court, rather than a Beis Din?

      Delete
  14. @Yaakov Levy you write "I have no doubt that the survivors themselves would'bebeen proud a more than thrilled to have such a Torah institution in their midst"

    But they definitely would not / are not proud of the fact the said Torah institution is preventing the progress and growth of the Shule they built. Did you know Elwood shule does not have access to ITS OWN facilities on ITS OWN property?! Go figure!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Elwood by the Beach - Why do you call yesodei squatters?

    They were accepted or even invited to establish the school there.

    And no one has yet explained why the shul board wants them out.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Balbin writes:
    Make no mistake: Elwood will not only survive this, but they will become a shining example to other communities through innovative programs that enfranchise those elements of the community who are the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the fiercely Zionist Holocaust survivors who paid for and built every brick of the Shule.
    ==

    Come on on Isaac! You of all people know that Elwood shul is on death row and has been there for quite a while. They rarely get a minyan together during the week adn even on Shabbos when there is no aufruf, it is a very sad place.

    Rabbi karnovsky and wife try their best, but they are in an impossible situation. There are very very few locals who need a shul on shabbos - far less during the week.

    Even if "the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the fiercely Zionist Holocaust survivors" were slightly more fierce about their yiddishkeit it wouldn't help.
    They all live miles away and have 10 other shuls close by which they would rather attend.

    face the facts "fiercely Zionists" are that interested in a shul, and those that are usually belong to Mizrachi, not some empty edifice located on the outskirts of "Jewish" Melbourne.

    And the founders of that Shul would be proud to have a heimish Jewish school there rather than a place where a few old Russian professional minyan men gather.


    Balbin:
    "and Elwood Shule is able to carry out its ambitious renaissance program, unencumbered and designed for its own membership."

    Isaac, really, aren't you embarassed to publish such nonsense?
    "ambitious renaissance program"!?
    Elwood has about that much chance of renaissance as has Ballarat shul.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I posted a lengthy comment to R' Balbin's post on his own blog, but for whatever reason it never appeared.

    I think that many people are surprised and disappointed that Elwood Shul and Yesodei haven't been able to work together. Elwood is notoriously moribund, and from all accounts Yesodei has been a valuable addition to Jewish education in Melbourne. I think the ideal outcome would be one where families with children in the school moved into the area and used the shul as well, but I can't see this happening now that the situation is so unstable. It's a great pity.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Joe, knowing some of the views held on this affair by certain board members in Elwood,
    I am not surprised that your comment didn't appear.

    Hopefully this blogs owners will act more fairly and let you publish. So why not give it a go.

    ReplyDelete
  19. @emes.An independant valuer valued the rent at over $100,000 per year. Yesodei would ony pay one fifth of that. Do you think that might be one of the reasons Elwood wants Yesodei out of its premises? Alan Goldberg asked Yesodei at the arbitration if Yesodei thought that advantage was being taken of Elwood, paying so little for the premises, considering that Yesodei were paying twice as much rent for the old Betar building in Dickens St. Do you think that is fair? Alan Goldberg didnt.
    Yesodei were not invited by Elwood. Yesodei approached Elwood. The late Rabbi Chaim Gutnick admitted that it was a big mistake to have let Yesodei into Elwood.

    ReplyDelete
  20. There are three distinct factors operating here. First, allegedly the present "Board" of Elwood Shule set out deliberately to conceal as much as possible from their own congregants. All decisions allegedly were, and are, made in secret and allegedly this "Board" has continually "fiddled" the books as well as "doctoring" the minutes. Secondly, although they will deny it, allegedly the present "Board" of Elwood Shule originally aimed to turn the property into a housing development. This is why they wanted to get rid of the school. They have backed away from this as even they can see that they could not get away with it. Thirdly, it seems that it is true that there was an agreement regarding the lease. However when it was about to be signed, a certain "co-president" of Elwood Shule decided not to honour previous negotiations. He allegedly demanded an exorbitant amount for the lease and told the school that if they did not like it, they had six weeks to vacate. A Beth Din was allegedly rejected leaving the school in an invidious position. They had no choice but to seek legal advice.
    (Slightly 'edited' by the moderators)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Elwood BTB, my information was that in the original negototations, Elwood Shul generously requested no rental at all.

    And why would they current board memebrs of teh shul prefer that the building remain empty?

    After all, it was originally built as a school building and that is the purpose that the donors of the the gave their money. A Jewish school.
    In fact the original Moriah was far closer to being a 'modern-charedi' school or maybe a bit like Yavneh than to what Mt Scopus is.

    is there, as some people involved claim, an element of 'rishus' here?

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous, you have no idea what you are talking about with your allegations of 3 distinct factors.
    1)The Elwood Board concealed nothing from their members. They didnt fiddle the books or doctor the minutes. Do you really think the board members would want to bring legal charges against themselves? Yesodei insisted that there was a confidentiality agreement at every stage including the arbitration. However, since Yesodei took Elwood to the Supreme Court, it is all on the public record.
    2) There never was a housing development planned for the site. The members would never agree to that. Where did that come from?
    3)There never was a lease that Yesodei were prepared to sign. That is what Alan Goldberg, the arbitrator, found.
    Yesodei never wanted to go to a Beis Din. Yesodei insisted on arbitration and Yesodei chose Alan Goldberg. Yesodei didnt like Goldberg's decision and took Elwood to the Supreme Court, where the matter still sits.
    These are the facts that are all on the public record for everyone to see.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous, your information is not right. There was a nominal rent when Yesodei started using the kindergarten facility. The amount was increased when Yesodei occupied the school building.
    The school was being rented by Mt. Scopus even though it was empty. They had options in their lease to continue to use the building. Check with Jonny Baker. He was president of Mt.Scopus at the time.
    There is no element of "rishus" here.If there was, Yesodei would not have had their foot in the door at Elwood from day 1. The late Rabbi Chaim Gutnik had hoped that Yesodei would have contributed to the daily minyan and generally to Elwood Shule but realised he had made a big mistake in allowing Yesodei into Elwood.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Elwood BTB, do you argue that the building was being used? I don't think so.

    How many years ago did Mt Scopus stop using it?

    What advatage is there to Elwood having it standing empty?

    ReplyDelete
  25. How come we haven't heard any further news?
    Has peace broken out and both sides accept the status quo?

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous, the building was not being used but Mt Scopus still held the lease. I'm not saying it was being used but it was leased. Mt Scopus stopped using it 2 years before Yesodei moved in, approx 1999? Not exactly sure but around that time.
    Elwood dont want it empty, why would you think that? Elwood has been approached by various community organisations and other Jewish day schools to lease the premises and they all agree to pay the agreed going rate for commercial rent, unlike Yesodei. The property will not be empty when Yesodei move out.

    ReplyDelete
  27. dayenu. I was just singing about you the other night. The matter is still before the Supreme Court. Yesodei are bending over backwards to try and have Alan Goldberg's arbitration decision overturned. Yesodei will fail and they know that but they will then take Elwood to the full bench of the Supreme Court, NOT a Beis Din and fail there again. You may hear something next month.

    ReplyDelete
  28. It appears the dispute has been settled. My mail is that Yesodei capitulated in the last round of mediation, seeing Yesodei paying Elwood more than double the amount of rent that Alan Goldberg had ordered Yesodei to pay. The Elwood board in exchange, have offered Yesodei a lease that will see the school continue in Elwood for 10 years. Better deals than this were offered by Elwood to Yesodei during negotiations in the past. Why didnt Yesodei sign back then but signed now?

    ReplyDelete
  29. You may not not have noticed but Bulbin has now placed the following - being his version of the battle - between the Shul and the school - on his blog.

    Maybe someone from the other team can confirm or refute his statement.

    Interesting to see that Balbin has blocked comments on this post of his (unlike most other posts).

    I don't know why. Also his explanation makes little sense.

    "[Apologies: Many of you submitted comments, but I couldn't turn comments off for this post. I had never intended that this post would induce discussion as this would just end up as flame fodder]"

    Another point, am I the only one who thinks that Mr Balbin could be masquerading under the handle of Elwood By The Beach?
    ============================

    Myths and Facts: Yesodei Hatorah vs Elwood Shule

    Posted on May 19, 2012

    In a previous post, I mentioned that the truth will come out. I will resist the temptation to be more expansive and limit myself to incontrovertible cold facts. Do not ask me to expand on these as I don’t wish to reignite. Rather, my intention is to go on the record so that rampant misinformation doesn’t permeate.

    Below, ETTC stands for Elwood Talmud Torah Congregation (Elwood Shule). YHT stands for Yesodei Hatorah College, as led by Messrs Lipkies and Casen, on behalf of their board.

    Myth: ETTC never got along with YHT and tried to close down the School
    Fact: ETTC tried for a number of years to conclude an ordinary long term lease for YHT based on reasonable commercial rates.

    Myth: ETTC did not support the school in tangible ways
    Fact: ETTC supported both the original establishment of the School and provided a most favourable rental fee for use of ETTC buildings. In fact, YHT paid no rent for many years, and when they later agreed to a nominal rental of $20,000 per annum in return for providing regular mispallelim for ETTC’s daily minyanim, YHT failed to honour this commitment. The bottom line: when compared to normal rental fees over the years, ETTC has supported YHT to the tune of more than 1.5 million dollars.

    Myth: ETTC should have offered a better deal to YHT when discussions about a more permanent lease began and none of the litigation from YHT would have transpired.
    Fact: ETTC made offers more generous than that ultimately accepted by YHT. All of these offers were rejected by YHT

    Myth: ETTC initiated court action against YHT
    Fact: YHT brought the legal proceedings against ETTC and ETTC was obliged to defend itself. CONTINUED

    ReplyDelete
  30. CONTINUATION:



    Myth: ETTC forced YHT to go to arbitration
    Fact: ETTC had no choice but to go to arbitration and in doing so prevented YHT from effectively taking over the premises

    Myth: The issue was simply over the existence of a lease
    Fact: YHT sought damages of more than 1 million dollars against ETTC

    Myth: YHT actually had a lease and ETTC were being difficult
    Fact: After a thorough and lengthy arbitration hearing ex Federal Court Judge, the Honourable Alan Goldberg AO QC, ruled decisively in ETTC’s favour and awarded ETTC the costs of arbitration

    Myth: After Goldberg’s findings ETTC went after more money from YHT
    Fact: YHT did not accept the umpire’s decision and appealed on a technicality to the Supreme Court (one assumes they had Halachic permission to do so?)

    Myth: ETTC wasted money by defending itself in the Supreme Court
    Fact: YHT hired arguably the most expensive and high-profiled QC in Victoria who eventually unearthed a technicality that questioned but one aspect of Goldberg’s findings. ETTC had no choice but to defend itself once more.

    Myth: The appeal in the Supreme Court found in favour of YHT
    Fact: The appeal was allowed (on a procedural issue) but made no substantive findings

    Myth: ETTC will be in a worse financial situation because it vigorously defended itself against YHT’s claims
    Fact: ETTC will recoup over $2m in rent as per the new lease which will more than cover its costs and provide a much needed injection of fresh income for new projects to reinvigorate the Shule.

    Myth: ETTC and YHT are sworn enemies
    Fact: ETTC hopes that relations with YHT will be harmonious and is very sad that YHT sought the action that they did and that they chose to reject a deal put on the table by the current ETTC board which would have seen YHT with a much better outcome than what transpired.

    Disclaimer: I am a board member and long-term member of Elwood Shule. This post, however, was not approved of by the Board and is not to be seen as representing anything but my own summary.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Elwood should be ashamed of tghemselves.

    Taking 2 million dollars from a Torah mossad - which they could use to help their students.(Yesodei is well known for accepting 'difficult' kids and supplying a lot of individual attention, bringing up their standards remarkably)

    What will Elwood do with that money? A commoddity they are not too short of?

    Hire another 8 rabbis to ensure they have a quorum for every minyan?
    Anyway Russians come far cheaper than rabbis.

    They officially call themselves Elwood talmud Torah. Obviously it's belashon sagi nahar. They are clearly against the study of Torah by Jewish kids.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Aboriginal M Roth,

      To your knowledge, there are only 3 so called Russians comes to the Elwood minyon daily and few more occasionally and non of them get money for their attendance, i.e. they come far far far cheaper then you may thought.

      And you may not be aware, but once upon a time their fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers liberated your father or grandfathers or great grandfathers from the concentration camps and also did not charge them for that.

      Then, later they fought the war for independence of Israel and also did not charge.

      And now, dear Aboriginal prominent Torah choham, tell me please, how many so called Russian kids study Torah at this school for free?

      From Russia with love

      Delete
  32. Cheap Russian - what's with your epithet for Chaim M Roth? Are you making a racist statement by calling him an Aborigine?!

    Chaim's comment about Russian minyan men was probably simply a statement of fact - the minyan men employed by shules across Australia (including in Sydney, where I am from) are usually Russians and, yes, they are cheap to employ as most are retirees. I do not see anything remotely insulting in this observation by Chaim.

    However, to call Chaim an Aborigine is plain silly and bordering on racism. Get a grip!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Harry,

      To me calling Chaim Aboriginal is no more silly and no more racist than for him to call a Jew "Russian" or divide our people on "YHTs", "Elwoods" and so on, especially as he most likely has his own roots deep in Russia only a few generations ago, though he may not know this.

      I assume that by calling me Russian means that he considers me as an immigrant from Russia posing himself as a native Australian,i.e. - Aboriginal.

      P.S. Thank you for not arguing with the rest of my comment.

      Delete
  33. Former Elwooder,
    Let me state for the record that I am not Mr Balbin, Bulbin or Dr Balbin but I do know of him and I know who you are too Henry.
    Your letter that you circulated to people that you think are your friends was passed around Elwood in the last week. Your "friends" in the Party embarrased you. They said it was so childish, they thought that Joe had written it. I have to agree with them.
    Chaim M Roth. You have it soooooo wrong. It is Yesodei Hatorah that should be ashamed of themselves. The people running Yesodei Hatorah call themselves religious Jews.They are not. They have to be reminded around this time each year of the Ten Commandments. They cheated, they lied and the truth came out for all to see. They cost Elwood a small fortune trying to defend themsleves. Supreme Court cases are not cheap. Now Elwood will be able to recoup those expenses.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Henry? Who's Henry?

    ReplyDelete
  35. Henry is a prolific letter writer to the AJN and The Age.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Just because there is an agreement doesn't mean there will be peace. [..] Casen Lipkies and Klein haven't changed. They remain the inflexible [..]. ETTC will continue to suffer from these individuals. It was a mistake to give them a 10 yr lease. They didn't ask a Rabbi about taking ETTC to court as they very intentionally have no 'school rabbi' so as not to be bound by a decision they don't like. I have a contact inside the school and he/she is emphatic that the school is very good at PR[..]

    THE MODERATORS HAVE EDITED PARTS OF THIS POST. PLEASE KEEP COMMENTS CIVIL AND REFRAIN FROM PERSONAL ATTACKS

    ReplyDelete

Comments will be moderated for language and content.
Please use your name/nickname - rather than 'anonymous'.