Chaptzem Blog!      

Scam Rabbi's prayer

A prominent Orthodox Jewish leader is begging a federal judge for mercy in the hope of avoiding prison time for a multimillion-dollar business scam — and he has a slew of rabbis, civic and business leaders pleading his cause, The Post has learned.
Rabbi Judah Feinerman, 79, of Far Rockaway, Queens, confessed to being a crooked insurance broker who, along with a co-defendant, collected $20 million from trucking companies and firms without ever setting up the policies with insurance companies. He used the money to pay for a home in Boca Raton, Fla., among other personal expenses.

Feinerman's downfall has reverberated through the tightly knit Orthodox Jewish community. More than 100 friends have written Manhattan federal Judge Richard Holwell appealing for compassion.

Among those going to bat for Feinerman is Touro College President Bernard Lander, who said Feinerman's "life has been replete with acts of decency and charity," Lander said.

Herbert Dobrinsky, vice president of Yeshiva University, said Feinerman "opened his home to individuals and families who became destitute."

Rabbi Aaron Eli Glatt, an infectious-disease specialist, wrote, "There are literally thousands of individuals who have directly benefited from this good man's hospitality and kindness."

Widely regarded as a charitable man who helped build synagogues and financed tuition for needy students, Feinerman was treasurer of the Synagogue Council of America. He long was a trustee on the governing board of his alma mater, Yeshiva, and chaired the board of the university's rabbinical school from 1986 to 2000.

He was also one of 20 U.S. Jewish leaders invited to a historic gathering at the Vatican in 1990.

"I stand before you today as a broken individual. I pleaded guilty to a crime because I am guilty," Feinerman said in a statement he has prepared for his sentencing.

He repented having "sullied" his family, which includes four children, 17 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

"I am old. I am tired," said Feinerman, who is in ailing health. "My fear now is that I may die alone in jail . . . Judge Holwell, with every fiber of my being, I hope to seek atonement for my misdeeds and I beg for your mercy."

His sentencing is slated for May 19. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has recommended 30 months in jail.