Seminary Scandal: A parent explains why he is sending his daughter to Chedvas

I have verified that this is from a parent who is sending his daughter to Chedvas. I welcome addtional comments by parents of either girls in the 4 seminaries or are planning on attending. Additionally from parents who have taken their daughters out or who have changed their minds about sending them.

Guest Post by neveyacyack •

Why we continue to support our decision to send our daughter to Chedvas.

We are Americans living in Israel, and have been for the past 17 years. Our daughter went to Charedi schools, up to and through 12th grade of a Bais Yaacov. She is an outstanding student and could have gone anywhere. She chose to go to Chedvas, as did some of her friends because:

- She knows many girls who went there in the past several years, and they all said the same thing: the staff is outstanding, each person is treated as an individual, the school places a strong emphasis on the American approach to Ahavas Yisroel and they deal with and answer all questions of hashkafa that thinking Americans have.

We have followed this blog and many others.

We have spoken to Rabbaim at Chedvas, and other schools.

We conferred with heads of other seminaries here who we know.

We have conferred with principals of American high schools for girls.

And, we had a rather long talk with Y. Yarmush.

We found him to be totally open and frank.

They are putting into place all the logical recommendations:

supervision of all staff, from top to bottom. Safeguards of all sorts. Procedures that would prevent any abuse or anything close to abuse.

Meisels has not been in Chedvas for at least 2 or 3 years. No matter who runs it, or owns it, we are positive that he will not be there.

There have been no verified complaints from Chedvas about any sexual advances by any staff people.

Chedvas remains full, and they do not anticipate any problem meeting its financial obligations.

If anything, the school will be stronger this year.

So, following our hearts, our heads, and the advice of several senior outstanding mechanchim, we will continue to support our decision to send our daughter to Chedvas

Rivky Stein & Yoel Weiss: Judge ruled in January that Rivky has been making false claims of abuse against Yoel

   Judge rules that Rivky has been abusing the judicial process

Seminary Scandal: Why R Harry Maryles is wrong in objecting to my criticism of the Chicago Beis Din

Rabbi Eidensohn, 

I am one of your biggest fans, But I am disappointed at your negative spin about the Chicago Beis Din. Just because you are close friends with a member of the IBD does not give you license to smear the Chashuva Rabbonim in Chicago who for 3 months worked diligently to determine what the facts were.

Why did they remain silent until they referred the matter to the IBD? Maybe because they wanted to get all of the facts and testimony before accusing anybody of anything. I really don't understand why you have to smear these fine Rabbonim Chashuvim with headlines that include hot button words like 'cover-up'.

If you want to use that word, try using it on the educators in Meisel's seminaries that chose to coverup what he did... and the IBD who seems not to care about that in Kashering these seminaries so quickly.

Harry Maryles

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The above letters is from one of the few people I consider a good example of yashrus and commonsense. But his letter demonstrates that yashrus and commonsense are not enough when there is misplaced loyalty and respect for talmidei chachom - because they are talmidei chachomim.  

One of the basic facts that we all need to know is if sexual abuse, or corruption is to be dealt with properly - is that when a wonderful  rabbis or laymen are accused of major crimes the defense is always - "but he is such a good person, he is such a big talmid chachom,  he has such good midos -  it is not possible that he can do what he is accused of."  The most important lesson that needs to be learned is that character references or mastery of Torah literature - is not proof that a someone could not have committed the transgression. The actual facts need to be examined - even for nice people.

Reb Harry claims that I am putting a negative spin about the Chicago Beis Din. That is false - I am not twisting the facts - I am accurately describing the  negative things that they actually have done. 

He also objects to my saying that when they concealed from publication the fact of Meisels serious misbehavior for at least 2 months - that they were covering up the abuse. In a long talk with the rosh yeshiva of Ner Yisroel - Rav Yaakov Weinberg - I learned a critical lesson that I hope I will never forget. The lesson is that words have meaning. While that seems obvious - it is often forgotten when dealing with things that are precious to us. We especially tend to twist the meaning of words in order to make things sound frum or to defend frumkeit.

If I had said that some priests in the Church had concealed the presence of  a pedophile and had concealed that there were other priests who were complicit by their silence - Reb Harry would be the first to scream - coverup - and he would be right. But when it comes to his heroes. The people he looks up to - he has a different standard. Words have a different meaning if they sound critical about nice people, about saintly people  about respected talmidei chachomim. He doesn't allow the world coverup to be used about these people - and in this he is clearly wrong. You will note his last paragraph  -  that I can only use the word coverup about people he doesn't respect!

The Chazon Ish says one can say negative things  only about big and influential people. That is because people need to be able to guard against the weakness in people they respect or influence them. For someone you don't pay attention to - there is typically no justification or benefit from saying bad things about them.

Seminary Scandal: "The Letter Never Written" by David Morris

The following letter is published with the kind permission of David Morris - someone who really cares and has accomplished much - and with  whom I agree with more than I disagree. The views don't necessarily represent my views - but I think they are an important basis of discussion. [there were reports of infection by malware of the letter that I took from David Morris' blog - I think I have succeed in removing it but please let me know if I haven't]

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The Meisels Seminaries - The Letter Never Written

THIS LETTER WAS NOT WRITTEN NOR SENT OUT BY PNIMIM, BINAS BAIS YAKOV, CHEDVAS BAIS YAAKOV OR KESER CHAYA SEMINARIES

However, if it had been, I believe this situation would be far better today, than it is.

See previous postings here on Tzedek-Tzedek, Frum Follies (in the CBD corner), Daat Torah (in the IBD corner) and other fine blogs.

This is a suggested model for such situations in the future.

You are invited to suggest improvements either on-line or by email to me offline-  David Morris

I believe that such a letter would have promoted safety and responsibility, in a way which would have given the parents the confidence they need and are entitled to that these Seminaries will be safer for their daughters in the future, than they were in the past.

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Date of Letter: [Within One Week of the Seminaries becoming aware of the Chicago Beit Din’s investigation and findings].

To our staff, students and parents,

We are writing to you in the most regretful circumstances in a timely fashion in order to put you all in the picture, in the interests of the safety of our students, and transparency and accountability before the parents.

We have just been informed by the special Chicago Beis Din (CBD) that the founder and proprietor of our seminaries, Rabbi Elimelech Meisels, has been investigated by the CBD, further to complaints the Beis Din received from pupils of the seminaries. These complaints concerned serious allegations of unwanted sexual contact by Rabbi Meisels.

As a result of the investigation, the CBD has made this announcement:

We first wish to share our deepest regret sincere grief should any of our staff have participated, wittingly or unwittingly, directly or indirectly in any abuse. We feel the pain of the alleged victims and we feel proud that these girls have had the courage to step forward in order to protect others girls.

We reach out and strongly encourage others who have endured any kind of abuse, or were witnesses to the same, during their time at our seminaries, to take this step also.

As a result of this CBD announcement, we have immediately taken the following steps:

1. Regretfully, we have discovered that there is and never has been a Seminary Protocol Concerning Abuse Prevention & Reporting in any of our seminaries. We have therefore referred this important matter of omission to Such & Such Organization, which is an independent non-profit agency and they will establish these protocols in all our seminaries. The S and SO will be acting under The Committee (see below). Deadline for implementation: 15th August, 2014.

2. In the absence of this protocol, we have formed an independent expert committee (“the Committee”) consisting of Rabbi X, Social Worker Y, and Lawyer Z.

This committee has been vetted by both the CBD, the Israeli Beit Din (IBD) referred to in the CBD’s declaration and Such & Such Organization; they have concluded that the individuals and collectively the Committee is of the highest professional and ethical reputation and can be relied upon to be independent and to protect the safety & confidentiality of anyone who refers to them.

The committee’s contact details are: XXXX

In light of the Committee’s immediate advice and instruction:

 3. Rabbi Meisels has been requested by the Committee and has committed to take immediate leave of absence and will only return to a role in the seminaries in future in the event that he is entirely vindicated of wrong-doing. Rabbi Meisels has agreed to have no further contact, immediately and until further notice, with anyone associated with the seminaries, including governors, staff, pupils and parents. (For administrative purposes Rabbi Meisels will communicate via the IBD).

 4. Any other member of staff who is suspected of participation, collusion or turning a blind eye to abusive behaviour will be placed on immediate leave, pending conclusion of the investigation.

5. The Committee has contacted the Israeli police to brief them, with a view to the police investigating and addressing any aspects of this case which are or could be criminal by nature. We strongly encourage anyone with information which may be helpful to this police inquiry to contact: Detective Plonit (who is a female investigator,experienced with crimes of this nature) contact details XXXXX. If you are in doubt as to whether the information you possess is significant in this context, you may contact The Committee for their expert confidential advice and counsel. 6. Regarding issues of finance (dinei mamon/civil) in Israel, the IBD has graciously made themselves available to accept and judge claims either presented jointly or separately; the IBD will be operating officially as Arbitrators. The IBD has given assurances that they are impartial and will deliver their judgments, according to halacha and which will also be legally binding upon the parties, and in a timely fashion. IBD contact details: 7. Regarding issues of financial damages (dinei mamon) in the USA, the above is true for the CBD. CBD contact details. These are the steps which have been taken in immediate response to to the declaration of the CBD. Enrollment for Next Academic Year: Moving forward, our objective is to ascertain that the schools will be safe, beyond all doubt, for you (our pupils) and your daughters in the coming academic year, commencing 1st September 2014.

We understand that you have legitimate concerns about whether your daughters should attend our seminaries in the coming year, and we will make every effort to address these concerns in our ongoing communications.

You are invited to discuss these concerns with the Committee by email or by phone (Committee contact details and hours of availability)

We fully understand if you chose to find alternative educational institutions for your daughters for next year, as is your right, and we will be entirely helpful in this regard.

If you wish to apply for a refund of your deposits, please contact the CBD (for those who paid the Pnimim USA non-profit) or IBD (for those who paid Israeli Amuta). An application form for refunds is available on the website:... The Batei Din have indicated a response time of approximately two weeks to respond to your request. You may may submit applications until 15th August for your deposit to be returned.

Summary: These are the allocation of responsibilities.

a. The Committee - professional issues relating to the alleged abuse

b. Israeli Beit Din (IBD) - financial issues (dinei mamon) in Israel

c. Special Chicago Beit Din (CBD) - financial issues (dinei mamon) in the USA

d. The Police (Israel) - criminal issues in Israel

e. The Minhalim - implementation

We are making every effort in these extraordinary and regretful circumstances to prioritize the uncompromised safety of our students, particularly for the coming academic year and ongoing, and we would appreciate your expression of confidence by continuing the enrollment process for 2014/15.

We will report our next steps on a scheduled bi-weekly basis. (In the case we have further urgent information to relay, we will contact you whenever required).

Once again, we express our deepest pain and sincere support for any student who may have suffered inappropriate behaviour while a student in our seminaries.

Signed:

Four Principals
Representative of CBD
Representative of IBD
Representative of The Committee.

Rivky Stein & Yoel Weis: A catalogue of Rivky's problematic legal attacks on Yoel - Court Document

   Weiss Stein Opposition_to_Omnibus_Motion-1 Final (51) 

Seminary Scandal: Why has the Chicago Beis Din reneged on its promises to the Israeli Beis Din?

This scandal actually contains a second scandal. The first scandal is that of Meisels and his betrayal of trust of his students and his fall from being a highly respected educator to being someone who is despised and held in contempt. But there is a second scandal which is also very disturbing. That involves the fact that the Chicago Beis Din has gone from being an active partner with the Israeli Beis Din to being a major opponent.

Contrary to popular mistaken belief - which is nurtured by the Chicago Beis Din and its supporters - the antagonism to the Israeli Beis Din and the non cooperation is not based on a difference in concern about victims. The view as presented by Frum Follies from leaked documents as well as the many negative comments made against the Israeli Beis Din is that only the Chicago Beis Din cares about the victims of abuse and thus it is important to either close the seminaries or have a wholesale house cleaing of staff. The claim made - directly or indirectly - is that the Israeli Beis Din cares only about the jobs of the staff and the preserving of the seminaries and therefore wants to cover up and defend Meisels.This is clearly illustrated by the false claim Frum Follies made that the Israeli Beis Din had prohibited girls to go to other seminaries or for the other seminaries to accept them click here for the post

Yesterday I conducted a two hour interview with the new owner - Yaakov Yarmish. I was impressed by how this successful businessman was fully aware of and fully attentive to the issues involved concerning the well being of the students. He is fully aware of the seminary culture which we discussed as well as the dangers inherent in male teachers with female students. He also has strong connections with gedolim and askanim. 

In short he is not a figure head brought in to save the seminaries at all cost. He was originally supposed to buy the seminaries together with his friend Tzvi Bloom (the friend of R Gottesman). Contrary to what the CBD and the lawsuit have asserted - it was no sham sale and was witnessed not only by the Israeli government but also was supervised by Rav Aharon Feldman. He also clearly stated that he was not a friend of Meisels and that the first signifcant contact he had with was only after the scandal broke.

He spoke of his frustration about trying to communicate with the Chicago Beis Din and in particular with R Gottesman - who didn't return his 50 calls in which he was careful to leave a message after each one. R Gottesman has been presented by the CBD as a key player in the relationship between the IBD and the CBD.

This is just the beginning of an expose of the sordid - clearly documented - details which will be presented in the near future. The IBD is not the villain and the CBD is not the hero.

Seminary Scandal: Clarifying Rav Aharon Feldman's role

 update: Includes rebuttal by a knowledgeble anonymous source
update: additional comment from Rav Feldman

The following letter is published with permission to clarify the role of Rav Aharon Feldman.

I received your letter. Without going into discussions over issues which are no longer relevant, I would like to correct the following misconception which you seem to have:

Although I signed on the shtar beyrurin as the official to’en, I was never appointed by anyone to represent him nor did I ever intend to supply you with substantiation of any claims for the simple reason that I did not have this information. My role in this affair was merely to serve as a liason between the Chicago Beis Din and Torah Umesorah who asked me to do this. I even asked Rav Shafran, the Rosh Bes Din, before the hearing of his Beis Din to be excused because I had no information to add and the first question I would be asked would be, “Who appointed you as a toen?” But Rav Shafran asked me to come nevertheless. Out of respect for his request I came and sat for a while. 

When the first question of the counsel for defendant was exactly as I had predicted, Rav Shafran’s reply was that the counsel was correct but that we did not need a to’en since the defendant had already confessed to the charges and the trial was dealing with the damages the defendant was liable to and the culpability of the principals. When I asked permission from Rav Shafran to leave after I sat and listened to the testimony of two people, Rav Shafran—nor anyone else—did not ask me to stay to supply any evidence because everyone knew and I had made it clear that I had none. Especially there was no purpose for me to stay since Rav Shafran had conceded that I was not an empowered to’en.

I hope I have corrected your misconception.

With berachos for success In all your endeavors,

Aharon Feldman

If you desire to reply, which is unnecessary, please do not do so by e-mail but my ordinary mail or fax..
 update

THE FOLLOWING IS FURTHER CLARIFICATION FROM RAV AHARON FELDMAN SHLIT'A

Thank you for forwarding the letter. It appears from the letter that I have a say in matters which takes place in the schools, such as firing staff members, an assumption which has no basis in fact. I would appreciate informing your correspondents and whoever is involved that I have nothing to do with the schools, or with the din torah, except for the fact that I signed on the shtar berurin as a pro forma plaintiff.

Aharon Feldman

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A knowledgeable party responded:

There seems to be a misconception whether or not there was a misconception.

One party was left out of the "liason loop" mentioned in Rav Aharon Shlita's letter. The IBD, after R'Aharon Shlita signed the shtar beerurin.

Indeed, it was never thought that he personally had any knowledge of any evidence. But as the "liaison" with Chicago (as he states) he was asked repeatedly, by the IBD, and this is well-documented, to ask Chicago for the evidence ,as we would be shortly starting to deal with the matter. Rav Aharon received letters from the IBD asking him to come to these sessions,as the appointed apotropos. and to bring what they needed to deal with any culpability on the part of the hanhalot. (Gottesman received these requests as well)

Who ever suggested that Rav Aharon Shlita was there as a to'en????? (besides the to'en who was there)

Rav Aharon Shlita is signed on the shtar as the appointed apotropos for girls who had a tevi'ah.What technical legal standing this has is a fair question (which should be asked of Chicago,who "appointed" him") But the fact remains that he acted as such .And he received the IBD letters, read them, saw the requests that in his role as the liaison to Chicago (and as the signee on the shtar beerurin)he should get from Chicago any "evidence" ; and he indeed came, sans any evidence.

Rav Aharon's letter unfortunately does not address any questions of why Chicago did not see fit to give the IBD this information in any event; nor his reaction to the two infamous e-mails sent to the IBD by Gottesman, to which the IBD responded to Chicago how it was a complete contradiction to what Chicago did in Eretz Yisrael after flying here.

Seminary Scandal: Frum Follies seriously misrepresents Rav Feurst's letter

On Augst 8, 2014 Frum Follies posted a letter from Rav Shmuel Fuerst of the Chicago Beis Din in a post entitled

Chicago Letter Counters Israel: Students can Drop Meisels Seminaries and Others Can Accept Them

In the letter Rav Feurst writes:

By this letter, I certify that according to Jewish law (al pi halacha)

1. any student currently enrolled in any of the following seminaries, Pninim, Binas Bais Yaakov, Chedvas Bais Yaakov or Keser Chaya, is free to attend any seminary they wish, and

2. any seminary is free to accept any student they wish including students who withdraw from the aforementioned seminaries.

Yerachmiel Lopin states:

Rabbi Feurst explicitly rejects the ruling (and thus, the authority) of the Israeli Beis Din (IBD) of Rabbis Shafran, Malinowitz and Gartner which forbade students from switching and other seminaries from recruiting or accepting them.

Rav Malinowitz of the Israeli Beis Din said bluntly that this understanding of Lopin is sheker. He said the Israeli Beis Din never prohibited students from switching or another school accepting them. Furthermore Rav Malinowtiz noted that nowhere in the letter does Rav Feurst state that this statements is going against the psak of the Israel Beis Din.

It is obvious that all Rav Feuerst is doing is issuing a clarification not a psak. I assume if he was issuing a ruling contradicting the Israeli Beis Din - the entire Chicago Beis Din would have signed. In short, Yerachmiel Lopin is claiming that there is a serious halachic dispute of whether the seminaries "own" the students or not. There is no such dispute!

Rivky Stein & Yoel Weiss: The big lie that 2 of the 3 original judges appeared.

update: Listen to Rabbi Lichter's testimony at end of post -link fixed

Rivky Stein's Facebook page acknowledges - that despite Yoel's demand that the original 3 dayanim that claimed he was in cherem and had to give a get - that all three did not appear. But her claim is that 2 of the judges did show. 

That is a lie - and I challenge them to produce evidence that it is true. Furthermore the beis din does not exist. There is no such thing as the Mill Basin Beis Din and nobody has every heard of the beis din or the 3 dayanim who are listed on the cherem and seruv.

 Rivky's Facebook Page

 Enough of the lies!

Yoel publicly summoned Rivky to the Beit Din, inviting even the press. He stated that he would show up today at 12pm to issue Rivky an unconditional Get. Yoel was informed that Rivky would be there. He was aware of the correct address. The Beit Din went into action and made all necessary arrangements to make sure that the Sofer, Eidim and Dayanim were present. Two of the three dayanim (Rabbi Goodman and Rabbi Abales ) were present while Rabbi Taub is sitting Shiva for his mother in Israel and therefore could not come. A different Dayan from the same Beit Din was there in his place.

Yoel would know all of this, but Yoel never showed up. He lied!

Stop spreading his lies for him. Demand that Rivky be allowed her freedom!

Rabbi Lichter - the sofer who did show up - is well known and in fact writes most of the gittin in New York. However he never heard of this Mill Basin beis din or the 3 dayanim who signed the cherem before. So even if batlonim were recruited  as a beis din - they have no competence as a beis din and surely they are incompetent to deal with gittin. The incompetence of the beis din is clear from the fact that the documents they supposedly wrote violate halacha as I have previously posted.

As a consequence of Yoel refusing to show up - when the beis din he demanded for 3 weeks prior to the event were not present - Rivky and her supporters have called Yoel a liar. The  reporter for the New York Daily News Reuven Blau - who views himself as knowledgable about Jewish law - argued with Yoel that there is no need for the original 3 to show up can be heard in the recording in a previous post. This shows that the reporter is clearly biased since  he involved himself in the matter and even tried forcing Yoel by threatening to reveal Yoel's noncompliance if he didn't give the get!

What is clear to all - except for Rivky and her supporters - is that Yoel's primary focus in the meeting was to show that the Beis Din did not exist and that it is a fraud that Rivky and her supporters perpetrated. As Rav Moshe Feinstein and others state - normally a get is given after all issues are settled. In this case all issues have not been settled and Yoel simply wanted to show the that beis din was a fraud.

For Rivky to come with another beis din or to come with part of the original beis din - did not fulfill Yoel's conditions. In addition to not coming with the original beis din - she lied. She was fully aware that she was lying when she said that 2 of the 3 original dayanim showed up.

To demonstrate that Rivky is lying, I have a recording of the sofer Rabbi Lichter - shown below with Rivky - that verifies my claims that not even 2 of the orignal beis din showed up. 
Rabbi Lichter's testimony about the 10 of Av meeting

Seminary Scandal The Fantastical RICO by Rav M. Tzadok

I've been torn on how I want to address this subject, simply because the subject matter is so complex, and there are so many facts that I simply do not know at this time, such as whether the sexual acts were consensual or not. However, I think that we can safely say that consensual or not Meisel's actions were deplorable. His actions have shamed himself and the entire Torah world. For that he most definitely should be held accountable. He committed and awful Chilul HaShem and and perhaps even permanently destroyed the connection of these young women with Judaism, the very inverse of the reason that they came to the Israel to learn in the first place.

One cannot say that the RICO claim is not without certain merits. Surely concerned parents, especially those who hold the Chicago Beit Din as their Rabbanim, should be allowed to withdraw their daughters from the seminary without financial penalty. Their concerns are not without merit and they are simply following the direction of their Rabbanim, something that should be honored by Orthodox Jewish institutions. That the parents have not been able to regain their deposits is a profound shame and a black mark upon Judaism.

However, two wrongs do not make a right. The Shulhan Arukh writes regarding those that go to secular court for their monetary disputes, "It is forbidden to go to judgement before non-Jewish judges and their courts, even if they rule like the laws of Israel, and even if both parties want to bring their case before them it is forbidden, and every one who comes to judgement before them is a rasha , a blasphemer, and has raised his hand against the Torah and Moshe Rabbeinu A"H." While the halakha does give certain exceptions to this, it is clear at this point that none prerequisites for those have been met in order to bring a lawsuit of this magnitude.

Further RICO suit constitutes at its essence an essential motzei shem ra. RICO requires that there was a criminal enterprise meaning that, the defendants either actively and knowingly with criminal intent took part in illegal activities or conspired to do so. While Meisels may have intentionally used the seminaries under his control to gain wealth and feed his own sexual appetites, I boggles the mind that other individuals, much less that Israeli Beit DIn, conspired with him to both feed his sexual appetites as well as defraud these young women, or their parents of their money.

Paragraphs 23 through 73 alleged that these seminaries were not in fact seminaries, but rather used Jewish education as a front for human sex trafficking. Further that once this came to light an Israeli Beit Din, which according to the 1953 Law Regarding Jurisdiction of Rabbinical Courts, has the same status and same legal responsibilities as a non Rabbinic Court in Israel, joined the conspiracy to commit fraud and human sex trafficking. There really is no substantive difference between accusing any secular court of engaging in fraud, racketeering and human sex trafficking, and blaming an Israeli Beit Din of the same.

Not only is this RICO claim written like bad fiction, it is simply bad fiction. Before guilt can be determined in US law three aspects of a crime must be firmly established, motive, means and opportunity. Certainly all three can be seen with Meisels himself. However, what motive did the teachers, the staff, and the Israeli Beit DIn have? Further since this is a RICO case, there also has to be shown actual criminal intent. What we are being asked to believe is that such a large group of people, knowingly and willingly worked to solely benefit a single individual both monetarily and lustfully, while pretending to go through the motions of running a sham Seminary, where the girls were not taught Torah but groomed for their night with Meisels. The absurdity of it simply baffles the mind. I have to wonder if they didn't pick their lawyer from a late night infomercial.

They are asking us to believe that the entire staff of four seminaries, and a legal organ of the State of Israel, knowingly and willingly perpetuated a fraud for a number of years simply for the financial gain and sexual gratification of a single individual. They claim that all of these folks are deviants and evildoers to such an extent that they would do such a thing. Why? Because they want their deposit back so that they can send their daughters to a different seminary!!!

Certainly, as the Beis Yaakov system has its own managers and overseers that monitor what goes on in any school that bears their name in Israel they too are going to be dragged into this. So the women and Rabbanim of the B"Y system then also have to have been knowingly and willfully perpetuating this scheme of fraud and human sex trafficking, while risking a nation wide institution that they have spent their professional lives painstakingly building. Again I have to ask where is the motive?

This RICO case is start to finish an antisemite's dream come true. It belongs more on the pages of Stormfront then it does in the halls of Justice in the United States. There simply is no way that so many individuals and institutions and be so horribly maligned as this necessitates without Judaism as a whole being tarred and feathered. Yes there is a things such as spiritual abuse, it happens, it is horrible, and it needs to be dealt with. Abraham Lincoln once wrote in a latter to Albert G. Hodges, "By general law life and limb must be protected; yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life, but a life is never wisely given to save a limb." I must ask, is the money, however hard earned, however carefully saved, so important that reputable institutions, some of which that have been at the forefront of the fight against child sexual abuse(which this case is not, by the way. An 18yr old woman is either a consenting adult or the victim of a rape), should be destroyed in order that it might be regained?

These allegations smack of the flights of fancy that paraded themselves around as legitimate lawsuits and criminal complaints in the 1980's, when Satanic Ritual Abuse was taking place in a daycare near you. It was not until a full decade after that damage had been done that the public awoke as if from a dream and was horrified at the destruction of lives, and institutions it had allowed. There the blood thirst for the guilty, allowed even otherwise rational prosecutors, one of whom would eventually become the 78th Attorney General of the United States, to overlook the crucial necessity of a motive in determining guilt. We cannot allow that to happen here.

We can only hope that the plaintiffs will rethink their current course of action and rectify the horrible mistake that they are now making. While their various grievances may be justified, their course of action is not.

--

הרב מיכאל צדוק אלכהן

Rivky Stein & Yoel Weiss: 12 Questions for Rivky Stein and her "Beit Din Zedek of Marine Park & Mill Basin"

Guest post by RaP

1) Now that you confirmed and came together on August 6 at the "E72nd" Street address in Brooklyn, why didn't the "beit din" papers you sent to Yoel Weiss state that address clearly on all the documents it sent him in the first place, and if it was a mistake, why didn't they issue a clarification?

2) If the "E72nd" Street address was always the "right address" why was the non-existent address at "E77nd" Street continuously and deliberately typed on all the original documents that were sent to Yoel Weiss by the "beit din" and why did you keep on repeating the wrong (alternate) deceptive address at "E77nd" all the way through, even as the meet-up date on August 6 approached?

3) Why did you choose the address of a Chabad house at "E72nd" Street as the "official address" of your "beit din" if no Chabad rabbis were involved? Or were they? How was a group of strangers coming for a "get" ceremony let in to the premises if as that Chabad alleges it did not know of any "beit din" -- can you explain this entire perplexing "arrangement"?

4) Were ALL the original three "rabbis" -- Chaim Taub, David Binyamin Abales, Yehoshua Goodman --on the documents you sent Yoel Weiss present on August 6 at "E72nd" Street? If yes, which ones were there, and if not, why not? Can anyone confirm this reliably and can someone please confirm the backgrounds and credentials (yeshivas where they learned, type of semicha they hold etc) of these supposed "rabbis'?

5) Why couldn't Yoel Weiss reach any of the original three "rabbis" for months after he had received the documents with his name on it, nor could he reach any of them on the day they supposedly gathered August 6, why was that?

6) You claimed one of the original rabbis was "sitting shiva in Israel" who was he and why couldn't you provide a phone number to reach him?

7) Who were the other "rabbis" that you assembled as "alternates" for the "beit din" at "E72nd" Street on August 6 and can this be confirmed by anyone reliable?

8) Why did the pro-Aguna ORA organization eventually publicly deny any connections with you and your "beit din"?

9) Why did The Jewish Press a pro-Aguna paper abruptly withdraw its endorsement of your "beit din" without further explanation?

10) Why did you permit a reporter from the New York Daily News (Blau) to become involved in negotiating on your behalf on August 6? Did you or the "beit din" authorize him to do this? Who (rabbis or poskim, besides your mysterious "beit din") has approved your use of the media as a tool to attack Yoel Weiss?

11) The name "Uziel (Uzi) Frankel" keeps on being mentioned in relation to you and the "beit din" who is he and what role does he play in all of this?

12) Do any rabbis in the neighborhoods of Marine Park and Mill Basin, or does any reliable genuine bais din or poskim or gedolim approve of and use or even know about the "Beit Din Zedek of Marine Park & Mill Basin"? If not why not?

Seminary Scandal: Use of conspiracy theories to destroy - ISIS Leader ‘Al-Baghdadi’ Is claimed to be a ‘Jewish Mossad Agent’

In light of the absurd and dangerous RICO complaint filed in the Seminary Scandal which claims a bizarre conspiracy theory against the seminaries and various rabbi including Dayan Gartner - I thought it important to note that the Arab world uses this tactic regularly. The head of ISIS is claimed to be a Jewish agent of the Mosad sent to destroy the Arab world. Similar conspiracy were claimed by various Moslem groups that the World Trade Center destruction was done by Jews who were trying to discredit Islam.

Top Info Post   Simon Elliot (Elliot Shimon) aka Al-Baghdadi was born of two Jewish parents and is a Mossad agent.

We offer below three translations that want to assert that the Caliph Al-Baghdadi is a full Mossad agent and that he was born Jewish father and mother:

The real name of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is “Simon Elliott.”

The so-called “Elliot” was recruited by the Israeli Mossad  and was trained in espionage and psychological warfare against Arab and Islamic societies.

This information was attributed to Edward Snowden and published by newspapers and other Web sites: the head of the “Islamic State” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has cooperated with the U.S. Secret Service, British and Israel to create an organization capable of attracting terrorist extremists from around the world.

Seminary Scandal: Now a federal class action lawsuit in Chicago

Court House News    CHICAGO (CN) - A rabbi in charge of four Orthodox seminaries in Israel sexually assaulted girls in his charge, and threatened to ruin their marriage prospects if they reported him, the girls' parents claim in a federal class action.

Gary Miller and six other named plaintiffs sued Elimelech Meisels, Rachel Slanger, Peninim of America, Yaakov Yarmish, Tzvi Gartner and four subsidiary Jewish seminaries in Jerusalem, on Monday in Federal Court.

"From approximately 2004 until the present date, defendant Elimelech Meisels engaged in a fraudulent and unlawful scheme to induce Orthodox Jewish parents from across the United States to send their daughters to various seminaries in Israel that he controlled under the guise of educational and spiritual development," the complaint states. "In truth, defendant Meisels' true aim was to fraudulently and unlawfully take thousands of dollars from each of these parents and to induce these girls, by telephone, mail, wire and other means, to travel thousands of miles outside the United States and away from their parents for the purpose of sexually assaulting these vulnerable young girls."

Orthodox Jewish children are traditionally sent to study the Torah for one year after high school in Israel. For girls, their attendance at a seminary "profoundly shapes and influences their marriage prospects within a quasi arranged marriage system known as the Shidduch (translated literally as Introduction) system," the complaint states.

"This influence is so important that it causes Orthodox Jewish parents to save money for years in hopes of being able to afford the annual tuition that regularly exceeds twenty thousand dollars ($20,000)."

The defendant seminaries, part of the Bais Yaakov class of seminaries, are classified as Ultra-Orthodox, and girls are expected not even to physically touch a man outside of marriage.

But the parents say Meisel was not the devout rabbi he held himself out to be.

"Defendant Meisels, like many other sexual predators, preyed on the vulnerable. He did this by developing mentor-mentee relationships with girls and exploiting these relationships to lure the girls into late night coffee meetings and other private settings and then sexually assaulted them," the lawsuit states.

"Once the sexual assaults were complete, upon information and belief, defendant Meisels would intimidate his victims by telling them that no one would believe that a rabbi and author with his reputation would have done such a thing.

"Moreover, upon information and belief, defendant Meisels would threaten his victims that if they shared their story with anyone, he would draw on his vast contacts within the Shidduch system to ruin their reputations and ensure that no viable candidate would want to take their hand in marriage.

"It was widely known within the administrative staff of the seminaries that defendant Meisels was regularly taking students to late night private meetings - a fact itself that is forbidden and known as 'yichud' according to the Orthodox Jewish law and tradition. However, certain still unknown co-conspirators within the seminaries were also aware that defendant Meisels was sexually assaulting the girls and assisted defendant Meisels by actively and passively concealing the assaults."

In July this year, a Jewish religious court, the Chicago Bais Din, heard testimony from several of Meisels' alleged victims, and issued a ruling stating that it believed students at the defendant seminaries were "at risk of harm," according to the complaint.

"News of this decision sent shockwaves to the prospective parent bodies of the Seminaries," the complaint states. [...]

Seminary Scandal: A letter from a supporter of the Israeli Beis Din to his son

The following is a letter written by a knowledgeable supporter of the Israeli Beis Din which he sent to his son to explain the view of the IBD towards recent activities of the Chicago Beis Din. The son who shared it with me said I had permission to post it here to help clarify what is going on from the perspective of the Israeli Beis Din.

====================================

My dear son,

In response to your questions about the dispute with the Chicago Beis din, the world might be different, but the fact remains that the perpetrator is out and has been out for weeks and weeks already. The seminaries have a completely new owner.

If it true, as the IBD has heard, that some principals and senior staff were derelict in their duties:

a) It is horribly unfair and a rish'us to just say - as the Chicago beis din has said - that they will hold onto any evidence and refuse to show it to the IBD

b) The IBD is favorably impressed with the heads of the seminaries - especially the lady heads. To say the seminaries are still unsafe is preposterous. Going into the future, they are safe. No one can know what will be in the future but safe is safe. There is no reason at all to think it is not safe. Is anywhere "safe 100%"? Is Hadar 100% safe from their men teachers? BJJ? Greenwalds? 100%???????? Aiyn davar kazeh.

I remind you that Rav Shafran is one of the WORLD's TOP dayanim, and has dealt with similar matters over the years, extensively. Besides being experienced he is incorruptible, and no one's fool. All the dayanim feel the same way as he does about the seminaries’ safety. However there is someone here trying to close the seminaries - and, as they wrote in their letter to Rav Feldman (the BD letter)—such an action is unheard of!!!!!!

Even though it is clear that the seminaries are now safe, the IBD is making sure it stays that way by giving hora'os and hadrachos in the coming 2 weeks to all seminary heads. They MAY be making MAJOR changes in some of the seminaries. OF COURSE the IBD is doing a broad range of research and talking to professionals--that is what they have been doing for 10 days now, when not responding to silly, false, terribly horrid accusations. Contrary to vicious allegations, the IBD is relying on these professionals and instituting their recommendations.

What needs to done to help the situation? Someone needs to convince Chicago to stop acting like troublemakers. They need to remove themselves from the matter as they had planned to when the shtar was signed. They need to stop still hoping that the seminaries will close and that X will be there to pick up the pieces. Let professionals deal with this, not Rabbis with an agenda.

Despite the blogs innuendo, Yarmish is a gem of a person. He is a businessman. He is ehrlich. He is clearly NOT a mechanech which he readily acknowledges. He will do whatever the IBD tells him.

Pious mutterings (bebakashas selichah) are not worth much. Regarding your question why Chicago didn't sign the shtar – it was simply because they weren't baalei devarim. It’s that simple. They told the IBD to take care of the case. Only the actual baalei devarim signed. The IBD put a hold on the money, forbade Meisles from ever entering or having any more shaychoos. He subsequently sold the seminaries, and now the IBD is fully convinced that the seminaries are safe. There is NO REASON to think that they are not. The IBD had the koneh sign on, putting himself fully under the jurisdiction of the IBD for everything they do.

What more can a BD do?

They said from the day of the 2 e-mails—they will continue doing what their responsibility is, and HaShem will take care of all the silliness (or He will decide not to). They have an acharayus--the shtar is mechayev the IBD as well. Rav Shafran was very emphatic about this point--and believe me, he doesn't "need" this case. They are now doing what they always said they would now do --להוסיף שמירה על שמירה

 Tattie