Currently there are two high profile Jewish defendents in the US each receiving quite different treatment.
Bernard Madoff accused of bilking investors including several charities to the tune of $50, 000,000.00 awaits trial under house arrest with a ankle bracelet GPS.
Shalom Rubashkin who is accused of several crimes connected with the Agriprocessorskosher meat plant in Postville Iowa. Despite being willing to post several million $ in bail and agree to house arrest as well as an ankle GPS awaits trial in a Federal Jail Cell why? [The following was posted on www,vosizneias.com ]
"The judge, Jon Scoles, ruled that Rubashkin posed a risk of flight and declined to release him on bail, pointing to evidence that he had a travel bag with cash and travel documents on hand at the time of his arrest. He also noted that two others accused of crimes connected to their work at Agriprocessors are believed to have fled to Israel.
Scoles took note of Israel's Law of Return, which grants automatic citizenship to Jews."
While the Hon. Judge Scoles may embrace anti-Semitic stereotypes concerning where Jewish loyalties lie. The defense pointed out the Judge's line of reasoning would have the Attorney General of the United States and Two US Supreme Court Justices as unreliable flight risks ready at the drop of a hat go declare their fidelity and loyalty to the State of Israel. Needless to say the Judge upon reconsideration backpeddled a little by suggesting the Defendant’s Counsel was making too much of the issue.
However there may be a far deeper lesson here. Mr. Madoff despite his extensive connections throughout the Jewish community is not recognizable as an Orthodox Jew. His personal observance of ritual is up for debate whereas Rubashkin is. Maybe the unequal treatment translates in to a message simple and yet profound.
The secular Madoff is not seen as a flight risk but the Orthodox Rubashkin is.
It is almost as if Judge Scoles knows a visible Jew’s home is in Israel. Madoff may know this, his appearance does not indicate it but Rubashkin does.
Something to think about during the festival of asserting Jewish Identity in a hostile world.
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