Thursday, August 26, 2010

Rabbinic Sewage Suffocating Holy Torah

Guilty or Innocent?

"Hazmana" Belsky leading the pack

Lakewood Orthodox Jewish
leaders want abuse
accusations addressed

As rift widens, community insists problems
should be brought to rabbis

By ZACH PATBERG • STAFF WRITER • August 25,
2010

One man's criminal accusation that a teacher
molested his young son has widened the rift in the

Orthodox Jewish
community over where religious
rights stop and the justice system begins.

Some inside the tight-knit enclave praised the
child's father for bypassing religious protocols last
year and reporting the alleged attack first to Ocean
County prosecutors. Others believe he committed a
sin because he failed to get permission from a
rabbinic court before pressing charges against a
fellow Jew.


"The first step is to go to rabbis,'' said Rabbi Shmuel
Meir Katz, a senior Dayan, or decider of Jewish law.
He teaches at
Beth Medrash Govoha, a yeshiva in
Lakewood that is one of the foremost Jewish
universities in the world. "We have our own system.
We have our own laws, and as long as the Bais Din
(rabbinical tribunal) feels competent on taking care
of something themselves, that's our surest recourse
in our circles.''
 

At the center of the controversy are the criminal
charges against Yosef Kolko, 36, a former camp
counselor and local yeshiva teacher. At his
arraignment Tuesday, Kolko pleaded not guilty to
charges of aggravated sexual assault and child
endangerment. The child was between 11 and 12
years old when the more than yearlong alleged
abuse began in Lakewood, according to the
indictment. The Asbury Park Press is withholding
the father's name to protect the child's identity.

The case is a stark example of what Ocean County
Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford described as a "wall
of silence'' in the community that has made
investigating crimes difficult.
 

The decision of the child's father to go immediately
to authorities last year has sparked reprisals,
according to prosecutors and witnesses. 

Attempts were made to pressure the father to drop the
charges. Fliers about him were circulated. In June, a
Lakewood resident was arrested and charged with

witness-tampering
.
 

Eight months ago, religious leaders and county law
enforcement authorities pledged to work together to
better prosecute crimes within the Orthodox
community. Since then, more sex crimes in
Lakewood have been reported, but there is no
information if those cases came from inside or
outside the Orthodox community.

But the Kolko case has exposed a strong
undercurrent of resistance to outside involvement.  

A recent flier criticizing the father included a decree
signed by prominent rabbis that discouraged
cooperation with secular courts.
On June 30, at a charity fundraiser in Lakewood, a
flier was circulated with a letter
titled "How (the child's father) Makes a Mockery of
the Torah.'' It described the father's choice to go to
prosecutors as a "terrible deed,'' according to a t
ranslation from Hebrew. It also threatened to
publicize the names of his supporters if they don't
""repent.''

"We hope that after tonight further letters will not be
necessary,'' it stated. "However, let the perpetrators
of this (shameful thing) know that ... we will not stop
(until this horrible shame is removed from us).''

The letter includes the name of a Bronx rabbi, Abba
Hershkowitz, and his phone number. It is otherwise
unsigned. It could not be verified that Hershkowitz
approved the letter.

Attached to the same flier was a proclamation
signed by nine Lakewood rabbis that instructs
people to bring allegations to a Bais Din rabbinical
tribunal before alerting government authorities.


At this point, there is no evidence that the signers
of the proclamation meant to have their names
distributed with the letter.

The proclamation reads in part: "And if, in fact, he
has transgressed and has gone so far as to bring
the matter to the secular (nonreligious) courts, he
is, perforce, obligated to do everything possible in
order to remove any scintilla of accusation against
the other party from the secular courts,'' it states,
according to a translation by
Rina Ne'eman Hebrew
Language Services
in New Brunswick paid for by the
Press. "And it need not be stated that it is forbidden
(for him) to continue to cooperate with them (secular
courts) and to assist them in their efforts to pursue
a Jew.''

The proclamation, dated in the spring of 2010, is
signed by some of Lakewood's leading authorities
on Jewish law, including heads of yeshivas and
synagogues, Bais Din judges and two rabbis from
the Beth Medrash Govoha yeshiva.

Three rabbis confirmed they signed the
proclamation but declined to say more. They were
Avrohom Spitzer, a Dayan; Yosef Zimbal, a rabbi at
Westgate Congregation; and Simcha Bunim Cohen, a
rabbi at Congregation Ateres Yeshaya. Another,
Rabbi Shmuel Katz, said he did not remember the 
exact contents of the decree but nonetheless
repeated its philosophy.

"From the time we open our eyes in the morning,
our religion tells us how to take care of this,'' he
said.

Katz compared the religious and legal courts to the
two houses of Congress. Batei Din, he said, offers a
platform for cooler heads to prevail when dealing
with emotional issues that may otherwise spark rash
accusations and damage reputations.

While he put both systems on equal footing, Katz
did say accusers should go to rabbis before the
police. He added that if a rabbi were unsure of the
answer or direction to proceed, he would be
obligated to consult professionals.

When asked if that included going to law
enforcement, Katz didn't specify.


"If somebody's engaging in devious activities, he
(the consulted rabbi) should speak to an expert in
those things,'' he said. "And if he doesn't know, he
says he doesn't know.''

Such an internal system has previously raised
concerns among child advocates and some
Orthodox families who fear it can act as a
gatekeeper in sex-abuse cases. Its lack of
investigative skills and real judicial authority, they
say, leave wide cracks through which pedophiles
can, and have, slipped.

Ford, the Ocean County prosecutor, said she does
not condone going to a rabbi first about a crime, as
third-party delays can contaminate evidence and
hinder investigations.

But, she said, sex crimes, more so than most
offenses, often are reported to a confidant before
law enforcement because of their sensitive nature.
Ford said she recognizes this "reality'' as her office
tries to "penetrate a wall of silence that has
admittedly existed in the Orthodox community for
many years.''

However, when people are ordered to first seek
rabbinic permission, she said, "that clearly conflicts
with the law.''

"And someone would not be insulated from liability
or even prosecution if they fail to report to
authorities reasonable suspicions,'' she said.
  
  
In the Kolko case, another man, Shaul Luban of
Lakewood, was charged with
witness-tampering. Prosecutors say he sent text
messages that urged people to pressure the child's
father to drop the charges.

The letter with Hershkowitz's name is in that same
vein and is being investigated, said Assistant
Prosecutor Lara Pierro, who is handling the Kolko
case.

"When we receive word that there's pressure on the
family, we pursue it,'' she said.

Messages seeking comment and left with
Hershkowitz at the number listed on the letter and at
the college in Riverdale, N.Y., where he works, were
not returned.
 

However, a relative, Brooklyn Rabbi Yisroel Belsky,
supported the position stated in the letter, saying
"such behavior (as that of the victim's father)
wouldn't be tolerated'' elsewhere. "When your child
tells you something, you don't go straight to a 
prosecutor, you go to a Bais Din and let them
examine the (evidence).''

Belsky, a rabbi at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas in the
Flatbush section of Brooklyn and a member of the
Orthodox Union, a national Jewish lobby, said he
has not seen the flier but claims "there's no evidence
at all'' against Kolko.

Not all rabbinic leaders agree. Rabbi Dovid Cohen,
an authority on Jewish law in Brooklyn, said he
received a call not long ago. It was from a
representative of the Orthodox community who
asked if the Kolko allegation should be taken to
prosecutors.

"Not only do I permit it, it is an obligation,'' he said
he replied.

"There are others who disagree,'' Cohen said
recently. "Those people aren't for
molesters; they simply feel that there's a chance a
person will be slandered. ... They feel it's not ethical
to go to authorities until it's first verified by a Bais
Din. That's where we differ.''

Cohen said he heard about the fliers in Lakewood
after a social worker called and told him the father
was "getting a lot of pressure.'' The father could not
be reached for comment.

Rabbi Weisberg of the Vaad said he believes those
who signed the proclamation were expressing
themselves "as individuals and not as some
organized body.''


click here for full article
 

26 comments:

Shimon said...

I was pleasantly surprised to read Rabbi Dovid Cohen's comments.
Although D.C. has questionable character with his various rulings and hashkafa (not to mention what role he played in the Mondrowitz case & Ohel among others), this one scores him brownie points regardless.

amen said...

Abbas, Palestinians should die: Israeli rabbi
2 hrs 40 mins ago

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An influential Israeli rabbi has said God should strike the Palestinians and their leader with a plague, calling for their death in a fiery sermon before Middle East peace talks set to begin next week.

"Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this earth," Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, spiritual head of the religious Shas party in Israel's government, said in a sermon late on Saturday, using Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's popular name.

"God should strike them and these Palestinians -- evil haters of Israel -- with a plague," the 89-year-old rabbi said in his weekly address to the faithful, excerpts of which were broadcast on Israeli radio on Sunday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu distanced himself from the comments and said Israel wanted to reach a peace deal with the Palestinians that would ensure good neighborly relations.

"The comments do not reflect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's view or the position of the government of Israel," Netanyahu's office said in a statement.

The Iraqi-born cleric has made similar remarks before, most notably in 2001, during a Palestinian uprising, when he called for Arabs' annihilation and said it was forbidden to be merciful to them.

He later said he was referring only to "terrorists" who attacked Israelis. In the 1990s, Yosef broke with other Orthodox Jewish leaders by voicing support for territorial compromise with the Palestinians.

Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said Yosef's latest comments were tantamount to calling for "genocide against Palestinians." The rabbi's remarks, he said, were "an insult to all our efforts to advance the negotiations process."

Arriving at Netanyahu's office for a weekly cabinet meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai of Shas declined to comment when asked by reporters about Yosef's sermon.

Netanyahu and Abbas are due to resume direct peace talks in Washington on Thursday, the first such negotiations in 20 months in a peace process that commits both sides to avoid incitement, which has included anti-Jewish sermons by Palestinian clerics.

posek belsky said...

Yosef Kolko is innocent. My thug friends strategist are developing some methods to make those responsible for this Motzeh shaem rah pay dearly for this.

shlomo mandel of yob: resign now! said...

You faker piece of drek have the audacity to bludgeon survivors of sexual abuse.

Fire Nussbaum and DO NOT REFER KIDS TO HIM ANYMORE.

May GOD strike you with punishment for the rest of your miserable life.

You portray a pious appearance that grosses out those who see right through your shallow shell of disgrace.

GOD does not take kindly to sexual abuse under your watch.

You're a donkey's ass at best. Don't think your judgment day isn't near, as you yourself are preaching how Elul is a time for Tshuva - yet you don't practice what you preach.

Fits splendidly with Agudath Israel's motto and the nitwit weasel scumbag they appointed as their "Torah" mouthpiece!

Margo the bus driver said...

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-08-30/news/ct-met-bus-driver-assaults-20100829_1_sexual-assault-bus-companies-school-bus

A school bus driver under investigation in the sexual assault of a special education student in 2009 was still behind the wheel of a bus a year later when he allegedly trapped a second Chicago teenager on his vehicle and propositioned her, according to court records.

Antonio Ross, 27, was charged in January with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse in the 2009 case, and he was later charged with kidnapping and unlawful restraint in this year's incident. Ross has been in Cook County Jail since Feb. 1, held in lieu of $750,000 bail.

But local parent groups and the mothers of the two teens said they are outraged that more wasn't done to keep Ross away from students during the investigation of the first alleged crime.

The Jewish Week said...

The Vaad Hakavod, should it be convened, would have the latitude to determine whether Rabbi Schneier should continue to function at his synagogue, take a leave of absence until his condition is improved, be expelled from the RCA or decide on another alternative.

The last time the Vaad Hakavod was called into action was in 2004 when it launched a yearlong investigation into allegations of sexual impropriety against Rabbi Mordechai Tendler of Monsey, who was expelled in 2005.

Shlomo Mandel the putz said...

Why even meet with victims. This just creates a bigger chilul hashem in the zman of elul especially. A few victims won't ruin our velt.

molester yudel nussbaum from yob said...

Six Convicted of Sexual Crimes at Portuguese Children’s Home

MADRID — Six people were convicted of child sexual abuse in a Lisbon court on Friday, in a trial that lasted nearly six years and shocked people in Portugal and beyond.

A three-judge panel found the defendants guilty of raping and sexually abusing minors at a state-run institution for needy children, and of running a ring for pedophiles. A seventh defendant, charged with allowing her home to be used for sexual abuse, was acquitted.

The charges involved the rape and sexual abuse of 32 children who were residents of the home in Lisbon, part of a network of institutions for children called Casa Pia. The crimes took place in the 1990s, but they first came to light in 2002, when a former resident accused Carlos Silvino, a former driver and gardener at the home, of raping him.

The accusation prompted others to come forward to say that they, too, had been raped and sexually abused. The allegations included accounts of sex parties attended by prominent personalities. The defendants included Carlos Cruz, a former star television anchor, who was sentenced to seven years in prison, and Jorge Ritto, a retired ambassador, who received a sentence of six years and eight months.

Mr. Silvino was the only defendant to have confessed, admitting to more than 600 crimes, including child sexual abuse, aggravated rape and procuring minors for others in return for payment. Mr. Silvino received the heaviest sentence, 18 years in prison. Mr. Cruz and most of the other defendants said they would appeal their convictions. Mr. Cruz contended that the case against him had been built on “lies and manipulation.”

Anonymous said...

"Wall of silence" hindrance to justice

In the Aug. 25 article "Lakewood Orthodox Jewish leaders want abuse accusations addressed," Rabbi Shmuel Meir Katz states, "We have our own system, we have our own laws." (

Whether the Bais Din (rabbinical tribunal) is qualified or not is not the issue. When you live in the United States of America, you are subject to its laws. The Bais Din may impose its own form of punishment, but it must report any alleged crime to the police of their state.

It was the parent's duty to report the alleged criminal offense and he should be commended, not persecuted. This is called a "wall of silence," and perpetuates the hindrance of justice for victims.

Jacqueline Lezmi

WEST LONG BRANCH

child molester enabler "Rabbi" Shloime Mandel said...

I have no respect for these cry baby molestation shouters. When you see my crocodile tears this yom adin, just know they are not for our molested yob victims.

http://www.stljewishlight.com/opinion/commentaries/article_a2de4ad8-ab1a-11df-867d-001cc4c03286.html

Parashat Ki Tetze: The responsibility to respect all life

yob sux said...

What a joke that every new year passes without any accountability whatsoever for the gruesome mishandling of child sexual abuse by the various "Torah" fractions representing its "authentic" values.

What kind of human scum "Rosh Ha-Yeshiva" sends a message of "we would rather have sex offender Rabbis teaching in a classroom than the alternative"?

Many! But perhaps none sends a signal of such callousness more-so than the hypocrite of ocean parkway - the phony and bogus "Rabbi" Shlomo Mandel!

Shana Tova

a yid who cares said...

Hi EM! Wishing you a gezunt year filled with joy and success.

Keep up our fight. I really admire you, you're doing great!

exposemolesters said...

A very sweet year to all my chaverim!

donkey rabbi said...

Daven to hashem this aseres yemei tshuva. After it's over you will have plenty of time to go back to doing aveiros until next elul.

Aseres yemi tshuva said...

The Rabbis who turn a blind eyes to child sexual abuse need accountability for their disposal of TRUE TORAH JUDAISM. The way it was meant to be practiced!

Rabbi Yisroel Belsky said...

Proof that kolko is innocent. Never ever believe kids. They lie so much!

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_17524dee-c11c-11df-ad9a-001cc4c03286.html

A charge of first-degree rape against a Chandler rabbi who served at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley was dismissed on Wednesday in the New York State Supreme Court.

Rabbi Bryan Bramly, 40, was charged in March in connection to allegedly molesting a 7-year-old girl at his home in New York 10 years ago when he was working on his rabbinical studies.

After a months-long investigation, Bramly was arrested by officers from the U.S. Marshal Office's Child Predator Team and the New York Police Department's Child Abuse Unit in the parking lot of Temple Beth Sholom, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler in August, 2009.

Initially, the girl's accusations against Bramly were deemed credible by authorities and they moved forward with his arrest and extradition to New York.

However, as court hearings progressed, the girl, now 17, was having trouble recalling events from 10 years ago, and Bramly passed a lie detector test administered by a retired FBI polygraph expert, according to information from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Bramly's attorneys.

There also were inconsistencies in the girl's story that led prosecutors to conclude they could not prove their case in court, according to Bramly's attorneys, Alan Lewis and Michael Shapiro.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office then made a motion to dismiss the case, and it was granted on Wednesday, according to Erin Duggan, a spokeswoman for that office.

In a statement issued by his attorneys, Bramly said, "My wife, children and I are happy and relieved that this nightmare is over and we look forward to the return of some normalcy in our lives. However, these baseless allegations against me have left us in financial peril, traumatized my family, has torn my congregation apart and led my synagogue's board to request my resignation. I would not wish this situation on anyone, but as I have learned in the course of this ordeal, unfortunately false allegations of sexual abuse are all too common."

Bramly had served as the rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom for two years at the time of his arrest, and soon after being charged with the crime, he was asked to resign from the synagogue.

Bramly did not resign. He has a six-year contract with Temple Beth Sholom that runs into 2014 and was getting paid during his time off, his attorneys said.

Bramly also sometimes wrote "Clergy Corner" columns for the Tribune's Spiritual Life section.

It was not immediately known whether Temple Beth Sholom plans to retain Bramly.

No one could be reached at Temple Beth Sholom on Wednesday for comment.

Rabbi Yisroel Belsky said...

Proof that kolko is innocent. Never ever believe kids. They lie so much!

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_17524dee-c11c-11df-ad9a-001cc4c03286.html

A charge of first-degree rape against a Chandler rabbi who served at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley was dismissed on Wednesday in the New York State Supreme Court.

Rabbi Bryan Bramly, 40, was charged in March in connection to allegedly molesting a 7-year-old girl at his home in New York 10 years ago when he was working on his rabbinical studies.

After a months-long investigation, Bramly was arrested by officers from the U.S. Marshal Office's Child Predator Team and the New York Police Department's Child Abuse Unit in the parking lot of Temple Beth Sholom, 3400 N. Dobson Road, Chandler in August, 2009.

Initially, the girl's accusations against Bramly were deemed credible by authorities and they moved forward with his arrest and extradition to New York.

However, as court hearings progressed, the girl, now 17, was having trouble recalling events from 10 years ago, and Bramly passed a lie detector test administered by a retired FBI polygraph expert, according to information from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and Bramly's attorneys.

There also were inconsistencies in the girl's story that led prosecutors to conclude they could not prove their case in court, according to Bramly's attorneys, Alan Lewis and Michael Shapiro.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office then made a motion to dismiss the case, and it was granted on Wednesday, according to Erin Duggan, a spokeswoman for that office.

In a statement issued by his attorneys, Bramly said, "My wife, children and I are happy and relieved that this nightmare is over and we look forward to the return of some normalcy in our lives. However, these baseless allegations against me have left us in financial peril, traumatized my family, has torn my congregation apart and led my synagogue's board to request my resignation. I would not wish this situation on anyone, but as I have learned in the course of this ordeal, unfortunately false allegations of sexual abuse are all too common."

Bramly had served as the rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom for two years at the time of his arrest, and soon after being charged with the crime, he was asked to resign from the synagogue.

Bramly did not resign. He has a six-year contract with Temple Beth Sholom that runs into 2014 and was getting paid during his time off, his attorneys said.

Bramly also sometimes wrote "Clergy Corner" columns for the Tribune's Spiritual Life section.

It was not immediately known whether Temple Beth Sholom plans to retain Bramly.

No one could be reached at Temple Beth Sholom on Wednesday for comment.

Uman said...

10 Hasids deported to Israel, 3 arrested amid Rosh Hoshana violence in Ukraine

By: Anna Melnichuk, The Associated Press

KIEV, Ukraine - Ukrainian officials say three Hasidic Jews were arrested and 10 deported for allegedly violating public order during a huge pilgrimage.

Some 30,000 Hasidic men converged on Uman city last week to mark Rosh Hoshana at the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, who died 200 years ago.

Police say two Uman residents were beaten after they rebuked the Hasids for making too much noise on Friday.

Local government official Ivan Korsun says 13 men were detained. Ten were deported to Israel and banned from Ukraine for five years.

Three others, whose nationalities were not immediately known, were arrested but released on condition they not leave the country, an Interior Ministry official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the issue's sensitivity.



Find this article at:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/breakingnews/10-hasids-deported-to-israel-3-arrested-amid-rosh-hoshana-violence-in-ukraine-102787169.html

Rabbi Avi Shafran said...

Rabbi Aviner is a Rabbi? NO! You slaughter chickens, that is the preferred method.

"Because this is not a binding obligation but a custom, in light of problems related to kashrut and the suffering of animals, and given the edicts of the aforementioned rabbis, a recommendation must be made to favor performing kaparot through money, by performing the great mitzvah of providing for the needy," Aviner wrote, citing religious decrees by rabbinical authorities from various periods throughout Jewish history.

Anonymous said...

G'MAR CHASIMA TOVA!!!

Erev Yom Kipur said...

Evidently these "frum" people refuse to acknowledge the issue of pedophilia in their respective communities.

This type of behavior only fuels this deadly epidemic. It sends a message that the high-holy days are a big farce to the hundreds of victims out there.

It is absolutely sickening all the fakers out there receiving honor for their rishus.

http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new_york/day_schools_focusing_combating_abuse

Chaim said...

Have an easy fast, EM. The roitzchim's fate will be sealed shortly. They will pay dearly for their savagery.

Shimon said...

Rabbonim refuse to meet with victims. The pope has done just that. He also has made apologies, acknowledging indeed what Jews WILL NOT DO.

Shame on those "Jews." Another Yom Kippur passes without any concrete signs of remorse or admittance. Wailing by kol nidrei does not go over well, especially when denials are a continuance.

HASHEM IS NOT HAPPY!

Pope Benedict said...

And what have the Rabbis done to rectify the coverup of child sexual abuse?
--------------------------------

On the third day of his trip to Britain, Pope Benedict said Mass in London's Catholic cathedral, held a prayer vigil in Hyde Park and addressed one of the biggest challenges facing the Catholic Church - child abuse by the clergy.

Pope Benedict met with four women and one man, all victims of abuse at the hands of the Catholic clergy when they were children. The Vatican said the pope expressed his sorrow. His spokesman Father Federico Lombardi did not have details of the victims or the meeting.

"There was a little prayer at the beginning and at the end, it was very discreet, practically no one present, only the interpreter in order for the pope to understand better, but there were no other people present," he said.

Earlier in the day, at Mass the pope expressed his deep sorrow for the unspeakable crimes of child abuse, his strongest public apology to date.

In central London, about 12,000 people protested the pope's visit with a march to the prime minister's office. Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said the pope's remarks about abuse were not enough.

"The pope has yet again apologised for the child abuse scandal, but yet again, he has apologized for the failings of others, and never for his own personal failings," he said.

Geoffrey Robertson is a lawyer who has just written a book outlining what he calls a Vatican cover up of widespread abuse. Pope Benedict, he says knew the abuse was happening.

"If he is to offer actions rather than words, he must surely set up an independent commission all the evidence that he's received over the last 30 years of pedophelia, of pedophile priests," he said.

Pope Benedict completed the day with a vigil in Hyde Park, his last public appearance in London. On Sunday he heads to the northwestern city of Birmingham to create England's first post-reformation saint.

penetration schinberg said...

I'm assuming these were girls?
__________________________________

Michael J. Pratt, 38, was ordered to serve five years to life in the Utah State Prison after previously pleading guilty to two counts of object rape, forcible sodomy and forcible sex abuse. The three first-degree felonies and one second-degree felony will be served concurrently.

Sam said...

The state of our leadership is pitiful.
When the Catholics are outdone by the Jews, it is time for an early Yom Kippur.

--------------------------------------

Rabbonim refuse to meet with victims. The pope has done just that. He also has made apologies, acknowledging indeed what Jews WILL NOT DO.

About Me

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It is unfortunate that it has come to this. It is a big darn shame it has come to this. It is very hurtful that it has come to this. But yet, IT HAS COME TO THIS. It has come at the price of a GREAT CHILUL HASHEM. It has come to Hashem having to allow his holy name to be DESECRATED so that his CHILDREN remain SAFE. Shame on all those responsible for enabling and permitting Hashem's name to be desecrated! When you save children you save the future. You save the future you save generations. You save generations you save lives. You save lives you have saved the world!!!!!!!