Dear Editor,
I am writing to express my deep concern and frustration regarding the exorbitant costs associated with frum summer sleep-away camps.
I have witnessed firsthand how these exorbitant fees place an immense financial burden on parents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
The summer camp experience is undoubtedly a cherished and valuable opportunity for children to grow, learn, and create lasting memories. However, it is disheartening to see how these camps are choking many families due to their astronomical price tags. Are these camps simply money-makers? I have no idea. What I do know is that the cost of sending a child to a frum sleep-away camp has reached such heights that it has become nothing short of a financial nightmare for numerous parents.
The implications of this issue extend far beyond mere financial strain. Parents are forced to make difficult decisions, sometimes sacrificing basic necessities or going into debt just to provide their children with this formative experience. The pursuit of this summer experience should not come at the expense of a family’s financial stability, not to mention its impact on the health and wellbeing of the parents and the accompanying stress.
It is essential for the broader frum community to acknowledge and address this problem. While it is true that running a summer camp costs money, the current situation seems to have spiraled out of control. The alleged “escalating costs” should not be disproportionately transferred onto parents, particularly those who are already grappling with financial hardships.
It is high time for camp organizers, community leaders, and relevant stakeholders to come together and find practical solutions to alleviate the burden on parents.
Does it make sense that I am paying for 4 weeks of camp almost as much as I pay for a year of school?
I kindly request that Matzav.com bring attention to this matter through your esteemed website, as I believe it is crucial to shed light on the profound impact these exorbitant costs have on frum families.
Thank you for considering my perspective on this pressing issue. I hope that together, we can strive towards a more inclusive and affordable summer camp experience for all frum children.
Sincerely,
D. B.
New Jersey
|
|
1- Even after following the video, and following it. All strawberries are infested, fresh & frozen.I am asking our readers to write a short email to President Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Netanyahu, it takes only 2 minutes and may very well help!
The Brand name BELEAVES was recently hijacked by Minchas Chinuch Tartikuv and Zichron Shmuel DON'T USE THEM
|
|
The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined to hear a case involving a kosher worker's overtime exemption claim,
aligning with several other recent decisions where the Court has avoided addressing specific labor and religious accommodation issues.
This decision follows a pattern seen in other contexts, such as the denial of a bid to expand religious exceptions to worker rights and the refusal to hear challenges related to healthcare worker vaccine mandates.
June 187, 2025-“Extra virgin olive oil adulteration, whether by mixing with lower-quality olive oils like ‘virgin’ oil or with other vegetable oils, is a form of consumer deception and negatively impacts the reputation of producers,” Hicham Zaroual told Olive Oil Times.
Extra virgin olive oil is getting very expensive. And it might not even be real
Olive oil has been a staple of the Mediterranean diet and
culture for millennia. Before it ever made it to the table, it was used for
medicinal and religious practices, earning the moniker “liquid gold” in Homer’s
“Iliad.”
Throughout the centuries the olive branch has come to
symbolize peace and prosperity, and pungent extra virgin and virgin olive oils
are high-value global exports. Valued at $22.3 billion in 2022, the olive
oil market is expected to increase exponentially over the next decade.
But behind the most popular extra virgin olive oils in the
world - produced in Italy, Spain and Greece - are equally lucrative criminal
enterprises cashing in on the gold rush by selling fake liquid gold that uses sunflower, canola or
even lamp oil to create a product that can retail for up to $30 a liter
in the United States.
In late November, authorities in Spain and Italy working
with the EU’s Europol law enforcement agency said they arrested 11 people tied
to one such criminal gang, sequestering 12 barrels containing some 260,000
liters of adulterated, or non-virgin or extra-virgin olive oil.
They also seized an additional 5,200 liters of market-ready
quality oil that had been ready for export. The authorities said it was “unfit
for consumption,” despite false labeling that claimed the oil was 100% Italian
or Spanish.
Authorities also found 91,000 euros (almost $100,000) in
cash, four high-end vehicles, falsified labels, and paperwork that stated the
oil was Spanish and Italian-grown when sample tests revealed it was more likely
made by mixing olive oil byproducts with other types of oil.
Demand for olive oil and recent struggling harvests have led
to sharp increases in the price of olive oil. - Budrul Chukrut/SOPA
Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Rising demand
“A mix of various factors, such as the general inflation of
prices, reduced olive oil production and increasing demand, have created the
perfect breeding ground for fraudulent producers,” according to a Europol statement.
“Unfortunately,
the faking of extra virgin olive oil is a common practice, which is why the
fight against it is a law enforcement priority — especially in production
countries,” the law enforcement agency added.
Infusing high quality olive oil with lesser products has
become a common practice as rising demand for Mediterranean oil exports is
countered by lower production rates driven by increasingly harsh weather
extremes, says Coldiretti, Italy’s main farming organization.
Fraudsters have also increasingly been using chlorophyll or
beta carotene to color the oil its characteristic green or buttery yellow hues.
In 2023, Mediterranean oil production was down by 41%,
Coldiretti said. An extremely wet spring meant olive trees flowered less and
record-setting heat in summer shriveled the olives that did grow.
That’s left producers unable to meet marketplace demand.
The
so-called “agri mafia” in the Mediterranean oil producing regions has been
moving in to fill the gaps in supply, developing its fake extra virgin olive
oil operations.
“Mixing consumer-grade olive oil with lower grade
alternatives allowed the criminals to offer competitive prices while entering
legal supply chains,” Europol says.
“This illegal practice can not only cause a public health
risk, but also undermine consumer trust and thus have further economic
repercussions,” the statement warned.
According to the North American Olive Oil Association, it’s
highly unlikely bogus olive oil products would go on sale in the US, with
research by the Food and Drug Administration finding no adulteration in samples
tested.
“In reality, US consumers should have a high level of
confidence in the quality and authenticity of the olive oil they buy,” said
Joseph R. Profaci, the NAOOA’s executive director.
Profaci said the NAOOA was undertaking its most comprehensive, rigorous olive oil testing study to
date to ensure adulterated products weren’t infiltrating US markets.
“While our routine testing hasn’t indicated any rise in
intentionally mislabeled or adulterated olive oil in 2023, the current high
prices and tight supplies may create an additional incentive for wrongdoing. We
hope this study will deter such conduct, and at the same time, give olive oil
consumers the assurances that they deserve.”
Synopsis of the Article: "Regarding Shlomo Halpern – Grave Concerns Regarding Halachic Integrity"
The article, authored by Rabbi M. F., issues a serious and detailed warning to the Torah community about the alleged misconduct of Mr. Shlomo Halpern, who operates under the title toien (halachic legal advocate), primarily in Monsey, Brooklyn, and surrounding areas. The letter outlines a pattern of behavior that the author claims severely undermines the halachic judicial system (Batei Din) and the integrity of Dinei Torah.
Filing in Secular Court Without Heter Arka’os: Halpern allegedly filed lawsuits involving religious disputes in secular courts without rabbinic permission and falsely claimed he had a heter from Rav Daniel Geldzahler, who unequivocally denied giving such authorization.
Enforcing Ribbis (Interest) Contracts: He is accused of initiating legal actions to enforce contracts with prohibited interest clauses, without using a heter iska, thereby violating Torah laws of ribbis.
Documented Deception and Manipulation:
Alleged forgery and use of fraudulent documents.
Switching sides in cases for personal gain.
Sending proxies to Batei Din to conceal conflicts of interest.
Reviving settled cases for strategic advantage.
Bribery and Betrayal: Specific cases are cited where Halpern allegedly accepted bribes to switch sides mid-case, used fronts to avoid scrutiny, and sabotaged existing psak din (rabbinic rulings).
Use of a Nonprofit for Private Gain: The article asserts that Halpern used a nonprofit entity (Mechon Rav Shalom) to:
Collect client retainers without refund.
Issue interest-bearing loans without heter iska.
Funnel all proceeds into an account he personally controlled.
Matrimonial Manipulation: He is accused of obstructing gittin (Jewish divorces), playing both sides in divorce cases for financial gain, and prolonging disputes to extract more money.
Encouraging Arka’os (Civil Court): Halpern allegedly advised clients to abandon Beis Din and instead pursue civil litigation, sometimes without halachic permission, further undermining the Torah system.
Rabbi M.F. calls on Rabbanim, Dayanim, and communal leaders to:
Disqualify Halpern from any role in Batei Din until full accountability is achieved.
Institute stricter arbitration terms to prevent similar abuses.
Investigate the alleged misuse of nonprofit funds.
Publicly inform the community to avoid engaging his services.
The letter is passionate, urgent, and framed as a defense of the sanctity of halacha and Torah justice. It includes a blend of documented allegations and personal experiences, appealing to rabbinic authorities to act decisively and restore public trust.
|
|
The Arbitration agreement to be signed at any Bais Din-Otherwise do not go to that B"D- copies? kashrusy@aol.com
**********************************
שטר בירורין
אנו, בעלי הדין החתומים מטה, מודים ומאשרים בחתימות ידינו להלן — שייחשבו כעדות של מאה עדים כשרים ונאמנים — כי אנו החתומים מטה, בררנו יחד שני דיינים:
הרב ________________________________
הרב ________________________________
וקיבלנום על עצמנו לדון בינינו כפי ראות עיניהם, בין ע"פ
דין תורה, בין ע"י פשרה הקרובה לדין, כפי אשר ימצאו לנכון.
ואם שני הדיינים הנ"ל לא יוכלו להגיע להסכמה, יבררו
הם דיין שלישי.
וכל מה שיפסקו או יפשרו בינינו — בין לפי שיקול דעתם ע"פ
ההלכה ובין בדרך של פשרה — אנו מתחייבים לשמוע ולקבל.
כל אחד מאיתנו לא יסור ימין ושמאל מדבריהם, ולא ייפול דבר
מכל אשר ימצאו בינינו, בין דין ע"פ ההלכה בין פשרה קרובה לדין.
ודבריהם יהיו בתוקף כוח בית דין יפה, כאילו עמדנו לדין לפני
בי דינא דרבינא ורב אשי.
כל אחד מאיתנו שימרה את פי הדיינים הנ"ל — בין שפסקו
ע"פ דין, בין שפסקו פשרה, בין שדברו מעצמם ובין לאחר שהתייעצו עם רב אחר — יתחייב
בקנס בסך: _______________ / $_______________
כל צד רשאי לבקש פירוט הפסק, כולל:
- העובדות שעליהן התבסס הפסק
- הנימוקים והמקורות ההלכתיים שהביאו להכרעה
יתבצע תיעוד של מהלך הדיון — בין בהקלטה קולית ובין ברישום
מלא בכתב — לשם בהירות, דיוק ושקיפות.
פסק הדין יהא ניתן לאכיפה על פי חוקי המדינה שבתחום סמכות בית הדין, ויינתן גם בשפת המדינה
צדדים מסכימים לפתור את כל הסכסוכים באמצעות בוררות מחייבת ומוותרים על כל זכות להתדיין בבית משפט, כולל הזכות למשפט עם חבר מושבעים, לזאת קיבלנו על עצמנו בחרם חמור ובקניין על דעת בית דין, לאשר ולקיים כל האמור לעיל, לא כאסמכתא ולא כטופס רגיל של שטרים.
נחתם ונאמן
ביום ______ לחודש ______ שנת ______, בעיר
________________________________
חתימת בעל דין א׳: ___________________________
חתימת בעל דין ב׳: ___________________________
חתימת עדים / מזכירות ב"ד -אופציונלי: ___________________________ ___________________________
Arbitration Agreement
We, the undersigned parties to this matter, hereby
acknowledge and affirm with our signatures below — which shall serve as
testimony as if given by one hundred valid and trustworthy witnesses — that we,
the undersigned, have jointly appointed two arbitrators:
Rabbi ________________________________
Rabbi ________________________________
and we have accepted them upon ourselves to judge between us
either according to what they see fit under halacha (Jewish law) or to render a
compromise close to the law, as they see appropriate.
If the two aforementioned arbitrators are unable to reach
agreement, they shall appoint a third arbitrator.
Whatever rulings or compromises they issue between us —
whether according to their judgment under halacha or by compromise — we are
obligated to accept.
Each of us, the undersigned, shall not veer right or left
from their words, and nothing that they determine between us shall be void,
whether a legal ruling or a compromise close to law.
Their ruling shall have the full authority of a proper Beis
Din, as if we were standing before the Beis Din of Ravina and Rav Ashi.
Each of us, the undersigned, who disobeys the decision of
the aforementioned arbitrators — whether it is a legal ruling under halacha, a
compromise, whether issued by their own judgment or with consultation from
another Rabbi — shall be fined the amount of: _______________ dollars / ₪
_______________.
Each party may request to be informed of the ruling, along
with:
- the facts upon which it was based
- the halachic reasoning and sources that led to the
judgment
There shall be either an audio recording or comprehensive
written notes taken of the proceedings, to ensure clarity, accuracy, and
transparency throughout the arbitration process.
The ruling may be enforced under
the civil laws of the jurisdiction of the Beis Din, and the ruling shall also
be written in the language of that jurisdiction. The parties agree to resolve all disputes through binding arbitration and waive any right to a trial in court, including the right to a jury trial.
All of this we have accepted upon ourselves under a
stringent cherem (religious ban) and with a binding kinyan (formal legal act of
acquisition) in accordance with the authority of the Beis Din, to affirm and
uphold all of the above, not as a mere formality and not as a standard
boilerplate document.
As testimony and confirmation, we have written and signed
this on the ________ day of the month of ________, in the year ________, here
in the city of ________________________________.
Signature of Party A:
___________________________
Signature of Party B: ___________________________
Witnesses / Beis Din Secretariat (optional): ___________________________ ___________________________
The OU would have had Mashgichim, sealed platters, etc.
BRING YOUR OWN SANDWHICHES, GRILL CHICKEN, WRAPS, ETC
