Vicki Polin responds to my criticism of insensitive condescension

Vicki Polin has left a new comment on your post "The insensitive condescension of the secular towar...":

Daniel,

It saddens me that you would write such a strong letter of condemnation to my statements posted on your blog. I wanted to make sure that you are aware that I have been living within the eruv of various orthodox communities for just under 10 years. Though I am no longer looking to become observant, I am very familiar with many of the cultural issues pertaining to sex crimes. When I've had questions I have always sought out one of my halachic advisors.

I'm sorry that your experience with the secular world has been to be looked down at. I have never thought of the Torah observant community as being "Primitive" or "unenlightened." I have used the terms "insulated " and "unaware," yet never "primitive" or unenlightened." I have often asked myself, how can someone have information or reach a level of awareness if they have not been education on various issues?

It was until around 1999 - 2001, that sexual abuse began to be discussed in orthodox circles. It wasn't until the case of rabbi Baruch Lanner www.theawarenesscenter.org/lanner_baruch hit the news media, did the religious world start paying attention.

2001 was the yearThe Awareness Center was founded I was living in Jerusalem at the time, and realized how little was known in how to deal with cases appropriately in the religious world. When I saw appropriate I am meaning reporting crimes to law enforcement, verses chasing the offender out of town -- or shaming and blaming the victim (or their family members) into silence.

I became aware of the severity of the problem when I started doing outreach with a friend with religious teens who made their way down to Ben Yehuda. Just about every teen I met disclosed stories to me of molestation. Some of the kids were incest survivors others were being abused by neighbors, teachers, rabbis, etc. When I tried to get them help -- there was really nothing out there set up to address the issues. Most of the teens I spoke with came from communities such as Neve Yaakov and Har Nof.

Most of those who work in the field of sexual violence have at least a masters degree. This means 4 years of college, plus two years of graduate school. After they receive their masters degrees they are required to received at least 1000 hours of supervision prior to becoming licensed. Law enforcement officials who work sex crimes also have to undergo vigorous training in this highly specialized field.

Though our rabbis are experts in halacha, they are not experts in criminal matters, especially sex crimes committed against our children. When The Awareness Center first got started, I could not find one rabbi who could explain the difference between sexual assault and sexual harassment. Whenever the topic came up of child molestation in which the perpetrator and the victim were male, they automatically called the sex crime -- "homosexual behavior." Unfortunately, in most insulated communities using the wrong terms to describe a sex crime still occurs. By using incorrect termonology often shames and blames the victim and little is done to stop the assailant, which ends up with the offender creating move victims.

Those who are gay do not commit sex crimes anymore then those are heterosexual. When a male sex offender molests a child who is male -- this is NOT "homosexual behavior". The same is true in cases in which a yeshiva bochur is manipulated or forced into having sexual relations with a rav, or anyone else. These are SEX CRIMES!

I'm sorry you are confusing facts and the attempt to prevent anyone else from being a victim of a sex crimes as being condescending, offensive or insensitive towards your religious values. The bottom line is that our ravs don't have the information, education or training to be making determinations if a sex crime had occurred. Just as I would not go to a rav to determine if I needed open heart surgery, I would not go to a rav to determine if a sex crime had occurred.

My suggestion is that our rabbis send a few students to graduate school, let them volunteer at rape crisis centers, let them study law enforcement and then maybe I and many others would feel differently about them making a determination if a child or adult was molested or raped.

Vicki Polin, MA, NCC, LCPC, ATR-BC

Founder, Executive Director -The Awareness Center, Inc.
(the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault)
P.O. Box 65273, Baltimore, MD 21209
www.theawarenesscenter.org
443-857-5560

Gay Pride Parade I - Understanding why gays want to deliberately offend us

This is the first of a series of article concerning the gay parade scheduled for next week (June 26) in Jerusaelm. It is an event which most residents of Jerusalem find highly offensive. This article will present excerpts from Wikipedia regarding the origins and reasons for these world wide events. The purpose is to try and understand why homosexuals feel it so important to act against the universally perceived holiness of Jerusalem as well as offend not only the majority of the residents but also countless millions world wide who view Jerusalem as a sacred place which is desecrated by such activities.
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Gay pride parades are annual parades celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (collectively known as "LGBT") identities. The events also at times serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage. Most gay pride parades take place around June to commemorate the Stonewall riots, a pivotal moment in the gay rights movement.

1970, the one-year anniversary of the riots, the Gay Liberation Front organized a march, coordinated by Connor Weir, from Greenwich Village to Central Park in New York City in commemoration of the Stonewall riots. ^[2] On the same weekend gay activist groups on the West Coast of the United States held a march in Los Angeles and a march and 'Gay-in' in San Francisco.^[3]

The first marches were both serious and fun, and served to inspire the widening activist movement; they were repeated in the following years, and more and more annual marches started up in other cities throughout the world.

A portion of the LGBT and heterosexual populations regard pride parades as vulgar flaunting of sexual orientation, especially those of a more festive character. Critics charge them with an undue emphasis on sex and bizarre behaviour, which they see as detrimental to the cause of LGBT rights. The argument is sometimes taken further, arguing that they expose the "gay community" to ridicule.

Those who take socially conservative political positions are sometimes opposed to such events because they view them to be indecent and contrary to public morality. This belief is partly based on certain things sometimes found in the parades, such as public nudity, S & M paraphernalia, and other highly sexualized features.

Jerusalem

On 30 June 2005, Israel's fourth annual parade took place in Jerusalem. It had originally been prohibited by a municipal ban which was cancelled by the court. Many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem's Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities had arrived to a rare consensus asking the municipal government to cancel the permit of the paraders. During the parade, a young Haredi Jewish man attacked three people with a kitchen knife.

Another parade, this time billed as an international event (see WorldPride), was scheduled to take place in the summer of 2005, but was postponed to 2006 due to the stress on police forces during in the summer of Israel's unilateral disengagement plan. In 2006, it was again postponed due to the Israel-Hezbollah war. It was scheduled to take place in Jerusalem on 10 November 2006, and caused a wave of protests by Haredi Jews around central Israel.^[5] The Israel National Police had filed a petition to cancel the parade due to foreseen strong opposition. Later, an agreement was reached to convert the parade into an assembly inside the Hebrew University stadium in Jerusalem. 21 June 2007, the Jerusalem Open House organization succeeded in staging a parade in central Jerusalem after police allocated thousands of personnel to secure the general area. The rally planned afterwards was cancelled due to an unrelated national fire department strike which prevented proper permits from being issued.

Calling the police for child molesting - if the offender is no longer dangerous?

One of the major objections to Rav Sternbuch’s psak regarding the police is that in some cases he would not require calling the police. There is a basic difference between the halacha and the secular law in this matter. The halacha is based on the existence of likelihood of present or future danger to the child. Therefore if there is no element of danger – the fact that a crime was committed does not always justify calling the police. In contrast the secular approach is that if there was a crime there has to be punishment. It is important to note, however, that there is no uniformity in the secular law. In America, at least, there is no legal requirement for the average citizen to call the police. American law does not require informing on others for various crimes such as tax fraud or suspected child molesting. There is a major exception for professionals. Doctors, nurse, teachers and therapists are required by law to report suspected child abuse. Thus the issue of following the law of the land versus halacha is an issue only for those that the law requires to contact the police. This is a serious issue which requires consulting with one’s own rav. My understanding is that concerning the halacha the issue is harm. If someone will likely harm a child he must be stopped even if it means being put in jail. However if there is no longer a danger to the child, the question becomes that of the likely danger to a child molester in the prison system. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach paskened that surgical castration is permitted so that the molester will not be a danger. Castration (either physical or chemical) is sometimes offered as the condition for a sex offender to be released from jail. Journal of American Academy of Psychiatry Law.

The insensitive condescension of the secular towards the Orthodox community

One of the consequences of my posting Rav Sternbuch’s psak regarding calling the police for child molesters is the manifestation of the significant gap between those who observe halacha and those who accept secular ideas and values as the objective standard of reality. I had noted that one of the reasons for consulting with a rav is the fact that the police and mental health workers are not always sensitive to religious values and not always sensitive to the welfare of the child. There is often a condescending attitude towards the “primitive” or “unenlightened” Orthodox which is the result of cultural bias – not scientific facts.

An example of the concern that religious Jews have about the secular system is clearly manifest in the following letter I received. I am using Vicki Polin’s letter as an example because there is no question that she is sincere and dedicated in helping people. But it is also clear she has no clue about halacha and religious sensibilities. She read my first posting, and assumed that Rav Sternbuch – who she admits she never heard of before – must be ignorant. And she was so sure – without checking the facts – that she writes a strong letter of condemnation to be posted on my blog. She drew the erroneous conclusion that his concern is shielding the molester from the police – when in fact the opposite is true. She concludes with “Most professionals want to do what they can to help and understand the cultural differences. I'm sure that Rabbi Sternbuch knows this and I'm afraid to say I think that he is trying to sell a bag of goods, with his fear tactics of saying the police will not work with or understand the cultural differences.”

A rather condescending comment which those in the religious community find offensive and as justification for their concerns with the insensitivities towards religious values.

Here are four examples of many from my personal experience.

1) I once consulted with a secular psychologist regarding a yeshiva bachur who had problems of low self-esteem. The psychologist responded that the problem was the result of the fact that the 17 year old bachur did not have a girl friend for sexual relations. When I objected that this was unacceptable, he replied that this was the only possible treatment for the problem!

2) I know a frum family which was falsely accused of child abuse. The police department was called in and they arrived in force - insisting on being allowed into the house without warrant – or the parents would be taken to jail. They then demanded that all the children be separated from their parents and interrogated. It was only due to the fact that one of the neighbors was a lawyer that the crude pressure tactics were called off and the lawyer said this is not unusual. Even if the accusations were true, there was no justification for the gross insensitivity displayed. Even if we grant that these mental health professions really want to help – it doesn’t ensure that they act appropriately.

3) One of the social workers who was interrogating the children asked a ten year old girl how many children there were in the family. When she was told that there were nine children, this frum girl was asked how many men her mother had lived with.

4) I once was dealing with a yeshiva bachur who was placed in a mental hospital after attempting suicide. I was asked to give background information to the social worker at the hospital. When I asked her not to lock the door of her office because it was against Jewish law, she asked me with a smirk, whether I was afraid she would attack me.

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Vicki Polin, MA, NCC, LCPC wrote regarding - Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch's Guidelines for Calling the Police

It saddens me a great deal to read this posting. With all the information and education that is available to our rabbonim it appears that they are still refusing to learn from their past mistakes. I'll admit that I have never heard of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch until I received an e-mail with the link to this blog.

My hope by providing the following information will help to prevent one more child from being harmed and that those who are already victims of sex crimes, the will be able to receive the proper help.

It's obvious that Rabbi Sternbuch is lacking basic knowledge about sex offenders and the needs of those who have been sexually violated as children. The most important message that needs to get out is that each of us should consider ourselves mandated reporters. This basically means if you SUSPECT a child is in danger you have to call your local hotline, rape crisis center or police. You don't go to a rabbi to get permission or have them make the call. The key word here is "SUSPECT." We need to leave all the investigating and fact finding/gathering to law enforcement and not our rabbonim.

Most children don't come out and say "I'm being raped at home, school, camp and or in shul." If we suspect a child is being harmed or at risk of harm it's vitally important that we don't ask the child leading questions. It's best to have a highly trained mental health professional and or child protection worker who works with law enforcement to talk to the child to get information.

How many times do I have to remind everyone that our rabbis DO NOT have specialized training in collecting forensic evidence nor do they have the education, training or skills to do a victim sensitive interview. Going to a rav "with concerns" just doesn't work. It's much better for the individual who suspects a child is at risk of harm to call their local child abuse hotlines directly.

The concern Rabbi Sternbuch has regarding child protection workers, rape victim advocates and the police not being "sensitive to the needs and nature of the charedi community" is not true in most cases. Most professionals want to do what they can to help and understand the cultural differences. I'm sure that Rabbi Sternbuch knows this and I'm afraid to say I think that he is trying to sell a bag of goods, with his fear tactics of saying the police will not work with or understand the cultural differences.

Israel's demographic facts defy pessimistic predictions - it is still a Jewish state

Arutz Sheva reported:

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) With Israel's population currently at 7.3 million, and over 75% of them Jews, the demographic trends continue to be pro-Jewish.

Demographer and diplomat Yoram Ettinger notes that pessimistic predictions about Jewish growth in Israel "systematically crash upon the cliffs of reality." His latest target is the "secret memorandum" presented by Israel's first statistician, the late Prof. Roberto Baki, to David Ben-Gurion in 1944.

Baki told Ben-Gurion that Jews could comprise, at best, 16% of the total population in Israel by 2001 - but possibly as low as 8.8%. If Jewish Aliyah [immigration] to Israel was taken into account, Baki predicted, Jews would make up between 21% and 34% of the total population.

In fact, however, at the end of December 2007, Jews comprised 75.6% of the total population, and Arabs were 20%. When taking Judea, Samaria and Gaza into account, the Jews still have a 60% majority.

Baki Ignored Aliyah
Baki, the founder of Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), was the "inspiration for Israel's statistical and demographical institutions," Ettinger writes. However, Ettinger says, Baki simply did not take into account the systematic and massive Jewish Aliyah [immigration] to Israel over the decades.

Only 18,000 Jews made Aliyah in 2007 and 19,000 in 2006, compared with 21,000 in 2005. However, Ettinger writes, "The current drop is simply a natural phase of the cyclical nature of Aliyah. The fall and winter herald the spring. This was the case in the 70's and 90's as well. An unprecedented amount of Jewish/Zionist education in the former Soviet Union and in the United States herald the spring of Aliyah."

On the other hand, he notes, "Arab emigration, mostly young Arabs of child-bearing age, has characterized Judea, Samaria and Gaza since 1950."

Baki also predicted, quite mistakenly, that the Arab birth rate would continue to be very high, stabilizing at 6-7 children per woman. In fact, however, it is now 4 in Judea and Samaria, and closer to 3 inside Israel. The Jewish birthrate, on the other hand, continues to crawl upward, up from 2.6 to 2.8 over the past 20 years.

Jewish Births - Up
The annual number of Jewish births has increased by 40% in the past 12 years, from 80,400 to 112,500, whereas the number of Arab births in Israel has remained stable at 39,000.

Ettinger states that many Israeli demographers, such as those of the CBS, Prof. Professor Sergio Della Pergola of Hebrew University, and Prof. Arnon Sofer of Haifa University, "consistenly ignore the principle of demographic cycles... Their predictions do not take into account the great influence on Arab demographics of emigration, urbanization, expanded education, family planning, fewer teenage pregnancies, later marriage, and divorces."

Ettinger: Jews are Non-Normative
Ettinger accuses them of "basing their predictions on linear extrapolations, which are doomed to failure, especially in the long-term. They also tend to deal with Jewish demographics in normative Western terms - corresponding income and education with child-bearing - when in fact this is generally not relevant to the Jewish nation, which is non-normative."

www.IsraelNationalNews.com

© Copyright IsraelNationalNews.com

Flying the enemy flag in Jerusalem - limits of tolerance for the sake of democracy

One of the issues connected with the gay rights parade concerns the limits of what needs to be tolerated in the name of democracy. The following article concerns this matter.

Arutz Sheva

Inbal Hotel Apologizes for flying PLO flag

by Hillel Fendel

(IsraelNN.com) In response to dozens of letters of complaint, the manager of Jerusalem's Inbal Hotel says he feels he had no choice, but he's sorry for flying the flag of the Palestinian Liberation Organization-Palestinian Authority last month.

The flag was flown for two days at the end of May, when the hotel hosted the International Security Forum, chaired by Public Security Minister Avi Dichter of Kadima. Government representatives from various countries, as well as from the Palestinian Authority, took part, and flags of each participating country - or "political entity," in the case of the PA - waved proudly in the breeze of the hotel.

News of the enemy flag adorning the popular Jerusalem hotel spread quickly after Arutz-7 blogger Yisrael Medad published a letter by Yonatan Adler informing of the Inbal-PLO flag display. Various grassroots organizations quickly took up the gauntlet, and letters by citizens expressing extreme concern began arriving at the Inbal Hotel.

By last week, Inbal's General Manager Rodney Sanders had answered at least a few of them. His first letters expressed regret that the letter-writers were offended, but by the end of last week, at least one writer received a straight-out apology.

Sanders wrote, "I, too, felt uncomfortable when asked, even by the Israeli government, to fly the colors of the Palestinian Authority at the hotel... We were instructed by the Israel Ministry of Public Security and the organizing committee to fly the flags of all those participating in the conference, including that of the Palestinian Authority."

Sanders explained that Minister Dichter "chose the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel to be the venue for the International Security Forum, a conference on 'Challenges to Homeland Security,' of which MK Avi Dicter was the chairman. US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertkoff and a dozen other internal security ministers from Europe and beyond were invited and Minister Dicter also invited the Palestinian Minister of Interior."

"While not meaning to add to anybody's distress," Sanders continued, "I think it important for me to mention that other prominent hotels are often asked by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs to host Israel-Palestinian negotiating sessions. Sometimes this also involves flags."

Apology
"I would like to apologize for placing the flag on the building," Sanders then wrote, adding, "I have now since learnt how sensitive this issue is to the feelings of our nation and our people, but I believe I had no choice but to follow the request of the Ministry."

Response
Susie Dym, spokesperson of the Cities of Israel grassroots organization, commented afterwards, "Our activists feel that the people of the Inbal Hotel must be proud Israelis with a strong backbone. If the manager of the hotel had acted so, Minister Dichter of Kadima would have learned how to straighten the national back, and the peace negotiations would have gained greatly from this. We will not respect a hotel that does not know how to respect itself and its country."

Some activists say the campaign should be pursued by faxing protests to Minister Dichter, at 02 (9722, from outside Israel) 542-8039.

Edah Haredit won't organize protests against gay parade

Jun. 15, 2008
Matthew Wagner , THE JERUSALEM POST

The Edah Haredit, an umbrella rabbinical organization that brings together some of the capital's most zealous haredim, will refrain from organizing demonstrations against the gay pride march slated for June 26.

In previous years the Edah spearheaded efforts to block the annual parade organized by the Jerusalem Open House. These demonstrations often deteriorated into fisticuffs between haredim and police, the burning of garbage bins and the blocking of roads.

However, this year a strategic decision was taken by the rabbis of the Edah Haredit not to call the faithful to the streets.

"We reached the conclusion that it would be better off not getting involved," said Shmuel Poppenheim, an activist of the Edah Haredit.

"We are not telling people not to demonstrate, but we are also not telling anyone to demonstrate, either. There will always be a few weirdos who will demonstrate no matter what. But we will not be responsible for them."

Asked the reason for the change in policy, Poppenheim said that unlike the previous march in June 2007, which drew participants from many countries, this year's parade was local in nature.

"It is not worth it to bring that filth into our houses, to involve yeshiva students in demonstrations against that depravity."

Poppenheim was commenting on the dilemma faces by rabbinical leaders in the haredi community. These leaders believe it is important to do everything in their power to stop the parades from taking place.

Nevertheless, they are concerned that by allowing young yeshiva men to get involved they are exposing their impressionable personalities to "negative" sexual influences.

This year, explained Poppenheim, the rabbis decided that the spiritual dangers of battling the parade outweighed the benefit of stopping the parade, which will not pass through haredi neighborhoods.

Gay couples discover surrogate option - who is the parent?

The issue of homosexuality is not a theoretical issue in Jewish identity - or even a rare incident. It is no longer limited to the question of individuals but now also includes marriage and families with two father or two mothers. The following concerns babies from two women - an egg donor and a birth mother. The sperm donor is one or perhaps both of the homosexual couple. In lesbian couples it could be one is a donor and a the partner is the birth mother - or that their is a 3 woman who is either the egg donor or the birth mother.

These are families who might want to live in our neighborhoods, attend out synagogues and have their children attend our schools. These are families who also might be interested in becoming more observant - how should communities, synagogues, schools and kiruv organizations respond? How does this impact people who want to convert?

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The following appeared on YNET

New alternative for homosexual couples in Israel who desire children – surrogacy in US or India brokered by agencies specializing in single-sex planned parenthood
Liat Rotem-Melamed

Four years ago, after they had been together for six happy years, Dror and Gil Zitat-Mandelbaum decided it was time to expand their family. As a homosexual couple they knew their options in Israel were limited. They could either try their luck with adoption agencies abroad or, if they found it important to have a biological child, contact a woman who would agree to be artificially inseminated by one of them, also abroad.

Each option came with its own specific problems, but they had no alternative. Unlike lesbian couples, who can start a family with a simple sperm donation, male couples are not blessed with the luxury of a womb.

"We tried to adopt for many years and through many agencies," Dror recounted. "We paid a lot of money but it didn't work out. We didn't know we had the option of a surrogate mother." Today Dror and Gil are fathers to a pair of 10-month old twins, given birth to by a surrogate mom.

The surrogate law in Israel, dubbed "the law of accords for the carriage of fetuses", states that in order to be eligible for a surrogate agreement, the parents must be "a man and woman defined as a couple" which, of course, does not include gay couples. The idea of contacting a surrogate abroad is relatively new and applies only to the US, where prices range from 100 to 150 thousand dollars, and India, where the standard price is about $30,000.

Matter of choice

Ran Paul-Dayan, an Israeli living in the US with his partner, Greg, told Gil and Dror about this option. "They were the first couple who came to me with this problem," he said. "I told them about Circle Surrogacy, an American agency that provides surrogacy for gay couples and single people."

"A year ago 85% of the couples seeking the agency's help were local, but today over 40% are Israeli," said Paul-Dayan, who is currently the agency's Israeli contact and advisor. According to him, nine Israeli couples are currently "pregnant", nine others have recently signed on, and 20 more couples are currently being approved.

"The process undergone by a couple interested in surrogacy is very complex," Zitat-Mandelbaum explained. "There are a lot of legal documents, hundreds of checks, a lot of medical issues and a ton of bureaucracy. The process also includes two women – the egg donor and the surrogate. We contacted the agency and they took care of everything.[...]

Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita - Guidelines for calling the Police VII - critical addendum

I talked to Rav Sternbuch this Shabbos regarding the issue of whether a rabbi must always be consulted before calling the police.

In my first posting on the subject I reported that he said:

The rule is summarized simply – if one knows that someone is being physically abused or will be abused than it is required to call the police after consulting a rabbi who agrees he is a future danger as is common in such cases.


In response to the question as to whether a rabbi must be called, he said that the key issue is to ascertain whether the child is in danger or will be in danger. If it is obvious that that is the case - either because of one's direct knowledge or a responsible person has informed you of that fact - the police should be called.

Talking to others who have discussed the issue with him, they noted that Rav Sternbuch's focus is on the issue of harm to the child. When they told him about other poskim who have focused on "is the particular act truly sexual contact, or has the perpetrator promised to stop, or if the perpetrator agrees to be supervised" he got furious and said these approaches are nonsense. He is fully aware that therapy is not very successful and that the perpetrator is likely to repeat the crime.

Bottom line: If a child is in danger of being molested - the police need to be called. If there is any uncertainty - either regarding the facts or the seriousness of the incident - an experienced rabbi or professional should be consulted. However if it is clear that children are in danger of being molested - a rabbi does not have to be consulted. Rav Sternbuch concluded, "Let the molester rot in jail."

Rev. Hagee apologizes to Jews for 'God sent Hitler' comments

_{By Haaretz Service}

A prominent American televangelist and outspoken supporter of Israel publicly apologized Friday for remarking that the Holocaust was the work of divine providence, and that "God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land."

"In a sermon in 1999, I grappled with the vexing question of why a loving God would allow the evil of the Holocaust to occur," John Hagee, the Texas-based preacher wrote in a letter to Anti-Defamation League director Abe Foxman. "I know how sensitive the issue of the Holocaust is and should be to the Jewish community and I regret if my Jewish friends felt any pain as a result."

Last month, audio of Hagee's remarks surfaced on the internet, prompting Republican presidential hopeful John McCain to disavow the pastor's prior endorsement of his candidacy.

Foxman issued a statement welcoming the pastor's apology. "Pastor Hagee has devoted his life to combating anti-Semitism and supporting the State of Israel," Foxman said. "We are grateful for his efforts to eradicate anti-Semitism and to rally so many in the Christian community to stand with Israel."

Labor Party MK Colette Avital, a former consul general in Israel's mission in New York, penned an op-ed piece for Haaretz earlier this month in which she called on the Israeli government to follow McCain's example and disassociate itself from Hagee.

"As someone familiar with the evangelicals' views and beliefs on the second coming of Jesus, there is nothing surprising to me about his statements," Avital wrote. "It only causes me to sigh in relief because the truth is coming out."

Ombudsman recommends firing rabbinic judge in Druckman saga

Jun. 12, 2008
Matthew Wagner , THE JERUSALEM POST

In another salvo in the ongoing battle surrounding state-sponsored conversions, Tova Strasberg-Cohen, a former Supreme Court judge and ombudsman of the judiciary, called on the Committee for the Appointment of Rabbinical Judges to consider removing Rabbi Avraham Sherman from his post as judge on the High Rabbinical Court for badmouthing the head of the National Conversion Authority Rabbi Haim Druckman.

Strasberg-Cohen's letter was addressed to Druckman and was a response to a complaint filed by Druckman against Sherman.

"In light of the serious faults in Rabbi Sherman's conduct, I find it appropriate to recommend that the Committee for the Appointment of Rabbinical Judges consider firing Sherman," the letter said.

"Sherman's behavior is not in accordance with the legal system's ethical standards nor is it in line with that system's fundamental principles.

"It seems to me that Rabbi Sherman's perception of the essence of his role and obligations is flawed. My impression is that Sherman has not internalized the problematic nature of his conduct and the way he ran the case against Druckman."

Strasberg-Cohen's letter comes after Sherman issued a 50-page document - half halachic decision, half diatribe - against Druckman and the Conversion Authority.

The document, in which Sherman discredits Druckman as a rabbinical judge, was copied and distributed during a conference for rabbinical judges several months ago.

Druckman was never given a chance to respond to the charges leveled against him, which included forgery, purposely transgressing Halacha and placing a stumbling block before the wider public.

The upshot of Sherman's document was that the validity of all the conversions performed by Druckman and other religious Zionist judges was questioned.

Doubt was cast on the Jewishness of literally thousands of converts and Druckman's good name was besmirched.

Strasberg-Cohen's letter includes a response from Sherman.

According to Strasberg-Cohen, Sherman said that the ombudsman did not have the power to judge the case since it involved halachic issues that "involved the very soul of the Jewish people".

Sherman also said that his accusations against Druckman were based on classified documents that belonged to the rabbinical courts and could not be shared with others.

In an official response released by the Rabbinical Courts in the name of Sherman, it was stated that the high rabbinical court judge had conducted himself in accordance with the Halacha, the law and ethical standards.

"Rabbi Sherman is sorry for the pain caused as a result of the publishing of the halachic opinion," read the press release.

"However, rabbinical judges are obligated to abide by the laws of the Torah as written and expounded upon by the great rabbis of each generation.

"According to Torah law it is forbidden for a judge to be partial out of deference to social standing or rank, especially in a ruling that deals with maintaining the purity of the Jewish people."

[...]

Religious Zionists & Rav Druckman - Divided on unity

JPost June 12, 2008

Matthew Wagner , THE JERUSALEM POST

The specter of early elections has thrown the splintered, embattled religious-Zionist camp into a mad rush to somehow consolidate its ranks and present a unified front.

The obsession with forever illusory unity was palpable this week at a conference that brought together hundreds of religious-Zionist leaders and educators.

Big names in religious Zionism, such as Rabbi Haim Druckman - the assailed outgoing head of the Conversion Authority - and Rabbi Ya'acov Shapira, head of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva, called to "unify the ranks."

"Consolidating our political strength is absolutely essential right now," said Shapira. "It is our biggest challenge. It is the commandment of the hour."

Druckman, meanwhile, declared that religious Zionists have had "such a profound impact on the shaping of Israeli society that we deserve to make an impact politically as well."

"What would this country look like without religious Zionism?" he asked. "It would be a spiritual wasteland."

Druckman received a standing ovation from the crowd of several hundred who were crammed into the hot Givat Washington Educational Center's basketball stadium for the afternoon festivities that celebrated "60 years of religious Zionism in the Jewish state."

His popularity among religious Zionists has skyrocketed in recent months, following a bitter clash with the haredi rabbinical establishment over conversions. Druckman was lambasted by the haredim for allowing his Zionist, nationalistic ideological leanings to taint his conversion policies. Haredi rabbis accused him of purposely adopting flagrant leniencies that sharply deviated from normative Jewish law.

These leniencies were designed to make it easier for gentiles who came here under the Law of Return, including those who were not sincere about adhering to an Orthodox lifestyle, to be allowed to marry Israelis born to a Jewish mother - the halachic definition of Jewishness. Druckman, said the haredim, mistakenly believed that compromising Halacha was justified in the name of Zionistic goals, such as fostering a more cohesive Israeli society and preventing intermarriage.

The attack, which emphasized the deep ideological divide between religious Zionism and the haredi community, is also symptomatic of religious Zionism's decreasing influence within the Chief Rabbinate. Neither Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger, who was placed in office by the haredi rabbinic establishment, nor Chief Sephardi Rabbi Shlomo Amar, who is strongly deferential to the haredi community, has come out openly in defense of a more lenient conversion policy.

The Chief Rabbinate was originally conceived and created by the founding father of religious Zionism, Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hakohen Kook, to provide rabbinical leadership for the challenges facing a modern Jewish nation. However, it has gradually been taken over by more haredi elements who do not view the creation of a Jewish state as a revolutionary change in Jewish reality that necessitates innovative halachic approaches.

Power within the Chief Rabbinate is directly related to political clout, since the religious affairs minister has broad powers in choosing the members of the body that elects the chief rabbis. Municipal politics also has a major influence on the appointment of mayors, city rabbis and heads of religious councils who are members of the election body.

The fall in religious-Zionist influence within the rabbinate has been coupled by a parallel rise in haredi power, particularly that of Shas, which cooperates with Ashkenazi haredim against the religious Zionists. Some examples of rising haredi influence within the rabbinate include the recent appointment of 19 rabbinical court judges, the vast majority of whom were connected either to Shas or United Torah Judaism; the decision by the Chief Rabbinate, later overruled by the High Court, to support a stringent version of shmita that boycotted Jewish-grown produce; and the recent conversion controversy, in which a panel of haredi High Rabbinical Court judges cast doubt on the validity of thousands of conversions performed by Druckman.

RELIGIOUS ZIONISTS have long lamented their inability to realize their full political potential. Although about 15 percent of the Jewish public attends national-religious schools, only about half of them voted for the two religious-Zionist parties in the Knesset - the National Religious Party and the National Union - which joined forces under a unified list in the last election, gaining just nine seats, less than 8% of the Knesset.

Voters who identify with religious Zionism's aims nevertheless choose to scatter their votes among various parties such as Kadima, Likud, Israel Beiteinu and Shas.

Yaki Sa'ada, director-general of Givat Washington and one of the organizers of the conference, said that part of reason for religious Zionism's failure politically is its emphasis on full integration into Israeli society. "We educate our children to take an active part in all aspects of Israeli society, from army service to business to academic pursuits," he said. "Why should we be surprised if religious Zionists end up developing independent and diverse political opinions?"

In parallel, unlike Shas, the religious-Zionist camp has failed to attract those who do not define themselves as Orthodox, but who are religious traditionalists.

The deterioration of religious Zionism's political clout has resulted in major setbacks in several areas. Perhaps the hardest hit has been education. Institutions from grade school through pre-military academies have seen their budgets cut. Religious Zionists barely avoided a deep cut in the budget for National Service, which is an option provided for female high school graduates who do not serve in the IDF for religious reasons.

But the prospects for unity do not look good. Although they might agree on the need for solidarity, religious Zionists are split on how to achieve it. No fewer than three new initiatives, all aimed at bringing together the diverse groups within religious Zionism, have been launched in recent months. Each disagrees with the others over the best unity-building strategy. All three seem to think the old NRP cannot represent all the streams within religious Zionism. [...]

Influence of non-Jewish maids and teachers on our children

Jersey Girl wrote "New Argentine Orthodox Jewish leader denies favori...":

[...]

A website for Christians looking for opportunities to evangelize Jews recommends South American Jews as prime targets for conversion to Christianity because:

"In South America, Jewish executives have been extremely successful. However, the more successful the Jewish executive in South America becomes, the greater tendency he may have to be assimilated into the Christian European society."

Perhaps this is true due to the tendency for wealthier people to hire servants to work in their homes. Chazal admonished us to be careful about the laws of Bishul Akum because transgressing these leads to intermarriage.

Shulchan Aruch 165 says that we should not let our children be taught by non-Jewish teachers to prevent our children being affected & influenced by them, and from being steered away from Torah ch"v.

Some try to justify the practice of hiring Christian teachers in yeshivas by quoting the Rama that Christians are not Idolators for this halacha, (it has been said that the Rama was forced to say this because he lived in a Christian society and did not want to upset the balance there).

How much more so are children influenced when their primary caregivers (maids) from birth are Christians?

I was sitting in a pizza shop in Boro Park a few years back and heard a three year old boy with peyos to his chest singing a perfect rendition of "Jesus es la Luz del Mundo" from John 8:1-30).

I went over to the little boy who was sitting with his mother and older siblings and conversed with him in Spanish. The mother was surprised that he spoke so animatedly with me because she said that at home he barely speaks(in Yiddish).

I asked her if she knew the song he was singing and she answered that "it was a lullaby the maid sings to him". I explained to her what he was singing.

I have repeated similar incidents many times over the years. When I meet frum children who I know have been cared for by maids, I converse with them in Spanish (in front of and with the permission of their parents). More often than not, when the young child is spoken to in Spanish, he will repeat parts of the Catechism etc.

I used to expect that frum parents would be horrified by this, but I have learned over the years that most families feel their children are immune to these influences in their homes because the children receive a yeshiva education.

In the face of rising numbers of frum kids going OTD, perhaps it is time to rethink the issue of Christian maids in our homes and the hiring of Christian secular studies teachers in yeshivas.

Naomi Ragen - A Modest Proposal [for the conversion crisis]

What follows are comments which I assume were sent by Naomi Ragen. I personally view them as a gross misunderstanding of the issue - but I do acknowledge that there are many who agree with her views. In the interest of civil dialogue with a sincere person who has a significant impact on society I am publishing her comments - even though I personally find them offensive. Improvement in the present situation does require greater mutual understanding than exists at present. Please note that since this is a moderated forum, I will reject all comments which I feel do not promote dialogue.

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

A Modest Proposal

By Naomi Ragen

What began as a routine divorce between a Danish-born convert and her Israeli husband now threatens to tear apart the country, opening deep wounds and revealing the ugly face of the haredi judges who rule Israel's Rabbinical Court system.

This all began during an uncontested divorce in Ashdod. Rabbi Avraham Attia, a member of the Ashdod Rabbinical Court, asked the woman a question or two about her religious observance (which was none of his business, by the way). Apparently, he didn't like her answer, or maybe he didn't like the way she was dressed. In any case, on February 22, 2007- ignoring the reason she had come to court in the first place- he ruled that her conversion was invalid! Since she was not Jewish, she was not really married to her husband and therefore did not need a divorce.

By overturning this woman's conversion, which had taken place in the special conversion court set up in 1995 to help convert many Russian soldiers and other immigrants who wanted to be Jewish, but found the Rabbinical Courts unwelcoming, Attia, and his haredi counterparts, were calling into question the validity of thousands of conversions that have taken place there, and insulting its head, Rabbi Haim Druckman, the spiritual leader of religious Zionism in Israel.

On April 22, 2007, the couple appealed the lower court decision to the Higher Rabbinical Court, arguing that the Ashdod court had exceeded its authority and violated religious law, disqualifying Druckman's court without giving him a chance to defend himself.

The Higher Court ignored these issues. Instead, it chose to deal only with the question of whether the woman was observant. Granting the divorce, the court also ruled that the Jewishness of the woman and her children was in doubt and needed to be re-examined, and that in the meantime the family should be added to the list of people who are forbidden to marry. Outrageously, they ruled that all Druckman's conversion decisions since 1999 should be canceled, and that marriage registrars not register a convert who does not look observant from his or her external appearance.

This unbelievable decision was not only a slap in the face to religious Zionism, but openly violated the severe Torah prohibition of oppressing the convert and causing them pain, i.e. Shemot 23:9 - "Do not oppress a convert; you know the feelings of a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

Ruth (not her real name) is on my mailing list. She is a convert. This decision has broken her heart. She writes: "At what point will my children and I no longer have to worry that someone will unilaterally and arbitrarily remove the cloak of Torah and Jewish identity out of our self-definition? How many years - 30, 50, 100 - never?

Does this mean that if I ever speak a drop of lashon hara, or some of my hair peeks out from under my tichel, or my elbows become uncovered, or I wear my sandals without socks - that I must reckon with someone's claims that this is sufficient evidence to disclaim my Jewish soul? If the Rabbis today reject numerous sincere converts and needlessly oppress them, causing them untold pain, is this not a much more terrible sin than a convert who may not keep all her hair covered? We do not care to be involved in internal conflicts and back biting. We call upon all G-d fearing Jews to speak with one voice in our defense. We ask all Jews to not become embroiled and ensnared in this evil which will split the Jewish nation if not reined in now. We ask that you stand up for us and call our leaders to account."

Susan Weiss, an attorney for the Center for Justice for Women, who represents the Danish convert, has taken this case to Israel's Supreme Court. Her petition is aimed at Avraham Attia, Dayanim Avraham Sherman, Hagai Eiserer and Avraham Scheinfeld of the Higher Rabbinical Court. According to Weiss, the case highlights many of the faults of the rabbinical courts. "They have no concept of due process or fairness, and they display no sensitivity to those who come before them," she told Dan Izenburg of the Jerusalem Post.

I have a modest proposal. Since all the dayanim involved here have openly violated an oft stated Torah prohibition against"oppressing the convert," and have spoken slanderously against a fellow Rabbi (another strict prohibition), they can hardly be called G-d fearing or religious. In light of their behavior, I think we should retroactively take away their rabbinical ordination, and nullify all the decisions in which they've been involved. They should certainly be thrown out of their posts as judges.

Naomi

Acid attack on 14year old girl in Beitar Illit - not done by Modesty Patrol

IHC Follow-up

Subsequent to the report concerning the 14 year old girl from the town of Beitar Illit in Israel who had acid thrown on her, the IHC checked out the story with the Beitar Illit authorities to clarify the facts. A 14-year-old girl was in fact burned by acid being thrown on her. However the police have not named a suspect. According to Moshe Friedman, Media Advisor for Beitar Illit, this was apparently a teenage brawl or attack, where youngsters took the law into their own hands. The ‘modesty patrol’ does not do things this way; the Rabbis would never condone such actions. There are fringe groups in every city and Beitar Illit is no exception. The municipality attempts to work with these youngsters in various settings and 90% of them are actively participating in various programs. The municipality assists them in a professional capacity, both culturally, socially and educationally. The city is not ‘partially religious and partially secular’ as reported, but mostly religious, with quite a few ‘newly returned-to-Judaism’ families whose children are not ‘there’ yet and hence the trouble makers. 75% of these children are dealt with in specific frameworks. Approximately 100 boys and girls do not participate in these specialized settings.

---

Source: Israel Hasbara Committee, www.infoisrael.net.

Published 11 June 2008.

Permission is granted to use this material on condition the Israel
Hasbara Committee is properly credited and that it is not for commercial
purposes.

Religious Zionist MK warns conference RZ has become cult

Kadima MK warns Religious Zionism has become 'cult' [YNET]

Otniel Schneller speaks at Religious Zionism conference on education, economy society, says sector has lost its way and is demonstrating cult-like characteristics. 'Religious Zionism cannot stay closed up within itself, it will suffocate,' he says

by Kobi Nahshoni

"Religious Zionism has lost its true substance and has become a cult," said MK Otniel Schneller (Kadima) Wednesday at the Religious Zionism conference on education, the economy and society.

Dozens of rabbis, educators and public figures took part in the conference, which marked 60 years of Religious Zionism. The conference held various panels on subjects such as the breakdown of the educational system, the conversions crisis, the growing use of internet services among the religious sector, military prep-schools and the challenges the religious sector may face in view of the coming elections.

Speaking at one of the conference's panels, Schneller, a religions Jew, slammed the religious and political leadership of the national-religious public, saying "I grow up in an environment which perceived the rabbi as the 'whole'. The leaders of Religious Zionism have taken this whole and pulled it apart, supporting only one of its parts.

"The fight for the Land of Israel is important, but hailing it as the sole theme makes Religious Zionism a cult. I know many of you will resent this definition, but this wasn't the way taught by the Religious Zionism I grew up on."

Schneller went on to criticize the Religious Zionism rabbis' involvement in politics, saying that every decision religious politicians want to make must be clear by the rabbis first. "We've become nothing but a small group of kippah wearers," he said.

The lawmaker went on to say he does not like to use the term "Religious Zionism" as the title of his public sector, seeing how "it is a leaden term which constricts instead of expands."

[...]

New Argentine Orthodox Jewish leader denies favoring the Orthodox

<sub>Haaretz called the following

By The Associated Press [YNET also has article]</sub>

The first Orthodox man elected to head Argentina's largest Jewish organization took office Thursday amid an angry debate over religious and cultural identity.

Guillermo Borger tried to dispel fears that he would favor Orthodox Jews and their beliefs during his three-year tenure as president of the 22,000-member Argentine Israeli Mutual Association, known as AMIA.

"AMIA is, and will be, the representative of all Jews, without exclusion and with a spirit of dialogue," Borger said in a speech Thursday night.

Borger is the group's first Orthodox president in its 114-year history. On Saturday, Buenos Aires' leading newspaper Clarin ignited a controversy when it quoted Borger as saying that "genuine Jews are those who lead a life based on everything that is dictated in the Torah, our sacred book."

"It's a paradox that people call themselves Jews if they don't practice the religion," Borger added, according to the newspaper.

Borger, a 59-year-old businessman, denied having made the remarks in a
communique he sent to the nation's Jewish community.

"Clarin stands by its story. What we published is what he said," Clarin editor-in-chief Julio Blank told The Associated Press.

Argentina's 250,000-person Jewish community was divided Thursday between
Borger's backers and those who worry his alleged comments will divide the
AMIA.

"We respect Orthodox Jews' way of life and we want them to respect us too," said Agustin Ulanovsky, a 22-year-old law student who joined about 200 people protesting Borger's statements Thursday at his inauguration.

"We are all Jews!" they shouted, booing at the mention of Borger's name and drowning out remarks during the opening ceremony, which was televised on a large screen to accommodate an overflow crowd.[,,,]

A majority of Argentine Jews follow Conservative and Reform streams of the faith. [...]

Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita - Guidelines for calling the Police VI - the stigma of being molested

While the focus of my previous postings on this subject have been the legitimacy of calling the police - there is in fact a bigger problem. It is not the concealment and denial of the rabbis and community. It is rather the concealment and denial of the parents of the abused children.

People have greater fear of the stigma of their children being labeled as molested - then of the molesting itself.

Someone just told me of the case of a well respected member of the community who has molested more then 10 of his neighbors kids. The police were called in - but not a single family is willing to press charges! They don't want their kids being labeled as abused because it will be a problem for shidduchim - not only for the molested kids - but the rest of his/her family.

The local rabbis have dealt with the situation by assigning him a mashgiach or supervisor. According to a psychologist I consulted it is not unusual for families of molested kids to refuse to press charges. Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz provided a link to ABC news Nightline article which noted that in a case in which Jewish and non-Jewish kids had been abused - not a single Jewish parent had pressed charges but only the non-Jewish ones.

Would you want your son to marry a girl who had been molested or raped? Would you want your daughter to marry a young man who was continually abused from the time he was 8 years old? If the answer is no - then the molested child will be hurt again and again.

Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita - Guidelines for calling the Police V - Similar views

Rav Hershel Schacter's views on calling the police seem to be the same as those of Rav Moshe Sternbuch.
==============

Even if one is guilty of a crime and deserves a punishment according to the laws of the land, but due to anti-semitic attitudes he will probably suffer more than if he were a non-Jew; or, the (state) prison conditions are such that he will suffer at the hands of the other inmates (or at the hands of the guards) in a manner that is not proscribed by law, then turning the offender in would constitute mesirah, since his added suffering will be shelo kadin. However, mesirah is permitted in situations where one is a public menace (see Shach to Choshen Mishpat 388, 59), or if one is physically or psychologically harming another individual (for example, in instances of sexual abuse of children, students, campers etc., or spousal abuse) (see Shach to Choshen Mishpat ibid, 45).

The Jewish community does not have the ability to investigate these types of cases. Wherever there are raglayim ladavar that there seems to be a problem, the proper government agencies should be contacted to investigate.

Just as in other areas of halachah, one should consult a competent moreh horaah when faced with such a shayla. Just because one is knowledgeable in Yoreh Deah vol. I or one delivers a good pilpul shiur on sugyos in Nashim or Nezikin, it does not necessarily follow that that individual will be qualified to pasken on hilchos mesirah – lehakel or lehachmir.

Rabbi Yosef Blau wrote:

Virtually all poskim agree that if there is danger to future victims then there is no halakhic issue of mesira, but practically the taboo of mesira remains. Victims are discouraged from coming forward on other grounds as well; it will potential hurt shiddukhim , not only for the victim for members of his family as well. Compassion is expressed for the reputations of members of the abuser's family as well. The probability that family members may have suffered abuse themselves and continue to suffer from being in ongoing contact with the abuser, is not understood.

Taking the accusation to a Beis Din, unfortunately, is rarely effective. Few rabbis have any training in recognizing abuse and rabbinical courts have no investigative arm. Some abusers are charismatic leaders and have followers who will say whatever they ask them to say. Perjury to a Beis Din is not punished and in many cases the witness, in support of his mentor, has no difficulty with distorting what occurred. The cultic element in the guru's leadership is hard for us acknowledge. A rabbi promoting Judaism is seen as incapable of being a cult leader.

Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz wrote:

I cannot understand why members of our community are not willing to report the criminals who are selling drugs to our kids directly to the police. This is, in my opinion, a misplaced application of the concept of mesirah. Ten years ago, I asked our leading gedolim if I should pass along information to the police regarding drug pushers. I got a unanimous psak that drug dealers have the full status of a rodef (one who poses life-threatening danger to others), and that I have not only the right, but also the obligation to do everything in my power to have them arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In my opinion, there is no substantive difference between a drug pusher and a child molester. Let the system work and let’s finally start protecting our children before there are any more shattered lives and suicides.

I think it is a terribly sad statement that an individual who sold non-kosher food in my hometown of Monsey ran for his life the moment the story broke and was not seen since, while a fiend who molested both Jewish and non-Jewish children in Boro Park is living comfortably in Jerusalem while evading extradition. I am most certainly not promoting or condoning vigilante violence. But it would be a positive step forward when accused child molesters in our community need to ask for police protection for fear of being harmed by righteously indignant people.

Incredibly, in that case, only the non-Jewish parents pressed charges. Here is text from a Nightline article on the subject: “The only victims that cooperated with the investigation were Italian. They were neighborhood boys who trusted the rabbi because he bought them gifts like bicycles. Not a single Orthodox Jewish boy or their parents would talk to the police. The statements of four Italian boys, aged 11 through 16, were the basis for the indictment against Avrohom Mondrowitz. He was facing eight counts of sexual abuse in the first degree, endangering the welfare of a child, and five counts of sodomy in the first degree.”

I ask, “Are Jewish children less sacred and worthy of protection than are non-Jewish children?”

Rabbi Michael J. Broyde has an excellent discussion of the issue of mesira in JLaw. In his summary he states

1. A Jew regularly assaults people. May one inform on him to the police? This case is straightforward. All agree that such a person must be informed upon, either because informing is permitted generally or because a violent person should be informed upon.¹⁰¹ [ Shach, Choshen Mishpat 388:20, and Pitchai Choshen Volume 5, Chapter 4, section 6. ] Thus, it is clear, that one must report allegations of child abuse (sexual or physical) when one is aware of it, (even if this means that the child might be places in a Gentile foster home).¹⁰²

[102. Abraham Sofer Abraham, Nishmat Avraham Volume 4, pages 307-11, quotes responsa from Rabbis Auerbach, Elyashiv and Waldenberg in agreement on this point, that one must report cases of child abuse. No alternative view is quoted in this enclyopedic work. Rabbi Abraham writes:

A child or infant who is brought to a hospital with symptoms of being a battered child... it is prohibited, after an investigation to return him to his home as they will continue to beat him until he might die. Because of the real danger, it is obligatory for the doctor to inform the courts, and with an order from the court, place the child with a foster parent or agency. There is no problem of informing since we are dealing with danger to life and the parents are the pursuers. This is permitted even if they will place the child, due to no choice, with a family or agency that is secular. It is incumbent upon the Jewish court to do everything in its power to insure that the child is placed with an observant family or agency. Particularly in the diaspora it is important that the Jewish court work to insure that the child not be placed with a Gentile family or agency. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach agreed with all of the above.

Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv recounted to me that it is permitted for the doctor to inform the authorities even if it is possible that the child will be placed with a family or agency that is not Jewish ....

Rabbi Waldenberg wrote "if there is a real risk that the parents will continue to hit the child .... it is obligatory for the doctor to report the matter to the police..." Sexual abuse (of either boys and girls) is no different than physical abuse. [Rabbis Waldenberg, Elyashiv and Auerbach agree that reporting is mandatory also.] Rabbi Elyashiv writes "there is no difference between boys and girl since one is dealing with a seriously life wounding event (pegiah nafshit) and a danger to the public ... this is much more serious than theft and one certainly must report this matter to the school administration and if nothing is done, even to the police even in the diaspora."]

EJF holds meeting to affirm that gerim must accept mitzvos

A publicity release from Lubicom published by Yeshiva World News states that EJF is in favor of gerim accepting mitzvos.

(Wittten by Lubicom)

Jerusalem…An impressive group of Gedolei Yisroel, rabbonim and dayanim reaffirmed the importance of ascertaining the sincerity of potential converts in accepting the “ohl hamitzvos,” at a special meeting organized by the Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) on May 29th. The meeting followed the highly publicized debate in Eretz Yisroel over the assertion that many conversions were lenient about the concept of “kabolas ohl mitzvos” at the time of conversion.

The meeting was opened by Harav Leib Tropper, Rosh Yeshiva, Kol/Yaakov, who serves as the head of Vaad Harabonim of EJF. He noted that the timing was rife for a gathering of yirei hashem on the subject, “which could only lead to positive results.” Harav Shmuel Eliezer Stern, representing the Bais Din of Harav Vosner and Rosh Yeshiva of Chasam Sofer, read a massage from Harav Sholom Yosef Eliyashiv, who warned that “we must be on guard with all our strength to prevent the incursion of foreign concepts (in giyur) into bais yisroel.”

[...]

Harav Tropper suggested closer scrutiny at time of giyur to determine the sincerity of the potential converts in keeping Torah and mitzvos. He also reiterated the position of Gedolei Yisroel that conversions can only be performed in established batei din and not batei din that are set up for the purpose of doing giyur and whose conversion must be redone. The meeting resolved to embark on an intensive educational campaign amongst local religious councils to emphasize their responsibility in preserving the sanctity of the Jewish nation.

Amongst the participants were Harav Yitzchok Scheiner, Rosh Yeshiva of Kaminetz and a member of the Moetzes Gedolei Hatorah; Harav Shmuel Deutsch, a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva Kol Torah; Harav Eliyahu Heishirik, Dayan of the Bet Din of Tel Aviv; Harav Mordechai Shlomo Steinmetz, Rav of Chasidei Viznitz, Jerusalem; Harav Moshe Havlin, Rav of Kiryat Gat; Harav Yosef ben Porat, Rosh Yeshiva Ashrei Ha’ish; Harav Nochum Eisenstein, Chairman of the International Committee on giyur affiliated with the beth din of Harav Eliyashiv; Harav Mordechai Kalmanowitz, Director of the Wedding Registry, Ashdod; and Harav Zvi Weinman, a toen.

Rav Moshe Sternbuch, shlita - Guidelines for calling the Police IV

Despite having written three postings about this subject, I still hear repeated assertions that 1) perpetrators of sexual crimes are invariably going to repeat their crimes 2) rabbis have no competence in evaluating whether the facts indicate that a person is a possible present and future threat. 3) there is no need to involve rabbis since any intelligent adult knows when to call the police.

1) The fact is that the secular law assumes that sexual criminals are not likely to repeat their crimes - if they are properly supervised. The statistics bear this out. Otherwise all sex crimes would be punished by life imprisonment. It is true that the drive to commit the crime is very difficult to irradicate - but that doesn't mean that all or even most sexual criminals will be repeat offenders. Obviously a pedophile should not be allowed a job in teaching children. However Rav Sternbuch has readily acknowledged that therapy and treatment is not very successful in changing the person so that he won't repeat his crime if given the opportunity.

2) Regarding predicting behavior of criminals - either as to whether a particular criminal will or will not commit another crime - even the professionals have trouble .

3) However Rav Sternbuch is not saying that the rabbi is asked to do a complete forensic investigation. His job is simply listening to the facts and concluding that there is a reasonable concern that the suspect is a threat to others. Rav Sternbuch also emphasized the importance of a solid working relations with the police. So that if a person is arrested - the community has some constructive influence on how the investigation is carried out. The rabbi also serves as a shield for the person who files the complaint. Because of the concern that the person will be perceived by others as an informant - there might be a hesitancy to file a complaint. The fact that the respected rabbi tells him to call the police increases the likelihood that the complaint will be filed and minimizes the chance he will be criticized by others for doing so. The rabbi can also serve to work together with the police to minimize the negative consequences to others.

I find the criticism of Rav Sternbuch's view to be astounding. His view - which I believe is that of the majority view of the major poskim - represents a significant and enlightened change from not only the recent past - but also what still goes on in many communities. Instead of welcoming his views - I hear complaints about why rabbis have to be involved since they know nothing about the matter. We are talking about a matter which is shredding our communities, our schools, our families and our children. Calling 911 is not a complete cure for the wounds that have been created and that will be created by investigation and punishment. The alternative view that the public perception is the only concern that matters - and not the individual - still exists. I remember attending a meeting of rabbis concerning a child molester - in which the agenda was simply - how do we get him to move out of the neighborhood. When I asked Rav Sternbuch about the matter - he said simply "call the police." Thus we are not dealing with a grand jury investigation but simply whether the facts indicate that someone is a threat to others.

Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita - Guidelines for calling the Police III

Chaim Yankel asked..

"He replied that the rabbis in those days were not aware of the serious impact these attacks have on children.'

Why was it SO poshut to many balei battim 15 yrs ago, what is now poshut to the Rabbonim?

The issue of what is poshut is not so poshut. The history of psychology is replete with twists and turns and what is todays gold standard can be viewed as malpractice tomorrow. There was a time when it was considered obvious that abused and neglected children should be placed in foster families or orphanages. Now many consider it better keep the child at home and provide intensive in home supervision. At one time it was considered a sign of insanity for a wife or child to be disrespectful of their husband or father. People were sent to mental hospitals for years because of this offense. There was a time that schizophrenia was believed caused by dysfunctional mothers. There was a time when people had chunks of their brain removed because of problems of anger. There was a time when it was considered obvious that families - no matter how dysfunctional - were told to stay together for the sake of the children. At one time it was obvious that those who suffered trauma needed to talk it out. Now it is known that many times such counseling actually makes the problem worse. There is a time when children who have trouble sitting quietly through hours of boring classes are given potent psychiatric medicines to make them more obedient.

Only in the world of Blogs is the obvious course of action for every major question - poshut. As you will note below - even a world reknown psychiatrist such as Rabbi Dr. Twerksi admits the complexity of these issues and that even he is not competent to decide every issue. Only the bor and am haaretz who is high on righteous indignation - "knows" the answer to everything and "knows" that the rabbis, teachers, parents [the establishment] are evil and stupid. For those people who are part of the real world and want to make constructive criticism - there is one important rule to keep in mind. While most important and necessary change comes from the bottom up and not from the top down, most of the time there is no need to destroy an institution or community to get change. Ranting and raving and slandering with shotgun attacks sometimes produces needed change - however such an approach often impedes change. Not every problem requires an atom bomb.

So to answer the above question. What was poshut to many baalei batim 15 years ago was not poshut to many other baalei batim. What is obvious today to many psychologists and educators was not obvious 15 years ago. Even in the so called scientific field of medicine - 15 years has seen major changes in what is poshut. Even today there is not unanimity as to what is the appropriate course of action on many critical issues. Why don't we try to work together instead playing the game of "gotcha" - of striving primarily to discover and publicize how stupid and evil others are.

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THE SHAME BORNE IN SILENCE:

Spouse Abuse in the Jewish Community Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.

[page 3]

There will be those who will say that such subjects should not be aired publicly, and that to do so is a chilul Hashem, a disgrace to wife batterers. I understand that position” but if I must choose between being reprimanded by those who believe that this problem wife batterers. I understand that position, but if I must choose between being reprimanded by those who believe that this problem should be concealed or by a wife who has suffered (along with her children) from an abusive husband, and could not receive help because no one believed her, I know where I must make my choice. Battered wives have often turned to their parents or to their spiritual leaders for help. Very often they have been told to avoid disrupting the family unit, to preserve shalom bayis (peace in the home), and that things will work out. Parents and rabbis are good and considerate people. They mean well, but they may have no way of knowing that their advice is wrong and could be deadly. In our daily confession (oshamnu), we list a number of sins to which a human being may succumb because of anger, greed, lust, and various temptations that may override a person’s better judgment. We also confess to yoatznu ra, “we have given bad advice.” Why on earth would anyone do that? What gain or pleasure could possibly result from misleading someone else? Surely we are not suspect of being sadistic and deriving pleasure from malicious behavior. No, we are not in any way suspect of being perverse. Yoatznu ra, means that we have mistakenly and unintentionally given bad advice, which we thought to be good advice and beneficial to those who sought our counsel. It is much like someone telling a friend, “Try this medication. It did wonders for me,” without knowing that the other person has a condition for which this medication may be very harmful. Unless we understand the problems of spouse abuse, we may unwittingly give bad advice to our children, our friends, our clients, and our parishioners….

[page 130]

I am not going to elaborate on the all-important subject of the various types of child abuse, because I am not a child psychiatrist or psychologist, and I do not have adequate direct clinical experience to speak intelligently and authoritatively about the subject. I can only try to alert people to the fact that these problems do occur in the Jewish home, and as with wife abuse, there is no immunity. Child abuse and molestation may occur in homes where we would least expect it. I urge child clinicians to provide first hand, comprehensive data on this vital subject, and for everyone in the community to give their utmost attention to this problem and to do whatever it takes to uproot it. Concealing the problem only serves to perpetuate it, and as distasteful as it may be, the community must confront the problem even at the risk of exposure. The issue of mandatory reporting must be looked at carefully and clarified. There is often reluctance by neighbors, relatives, and teachers to report child abuse. Should one report suspected child abuse or only when one knows for certain? Children do fall and injure themselves, and if an overzealous teacher reports the case of a child who was injured in a fall as one of child abuse, will the family be unfairly harassed? What should be done when one is not certain? How can one investigate in order to discover the truth? It is clear that everything must be done to protect the child from abuse, but by the same token, false reporting may cause harm to the child and the entire family. This and other issues require a great deal of enlightenment, and there is a need for extensive education and training for parents, educators, counselors, and rabbis. The area of child abuse is a subject for a whole book, and I touched on it only because of the strong correlation between spouse abuse and child abuse.