A rabbi in Ocean County is being sued by a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her when she came to him for financial help, then defamed her on a website and in fliers he posted near her children’s school.
New Jersey
‘Doesn’t get any better than this’: Veterans join battleship’s journey to Paulsboro
PHILADELPHIA — After 78 days spent in drydock here, the Battleship New Jersey made the first leg of its journey back home, guided once again by Coast Guard and powered by tugboats to get Camden’s historic ship to Paulsboro.
After a 6:30 a.m. call time, crews, passengers and other personnel milled around dock number three of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard the New Jersey was built in, waiting for the OK to board the ship by way of a steep gangway. Above them, the sun continued to rise, bathing the Black Dragon (one of the many nicknames for the ship) in golden sunlight.
Excited chatter, “copy that” muffled through radio static and the whirr of airplane engines decorated any rare moments of almost-silence Friday morning.
For one guest, stepping foot on the New Jersey once more was something previously unfathomable.
“You want the honest truth? I’m emotional as hell,” Vice Admiral Douglas J. Katz (USN, Ret.), who commanded the New Jersey from August 1987 to May 1989, said through a laugh.
“This ship and the crew that we had in that time period was special,” Katz said. During his service, the USS New Jersey sailed off the coast of Korea for pre-Olympics presence and represented the United States at the Australian Naval Salute.
Katz made his arrival onboard alongside his wife of 59 years, Sharon Katz; “Unbelievable,” he said when he first stepped off the gangway, taking in the scene.
Katz would later call the “shift colors” for the vessel as it left the Philadelphia dock, changing the flags on the ship from in-port to at-sea.
Former Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite was also a passenger on the ship.
“Being aboard this ship emphasizes the importance of sea power and of the U.S. Navy,” Braithwaite said. “Armies win wars, navies prevent them.”
More: Battleship New Jersey by the numbers. Here are some interesting facts
Maintenance on the Battleship New Jersey
In March, the 887-foot ship left Camden for the first time in 20 years to be drydocked in Philadelphia for a $10 million maintenance project.
“We came in thinking we were going to do three major projects, and we ended up doing five,” said Marshall Spevak, the museum and memorial’s CEO.
These projects included improvements like repainting and inspecting the hull, partially installing new teak flooring, proactive welding and sealing to prevent water leakages and more.
“We are just incredibly elated and frankly lucky that the hull was in such great condition,” he said.
During its time across the river, exclusive tours were offered for $225 per standard ticket, and passenger spots were also available for those who wanted to hitch a ride on the ship as it trekked to Paulsboro.
Tickets for the second leg of the return trip were still available as of Friday and could be purchased for $5,000 on the battleship’s website.
In May, Spevak told the Courier-Post that the ship was planning to reopen for tours soon after its return date as well as be a viewing point for July 4 fireworks celebrations on the river.
More: What the battleship means for Camden, and how it ended up here
Battleship New Jersey return celebration
To mark its official return to the Camden Waterfront on June 20, the Battleship crew is planning a homecoming celebration.
Doors will open at the ship’s pier in Camden at 11 a.m., and the ship is expected to return around 1:24 p.m.
Attendees are expected to make a $10 donation at the gate in order to participate in games, live music, food and drinks and more. Children under 12 can enter free.
Guests can park along Clinton Street, in Lot 1 across from the Freedom Mortgage Pavillion as well as at the Waterfront Garage.
Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.
New Jersey
NJ rabbi faces lawsuit for sexual assault after giving financial aid | The Jerusalem Post
Avraham Appel, of Jackson, abused his position as a trusted community leader to sexually assault and exploit the woman, an Israeli immigrant who came to him as a single mother struggling to pay bills, according to the lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of Ocean County.
Appel is a prominent rabbi and Rosh Kollel, or head of a Jewish institute for advanced Talmudic study, who is based in Lakewood and Jackson, according to court papers filed January 5.
Appel did not respond to calls to his home and cellphone seeking comment on the lawsuit.
The woman claims she confided in one of her children’s schoolteachers in early 2020 that she was in significant financial distress and having trouble paying for daycare.
The teacher suggested she contact Appel, according to the suit.
In February 2020, Appel arranged to meet with the woman at a local Starbucks.
“During that meeting, Appel presented himself to (the woman) as a rabbi, mentor, advisor, and friend whom (the woman) could trust, confide in, and depend on,” the lawsuit states.
Appel, who had experience in real estate, allegedly offered the woman an opportunity to solicit investments on his behalf and to “draw,” or advance, money against future commissions.
Rabbi issues payments to woman after alleged sexual assault
In June and July 2022, Appel issued six payments to the woman, totaling $20,000 and characterized as advances or loans. He also provided the woman with “financial assistance” so she could buy groceries and pay medical expenses and water bills, according to the suit.
The lawsuit claims most of the money was meant to buy the woman’s silence after he attacked her on June 1, 2022.
The suit alleges Appel visited the woman while she was alone at home and sexually assaulted her as she pleaded for him to stop.
“Appel was abusive and unrelenting. The more (the woman) pled for mercy, the more aggressive Appel became,” the suit alleges.
Before leaving her home, he allegedly ordered her to delete Ring camera footage that showed him arriving.
In the months after the assault, Appel “forced himself upon” the woman and took sexual advantage of her on other occasions, the suit claims.
Appel also allegedly bombarded the woman with demands for sexual acts and sent her a barrage of text and WhatsApp messages containing crude and graphic sexual content.
“I want to squeeze your breasts,” one text allegedly said. In another, he sent the woman a photo of his penis, the suit alleges.
In July 2024, the woman met with another rabbi and shared evidence of the sexual assault and “other incidents involving Appel,” the suit claims.
Woman offered $50,000 for therapy after sexual assault
Appel later contacted his attorney and the two offered the woman $50,000 to cover her future therapy expenses.
The money would be available only if the woman signed a release of any claims related to the assault and agreed to keep all incidents between them confidential, according to the suit.
The woman refused to accept the money or sign the agreement, the suit says.
Appel then launched a campaign to destroy the woman “personally and professionally,” according to the lawsuit.
On December 15, 2025, the woman became aware of a website with her photos that claimed she was “a danger to all Jews,” and warned the public to stay away from her, according to the complaint.
The website disclosed the woman’s address, claimed she stole money, and characterized her as a “thief.”
Moreover, Appel and possibly others posted signs smearing the woman. The signs were posted at public locations throughout the community, including the school her two children attended, the suit alleges.
The lawsuit claims sexual assault, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation, and conspiracy.
The complaint also alleges Appel breached his duty as a rabbi to conduct himself with loyalty and in good faith.
A shooting investigation in Camden County has prompted a large police response, according to a source.
Léelo en español aquí
The shooting unfolded in the area of Locust Court in Winslow Township in the evening of June 17.
SkyForce10 was over the scene of what looked like a residential complex as several police cars were visible lining the streets.
Police tape appeared to be blocking off the area as officers looked at a sedan that appeared to have crashed into another car.
No word yet on what led to the shooting or if anyone was hurt.
A New Jersey man pleaded guilty in connection to a car accident that killed a woman and a girl in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, last July.
Raul Luna-Perez, 43, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of assault by auto and aggravated manslaughter, on Monday, June 15, 2026, prosecutors said.
He is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 28, 2026.
According to Ocean County officials, on July 26, 2025, officers from Lakewood Township responded to a car crash with multiple injuries at the intersection of Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive.
In the investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Lakewood Township Police, and Ocean County Sherrif’s department, it was revealed that a Dodge Durango operated by Luna-Perez, also holding a passenger, crossed into an oncoming lane of traffic and collided head-on with a Nissan Sentra.
Maria Pleitez, 42, and two 11-year-old girls were inside the Nissan Sentra at the time.
Pleitez was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. One of the 11-year-old girls was transported to Monmouth Medical Center South Campus where she died from her injuries. The second 11-year-old girl was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) where she was treated for her injuries and eventually released.
The passenger in Luna-Perez’s Dodge Durango received minor injuries as a result of the crash, and was treated at JSUMC.
According to police, first responders at the scene detected that Luna-Perez was showing signs of impairment. He was transported to JSUMC, where his blood was drawn. The results of the blood test included a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.19 and traces of cocaine.
In New Jersey, operators of cars are presumed to be over the legal limit for alcohol consumption when their Blood Alcohol Content is 0.08 or greater. As a result of the blood test of Luna-Perez, his charges were upgraded to two counts of aggravated manslaughter and strict liability vehicular manslaughter on Aug. 7, 2025, investigators reveal.
That same day, Luna-Perez was taken into custody at an ICE detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey, though he was transported to Ocean County Jail by detectives and has been detained there since.
Subsequently in the investigation, it was revealed that Luna-Perez was accelerating at approximately 60 miles-per-hour at the time of the crash and crossed the yellow line.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, the State of New Jersey will be seeking two 10-year terms for each aggravated manslaughter charge of Luna-Perez, and an 18-month sentence for his assault by auto offense. The aggravated manslaughter sentences will run consecutively, while the assault by auto sentence will run concurrently.
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