From: hem@warlock.col400.att.com (Hillel Markowitz)
Subject: Re: Feld Brothers
Originator: scj@israel.nysernet.org
Reply-To: <hem@warlock.col400.att.com (Hillel Markowitz)>
Organization: Nysernet
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 15:25:46 GMT

The enclosed is further information of the issue.  Please repost the
appeal and information to other newsgroups that you feel appropriate (if they haven't already seen it).

Hillel Markowitz    H_Markowitz@att.com

----- Begin Included Message -----

Reply-To: ayf@pruxp.pr.att.com
From: "Avi Y. Feldblum" <ayf@PRUXP.PR.ATT.COM>
Subject: Feld Brothers
X-To: baltuva@vm1.mcgill.ca, jem@nysernet.org
To: Multiple recipients of list BALTUVA <BALTUVA@VM1.MCGILL.CA>

I spoke with Nina (Avrum and Scott's sister) for a while
this afternoon. If it wasn't for the fact that two good
people are currently locked up in jail, it sounds almost
like the bad plot of a TV show. As mentioned before, Avrum
went to Ca., as one stop in a longer trip to various places
in the US,  to speak with the parents of a woman who is
currently in Israel. This woman bears some serious grudges
against her parents, and has in the past lodged complaints
with the police against them. The brothers had gone to a an
all night store to get supplies, including several knives
(milchig, fleishig maybe parave?). These knives, as well as
a map showing the way to the home, made by the daughter in
Israel, were found in the car when Avrum and Scott were
arrested. Among the "incriminating" evidence appears to the
"fact" that the brothers were traveling under a set of
aliases, i.e. Austin/Avrum and Scott/Yisrael. There was
identification on them from Mossad Maccabee. When they
checked with their local "Rabbi", they were informed that
Mossad is the Israeli secret service, and Maccabee was the
name of a group of Jewish Warriors. It then became clear to
the police that they had stumbled onto two Israeli hit men,
part of some Jewish Warrior group associated with the
Israeli secret service, who were hired by the daughter, whom
had been heard by some of her friends in the past to say she
planned to kill her parents, to come to the US to kill the
couple. They were charged with conspiracy to murder, and the
cops appeared to be uninterested in other explanations of
the "facts".

At the preliminary hearing, the parents testified that they
did not feel threatened by the Felds, and that they were
interested in trying to come to some reconciliation with
their daughter, but it was ignored by the state. It does
appear, though, that very junior members of the DA's office
are being assigned to the case, possibly indicating that the
DA knows the charges will not hold up. As far as I know, the
only charge is conspiracy to murder, and there are no
weapons charges. This would indicate that there was nothing
more than knives that were found, i.e. no handguns or
anything like that. The bail has been set at $750,000 each.
There is a hearing tomorrow afternoon on reducing the bail,
so they can get out of jail. The kosher food issue that was
mentioned is a non-issue, there is no reason to bring it up
/ discuss it, by request of Avrum and Scott.

What can we do now? I asked that of Nina, as well as one of
the lawyers involved in the case. The lawyer said that from
a legal standpoint, they will know more tomorrow afternoon,
after the bail motion is heard and ruled on. Currently they
have an early trial date set for the end of January. Nina
hopes, as we all do, that this will be cleared up before
then. Right now, one big thing we can do is write to Avrum
and Yisrael. They are only allowed to see Nina once a week,
so they are very isolated. Letters from people, even just
letting them know that there are people out here who know
what is happening and care for them will help their mental
health very much. Their addresses are:

    Rabbi Austin Feld                 Scott Feld
    9296109                              9296110
    885 N. San Pedro                 885 N. San Pedro
    San Jose, CA 95110-1772   San Jose, CA 95110-1772

Those of you who know either Avrum or Scott, need no
introduction to them, for others, feel free to write that I
put this information and request out, and you are responding
to that. In addition, as mentioned earlier, the legal fees
involved are large, and now the family is trying to arrange
bail money as well. The lawyers are very good but that, as
many of you may know, costs money. The Rishon Le'Tzion, Rav
Mordechai Eliyahu, has stated that helping them in this way
is fulfilling the mitzvah of Pidyon Shevuyim, which is an
extremely important version of Tzedakah. Donations should be
made out to Lincoln Square Synagogue and mailed to:

The American Friends of Maccabee Institute
205 Center St.
Williston Park, N.Y.  11156

[You may want to mention that your donation is in response
to the information on electronic mailing lists, to let the
Felds know where some of this support is coming from. I
would also urge any of you to share this information with
your local Rabbi, to possibly make an appeal to your
congregation].

I will let you know when I hear anything new.

Avi Feldblum
mljewish@israel.nysernet.org
avi.feldblum@att.com


----- End Included Message -----