Issac's maternal Grandparents petition to Supreme Cout of NY

TO: THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,  COUNTY OF KINGS [November 2007]

The petition of ROSA DEBORAH GREHER and ELLIOTT ALVIN GREHER respectfully shows to this Court as follows:

1. The petition is made on behalf of ISAAC HERSH, born June 29, 1991,

who is detained by MICHAEL HERSH AND MIRIAM HERSH, parents of ISAAC HERSH, at Calbash Bay P.A., st. Elizabeth, in Jamaica. Petitioners are said child's maternal grandparents.

3. There is a custody proceeding before the Family Court of Kings County, Index number V-28271J2007, the respondents herein have abandoned their son, ISAAC HERSH and consented to a change in custody to the infants maternal aunt Elizabeth R. Cohen (see annexed as Exhibit "A" the signed stipulation).

4. On October 31, 2007. The Family Court issued an order, specifically, against the respondents to Produce ISAAC HERSH to the law guardian, at her office on November 6, 2007, at 4:00 P.M. To date said order has not been complied with.

5. The Family Court has presently set the matter on for a fact finding as to the best interest of the child. Said hearing is set for December 7. 2007, therefore, the status of ISAAC HERSH's custody remains undetermined.

6. The respondent's have abandoned ISAAC HERSH, they have a lengthy history of leaving this infant with strangers as his care takers, in lieu of his natural parents.

7. It is our fervent wish that ISAAC realize that not a/l of his family has abandoned him. We love him and wish to model for him what loving responsible grandparents can be like. We wish for him to know that we have not abandoned him.

8. We love all of our grandchildren, but respectfully recognize that as the status of ISAAC's custody remains uncertain, the Supreme Court is the proper venue to commence a visitation proceeding for ISAAC and not his siblings.

9. In 2006, The respondent's brought ISAAC HERSH to ZUCKER HILLSIDE

HOSPITAL, (hereinafter the ''facility'') a psychiatric hospital for a comprehensive evaluation. When the facility determined that there were no medical or psychiatric reasons for him to remain at said facility, the respondents refused to pick up. The respondent's alleged there was no proper place for him at home with them.

10. The facility notified the Department of Children'S Services because of the purported abandonment. The facility was finally able to place ISAAC with a loving, nurturing family in Houston Texas. The facility only came to learn about this placement through ISAAC himself. The facility made the appropriate background checks as to the viability of the placement and subsequently released our grandson once again to the care of strangers. Ultimately, this placement was short lived.

11. The respondents have presently placed ISAAC in Tranquility Bay an unlicensed, unregulated boot camp, which prohibits any outside contact from family members, specifically, Tranquility Bay proscribes visits from family members and prohibits phone calls. (annexed hereto as exhibit "B" are 2 emails that ISAAC has been able to write, delineating the horrors of Tranquility Bay and warning his twin brother SOL HERSH to avoid their father, referred to in the emails as "Michael")

12. The Department of State has issued specific warnings against placing children in boot camps outside the borders of the United States. The warning exist because such placements are dangerous and unregulated.

13. Congressman George Miller of the 7th Judicial District in California, is the Chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor has been conducting hearings in Washington on such placements, and has specifically, come out against Tranquility Bay. (annexed hereto collectively as exhibit "C" are a press release from Congressman George Miller on foreign boot camp and allegation of abuse and ongoing letters from Congressman George Miller and the GAO, Colin Powell, et al. requesting a formal investigation as to safety and regulation of foreign boot camps and the allegations of abuse towards children placed there.) 

17. Your petitioner has been denied visitation with their grandson, ISAAC HERSH, since July 2004.

18. That prior to July of 2004. My husband and I, had regular, ongoing, continuous phone conversations and in person visits with the respondents' and their children, Even when the respondents' moved to Israel during the years of 2002-2005, we made trips to Israel to visit with our grandson, ISAAC HERSH and his siblings. Since returning from Israel, the respondents have refused any and all communications with us.

19. Previously, before July of 2004, We came to visit regularly with the respondents' but now they have refused to visit with us, to talk on the telephone with us or even answer the door when we come to New York. My son in law respondent MICHAEL HERSH, has even forbidden his son ISAAC HERSH, from having any communication with us.

20. ISAAC HERSH despite being prohibited by his parents from having any communication with us, had secretly called us on a regular basis.

21. We have not seen our grandson, as aforesaid, since July of 2004,We

have tried everything to effect visitation and all attempts have been met with an outright refusal on the part of the defendants.

22. The defendants are extremely unstable. They have used everything in their power to turn our grandson against us.

23. We are requesting visitation with our grandson, the appointment of a Law Guardian and forensic evaluations of the parties and our grandchild by an Order of this court. We are also requesting that a law guardian be appointed so that the best interests of our grandson can be properly determined.