BEWARE: A man posing as a Rav is soliciting money from residents, TLS has learned. The man, who identifies himself a Matisdorfer Rav – unrelated to the authentic Matisdorfer Rav of Brooklyn, has recently made his way to Lakewood from Florida where he solicited residents there as well.
The Vaad Haztedakah has confirmed to TLS that he is believed to be the same man who attempted to scam Lakewood residents several years ago.
In one of those incidents, the man solicited money from a widow, claiming her husband who passed away a couple months earlier, used to give him donations.
Residents should verify the authenticity of the solicitors by checking if the collector has an Ishur from the Vaad Hatzedakah.
UPDATE: LCSW is asking anyone who may have come in contact with the man, or anyone with information, to contact them at 732-367-1212. TLS.
Is it confirmed that he’s the same one? Or they just “believe so” but are not sure? Kabdayhu V’chashdayhu!!!
I just posted on the other article (officers more vigilant after murder of chris) regarding the frum impostor a few years ago and treating everyone like a potential suspect. So to the FRUM community; this is exactly why EVERYONE gets treated like a potential criminal. Officers are targets, and the perps are civilians. So please don’t take offense thinking just because you ‘look like’ a respectful, G*D fearing citizen- why it is that you still were treated according to protocol.
post a picture so qwe dont have to do any guessing work’. DUH!
Very freaky. Very.
woah! This totally freaks me out! 🙁
What makes him a fraudster and anyone else not . I’m the Hocus pocus rebbe and he is the matisdorfer .Who owns these names anyway. If he claims to collect for yeshivas that don’t exist or aren’t his that’s a problem , but names call yourself what you want
was he walking or driving . did anybody see him get into a car.!
The poskim stated some years ago that people should only give tzedaka to someone collecting with an ishur. People who come to my house without an ishur do not get tzedaka from me. Presuming our good friend the “Rav” does produce an ishur then most will not give. I do not see the need for this scam alert.
He tell people he is collecting for three widows in isreal and mentions their names (which are legit widows) but this is been going on for a while and not one of these widows have recieved a penny as of yet.
He is using their situation to benefit his own pocket.
A simple thief!!
Call LCSW at 732 367 1212 if you come in contact with him.
There is another family in Yerushalayim called Toisig who are the Mattersdorfer Rebbe’s children & grandchildren.Reb Chaim Brim OB”M a Mechutan of R YS Elyashiv Shlita, was a son-in-law of the Beis Yisroel Toisig, his brother-in-law R’ Bunim Z”L took over being Rebbe, he passed way & left a son who assumed that mantel, & goes arround the world collecting like other Yerushalayma. If it is him he is not a fraud, they do have a shtible in Meah Shearim & a kollel nearby, they definatly did, I have no reason to think it closed down.
He may be a little different, but be careful B4 calling him a fraud, he isn’t related to the Ehrenfeld’s, but the name is his.
He definatly needs money, like all other collectors.
to # 8 ” the poskim said don’t give without a ishur”?????? I don’t think so. Rav Sheinberg and many others don’t hold this way at all. There are unfortunatly many places where the ishur granters are the frauds. I know of one place where it was suggested that the aniyyim be forced to pay for the administrative costs for running the ishur vaad. For thousands of years we managed as a people to give tzedaka without all these vaads. What changed?? There were never frauds until the 1990’s ??? What about the gemorrah that says you don’t check into aniyim to ddeply lest Hashem Ysborach check into you! If a yid says he needs tzedaka then he needs tzedaka. Don’t be such a titewad that you cause anniyim (and almanos) the busha of having to show their mug shot to you. Please do not moderate this comment out.
I saw the signatures a few years ago. True; I don’t believe R’ Scheinberg Shlita was signed on, however that is only ONE gadol. I saw virtually every other big gadol signed on the letter back then. R’ Elyashiv, R’ Shteinman as well as all the bigger gedolim in America(as well as others in EY, I simply don’t remember every name now).
I totally agree with #11. For your 1 dollar bill you need to see an ishur? Keep your dollar. Anybody who goes door to door collecting needs the money, no matter what his story is.
Write the guy out a $100 check, then ask for his ishur.
These people suffer enough ‘bushos,’ you need to see his ishur as well?
Also, in the large picture, what percent of all of them are frauds? 15% – 25%? I doubt if it’s even that high. In business would you not take a 25% risk with a much larger sum of money?
Please give them a break.
If our community decided to have an ishur system, then go along with it, stop making a big deal out of it. Evidently there were scammers, there is a tefillah that we say that we shouldn’t be nichshal to give tzedaka to people who are not worthy=yiddishe gelt is dear-there are scammers and they ruin it for the real shluchei mitzvohs-
If he collects for a specific cause and doesn’t give a red cent to the cause he’s claiming to be collecting for then YES HE IS A FRAUD!!!
And I believe the Tzedoko Organizations know a bit more facts then you and if they say he is a fraud then he is a fraud.
he just came to my house tonight, I gave the guy money and then saw that his paper didn’t seem right Oh well!
I just checked with Tomchei Tzedakah (the Lakewood Vaad Hatzdakos).
The suspect is a bus driver/mechanic (his license is of a bus driver) living in Monsey and Bais-shemesh.
He poses like a Rebbe & comes with a gabay.
Tomchei Tzedakah’s source in Eretz Yisroel say that although he is claiming to be collecting for the families of 3 young people recently niftar in Bais-shemesh, he is not authorized to collect for these families and these families have received no money from him.
he came to lakewood from florida
what a fool ! I wouldve stayed in warmer climates
#10
please read #10
rav toiseg the younger brother
is the mattersdorfer rebbe of ertz yisroel
he also has an older brother who is a nice and freindly person and a big ball chessed
please make sure that the cas we are discussing are not the toisig family
they are both legit
and very kind caring and nice
they are also nephews of reb shmeel toisig (z”l i think)
the older rav toisig collect monies for a sister in law
an almanah who he personally undertook to pay for their chasunahs
I will not list all that are against the ishur business but allow me one more: Horav Leib Bakst ZTL (Roshe Hayeshiva Ateres Mordechai Detroit) who was Moreinu Harav SHNEUR KOTLER’s ZTL Mechuten
also held not to do it
Are you sure R’ Bakst held not to do it? He was against the one in Detroit and so was R’ Sheinberg, because of teh way it was run. The same R’ Sheinberg encouraged Lakewood to create the vaad, signed a letter endorsing the vaad and as recently as last summer reiterated his support of the vaad.
As far as the comment: “for thousands of years we managed as a people to give tzedaka without all these vaads”. When the home of one of Europe’s most famous Rabbonim burnt down in the mid 1920s, he moved into my grandfather’s home for 1 1/2 years. My father remembers that every meshulach that came to their city had to first come to the Rav to get his written approval.
Perhaps call the LPD get them involved. Perhaps they can get him if you give them a little description, before the sabbath..
i gave him money in florida last weeeeek
Can anyone offer a description of this person?
does this man walk with a cane?
does he claim to be collecting for a yeshiva called Bais Yisroel in Beit Shemesh?
A man like this just called me…please let me know