American Rabbi Suspected Of Running Baby Trafficking Network

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    JERUSALEM (JTA) – Israeli police have arrested five people, including an American rabbi who heads a yeshiva, for allegedly running an international baby trafficking ring that targeted mentally disabled mothers.

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    The Nazareth Magistrate’s Court on Thursday identified the rabbi as Shmuel Puretz, 44, a businessman who divides his time between New York and Jerusalem, according to The Times of Israel. He and at least four other suspects were arrested in February, but details of the three-year investigation against them had been subject to a gag order until the court lifted parts of it on Thursday.

    All the suspects have been released pending an indictment and trial.

    Puretz, who denies the allegations, is accused of sending Israeli expectant mothers in need or suffering from a mental disability from within haredi Orthodox communities to the United States so they would give birth there. The babies would be given to childless foster parents who allegedly paid Puretz and others for the babies.

    Many details about the affair, including how much money the handlers allegedly charged, are still subject to a gag order.

    Yediot Aharanot reported in a 2017 expose about the affair that they charged a $100,000 to $150,000 “handling fee” per child.

    One alleged accomplice is Rivkah Segal, a rabbi’s wife from Migdal Haemek, a city in northern Israel. She is suspected of abusing her legal guardianship over an expectant mother with mental health problems. The mother said that Segal had her flown to New York highly pregnant, deliver a boy in a Caesarian procedure and had him taken from her.

    Segal denied the charges. But an Israeli court last week ruled she should pay that mother $144,000 in damages.


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    39 Comments
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    perspective
    perspective
    4 years ago

    If true, very sad. If not true, very sad.

    +641
    +641
    4 years ago

    65141

    Marvin
    Marvin
    4 years ago

    His father Laibel has taught his kids the art of theft.

    Max klein
    Max klein
    4 years ago

    Fake News: The story was the mothers where looking abort the babies. so they convinced them not to abort the babies. thease people saved Jewish babies from being killed.

    lazy-boy
    lazy-boy
    4 years ago

    basing this report on the Times of Israel and Ynet is basing on perverted news sources. Both the ToI and Ynet are very anti religious and will NEVER give a fair shake to a religious Jew.

    gadol
    gadol
    4 years ago

    in sdom, if you chas vechalila tried to help someone they put you on trial. In modern day sdom it’s the same. We are talking about a mentally ill person who they were trying to help.

    ruby
    ruby
    4 years ago

    between the lines what might be going on is as follows;
    a family has an adult child w/ some mental issues
    they help the child get married for companionship
    but raising children is not something they are capable of
    at some point they get pregnant , couples parents are worried ” vos vet zein”
    some one suggests this idea have the baby in e”y and give it to foster family
    sounds like a sad situation but the best way out
    now by yidden if you do any type of askonus a few times by default you become the go to man
    wheredoes the gelt come in we need to wait & see

    B
    B
    4 years ago

    FAKE NEWS. He is an amazing person who has no gain from any of his chased. All he does is help make a shidduch between parents looking to adopt a baby and mothers who for whatever reason don’t want to keep their baby. (Occasionally it’s Do to mental illness). At times when the parents meet, the mother tries getting money out of the new parents, however that has nothing to do with him. I have been involved in an adoption like this and he never took or even agreed to accept any form of payment.

    Putz
    Putz
    4 years ago

    This is an outright anti chareidi Bias article coming from the left new. The Frum world won’t make abortions on a pregnant chareidi high school girl – putting the entire family in shame. The idea of making a Shiduch with childless American healthy family in need is brilliant. Discreet. Win win for all.
    A mentally ill girl changed her mind 5 years later…. the money made is baloney. Askonim have been doing this for 30 years!

    A
    A
    4 years ago

    Fake News: The story was the girls where gonna abort the babies so they convinced them not to abort the babies by giving them cash and finding a home for the newborns.

    ERCSD
    ERCSD
    4 years ago

    Some of these babies will grow up and suffer from the same illness as their parents. It will be devastating for the children and the parents that adopted them.

    Henry Fish
    Henry Fish
    4 years ago

    This mans only intention was to save the children. He never made a penny – don’t believe everything you hear or read.

    I hate to say it
    I hate to say it
    4 years ago

    Nebach. Not every person is ment to be married. Not every married couple are ment to have children. When the issue is forced, many complications arise. Many bipolar people can get married and maintain a healthy relationship. Many can not.
    My concern is that there is clearly not enough being done to help unsera who have mental/emotional issues. It’s still, by a large extent, swept under the carpet. I pray that all of Kllal yisroel should be healthy.

    Elliot
    Elliot
    4 years ago

    Muttar or assur – you are sick for posting these kind of stories.
    The pirud halevavos and sinas chinam it incites in you readers against our brothers is something you will be held responsible for. Especially on an allegation that is coming from a state dedicated to denigrating and defaming orthodox Jews in any way possible.
    Shame on you

    Pro-Vaxx
    4 years ago

    Its known for years that this site is worse than trash, what a shock its a bunch of chasidish guys that are off the derech…(and to further prove look at their advertisors) in any case im not jealous of their lot in hell one day. the fact is that they quoted news from two anti jewish sites in isreal -any educated person knows that. So further research uncovered that the families of these mentally ill woman were the ones who flew them into America out of shame that noone should find out (talking about ultra orthodox !!) and they were more than thrilled to get rid of these babies and put them into loving care chareidi homes. DOing this thru the isreali court would mean they go to chiloni or perhaps non-jewish families of course….money was charged for legal fees. Simple.Lets see if VIN cares to follow up in 3 months…nah.

    Uforatzta
    Uforatzta
    4 years ago

    He is not the first one to have done this. I know someone in Flatush who died that was a huge askan and arranged for probably 50 babies for childless couples. Not sure what the issue here is. The zionist reshoyim are animals. They are upset that these babies are not Israelis, and even more upset that if these moths had given birth in Israel, they would have made sure these children stay irreligious by giving them to tel aviv chayos.

    it’s a horrible story. I feel bad for him.

    Epstein didn’t kill himself, and leiby is a thief.

    Was a democrat until I saw the light
    Was a democrat until I saw the light
    4 years ago

    Accusation are easy to make
    And leftest press jumps all over it
    Never check sources for reliability
    Until more facts are known
    We all having a good time possibly destroying some one

    Chaim
    Chaim
    4 years ago

    @goldnmedina – A friend once pointed out to me that he knew of only two countries that beat the living daylights out of Orthodox Jews…
    Germany…
    …. and The State of Israel..

    ari
    ari
    4 years ago

    with all respect to VIN news, to repost a news story which we know is at best missing 1/2 the story and most probably opposite of what actually transpired and in the process besmirching and maligning a few families in the process really lowers your reputation and standards as a non partial news reporting blog
    it is the job of your VIN editors to research and check out the news items you post instead of just reposting and quoting what other news sites are putting out depending on them for verification

    Toocool
    4 years ago

    SOmething smells here…is this the same corrupt govt that sold THOUSANDS of babies just a few short years ago in what was know as the biggest scandal in Isreali govt ever…