The Awareness Center posts March 28:
Isaac Hersh was being held at Tranquility Bay, a boot camp in Jamaica, which was known for using severe corporal punishment on the children. Allegations have been made that Isaac’s parents (Miriam and Michael Hersh) and Rabbi Aharon Schechter were aware of the schools reputation prior to sending him there.
At around 7:00 AM Isaac Hersh arrived in New York City on a private plane. He will return to the custody of his foster family.
Another boy was released from Tranquility Bay a few weeks ago and stated he witnessed Isaac Hersh being abused. Yesterday during a meeting with US Embassy officials Isaac confirmed the abuse. At the time the other boy was released he begged rabbinical figures to help free Isaac because he is being beaten in the camp and his mental health was deteriorating quickly.
Those involved with freeing Isaac Hersh include, Joshua Ambush, Attorney; Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, executive director of the Torah Outreach Research Center of Houston and who is also one of the foster parents for Isaac twin brother; Rabbi Avraham Wolbe, Monsey, NY, David Pelcovitz, Phd of Yeshiva University, Mr. Zvi Gluck, Hatzalah, New York, NY; Isaac Klein, Far Rockaway NY and Senator Hillary Clinton.
A huge thank you goes to Rabbi Yosef Shereshevsky from Norfolk Virginia, COO of Wextrust Capital, for financing this operation and providing his private Jet. Also Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky were involved in the rescue.
As of today Michael Hersh who was the president of Hatzaloh Ambulance Service in New York, is on a leave of absence from his position.
Given this great news about Isaac, we cannot forget about all the other children who are still incarcerated at Tranquility Bay. Please keep them in your prayers over shabbos. As a people we need to make sure all of the children are freed from this torture chamber they call a school.
The Rabbi Yosef Shereshevsky above is famous for denying his wife a get (Jewish divorce) for about 11 years.
A source writes: "A shul that has a group that protests outside the home of people that do not give a get should not glorify the jet donated by someone who left his wife an agunah for years."
Protocol Regarding Certain Recalcitrant Husbands of AgunotThe Supreme Rabbinic Court of America, founded in 5735 (1974) by disciples of the Moetzet Gdolai HaTorah (Council of Sages); to consider and adjudicate extraordinary Jewish problems and issues, has also addressed itself since 5739 (1979) to cases involving recalcitrant husbands who refuse to grant divorces to their wives, when Jewish law has clearly dictated that they must be coerced. The Court’s Chief Justice has written a definitive legal text dealing with the Court’shalachic resolution of such matters, entitled "Lifdot Mechakai Gait" (To Release Those Awaiting a Divorce, Second Edition, Yaron Golan) Tel Aviv5754 (1994) 416pp 8.5 x 11). In addition he has just completed, his soon to be published "The Great Agunah Debate" in English.
During the past year the Court has dealt with a new situation which arose in a case where parties had previously sought our advise, namely the attempt by a husband to arrange "kidushai ktana" ie betroth a minoras a further act of extortion against his oppressed Aguna wife. While that case is formally before a Rabbinic Court; and the husband ignored the decrees of said Court, our Court decided to invoke extraordinary halachic measures if there is a clear and present danger to the Jewish Community, as when "kiddushai ktana" appeared to be adopted by other unscrupulous recalcitrant husbands as a nefarious addition to their crimes.
Accordingly, our Bet Din has gleaned from its rank and file a "Sanhedrin Ktana" being a body of 23 justices comprising Rabbanin and Dayanim, to deal with all cases of "kidushai ktana" in general and two husbands in particular who attempted to implement it. Furthermore, we are also addressing the case of one recalcitrant husband, whose aggravated treatment of his Aguna wife has been barbaric and a burden to the Jewish community. We invoke, by edict "universal jurisdiction where igun is involved (Rashbash 46)".
Applying the principle of "Even though the Sanhedrin was discontinued,its four capital punishments still persist (Sanhedrin 37b)," our minor Sanhedrin acting under the rubric of Horaat Shaah -emergency measures – as articulated in the Shulchan Aruch Choshen Ha Mishpat (Title 2) and its enabling statues to execute capital punishment in extenuating circumstances; hereby: 1.Serves warning that our Court is prepared to sentence to death any husband who within the next 30 days fails to release his Aguna wife voluntarily with a "gait", who has been involved directly, or indirectly by threat, in actuality and/or innuendo in kidushai ktana. More specifically, we identify two such husbands, Israel Goldstein and Yosef Shereshevsky. The latter has been in contempt of the Gedolai Torah Bet Din since Sivan 5753 (1993).
