The Age - Australia Australia's most senior Orthodox rabbi has apologised for years of mishandling and cover-up of child sexual abuse within the Jewish community and urged abusers to hand themselves in to police.
"For whatever reason a culture of cover-up, often couched in religious terms pervaded our thinking and actions. It may even have been well-intentioned, but it was simply wrong," said Moshe Gutnick, the president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australia, on Wednesday.
Ahead of the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, the Day of Atonement, Rabbi Gutnick told victims no one could know their pain and what they had been through.
"And the pain has only been magnified by our inaction. On this holiest of days, I sincerely beg your forgiveness on behalf of all of us who did not hear your voice.
"I can only assure you on my behalf, and on behalf of the vast majority of the Rabbinate, that we hear you now loud and clear." [...]
Isn't Rabbi Gutnick the Senior Lubavitch Rabbi of Australia?
ReplyDeleteR. Gutnick is only the head Chabad rabbi of Australia. He only represents Lubavitch and so his apology is on behalf of Chabad.
ReplyDelete"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end, but it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
ReplyDelete- The Right Honourable Sir Winston Churchill KG OM CH TD DL FRS RA, November 10, 1942
http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/EndoBegn.html
Rabbi Gutnick is the head of the Beis Din in Sydney, Australia. ORA (Organisation of Rabbis in Australia) represents just about every Orthodox Rabbi in Australia (not just Lubavitch) so this apology represents the entire Australian Rabbinate.
ReplyDelete- Rael (Lived in Sydney until two years ago)
What percent of the Orthodox community and/or rabbinate are members of the Beis Din in Sydney, Australia and/or ORA?
DeleteA large segment is not.
Wow.
ReplyDeleteYasher Koach Rabbi Eidensohn. I have to believe that whatever sea change we might be witnessing is partly as a result of your work.
ReplyDelete