Rabbi Efryim Dovid Gruskin

An Open Letter to R’ Efryim Dovid Gruskin:

You certainly are rightfully concerned with the welfare of your sister-in-law, Mrs. Manya Ort.

Just as the Ort family has always lent support to your family in times of need, you wish to reciprocate now with moral support and advice during this difficult time in her life. Surely you feel that your advice has been given with only her best interests in mind.

Right now, however, we are asking you to reflect on the road she has traveled during the past several years. It is a road paved by the advice of yourself and her other close friends. Where has that road led? Can you honestly say that it has led in the direction of peace, closure and resolution of the conflicts that have been tearing this family apart? When a person travels in the wrong direction, and suddenly realizes that he is nowhere near where he was trying to go, does he keep on speeding along on the same road?

Clearly the peace and stability Mrs. Ort hoped to find are still far away. By advising her to keep traveling in the same, wrong direction, you will only be taking her even further away.Mrs. Ort has been advised to paint herself as a financial victim of her divorce, and therefore, we have been forced to document the facts showing that she and the children are the just opposite of destitute. Whether you helped conceive her strategy or merely support her decision to pursue it, you have helped her to damage her credibility in the community among the ever-growing number of people who now know the truth.

All R’ Avrohom asks is that this case be brought before a Bais Din, as required by halacha.

By strengthening Mrs. Ort’s decision to refuse this request, you encouraged her to become the subject of widespread questioning of her integrity and adherence to Daas Torah.

With a Bais Din chosen by the Roshei Yeshiva, shlit’a – a Bais Din which is to be fully empowered with the means of carrying out its ruling – what rationalization can you or Mrs. Ort put forth that would justify her refusal?

Our foremost Gedolim have issued a public psak that there is no heter here for using the secular courts. They include Rav Nissim Karelitz, Rav Moshe Sternbuch, Rav Dovid Feinstein, Rav Moshe Heinemann, Rav Yaakov Hopfer, Rav Nota Greenblatt and Rav Tuvia Goldestein.

If all of these rabbonim, whose integrity and understanding are unassailable, believe that a Beis Din is necessary to arrive at a Torah-true, just solution to this situation, Mrs. Ort can only damage her own and the entire family’s name by ignoring their psak. One’s reputation as a Ben Torah is something far too precious to barter for financial gain.

The Gedolim in America have already made known their opinion on this matter. Enclosed is the unanimous psak of the Gedolei Hador of Eretz Yisroel. R. Gruskin, as a former Rosh Yeshiva you surely realize that the prerequisite to being a Ben Torah is to accept Da’as Torah. These are the Yechidei Segula of our generation whose words are followed by all bnei Torah everywhere. Is it not a Chillul Hashem to claim that they were “fooled” or (Ch”v) “influenced”? If a Rosh Yeshiva can reject a unanimous psak din of our Gedolim, what can be expected from his talmidim?

R. Gruskin, as Mrs. Ort’s friend and relative, you have it in your hands to do her the greatest service possible. Your word, which wields influence, has helped bring about the current situation. Please, please, for the sake of your sister-in-law and the future of her children, urge her to settle this matter the proper way in Bais Din and the dayanim will ensure that all her needs and her children’s needs will be amply provided for. Mrs. Ort was always there to extend support to your family when things were tight. Please reciprocate by being there with the moral support that will enable her to settle this matter the right way, the only way that can lead to true healing for the family.

You certainly do know that this is the right way to settle this matter, the only road that will take her where she really wants to go – to a life of peace and stability. True healing cannot start while damage is still being inflicted. You can be instrumental in replacing constant strife with shalom, and redeeming the family’s good name. We hope that you will take the opportunity to do so.

Sincerely,

True Friends of the Ort Family———————————————————————–

R’ EFRYIM DOVID GRUSKIN:

Since your sister-in-law Mrs. Manya Ort went to Arkaos Shel Akum in February 2000, you have been justifying her actions by claiming that she was “left penniless”, “starving”, etc.

Rabbi Gruskin: Please review the following documents:

1. Mrs. Ort‘s handwritten instructions to her banker in Switzerland to “fax $350,000 from my account… to my account in lsrael” (dated Jan 5, 2000).

2. Mrs. Ort‘s deposition acknowledging that “when I made that transfer of $350,000, $250,000 was in that lsrael acct”.

3. Letter from Smith-Barney verifying that in Dec 1999, Sarah Ort-Broderick helped herself to the money that R. Avrohom put in her name, in amount of $182,619.28.

4. Letter of Miriam Ort-Hirsch, wife of Eliezer Hirsch, doing the same thing in excess of $95,186.12 (dated Dec 3, 2001). Total: $877,805.40.

Rabbi Gruskin: Perhaps you can say that you were unaware that Mrs. Ort really had close to a million dollars In cash. Perhaps you were also unaware of the over 5 million dollars which Mrs. Ort subsequently acquired through Arkaos (documented on this website).

But now you do know.

You also do know that all the Gedolei HaDor in Eretz Yisroel have signed the attached letter “to bring the dispute to a Din Torah in Bais Din only”, and that similar letters have been issued by the American Gedolei HaDor, including Harabbanim HaGeonim Rav Dovid Feinstein, Rav Moshe Heinemann, Rav Nota Greenblatt, Rav Yaakov Hopfer shlit”a and Rav Tuvia Goldstein zt”l.

Rabbi Gruskin, as a former Rosh Yeshiva you surely realize that the prerequisite to

being a Ben Torah is to accept Da’as Torah. These are the Yechidei Segula of our generation whose words are followed by all bne’i Torah everywhere. ls it not a Chillul Hashem to claim that they were “fooled” or (c”v) “inﬂuenced”? If a Rosh Yeshiva can reject a unanimous psak din of our Gedolim, what be expected from his talmidim?

You also do know that the Rosh Yeshiva Harav Malkiel Kotler shlit”a issued a letter to the judge stating in part, “l also feel that this entire dispute could and should be resolved in a bais din, and I have let Mrs. Ort know that l feel this way” and that the Roshei Yeshiva, Harav Dovid Shustal and Harav Yisroel Neuman shlit”a took from their precious time to appear in the Ocean county courthouse, to make clear their position that this matter belongs in Bais Din only. These are our own Roshei Yeshiva in Lakewood, and the documents cannot be denied.

Will you now admit your mistake and call on Mrs. Ort to come to a beis din?

If yes – send your statement to emesvshalom.com. We will post it for all to see.

If not – isn’t that your admission that you were never unaware at all?