Orthodox face 'double whammy' in reporting child sex abuse
Friday, 23 July 2010 19:17 Asher Lipner
OPINION: An Orthodox couple from Lakewood are very special and heroic people. When they found out that their son was molested by a rabbi, they confronted the rabbi and got him to admit it.
But when the rabbi became defiant and would not go to therapy or agree to leave the synagogue, they went to the police and had him arrested.
The mother has said that more than any act of communal concern or heroism, she did this as a simple Jewish mother for her son. She knew that if the rabbi was allowed to get away with it and nothing to happen to him, her son would forever feel abandoned and unprotected at his time of need.
The family is now suffering the "double trauma" of most victims in our community. One, their son has symptoms of PTSD. He was a very, very religious boy. His father is a Torah scholar and a majority member in the town. A Posek halacha
But the family as a whole is paying a double price. For going to the police to protect their child, something that in other communities is considered normal parenting, they are being attacked as "anti-Torah," by evil people. I would like to call them ignorant people.
In Lakewood, most people have spent years learning Torah. And even if you want to say that they don't understand the "long term ramifications" of sexual abuse (do they think it is GOOD for the kids?), they certainly know it is not something that they would want to happen to theirs. And Hillel said that the whole Torah while standing on one foot can be summarized as "Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you."
(one who issues rulings within the community). And he was not supposed to be exposed to sexual situations and certainly not the sexual act before marriage. His innocence was robbed. His spirtuality is being challenged. His sense of security shaken.
lakewood
SIDEBAR: The battle over sex abuse reporting in the Orthodox community is exploding worldwide, and one of the hubs is in New Jersey. State law requires anyone with reasonable suspicion to alert authorities. But rabbinical authority has ruled in Orthodox communities for thousands of years, mainly due to splits with secular law over civil issues (unlike the Catholic Church scandals). Victims have been threatened, ostracized and driven out. Yet, in the wake of the latest incident, rabbinical and secular authorities in Lakewood say they are trying to "bridge the gap."
It would be such a big Mitzvah (good deed) for each and every one of us to write a letter to the family thanking them for the heroic service they have done for all of us, and for the example they set of good Jewish parenting that we should all strive for.
I will not tell you what to write, because I know each of you can say the right thing if you look into your hearts. Thank you, and we should all be eager to see this plague stamped out from our community once and for all.
Emails can be sent either to CLIFFVIEWPILOT.COM@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or to lipnera@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
lipner
Rabbi Dr. Asher Lipner, Ph.D., an ordained Orthodox Rabbi, is Vice-President of the Jewish Board of Advocates for Children. The opinions expressed in this article are his and do not necessarily reflect the position of any organization.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Some Jewish expressions in the rabbi's piece have been changed to more common vernacular. The parents' names have been removed to protect the child's identity.
ALSO SEE:
Sex abuse demands greater defense of children
Orthodox hope guilty plea in sex case changes approach to offenders
Passaic predator case marks change in Orthodox reaction
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~ Abuse changes your life...Fight Back and change the life of your abusers by Breaking Your Silence on Abuse! ~
~ Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime. ~
~ Everyone is an abused child, if you think about what governments do. ~
~ Child abuse does not go away, but 90 percent of child abuse is preventable ~
~ Child abuse and neglect offend the basic values of our state. We have a responsibility to provide safe settings for at-risk children and facilitate permanent placement for children who cannot return home. ~
~ The consequences of your denial will be with you for a lifetime and will be passed down to the next generations. Break your Silence on Abuse! ~
~ The only reason why child abuse is alive today, is because we as adults fail our children when we fail to listen to them. Listen to a child today! ~
~ I believe the best service to the child is the service closest to the child, and children who are victims of neglect, abuse, or abandonment must not also be victims of bureaucracy. They deserve our devoted attention, not our divided attention. ~
~ One in four children being victimized? That's about seven children in every classroom. That's a significant proportion of the population. ~
A Partial Biography of Rabbi Yehuda Kolko & Rabbi Lipa Margulies
[This summary was written by an anonymous ultra-Orthodox insider and published as part of an open letter during the first week of December, 2006. The events dated after July, 2006 have been added by this website's adminstrator.]
· 1967 – While working as Dormitory Counselor at Yeshivas Mir, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko calls a student (name withheld) out of his dormitory room and begins discussing matters of a sexual nature with him while rubbing up against him in an aroused state. This abuse continues for the remainder of the school year and into the summer season at Camp Agudah [then owned by Agudath Israel of America]. This student is now a distinguished Manhattan attorney living happily with his partner in New York City and insists that his lifestyle choice has absolutely nothing to do with his abuse by Kolko.
· 1969 thru 1971 - Rabbi Yehuda Kolko begins abusing Dovid Framowitz in Yeshiva Torah Vodaas of Flatbush (now known as Yeshiva Torah Temimah) and Camp Agudah, the details of which abuse are now public knowledge. Mr. Framowitz, a grandfather living in Eretz Yisroel, has not gone a day since being abused without reliving the unspeakable agony he suffered at Kolko’s hands.
· 1972 - Rabbi Yehuda Kolko sexually abuses two young campers (names withheld at the request of the victims) in Camp Agudah who complain to their counselor. Their counselor reports the complaint to Rabbi Simcha Kaufman. The abuse of these two boys cease for the remainder of that summer. Rabbi Simcha Kaufman is a co-worker of Kolko in Yeshiva Torah Temimah (more on Kaufman below) and was a co-worker of Kolko in Camp Agudah until 1976 when Kolko voluntarily left Camp Agudah after he co-founded Camp Ma-Na-Vu with Rabbi Lipa Geldwirth, another co-worker of his at Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· 1977 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, employed as a Rebbe in Yeshiva Torah Temimah in the morning, is employed in the afternoons by Yeshiva Karlin Stolin as Secular Studies Principal. During the course of his short tenure in Yeshiva Karlin Stolin numerous complaints are lodged by both students and parents (names withheld at the request of the victims) accusing Kolko of sexually abusing boys in the Yeshiva. Rabbi Shmuel Dishon asks Kolko to leave the employ of the Yeshiva.
· 1977 on – Eyewitness testimony and accusations of sexual abuse by Rabbi Yehuda Kolko of students at Yeshiva Torah Temimah and Camp Ma-Na-Vu reach a crescendo which culminates in several businessmen approaching Rabbi Lipa Margulies in 1984 and offering to fund a retirement package for Rabbi Yehuda Kolko provided he seeks employment away from children. Rabbi Lipa Margulies steadfastly refuses to accept the offer and suggests that those parents who disagree with his decision remove their children from his Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· 1981 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko sexually abuses a twelve year old student of Yeshiva Torah Temimah (name withheld at the request of the victim.) This victim publicizes the abuse and acts out, vandalizing Kolko’s home and car. Rabbi Lipa Margulies calls this victims father and warns him that if this activity does not stop his other children would be expelled from Yeshiva and the safety of his family could not be guaranteed. This victim is subsequently referred to Avrohom Mondrowitz for counseling.
· 1984 – As instructed by Rabbi Avigdor Miller, an Askan calls for a meeting which takes place at the home of Rabbi Yakov Perlow (the Novominsker) and is attended by Rabbi Avrohom Pam, Rabbi Elya Svei, Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller, Rabbi Aharon Schechter, Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman, Rabbi Shia Fishman and Rabbi Yankel Bender. At this meeting, chaired by Rabbi Perlow, the Askan discusses what is transpiring to innocent boys at the hands of Rabbi pedophiles and requests that Torah Umesorah and the Rabbonim issue a statement calling for their removal from Chinuch. Rabbi Svei informs this Askan that Torah Umesorah has consulted their attorneys who advised that for Torah Umesorah to admit knowledge of such abuse would subject Torah Umesorah, its staff, all its member schools and their staff to liability for not having reported their knowledge to the authorities earlier. Accordingly, Rabbi Elya Svei informs the Askan, neither he nor Torah Umesorah will do anything about this problem.
· 1984 thru 1985 – At directed by Rabbi Avrohom Pam an Askan approaches Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman and the two meet with Rabbi Shia (Joshua) Fishman in the office of Torah Umesorah. Both Scheinerman and Fishman neglect to inform this Askan that Fishman had been instructed by Torah Umesorah’s lawyer to do nothing about this issue. Rabbi Fishman requests the names of Kolko’s victims and promises absolute confidentiality. Names are provided to Rabbi Fishman who begins his own investigation of the allegations. He meets with and speaks with several victims who pour their hearts out to him after he guarantees them confidentiality. Rabbi Shia Fishman promptly discloses all he has learned to Rabbi Lipa Margulies who in turn publicly disparages and discredits each and every one of those boys who were brave enough to step forward.
· 1985 – A follow up meeting takes place at the home of Rabbi Simcha Kaufman and includes Rabbi Kaufman, Rabbi Lipa Margulies, Rabbi Shia Fishman, an Askan and an eyewitness. The eyewitness recounts his personal knowledge of Rabbi Kolko’s sexual abuse of boys and discusses the information he had gleaned from others. Rabbi Lipa Margulies insists that the charges are all fabrications and attacks the reputations of everyone involved in seeking the removal of Kolko from his Yeshiva Torah Temimah. Rabbi Shia Fishman subsequently informs anyone who asks that he can not deal with this issue as he is old (50 at the time) and will lose his job if he pursues this matter.
· 1985 – Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman is offered a lucrative and prestigious position as Rav of a Shul (a position he holds to this day) and is told that he must cease and desist from his actions against Yeshiva Torah Temimah Rabbeim (his own words) which he promptly does. Scheinerman abandons ship explaining that it is not appropriate for a rabbi of his stature to deal with these matters. Rabbi Yehoshua Leiman takes over.
· 1985 - Rabbi Yehoshua Leiman and others continue their quest for a solution and convene a Bais Din for this purpose. This Bais Din, consisting of Rabbi Menashe Klein, Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, Rabbi Aharon Stein, Rabbi Moshe Stern and Rabbi Chaim Yankel Tauber, is scheduled to hear testimony for two days after which they will rule on how to proceed. This panel meets and hears testimony for one day. Shortly thereafter, Rabbi Moshe Stern states that he is unable to participate in any more sessions and this Bais Din is disbanded without further explanation. In a private conversation with one of the Askanim, Rabbi Stern disclosed that he had been approached by Rabbi Lipa Margulies which resulted in the discontinuance of the Din Torah.
· 1985 – Upon the dissolution of the above Bais Din, Rabbi Lipa Margulies retains Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg to convene a second Bais Din for the purpose of clearing Rabbi Yehuda Kolko’s name. Rabbi Lipa Margulies then drafts Rabbi Friedman (the Tenka Rav) and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Brown to serve on Rabbi Scheinberg’s Bais Din. Prior to convening the Bais Din, Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg speaks with several of Kolko’s victims and asks them to describe what Kolko has done to them. Upon hearing the allegations Rabbi Scheinberg informs the boys that in the eyes of Halacha they had not been molested. Rabbi Scheinberg also calls the Askanim and tells them to cease and desist in their attempts to remove Kolko from Chinuch. Rabbi Avigdor Miller disagrees and instructs the Askanim in no uncertain terms to do whatever must be done to protect children from Kolko. Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg convenes the Bais Din and takes the position that Rabbi Kolko has a Chezkas Kashrus absent any testimony by two adult witnesses to any single event. Rabbi Friedman takes the position that in light of the persistent rumors Rabbi Kolko must be kept away from children. Rabbi Brown ultimately concedes that there is no Halachic evidence against Kolko and the Din Torah is concluded. Rabbi Lipa Margulies insists that he has a Psak from this Bais Din but to this day has refused to produce it. Regardless, it is of note that no victims testified before this Bais Din.
· 1987 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, having groomed a former first grade student of his for years, begins systematically sexually abusing this boy (name withheld at the request of the victim) both in and out of the Yeshiva Torah Temimah building. When this boy complains to Rabbi Lipa Margulies that his grades are slipping because Kolko is removing him from class almost daily, Margulies responds by slapping the boy across the face and throwing him out of his office. This young man is now living down south where he is on leave of absence from the U.S. Army.
· 2001 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, takes a young Yeshiva Torah Temimah student under his wing (name withheld at the request of the victim) and begins removing him from class for “special projects.” These special projects include the boy being sexually molested by Kolko in the basement of the Yeshiva, in Rabbi Kolko’s car and in Rabbi Kolko’s private office, which Rabbi Lipa Margulies has conveniently equipped with its own private bathroom. This young man is currently in therapy and hopes to be able to recover enough to be able to get married and start a family.
· 2005 – Dovid Framowitz, after years of searching on the internet, chances upon a post written by a blogger calling himself “Un-Orthodox Jew” which makes reference to Rabbi Lipa Margulies harboring Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, a known pedophile, in his Yeshiva Torah Temimah. Dovid begins communicating with this blogger via e-mail who in turn posts Dovid’s story on his blog. Over the course of several months other victims of Kolko begin to step forward with their stories.
· January 2006 – Several Askonim decide that this four decade long Chillul Hashem must stop and approach both Rabbi Yehuda Kolko and Rabbi Lipa Margulies with a demand that Kolko be removed from Yeshiva Torah Temimah and Camp Silver Lake and further commit to spending the rest of his life in treatment and away from children. Both Kolko and Margulies refuse.
· February 2006 – A letter is drafted informing the public that Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is a dangerous pedophile and that Rabbi Lipa Margulies continues to employ him despite his knowledge of this fact. Copies of this draft letter are delivered to Kolko and Margulies. Both Kolko and Margulies are offered the opportunity to deal quietly with the issue and are informed that if they continue to refuse, the letter would be mass mailed to the entire community. Kolko responds by stating that “the matter has been taken care of” and Margulies responds by asking if anyone “thinks Kolko is still a threat” and declares “if anyone does not like the way I run my yeshiva let them not send their children to my yeshiva.” They refuse to comply and the letter is sent out in a mass mailing.
· February 2006 – Eli Greenwald, a graduate of Yeshiva and Mesivta Torah Temimah, son of one of the founders of the Yeshiva and a parent in the Yeshiva receives the letter and spends a few days investigating the matter. He calls Rabbi Yaakov Applegrad, the Yeshiva’s Administrator, and requests a meeting of the Vaad HaHorim in order to address this serious issue. Rabbi Applegrad informs him that there will be no meeting as the allegations are false and that he and Rabbi Margulies have the matter under control. Mr. Greenwald called Rabbi Lipa Margulies and makes the same request of him. Rabbi Margulies responds by shouting at him.
· February 17, 2006 – Eli Greenwald is served with a Hazmana issued by Rabbi Yisroel Belsky calling him to a Din Torah to answer the charge of Hotzoas Shem Rah allegedly committed against Rabbi Yehuda Kolko. Mr. Greenwald responds on February 21, 2006, that he will appear for a Din Torah before the Bais Din of America. To this day there has been no reply to Mr. Greenwald’s response by either Kolko or Rabbi Yisroel Belsky.
· February 2006 – An Askan meets with Rabbi Yaakov Perlow and pleads with him to get involved in this matter. Rabbi Perlow refuses on the basis of his being a Yuchid and this being a Tzibur matter. After being pressed further Rabbi Perlow takes his final stand that this is a Flatbush matter and as he is a Boro Park Rabbi it would be unseemly for him to get involved in this matter.
· March 2006 – Rabbi Lipa Margulies reaches a standstill agreement with the Askonim by committing to appear before a panel consisting of two Rabbonim and one Frum lawyer, all three of whom had been chosen by him. Rabbi Lipa Margulies reneges on his promise to appear before this panel.
· March 23, 2006 – A Hazmana to a Din Torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a Din Torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a Bais Din of ZBLA. The Hazmana is ignored by all the defendants.
· March 30, 2006 – A second Hazmana to a Din Torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a Din Torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a Bais Din of ZBLA. By fax sent on April 5, 2006, Rabbi Lipa Margulies responds to this Hazmana stating he will not appear for a Din Torah “without a prior determination of the charges against Rabbi Kolko.” Rabbi Kolko continues to ignore the Hazmanas.
· April 6, 2006 – A third Hazmana to a Din Torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a Din Torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a Bais Din of ZBLA. By fax sent on April 10, 2006, Rabbi Lipa Margulies responds to this Hazmana by stating “the Hazmonah that you sent to us was not a valid Hazmonah.” Rabbi Kolko does not respond at all. It is of note that Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is still teaching in Yeshiva Torah Temimah while these exchange are taking place.
· May 4, 2006 – A lawsuit is filed in United States District Court: Eastern District of New York, naming Rabbi Yehuda Kolko; Yeshiva & Mesivta Torah Temimah, Inc. and Camp Agudah as defendants. Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· May 5, 2006 – Rabbi Simcha Kaufman approaches Dovid Framowitz and with tears in his eyes tells him that if only he had known what Rabbi Kolko was doing to him he would have put a stop to it. Of interest was Rabbi Simcha Kaufman’s complete denial of any prior knowledge of any accusation before Dovid Framowitz brought his lawsuit. Rabbi Simcha Kaufman pleads with Dovid to withdraw his lawsuit lest he hurt Rabbi Lipa Margulies and the Yeshiva.
· May 10, 2006 – After being approached for comment on several occasions by Robert Kolker, a reporter for New York Magazine, and with a 5:00 printing deadline looming, Rabbi Lipa Margulies issues a statement through his attorney at 4:30 PM. Beginning with a proclamation that Yeshiva Torah Temimah is the preeminent Yeshiva in the world followed by an absolute denial of all the allegations, the statement concludes with an announcement that Rabbi Kolko has agreed to a “leave of absence” pending the resolution of this matter. Despite this claim, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· May 12, 2006 – A second lawsuit is filed in United States District Court: Eastern District of New York naming Rabbi Yehuda Kolko; Yeshiva & Mesivta Torah Temimah, Inc. as defendants. Still, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· May 15, 2006 – “On the Rabbi’s Knees – Do the Orthodox Jews Have a Catholic Priest Problem” a feature article in New York Magazine, a publication with a circulation of three million, is published. Within days of the publication of the article and after thirty-eight years of committing unspeakable acts of perversion in Yeshiva Torah Temimah, Kolko leaves the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah. It was only after the magazine hit the newsstands that Margulies succumbed to pressure and removed Kolko from the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· July 2006 – Over the vocal protest of many residents and with the help of his friend Rabbi Yaakov Applegrad, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko takes up summer residence at a home in Regency Estates in the Catskills. Despite the claim that Kolko was on a leave of absence from Yeshiva Torah Temimah, he continues working for Camp Silver Lake, Yeshiva Torah Temimah’s summer home. In addition, Kolko initiates and organizes a multi-camp excursion to Lake Compounce, a water park located in Connecticut, where he is seen frolicking with young boys in bathing suits. A media outcry ensues resulting in Kolko being banned from the park by its non-Jewish management. Astonishingly, in August Kolko organizes a second trip to Lake Compounce, which is attended by the same Frum boy’s camps who participated in the July trip.
- December 6, 2006 – A civil suit is filed against Mesivta Torah Temimah in Kings County (Brooklyn) NY by the parents of a boy, now 9, who claims Rabbi Kolko abused him in 2003 and 2004.
- December 7, 2006 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is arrested in Brooklyn on criminal abuse charges.
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3667308,00.html
Parents ignore child abuse at rabbi's advice
Police investigators stunned to find ultra-Orthodox parents ignored sexual abuse of their two children after their rabbi warned filing charges may invoke halachic rule equal to 'din moser'
Efrat Weiss
The Jerusalem Police recently revealed a stunning conspiracy of silence involving the sexual abuse of two children, ages four and nine, by a male relative. The investigation also revealed that the children's parents, their rabbi and their neighbors were all aware of the abuse, but chose to keep quiet.
Senior police NCO Aliza Aroch, who is the lead investigator in the case, told Ynet that police were contacted by a social worker, who reported getting a call from a woman who claimed to have witnessed the man molest the nine-year-old while they were at a doctor's waiting room.
The man, said Aroch, admitted the incident and assured the court it was a one-time digression. The Jerusalem District Court, however, ordered his arrest remanded for three days.
With the suspect in custody, the police began questioning the boy's parents and discovered that their nine-year-old son was suffering from autism and that they had two other children – a four-year-old boy and a two-year-old toddler.
After ascertaining that the suspect was a relative, investigators were amazed to learn that not only did the mother know the man was abusing both her sons, she had witnessed the acts on several occasions and did nothing.
She also told the police that her nine-year-old son had been subjected to the suspect's abuse since the age of two. The police suspect all three children also suffered physical abuse.
When asked why she did nothing, the mother reportedly told the investigators that she was "powerless."
During the course of the investigation, the police also found that several neighbors witnessed the suspect molesting the children in public, but failed to report him.
The children's father claimed that he consulted his rabbi, who told him that unless he witnesses the acts himself, reporting it would be like rendering a "Din Moser."
"Din Moser" is an ancient halachic law pertaining to informants, which according to the austere interpretation of Jewish tradition, equals a death sentence.
Once the gravity of the situation became apparent, the court ordered all three children be removed from home. The Jerusalem District Court also remanded both parents for five days.
· 1967 – While working as Dormitory Counselor at Yeshivas Mir, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko calls a student (name withheld) out of his dormitory room and begins discussing matters of a sexual nature with him while rubbing up against him in an aroused state. This abuse continues for the remainder of the school year and into the summer season at Camp Agudah [then owned by Agudath Israel of America]. This student is now a distinguished Manhattan attorney living happily with his partner in New York City and insists that his lifestyle choice has absolutely nothing to do with his abuse by Kolko.
· 1969 thru 1971 - Rabbi Yehuda Kolko begins abusing Dovid Framowitz in Yeshiva Torah Vodaas of Flatbush (now known as Yeshiva Torah Temimah) and Camp Agudah, the details of which abuse are now public knowledge. Mr. Framowitz, a grandfather living in Eretz Yisroel, has not gone a day since being abused without reliving the unspeakable agony he suffered at Kolko’s hands.
· 1972 - Rabbi Yehuda Kolko sexually abuses two young campers (names withheld at the request of the victims) in Camp Agudah who complain to their counselor. Their counselor reports the complaint to Rabbi Simcha Kaufman. The abuse of these two boys cease for the remainder of that summer. Rabbi Simcha Kaufman is a co-worker of Kolko in Yeshiva Torah Temimah (more on Kaufman below) and was a co-worker of Kolko in Camp Agudah until 1976 when Kolko voluntarily left Camp Agudah after he co-founded Camp Ma-Na-Vu with Rabbi Lipa Geldwirth, another co-worker of his at Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· 1977 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, employed as a Rebbe in Yeshiva Torah Temimah in the morning, is employed in the afternoons by Yeshiva Karlin Stolin as Secular Studies Principal. During the course of his short tenure in Yeshiva Karlin Stolin numerous complaints are lodged by both students and parents (names withheld at the request of the victims) accusing Kolko of sexually abusing boys in the Yeshiva. Rabbi Shmuel Dishon asks Kolko to leave the employ of the Yeshiva.
· 1977 on – Eyewitness testimony and accusations of sexual abuse by Rabbi Yehuda Kolko of students at Yeshiva Torah Temimah and Camp Ma-Na-Vu reach a crescendo which culminates in several businessmen approaching Rabbi Lipa Margulies in 1984 and offering to fund a retirement package for Rabbi Yehuda Kolko provided he seeks employment away from children. Rabbi Lipa Margulies steadfastly refuses to accept the offer and suggests that those parents who disagree with his decision remove their children from his Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· 1981 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko sexually abuses a twelve year old student of Yeshiva Torah Temimah (name withheld at the request of the victim.) This victim publicizes the abuse and acts out, vandalizing Kolko’s home and car. Rabbi Lipa Margulies calls this victims father and warns him that if this activity does not stop his other children would be expelled from Yeshiva and the safety of his family could not be guaranteed. This victim is subsequently referred to Avrohom Mondrowitz for counseling.
· 1984 – As instructed by Rabbi Avigdor Miller, an Askan calls for a meeting which takes place at the home of Rabbi Yakov Perlow (the Novominsker) and is attended by Rabbi Avrohom Pam, Rabbi Elya Svei, Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller, Rabbi Aharon Schechter, Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman, Rabbi Shia Fishman and Rabbi Yankel Bender. At this meeting, chaired by Rabbi Perlow, the Askan discusses what is transpiring to innocent boys at the hands of Rabbi pedophiles and requests that Torah Umesorah and the Rabbonim issue a statement calling for their removal from Chinuch. Rabbi Svei informs this Askan that Torah Umesorah has consulted their attorneys who advised that for Torah Umesorah to admit knowledge of such abuse would subject Torah Umesorah, its staff, all its member schools and their staff to liability for not having reported their knowledge to the authorities earlier. Accordingly, Rabbi Elya Svei informs the Askan, neither he nor Torah Umesorah will do anything about this problem.
· 1984 thru 1985 – At directed by Rabbi Avrohom Pam an Askan approaches Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman and the two meet with Rabbi Shia (Joshua) Fishman in the office of Torah Umesorah. Both Scheinerman and Fishman neglect to inform this Askan that Fishman had been instructed by Torah Umesorah’s lawyer to do nothing about this issue. Rabbi Fishman requests the names of Kolko’s victims and promises absolute confidentiality. Names are provided to Rabbi Fishman who begins his own investigation of the allegations. He meets with and speaks with several victims who pour their hearts out to him after he guarantees them confidentiality. Rabbi Shia Fishman promptly discloses all he has learned to Rabbi Lipa Margulies who in turn publicly disparages and discredits each and every one of those boys who were brave enough to step forward.
· 1985 – A follow up meeting takes place at the home of Rabbi Simcha Kaufman and includes Rabbi Kaufman, Rabbi Lipa Margulies, Rabbi Shia Fishman, an Askan and an eyewitness. The eyewitness recounts his personal knowledge of Rabbi Kolko’s sexual abuse of boys and discusses the information he had gleaned from others. Rabbi Lipa Margulies insists that the charges are all fabrications and attacks the reputations of everyone involved in seeking the removal of Kolko from his Yeshiva Torah Temimah. Rabbi Shia Fishman subsequently informs anyone who asks that he can not deal with this issue as he is old (50 at the time) and will lose his job if he pursues this matter.
· 1985 – Rabbi Moshe Scheinerman is offered a lucrative and prestigious position as Rav of a Shul (a position he holds to this day) and is told that he must cease and desist from his actions against Yeshiva Torah Temimah Rabbeim (his own words) which he promptly does. Scheinerman abandons ship explaining that it is not appropriate for a rabbi of his stature to deal with these matters. Rabbi Yehoshua Leiman takes over.
· 1985 - Rabbi Yehoshua Leiman and others continue their quest for a solution and convene a Bais Din for this purpose. This Bais Din, consisting of Rabbi Menashe Klein, Rabbi Yechezkel Roth, Rabbi Aharon Stein, Rabbi Moshe Stern and Rabbi Chaim Yankel Tauber, is scheduled to hear testimony for two days after which they will rule on how to proceed. This panel meets and hears testimony for one day. Shortly thereafter, Rabbi Moshe Stern states that he is unable to participate in any more sessions and this Bais Din is disbanded without further explanation. In a private conversation with one of the Askanim, Rabbi Stern disclosed that he had been approached by Rabbi Lipa Margulies which resulted in the discontinuance of the Din Torah.
· 1985 – Upon the dissolution of the above Bais Din, Rabbi Lipa Margulies retains Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg to convene a second Bais Din for the purpose of clearing Rabbi Yehuda Kolko’s name. Rabbi Lipa Margulies then drafts Rabbi Friedman (the Tenka Rav) and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Brown to serve on Rabbi Scheinberg’s Bais Din. Prior to convening the Bais Din, Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg speaks with several of Kolko’s victims and asks them to describe what Kolko has done to them. Upon hearing the allegations Rabbi Scheinberg informs the boys that in the eyes of Halacha they had not been molested. Rabbi Scheinberg also calls the Askanim and tells them to cease and desist in their attempts to remove Kolko from Chinuch. Rabbi Avigdor Miller disagrees and instructs the Askanim in no uncertain terms to do whatever must be done to protect children from Kolko. Rabbi Pinchus Scheinberg convenes the Bais Din and takes the position that Rabbi Kolko has a Chezkas Kashrus absent any testimony by two adult witnesses to any single event. Rabbi Friedman takes the position that in light of the persistent rumors Rabbi Kolko must be kept away from children. Rabbi Brown ultimately concedes that there is no Halachic evidence against Kolko and the Din Torah is concluded. Rabbi Lipa Margulies insists that he has a Psak from this Bais Din but to this day has refused to produce it. Regardless, it is of note that no victims testified before this Bais Din.
· 1987 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, having groomed a former first grade student of his for years, begins systematically sexually abusing this boy (name withheld at the request of the victim) both in and out of the Yeshiva Torah Temimah building. When this boy complains to Rabbi Lipa Margulies that his grades are slipping because Kolko is removing him from class almost daily, Margulies responds by slapping the boy across the face and throwing him out of his office. This young man is now living down south where he is on leave of absence from the U.S. Army.
· 2001 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, takes a young Yeshiva Torah Temimah student under his wing (name withheld at the request of the victim) and begins removing him from class for “special projects.” These special projects include the boy being sexually molested by Kolko in the basement of the Yeshiva, in Rabbi Kolko’s car and in Rabbi Kolko’s private office, which Rabbi Lipa Margulies has conveniently equipped with its own private bathroom. This young man is currently in therapy and hopes to be able to recover enough to be able to get married and start a family.
· 2005 – Dovid Framowitz, after years of searching on the internet, chances upon a post written by a blogger calling himself “Un-Orthodox Jew” which makes reference to Rabbi Lipa Margulies harboring Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, a known pedophile, in his Yeshiva Torah Temimah. Dovid begins communicating with this blogger via e-mail who in turn posts Dovid’s story on his blog. Over the course of several months other victims of Kolko begin to step forward with their stories.
· January 2006 – Several Askonim decide that this four decade long Chillul Hashem must stop and approach both Rabbi Yehuda Kolko and Rabbi Lipa Margulies with a demand that Kolko be removed from Yeshiva Torah Temimah and Camp Silver Lake and further commit to spending the rest of his life in treatment and away from children. Both Kolko and Margulies refuse.
· February 2006 – A letter is drafted informing the public that Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is a dangerous pedophile and that Rabbi Lipa Margulies continues to employ him despite his knowledge of this fact. Copies of this draft letter are delivered to Kolko and Margulies. Both Kolko and Margulies are offered the opportunity to deal quietly with the issue and are informed that if they continue to refuse, the letter would be mass mailed to the entire community. Kolko responds by stating that “the matter has been taken care of” and Margulies responds by asking if anyone “thinks Kolko is still a threat” and declares “if anyone does not like the way I run my yeshiva let them not send their children to my yeshiva.” They refuse to comply and the letter is sent out in a mass mailing.
· February 2006 – Eli Greenwald, a graduate of Yeshiva and Mesivta Torah Temimah, son of one of the founders of the Yeshiva and a parent in the Yeshiva receives the letter and spends a few days investigating the matter. He calls Rabbi Yaakov Applegrad, the Yeshiva’s Administrator, and requests a meeting of the Vaad HaHorim in order to address this serious issue. Rabbi Applegrad informs him that there will be no meeting as the allegations are false and that he and Rabbi Margulies have the matter under control. Mr. Greenwald called Rabbi Lipa Margulies and makes the same request of him. Rabbi Margulies responds by shouting at him.
· February 17, 2006 – Eli Greenwald is served with a Hazmana issued by Rabbi Yisroel Belsky calling him to a Din Torah to answer the charge of Hotzoas Shem Rah allegedly committed against Rabbi Yehuda Kolko. Mr. Greenwald responds on February 21, 2006, that he will appear for a Din Torah before the Bais Din of America. To this day there has been no reply to Mr. Greenwald’s response by either Kolko or Rabbi Yisroel Belsky.
· February 2006 – An Askan meets with Rabbi Yaakov Perlow and pleads with him to get involved in this matter. Rabbi Perlow refuses on the basis of his being a Yuchid and this being a Tzibur matter. After being pressed further Rabbi Perlow takes his final stand that this is a Flatbush matter and as he is a Boro Park Rabbi it would be unseemly for him to get involved in this matter.
· March 2006 – Rabbi Lipa Margulies reaches a standstill agreement with the Askonim by committing to appear before a panel consisting of two Rabbonim and one Frum lawyer, all three of whom had been chosen by him. Rabbi Lipa Margulies reneges on his promise to appear before this panel.
· March 23, 2006 – A Hazmana to a Din Torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a Din Torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a Bais Din of ZBLA. The Hazmana is ignored by all the defendants.
· March 30, 2006 – A second Hazmana to a Din Torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a Din Torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a Bais Din of ZBLA. By fax sent on April 5, 2006, Rabbi Lipa Margulies responds to this Hazmana stating he will not appear for a Din Torah “without a prior determination of the charges against Rabbi Kolko.” Rabbi Kolko continues to ignore the Hazmanas.
· April 6, 2006 – A third Hazmana to a Din Torah is sent to Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, Rabbi Lipa Margulies and Yeshiva Torah Temimah summoning them to a Din Torah before the Bais Din of Mechon L’Hoyroa or a Bais Din of ZBLA. By fax sent on April 10, 2006, Rabbi Lipa Margulies responds to this Hazmana by stating “the Hazmonah that you sent to us was not a valid Hazmonah.” Rabbi Kolko does not respond at all. It is of note that Rabbi Yehuda Kolko is still teaching in Yeshiva Torah Temimah while these exchange are taking place.
· May 4, 2006 – A lawsuit is filed in United States District Court: Eastern District of New York, naming Rabbi Yehuda Kolko; Yeshiva & Mesivta Torah Temimah, Inc. and Camp Agudah as defendants. Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· May 5, 2006 – Rabbi Simcha Kaufman approaches Dovid Framowitz and with tears in his eyes tells him that if only he had known what Rabbi Kolko was doing to him he would have put a stop to it. Of interest was Rabbi Simcha Kaufman’s complete denial of any prior knowledge of any accusation before Dovid Framowitz brought his lawsuit. Rabbi Simcha Kaufman pleads with Dovid to withdraw his lawsuit lest he hurt Rabbi Lipa Margulies and the Yeshiva.
· May 10, 2006 – After being approached for comment on several occasions by Robert Kolker, a reporter for New York Magazine, and with a 5:00 printing deadline looming, Rabbi Lipa Margulies issues a statement through his attorney at 4:30 PM. Beginning with a proclamation that Yeshiva Torah Temimah is the preeminent Yeshiva in the world followed by an absolute denial of all the allegations, the statement concludes with an announcement that Rabbi Kolko has agreed to a “leave of absence” pending the resolution of this matter. Despite this claim, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· May 12, 2006 – A second lawsuit is filed in United States District Court: Eastern District of New York naming Rabbi Yehuda Kolko; Yeshiva & Mesivta Torah Temimah, Inc. as defendants. Still, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko remains in the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· May 15, 2006 – “On the Rabbi’s Knees – Do the Orthodox Jews Have a Catholic Priest Problem” a feature article in New York Magazine, a publication with a circulation of three million, is published. Within days of the publication of the article and after thirty-eight years of committing unspeakable acts of perversion in Yeshiva Torah Temimah, Kolko leaves the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah. It was only after the magazine hit the newsstands that Margulies succumbed to pressure and removed Kolko from the classrooms of Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
· July 2006 – Over the vocal protest of many residents and with the help of his friend Rabbi Yaakov Applegrad, Rabbi Yehuda Kolko takes up summer residence at a home in Regency Estates in the Catskills. Despite the claim that Kolko was on a leave of absence from Yeshiva Torah Temimah, he continues working for Camp Silver Lake, Yeshiva Torah Temimah’s summer home. In addition, Kolko initiates and organizes a multi-camp excursion to Lake Compounce, a water park located in Connecticut, where he is seen frolicking with young boys in bathing suits. A media outcry ensues resulting in Kolko being banned from the park by its non-Jewish management. Astonishingly, in August Kolko organizes a second trip to Lake Compounce, which is attended by the same Frum boy’s camps who participated in the July trip.
- December 6, 2006 – A civil suit is filed against Mesivta Torah Temimah in Kings County (Brooklyn) NY by the parents of a boy, now 9, who claims Rabbi Kolko abused him in 2003 and 2004.
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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3667308,00.html
Parents ignore child abuse at rabbi's advice
Police investigators stunned to find ultra-Orthodox parents ignored sexual abuse of their two children after their rabbi warned filing charges may invoke halachic rule equal to 'din moser'
Efrat Weiss
The Jerusalem Police recently revealed a stunning conspiracy of silence involving the sexual abuse of two children, ages four and nine, by a male relative. The investigation also revealed that the children's parents, their rabbi and their neighbors were all aware of the abuse, but chose to keep quiet.
Senior police NCO Aliza Aroch, who is the lead investigator in the case, told Ynet that police were contacted by a social worker, who reported getting a call from a woman who claimed to have witnessed the man molest the nine-year-old while they were at a doctor's waiting room.
The woman informed the doctor of what she saw and the two immediately contacted the social worker and the police. Both were deposed and the police promptly arrested the suspect.
The man, said Aroch, admitted the incident and assured the court it was a one-time digression. The Jerusalem District Court, however, ordered his arrest remanded for three days.
With the suspect in custody, the police began questioning the boy's parents and discovered that their nine-year-old son was suffering from autism and that they had two other children – a four-year-old boy and a two-year-old toddler.
After ascertaining that the suspect was a relative, investigators were amazed to learn that not only did the mother know the man was abusing both her sons, she had witnessed the acts on several occasions and did nothing.
She also told the police that her nine-year-old son had been subjected to the suspect's abuse since the age of two. The police suspect all three children also suffered physical abuse.
When asked why she did nothing, the mother reportedly told the investigators that she was "powerless."
During the course of the investigation, the police also found that several neighbors witnessed the suspect molesting the children in public, but failed to report him.
"Din Moser" is an ancient halachic law pertaining to informants, which according to the austere interpretation of Jewish tradition, equals a death sentence.
Once the gravity of the situation became apparent, the court ordered all three children be removed from home. The Jerusalem District Court also remanded both parents for five days.
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33 comments:
Save our kids! How many articles of child molesters/predators have been featured here this month alone, never mind elewhere in the US? Notice an upswing; more then you remember before? Yep and it's only getting worse. When a predator gets caught, clamouring for 'life terms, castration, and throwing away the key' resound. That's not the fix. These intelligent animals are primal and are hunting and damaging our children, whom we refer to as our country's future. It isn't about sex organs, but about their mentality, highs, and ego trips when they hunt. Castrate? They will use objects. They are hunters and won't stop. Imprisoning forever won't work due to limited space, threat to non-violent offenders living there, and lack of funds. We kill other animals who threaten our livelihoods & lives, but it's a human here so society cringes at the thought. How many kids need to be harmed before society realizes predators are another danger worth killing? Residual effects for victims are long lasting and affect others. End it; kill the hunter.
What about Eli G.?
The creep is still on Hatzolah!!!
A Child Molester has the Din of a Rodef ~ Part 1
A Halacha Shiur given by Rabbi Elchonon Tauber Shlita, on the topic of, "A Child Molester has the Din of a Rodef". Part 1 of 6
Dozens of Orthodox rabbis and educators have signed what they call a "statement of principles" regarding the acceptance of gays and lesbians within the Orthodox community.
The statement, initially drafted by Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, was prepared over the last months and can be read in full here.
"Jews with homosexual orientations or same sex-attractions should be welcomed as full members of the synagogue and school community," reads the statement, which goes on to say that Jewish law "sees heterosexual marriage as the ideal model and sole legitimate outlet for human sexual expression. The sensitivity and understanding we properly express for human beings with other sexual orientations does not diminish our commitment to that principle."
The rabbis and educators go on to say that "Embarrassing, harassing or demeaning someone with a homosexual orientation or same-sex attraction is a violation of Torah prohibitions that embody the deepest values of Judaism."
The question or cause of one's sexual orientation is irrelevant "to our obligation to treat human beings with same-sex attractions and orientations with dignity and respect," the signatories said.
The rabbis and educators go on to say they affirm the religious right of gays and lesbians to reject "therapies" intended to change their sexual orientation. Moreover, they say, rabbis and Jewish community leaders must be empathetic to the suffering Orthodox gays and lesbians endure.
And while Jewish law cannot "give its blessing and imprimatur to Jewish religious same-sex commitment ceremonies and weddings," their communities should "display sensitivity, acceptance and full embrace of the adopted or biological children of homosexually active Jews in the synagogue and school setting," the statement said.
Source:
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/news/u-s-orthodox-rabbis-urge-community-to-accept-gays-and-lesbians-1.304661
An Orthodox rabbi who stole millions in education and poverty grants and then fled the U.S. in 1997 has been sentenced to a little more than two years behind bars.
"I am very sorry for the things that I did that were not Kosher," Avrum Freisel told Manhattan Federal Judge Barbara Jones Monday. " I am deeply shamed."
Jones cut Freisel, 57, a big break - he faced up to 6 1/2 years in prison.
Four of his buddies in the scheme that was concocted in the Rockland County religious community of New Square also got off easy after Freisel went on the lam when then-President Bill Clinton commuted their sentences.
Jones, who was also appointed by Clinton, said her leniency was based on Freisel's "tremendous devotion to working with children."
Freisel was caught in England and returned to the U.S. last year. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy in March.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/07/27/2010-07-27_crooked_rabbi_sorry_on_theft.html#ixzz0v1zzZgIe
Un-kosher rabbi gets 27 months for defrauding goverment
By BRUCE GOLDING
Last Updated: 1:10 PM, July 26, 2010
Posted: 12:46 PM, July 26, 2010
An admittedly un-kosher rabbi was sentenced this morning to 27 months in the slammer for an unholy fraud for which four fellow crooks walked free after getting their sentences commuted by then-Preisdent Clinton.
Rabbi Avrum Friesel -- who spent more than 11 years on the lam in Israel and Great Britain -- said he was "deeply ashamed" for breaking American civil law, which meant he also broke Jewish religious law.
"I feel very sorry for the things that I did that were not kosher," Friesel, 57, said in Manhattan federal court.
The gray-bearded religious teacher later turned and smiled to about two dozen supporters wearing black velvet skull caps and traditional Hasidic black garb.
After being extradited last year from London, Friesel, pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme that defrauded various government programs of tens of millions of dollars during the 1980s.
The scam -- run by leaders of the Hasidic village of New Square in Rockland County -- secured more than $10 million in crooked Pell grants for ineligible students at a Brooklyn seminary, and also stole from the Small Business Administration and the federal Section 8 housing program.
Judge Barbara Jones cut Friesel a break from sentencing guidelines that called for up to 41 months in prison, citing his relatively minor role in the scam and his history of working with disabled children.
She also ordered him to pay $11 million-plus in restitution.
Only about $26,000 of the stolen money has been repaid, prosecutor Daniel Levy said.
Four co-defendants were convicted in 1999, but had their sentences commuted by President Clinton on his last day in office in 2001, shortly after his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, won nearly every vote cast in New Square during her election to the U.S. Senate.
A subsequent investigation by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office found no wrongdoing.
The mastermind behind the scheme -- Chaim Berger, a Holocaust survivor and founder of New Square -- died while serving a six-year prison term in 2004.
A seventh defendant, Nathan Adler, remains at large.
I'm another menuvel who thinks I can get away with molesting kids.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/teacher-molested-kids-for-20-years-while-community-turned-blind-eye-1.304673
The testimony reveals that the victims were usually young - aged 9 or 10, or sometimes a bit older - and generally came from families whose from lower social status. Walzer would allegedly pick them up from school or synagogue in his car.
Police have been conducting an undercover investigation of Walzer for the last few months. Over the course of the probe, they began to suspect that some of the victims had also been sexually abused by a second person.
Yes, I am just another pig face Rabbi. Never heard about any complaints against Shimshon Walzer for at least 20 years now. This is the first time it has been brought to my attention. I believe the alleged victims suffer from what is reality and what is not. I do not believe them - not now - not then - not ever!
His partner is a hefty donkey by the name of Potchy. Medics will stand by in case Lepold's weight collapses him into the trail of donkey du-du.
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JERUSALEM — Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox deputy mayor plans to march 50 donkeys through the streets of the Holy City to coincide with a gay pride parade on Thursday, his office said.
"This expresses what we think -- that this is a beastly act," Rabbi Yitzhak Pindrus, who represents the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party on the city council, told the Ynet news website.
His spokesman Menahem Zaide declined to link the donkey march to the parade, saying only: "Donkeys also have rights to be recognised as couples.
"We are in favour of donkey rights," he told AFP.
However, Zaide said they were still awaiting permission from the agriculture ministry.
About 1,000 people were expected to take part in the pride parade under heavy security.
In 2005, an ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed three participants and was subsequently sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Ultra-Orthodox Jews consider the event to be an abomination and desecration of the Holy City.
http://www.cliffviewpilot.com/public-safety/1504-child-sex-abuse-prevention-begins-with-you
A MUST READ:
Preventing child sex abuse begins at home
If you’re headed up Route 17 toward Monticello, you might notice a curious sign: A billboard urging parents to teach their children what to do if someone touches them inappropriately. Go into town and you’ll see a similar billboard in Yiddish. It's a progressive approach that experts agree can be extremely effective, especially at a time of year when more kids have less supervision.
"Adults must exercise an affirmative responsibility to safeguard children from sexual abuse," says Prevent Child Abuse America, an advocacy group.
The primary reason: Children may retain the message from school only temporarily. What's more, they may feel intimidated by someone bigger, older and stronger.
"Efforts must be made to create programs that shift the responsibility of child sexual abuse prevention to adults and public institutions," the PCAA says. "An example of such an approach is widespread and intensive public education of the warning signs of child sexual abusers and how adults should act to safeguard children from sexual abuse."
The Jewish Board of Advocates for Children, founded two years ago to help protect children from abuse, has taken out two full-size billboards in Sullivan County. Originally known as the N.Y.S. Yeshiva Parents Association, the group successfully lobbied for a state law that requires all non-public schools in New York to fingerprint and background-check their prospective employees.
It makes a difference to countless families in North Jersey who send their children to schools just across the border in Rockland County or across the river in New York City.
“Unfortunately, there are strange people in the community who want to harm our children. We have to stop them,” JBAC President and co-founder Elliot Pasik said. “Child abuse thrives in darkness. The more people talk about it, the greater wall of safety we are creating around them.
“Particularly during the summer, when children are at play, there is less supervision. Child abuse is a sickness. If you have a sickness you go straight to a doctor. These billboards are part of our medicine.”
“There are many things that parents can do to protect their children even when they are not watching them,” said Rabbi Dr. Asher Lipner, the JBAC Vice President. “Talking to children openly and calmly about abuse is one of the most important things parents can do.”
Continued...
Rabbi Yehuda Levin, spokesman for The Rabbinical Alliance of America, has said the document errs in promoting a lenient attitude towards the sin of homosexuality. The Rabbinical Alliance of America represents approximately 1,000 rabbis across the United States.
"The Talmud teaches us that one who has compassion on the wrong party will not have compassion when compassion is truly necessary," Levin told LifeSiteNews.com. "What's happening here is that these modern Orthodox rabbis - New York Times readers one and all - are just aping the in-vogue attitude towards justifying the homosexual community."
Levin emphasized that, according to Leviticus, the sin of homosexual behavior should be treated no less lightly than that of pedophilia, incest, and other sexual sins, which historically received grave punishment. "Let's just cross out the word homosexual and insert the words prostitute, or adulterer, or polygamy marriage, or incestuous relationship. Why shouldn't we do the same thing and have compassion for the incestuous relationship?" he asked.
The rabbi noted that, "We do have compassion on people who struggle mightily with sexual drives that are non-kosher." However, said Levin, "We don't do things that could be interpreted, or misinterpreted as koshering the homosexual relationship - with a wink and a blink and saying: we're against it, but, welcome to our synagogue, and that's a very nice commitment ring you have on."
He also emphasized the sin of scandal perpetuated by treating homosexuality as a legitimate trait. "By openly proclaiming your sin, you're doing a second sin - you're cooling off the religious attitudes of all those in your community," he said.
Child molesters should not go to jail because of this.
EDMONTON - An Edmonton convict who admitted pummelling a "notorious" child molester, stabbing him with a pen and biting him on the cheek has been sent to jail for eight months.
And while Victor Barasso, 49, remains unrepentant for the Calgary Remand Centre assault, he also blames guards for setting it up by knowingly opening his cell door while inmates in protective custody were out being given lunch in what he claims is a sport they call "Con UFC."
"The guards purposely set this up so they could watch a fight," said Barasso, who is currently serving time at the maximum-security Edmonton Institution.
Court of Queen's Bench Justice Sterling Sanderman accepted that victim Eric Wanamaker is an "odious character," but told Barasso he had no right to attack him.
"We can't have vigilante justice anywhere in our society," said Sanderman after Barasso pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm and possessing a dangerous weapon.
Crown prosecutor Susan Phillippe told court the April 24, 2007, attack on Wanamaker happened when Barasso's cell door was opened as a result of "officer error" and said Barasso used it as an opportunity and lay in wait.
She said Barasso repeatedly struck Wanamaker in the face, head and torso with his fists and a pen he had taken from him and also bit the sex offender on the right cheek.
She said guards eventually pulled Barasso off and the victim was treated for cuts, scrapes, bruises and bite marks.
While being shown a photo of Wanamaker's injuries in court, Barasso said: "Maybe he won't be molesting any more children after that."
He then apologized to the judge, but as he sat back down in the prisoner's box, he muttered the word "scumbag."
Defence lawyer Jack Kelly told court Wanamaker is a "notorious child molester" and said Barasso argued with him after accusing him of taking a picture of Barasso's eight-year-old daughter from his cell the day before.
Barasso told the judge what Wanamaker had said to him.
"I love my kids and you tell me you're going to screw my eight-year-old daughter, you're going to have a beef with me," said Barasso. "Guilty as charged."
Barasso told the judge that Wanamaker had thrust the pen at his face so he took it and "stabbed him up with it."
The convict also said he bit Wanamaker because the sex offender's dentures had got stuck on his knuckles when he was punching him and he wanted him to let go.
Wanamaker, 68, has a history of sexual assaults and was sentenced to 11 years in prison after being convicted in 1992 of sexually abusing a young girl.
In 1998 he and another sex offender escaped from the minimum-security Bowden Institution and was later found in a tent embracing a 14-year-old girl.
When he was released in 2004, Calgary police issued a public warning about his history targeting young girls.
In 2007 he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after being caught watching the illicit filth on a laptop while near a children's festival in Olympic Plaza.
tony.blais@sunmedia.ca
Kids are sexually active so why am I accused of molesting when they like it?
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3924099,00.html
'More religious kids sexually active'
Far from newspaper headlines, several sexual abuse cases involving children and teens exposed in national-religious sector. Rabbis blame porn websites, while new program attempts to tackle phenomenon for first time, without using word 'sex'
Merav Batito
Published: 08.02.10, 12:03 / Israel Jewish Scene
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When the nightmare began, Shlomo (not his real name) was sure he could still put an end to it: One slap or a serious talk and the child would surely understand there's something utterly wrong with his behavior.
The boy, only 9-years-old, "pulled out his penis from his pants and told his sister to taste it and even mentioned it tasted like ice-cream or chocolate," the indictment against him stated. "The sister obliged and licked his penis. In these acts, the defendant caused the minor to perform an indecent act on him."
Read more by clicking link.
Reports of Child Sexual Abuse on the Rise
August 2, 2010 - 12:08 PM | by: Lee Ross
In describing the recent proliferation of child pornography as a dramatic increase and historic rise, the Justice Department Monday presented to Congress its first ever threat assessment of this growing problem.
“We have created a strategy that provides a comprehensive assessment of the threats at hand as well as the effectiveness of current efforts to combat child exploitation and abuse,” said Attorney General Eric Holder at an event announcing the new initiative.
The assessment is required under a 2008 law forcing the Justice Department to formulate and implement a national strategy. The stated goal is to prevent the sexual exploitation of children by “efficiently leveraging assets across the federal government in a coordinated manner.”
Not only have the numbers of sexually abusive images increased in recent years the assessment says that prosecutors and investigators have documented trends showing pictures are more likely to depict violence against the victims. The children in these pictures are also increasingly likely to be toddlers or infants.
“Tragically, the only place we have seen a decrease is in the age of victims. This is simply unacceptable,” Holder said.
The report cites statistics showing a 40 percent increase in the number of federal prosecutions for crimes related to child exploitation from 2006 to 2009.
Over the same time frame, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s tip line saw a 69 percent bump in reports.
“This is a problem that has come out of the shadows, but much more needs to be done,” said Ernie Allen, President of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which hosted Monday’s event.
Allen said the country has made progress but the problem is larger than imagined.
The report acknowledges that it is impossible to know the breadth of the seedy market for child pornography and that new technological developments make it easier to produce and transmit illicit videos and images.
Government officials also used Monday’s event to announce a new nationwide initiative to crackdown on 500 sex offenders who are also fugitives.
The final speaker was a longhaired brunette with tremendous poise who talked about her abusive childhood.
“It makes me heartbroken to know that there are children being abused at this moment and don’t know how to reach out for help," said Melissa, whose last name was with withheld and was introduced as a “real hero” and received a standing ovation from the crowd comprised largely of law enforcement officers.
Read more: http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/08/02/reports-of-child-sexual-abuse-on-the-rise/#ixzz0vZjSwXs8
Some very good information on this thread that every parent needs to know. Asher Lipner gets a thank you for his diligence and guidance, bringing out helpful facts on child sex abuse.
The other stories (all too common) show there's still a long way to go in this fight. "Parents ignore child abuse at rabbi's advice." The "anti-Torah" parents and the Lakewood community shunning them.
Obviously many heads are still buried in the sand, priorities backwards, just so ignorant.
HOBOKEN, N.J. (WPIX) - The former Hoboken mayor, who spent just three weeks in office and was arrested in a massive federal money laundering and corruption sting in July 2009, has been sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday.
Peter Cammarano III, 33, plead guilty on April 20 on the felony charge of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right. The maximum sentence for the charge is 20 years in jail.
Cammarano, a Democrat, was the youngest person to serve as the city's mayor at age 32. He was busted for accepting a $25,000 political bribe from FBI informant Solomon Dwek, 37, in exchange for building permits and approval for a development Dwek claimed he was constructing in Hoboken. The proposed project was, in fact, fake....
I know I usually don't comment on child sex abuse, but this is even worse than that, prompting me to voice my criticism.
(Rabbi) Avi Weisss is a pornographer for allowing a rabah to lead the service again.
Summer is my favorite time. I do my learning with the boys at the various bungalow colony pools I can find.
Parents these days really bring in some really cute six year old boys into this world. They really are fulfilling the mitzvah of 'pru urevu'.
By the way did I ever mention how much I loved the principal job at Stolin?
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· 1977 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, employed as a Rebbe in Yeshiva Torah Temimah in the morning, is employed in the afternoons by Yeshiva Karlin Stolin as Secular Studies Principal. During the course of his short tenure in Yeshiva Karlin Stolin numerous complaints are lodged by both students and parents (names withheld at the request of the victims) accusing Kolko of sexually abusing boys in the Yeshiva. Rabbi Shmuel Dishon asks Kolko to leave the employ of the Yeshiva.· 1977 – Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, employed as a Rebbe in Yeshiva Torah Temimah in the morning, is employed in the afternoons by Yeshiva Karlin Stolin as Secular Studies Principal. During the course of his short tenure in Yeshiva Karlin Stolin numerous complaints are lodged by both students and parents (names withheld at the request of the victims) accusing Kolko of sexually abusing boys in the Yeshiva. Rabbi Shmuel Dishon asks Kolko to leave the employ of the Yeshiva.
The police yesterday announced they had collected sufficient evidence to recommend that Rabbi Mordechai (Moti) Elon be indicted on charges of sexual crimes.
Police suspect Elon, one of the most prominent rabbis in the religious Zionist movement, of forcibly committing indecent acts on two minors.
In the coming days the file will be turned over to the Jerusalem district prosecutor, who will decide whether to go forward with an indictment.
In an unusual step, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and State Prosecutor Moshe Lador closely followed the case while the police were still investigating Elon.
In February, Weinstein instructed the police to examine complaints about Elon that had been made public by Takana, a forum that fights sexual abuse in the Orthdox community.
The head of the police investigations and intelligence branch, Maj. Gen. Yoav Segalovich, instructed the national fraud squad to take charge of the probe. The latter sought out the complainants, among other sources, through Takana.
The police found that the statute of limitations had run out on some of the complaints. However, a few weeks ago, one person came forward and testified that from 2005 to 2006, when he was a minor, Elon forcibly committed indecent acts against him.
This evidence, together with testimony from individuals who were in contact with the complainant during the period of the alleged acts convinced Weinstein, Segalovich and Lador to order a thorough investigation of the allegations. The investigation included testimony from various individuals who had come into contact with the complainant during the time the alleged crimes were committed and strengthened the suspicions against Elon.
Weinstein then ordered a criminal file opened against Elon. He was questioned under warning on suspicion of committing indecent acts by force and indecent acts against a minor.
During the investigation police say another person came forward and told them that when he was a minor, Elon had sexually abused him, and Elon was summoned again for questioning.
The Jerusalem district prosecutor's office is expected to decide within just a few months whether to indict Elon, since the state prosecutor's office has been overseeing the case since its early phases.
Suspicions against Elon came to the attention of Takana four years ago. The forum demanded that Elon cease his educational activities, and placed various restrictions on him. With no explanation to his students and followers, Elon, who was popular with students, left his post as head of Yeshivat Hakotel in Jerusalem, and moved with his family to Migdal on the Kinneret.
In 2006, Takana informed then attorney general Menachem Mazuz of the complaints against Elon. Mazuz conveyed the information to the police, but decided not to order an investigation against Elon.
Takana said they decided to go public with the allegations because Elon "did not follow the restrictions imposed on him."
Elon's attorney, Yair Golan, told Haaretz yesterday that he is certain that a close investigation will reveal that Elon committed no crimes. "We hope in the end that no indictment will be issued against Rabbi Elon. The rabbi cooperated with the investigation, answered all questions he was asked, and denied that he committed any crime. He will continue to fight for the truth and for his good name."
Yair Ettinger contributed to this report.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/police-indict-rabbi-moti-elon-for-sexual-abuse-1.306824
Came across this article and thought it to be an excellent piece.
http://dalje.com/en-bestseller/frogs-in-water/314382
Halt the attacks on Nuchem Rosenbeg. This man is man on a mission with credible facts to back it up. Disparaging the messenger only fuels this deadly epidemic!
http://getridofnuchem.blogspot.com/
The children's father claimed that he consulted his rabbi, who told him that unless he witnesses the acts himself, reporting it would be like rendering a "Din Moser."
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Moronic men with the holier than thy attitude are butchering children, and they're doing it by hijacking the Torah to manipulate its real intent and meaning.
It is no wonder that even today with all the awareness and spotlight on child sex abuse, not much has improved in the attitude to confront the demons.
A rabbi's son was shot during a robbery attempt in Brooklyn early Tuesday, police sources said.
Burech Halberstam was wounded in the stomach when two assailants marked him at S. 9th St. in Williamsburg at 12:30 a.m.
"He was held up and shot to the stomach," said community leader Isaac Abraham, who knows Halberstam's father, Zalman.
Burech Halberstam was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he was in stable condition, officials said.
It was unclear if anything was stolen.
The suspects fled in a van, which they dumped on Jefferson Ave. in Brooklyn, sources said.
No one has been arrested.
Zalman Halberstam is a rabbi at a synagogue on Division St. in Williamsburg.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/08/10/2010-08-10_rabbis_son_shot_in_stomach_during_robbery_attempt_in_williamsburg_in_stable_cond.html#ixzz0wWLSVhp3
http://newark.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/nk081210.htm
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Department of Justice Press Release
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For Immediate Release
August 12, 2010 United States Attorney's Office
District of New Jersey
Contact: (973) 645-2888
Leader of $200 Million Real Estate Investment Scam Arrested for Fraud
Alleged Schemes Defrauded Investors in Multiple States and Abroad
NEWARK, NJ—Eliyahu Weinstein, aka “Eli Weinstein,” was arrested at his home this morning by federal agents on charges that he ran an investment fraud scheme causing losses of at least $200 million, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Weinstein, 35, of Lakewood, N.J., was charged with one count of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud in connection with the alleged scheme. Vladimir Siforov, 43, of Manalapan, N.J., was also charged with one count of wire fraud in connection with the scheme and remains at large. Weinstein is expected to appear later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court.
According to the criminal complaint unsealed today:
From as early as September 2005 to the present, Weinstein orchestrated—with the help of Siforov and others—a real estate investment fraud scheme, headquartered in Lakewood, that has resulted in losses to victim investors of at least $200 million. To perpetrate this scheme, Weinstein targeted fellow members of the Orthodox Jewish community in New Jersey, New York, Florida, California, and abroad using the social and business customs and practices of the community in furtherance of his scheme. To induce his victims’ investments, Weinstein, Siforov, and others lied to their victims, using a variety of fraudulent means.
For example, Weinstein did not own many of the properties he claimed to own. Instead, his asserted “third-party buyers” were often co-conspirators, such as Siforov, not bona fide arms-length purchasers and he sold his real or fake interest in a single property multiple times to different victims. Weinstein also fraudulently altered checks that had been negotiated for small amounts to make it appear that they were worth millions of dollars and presented copies of checks to his victims as having been negotiated that never were negotiated. Additionally, Weinstein drew up fraudulent leases to make it seem that a property had substantial rental income, when in fact there was no tenant and no income, and hid material information from his victims—such as profound zoning changes that would dramatically reduce the value of certain properties.
U.S. Attorney Fishman stated: “Weinstein is charged with offering an array of lucrative investment opportunities that served the single purpose of fattening his wallet. It is always offensive when someone steals from others to finance his own luxurious lifestyle, but it is especially galling to exploit a community with whom one shares an inherent trust.”
Continued....
Lakewood is a a "mukom torah" so how was Weinstein scamming every dick and joe without his community attempting to reign him in?
http://gothamist.com/2010/08/15/convicted_child_molesting_rabbis_sp.php
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Convicted Child Molesting Rabbi's Special Food Delivery
This is not as scandalous as the "Private Club" for Orthodox Jews at The Tombs, but since it's August, it's scandalous enough to earn some front page time on the Post: Even though Rikers Island has kosher food for its Jewish prisoners, a Satmar rabbi gets "special food brought straight to his Rikers Island cell." Baruch Leibovits complained that the food "hadn't had proper rabbinical supervision," but the Post notes his "adherence to holy law apparently didn't preclude repeatedly sexually abusing a 16-year-old classmate of his son."
Leibovits was convicted in March and sentenced to up to 32 years in prison; he's currently at Rikers awaiting trial for a different sex abuse case. The Queens company providing the special Kosher food (Salisbury steak! cheese ravioli!) had offered to ship the items, but a Rikers captain went to pick it up because a delay.
While the head of United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg told the Post, "This is not a privilege or an accommodation -- it's a right. Any Jewish prisoner has the religious right to eat food that is appropriate according his religious traditions," another Jewish advocate called it a "big chutzpah... They are bending over backwards to help this molester. None of the other Jewish inmates can get that same food." Even FDNY chaplain Joseph Potasnik said, "There's no reason to give special food to one inmate."
We provide services for molesters who have been wrongfully convicted and/or accused.
Defending our esteemed dear friends from vicious lies is a priority, hence the reason behind bashing Joel Engleman for accusing our esteemed Rabbi Avrohom Reichman of sexually assaulting him as a child.
It is also our position that Rabbi Baruch Leibovits was framed by some disgruntled bums.
I am Rabbi David Niederman and I approve this message
All I know is Chesley Sullenberger is definitely NOT a hero and Bernie Madoff IS.
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When angry flight attendants become heroes
By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach
Steve Slater. American hero.
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/guestvoices/2010/08/when_angry_flight_attendants_become_heroes.html
Rabbi David Niederman, the head of the United Jewish Organization of Williamsburg, said claims of widespread abuse in the Orthodox community are "nonsense."
"Are there cases where people dont abide by the law? Yes, no question. We are all human. As humans, we have temptations of various sorts. No community is immune to that," he said.
"But we would not and don't tolerate any type of criminality. If a person abuses your child today, he will abuse my child tomorrow or my grandchild. We take that very seriously," he said. "We put our children first. Nobody in his right mind will try to protect somebody who committed a crime. It will turn against you."
Thousands gather in
Lakewood to hear from
Jewish spiritual leader
By CHARLES WEBSTER • STAFF WRITER • August
18, 2010
LAKEWOOD — An estimated 5,000 Orthodox Jews
flocked to the former Little League park off Clifton
Avenue this morning for the arrival of spiritual
leader Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, visiting from
Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Shteinman, who is on a brief world tour, arrived by
car this morning to speak at the Bais Medrash
Govoha Yeshiva in Lakewood, before he moved to
the Little League field where thousands waited to
hear his inspirational speech.
Shteinman was in Monsey, N.Y. Tuesday and has
already visited Mexico and Panama on his recent
world tour.
”He is our leader. Even our rabbis rely on him for
guidance,’’ explained Judah Abramsky, 27, of
Lakewood, who came to listen to the man described
as the Grand or Great Rabbi of the Orthodox Jewish
community.
This was the fourth visit by Shteinman in the past
ten years, according to Abramsky.
Officials said about 5,000 people were in
attendance at the Little League field.
This is a school to send your problem child to.
http://www.minutemannewscenter.com/articles/2010/08/18/fairfield/news/doc4c6c1adb5ab09605387493.txt
Founder of Haitian School for Boys admits to engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors
LOS ANGELES — The Roman Catholic Church in the United States has become embroiled in a new pedophilia scandal with six women and one man alleging sexual abuse by a priest over three decades.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Oakland, California accused Father Stephen Kiesle of acts of sexual abuse between 1972 and 2001, and alleged that Catholic Church officials knew of the crimes but did not stop them.
Pedophile priest scandals and allegations of high-level cover-ups that swept Australia and the United States in 2004 have surged again since last year and rocked the Catholic Church in Europe and the United States.
"The Catholic bishops in the United States of America and the Holy See have long facilitated the sexual molestation of children by engaging in the harboring and protection of known child molesting priests," read a copy of the latest lawsuit obtained by AFP.
"The bishops and Catholic hierarchs have done so to prevent the priests from being prosecuted and to avoid scandal," the lawsuit read.
It said church figures "have subjected Catholic families and children in these communities to known pedophiles, counting on the devotion and reverence in the communities to keep any further abuse by the priests secret."
The plaintiffs, six women and one man, said they were abused by Kiesle throughout childhood and adolescence, although one alleged victim, Teresa Rosson, 48, said she suffered abuse at the hand of the cleric until about a decade ago.
The lawsuit is the latest of several to embroil the US Roman Catholic church, which has been repeatedly accused of closing its eyes to the sexual and physical abuse of children by priests and church officials.
In response, the Vatican last month issued new rules against pedophile priests and promised an acceleration of internal investigations and extension by a decade of the statute of limitations in abuse cases.
The church paid out 436 million dollars in 2008 for sex abuse cases involving clergy members, according to an official report last year.
The bulk of that money -- more than 374 million dollars -- was paid out in settlements to victims, according to the report that tracks how well the church is implementing a charter to protect children.
The US Catholic Church was plunged into crisis in 2002 after the Archbishop of Boston admitted he protected a priest he knew had sexually abused young members of his church.
During a trip to the United States in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of the world's 1.1 billion Roman Catholics, sought pardon from victims, saying he felt deeply ashamed by the sex scandals.
The pope himself has faced allegations that, as archbishop of Munich helped to protect predator priests.
May Hashem flex his muscles and create a blizzard and bring down the little men who many call 'gedolim'. My problem with these miniature slobs is when I aked for help after being molested - they behaved like scared sneaky scumbags with something to hide. Then I found out why. They had no intentions whatsoever of soothing my pain, their intent was set on covering up the crime and protecting the perpetrator - in this case a prominent rabbi. The world we live in. Astonishing? No. Not surprising in the least.
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