Rebbe of Shomrei Emunim allowed to light candles in custody

After efforts, the U.S. correctional authorities allowed the Rebbe of Shomrei Emunim to light candles in custody.

The Shomrei Emunim Rebbe who is imprisoned in a federal detention in Queens, was allowed to light candles in his cell.

The Rebbe was arrested after the American Immigration authorities learned that the Rebbe, who is staying in the town of Monsey for the last half of the year, declared falsely in the immigration form to the United States, when asked if he was convicted of a criminal offense.

Since then, the Rebbe has been sitting in the federal detention in Queens and is expected to be tried.

Chairman of the "Dror" organization, Rabbi Yoel Mendelowitz, who helps Jewish prisoners in the U.S., visited the Rebbe and told Behadrey Haredim about his situation:

"According to U.S. law, one can not bail an inmate who is a foreign resident, for fear of escape. Therefore one can not release the Rebbe and he styas in prison in prison clothes and sleeps in a cell with other prisoners.

"We've used lobbyism behind the scenes to allow him to bring Sifrei Kodesh. But he was prohibited to bring in candles and therefore he is prevented from benching on fire at the end of Shabbos. Towards Chanukah, we were able to organize that the prison authorities will allow him to light candles in a room for prayers for all faiths."

"His lawyer is now working to prove that there was no intentional fraud here, but the Rebbe who does not read English, filled in the form in English on the instructions of one of his Hassidim who is an English speaker, who told him to mark the box "No" to all questions and sign the form. We expect that the process will end and the Rebbe accredited of the criminal section in the coming weeks and then deported," says the chairman of "Dror".

It should be noted that the Rebbetzin who lives in the town of Monsey is a U.S. citizen. Hassidim have been conducting fundraising for the costs of the courtcase.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!