"Verabim me'amei ha'aretz misyahadim" • U.S.: Hispanics celebrate too

Thousands of dollars were stolen yesterday (Wednesday) from tzedokah boxes of 'Matanos la'evyonim' in shulls in Lakewood.

Five Batei Midrash in different neighborhoods in Lakewood had all the moneys of Matanos Laevyonim stolen from them. In two of the Batei Midrash which were burgled – there are security cameras, in which two people dressed as Hasidic avreichim are seen going up to charity boxes, emptying them and running away.

'Hashomrim' organization has disseminated an email to all gabbaim of the synagogues in the city, with pictures of the thieves who look and talk like Meshulachim. Anyone who saw the men is asked to call 732-367-1212 as soon as possible.

However the organization reserves the allegations, and calls not to suspect any specific Meshulach before it becomes clear who the thieves are. "We know exactly how they look, we see them clearly in the video cameras - and we'll find them soon. The police join the searches too."

Another known phenomenon, which is repeated every year: Hispanics who masquerade on Purim as hareidim and beg for charity in the streets of Boro Park. This year the group of rogues went further: two members of the gang dressed up as Rebbes, and went through 13th Avenue in Boro Park, the neighborhood's main street, and distributed to anyone who passed by fake hundred-dollar bills.

More complaints were received about gentiles dressed as yeshiva students who waited for the vans of Tomchei Torah in front of houses of the rich, and followed them into the houses, and under the cover of the bustle, put expensive silver cups, luxury shalach manos and other things into their bags.

In other streets, Hispanics dressed up as hassidim with masks on their faces, went from door to door and exploited 'kol haposhet yad nosnim lo'. On 54th Street, between 13th Avenue and 14the, in one of the houses, a fight broke out between two dressed up gentiles to family members who wanted the two disguised to come later – because the house was filled to capacity. The two tried to enter forcibly, the house members started to shout and 'Hashomrim' arrived on the scene and captured the two men. A police investigation revealed that they were dressed up Hispanics, and they were charged with attempting an invasion of privacy.

"Before Purim, safety instructions for Purim from 'misyahadim' were published, and indeed there are rich people who rent special security guards to maintain order every year, and especially open their eyes to identify non-Jews, but there are a lot of homes that do not have security guards. Last year 30 cases of theft which occurred on Purim in Boro Park and Flatbush were reported," says a volunteer of Hashomrim organization.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!