ABC Australia Australia's most senior rabbi sent a text message
calling a father whose children were molested at Melbourne's Yeshivah
College a "lunatic" who neglected his children, the royal commission
into child sexual abuse has heard.
Rabbi Meir Kluwgant admitted
sending the message about Zephaniah Waks to the editor of the Australian
Jewish News, Zeddy Lawrence, on February 3.
The Waks's lawyer
Melinda Richards SC put it to the rabbi that he sent an SMS to Mr
Lawrence which read: "Zephaniah is killing us, Zephaniah is attacking
Chabad, he is a lunatic on the fringe, guilty of neglect of his own
children, where was he when all this was happening?". [...]
Manny Waks posted a message on social media in which he called for
Rabbi Kluwgant to resign or be sacked immediately "from every leadership
position he currently holds".
"We have just heard the most senior
rabbi of Australasia, Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant ... publicly admit to
sending a shocking, vile message to the editor of the Australian Jewish
News, viciously attacking my father (during his testimony at the RC, no
less) and blaming him for the sexual abuse of his three children (myself
included)," he wrote.
"Rabbi Kluwgant has been one of the leading forces behind the horrific intimidation campaign against me and my family.
"Until today it was difficult to prove. It has finally been exposed publicly."
How could he most senior rabbi, when he went to school in the 80s? Is probably in his middle forties.
ReplyDeleteWas pretty dumb for sending the message, but you have to wonder if he should resign for sending an insensitive text
Kluwgant's message was an emotional and highly inappropriate, stupid text, especially to the editor of the AJN. He should of left the communication of his frustration to a trusted friend - which ironically, the Chabad school refused to be for the Waks boys.
ReplyDeleteHowever, his point is worth contemplating. Did the dad fail his kids in - 1) their vulnerability, 2) his relationship with them to know what was happening, and his 3) protection of them.
Was the dad remiss in any of these three areas.
This text sounds like it's straight up loshon hora... issur de'oraysa. Such a simple halacha, it astounds me to see Rabbi's speaking this way about other people. Where is the yiras Hashem?
ReplyDeleteThe text is stupid and insensitive, however not lashon hara. It's simply his opinion on something which is very much in the public.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I remember sometime last year, there was a post on this blog from the Facebook of one of mannys brothers, accusing the father of the very things that klewgant is saying. So while it doesn't excuse him, the story here is obviously much more complicated than what we see.