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
Poll shows Baraka leading Democrats in favorability, name ID – New Jersey Globe
A poll of New Jersey Democrats showed Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) as the gubernatorial candidates with the highest net favorability ratings, but with Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) with higher favorables than Sherrill.
Wednesday’s Fairleigh Dickinson University poll of 572 Democrats shows “clear lanes” forming in the gubernatorial primary, according to the release. The results show Baraka with the strongest performances among the state’s progressives, while Sherrill performed stronger among the party’s moderates.
The poll did not ask respondents who they would vote for; questions were limited to name ID and favorability. Baraka is currently edging out the competition among voters on the left of the Democratic Party,” said Dan Cassino, the executive director of the FDU poll. “If the primary electorate skews left, that’s a big advantage; if the electorate looks more like the Democratic Party as a whole, it looks better for Sherrill.”
Baraka led candidates with a +31% net favorable rating (43% favorable-12% unfavorable). Fulop was next at +26% (32%-7%), and Sherrill was right behind at +25% (31%-6%). Behind them, Gottheimer enjoyed a +17 net favorability rating (27%-10%), New Jersey Education Association President Sean Spiller received a +8% net rating (22%-13%), and former Senate President Steve Sweeney received a -1% net favorability rating (23%-24%).
The survey found Baraka and Sweeney led the Democrats in name recognition. Among Democrats, 78% said they recognized Baraka and 73% said they knew who Sweeney was. Those numbers were 62% for Fulop, 61% for Gottheimer, and 56% for Sherrill and Spiller.
In the trio of Baraka, Sherrill, and Fulop, the Newark mayor’s unfavorable ratings were higher, at 12%. Fulop’s unfavorables sat at 7%, and 6% said they found Sherrill unfavorable.
“Lower name recognition means that Fulop and Sherrill have more room to grow their support than Baraka does,” said Cassino. “More Democrats have made up their minds about Baraka, and double-digit unfavorable numbers among your own party are a bad sign for anyone.”
Baraka held an advantage with respondents of color. More than six in ten Black respondents (63%) said they had a favorable view of Baraka; the next-highest were Fulop and Spiller with 19%.
Among Hispanic respondents, 40% said they held a favorable opinion of the Newark mayor. The next closest was Fulop with 26%.
“We don’t know what the voters who actually turn out in this primary are going to look like,” Cassino said. “If it’s more Black and Hispanic, Baraka has a clear advantage; if it skews more white, Sherrill is in a very good position.”
The poll found Democrats rated Spiller differently depending on whether the pollster described him as “President of the NJEA” or “Democratic former Mayor of Montclair.”
When referred to as a Montclair mayor, his ratings came in at 20% favorable and 10% unfavorable. When described as the NJEA’s president, his ratings were 23% favorable and 16% unfavorable.
A PAC connected to the NJEA said in filings it expected to spend about $35 million promoting Spiller’s candidacy in the primary.
“One of Spiller’s biggest advantages in this race – his connection to the NJEA – also looks like something of a liability among voters,” Cassino said.
Baraka is leading in favorables with the party’s left-wing voters, but the net favorables for progressives show a tight race. Among progressives, Baraka had a +35% net favorability, Fulop was +38%, and Sherrill was +34%. The other three—Gottheimer (+12%), Spiller (+11%), and Sweeney (+0%)— were further behind with progressives.
The Fairleigh Dickinson University poll conducted by Braun Research of 1,476 registered voters between Feb. 23 and Feb. 28 with a margin of error of +/- 3.8%. The poll used a subsample of 572 Democrats for questions about the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
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The borough of Lawnside in Camden County will be honored with a historical marker from the New Jersey Historical Commission as part of the state’s Black Heritage Trail.
A ceremony unveiling the marker will take place at 10 a.m. Friday at Lawnside Borough Hall on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Road.
Marsharee Wright, aide to Lawnside Mayor Mary Ann Wardlow and long-time resident, said everyone is thrilled about the marker unveiling.
“We’ve invited the entire community and neighboring towns to come share the celebration with us,” Wright said.
Linda Shockley, president of the Lawnside Historical Society, said it’s “an extreme honor” for the borough to be included in the state’s program, especially as Lawnside is amid a year-long celebration of its centennial.
“It really lifts our profile and hopefully more people will understand and know what Lawnside is about and what it means in the nation,” Shockley said.
Lawnside was one of six sites selected in Camden County in 2024, including “The Point,” a historic Black neighborhood in Haddonfield. Its marker was unveiled last June.
During the ceremony, the borough’s history will be showcased, along with the original documents signed by Gov. A. Harry Moore in 1926, which made way for the borough’s creation.
Though there are many Black enclaves in South Jersey, the borough is the state’s only incorporated antebellum Black community. First known as Free Haven, and later Snow Hill, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Peter Mott built a three-floor dwelling in 1844 that was once part of sprawling farmland where he helped slaves escape.
Mott’s house, now owned by the Lawnside Historical Society, serves as an Underground Railroad museum.
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.
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