For Those That Don't Know

Article Updated 6/2907

Once again, Moshe Rubashkin has publicly lost control of himself and attacked a Coucil employee in the middle of the JCC offices as horrified staff looked on. The victim this time was Rabbi Shmuel Light, longtime Council employee and Director of the Weatherization Program in the Council.

Witnesses report that the incident happened at around 1 p.m. today, in the Council offices at 392 Kingston Avenue. Rubashkin and Light were talking when, without warning Rubashkin started screaming and throwing things. He then started to shove and push Light. When Light broke away he smashed Light's computer and screamed that he was fired.

[The following details were added to the original article]

The altercation began when Rubashkin asked Light to take care of a tenant who had a problem with a child with medical problems. Light responded that there are social workers at the Council who would be more suited to the task.Rubashkin ordered Light to do as he told him to and started screaming. He picked up the computer monitor and smashed it, and did the same with the printer. He overturned Light's desk and started ripping up files. Then he grabbed Rabbi Light by the collar of his shirt and smashed him up against the wall and hit him. Light broke away and went to R. Shlomo Segal's office - Segal was at the door. Rubashkin chased him, grabbed him again and smashed him up against the wall again. Segal retreated into his office at this point. Rubashkin screamed that Light was fired and threw him out.

Police were called and took a report. Thus far no arrest has been made.

Light was taken to a local hospital for a tetanus shot as a precaution for a cut he received in the altercation.

Rubashkin has a long history of verbal and physical abuse. Many incidents have been public and witnessed by many. The following incidents are matters of public record:

Attacking Chairman of the Netzigim Yisroel Best in the middle of a Netzigim meeting. Rubashkin was arrested and Best had to be given an Order of Protection against Rubashkin.

Attacking Levi Huebner at a public meeting with Shmira, Hatzoloh and politicians in the Council offices.

Assaulting Eli Slavin, Yitzchok Holtzman and Eli Polterak at various times for disagreeing with him.

Assaulting employees in his textile plant.

A Council employee who refused to be identified reported that Rubashkin often loses his temper and screams at employees. Most of the employees are scared of losing their jobs, so they accept whatever verbal abuse they are given.

The other Council Directors are also victims of Rubashkin's public tirades, according to several witnesses. Both Tzvi Lang and Shmuel Plotkin have been on the receiving end of multiple dressing downs in front of JCC employees. "They take it like scared puppy dogs," reported the employee who refuses to be identified.