Tzfas Beis Din's responses to criticisms regarding Get given by man in vegetative state

   תגובת הרב לביא להשגה

מכתב דייני צפת לרב פרבשטיין 

Friedman in 1980s New York sex abuse case sues

Washington Post  A man who was portrayed in an Oscar-nominated documentary as he fought to overturn his guilty plea in a notorious 1980s sex abuse case sued a Long Island prosecutor Thursday, alleging she defamed him to bolster her conclusion that the plea should stand.

Jesse Friedman, a subject of the film “Capturing the Friedmans,” accused Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice of concocting “outrageous” allegations about him, including a widely published statement that he created pornography involving child rape, incest and bestiality while a prisoner.

Friedman’s attorney Ronald Kuby said Rice timed her statements to “have the greatest negative impact” on the public’s perception of Friedman — last summer, as she neared the conclusion of a three-year review of the case.

Rice included the pornography allegation in her June 2013 report on the case, according to the lawsuit, and in press releases that became fodder for tabloid newspaper headlines including: “Jailbird Perv a Smut Writer.”

Paul Leonard, a spokesman for Rice’s office, issued a statement Thursday saying: “We view this lawsuit as meritless and will defend zealously against its allegations.”[...]

Latest scientific theory indicates that the universe shouldn't exist

C S Monitor     The universe shouldn't exist — at least according to a new theory.

Modeling of conditions soon after the Big Bang suggests the universe should have collapsed just microseconds after its explosive birth, the new study suggests.

"During the early universe, we expected cosmic inflation — this is a rapid expansion of the universe right after the Big Bang," said study co-author Robert Hogan, a doctoral candidate in physics at King's College in London. "This expansion causes lots of stuff to shake around, and if we shake it too much, we could go into this new energy space, which could cause the universe to collapse."

Physicists draw that conclusion from a model that accounts for the properties of the newly discovered Higgs boson particle, which is thought to explain how other particles get their mass; faint traces of gravitational waves formed at the universe's origin also inform the conclusion.  

Of course, there must be something missing from these calculations.

"We are here talking about it," Hogan told Live Science. "That means we have to extend our theories to explain why this didn't happen."[...]

Sholom Shuchat admits guilt in Mendel Epstein divorce torture case

APP    A Brooklyn man characterized by the FBI as an enforcer has pleaded guilty to taking part in a plot that prosecutors say involved a Lakewood rabbi and his son to use violence to kidnap an Orthodox Jewish man and force him to give his wife a religious divorce.

Sholom Shuchat pleaded guilty in federal court in Newark on Monday to traveling in interstate commerce to commit an act of violence. The crime carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence.

Fate of 3 Kidnapped Israelis Raises Tensions on Many Fronts

NY Times    Three Israeli teenagers kidnapped from the West Bank have been missing for more than 10 days now, their names — Naftali, Gilad, Eyal — becoming staples of synagogue prayers and cafe chatter across this tiny country. Four Palestinians, one of them 15, have been killed by Israeli troops, their photos hoisted at mass funerals as martyrs in the liberation struggle.

The abduction and its aftermath, in which Israel has unleashed its most intense West Bank crackdown in nearly a decade, have shaken the Palestinian leadership body that works with international negotiators and have roiled a territory that those diplomats have envisioned as a future Palestinian state. Any prospect for a return to Israeli-Palestinian talks seems ever more remote.

After winning the world’s support for a new government rooted in reconciliation with the militant Islamic movement Hamas, President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority is under unprecedented attack for cooperating with Israel’s search for the teenagers. He has been vilified as a traitor and threatened with death on social media, and even activists from his own Fatah faction posted Facebook statements challenging his rule.

The crisis at first buoyed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel with a wave of domestic unity and international outrage, but he has begun to see a backlash against Israel’s arrest campaign. He faces demands to provide proof backing his claim that Hamas is behind the abduction, and even members of his own cabinet have second-guessed his dismissal of Mr. Abbas’s supportive statement.

With the wider Middle East engulfed in violent turmoil, analysts increasingly fear the explosion of a third intifada in the West Bank and Gaza Strip — or the unraveling of the Palestinian Authority — if the teenagers are not found and the Israeli campaign continues to erode Mr. Abbas’s credibility and control.

Nearly two months after the collapse of Secretary John Kerry’s peace talks, the situation only highlights the huge gulf, political and psychological, between the long-warring neighbors.

“In Israel, the whole country is obsessed by this and can’t think of anything more horrible, and on the Palestinian side, you see these cartoons where it’s celebrated,” said Dennis B. Ross, the former American peace negotiator, who arrived in Jerusalem during the weekend. “It’s not just the two publics, it’s the two leaders who have looked at each other through a lens of basic disbelief.”[...]

אימה בבני ברק: תלמיד ישיבה נעצר בחשד לניסיון תקיפת ילדה

Kikar haShabbat

תלמיד ישיבה כבן 19 נעצר הלילה ברחוב עזרא בבני ברק כאשר עקב אחר ילדה בת 13, בחשד כי תכנן לבצע תקיפה חמורה. התלמיד, החשוד בתקיפות נוספות, יובא להארכת מעצר (חרדים)

Rav Zilberstein: Is acting friendly to someone you can't stand - geneivas daas?

Rav Zilberstein (Chashukei ChemedShavuos 35b): Question: A person sees someone from a distance and cringes hoping that the other one doesn’t see him and come over to him because he has no strength to deal with him. And yet when they do in fact meet he forces himself to have a big smile on his face and to give him a friendly greeting while at the same time regretting that they had met and counting the seconds until the person leaves. Is this considered a transgression of the sin of fraud (geneivas daas)? Answer:  Rambam (Hilchos De'os 2:6) writes that it is prohibited to conduct oneself in a fraudent and deceitful manner. A person should not act differently then he feels (the mouth and the heart should be in agreement) but rather his actions and words should be consistent with what he thinks (tocho k'baro) and that which is in his heart should be that which he expresses with his mouth. The Rambam concludes by saying that even one word of deception and fraud is prohibited. But rather he should have truthful lips and an upright spirit and a pure heart in all his endeavors. Rashi expresses similar thoughts in Parshas Vayeshiv (Bereishis 37:4), where he says that Yosef's brothers could not speak to him because they despised him – and from this we learn their praise that they were not able to be deceitful and say something other than what they felt. Thus Rashi is saying that was preferable for Yosef's brothers not to be engaged in chanufa with Yosef and not to act friendly when they didn't have positive feelings about him. We find a similar idea in Sefer Chasidim (51) who says that it is prohibited to deceive others – even a non-Jew. And he adds that those who despise a non-Jew when giving them  a greeting and they cause the non‑Jew to mistakenly think they are being friendly - are in fact sinners. Because there is no greater deception (geneivas daas) than this.

 However concerning the same issue we find in Gittin (62a) that Rav Kahane when he met a non-Jew he gave him a greeting of "peace be to the master." Rashi explains he did not have intent to bless the non-Jew but rather Rav Kahane was thinking of this teacher. Tosfos there asks how Rav Kahane could do this since it was geneivas daas (fraud)? The Chasam Sofer says about Tosfos – צ"ע  - i.e., it is puzzling. The Chasam Sofer notes that Shavuos (35b) says that all the kings mentioned in relationship to Daniel are mundane except for one that is holy, "Thou, O king, king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory" (Daniel 2:37) – which G-d is meant. This indicates that Daniel was calling Nevuchadnezer "king of kings" while in his heart he was referring to G‑d. Therefore, the Chasam Sofer concludes, we are forced to say that in a case of hatred (eivah) or peace (darchei shalom) it is deception is permitted.

However the Yalkut HaMeiri (Gittin 62a) comments that the Chasam Sofer does not really have a question against Tosfos because if in fact Daniel had meant G-d – then it is not considered geneivas daas. This is explicit in the Zohar (Parshas Va'eira 23b),Then came R. Eleazar and R. Abba and kissed R. Simeon's hand, and R. Abba wept and said: ‘Alas for the world when thou, master, shalt be removed from it! It will become an orphan without thee; for who will then illumine the words of the Torah?’ He then went on to quote David's greeting to Nabal: "Be well (lehai, lit. thus for life!), and peace be to thee, etc.” ‘Surely,’ he said, ‘David must have been aware of Nabal's wickedness, and how could he greet him thus? It was, however, New Year's day, the day when the Holy One judges the world, and David's intention in using both expressions, “Thus for life”, and “and thou art peace”, was to address Him from whom all life and all peace come, in order to make a fitting profession of faith. And greeting a righteous person with Shalom! (peace, harmony) is like greeting the Holy One Himself, especially when addressed to thee, O master, who in thine own person representest the harmony between the above and the below! But it is not allowed to greet thus a wicked person, and yet, if it be unavoidable, there is no insincerity involved in the phrase when outwardly addressed to the person concerned, but inwardly intended for God." So therefore if you want to claim this was deception – it is not – because one who offers a beracha intends it for G-d. If the wicked person mistakenly thinks it was directed at him – then he is just fooling himself. Thus we see that Daniel was blessing G-d and it was not considered geneivas daas. In contrast if one blesses a non-Jew and means his teacher – that is truly geneivas daas.

Back to our topic, it says in Avos (1:15), One should receive all people with a pleasant countenance. Since it says "all" that means even people that you don't like. Rabbeinu Yonah notes that you should show them a happy face in order that people will like you. This implies that even if you truly are not happy to see him – you should still look happy. That means it is not geneivas daas  but rather fulfilling G-d's will and in fact it is a mitzva. Furthermore that by doing this you might start liking the person since the heart follows after one's actions. The exception would be concerning a wicked person because it is prohibited to receive a wicked person with joy since you are to hate those that G-d hates.

Justina Pelletier: Case of medical child abuse or family abuse by the Department of Children and Families?

This is a sobering case where a teenager was taken from her family on the charges of child medical abuse - despite the fact that she was being cared for by one of the world's best hospitals. Supposedly on the basis of what was best for the child, the legal system took custody claiming her problems were psychological not medical- because the parents refused to accept the new diagnosis. It cost the government $400,000 for treatment in the last 16 months based on the new diagnosis - with little improvement and a deterioration in her physical condition. Because of wide spread outcries - she has been at last returned to her family. Big Brother does not always know what is best!

 

Boston Globe   When juvenile court judges and the state’s child-protection agency allow children in custody to return to their parents, there is supposed to be only one standard: the best interests of the child.

But political, legal, and financial factors appear to have also figured prominently in resolving the impasse in the 16-month-long custody battle over Connecticut teenager Justina Pelletier, and, some child welfare specialists argue, the factors may have played outsized roles. The case was locked in acrimony between the parents and the Department of Children and Families , and as recently as March the judge in the case deemed the parents unfit.

Much changed in the past month, however.

Juvenile Court Judge Joseph Johnston, at the request of DCF, restored custody to the parents Tuesday, ending the case that the child welfare agency had brought against the parents, whom officials had accused of medical child abuse. On Wednesday, Justina returned to her family’s home in West Hartford, Conn., cradled in her father’s arms.[...]

DCF filed a motion June 6 to dismiss the case. The judge went along Tuesday, citing “credible evidence that circumstances have changed.” The order said nothing about the diagnostic dispute, one in which he sided as recently as March with Boston Children’s Hospital, saying Justina’s ailments had psychological origins.

The hospital staff had filed medical child abuse charges against the parents in February 2013, a few days after Justina arrived in their emergency room. Her mother insisted that Justina was suffering from complications of mitochondrial disorder, for which the girl had been treated at Tufts Medical Center for more than a year.

Yet, more than a year later, many child welfare officials said they could not argue that moving Justina home is not in her best interests, given some sobering truths. She had not been getting much better in DCF care, and her mobility appears worse, as the teen who once walked easily now relies on a wheelchair.[...]

Why are Reform and Conservative Judaism dying: An important lesson for all Jews

I recently came across Relational Judaism by Dr. Ron Wolfson ©2013. It accurately describes the non-Orthodox world - which has been constantly searching for ways to stop the flood of people out of their congregations by trying to entertain them or by making Judaism interesting or meaningful. Or failing that by converting non-Jews or tolerating inter-marriage and not demanding much in terms of observance or even education. 

The solution he proposes - that the Jewish communities need to encourage and development relationships for the individual - is one that the Orthodox world need to be reminded about. The Orthodox world needs to know that while focus on intensive Torah study and mitzvos is important - it is not enough to stop our children going off the derech. It is not enough to seal our world by banning Internet, smartphones, newspapers, movies, magazine and books. It is not enough to label the outside as a heretic. It is not enough to dress differently and prohibit immodest dress and mingling of the sexes. We also need to be concerned about developing good interpersonal relations  within our community.

 ================

 A Cautionary Tale    Recently, I was invited to be scholar-in-residence at what was once one of the largest synagogues in the United States. The congregation was celebrating its one-hundredth anniversary. The campus was dominated by a huge building, built in the 1960s. The sanctuary was enormous, and a labyrinth of hallways led to dozens of classrooms, offices, and meeting halls. In the year 2000, the community had no mortgage, no debt, and a balanced budget. Most synagogues would love to be in such great shape.   Yet, there were signs that the coming decade would be challenging.   

  
The building was aging and in need of renovation. The senior rabbi who had served the congregation for decades was retiring. Most ominously, the demography of the community had changed; young people were moving north. The synagogue membership was slowly but surely declining from a high of nearly 1,500 households. The leaders of the synagogue knew that something had to be done.  

 Here's the something they did.  In the year 2000, they decided to borrow one million dollars to invest in the future growth of the congregation. After the long-serving, beloved rabbi retired, they hired a high-priced rabbi.. who lasted less than two years. That cost one-half million dollars. The other   half-million was spent on programming, all kinds of programming­ big events, concerts, community lectures with high-priced nationally  renowned speakers, highly touted initiatives to get more people into  the synagogue on Shabbat-all sorts of things. Many of the programs had clever names, good marketing, and high appeal to specific segments of the community. Lots of people showed up for the programs and, by all accounts, enjoyed them. And then ... they left.  

Nothing was done to change the ambiance of the congregation, which was widely considered cold and unwelcoming. Nothing was done to engage the people with others in attendance. Nothing was done to connect individuals with the congregation itself. Nothing was done to find out who they were. Nothing was done to follow up. Nothing was done to convince the members that the institution truly cared about them.  The result: after ten years of this initiative, the congregation was a million dollars in debt, and membership had shrunk to 300 households. By the time 1 got there, the leaders were kicking themselves, asking me what they could do to reinvigorate their community.  I told them what I will tell you.  It's all about relationships.   People will come to synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, Jewish Federations, and other Jewish organizations for programs, but they will stay for relationships. Programs are wonderful opportunities for community members to gather, to celebrate, to learn. There is nothing “wrong" with programs; every organization has them. But, if the program designers have given no thought to how the experience will offer  participants a deeper connection to each other, with the community,  and with Judaism itself, then it will likely be another lovely evening,  afternoon, or morning ... with little or no lasting impact.   

For those interested in living a Jewish life and for those professionals and lay leaders seeking to increase Jewish engagement, permit me to put my cards on the table, up front:   It's not about programs.  It's not about marketing.  It's not about branding, labels, logos, clever titles, websites, or smartphone apps.   It's not even about institutions.   It's about relationships.   [...] 

Let me be blunt: the slakes are high. Until recently, we have done pretty well to engage Jews through some connection with the Jewish community. Estimates suggest 80 percent of Jews affiliate with some institution-a synagogue, a Jewish Community Center, a Federation, a school, a youth group-at some point in their lives. We get 'em, but then, we lose 'em, usually at key transition points. Why? Because we have failed to develop deep relationships with many of the individuals who come into our midst, and we are, frankly, terrible at transitioning our people from one organization to another, from one City to another, from one life stage to another.  We can do better.  [...]

But, what happens after the crowds go home? Has anything happened during the time they were at the program to deepen their relationship to the community, to the sponsoring institution, and most importantly, to each other? Or, will they check it off their to-do list, another consumable activity, demanding little or no commitment other than a couple of hours of their time. And, will they continue their relationship with the institution? A rabbi confides in me, "A woman who was a member of my synagogue for twenty years resigned. 1 was shocked because she showed up to all of our programs. So, 1 called her to ask why she was leaving. You know what she said? 'I came to everything, and I never met anybody"
 

 Something is missing. Something critically important. Something so crucial, it could determine the health of the North American Jewish community in the twenty-first century.  It’s time to shift our paradigm. It is time to shift the shape of Jewish engagement.      

גדולי ישראל במכתב חריף: האישה שקיבלה גט בצפת - לא מגורשת

kikar haShabbat

מרנן ורבנן גדולי הדור מפרסמים מכתב חריף ביותר נגד פסק הדין של בית הדין בצפת שהתיר אישה עגונה שבעלה צמח וכותבים כי הפסק "מגובב בסברות בדויות ודחויות מהלכה" (ארץ(

פרשת הגט בצפת ממשיכה להסעיר את עולם התורה ואת פוסקי ההלכה: הבוקר (שלישי) מפרסמים מרנן ורבנן גדולי הדור גילוי דעת חריף כנגד הגט וקובעים כי האישה אינה מגורשת ונותרה "אשת איש". 

תחת הכותרת "מחאה נמרצת", כותבים מרן ראש הישיבה הגראי"ל שטיינמן, הגאב"ד הגר"נ קרליץ ועוד גדולי תורה: "נחרדנו לראות כי יצא "פסק דין" להתיר אשת איש גמורה לעלמא (אישה שבעלה "צמח" על ידי זיכוי גט)".

גדולי ישראל דוחים במכתבם בשאט נפש את פסק הדין שניתן וכותבים כי הוא "מגובב בסברות בדויות ודחויות מהלכה, ולדבריהן הרי הותרו עגונות רבות הנזכרות בש"ס ובפוסקים ואם כן כל חכמי ישראל מאז ומעולם עומדים כנגדם".

"על כן נתחייבנו למחות במחאה נמרצת על גילוי פנים בתורה שלא כהלכה והתרת אשת איש לעלמא", כותבים גדולי ישראל.

Daas Torah brought about the desire to kill Yeshoshua and Calev

Rav Zilberstein (Aleinu LeShebeach - Shelach) notes that when a person sins it provides justification for further sins. As the result of the Jews questioning the wisdom of going into Israel – against the wishes of G-d – it set the stage for further deterioration. When the spies came back with their report which included the conclusion that they would not be able to succeed in conquering Israel - the people collectively became very upset. This was to the degree that they wanted to kill Yehoshua and Kalev who were insisting that it was a good land and that they could succeed. Rav Zilberstein asks that while it is understandable why they were upset with the report – but why did they want kill the spies who had asserted that they could in fact conquer the land? Furthermore he notes that the people said that,  We should appoint a king and go back to Egypt." What was the impetus for that plan?

He answers that Rashi (Bamidbar 14:1) says that aida is referring to the Sanhedrin. Rav Zilberstein explains that after the negative reaction to the report of the spies – the people became very upset and did not know what to do. Therefore they wanted to know what Daas Torah was in this matter and they went to the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin poskened that since going into Israel could only be accomplished through miracles and the people at this point were not deserving of miracles – going into Israel would be suicidal. In other words if they entered Israel they would be killed and the women and children taken captive. The people drew the logical conclusion that rather than die in in a futile attempt to conquer Israel they should appoint a king and return to Egypt. When the people saw that Yeshoshua and Calev were still insisting that they continue into Israel – and were going against Daas Torah – they concluded that they were rodefim and they need to be killed to save their own lives. The people would have in fact killed them except for the intervention of G-d.

3 yeshiva students kidnapped by Arabs

Arutz 7

bhol

השמות לתפילה ולרחמי שמים:

 יעקב נפתלי בן רחל דבורה. 

גלעד מיכאל בן בת גלים.

  אייל בן איריס תשורה 

והן קל כביר לא ימאס תפילת רבים.

Three students, two of them from the Makor Chaim Yeshiva in the religious kibbutz Kfar Etzion are went missing Thursday night in what officials say was likely a kidnapping by terrorists.

All communication was lost with them as they were on their way home from the yeshiva, located in Gush Etzion, roughly between Jerusalem and Hevron in Judea; security sources suspect they were taken into a vehicle driven by terrorists that stopped for them as they waited at a popular hitchhiking spot.

The story has been under a media embargo until now, given the sensitive nature of the incident and the danger posed to the three. Several false reports concerning the event were circulated in its initial aftermath, but these are the initial details of the incident that have been permitted for publication as of now.

Massive IDF and police forces have been searching in the hours since the suspected kidnapping to try and locate the three young students. 

Call for prayers

Friends of the missing students called on the public to pray for the safe rescue of the three youths.

In the last few minutes the Chief Rabbis of Israel issued a joint statement calling on members of the public to recite psalm 121 and pray for the safety of the boys. The rabbinate also called on all Jewish women make sure to light Shabbat candles and say prayers in merit of the missing youths.

Mrs. Pearl Engleman responds to Ami Magazine's Train Wreck Journalism dealing with child abuse

Ami Magazine (May 29, 2014) recently published an article "How to turn a Journalism Discussion into a train wreck" - dealing with a forum on child abuse at John Jay College. Its focus and theme was to show that journalists dealing with child abuse as well as child abuse activists - are more concerned with bashing the chareidi community than dealing with the reality of abuse. Ironically the reporter who was attacking alleged distortions of truth by journalists -  instead of acknowleding the true dynamics of abuse, suppression of reporting and dealing properly with the issue in our community - pointed out the abuse and coverups in the military and colleges. Furthermore he asserted that contrary to the views of the journalists and advocates - abuse coverups are often done by the families of the victim because of concern for shidduchim- rather than rabbis or community leaders. (A deceptive statement which ignores the primary role of rabbis and community leaders in this matter.) Instead of  acknowledging the postive changes that have occured only because of the actions of journalists and advocates, he attacked reporters for making false or ignorant statements about the chareidi community. In short this was another example of Ami Magazine's greater concern with damage control for the chareidi community - by trying to kill the messenger -  rather than providing constructive reporting about what is going on. [update; See previous article in Ami 2011 by Pinny Taub] Here are some excerpts from the article.

 I looked at the names of the panelists. More disturbing than Winston’s inclusion was the inclusion of Ben Hirsch of the group Survivors for Justice on the list of panelists. An advocate with an axe to grind against the community, Hirsch wouldn’t be an expert on the techniques of journalism or investigating; he’d be there to tell over the crimes and misdemeanors of the community. I checked my calendar. I had time for an outrage. p76

In fact, reporting and congressional investigations that have gone on this year about abuse in the US military and on college campuses across the country, including at the most prestigious Ivy League colleges, has shown that horrific coverups of abuse go on in those institutions to a level no rational observer believes is happening in the Jewish community. p77  [DT - this is not child abuse]

 Yet the vilification of the community still continues, and the narrative that the chareidim are a sinister, “insular” group that as a whole evilly victimizes victims is still one that reporters have a  hard time letting go of. p77

 Mark Appel, the head of the group The Voice of Justice (a rival group to Hirsch’s Survivors for Justice), oozed into the seat behind me. p77

The lineup of panel members had been changed a bit. Ben Hirsch wasn’t coming, but he’d sent another member of his organization, NYPD captain Daniel Sosnowik, a frum Jew. Then there was Hella Winston, as moderator; Julia Dahl, the author of the fiction book being promoted, who reports for CBSNews.com; Reuven Blau, a frum Jew and reporter for the Daily News; and Jennifer Molinari, a retired NYPD detective who specialized in abuse crimes. The discussion, supposedly about reporting and investigating, quickly turned into a recital of the community’s supposed crimes.  p77

Two of the audience members subtly undermined the general tenor of the discussion. One young woman discussed her sister’s abuse by a neighbor; a young man discussed his own abuse. Both of them said that worries about shidduchim, either for their own family members or for the family members of the abuser, were why their parents didn’t go to the police. p78

Those turned out to be bad decisions with tragic consequences, because they left the abusers free to prey on other children. But these stories had a different narrative from the one that the panel had been promoting. Instead of evil rabbis engaging in backroom machinations—the image that one would have gotten from much of the panel’s discussion—these speakers were pointing out, perhaps unintentionally, more subtle factors that exist in many cases. Yet in the context of the entire discussion, that point was probably lost on most listeners. p78

As the panel discussion had made clear, the issue of abuse is one that can inspire a wholesale assault on the community, and it is fertile ground for manipulation by activists with an agenda to, in the eloquent words of Mark Appel, put the community in its “deathbed.” It’s entirely possible that some of the journalists, as Winston and Blau told me after the discussion, aren’t interested in sinking the community. They may simply be out to write a good story and find the community a good subject. But activists, who create a narrative of villainous rabbis and nefarious communal organizations, certainly use that to their own ends. And that is an outrage. [page 79]

The following is Mrs. Pearl Engleman's response to the article

My purpose in writing the essay was twofold.  1) not letting Ami get away with denigrating victims and advocates - there's been way too much of that already and   2) challenging them to take the initiative in bringing about a healing process for the victims/survivors (and their families).

In the 6 years I've been involved as an advocate for victims/survivors I myself can't believe the degree to which molestation has affected our children. 

In a group of 5 Yingeleit, 3 of them said they were molested.  Many, many young adults admit to being molested as young boys, but see it as a rite of passage r'l!  There are so many dysfunctional husbands and fathers - way out of proportion to normal standards.  It begs the question of why - what happened in their lives to turn them into ogres - frightening their wives and children?

Truly it is a matter of great urgency to do something to rectify the situation.

With appreciation,

P Engelman

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

“…….And That is an Outrage”

(Last sentence in Ami Magazine,

article 5/28/14, in reference to

activists against CSA using

community bashing as a

means to their own agenda!)

6/8/14

Really? What shall we call the following?

It is now exactly 6 years since our son Yoely courageously revealed to the world the story of his childhood molestation by his principal in his Talmud Torah when Yoely was 8 years old. Sharing with the world his account of anguish and suffering was actually not his original plan nor was it our plan. The original plan was to have his former principal, now rebbi (not to be confused with Rebbe) of the same age boys, remove himself from the classroom in an honorable way – not his honor so much as the honor of his large innocent family. To achieve this, my husband hand delivered a letter to him before Pesach ’08 asking him not to come back to teaching children after Yom Tov. In the letter we explained the terrible reasons for this request and also said if he would leave quietly, we too would keep quiet. (How naive we were!) Yoely’s and our main objective was to protect young boys from this pedophile; we also mentioned that if he would not comply we’d have no choice but to take this further – and he would risk great shame and agony for his family.

Within a day of delivering the letter, the entire apparatus of the Talmud Torah was harnessed to cover-up and protect the rebbi and deny all allegations. Of course it didn’t happen in one sentence. The massive, horrible betrayal of Yoely began at first with the Talmud Torah pretending to be sooo concerned, talking to Yoely, explaining their attitude of zero tolerance, going so far as to give the rebbi a lie detector test. When he failed the test they promised Yoely that the rebbi would have no more employment with them, neither in the Talmud Torah nor in their summer Bungalow Colony, where he’d been both principal and rebbi, and they did not allow the rebbi to return to the classroom after Pesach (April) ’08.

Two months later, on June 24th Yoely turned 23. This is the age where a victim can no longer legally pursue a molester. To our shock and horror, one week later, on July 1st , the Talmud Torah rehired the rebbi at their Bungalow Colony! Two months later, at the beginning of the school term in September ’08, he was reinstated as rebbi again for 8-9 year old boys.

The enormous, heartless betrayal of Yoely was the beginning of a huge tsunami of relentless negative media attention of our community’s handling of child molesters. Sadly, much of it well deserved. And even more sadly, much of it preventable.

When the rebbi was rehired and I saw the terrible pain and anguish and torment Yoely was going through I knew (because Yoely told me) what was coming. I, together with one other Askan desperately tried to head off the impending tsunami. I contacted Moshe Dovid Niederman of UJO, I contact Rabbonim in Boro Park, I contacted the 3 Dayanim in the Bungalow Colony – telling them the whole sad story and frantically trying to explain to them that a Chilul Hashem of the greatest magnitude was going to befall us and it was up to them to prevent it from happening. Nothing….. No reaction from anyone, only a deafening silence.

The Talmud Torah believed Yoely when he gave them the details of his molestation. How could they not, after the rebbi failed their polygraph? Additionally, they heard from other parents whose children were molested by the same rebbi. And in the summer of ’08, Assemblyman Dov Hikind publicly announced that a father of another child molested by the same rebbi came to talk to him about it. Where was their responsibility to the children? Didn’t they have a conscience……

Shockingly, one of the ‘advisors’ to the Talmud Torah I met in late August ’08 told me when I asked how they could re-hire this rebbi “Let me ask you Mrs Engelman, on a scale of 1 to 10 how bad was the molestation? There was no skin to skin contact, it was through clothing, it was maybe a 2 or a 3? Therefore it was decided to re-hire him!” Never mind that in New York State it is a felony crime to molest a child under 11 through clothing! Never mind that on a scale of 1 to 10 the aftereffects for Yoely were off the charts. Never mind that they rehired a molester by their own standards!

And you, dear writer at Ami Magazine dare to complain about the “vilification of the community”?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here’s another one:

In 2011 the Williamsburg Vaad Hatznius were well aware of an Avreich preying on young Bochurim (male teenagers) and they were closing in on him. In one memorable occasion, after finding him with a young bochur in his own apartment during the time his wife was recuperating at her mother’s home after giving birth to her baby, they gave him a good beating! Then, in a ludicrously misguided attempt at protecting Williamsburg children, the Vaad Hatzniyus printed a flyer for distribution to all Mikvas. The flyer advised all those in charge of Mikvas to be warned not to allow ‘so and so’ into the Mikvas and they included a photo of him!

Lest we get carried away with admiration for the Vaad Hatznius, please note: The Vaad Hatznius of Williamsburg consisted of responsible individuals, individuals who were perfectly aware of his criminality. They should have immediately turned him over to the proper authorities! THE LIVES OF CHILDREN WERE IN DEADLY DANGER FROM THIS PEDOPHILE. WHAT MEASURE DID THE VAAD USE TO WEIGH A PEDOPHILE’S WORTH AGAINST THE LIVES OF CHILDREN? Instead they took matters into their own hands and as a result ‘so and so’ was protected, covered-up for, and allowed to continue to strut the streets of Williamsburg, Boro Park, etc. free to go after more victims.

When the Avreich molested a young Bochur in a Beis Hamedrish in Williamsburg the week of March 26 - April 2, AND MADE HIM SIGN A CONSENT FORM - the Vaad Hatznius went ballistic! They put up a letter in (only) 2 Shuls (not mikvas this time) warning people about him! And they also pressured his family to send him to Israel for treatment! What treatment? When treatment? Some time later he was seen at different venues in Israel with young bochurim surrounding him and following him…..

And you, dear writer at Ami Magazine dare to complain about the “vilification of the community”?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How about this one:

I get a call from a mother in Monsey whose 6 year old little boy is in one of the large Chassidish Moisdes in Monsey. The child’s rebbi put his hands down the little boy’s pants and fondled him. In a fury the mother runs to the Cheider and lets the principals have it – demanding they fire the rebbi! No! they tell her, they will not dismiss the rebbi and if she says one word to anyone, all of her other sons in different classes will be expelled and she will have to find new yeshivas for all of them…… For those of us who are Chassidish we know this is practically an impossibility – to which other Chassidus can she send her children? Who will accept them? Besides, she will be branded as a troublemaker and no one will touch her or her children with a ten foot pole. So the poor lady keeps quiet and surreptitiously calls people like me to vent her despair and helplessness and dare I say it – outrage…..

And you, dear writer at Ami Magazine dare to complain about the “vilification of the community”?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To quote your article again “the issue of abuse is one that can inspire a wholesale assault on the community”. Is it any wonder? Why must we, with our inexcusable behavior supply them with material? And irony of ironies – do we really need the help of an agency such as OJPAC, with a mission statement of helping “enhance the standing of the Orthodox Jewish community in the media and in the eyes of the general public”?

Nothing is of greater benefit to “enhance our standing” than this: We need only to behave as the Torah teaches us: “Sur Mairuh, V’Asai Tov”. If we as a community have covered up for the pedophiles amongst us and in doing so have shunned, shamed, ostracized and excluded their victims, it is required of us to admit it! And to right the wrongs we have done to these precious Neshamos! With the exception of that one courageous Tzaddik in Passaic, Rabbi Yitzchok Eisenman, who gave survivors a life affirming boost by giving them a platform in his wonderful Kehilla, NOT ONE OTHER group of Yidden has followed suit and given survivors the time of day, let alone any show of support.

And almost nothing is of greater benefit to “enhance our standing” in the eyes of our mushrooming OTD population - who are so finely attuned to sniffing out hypocrisy - than in our being paragons of sincerity and Emes in these situations.

You, Ami Magazine, are in a unique position to change the situation. It behooves you to spearhead a movement to end the vilification of the Orthodox Jewish Community; to restore our luster and our light, and not by bashing activists, victims and survivors, but by showing the world that we Chareidim are honest enough to admit we were wrong, strong enough to institute changes, and humble enough to make amends with those we have sadly let down.

Pearl Engelman

Israel rejects African infiltrators' request to convert to Judaism

YNet    Dozens of Eritrean and Sudanese infiltrators residing in Israel illegally have requested to convert to Judaism in the past year in a bid to receive a residence permit and perhaps even an Israeli citizenship, Ynet has learned.  

Their requests were rejected out of hand by the Conversion Authority for failing to meet preconditions. 

According to figures compiled by the Ministry of Religious of Services, dozens of Africans tried to begin a conversion process, and most requests were made when the infiltrators' problem was at the center of the public and media's attention. [...]

According to Jeselsohn, until a few years ago there were no precondition for conversion, so that "everyone who was deported or banned entry to Israel would immediately knock on the door, and we had to summon them for an interview and start a process.

"This has been stopped," he added, and now foreign nationals are required to fill out a form requesting a conversion, which is discussed together with Justice Ministry representatives. If the request is filed by an illegal resident, it will be denied immediately.
Yet religious sources have expressed their fear that the state will regularize the status of African infiltrators in the future and allow them to reside in Israel. In such a case, they will have the legal right to convert, despite the fact that they have no halachic affiliation to the Jewish people.
"The stories we hear from the religious courts, that they allegedly abuse converts, will pale in comparison to what we are expected to see with the Africans," a Conversion Authority source told Ynet.
"Today we are still talking about immigrants from the former Soviet Union, who in the worst case are assimilators of Jewish descent, and so we are still lenient with them. But here we are talking about tens of thousands who want to assimilate into us and have no connection to Judaism." [...]