tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post4540749816393214584..comments2023-08-17T06:45:58.317-07:00Comments on "Yeshiva" of Brooklyn also Guilty of Child Abuse: Isaac Hersh is Free and Back in the USA. . .exposemolestershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02097300261898413798noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-91714736097445752042008-04-04T11:49:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:49:00.000-07:00http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2008/04/04/op...http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2008/04/04/opinion/doc47f633988a8de261815413.txt<BR/><BR/>Sexual assaults often kept secret<BR/><BR/>By Noah Fowle News-Review Staff Writer<BR/>Friday, April 4, 2008 9:56 AM EDT<BR/><BR/>Last week, the reaction to the allegations of Phillip Chipman’s criminal sexual indiscretions against a minor were as severe as they were swift.<BR/><BR/>Most of us display a healthy aversion toward the subject of sexual assaults and we are especially appalled when children are the targets. But perhaps it is this reticence to even speak about the issues behind these deplorable acts that makes it so difficult for victims to come forward.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, molestation and sexual abuse cannot be written off as freak occurrences. Less than a week after Chipman was arraigned, the Emmet County Sheriff’s office arrested a Brutus man based on allegations he inappropriately touched a young girl.<BR/><BR/>According to Barbara Cross, a psychotherapist at Traverse City’s Maple Clinic, one in three women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime, while boys face a one in six chance.<BR/><BR/>“There are so many people affected by these types of crimes that courts often have trouble seating juries for them,” said Cross, who offers expert testimony in cases involving sexual abuse and molestation.<BR/><BR/>With the problem more wide spread than the general public would like to admit, then why is delayed disclosure so common in these cases?<BR/><BR/>The answer, Cross says drawing on more than 20 years of experience, is neither simple nor succinct, especially if it involves a family. “It’s a very secretive, intra-family crime, whoever knows becomes guarded because of the very reaction the community has when it comes out.”<BR/><BR/>Often, an entire family’s standing within the community plummets following these types of charges, and it is not uncommon for the family structure to combust with divorce proceedings and subsequent financial hardships. A complex trauma bond is formed that makes the child almost as invested as the offender in keeping the abuse hidden from the public.<BR/><BR/>Victims can also be consumed with feelings of guilt and embarrassment, and in some instances face threats of further harm to themselves or their family. They also may mistake the molestation as indicators of their own sexual identity or worry that their failure to report the abuse immediately indicates a level of consent.<BR/><BR/>“I’ve worked on cases where the offender tells the victim ‘if you don’t say anything, I won’t touch your sister,’” explained Cross. “When that kid graduates or leaves, then the offender begins molesting another sibling in the house. A lot of the time it’s not discovered until one victim leaves the family.”<BR/><BR/>Much of the confusion around these crimes also stems from a basic misunderstanding of what fuels them. The predominant motivation behind molestation is not sex or desire. Rather it stems from sexualized anger. The real attraction comes from the exploitation of someone weaker. Cross also pointed out that many offenders were themselves victims of abuse — a fact that does not excuse their behavior, but merely helps explains it. “Usually there are multiple problems with the offender. They don’t have much self-respect or self-esteem, and could be dealing with many other psychological problems.”<BR/><BR/>The key to helping victims move on and heal is offering support. As few as 6 percent of cases make it to trial where victims must testify. But the most important fact remains understanding that victims are never at fault.<BR/><BR/>Noah Fowle 439-9374 - nfowle@petoskeynews.comexposemolestershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02097300261898413798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-26144210338370793632008-04-04T11:44:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:44:00.000-07:00I'm working on having Isaac Hersh sent to a jail ...I'm working on having Isaac Hersh sent to a jail like this one. He's extremely disturbed.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Sex abuse, violence alleged at teen jails across U.S.<BR/><BR/> * Story Highlights<BR/> * U.S. Justice Department suing 11 jurisdictions, alleging abuse of teen inmates<BR/> * Girls as young as 13 say they were shackled for days at Mississippi lock-up<BR/> * An official at a Texas jail allegedly offered birthday cake for sex with teen<BR/> * "It's a nationwide crisis," says expert with 30 years experience in juvenile justice<BR/><BR/>By Ashley Fantz<BR/>CNN<BR/><BR/>JACKSON, Mississippi (CNN) -- Girls as young as 13 say they were shackled for weeks at a time in Mississippi.<BR/><BR/>A Texas teen was allegedly offered birthday cake in exchange for sex.<BR/><BR/>A guard drove his knee into the neck of a frail suicidal Ohio boy after the youth was wrestled to the ground and held down by other guards who stripped him and covered his face with a smock, a state report said.<BR/><BR/>More than two dozen girls at an Indiana lock-up describe "networking" -- their term for sneaking into each other's cells to have sex, with no interference from guards.<BR/><BR/>This is a glimpse into what America's juvenile jails look like, according to lawsuits, criminal cases and experts who have spent years delving into what they call a broken system.<BR/><BR/>"It's a nationwide crisis that has been going on for years, one the public has never been told the extent of," said psychiatric social worker Jerome Miller, the co-founder of the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives, who has evaluated and helped reform juvenile jails for more than three decades.<BR/><BR/>This summer, Mississippi plans to close Columbia Training School, a juvenile facility that houses mostly minor offenders. They are often runaways from abusive homes. Listen to stories of Mississippi's teen lock-ups »<BR/><BR/>Erica was 16 when she was sentenced to Columbia after running away, a probation violation of an earlier marijuana conviction.<BR/><BR/>She admits she was a girl quick to sass her parents, full of anger about the death of a relative that happened around the same time Katrina wrecked her family's Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, home.<BR/><BR/>Nervously touching a sparkly barrette in her red hair, she cries as she describes how guards forced her legs into tight metal shackles. She said she was cuffed and chained when she ate and used the bathroom -- and was even forced to play soccer that way against other girls.<BR/><BR/>Guards called her "Chain Gang," she said.<BR/><BR/>"I will always remember them things around my ankles, the way they cut into me," she said, pulling up her pant leg to show slash-mark scars on her ankles and heels. "They made you feel like you were nothing." VideoWatch teen explain suicide attempt was cry for help »<BR/><BR/>Represented by attorneys with the Southern Poverty Law Center, Erica and nine other girls housed at Columbia are suing the state, claiming they endured a range of sexual and physical abuse, including shackling. Don Desper, a licensed therapist and former employee at Columbia who opposed the practice, told CNN it was used to prevent the teens from escaping.<BR/><BR/>In a handwritten affidavit, a 15-year-old girl described a male guard molesting her. She wrote: "He came inside my cell half way half of his body and he started touching me and he tryed (sic) to kiss me and then he left he came back with my snack in his hand and he opened my cell again and he started grabbing me around my waist and he tryed (sic) to stick his hands in my pants and I started crying."<BR/><BR/>When the lawsuit was filed in 2007, a U.S. Justice Department monitor was making periodic inspections at Columbia as part of a 2005 settlement with Mississippi in a previous case. The Justice investigation that led to that settlement found Columbia youths were hog-tied, forced to strip and eat their own vomit and were held in isolation in what was called the "Dark Room," a windowless room with a hole in the floor used as a toilet. Read the Justice Department report that describes girls being shackled to poles<BR/><BR/>Hundreds of youths have allegedly suffered similar abuse at juvenile detention centers across the United States, according to experts interviewed by CNN and court records checked for this story.<BR/><BR/>The U.S. Justice Department has sued nine states and two territories alleging abuse, inadequate mental and medical care and potentially dangerous methods like the use of restraints. The department doesn't have the power to shut down facilities -- states do -- but through litigation it can force a state to improve its detention centers and protect the civil rights of jailed youths.<BR/><BR/>Another facility under Justice scrutiny is Oakley Training School near Jackson, Mississippi, which was sued by the department at the same time as Columbia. Gov. Haley Barbour recently announced Columbia's inmates would be transferred this summer to Oakley when Columbia is closed.<BR/><BR/>But the Justice Department said Oakley has satisfied barely a fraction of requirements the department set for it years ago. According to a March 2008 Justice report, there is an "enormous amount of work" needed to make Oakley a safe and productive place to rehabilitate troubled teens.<BR/><BR/>Barbour would not respond to questions for this report. The Mississippi Department of Human Services, which runs Columbia and Oakley, refused to answer most of a CNN public records request citing pending litigation and also declined to be interviewed.<BR/><BR/>The U.S. Justice Department could not talk specifically about ongoing cases, but civil rights division assistant attorney general Lisa Krigsten noted the department is going after double the number of juvenile jails for civil rights violations during the Bush administration than in any previous administration.<BR/><BR/>"We take this seriously and are committed to protecting the vulnerable children who are in these places," she said.<BR/><BR/>A CNN check of other juvenile facilities shows that, despite years of court wrangling, serious problems persist.<BR/><BR/>In Ohio, a dozen employees at the Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility have been indicted since 2003 on charges relating to physical and sexual abuse of youth, according to a May 2007 Justice report. Five were convicted of various charges, including sexual battery and assault; six cases were dismissed and a jury found one employee not guilty.<BR/><BR/>In January, a state-hired consultant blamed a "culture of violence" in Ohio's juvenile jails for numerous abuses. The expert's report details examples of "egregious use of force" by guards and included a video he viewed of a 2007 incident in which a "frail" boy who was threatening to harm himself was restrained by guards.<BR/><BR/>The boy was wrestled to the ground, cuffed and stripped, with one guard seen putting his full body weight on the boy's back while driving his knee into the boy's neck.<BR/><BR/>A so-called "Suicide Smock" was placed "over his airways," the report said. "The youth actually screams that he can't breathe."<BR/><BR/>In response to the report, the Ohio Department of Youth Services, which oversees detention facilities, has installed more surveillance cameras and beefed up its mental health care staff, spokeswoman Andrea Kruse said.<BR/><BR/>"We're doing everything we can to improve," she said.<BR/><BR/>On Thursday, Ohio announced settlement of a suit brought by Children's Law Center of Kentucky. It will add up to $30 million annually to its juvenile justice budget and hire more guards, psychologists and teachers for its system.<BR/><BR/>Accusations similar to those made in Ohio were made at a Florida boot camp in 2006. Martin Lee Anderson, 14, was seen on surveillance tape being beaten and restrained by guards. Anderson later died. Seven guards and a nurse were acquitted of manslaughter in October.<BR/><BR/>Since then, the NAACP's Florida chapter has called for an investigation of the state's teen jails, noting at least seven youths have died at lock-ups since 2000, including 17-year-old Omar Paisley, who died at a Miami detention center of a ruptured appendix after begging for help during three days that he was in pain.<BR/><BR/>A grand jury found that two nurses repeatedly failed to help Paisley. They are charged with third degree murder and manslaughter, have pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial in July.<BR/><BR/>Florida issued a report in January asking for more than 50 changes to its system and a partnership with the Department of Education to attack problems before kids drop out of school. Overall, the report calls for treating troubled kids with therapy as an alternative to jail.<BR/><BR/>Texas is grappling with the fallout from reports of long-term sexual abuse at its facilities, where, since 2000, more than 90 Texas Youth Commission employees -- roughly one a month -- have been sanctioned or fired for sexual misconduct with adolescents, commission spokesman Jim Hurley told CNN.<BR/><BR/>Texas granted early release in February to a 16-year-old girl who attempted suicide after she was allegedly molested repeatedly by a male guard. The guard was indicted in December on four counts of molesting the girl. He was previously charged with raping four other female inmates, but those charges were dropped, said Hurley, after witnesses retracted their accounts.<BR/><BR/>This spring, two administrators at a west Texas youth facility are scheduled to stand trial on charges they were having sex with juvenile inmates, one allegedly enticing a teen to perform sex acts for birthday cake. The men resigned in 2005, Hurley said.<BR/><BR/>Texas recently has added hundreds more surveillance cameras and personnel to its facilities to avoid more problems, he said.<BR/><BR/>"Girls are sexually abused in these institutions more often than the public would believe," said Paul DeMuro, a delinquency expert who in 2002 inspected Columbia for the Justice Department and is now a consultant for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nationwide, the Justice Department has said 2,821 allegations of sex abuse were made in 2004, the most recent data on the topic available.<BR/><BR/>An Indiana juvenile judge said there's another dimension of sexual misconduct happening at Indianapolis Juvenile Correctional Facility -- inmate on inmate sex.<BR/><BR/>State Judge Peter Nemeth is refusing to send female offenders to the lock-up after a team of delinquency experts interviewed a total of 31 girls at the facility. The girls described "networking," or sneaking into each other's cells for sex. Members of the team told CNN that locks on cells were not working, allowing the young women to leave and enter their cells whenever they wish.<BR/><BR/>One girl interviewed said a guard had participated in the sex.<BR/><BR/>"It's a dangerous place," said Nemeth, who is sending youths to two other facilities at more than twice the cost to taxpayers. "It seems like chaos to me, very little discipline. The girls say they are running the place."<BR/><BR/>In March, the Indiana Department of Correction said it is transferring boys at the facility to another lock-up, which Nemeth hopes will allow more staffers to oversee the girls section. "It may be a step in the right direction," he said, but won't necessarily solve the problem of girls frequently having sex with other girls.<BR/><BR/>Before March, the judge detailed his concerns in two letters to Gov. Mitch Daniels, whose office referred all questions for this story to Indiana Department of Correction spokesman Doug Garrison.<BR/><BR/>"We disagree with the judge's characterization," Garrison said, adding that no investigation at the facility has substantiated the girls' claims.<BR/><BR/>When Erica was held at Columbia, she said she didn't think anyone would believe her accounts of abuse. It's taken months of therapy, including some counseling at a YMCA, which she found in her small Mississippi hometown.<BR/><BR/>Erica talks about wanting to be an attorney. It's the first time in her life she is considering her future. She tries not to think about Columbia, but smiles when she talks about the facility closing.<BR/><BR/>"I'm happy, real happy," said Erica. "That means nobody is going to get hurt there again."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-49193708090257868992008-04-04T11:38:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:38:00.000-07:00Rabbis increase pressure on AlonA boycott call may...Rabbis increase pressure on Alon<BR/>A boycott call may be joined by removal of a kosher supervision certification at Shefa Shuk.<BR/>Ilanit Hayut 3 Apr 08 18:28<BR/>The dispute between Alon Israel Oil Company Ltd. and the haredi (ultra-orthodox) community is intensifying. Sources inform ''Globes'' that the Edah Haredit communal organization is joining the official ban against the company being organized by rabbinical leaders, and that official contacts between the company and the haredi community have been suspended altogether.<BR/><BR/>The Edah Haredit has decided that if an official ban is announced, it will remove its Badatz kosher certifications for the fruits and vegetables at Alon Group's supermarket chain Shefa Shuk. The manager of the kosher certification committee of the Edah Haredit, Rabbi Gavriel Poppenheim, told "Globes" today, "The moment that the rabbis will go against something, Edah Haredit will join them. We won't be able to give kosher certification to Shefa Shuk."<BR/><BR/>The company that supplies fruits and vegetable to Shefa Shuk, said in response, that it will prepare to absorb heavy losses and to supply produce to Shefa Shuk on the basis of a different kosher certification.<BR/><BR/>The rabbinical committee of the haredi community continued today to collect signatures of rabbinal leaders for a boycott of purchases from Alon Group, including its retail subsidiaries, Blue Square Israel Ltd. (NYSE: BSI; TASE: BSI) and Shefa Shuk.<BR/><BR/>Edah Haredit rabbinical committee secretary Rabbi Yitzhak Goldknopf said today, "The signature campaign is gaining strength. When we finish collecting the signatures, they'll be kept in a safe, and we'll set a deadline for [Alon Group chairman] David Weissman, and he will either announce the closing of stores on Shabbat or we'll separate."<BR/><BR/>The dispute between Weissman and the rabbis erupted three weeks ago. The rabbinical committee published announcements in haredi newspapers calling on readers "not to maintain business contacts with" Dor Alon Energy in Israel (1988) Ltd. (TASE:DRAL), Blue Square, and Shefa Shuk because another retail chain owned by Alon Group, AM:PM, is open on Saturdays.<BR/><BR/>The parties have been in talks since the announcement. The haredim rejected a compromise offered by Alon Group, and after the last meeting on Friday, the rabbis decided to step up their measures.<BR/><BR/>No response from Alon Group was available by web-posting.<BR/><BR/>Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 3, 2008Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-65909470091662537402008-04-04T11:36:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:36:00.000-07:00Specialist shops take on the big guns in a Pesach ...Specialist shops take on the big guns in a Pesach price war<BR/>04/04/2008<BR/>By Jay Grenby and Jodie Mablin<BR/>Matzahs are in the front line as supermarkets and specialist kosher retailers wage a Pesach price war this month, offering substantial savings to those prepared to shop around.<BR/><BR/>A JC investigation reveals that a basket of Passover essentials will cost only marginally more than last year — and in some cases, less.<BR/><BR/>Tesco is particularly price competitive, with the 18 items surveyed in a North London store costing £28.02 this year, 13p down on 2007. The store is enticing customers with offers including a half-priced box of Rakusen’s matzahs (49p) and 65p jars of Mrs Elswood cucumbers. A bottle of Palwin No 10 wine is being sold for under a fiver.<BR/><BR/>One leading Golders Green retailer is so incensed by what he considers unfair practice that he is considering<BR/><BR/>removing the Rakusen’s matzahs on Tesco offer from his shelves.<BR/><BR/>Other stores have found a cunning way of competing, with one North-West London shop owner admitting that he, and others, have bought the 49p boxes from Tesco for reselling in their own businesses. “It is perfectly permissible,” he maintained, “as long as we don’t abuse the rule of acquiring more than one case per customer — though I do have a big family!”<BR/><BR/>Rakusen’s denies offering a special deal to Tesco, with a director, Alan Pridmore, telling the JC that it was “unable to influence the price of our products on any supermarket shelf. We do sympathise with the problems of smaller retailers, but is a situation not of our making.”<BR/><BR/>Tesco argues that it is trying to offer customers the best value. “Remember that we are talking about one or maybe two products here — it’s not as though we were slashing prices across the whole range,” a spokesman said. “I would be very surprised if a half-price promotion, available for a limited time only, had any lasting impact on independent retailers.”<BR/><BR/>However, not all small shopkeepers were worried by Tesco’s aggressive pricing. At Just Kosher in Borehamwood, Avi Hotter reasoned that “customers will shop where they know they will get service and a full product range. We have more than 3,500 different kosher l’Pesach lines on our website. None of the supermarkets can match that.”<BR/><BR/>These sentiments were echoed by Stephen Rosenhead of Steve’s Deli in Stanmore. “Anyone who wants to keep kosher for Pesach and wants to do a complete Pesach shop can’t do it at Tesco, who don’t have the range of products to meet their needs. On a whole basket of Pesach products, I think we are still competitive.”<BR/><BR/>In our survey, Manchester-based<BR/><BR/>Titanics — which delivers throughout the North and beyond — came in at a highly competitive £28.84 for the full 19-item basket. But delivery charges would be extra.<BR/><BR/>Savvy consumers can cut their budgets by combining supermarket offers with special offers in kosher shops. For example, a litre of sunflower oil in Just Kosher is 40p cheaper than in Tesco and Sainsbury’s.<BR/><BR/>Joining the Pesach shoppers on Wednesday, the JC found Rabbi Maurice Michaels stocking up at Kosher Kingdom in Golders Green Road. He had made the journey, he said, because of a lack of kosher options in Ilford. He said that he would not be tempted by the Tesco price cuts as he was not a fan of Rakusen’s matzahs.<BR/><BR/>Also in Golders Green, regulars at Kay’s delicatessen were loyal to their store. “I wouldn’t go to Tesco,” Renée Eckstin insisted. “I buy everything here. Luckily I am away for Pesach this year. It is an expensive time.”<BR/><BR/>Staff explained that efforts were made to peg prices by selling matzahs at 75p. “That’s cost price.”<BR/><BR/>However, the Tesco Express in Golders Green has only a limited kosher section. Duty manager Pragnesh Patel said a plea had gone out to head office for more supplies. “Much of the Jewish community shop here and people buy in bulk so we are losing out on business. They will just go to Kosher Kingdom instead.”<BR/><BR/>It was a different story at the big Brent Cross Tesco, where the Pesach offers are prominently displayed. A single case (15 boxes) limit was being enforced on family packs of matzahs. Shoppers milling around the price-cut items were phoning friends and family to ask if they should buy in bulk.<BR/><BR/>Rosalind Eger said that it was well worth travelling from Ealing. “I am amazed at the prices here and I am stocking up.”<BR/><BR/>Customer-services manager Billy Khan reported heavy demand and was already looking to the end of the festival. On Monday April 28, the store will open at 12.01pm so that customers can stock-up on post-Pesach necessities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-82645801567674213402008-04-04T11:28:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:28:00.000-07:00http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/1...http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/125788<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Rabbi Lerner: 'Money Trail Might Provide Answers'<BR/>28 Adar Bet 5768, 04 April 08 09:27<BR/>by Hillel Fendel<BR/><BR/>(IsraelNN.com) Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel and a long-time activist on behalf of Jonathan Pollard, agrees with Pollard that the "money trail" may lead to clues as to why the government has botched the job of attaining his release from prison.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Lerner spoke with IsraelNationalRadio.com's Yishai Fleisher this week about Pollard, who is serving his 23rd year of a life prison sentence for passing classified information to Israel. "Pollard did not pass any information having to do with other agents," Rabbi Lerner said, "but just information that should have gone to Israel in any event, on matters that could have been dangerous to Israel and on the capabilities of our enemies." <BR/><BR/>"During the Gulf War in Iraq," Lerner said, "Israel started handing out gas masks; from where did they get five million gas masks all of a sudden? The answer is that Jonathan had warned them that Iraq had gas-weapon capabilities - and Israel was prepared, because Jonathan sacrificed his life to save the State of Israel."<BR/><BR/>Fleisher noted that actually, "he didn't need to sacrifice his life, because Israel could have stood up for him and demanded his release; he's sitting in prison much longer than anyone who has committee that type of crime."<BR/><BR/>Lindenstrauss and Olmert<BR/>Rabbi Lerner discussed the recent flare-up involving the investigation by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss into why Israel has failed to attain Pollard's release: "Lindenstrauss had been instructed by the Knesset to investigate the matter, and he did so - quietly and systematically. All of a sudden, last week, Lindenstrauss read in the papers that government sources were accusing him of sabotaging efforts to have Pollard released! He of course demanded to know how this suddenly came about..." <BR/><BR/>Lindenstrauss implied - and Knesset Control Committee Chairman MK Zevulun Orlev said openly - that it was Prime Minister Olmert himself who sought to undermine the investigation, or Lindenstrauss, or both.<BR/><BR/>Follow the Money!<BR/>Rabbi Lerner has his own explanation - backed by Jonathan Pollard himself -as to what caused the sudden attack on Lindenstrauss:<BR/><BR/>"The background is that over the past several months, people have been writing to the Prime Minister on behalf of Pollard, and time after time, the Prime Minister has responded that the government has been helping the Pollards financially and in other ways. The problem is, though, that it's not true at all.<BR/><BR/>"The Pollards went to the Supreme Court, saying, 'If the government is giving us money, can you show us a copy of a check? Can you show us where the money went? We haven't seen any of it.' The State then responded that it cannot answer those questions because 'it would hurt our efforts to release him.' I would love to know what these efforts are...<BR/><BR/>"Now, with the government claiming that it's been giving him money, and with the Pollards not having received any of it, it could be that someone began to fear that Lindenstrauss would start looking for this money - and maybe even find something! It's just speculation at this point, but as Jonathan has been saying, someone has to start looking at the money trail!"<BR/><BR/>Pollard to Lindenstrauss: Keep Up the Good Work!<BR/>Pollard himself wrote a reassuring letter last week to Judge Lindenstrauss, asking him to proceed in his investigation without fear. Pollard wrote that the reports of "anonymous government officials accus[ing] you of 'torpedoing delicate efforts' to secure my release [are] NOT about efforts to secure my release. Nor is this attack (as MK Orlev suggested) political revenge by Olmert against you. It is about MONEY!"<BR/><BR/>Pollard noted that he had earlier sent a letter to Olmert asking him to "account for 23 years of funds that have apparently been misappropriated and illegally reallocated... I asked the Prime Minister why his office insists on disseminating lies saying that my wife, I and my associates are receiving full financial support from the government, when in fact we have never received a single cent from the Government of Israel in the 23 years that I have been in prison. If the Government claims it is allocating resources for me and my wife, but we have never received the money, then who is getting the money?"<BR/><BR/>Between Olmert and Bush<BR/>Pollard also wrote, "Allow me to reassure you one more time: your investigation of the Israeli Government's handling of the Pollard case cannot torpedo efforts to secure my release. There are no efforts to secure my release. One man and one man alone can free me - George Bush; and one man has to make the official request for my release - Ehud Olmert. Our sources in Washington confirm that Olmert has not asked for my release."%ad%<BR/><BR/>In Time For Passover<BR/>"I can be home in time for Passover," Pollard's letter states. "The only thing standing in the way of my immediate release is that Olmert's unwillingness to have me home is well known to the President. The rumors that Bush will free me as a gesture to Israel either for the 60th anniversary or at the end of his term are unfounded. Bush will not make a gesture to Israel which Israel has not asked for and which the PM does not want!"<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Lerner, who has visited Pollard many times in prison, said, "He is not allowed near radio or TV, but he is very well-versed and informed on current events. He reads books, knows a lot, and he's very bright. I have said that when he gets out, he should travel the country and give lectures on Judaism, and on the meaning of self-sacrifice... He is a joy to be with, and it's a miracle that he is this way even after 23 years, under the difficult conditions that he has faced... Last year, on the [week-long] Passover holiday he was allowed only one box of matza for the whole holiday... People should keep on praying for Yehonatan ben [son of] Malkah, and talk about him. People have to be informed..."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-79426576212306387652008-04-04T11:25:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:25:00.000-07:00Using meticulous notes saved from the 1970s, Rabbi...Using meticulous notes saved from the 1970s, Rabbi Yosef Adler compiled "Haggadah for Passover with Commentary based on the Shiurim of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik" while on sabbatical in the summer of 2006. It was published last month by Urim Publications ($22).<BR/><BR/>Adler, the longtime rabbi of Cong. Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck and head of school of the Torah Academy of Bergen County there, was a disciple of the man referred to respectfully as "the rav" in the world of Yeshiva University and centrist American Orthodoxy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-11958618042536974532008-04-04T11:23:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:23:00.000-07:00http://www.newstimes.com/latestnews/ci_8784469A ma...http://www.newstimes.com/latestnews/ci_8784469<BR/><BR/>A married Danbury man with three children who flew into Florida's Orlando International Airport Tuesday on his way to meet a mother and her 7-year-old daughter for sex was instead arrested on 126 criminal counts, according to authorities.<BR/><BR/>Detectives had pretended to be the woman in Internet correspondence with the man, Leonard Shuster, 46, since January, according to police.<BR/><BR/>He was caught while looking for what he thought was the woman's house in Clermont, Fla., according to Sgt. John Herrell, a public information officer for the Lake County Sheriff's Office in Lake County, Fla.<BR/><BR/>Shuster is a sales analyst for a Connecticut beverage company, he said.<BR/><BR/>On Jan. 4, Shuster contacted someone in a Yahoo chat room whom he thought was a 32-year-old woman with a 7-year-old daughter, police said.<BR/><BR/>"The communications became sexual in nature and plans were eventually made to meet in the Clermont area for the aforementioned sexual activity," Herrell said.<BR/><BR/>Shuster remains in police custody pending a court hearing.<BR/><BR/>Besides 120 counts of transmitting child pornography, he was arrested on charges including attempted capital sexual battery of a person under 12 years old, traveling to meet a minor, transmission of child pornography, attempted lewd and lascivious battery, and prohibition of certain acts in connection with obscenity.<BR/><BR/>Shuster confessed to using a work laptop to talk to someone he believed to be a 32-year-old. He said he "only would send images of child pornography from his work computer," according to police.<BR/><BR/>"The defendant did admit that he sent numerous images of child pornography to what he thought was the mother and stated that he did talk about having sex with the mother and her 7-year-old daughter."<BR/><BR/>He also told police he sent adult and child pornography to the mother so the 7-year-old could look at it, police said.<BR/><BR/>Contact Karen Ali<BR/><BR/>at kali@newstimes.com<BR/><BR/>or at (203) 731-3341.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-67969289276163792912008-04-04T11:15:00.000-07:002008-04-04T11:15:00.000-07:00Child sex arrest of Danbury man stuns rabbi, coach...Child sex arrest of Danbury man stuns rabbi, coach<BR/>By John Pirro Staff Writer<BR/>Article Last Updated: 04/04/2008 <BR/><BR/>DANBURY -- A Danbury man accused of seeking sex with a mother and her 7-year-old daughter was a respected member of his temple and a coordinator for a local youth soccer league.<BR/><BR/>The arrest of 46-year-old Leonard Shuster in Clermont, Fla., Tuesday shocked members of the Brewster synagogue he attended with his wife and three sons and those who knew him from his involvement with the Danbury Youth Soccer Club.<BR/><BR/>"That is pretty scary," said Vitas Kotach, of Danbury, who coached a team of 5- and 6-year-olds last year in a league for which Shuster was a volunteer coordinator.<BR/><BR/>It remains unclear how much direct contact Shuster had with the young players, or whether he was still involved with the organization at the time of his arrest. Numerous attempts to contact soccer club president Mike Diker and his wife, Liz, who also is associated with the club, were unsuccessful Thursday. A person who answered the phone at their residence said they were out for the evening.<BR/><BR/>Shuster, who is a sales analyst for a beverage company, also is a member of the board of directors at the Temple Beth Elohim.<BR/><BR/>"I only know what I read," said Rabbi Solomon Acrish. "My concern is for the family and the children. They have to be protected."<BR/><BR/>While Shuster was involved with activities at the temple, the rabbi said he was "most definitely not" in contact with children there.<BR/><BR/>Shuster was arrested by detectives from the Lake County Sheriff's Office as the result of an Internet sting operation<BR/><BR/>that began in January, according to Sgt. John Herrell, a spokesman for the agency.<BR/><BR/>Over the past three months, investigators said, the Danbury man conducted an online correspondence with a detective Shuster thought was a 32-year-old woman with a 7-year-old daughter.<BR/><BR/>The conversations quickly turned sexual, and in subsequent e-mails and telephone conversations, Shuster discussed plans "to meet with the mother and her daughter for sexual activity," the investigator, Detective Chris Loyko, said.<BR/><BR/>Authorities said Shuster advised the "mother" how to groom the young girl for sex -- by sleeping together naked and going around the house without clothes. Shuster also sent the mother at least 120 images of child pornography, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.<BR/><BR/>Shuster finally e-mailed that he would be coming to Florida on Tuesday, ostensibly on a business trip but really for a sexual encounter, authorities said. He was taken into custody while looking for what he thought was the woman's house.<BR/><BR/>"This is a shock," said Laurie Amatulli, whose husband, Rich, worked as a coach in the league coordinated by Shuster.<BR/><BR/>"He was the go-to person when you need shirts or registration information," she said. "Never once was there an issue. He was always very professional."<BR/><BR/>Authorities said Shuster admitted communicating with the mother and sending child pornography, and told investigators he only transmitted the images from his computer at work.<BR/><BR/>He remains in custody pending a court hearing.<BR/><BR/>Contact John Pirro<BR/><BR/>at jpirro@newstimes.com<BR/><BR/>or at (203) 731-3342.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-59192553807696081102008-04-03T23:25:00.000-07:002008-04-03T23:25:00.000-07:00Corruption of the worst kind by the YTT animals an...Corruption of the worst kind by the YTT animals and head of the school - Lipa Margulies. <BR/><BR/>A money trail for the purpose of paying child molesters who are unemployed. Very convenient indeed. For both parties. <BR/><BR/>MONSTERS!<BR/><BR/>Brilliant article by by Hella Winston/ Larry Cohler-Esses. <BR/><BR/>EM<BR/>==============================<BR/><BR/>http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a7198/News/New_York.html<BR/><BR/>Yeshiva Fired, Then Paid, Rabbi Charged With Abuse<BR/>Kolko got big bucks from Torah Temimah while ‘on leave’; lawyers suggest it’s hush money.<BR/> <BR/><BR/> Rabbi Yehuda Kolko: Court documents reveal payments going back to 2006.<BR/><BR/>by Hella Winston/ Larry Cohler-Esses<BR/><BR/>A Brooklyn rabbi charged with having sexually molested his students has collected almost $70,000 from Yeshiva Torah Temimah and entities linked to it since the school put him on administrative leave 22 months ago.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Rabbi Yehuda Kolko received payments ranging from $3,000 to $9,000 per month between May 2006 and December 2007, according to court records obtained by The Jewish Week.<BR/><BR/>The court records also suggest that before Rabbi Kolko left the school, he received tens of thousands of dollars above his reported yearly income at the school’s direction.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Kolko faces trial on charges of molesting two boys at the school and attacking an adult former student within the past several years. He remains free on $60,000 bail since his arrest and indictments<BR/><BR/>in December 2006 and September 2007. A trial date has not yet been set.<BR/><BR/>Four former students have also filed separate civil suits against Torah Temimah, alleging they were molested by Rabbi Kolko and that the school covered it up. The suits seek damages totaling $50 million.<BR/><BR/>This week, a fifth plaintiff came forward. Identified in his complaint only as John Doe No. 6, the former student, now in his mid-20s, alleges Rabbi Kolko molested him when he was between the ages of 11 and 13. The abuse, he claims, took place in the yeshiva’s basement and in Rabbi Kolko’s private office, among other places.<BR/><BR/>As with the previous plaintiffs, the new one alleges that Rabbi Lipa Marguiles, the school’s chief administrator, “knew of allegations that Rabbi Kolko was sexually abusing boys at Torah Temimah years before” but failed to act.<BR/><BR/>Unlike the other suits, this one names Rabbi Marguiles personally as a defendant.<BR/><BR/>Michael Dowd, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, voiced concern Tuesday that the newly disclosed payments might influence Rabbi Kolko to remain silent about any knowledge or neglect by the school or Rabbi Marguiles regarding his alleged conduct. He noted that the yeshiva was effectively subsidizing Rabbi Kolko’s criminal legal defense while the school itself was being sued by his alleged victims for neglect.<BR/><BR/>Dowd, who represented plaintiffs in suits against the Catholic Church involving sexual abuse, said he saw the same pattern of continued payments in those cases.<BR/><BR/>“These child abusers could literally sink the institutions with the[ir] knowledge,” he said, explaining what he saw as the motivation for payment.<BR/><BR/>Still On The Payroll<BR/><BR/>It was in May 2006 that Yeshiva Torah Temimah announced it had put Rabbi Kolko on “administrative leave . . . on advice of counsel and by mutual agreement.” The announcement came shortly after two of the civil suits were filed, followed by a New York magazine exposé alleging years of child molestation by the rabbi and a decades-long cover-up by the yeshiva.<BR/><BR/>Despite Rabbi Kolko’s departure, canceled checks and other financial records show the yeshiva or entities linked to it continued to pay the rabbi substantial sums almost every month.<BR/><BR/>After repeated questions from The Jewish Week about the money, and repeated statements empahsizing the schools break with the rabbi, his attorney, Avi Moskowitz, said the funds were severance payments.<BR/><BR/>Significant gaps remain in the financial records. But from June 2006 — a month after his “administrative leave” was first announced — through August 2006, Rabbi Kolko received at least $6,000 per month from the yeshiva.<BR/><BR/>Attorneys for his alleged victims are still seeking yeshiva financial records for September and October 2006. But in November 2006, there was a change. That month a $6,000 check came from Yonasan Tendler, a Torah Temimah parent. The check was written out to “C. Grosnass,” apparently Rabbi Kolko’s married daughter, Chana Grosnas.<BR/><BR/>There is no record, once again, regarding payments in December 2006. But a payment for $9,000 in January 2007 came to Rabbi Kolko from Congregation Tzorchei Amcho, a Brooklyn-based religious charity headed by Tendler. Rabbi Kolko continued to receive payments, of $3,000 per month, from this charity through July 2007. In several cases, the charity paid Rabbi Kolko this sum the day after receiving an identical amount from the school.<BR/><BR/>After this, except for September, where there is another gap, the payments resumed from the yeshiva directly: $6,000 in August and October; and $3,000 in November and December, the last month for which records are available.<BR/><BR/>Regardless of who issued the checks and who received them, Yeshiva Torah Temimah can be assumed to have organized the payments, with Rabbi Kolko as the beneficiary. The yeshiva turned the records of these payments over to the court in response to a discovery request seeking all disbursements to Rabbi Kolko or his “agents” from the school or its “related entities or agents.”<BR/><BR/>Reached at home, Tendler, the head of the charity, which he described as a free loan fund, said, “I don’t think [Kolko] received any payments from the organization and I don’t have anything to talk about. Keep well.” In a follow-up call, he added: “I don’t know why payments made from a free loan fund or whatever should be a matter of public record.”<BR/><BR/>After checking with the school, Moskowitz, its attorney, said the checks to Kolko after his departure were severance payments, issued on the basis of a “halachic concept,” or religious law, that mandates one month’s pay for every year served for laid-off employees.<BR/><BR/>Moskowitz noted that Rabbi Kolko had worked at the school for about 35 years.<BR/><BR/>(That concept is not universally accepted. A Modern Orthodox Bet Din ruled in 2002 that such payments are not religiously required.)<BR/><BR/>Court records show that in 2006, the school reported Rabbi Kolko’s salary to the IRS as a little more than $1,000 per month. Moskowitz did not respond to a detailed message asking how this comported with the payments of $3,000 to $9,000 per month to Rabbi Kolko in the months following his departure.<BR/><BR/>Asked about the payments to Rabbi Kolko via Tendler and Congregation Tzorchei Amcho, his religious charity, Moskowitz said that the yeshiva had borrowed money from the fund to pay Kolko’s severance.<BR/><BR/>“They had a payroll to keep, and they didn’t have the money for it,” he said. “He [Tendler] fronted the money.”<BR/><BR/>As for the payments the yeshiva made to Tendler’s free loan fund the day before the fund made payments in the exact same amount to Kolko, Moscowitz said: “The yeshiva has borrowed money from this free loan society and they pay back all the time.”<BR/><BR/>Halachic Justification<BR/><BR/>It is unclear just when Yeshiva Torah Temimah terminated its ties with Rabbi Kolko, necessitating severance payments.<BR/><BR/>Moskowitz said initially that Rabbi Kolko “was put on administrative leave at the beginning of the school year” in 2006 — a termination time at odds with the school’s May 2006 announcement. Asked to explain the meaning of “administrative leave,” Moskowitz said, “Kolko was taken out of the classroom ... until they [could] figure out what to do. He is not employed by them.”<BR/><BR/>Yet, when pressed on Rabbi Kolko’s status, Moskowitz said, “He is not on leave. The employment relationship has been terminated.”<BR/><BR/>Asked whether Kolko had been fired, Moskowitz said that the yeshiva “obviously anticipated that he is not going back there. The relationship has been severed.”<BR/><BR/>Attempts to reach Rabbi Kolko at home were unsuccessful and calls to his civil attorney, Robert Mercurio, were unreturned. Jeffrey Schwartz, Rabbi Kolko’s criminal attorney, said he was not familiar with the financial terms of Kolko’s departure from the school.<BR/><BR/>But David Framowitz, an alleged victim of Kolko and the subject of the New York magazine piece, said he was “totally shocked and appalled to hear that Yeshiva Torah Temimah has been and is still paying Rabbi Kolko a monthly salary since supposedly firing him in May 2006. YTT has been misleading the public for almost the past two years with this lie. ... Is this what parents are paying their hard earned tuition for?”<BR/><BR/>Tax Discrepancies On Pay<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, the records filed in response to the discovery request show another anomaly. Prior to his departure, Rabbi Kolko apparently was paid sums by the school or entities linked to it far in excess of the salary the school reported to the IRS.<BR/><BR/>In 2005, the records show, Torah Temimah reported Rabbi Kolko received $10,067 in wages, tips and other compensation. But financial transaction reports filed with the court show the school paid him $73,400, in multiple payments of varying size each month, all of them described as “reimbursement.” Moskowitz said these payments were actually Rabbi Kolko’s salary, dismissing their being labeled “reimbursement” as “an internal accounting issue.”<BR/><BR/>In 2006, an employee earnings statement for Rabbi Kolko lists his “reg[ular] salary” from the school for the months of June through August as $1,000 per month. But an additional statement shows him getting the same amount during this period from the Religious Education Association, a religious charity founded and controlled by Rabbi Marguiles, the yeshiva administrator.<BR/><BR/>Financial transaction records also filed with the court show checks that appear to correspond with these outlays. Deductions seem to have left Rabbi Kolko with $1,844 per month from these two sources, for a total of $5,532 during the three months in question. Additionally, the transaction records show, the school disbursed another $12,900 to Rabbi Kolko, once again, all listed as unspecified “reimbursements.”<BR/><BR/>For the entire year of 2006, these records show, Rabbi Kolko received more than $53,800 from the school and from Rabbi Marguiles’ charity — considerably more than the $1,000 per month listed as his school salary.<BR/><BR/>Moskowitz, the yeshiva’s attorney, did not respond to repeated detailed messages seeking clarification of these discrepancies. But in earlier interviews, he strongly defended the school’s payments to Rabbi Kolko after his departure.<BR/><BR/>“You mean that they give somebody that has not been convicted of anything, who worked for an institution for 35 years and then gets laid off, [severance] is newsworthy?” he said. “I don’t think so.” Rabbi Kolko, he noted, has not so far been convicted of anything.<BR/><BR/>Dowd, the attorney for those claiming Rabbi Kolko had molested them, would have none of this. “If you want, hold the money someplace . . . and then pay him later on if he is exonerated,” he said. “Who is going to complain then? But the idea that he’s being bought in order to defend himself, and if you will, his defense is being paid by the school that was charged with the protection of the children that he abused, it’s an outrage.”<BR/><BR/>Noting the New York City Department of Education’s policy of suspending teachers charged with sexual misconduct without pay, Dowd said, “I would hope that a yeshiva would hold itself to a higher standard than the New York City school system. ... The only severance that he should have received was a boot out the door.”<BR/><BR/>Hella Winston teaches sociology at Queens College. Larry Cohler-Esses is editor at large.<BR/>================================<BR/><BR/>Unchosen: The Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels (Hardcover)<BR/>by Hella Winston (Author) <BR/><BR/>http://www.amazon.com/Unchosen-Hidden-Lives-Hasidic-Rebels/dp/0807036269<BR/><BR/>I highly recommend you read the book. <BR/><BR/>EMexposemolestershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02097300261898413798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-48672014619437268532008-04-03T23:02:00.000-07:002008-04-03T23:02:00.000-07:00http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic...http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080403/NEWS01/80403020/1008<BR/><BR/>Lawmakers approve tougher sex-abuse penalties<BR/><BR/>By Peter Smith • psmith@courier-journal.com • April 3, 2008<BR/><BR/>Tougher penalties for sexual abuse and failing to report abuse are in the works now that the General Assembly has approved a bill drafted in response to scandals of abuse in churches, schools and elsewhere.<BR/><BR/>Gov. Steve Beshear has said he plans to sign the bill, which was approved unanimously by consent in the Senate yesterday.<BR/><BR/>“Finally the voice of the victims has been heard,” said Shannon Whelan of the group Protect Our Children KY, a coalition of advocates for the bill.<BR/><BR/>House Bill 211 makes sexual contact with someone younger than 16 a felony if committed by someone older than 21. Currently, some forms of sexual contact with teenagers are misdemeanors.<BR/><BR/>Felony charges also could be filed against anyone in a position of authority or trust — such as a family member, teacher, employer, clergy member or coach — who has sexual contact with someone younger than 18.<BR/><BR/>As felonies, such crimes would carry heavier sentences and could be prosecuted years into the future. Misdemeanors generally have a one-year statute of limitations.<BR/>“It will allow kids that do talk about (abuse) years later to be able to bring charges,” Whelan said.<BR/><BR/>The few sex crimes involving minors that would remain misdemeanors would have a five-year statute of limitations under the bill.<BR/><BR/>The bill also imposes progressively steeper penalties for people who repeatedly fail to report sexual abuse to authorities.<BR/><BR/>Backers of the bill included the Catholic Conference of Kentucky — representing the state’s Catholic bishops, who faced years of scandal over sexual abuse by priests and failures of the church to prevent it.<BR/><BR/>Also supporting it was the Kentucky Baptist Convention, Kentucky Youth Advocates and the Family Foundation of Kentucky.<BR/><BR/>Beshear’s spokeswoman, Vicki Glass, said the governor “looks forward to (the bill) making its way to his desk for his signature.”<BR/><BR/>Reporter Peter Smith can be reached at (502) 582-4469.exposemolestershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02097300261898413798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-36945311336884482872008-04-03T22:58:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:58:00.000-07:00Police arrest woman for alleged child sex abuseBy ...Police arrest woman for alleged child sex abuse<BR/><BR/>By JESSICA SAVAGE<BR/>The Lufkin Daily News<BR/><BR/>Friday, April 04, 2008<BR/><BR/>Hudson police have arrested a 24-year-old woman for allegedly undressing with a 5-year-old and asking the boy to touch her private area, an arrest report stated.<BR/><BR/>As of Thursday evening, Misty Parker of Hudson remained in Angelina County Jail on a $50,000 bond, according to jail records.<BR/><BR/>Officers arrested Parker late Wednesday after Child Protective Services alerted law enforcement about the child's statements to a CPS investigator, the report stated. The incident is alleged to have happened March 31 at Parker's residence. The boy told a child forensic interviewer Parker asked him to undress and then told him to touch her private area, the report stated. Parker allegedly told the boy not to "tell anyone that she had made him do this," the report stated.<BR/><BR/>Indecency with a child by contact is a second-degree felony offense.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-32852179596592213312008-04-03T22:55:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:55:00.000-07:00Sex abuse ex-scout leader jailedA former scout lea...Sex abuse ex-scout leader jailed<BR/><BR/>A former scout leader has been jailed for life for sexually abusing a boy for six years.<BR/><BR/>Cardiff Crown Court heard Stephen Davies, from Newport, used his role in the scouts to befriend the youngster.<BR/><BR/>Davies, 48, admitted 10 charges of sexual abuse dating back to 1990, when his victim was 11.<BR/><BR/>He was ordered to serve a minimum of nine years after the court heard he is currently serving an indefinite sentence for raping a 13-year-old boy.<BR/><BR/>The sex offender has also served seven years in prison for raping a girl aged under 16.<BR/><BR/> These offences involve a gross breach of trust. Your victim was terrified of you<BR/>Judge Neil Bidder<BR/><BR/>Judge Neil Bidder told Davies: "You are intelligent and cunning enough to groom your victims and join organisations which would give you the opportunity to meet young children.<BR/><BR/>"These current offences and your previous sexual offences make it clear you are a particular dangerous paedophile with uncontrolled urges towards young boys and girls."<BR/><BR/>Trip<BR/><BR/>The court was told that the latest offences began when Davies used a camping trip to Tintern Abbey in Monmouthshire to rape the 11-year-old boy.<BR/><BR/>Prosecutor David Elias added: "As the boy grew older he tried to stop Davies but if he resisted he would be punched until he gave in and Davies was careful not to leave any bruises.<BR/><BR/>"The boy was prone to emotional blackmail and Davies would say 'if you don't do it, you don't love me.<BR/><BR/>"He threatened to kill him if he told anyone what was going on."<BR/><BR/>The sexual abuse only came to light when Davies's now adult victims reported him to the police.<BR/><BR/>The paedophile admitted five charges of serious sexual assault, three of indecency with a child, rape and indecent assault.<BR/><BR/>Judge Bidder told him: "These offences involve a gross breach of trust. Your victim was terrified of you.<BR/><BR/>"You used this child like a sexual toy and were jealous when he wanted to have a girlfriend.<BR/><BR/>"Sexual abuse became part of your victim's life."<BR/><BR/>Story from BBC NEWS:<BR/>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/south_east/7329646.stm<BR/><BR/>Published: 2008/04/03Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-70057515397310382732008-04-03T22:53:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:53:00.000-07:00Stockton diocese priest hit with suit alleging sex...Stockton diocese priest hit with suit alleging sex abuse<BR/>The Associated Press<BR/>Article Launched: 04/02/2008 01:51:38 PM PDT<BR/><BR/>STOCKTON, Calif.—A priest at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockton faces a claim that he sexually abused a boy in the 1980s.<BR/><BR/>The Rev. Michael Kelly was a priest at the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton when the alleged abuse occurred at the boy's home from 1982 to 1985.<BR/><BR/>The alleged victim is now 33 years old, but did not recall the molestation until 2006, according to the lawsuit filed March 26 in San Joaquin County Superior Court.<BR/><BR/>Kelly was placed on leave when the plaintiff's parents first contacted the diocese about the allegations last October. But in March, he returned to the ministry at St. Joachim Catholic Church in Lockeford.<BR/><BR/>Kelly calls the claims "outrageous lies," and says he intends to fight the suit.<BR/><BR/>———<BR/><BR/>Information from: The Record, http://www.recordnet.com/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-85941014451027572452008-04-03T22:52:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:52:00.000-07:00Australian police to investigate 'long-standing' c...Australian police to investigate 'long-standing' child sex abuse<BR/><BR/>Police in Australia's Northern Territory have admitted they have known about allegations of child sex abuse in Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula for more than a year.<BR/><BR/>Residents of the mining town, which is located 650 kilometres east of Darwin, say teenage girls are known to be offering sex in exchange for drugs and alcohol.<BR/><BR/>Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Colleen Gwinne says police have been aware of the allegations for up to 18 months.<BR/><BR/>"(This) has caused some investigation, however at this stage we've been unable to substantiate any of the information sufficient enough to proceed with any criminal action," she said.<BR/><BR/>The Territory's chief minister, Paul Henderson, also concedes police have known about the allegations for some time.<BR/><BR/>"Police have over a significant period of time heard of these allegations but (it has) been very hard to provide specific evidence to get somebody before the courts, so this is a difficult area and I do urge people, if they have evidence, to go to the police," he said.<BR/><BR/>Australian Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin says a child-abuse taskforce will go to the town to investigate the claims.<BR/><BR/>"I'd really encourage anyone with any information to come forward," she said.<BR/><BR/>Leon White, a former school principal in the nearby Aboriginal community of Yirrkala, says the investigation is long overdue.<BR/><BR/>"I hope people actually see the urgency of this," he told the ABC.<BR/><BR/>Territory indigenous leader and former Australian of the Year Galarrwuy Yunupingu says child prostitution has been an issue in the mining town of Nhulunbuy for more than 15 years.<BR/><BR/>Mr Yunupingu expressed disgust at individuals who lure young girls to have sex, some of whom he says have become pregnant as a result.<BR/><BR/>"Some of the kids without fathers being registered - quite a number of them in our community," he said.<BR/><BR/>"And the mothers who are being abused for sexual reasons have ended up with having children who are not going to be fathered by anybody."<BR/><BR/>He accuses the government of having ignored the issue.<BR/><BR/>"It has been let go let go for awhile and it should be about time that somebody in authority should come and stamp it out."<BR/><BR/>http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/200804/s2208241.htmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-54558642683152714852008-04-03T22:49:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:49:00.000-07:00Nineteen-year-old black hat Avraham Rotenberg was ...Nineteen-year-old black hat Avraham Rotenberg was recently identified as the man who stormed a Lakewood, New Jersey jewelry store armed with a shot gun this past February, making off with two duffel bags of jewelry.<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>Rotenberg is still on the lam though some of the jewelry was recovered after Rabbi Michael Rottenberg received a phone call at 4:30 a.m. telling him to look outside his front door. The rabbi contacted the police who found some of the stolen jewelry on his front steps.<BR/><BR/> <BR/><BR/>The incident has caused a stir in the Lakewood Orthodox community, but community elders insist that the crime should not be considered a “Jewish” one, as the shotgun Rotenberg used was not sawed-off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-37554324911660858102008-04-03T22:45:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:45:00.000-07:00http://www.forward.com/articles/13092/Stop Calling...http://www.forward.com/articles/13092/<BR/><BR/>Stop Calling Me an ‘Ultra-Orthodox Jew’<BR/><BR/>By Abbott Katz<BR/>Thu. Apr 03, 2008<BR/><BR/>Stop calling me an ultra-Orthodox Jew.<BR/><BR/>“Ultra” — the modifier of choice for a press hawking its smudged cartography of Jewish religious life — has enjoyed a long, wearisome, dubious run, and it isn’t recusing itself from the discourse any time soon. The Jewish religious world occupies a bewilderingly disparate space, to be sure, but mapping its turf begs a measure of precision of which the media’s collective instrumentation seems largely incapable — and “ultra,” with its Latinate tinge, redolent of cultic cadres pushing their faith to mysterious extremes, badly misreads the coordinates.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-11306401553611670052008-04-03T22:42:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:42:00.000-07:00This is pornography.-------------------Should I co...This is pornography.<BR/>-------------------<BR/><BR/>Should I convert to Judaism for my boyfriend?<BR/>Questions from<BR/>the e-mailbag<BR/>By Brian Josepher<BR/><BR/>A slow but interesting week for the mailbag. I received a single e-mail from Allison in New York. "Help," she wrote. "My boyfriend wants me to convert to Judaism. He says that his parents will disown him if he marries outside the faith. He says that it’s merely a formality. I don’t know what to think. I was raised to be Catholic. I’m not really practicing and I don’t believe in Jesus as the Son of God but I need some advice. What would you do?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-76112937269711588192008-04-03T22:37:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:37:00.000-07:00Yesha Chief Rabbi: Giving arms to the PA is agains...Yesha Chief Rabbi: Giving arms to the PA is against Jewish law<BR/>By Nadav Shragai<BR/>Tags: Rabbi Dov Lior, PA, Yesha<BR/><BR/>Settler chief rabbi and chief rabbi of the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba Rabbi Dov Lior, is set to release a religious ruling in the coming days stating that "the transfer of armored vehicles and weaponry to the Palestinian Authority is collaboration with the enemy."<BR/><BR/>In addition, Lior will call for officers to refuse orders to carry out the transfers.<BR/><BR/>http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/970658.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-72757544335906557352008-04-03T22:30:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:30:00.000-07:00I BAN THIS FROM NOW ON!---------------------- The ...I BAN THIS FROM NOW ON!<BR/>---------------------- <BR/><BR/>The program featured musical presentations by Jewish musical sensations, Yaakov Shwekey, and Shalsheles, and an up-and-coming band, Yaakov Chesed. Inspirational guest speakers included former Member of Knesset Natan Sharansky, Rabbi Benny Eisner of Yeshiva Merkaz Harav Kook, National Council of Young Israel President Shlomo Mostofsky, and Daniel Luria, executive director of Ateret Cohanim in Israel.<BR/><BR/><BR/>http://www.jewishpress.com/displaycontent_new.cfm?contentid=31090&contentname=Rally%20And%20Concert%20Draws%205,000%20In%20Support%20Of%20Jerusalem§ionid=17&mode=a&recnum=0Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-33262176352912421492008-04-03T22:20:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:20:00.000-07:00http://www.imemc.org/article/53858The Saga Of The ...http://www.imemc.org/article/53858<BR/><BR/>The Saga Of The Palestinian People<BR/><BR/> When the voice announced on the car radio "Palestinian terrorist killed eight school children in Jerusalem", I thought to myself 'How horrible.' As I was programmed to do by the wording of the news story, I imagined little children playing in a schoolyard when it all had taken place, killed in cold blood. On another broadcast the announcer had more details and mentioned the attack had been on 'Seminary' students, adding to the depravity of it all. I imagined these humble, little, monk-looking creatures praying for peace, harmony, and all that 'love thy neighbor' business that is supposed to be part of the Kingdom of God. 'What an awful thing to do,' I thought, 'Simply horrible'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-21096336728233066622008-04-03T22:16:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:16:00.000-07:00Wednesday 2 April 2008 (25 Rabi` al-Awwal 1429)Edi...Wednesday 2 April 2008 (25 Rabi` al-Awwal 1429)<BR/><BR/>Editorial: Hang-Arab Solution<BR/>2 April 2008 —<BR/> <BR/><BR/>The world has long stopped reacting to the “shock and awe” that Israel routinely inflicts on its conscience on a daily basis. But even from Israeli standards, this one should take the cake. Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the chief rabbi of Safad, has urged the Zionist state to exact a “horrible revenge” on Palestinian children for the recent attack on a Jewish seminary by hanging them from treetops. In an article widely quoted by Jerusalem Post and Haaretz, Eliyahu writes: “We have to take horrible revenge for the terrorist attack at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva. A state that really respects the lives of its citizens would have hanged the 10 sons of the terrorist on a tree 50-meter tall, so that others would see it and be afraid.”<BR/><BR/>These words dripping with cold malevolence would have been dismissed as the rant of a rabid loose cannon if the source had not been so highly placed in the Israeli establishment. Rabbi Eliyahu is not your regulation Zionist freak dreaming of driving all Arabs and Palestinians into the Mediterranean. He does not represent a lunatic fringe but speaks for the Israeli establishment.<BR/><BR/>And in doing so, the rabbi offers a peek into the mindset of his kind, revealing how far removed from reason and reality the Israelis are. As Mossawa Center, an Arab human rights group, has emphasized, this is nothing but pure, old-fashioned racism. If this is how prominent religious leaders and intellectuals in Israel think, then what hope the Arabs and Palestinians can ever have of finding a so-called “peaceful and pragmatic” solution to the Arab-Israel conflict?<BR/><BR/>The attack on the Jewish seminary in Jerusalem last month was unfortunate and unacceptable. And the Arabs, including the Palestinian leadership, have condemned it as such. Even when they knew that Merkaz Harav Yeshiva has reportedly been involved in promoting the kind of extremism that Rabbi Eliyahu represents. However, incidents like these cannot be seen in isolation. Before rushing to hang the Arab children, Rabbi Eliyahu and Israeli leaders who think like him would do well to pause and ponder what is driving young men like Alaa Abu Dheim to extreme measures like these.<BR/><BR/>This is no defense of the Jerusalem attack. But Rabbi Eliyahu and Israel, with all its might, cannot prevent desperate actions such as this, if they do not try to understand the factors that lead to such desperation in the first place. We have been here before. But it ultimately boils down to the Israeli occupation and the endless persecution of the Palestinians. But then this “worn-out argument” has never cut any ice with our Israelis, has it? On the other hand, ignoring these “realities on the ground,” as President George Bush would put it, is not going to get rid of them either.<BR/><BR/>If Israel is indeed serious about peace with the Palestinians and the larger Arab world, it has to address the real issue at the heart of this conflict. And that is the occupation of Arab lands. There are no shortcuts to peace. And hanging Arabs in no solution.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-36642043799377795242008-04-03T22:13:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:13:00.000-07:00http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle...http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1207209969080&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull<BR/><BR/>Mercaz Harav remembers attack victims<BR/>JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST Apr. 3, 2008<BR/><BR/>Mercaz Harav Yeshiva on Thursday held a memorial service to mark 30 days since the terror attack that killed eight of its students. Among the speakers at the event was former chief rabbi, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, who said that the erection of new settlements would be the proper way to avenge the attack.<BR/><BR/>"The state should erect another town, another yeshiva and another settlement for every Jew killed," Eliyahu told the crowd at Mercaz Harav. "The government should divert larger funds to yeshivas - that will be our revenge."<BR/><BR/>"The universe is founded upon the study of Torah and our government should appreciate those who study Torah," he added.<BR/><BR/>The head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Yaakov Shapira said: "The Jewish people ask that there be a drop of self respect and that the massacre at the yeshiva not be glossed over. We are faced with the despicable phenomenon of those who aspire to set down a new and hollow path. We will do our part, carry the Lord's name on our lips and be fortified in our study of Torah.<BR/><BR/>The memorial was supposed to be held on Sunday, 30 days after the attack, but was held early due to the fact that Sunday is the beginning of the Jewish month of Nissan, during which it is customary not to schedule memorials and eulogies.<BR/><BR/>The students at the yeshiva were scheduled to hold a mishmer, a nightlong Torah study vigil, to honor the memory of their friends.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-75012831457833505842008-04-03T22:10:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:10:00.000-07:00http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3527410,...http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3527410,00.html<BR/><BR/>Some 1,000 people attended a memorial service at the Mercaz Harav rabbinical seminary Thursday, marking the one-month anniversary of the murderous attack which claimed the lives of eight young men. <BR/><BR/>Also attending the service were many prominent rabbis of the Religious Zionist Movement, who were not shy about expressing their rage against the government's policy.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, head of the Mercaz Harav yeshiva, chose to explain the attack by saying that "the Torah and the land of Israel are acquired only through agony."<BR/><BR/>Former Sephardi chief Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu called on the government to decree that for every life lost in the attack another yeshiva and township will be formed.<BR/><BR/>Remembering the fallen. The memorial (Photo: Gil Yohanan)<BR/><BR/>"Even when we seek revenge, it is important to make one thing clear – the life of one yeshiva boy is worth more than the lives of 1,000 Arabs.<BR/><BR/>"The Talmud states that if gentiles rob Israel of silver they will pay it back in gold, and all that is taken will be paid back in folds, but in cases like these there is nothing to pay back, since as I said – the life of one yeshiva boy is worth more than the lives of 1,000 Arabs," added Rabbi Eliyahu.<BR/><BR/>Ramat Gan's chief rabbi, Yaacov Ariel, chose to deliver a more moderate message: "We do not seek vengeance, we seek retaliation. The terrorist's house should have been demolished immediately, regardless of the law. It should have been done because it was a matter of life and death – the deterrence could help save future lives."<BR/><BR/>"We are against killing innocent people or harming children," he added, "but once terrorists hide behind children, we have to strike back. The blood of those living in Sderot is worth just as much as the blood of those the terrorists hide behind."<BR/><BR/>Mercaz Harav will be holding a vigil in memory of those killed in the attack all through Thursday night.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-38252923762856089992008-04-03T22:06:00.000-07:002008-04-03T22:06:00.000-07:00Q: I have heard that a child carrying a Torah can ...Q: I have heard that a child carrying a Torah can complete a minyan when we are one short of the necessary 10 people. Is that true? How does that work?<BR/><BR/>- C.M., Jerusalem<BR/><BR/>A The alleged ability of a Torah scroll to transform a minor into the 10th person for a minyan has tantalized and perplexed scholars and laypeople alike. The murkiness, however, includes not only the power of the scroll, but also the role of children in creating ritual quorums.<BR/><BR/>Conventional wisdom contends that Halacha requires a quorum of 10 adult men to recite sanctification prayers (devarim shebekedusha), such as Kaddish and Kedusha (Megilla 23b), and three adult men to recite the zimmun before Grace after Meals. The Talmud, however, cites one scholar who includes "even an infant in the cradle" to complete the quorum. While the Talmud seemingly rejects including such a young child, it does approvingly cite an alternative option of including in a zimmun a "child who understands that he is blessing God." <BR/><BR/>http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1207209964817&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFullAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28305689.post-89071984511258949952008-04-03T17:20:00.000-07:002008-04-03T17:20:00.000-07:00I agree. Even jail inmates deserve to eat Matzoh a...I agree. Even jail inmates deserve to eat Matzoh and kosher food.<BR/>--------------------------------<BR/><BR/>Corrections to pay $25,000 to settle suit by Jewish inmate<BR/><BR/>April 2, 2008<BR/><BR/>By Dave Gram Associated Press<BR/><BR/>MONTPELIER — The state Corrections Department has agreed to pay $25,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a Jewish former inmate who said he was denied traditional food including matzoh at Passover and was blocked from observing the holidays of his faith.<BR/><BR/>Gordon Bock, 53, of Northfield was imprisoned between Oct. 22, 2004 and May 10, 2005, on domestic assault, violation of an abuse-prevention order, attempted unlawful trespass and violation of conditions of release convictions, the Corrections Department said. He brought suit in 2005, alleging religious discrimination.<BR/><BR/>Bock charged that Corrections Department personnel at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans Town and at the Northern State Correctional Facility in Newport "knowingly, willfully and maliciously withheld basic religious accommodations that would have facilitated (Bock's) religious observance ... without hampering either the operation or security of a correctional institution."<BR/><BR/>The settlement follows a finding by a federal magistrate judge, Jerome Niedermeier, in late November, that appeared to support Bock's charge of malice. Bock "has produced enough evidence to make a reasonable inference of malice," Niedermeier wrote.<BR/><BR/>Bock argued that the Corrections Department violated the First Amendment's guarantee of religious freedom, Vermont law and the Corrections Department's own policy directives.<BR/><BR/>Bock said he was blocked from receiving kosher food for Passover from a Florida-based group that provides Jewish food and religious items, usually at no charge, to Jews in prisons, the military and mental institutions in the U.S. and abroad. The settlement mandates that inmates be allowed to receive items from that group, the Aleph Institute of Surfside, Fla.<BR/><BR/>Niedermeier also noted Bock was restricted in his use of a menorah for Hanukkah. He was allowed to use only one with electric bulbs, rather than the traditional candles, and was allowed to use it only during visits by a rabbi. He said other inmates were allowed to use Christmas lights at a far broader range of times.<BR/><BR/>The department, through its lawyer, Assistant Attorney General Kurt Kuehl, denied any wrongdoing in court papers.<BR/><BR/>"Bock has not set forth any facts showing that defendants acted with evil motive or intent or reckless or callous indifference to his rights," Kuehl wrote to the court. "Ensuring the safety of a correctional facility is not an evil motive."<BR/><BR/>Corrections Commissioner Robert Hofmann said the department recently had drafted new rules on religious observances that been well received by inmates, staff and faith communities, though he said the new rules were not in response to Bock's suit.<BR/><BR/>He declined to comment on the suit specifically other than to say, "The Department of Corrections elected to settle the claim rather than face the uncertainties and expenses inherent in a jury trial."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com