UPDATED: A man dressed as a Chassidish Meshulach is believed to be an impostor and not the real thing, LCSW says. The man, described as clean shaven, red hair, wearing a ‘Biber’ hat, sunglasses,a long Bekeshe and carrying a back-pack, was seen collecting in Shuls yesterday and today.
LCSW was called after residents grew suspicious of the man, who is believed to be non-Jewish.
It’s unknown at this time if he attempted to collect at private homes.
The Tomeich Tzedakah reportedly does not have any recollection of the man.
If you come across this ‘Meshulach’, and he does not have an Ishur, please phone LCSW. TLS.
UPDATE: Thursday
LCSW located the man fitting the description, and are currently in the process of doing a background check on him.
and what will LCSW do?
they have no authority to stop, investigate or detain someone.
if you believe you know someone who is panhandling; CALL THE POLICE!
Lscw will ‘freg em in uder Yiddish oiy ivrut, un oib err ken enfirerin. . . . ” but the police aren’t able to do that.
I agree with Mr. Conservative. There are things that the LCSW can handle but this is not one of them. This is a serious crime. Call the Lakewood Police.
I’m not understanding. Exactly what differance does it make what religion the fellow follows? If it is legal, fine. If not, why is anyone allowed to go around collecting?
Please explain.
People beware, yontiff time there are a group of gypsies who dress as Sephardic Jews. These people are not Jewish either. Just ask them a simple question and they can’t answer it. Its a whole family with baby carriages n all.
I agree with Mr. Conservative
I hope the Chevra from LCSW know how to speak Yiddish or Ivrit 🙂
Never saw before a clean shaven with a biber hat… That alone shows something wrong
I could have seen him and maybe I didn’t. But I’d probably tell the guy no thank you or just simply not answer my door and ignore him. Unless if he hangs around my property for a while, I’d think then to phone the cops. However anybody handles it, just be careful.
LCSW is actually the homeland security laision to the lakewood jewish community.
Since when are Jews the only ones with exclusive rights to collect charity? Every church has a charity box.
watch your kids
Maybe collecting charity isn’t illegal, but, pretending to be someone you are not in order to collect is.
yeh i saw him walking down 4th st smoking away
Wow! Thanks to # 5 for reminding me.
I was always wondering how to be matzill those who fall to these michsholim on erev shabbos koidesh.
Well, I guess this may be a good forum.
Many times, erev shabbos koidesh, when people are harried and rushing about (& therefore dont have time tzoo fregen zei), the following occurs: (especially zeier nunt tzoo dee unfang foon shabbos koidesh)
You park your car at Shoprite, when suddenly you are approached by these gypsies. They come over to you crying, holding pictures of children, children in baby carriages, sob stories of various machalahs, asking for tzeh-doe-kah.
two points:
A) Since I come from Brooklyn, I can confirm who these people are. They’ve been using this tactic amongst many others to get money from whoever they can for many years. They are KNOWN to be thieves.
If they come to your door, you better make sure you still have your wallet or whatever was within their reach while they were there.
If you ask them where they live, just to be friendly or so that perhaps you can assist them in other ways in the future, etc., they stumble on their words and make up street names – which they say are a few blocks away…. & those streets dont even exist!! If you ask them anything they are never honest & just try to walk away. Yes, it’s my money that they want, and I therefore have a right to ask.
At least be honest just like any honest person is, & say the truth or dont answer at all.
B) To # 11. I agree with you 100%. It doesnt matter what religion you come from. Anyone can collect whatever they want to.
However, you must realize that when a donor gives money to someone who is not honest with them, the collector is betraying the donor. Did you ever hear the saying, “Dont bite the hand that feeds you” (besides, read point A – above — These people are known liars AND THIEVES!!)
Why should I feel comfortable sending the money which G-d sent MY way to people who are despicable?!! Would you??
Well, it’s each individual’s choice to do as he pleases with his money. I just feel it’s my duty to inform the public.
Thank you!
#10 DUH (you stated) = “LCSW is actually the homeland security laision to the lakewood jewish community.”
let me clue you in on something, that you obviously are missing!
the term “liaison” only means they are the middle man between two or more groups. Being a liaison does not automatically grant you with the authority, nor the powers vested upon either groups.
when you go to buy a car, the salesperson is the liaison between you(the buyer) and the owner of the dealership. he helps both parties negotiate and communicate to come to a fair conclusion and understanding. just because he is the salesman(liaison), doesn’t mean he has the full authority to act on behalf of, or in person of the owner.
so to clear the air, the LCSW is nothing more than a civilian watch group. they are not employed, nor working under the homeland security organization. since the homeland security agency cant invite the whole town to any one meeting, they build relationships with small groups like fire depts/civilian safety watches/etc- in hopes these groups deliver the their message to everyone.
*Furthermore; lcsw are not trained, nor empowered to detain, frisk, arrest, or act on behalf of any law enforcement agency.
I TRULY THINK ITS TIME THE CHIEF OF POLICE ADDRESSES THE LAKEWOOD PEOPLE WITH CLEARING THE AIR. OBVIOUSLY THE LAKEWOOD JEWISH COMMUNITY IS VERY CONFUSED AS TO WHAT THE LCSW TRULY IS, AND WHAT IT CAN OR CANT DO.
#11
Yeh but did you ever see a jew collect in a church?
Call the police????! Are you kidding me?? They will laugh at you! This is exactly they type of work LCSW should be doing
So now this guy is going to find out that he was discovered, so he’ll just change his garb. Tomorrow he’ll come around with a beard and up-hat. And he’ll change his hair color too. It’s not that difficult to change his disguise
Its an interesting question of whether what he is doing is illegal just because he is wearing the garb.uits illegal to decieve a donor regarding where charity funds r going. But Who says jews have legal rights to bekishes? So he’s wearing a bekishe and saying tzedoka and trying to raise mnoney….
Of course there are legitimate charities in all religions. But when someone mascarades to be someone he’s not that’s a real problem.Like if a healthy person goes around collecting like he’s a pauper, then he’s a Fraud.that’s not racism that’s smelling out phonies. Am I makin sense
I saw him this morning walking down Hurley toward Cedarbridge. I did a double take when I saw him and he noticed me do that. he just seemed so out of place. Nothing about him seemed right. He also had Tzitzis hanging down. It actually spooked me a bit. I did not like the looks of that guy one bit.
its my choice to give my money. i dont want to be deceived. regardles of religion
I would be more worried about the implications of a stranger in a shul, with a backpack…..
LCSW was hired by the homeland security to protect the Lakewood Jewish community. They made a nice presentation at SCHI and were applauded by all our local Mosdes. Keep up your good work.
I got a phone call for a completely unrelated charity organization. My babysitter mentioned who she was the man suddenly went from being polite to hanging up on her without so much as a “thank you” or “good bye.” I don’t mind donating to great causes, but if you have a bad attitude, it’s a major turn-off, and you will not be getting a donation from me. The wrong attitude is a sign of illegitimacy in my opinion. If you are a real organization, hire people with proper manners.
#15 well said
ive also been approached by this women outside shoprite and had a bad feeling about the story
this imposter (clean shaven age around 50-55) has been in lakewood since sunday .he walked in in middle of our shiur which itself showes he has no shaychus as your average (frum)meshulach has the respect not to disturb a shiur in progress! at that time he had a beeber hat ontop of a na nach yarmuka and his signature back pack by tuesday he wore a cap as in poland and wed back to his borrowed beeber hat( if you left your in satmar dont bother going back for it was borrowed indefinatly)
his tzitzis go almost to the floor and he makes a point of you seeing him kiss the mezuza at least once!
as the saying goes an empty barrel makes alot of noise when someone makes a point of pointing out he’s meshelunu take a step back,pause before going for your wallet
and another point bederch klall they arent a loner
LCSW KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE TOWN SAFE!!!!!!!!
To 26
my friend saw this guy in Satmar today. He was davening with talis & tefillin (which were the only things in his bag, aside from a siddur & bencher). He’s a Russian yid who happened to have learned in yeshiva in Lakewood about 18 years ago.
As it happens to be, I think LCSW backed off of this case as well.
Let’s all learn from this story:
Dont jump to CONCLUSIONS if someone does not look or dress exactly like you.
EVEN if he walks in in middle of a shiur,
EVEN if he ‘appears’ not like the average (frum)meshulach,
EVEN if he has a beeber hat ontop of a na nach yarmuka,
EVEN if he has a signature back pack,
EVEN if by tuesday he wore a cap as in poland,
EVEN if his tzitzis go almost to the floor (They do not!),
EVEN if you think he makes a point of you seeing him kiss mezuza
So, you thank Lcsw for keeping the town safe, does that mean that when you hear something in the town go wrong, they should be held accountable? Crossing guards, police, fire. They all do their part too or are they just used when blame needs to be served
# 28 do you even know what your writing ?
my previous comment (#29) January 26, 2012 at 6:24 pm
was meant for #27 NOT SURPRISED January 26, 2012 at 11:08 am
(I think the numbers somehow got changed)
#16
i say get rid of lcsw and let all the crime come back to town llike it was before lcsw started and then you will join lakewood pd in catching all the bandits who were breaking into homes every night !
sounds great ! hope you have a gun when they break into your home
GROW UP!