AFFIRMATION OF ARYEH WOLBE
My name is Aryeh Wolbe, a listed defendant in this case, I live at [...], in Houston Texas, where I am the dean of a rabbinical seminary, I was a foster parent for Isaac Hersh, who referred to me as "dad," and had a close relationship with Isaac's twin brother, Sol.
l first became acquainted with the Hersh family in 2001, after the family secretly moved to Israel from Brooklyn. NY. I was approached by a local rabbi and asked to help Issac and Sol Hersh who had been roaming the streets of Jerusalem and out of school for the past nine months.
I began tutoring the boys on a daily basis when they were 12 years old and developed a close relationship with them, They soon began spending countless hours of the day at my house and interacting with my family, and became a part of my family. I quickly realized that these boys came from an abusive home.
I learned from the boys, Isaac and Sol. as well as from others, about incidents of abuse and neglect. At one point, when the boys were merely twelve years old I received a call from them stating in a hushed tone that they had been locked in their room for the past 24 hours with no food and drink, and asked me to bring over some food. At another time, Isaac arrived at my house on a cold winters day without a coat or jacket. Issac explained that his father had not let him wear his coat as a punishment.
I also recall a disturbing conversation with the playground teacher, also a neighbor, of Mr. Hersh's pre-school daughter. The teacher said that one day Mr. Hersh asked her not to feed lunch to the child as a punishment for forgetting her lunch at home. (At the twins bar mitzvah, one of the neighbors commented to Isaac, that he "can't believe you're allowed at your party and not being punished.")
After tutoring Isaac and Sol Hersh for a while I realized that they were energetic, healthy, capable and sociable children with no developmental issues as their father claimed. The father, however, seemed incapable of dealing with slight challenges to his authority or any departure from religious practices regardless of its importance.
At one point it became obvious that he was medicating the twins. They would show up at my house and collapse on my couch as if they were zombies, this was not the Isaac and Sol that I had gotten to know, rather it was due to the medications that they were being given. When I asked the boys what medications they had taken they stated that their father always ripped off the labels of their medication so that they did not know what they were taking.
Many of the psychologists that treated Isaac and Sol over the two year period in Israel would call me asking for information about the Hershes. These psychologists quickly realized that there was more to the story than Mr. Hersh had told them. As soon as one of these psychologists began to second-guess Mr. Hersh, he would switch them to another psychologist.
Later my family and I moved back to the United State and I was no longer tutoring the boys. However, I maintained a close relationship with them and talked on an almost regular basis. In 2006, I received a call from ACS requesting that I take Isaac into my home as his own parents were unwilling to care for him. Without hesitation, I accepted.
At ACS's request, I arranged for a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a school for Isaac. When Mr. Hersh brought Isaac down to Texas, he: was not interested in meeting with me nor was he remotely interested in seeing Isaac's room or discussing the situation. I asked Mr. Hersh for his phone number to contact him in case of an emergency, he refused to share that information with me and was unwilling to cover any of the financial expenses, such as tuition costs or doctors for Isaac.
I had to raise all monies needed for any expenses myself, without the assistance of Mr. Hersh who refused to take any sort of responsibility for his son. He blamed the paternal grandparents for the children's problems and that I should go to them for money.
In order to enroll Isaac in a school in Texas, he needed a psychological evaluation because his father had institutionalized him. But in order to obtain this evaluation I needed written permission from Mr. Hersh. which he withheld from me for over a month and which then was loaded with pre-conditions and limitations.
While Isaac lived with us for over nine and a half months, his parents never called once to check in with him or with us about his progresses. They did send him one package for Chanukah. Despite the difficulties he had endured, Isaac advanced and progressed extremely well in Texas, both academically and socially. In March of 2007, T notified the Hershes that I would not be able to care for Isaac in the upcoming academic year due to personal family matters and offered take full responsibility for all the needed arrangements with his permission. Mr. Hersh refused to give me that permission and in mid June 2007, Isaac returned to New York.
After arriving at his father's house, Isaac called me to let me know that he had gone to Hershey Park with his mother and that he was now at a restaurant with her. I warned Isaac repeatedly that under no circumstances was he to sleep in his father's house, as it was not safe.
But Isaac stayed at his father's home. That night, in the middle of the night, Isaac was abducted and taken to Tranquility Bay, a boot camp in Jamaica. Two months later I learned of Isaac's location through a phone call from a former Tranquility Bay inmate, and I pleaded for Isaac's return and tried my best to bring him home. At one point, I even offered to take Isaac in and to cover all financial costs, and even was willing to agree to Mr. Hersh's odd request that Isaac be kept out of New York until he was 18.
When Mr. Hersh learned of my efforts, Mr. Hersh called the Houston Police Department and placed a. complaint against me. The sheriff quickly dismissed the complaint. but this was another effort at intimidation which prevented many others from speaking out.
The foregoing is hereby affirmed, under penalty of perjury.
Aryeh Wolbe
Jerusalem, Israel
....
EIGHT MORE QUESTIONS FOR MICHAEL HERSH:
ReplyDelete(reposted because of extreme relevance)
1) 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?!
Where Hersh sent Isaac, 1
ReplyDeleteIt is important to understand the type of facility that Isaac Hersh was sent to and why it has stirred such strong feelings of opposition from everyone in the Orthodox world (except for Hersh and his rebbe Rav Aron Schechter). The following is an article that describes the experiences, both personal and legal, of one parent and of the dangerous world it reveals to which Hersh exiled his own kid, and that it is incomprehensible that a Jewish father would do this to a Jewish child:
"A Parent's True Story Deception, Misrepresentation & Fraud
By Sue Scheff, Weston, FL
After experiencing my good teen making some bad choices, I found myself on the Internet surfing until I was so confused and stressed I couldn't make any decision. One group of specialty schools and behavior modification programs kept popping up wherever I clicked; I figured they must be good. Then I received their beautiful glossy literature with a video that could make any parent weep (I actually received 4 packets of the same material)! The cost was reasonable in comparison with other programs, or so I thought until I enrolled my child. The hidden costs added up like a grocery bill. I was totally misled by my rash decision. This is a common mistake when parents are placed in a desperate situation and a swift sales rep is waiting for you; answering every question the way you want to hear it and making promises that convince you that they can help your child.
My true nightmare was just beginning.
Impressed by the fancy words and glossy brochures, I enrolled my child with the understanding that they were qualified help. I am ashamed to say, I never did a background check on these programs. I had called their parent references that they gave me (and later found out they were paid to talk to me, some actually receiving a free month's tuition). I know many of you are thinking I must have been nuts, and you are right. While in this stage of my life, I was in a total frenzy. I truthfully just wanted help for my child and thought for the money I was paying, it must be good.
Long story short, my frenzy and desperation was my biggest mistake I made. This was not what they sold me. It was more of a warehousing of teens program. I was looking for therapy and internalization through the help of professionals. I believe if you take a negative child, and put them in a negative environment, it builds resentment and anger. Literally, this is what I had done. I had no idea as to what I did. Fraud, misrepresentation, combined with a vulnerable parent can lead to danger for a child in my opinion.
I attempted using the so-called Independent Educational Consultant that immediately wanted a check for $350.00 just to talk to me. They claimed they could help me (without even knowing my daughter) for about another $3000.00 or more."
Where Hersh sent Isaac, 2
ReplyDelete"My true nightmare was just beginning.
Impressed by the fancy words and glossy brochures, I enrolled my child with the understanding that they were qualified help. I am ashamed to say, I never did a background check on these programs. I had called their parent references that they gave me (and later found out they were paid to talk to me, some actually receiving a free month's tuition). I know many of you are thinking I must have been nuts, and you are right. While in this stage of my life, I was in a total frenzy. I truthfully just wanted help for my child and thought for the money I was paying, it must be good.
Long story short, my frenzy and desperation was my biggest mistake I made. This was not what they sold me. It was more of a warehousing of teens program. I was looking for therapy and internalization through the help of professionals. I believe if you take a negative child, and put them in a negative environment, it builds resentment and anger. Literally, this is what I had done. I had no idea as to what I did. Fraud, misrepresentation, combined with a vulnerable parent can lead to danger for a child in my opinion.
I attempted using the so-called Independent Educational Consultant that immediately wanted a check for $350.00 just to talk to me. They claimed they could help me (without even knowing my daughter) for about another $3000.00 or more.
It was a couple of months later, after I attended some very bizarre seminars that were mandated in order to visit your child that I realized I had made a big mistake. I wrote my withdrawal letter immediately after the second seminar. Actually, in retrospect, red flags went up shortly after I dropped my child off and I asked who the psychologist would be, and guess what, there was none, unless I wanted to pay extra! So who led the group therapy they raved about? There was no group therapy, there was a person who sat in a circle with them as they reflected, which was usually another student. I would have hired their psychologist for another $100 per visit, but why? We could have done that at home. Their sales reps told me that there was a licensed therapist "on staff and on site". I should have pulled my child then, however I thought I was over-reacting since I was in such confusion and frenzy. The staff was very good at convincing me to "trust the program" instead of addressing my concerns.
During my child's entire stay of almost 6 months, I was never allowed to speak with my child. I only spoke with an employee once a week for about 15 minutes (In my further research, these employees had no credentials and many didn't have education beyond High School including the President of the Organization). My child wrote me letters: some good, some bad. The good ones were considered manipulation; the bad ones were considered proof that they needed to stay longer. I couldn't win and neither could my child.
After observing and listening to some of the other teens there and their families, I realized it was all very strange. Some of these kids were there for well over a year and the families were so deep into this program, it was sickening and sad. The support group meetings were like a Stepford Family Reunion, with a leader making her financial profits. These poor kids just wanted to be loved and held by their parents, who couldn't be there. I later found out it usually takes up to 6 months to speak with your child, and in most cases up to a year to see them. Although they sell you another story, the truth be known, most take 2-3 years to graduation. Recently I understand a law was passed that mandates you can see your child after 3 months. I am not sure if this group of programs is abiding by this new regulation; however, it is in place."
Where Hersh sent Isaac, 3
ReplyDelete"I brought my child home and when she felt confident I wouldn't send her back, I heard some unspeakable stories. The stories were very consistent with many others I was hearing and reading about. My child went immediately into real counseling where, after almost two years, we are recovering from this traumatic experience in our lives. My child was suffering from depression and nightmares from the stay at Magnolia Christian School formerly Carolina Springs Academy. The fear of being sent back, had created suicidal thoughts, however the excellent psychologist helped my child through this horrible post experience of WWASP. I have heard from many other post-WWASP students and families suffering from the same symptoms, which is very sad.
I firmly believe, until you walk the shoes as a parent of a teen, you really don't know the feeling of hopelessness. I have been there and I have survived and learned from it. I believe in sharing my knowledge of this, very political, industry with as many families as possible. It is very scary to know that even Independent Educational Consultants (that are supposed to be professionals) have no state or government regulations. In other words, anyone can state they are Educational Consultants. This combined with the misrepresentation of schools and programs, is very frightening and costly in many ways.
Our experiences occurred with Magnolia Christian School formerly Carolina Springs Academy, one of many of their programs that are part of the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs (WWASP aka WWASPS aka Premier Educational Systems). Some of the program names are: Cross Creek Manor - UT, Cross Creek Center - UT, Spring Creek Lodge - MT, Tranquility Bay - Jamaica, Casa By The Sea (closed due to allegations of neglect and abuse), Academy at Dundee Ranch (raided and closed), Academy at Ivy Ridge - NY (accreditation suspended in April 2004; 2005 State Attorney General Spitzer made Ivy Ridge pay approx. $1.65 Millions Dollars in fines and to parents for Educational Fraud), Majestic Ranch - UT, Pacific View, Midwest Academy - IA, Paradise Cove (closed due to allegations of neglect and abuse, Morava Academy (closed due to allegations of neglect and abuse), Darrington Academy - GA, and Horizon's Academy - NV. I feel all of their programs are simply boot camps that claim internalization; however, lack it tremendously. Their specialty is cash cropping children; marketing and using a child are part of their strategy. They are, in my opinion, a children's warehouse and a parents' escape from their desperate situation. Their deluxe *Marketing and Pyramid skills seems to be what they specialize in.
In many parents and professionals' opinions, the fine line of their cult-like program is enough to destroy many families and children, as we have many testimonials to. (Please review some of our Informational Articles for more true stories). I am speaking from experience. I used to sell their program and market their schools to gain free months' tuition. Yes, whenever you refer a family, you would get a free month! What a concept, and I fell for it! Being involved in selling the program controls your mind in the consistency of how great they are when in reality, you have not even spoken to your child. I had no idea how the program was working; I was just trained to sell like a good follower."
Where Hersh sent Isaac, 5
ReplyDelete"There are many followers of this program who have become programized. There is many like myself, and more waking up daily. Dateline, Primetime, 48 Hours & Inside Edition has done segments on this organization that paint the same picture of negative experiences. There are many newspaper and magazine articles (including People, Forbes, New York Times, LA Times, News Day, Miami Herald, Sun Sentinel, Guardian, Jamaican Observer, YM Magazine, Salon, Time Magazine, Spin, etc.) and lawsuits pending against WWASP that they are struggling to keep silent. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. Why take a chance with your child?
Many wonder why they are allowed to continue, it is simple, money and plenty of it. Money is usually the root of evil, and it seems obvious with this. I am a firm believer that one day WWASP aka WWASPS aka Premier Educational Systems will be held accountable for their actions. The day will come that many truths will be exposed. For the sake of the silent cries of the children, the sooner the better.
First Lawsuit WON Against WWASP:
P.U.R.E. ™ is proud to have defeated WWASP (click here to learn more about this victory) as they attempted to silence P.U.R.E. ™ and myself. Please note that we won in their state of Utah. I believe this is the first of many wins. Additionally, in June of 2006, P.U.R.E. went on to defeat WWASP in the Federal Supreme Court of Appeals.
I hope my experiences have saved parents from making the mistake I made in desperation. I am sharing my personal experiences to create awareness about the misrepresentation and fraud I endured. This story was not written out of malice against WWASP (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs), it was written for the principle and morals that they lacked. I think they call it "Accountability." I am accountable for what I have written as being the truth as I experienced it.
*As a footnote for their Marketing, when I was searching, I was recruited by a Miami based parent that has made a mission (in many peoples' opinions) of building this pyramid for WWASP. Although she claimed she had no financial gain from this, we have further learned that she collects large sums of money for her involvement with WWASP. Although she states she makes her income from her Title Company, it was discovered that she was arrested in February 2002 on charges of illegally diverting nearly $6 million in trust money through a variety of schemes. Lynn Pretzfeld, of Miami Florida, was charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering and grand theft.
According to the Florida Department of Insurance, the now closed Title Examiners Inc. diverted money into personal accounts from escrow accounts...
Please note that WWASP seems to make it a habit to change their names. When I was involved, it was WWASP. A couple years ago, it became WWASPS (with an "s") and presently we understand they are opening under Premier Educational Systems. I assume when parents do Search Engine research, it eliminates any bad press that may be associated with previous names. This is just an opinion. If you have nothing to hide, why the constant name changes?..."