People and issues
Dear Friend/Acquaintance of R’ and Mrs. Ranaan Broderick
The original open letter on the custodial accounts, the real estate, and the Queens lawsuit.
Dear Friend/Acquaintance of R’ and Mrs. Ranaan Broderick shlit”a, We deeply regret that it is necessary to bring the following matter to your attention: It is now over ten years since Rav Avrohom Ort shlit”a summoned his daughter, Mrs. Soro Rochel Broderick, to a Din Torah. In short, the issues involved are:1) Over $180,000 in cash that she acquired by taking ownership of custodial accounts that he established in her name.2) Real estate holdings which R’ Avrohom inherited from his parents and placed in her name as a legal tax shelter, which she assumed control of.3) Substantial income generated by the above. Mrs. Broderick has obtained these assets through the civil courts, while presenting no permission from any Bais Din, as attested in the enclosed letter from HoRav HaGaon Rav Note Greenblatt shlit”a. The core issue is that a couple can appropriate enormous sums of money (from her own father) and refuse to appear at a Din Torah to determine if what they did constitutes theft or not, while simultaneously presenting themselves to their community as Bnei Torah. We therefore seek your assistance in ending this chillul Hashem. The Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat (26;1) stresses the severity of this issur in the strongest terms. As a friend, please approach the Brodericks. Help them to realize the gravity of what they are doing, and how everyone will benefit if this is resolved “al pi Halacha”. Their phone number is 972-788-4695. You will truly be doing a great mitzva, and them a great favor (see Sanhedrin 68; ‘it is a favor to the litigant that gezel has been removed from his hands’). Sincerely, The true friends of the Brodericks
Sarah Ort (-Broderick) changed the account status so that she could take the money in the account: Note: this all was being done December 1999, when R’ Avraham was still living at home, trying desperately to make the marriage work!
R’ Avraham only became aware of this on the date of the letter, September 2002, three years later. That is why when Mrs. Broderick came to him saying that she “has no money” he gave her $2,500 in April 2000. See a copy of the actual check in the section at the right entitled ‘day to day support’:
the $2,500 check in Day-to-Day Support
Mrs. Broderick and Mrs. Hirsch suing their father in court: Cover of the two married daughters suing their father in secular courts without permission of Beis Din. The basis of the claim is his allegedly withholding part of the income from a piece of real estate he had put in their name. When questioned by Rav Nota Greenblatt shlit”a, Av Beis Din of Memphis Tenn., what gave her the right to take her father to court, her husband, Raanan Broderick responded that they had a Heter from a Secret Rov, whose reason for the Heter was “also a secret”.
The Brodericks seek a court injunction against Rabbi Ort for sending them a hazmana to a Din Torah that they claim will “unfairly stigmatize them in their religious community”:
Third Count: injunction against the rabbinic arbitration
**Lawsuit amount: 1 million dollars, plus interest and legal fees. **
Prayer for relief: one million dollars
This was repeated THREE times:
The letter from Beis Din denouncing their actions:
Translation: This is to make known that Mrs. CHANA MIRIAM, wife of R’ Eliezer Chaim HIRSCH of Monsey N.Y., IS GOING TO COURT AGAINST THE DIN AND WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM BAIS DIN, to draw out huge amounts of money from her father contrary to Jewish law. One who does so “is called a rosho, and is as if they blasphemed and rebelled against the Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu”, as is paskined in Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat 26).
This is aside from (the issur of) absolute THEFT and CAUSING OF DAMAGE involved in such claims, “AND BAIS DIN HAS THE RIGHT TO EXCOMMUNICATE HIM” as the Rema paskins (ibid) and adds: “AND SO TOO WE EXCOMMUNICATE ANYONE WHO HELPS SOMEONE WHO GOES BEFORE GENTILE COURT”.
Based on that we have also summoned her husband, but he excuses himself by claiming that he cannot stop his wife’s actions.
Therefore, with great anguish, we publicize this for all to know to protest against her actions, to save the victim from the wrongdoer, in order that all should know about this and desist from making the nations to be our judges.
May we speedily merit the establishment of the authority of the laws of the holy Torah.
To this we sign on I3 Shevat 5763
(R.) Yakov Hopfer
(R.) Simcha Bunim Shafrin
(R.) Mordechai Shuchatowitz
Rav Nota Greenblatt writes:
Rav Greenblatt’s letter on the ‘secret heter’
Translation: Regarding the claims in civil court, filed by Mrs. SORO ROCHEL, THE WIFE OF R. BRODERICK shlit”a, MEMBER OF THE KOLLEL IN DALLAS, in my area, against her father R. Avrohom Ort shlit”a, who wishes to adjudicate in Bais Din according to the laws of the Torah. They are excusing themselves that they received permission to go to court from someone who is secret, and the reason for the permission is also secret.
But it is absolutely clear that such a critical question, whether to adjudicate in the courts, which entails a CHILLUL HASHEM, as Rashi brings in the beginning of Parshas Mishpatim, is not a private shylah, pertaining only to the one making the claim, like a shylah in hilchos Shabbos or something similar. Especially in this country where it necessitates the one being sued to hire lawyers, which, as is well-known, is almost an endless expense, and this in itself is A CAUSE OF GREAT MONETARY DAMAGE and surely a reliable Beis Din would not permit to adjudicate before the civil courts EXCEPT AFTER HEARING THE CLAIMS FROM BOTH SIDES, and then after great consideration, they would WRITE THEIR OPINION.
And truthfully there is no need to elucidate on this because EVERYTHING THAT THEY ARE SAYING, THAT THEY HAVE A HETER, IS AN ABSURD JOKE, for if so, no one is left safe, for any claimant who feels that it is better for him to sue in court will say the same, and there need be no more Dinei Torah among the Jewish people chas v’sholom.
What‘s more, it is UNBELIEVABLE THAT BNEI TORAH, WHO STUDY TORAH FULL TIME, SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS.
To this I have affixed my signature on the date above, here, Memphis, Tenn.
(Rabbi) Nota Tzvi, son of a.a.m.v. Horav Yitzchok Greenblatt
**Rabbi Greenblatt shlit”a kindly requests the Brodericks to come to a Din Torah before Beis Din: **
**Mrs. Broderick wrote back in response: ** Mrs. Broderick’s response is answered in the open response