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
From one tree to a dozen, Ocean City builds a new Holiday tradition
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A few moms in Ocean City, New Jersey, were sitting at the town skatepark, watching their children ride, when they decided to buy a tree and take holiday photos on the beach in 2019.
What began as one tree to brighten spirits turned into a dozen Christmas trees lining the shores from one end of the island to the other, while sprouting a new holiday tradition.
Every November since 2020, Sue McElwee has visited the Eisele’s Tree Farm and picked a tree with wide spacing between the branches so it can handle the wind and salt air. Her children and other locals help carry it down to the beach the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Through the season, which stretches a little past New Year’s Day, neighbors stop by to straighten ornaments, add shells and keep the place tidy. When the trees’ time on the beach is over, they get donated to the animals at the Funny Farm Rescue, where the caretakers say there is something about the salt in the trees that the animals love.
From one tree to a dozen
McElwee remembers how it all began. She, with the help of several others, carried the first tree to North Street, snapped pictures and chose to leave it behind. McElwee wrote her children’s names on clam shells and arranged them in the sand like a skirt around the base.
Within days, the tree had company. More shells appeared. A family stopped by to explain that leaving a shell with a loved one’s name had given them comfort.
“And that was it, their story stuck with me, and I knew I wanted to continue the tradition of putting a Christmas tree on the beach for years to come,” McElwee said.
The following winter, the idea took off with more than 7,000 shells being left at the tree. With the community emerging from the isolation of Covid, the tree offered a safe, open-air space for people to see one another and share a bit of holiday spirit.
“It gave people a safe place outside to see other people again and to really enjoy and appreciate the simple things like a tree on the beach,” McElwee said.
Melanie Stampone, of Oreland, Pennsylvania, quickly followed the North Street tree with one at the very south end of the island at 55th Street. She liked the idea of a safe outdoor activity that offered hope. The tree moved to its current location on 59th due to beach projects, and is donated yearly from Ponderosa Tree Farm.
There were three trees in 2020. Then, three turned to several trees then into a dozen anchored along the shoreline.
“After watching the North Street tree take off, an idea sparked. I posted asking if anyone wanted to help bring a Queens tree to life on the beach,” said Lisa Walsh, founder of OCNJ Queens-Building Community and Fun. “As we planned, I wanted this tradition to carry purpose. Angels in Motion was introduced so we could pair our holiday joy with meaningful outreach.”
From tributes to pets to nods to conservation, from military remembrance to calls for peace, the Christmas trees rising carry a lot of meaning for the community and visitors.
“The tree seems to center all of us and remind us that we really are very similar in many ways,” said Wendy Smith, who partners with Stampone on tree care. “We donated close to 600 pounds of food from this past weekend to The Ecumenical Council of Ocean City. We will most likely have at least two more donations of this amount in the coming weeks as the bins get filled again.”
See the Roxbury warehouse scouted by ICE as possible deportation site
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were in Roxbury recently apparently scouting a Rt. 46 warehouse as a possible migrant deportation facility.
Federal officials are considering abandoning plans for a controversial immigration detention facility in Roxbury, New Jersey, according to a June 18 report by The New York Times, prompting local leaders and state officials to declare a victory after months of legal and political opposition.
The proposed facility, a warehouse property purchased to serve as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center, faced intense criticism from local residents, environmental advocates and elected officials who argued the site was unsuitable for housing detainees.
In a joint statement issued Thursday, Gov. Mikie Sherrill and Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the Department of Homeland Security appeared to be backing away from the project following legal challenges that halted development.
“Today the New York Times is reporting that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is backing down on its mass detention center in Roxbury,” the statement said. “That is a big win for public safety, for the township of Roxbury, and for New Jersey.”
According to the Times report, the Roxbury facility is one of seven ICE is planning to dispense with by transferring ownership to other federal agencies or selling them.
Opponents argued the warehouse was designed as a logistics facility and lacked the infrastructure necessary to support a large detention center. They also raised concerns about the potential strain on local water and sewage systems and the impact on environmentally sensitive land surrounding the site.
State officials said they joined Roxbury Township in court to challenge the project, contending that federal plans violated local regulations and posed risks to the community.
“DHS’s plans were always illegal,” the statement said. “The Roxbury warehouse is a logistics center fit for packages, not thousands of people.”
Rep. Rob Menendez said in a statement on Thursday: “We are working to confirm reporting that ICE is abandoning its Roxbury warehouse plans, but if true, this would be big news. From day one, we have fought to stop this facility, bringing together thousands of New Jerseyans in opposition. Now we are on the cusp of an important win for our state.”
The detention center was expected to become part of the federal government’s broader immigration enforcement and detention network. However, the project became a flashpoint in New Jersey, drawing opposition from both local officials and residents concerned about public safety, environmental impacts and the facility’s compatibility with surrounding land uses.
Federal officials have not publicly confirmed whether the property will be sold or formally removed from consideration. The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the reported change in plans.
Opponents vowed to continue monitoring the situation until the project is officially terminated.
“This isn’t a partisan issue,” the statement said. “We’re grateful for our partnership with the Roxbury community as we keep DHS’s feet to the fire to ensure this facility is never opened.”
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.
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