From: hem@warlock.col400.att.com (Hillel Markowitz)
Subject: Feld brothers update
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <hem@warlock.col400.att.com (Hillel Markowitz)>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 14:16:20 GMT


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Date:         Mon, 28 Dec 1992 19:13:34 -0500
Reply-To:     "J. Y. Yosh Mantinband" <cm406@cleveland.Freenet.Edu>
 "BALTUVA: Issues & questions of concern to observant Jews."              <BALTUVA@VM1.MCGILL.CA>
From:         "J. Y. Yosh Mantinband" <cm406@CLEVELAND.FREENET.EDU>
Subject:      Feld Brothers - Interview with Bro. from Jeru Post
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The following articles (interview and "update") appeared in "In
Jerusalem," the local Jerusalem supplement to the Jerusalem Post on
Friday, December 25, 1992.

Reproduced here with permission.

EXCLUSIVE: RABBI RAPS CALIFORNIA INDICTMENT
Rabbi David Feld: Prosecutor is looking for Mossad Connections

On the night of November 19, 1992, Rabbi Avraham (Austin) Feld and
brother Yisrael (Scott), both on a visit to the U.S., were picked up
by the police at a Safeway supermarket parking lot in Palo Alto,
California for allegedly shoplifting.  They are currently being held
in the Santa Clara County Jail in San Jose, California on charges of
conspiracy to commit murder.

Rabbi Avraham Feld, 38, who is the director of Mossad Maccabee, a
Jerusalem-based social service agency, was on a fundraising mission
for his institute and had attended the circumcision celebration of his
sister's first-born in New York;  Yisrael Feld, 36, had arrived in the
U.S. later on to join his family in celebrating the birth of his
sister's baby.

Over the past month, various conflicting reports have been appearing
in the local and international press concerning this bizarre incident.

On December 20, one day before the arraignment of the Felds, In
Jerusalem reporter, Joanna Samuels went on an exclusive interview of
Rabbi David Feld, the brother of the two detainees, held at his home
in Jerusalem.

IJ: Can you tell me about your brothers?

DF: My brother Avraham has been an idealist since his high school
days.  Already in his early years, he perceived the alienation of
Jewish youth.  He saw the indifference to the fate of the handicapped
and the many children growing up estranged from our Jewish heritage.
He graduates from Yeshiva University in New York where he obtained
his smicha (rabbinical ordination) and followed up his education with
a master's in psychology.

An ardent Zionist, Avraham made aliya in 1980 and formed the Maccabee
Institute or Mossad Maccabee, an agency dedicated to social and
educational aid.  Avraham lives in Jerusalem and is the father of
five children.  Yisrael, who is also a graduate of Yeshiva University
made aliya about the same time as Avraham.  He chose to raise sheep
in the village of Sussia.  He is the father of seven children

At my sister's brit milah ceremony, Avraham mentioned that he would
be going to California for his fundraising activities.  He had some
addresses of people who might be able to help the institute.  He also
had planned to visit a family of a girl he was counseling in Israel.
Yisrael, who had never been to California, offered to help Avraham
and travelled with him to California.

IJ: What happened in California?

DF:  My brothers were arrested in the parking lot of a Palo Alto
supermarket where they had just purchased some food.  A policeman who
observed them in their kippot, jeans and, in Yisrael's case a long
beard, unloading the produce, thought the two 'strange characters'
had just shoplifted the food from the market.  He the arrested them,
taking them to his headquarters on the grounds of suspicious objects
found in their car.

Afterwards, this claim turned into something else.  My brothers were
charged with conspiracy to commit murder.  This is the bizarre part.

My brother Avraham had been counseling a young woman named Rachel in
Jerusalem as part of a Mossad Maccabee program; she was a Big Sister
volunteer.  Rachel, whose family resided in California, had spoken to
Avraham about her familial situation.  Avraham had been working with
Rachel to help her realize the importance of 'shalom bayit' (making
peace with her family).  Having extensive experience in counseling he
had advised her to write her parents and ask for reconciliation.
Indeed, Rachel listened to Avraham and wrote to her parents in an
attempt to improve their relationship.

When Rachel heard that Avraham was going to the U.S. hand that he was
going to California, she offered him her house as a place to stay.
At the same time, she gave Avraham keys to her parents' home to
facilitate his comings and goings.  She wanted Avraham to get a feel
for the 'spiritual atmosphere' of her parents' home in order to
obtain a better understanding of her past.

When my brothers were arrested and the police found the key to
Rachel's parents' home, they accused them of conspiracy to commit
murder.

IJ: What about the items found in the trunk of the car as reported
in the press?

DF: Among their personal belonging, the police found two kitchen
knives - one was dairy and the other meat, according to the Jewish
dietary laws of Kashrut.  It was quite difficult to explain this to
the police.  The also found wool caps, which the police referred to as
'ski caps' for greater effect.  What is so strange about having a
wool hat if one had just come from being in the freezing New York
weather?  The police found a hammer in my brothers' rented car.
Personally, I always carry tools in my car trunk in case of a
breakdown, flat tires, etc.  The plastic handcuffs were really
plastic Flex-cuffs, which were purchased in the U.S. to use with the
handicapped children who are helped by Mossad Maccabee.  They are
unavailable here in Israel.  These children have limited control over
their bodily functions and the handcuffs are used to keep them
secured to their chairs.  The police found special elastic stockings
for pregnancy, which Avraham had bought for his wife at her request.
They are quite expensive here in Israel.

IJ: It is still not clear why they were charged with conspiracy to
murder.

DF: The police also found brochures for Mossad Maccabee fundraising.
The police related the name 'Mossad' to the Israeli Mossad.
According to the reports, they thought they had captured two Mossad
assassins trying to murder Rachel's parents.

You see, Rachel had not contacted her parents upcoming visit and had
assumed that Avraham would call her before going to California;
Avraham assumed that she had already been in touch with her family
about his arrival.

After the police had contacted the parents, they immediately called
their daughter in Israel, who then explained the mix-up to them.  The
parents also informed the police they had no intention of pressing
charges.

IJ: So why are the police holding your brothers in jail?

DF: It's a good question.  I guess that it is not easy for the police
to admit that they made a blunder by arresting two innocent people
and charging them with such a heinous crime, especially in the
prosecutor, Karen Sununu, is still looking for connections to the
Israeli Mossad.

IJ: What do your brothers' lawyers say?

DF: They constantly reiterate that legally there is no case.  Nobody
has pressed charges.  What's even more disturbing is that both of my
brothers are in prison and are being held in terrible conditions.
They are kept in handcuffs.  As Orthodox Jews, they have not been
allowed to perform the most elementary religious rituals such as
putting on phylacteries.  Habad has visited them and helped them in
this regard;  they have to put the phylacteries on Avraham and
Yisrael since my brothers, being handcuffed, can't do it for
themselves.  They are not permitted to have any books - not even a
prayer book or a book of Psalms.  Their kippot and tzitziot have been
removed.  In addition, they are forced to fast as they have not been
allowed kosher food.  They have been living on a diet of liquids and
fruits for weeks since their imprisonment.  Where are the most
fundamental aspects of freedom of religion on which the U.S. prides
itself?

IJ: What are you doing to help on this end?

DF: Once the incident was publicized, calls and letters started
pouring in worldwide.  We received letters of recommendation and
support, which were used as character testimonies.  To name a few:
the Chief Rabbis of Israel, the Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Knesset
Members with whom Mossad Maccabee had contact, and other prominent
rabbis and public figures, as well as hundreds of people who have
been helped by Mossad Maccabee and by my brothers.

The lawyers representing them are charging very high fees.  We have
been occupied with collecting funds to pay them as well as trying to
raise the bail money in the sum of $1,500,000.  The lawyers have been
keeping us on our toes requesting all kinds of documents such as
Avraham's Certificate of Rabbinical Ordination, copies of degrees in
Education and Psychology and Yisrael's degree in Sociology and more.
All of these things combined have helped to prepare for a good
defense although we are still not sure what the California police
will eventually charge them with.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE:

On Monday, December 21 an arraignment was held.  The Feld brothers
were charged with conspiracy to commit murder and robbery.  However,
the Palo Alto police and district attorney have been unable to
substantiate any evidence of whom the intended victim was supposed to
be.  The court's motion for dismissal was postponed for December 30th
due to backlog.  Look for an update in next week's issue.

--- end of In Jerusalem (12/25/92) articles.


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