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
New Jersey’s deer population is dropping, but complaints over deer destruction are on the rise
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White-tailed deer are everywhere in New Jersey, standing in fields, grazing next to roads, and even strolling through suburban front lawns and backyards in broad daylight.
Brian Schumm, an assistant biologist with the State Division of Fish and Wildlife, which is part of the Bureau of Wildlife Management, said that complaints about white-tailed deer are on the rise.
“There just seems to be too many deer, there seems to be too much damage,” he said.
And too many deer is a problem.
“With public safety we’re really thinking about deer-vehicle collisions, which occasionally are fatal, and tick-borne diseases,” Schumm said.
The other problem is ticks that often feed on deer and are transmitted by the animals as they wander into populated areas. These then lead to tick-related diseases in pets and humans.
Liz Thompson, a research associate with the New Jersey Farm Bureau said besides destroying flower and vegetable gardens, deer also pose a serious agricultural threat.
She said the Farm Bureau used drone technology and conducted an infrared study of areas near farmlands. The findings were shocking, she said.
“Biologists will say that five to 15 deer per square mile is sustainable, and we found areas that had more than 200 in some cases,” she said.
She said deer will eat whatever is most convenient, and a big field of produce or corn is an easy meal for them.
A report by Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences found annual economic losses to high-value agricultural crops in New Jersey from deer damage total more than $15 million.
Thompson said a Farm Bureau survey found 25% of farmers abandoned parcels of farming land because of the deer pressure.
She said farmers are frequently frustrated trying to control local deer populations. “The deer can simply hide in these places that they can’t be hunted, and then at some point when it’s safe they come back to the fields and they eat again,” she said.
According to official estimates, the deer population in the Garden State is trending downward, now standing at 115,000, which is lower than it used to be, but Schumm said that total is based on hunter harvest data.
“So if we have areas of the state, suburban areas, urban areas, which we do get a lot of complaints about deer from, there’s obviously less hunter access to those areas,” he said.
He said the population estimate is probably accurate for parts of the state where hunting is permitted, but inaccurate for areas where hunting is reduced or prohibited.
Less interest in hunting
Schumm said that there is a steady decline in the number of hunters, and that could be a problem in mitigating the excessive deer population.
He pointed out that the average age of hunters in New Jersey continues to get older, and young people do not seem to be interested.
“It seems that our youth, with this technological revolution that we’re in, are a little bit less interested, and a little bit less familiar with the outdoors,” he said.
Schumm said the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife is taking steps to address the deer conundrum, by allowing archery hunting in closer proximity to populated areas.
He said normally deer hunters using a bow and arrow cannot be within 150 feet of a building without authorization.
“There’s some amount of permissions that can be granted, generally it requires a little bit more oversight from communities, maybe they issue permits to the hunters so they know who is out there and when they’re out there,” he said.
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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