13. Finally in January 2006, my father enrolled me in Yeshiva Gedola Ohr Hatorah, in Spring Valley, NY-a boarding school. Although, I did not wish to attend an orthodox school, my father threatened that if I did not obey, I would be committed to a psychiatric hospital. After a year of being in the school, I made good friends and confided with my friends regarding my family situation. I received a phone call from my father. He had heard that I had told people about our problems and he was extremely upset and started yelling at me that I am worthless and no one will believe me....If I keep this up, he will put me in another psychiatric ward. He cut off all contact with my family.
14. In October 2006, the school had a meeting with myself and my father (via telephone) wherein I requested a secular education. The school essentially stated that I am there to become a better Jew and that I have to sign a contract saying that I agree to become a better Jew. If I did not sign the contract I would be sent home. I refused to sign. The school told my father to come and get me. My father refused saying that I was not allowed to come home and I was on my own. At that point, I was literally homeless and slept at a bench in the synagogue. After a week, a friend of mine invited me to stay with her family-the Finer Family (183 Rockville Road, Spring Valley). I stayed with them for approximately one month. Afterwards I stayed with my grandparents in Connecticut for about a month. During this time, I attempted to contact my parents to see if they had a plan. My father stopped answering my phone calls. My father feared that I would call the cops and say I abandoned him so he called the police and said I ran away. The whole time I was with my grandparents.
15. My father finally made contact with me and said that I have to find a place to live apart from his parents. During the previous summer I had met Ariel Fishman. I remembered that he said if I ever needed anything to call him. I called and asked if I could live with him. He told me that he was living in Austin Texas and that he would love to have me. For the first time in my life someone actually accepted me as I am and was willing to take me into their own home. For them it was a huge sacrifice, which I can never be grateful enough. My father took me Texas, dropped me off at the Fishman's with sixty dollars in my pocket. I believe that is the last time I ever saw him.
16. While I was in Texas with the Fishmans, my parents never called or came to see me. Although, I believe that my father spoke to Ariel Fishman, he refused to speak to me. On the occasions that I would call home, my mother would speak to me but very briefly. I believe she is afraid of him.
17. I stayed with the Fishman's until May 2008 when they left for Upstate New York for the summer. It is my understanding that from there they are moving to Israel. It is my understanding that Ariel Fishman has been trying to contact my father to either get permission for me to go with them to Israel or for my father to make arrangements for me. My father has not been responsive to them. [...]
22. My parents have made it very clear that they do not want me. I have not lived with them in a very long time and have not had any significant contact with them in a very long time.
23. My parents do not care about my mental, emotional or physical well being. I have not had a medical or dental checkup in the last two years. My glasses broke over a year ago and have never been replaced. When I first arrived at the Fishman's, I had access to my parent's health insurance but when my father changed health insurance plans, he never provided the Fishman's with the information.
24. Last summer my parents arranged for my dear twin brother to be whisked away in handcuffs in the middle of the night and taken to a "boot camp" in Jamaica. This all happened when my brother went to visit them over the summer. Everyone warned him not to go but he missed his brother and sisters. That was the last time he was seen in nearly a year. He also has suffered tremendously at the hand of my father. We are extremely close and knowing he was in another country with no government oversight, possibly being tortured and abused, was an insufferable pain for me. Yitzchok was rescued after nine months of being in that facility. I am afraid my parents will do the same to me if I do not find a place to live.
25. The petitioners [ELIZABETH REBEKAH COHEN and RAPHAEL COHEN] have stated that they are willing to take custody of me and have me live with them. I believe that they will provide a stable enviromnent where I can be with family and my twin brother Yitzchok.
26. For the reasons stated above, I support the petitioners petition for custody herein.
How is it that Hersh (the father) is not in prison for this neglect / abuse / abandonment?
ReplyDeleteHow is he free to press civil charges against others?
Is he being counter-sued?
How is Rav Shechter backing him?
WHAT AM I MISSING???
EIGHT MORE QUESTIONS FOR MICHAEL HERSH:
ReplyDelete1) Where did you learn about sending people to psychiatric wards/hospitals/facilities?
2) What do you know about psychiatry and psychology that you made use of psychotropic medications and even deployed a paid psychiatrist to impose your will on your two sons Isaac and Sol when they disagreed with you? (Kids are not robots programmed like computers!)
3) How does your usage of psychiatry for your own ends reconcile with your religious beliefs and with Orthodox Judaism's view of mental health treatments and how to deal with "problem children' or "kids at risk"?
4) Why did you try multiple times to commit your own children Isaac and Sol to psychiatric wards when they disagreed with you?
5) Can you name the doctors who support all of your moves to send your own sons multiple times to psychiatric facilities to be committed to long term care? Not to mention, who supported your decision to send Isaac to Tranquility Bay?
6) Besides Rabbi Aron Schechter (and his family) who is mystically and implacably biased in your favor, can you name any other major Orthodox or even non-Orthodox rabbis, scholars and Halachic authorities who supported your methods and could you cite the Halachic grounds for your actions, including the huge public commotion you are causing at the present time to "defend" yourself?
7) How is what you tried to do to your own sons, based on their sworn testimony, different from what the Soviet regime used to do to dissidents who refused the "approved party line" and would be banished to "psychiatric wards" that were really prisons to have their wills and bodies broken, often resulting in severe permanent mental breakdowns, physical injury, abuse of medications to create more mental problems, psychoses and even death? Is that what you wanted to do to your own flesh and blood sons and how can you reconcile that with the ethical, moral and religious teachings of Judaism?
8) Have you ever thought that your kids' conflicts are NOT their own, they are YOURS and that you have so many unreconciled issues within you that it is you who needs psychotherapy and medication that would serve you and Klal Yisroel a lot better than all your manipulative pow-wows with Rav Aron Schechter?!