The knee jerk reaction most blogs would take now is to either believe he's innocent or slam him and all frummies for thinking they are above the law.
Voz Iz Neias just reported about the arrest of Rabbi Yehoshua Balkany, dean of Bais Yaakov of Brooklyn. He was arrested on wire fraud, extortion, false statements, and blackmail charges stemming from an alleged $4 million scheme to extort a Connecticut-based hedge fund ("the Hedge Fund") into paying millions of dollars to Bais Yaakov and to another school on behalf of BALKANY. This is according to a criminal Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court.
My take on this is how hard it is for me, the regular guy sitting at home, to know what to make of these type of stories. Whenever we see these stories break we always hear right away that it's not true and they are out to get the guy. The guy has a beard and is frum so we right away wonder aloud, can a frum person really do this?
We are left to ponder if this guy is being unfairly targeted, or just thought it was a good way to make easy money. I don't have any idea if he is guilty or not and I'd have no real way of knowing. I hope and wish it isn't true, but after all these scandals have come out over the last few years, everything is possible.
I tend to think that when it's money related some frum people think as long as they aren't hurting anyone it's ok. Even though it is illegal and ethically wrong. Maybe some people justify it since it's for a school or tzedakah, it's ok.
Of course I'm not saying that I know what Rabbi Balkany thought or that he's even guilty. I'm just speaking in very broad terms. I really wish that these stories wouldn't happen anymore. I think the Frum Community could really use a break from the bad press.
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