KA Time to follow the masses regarding Chaim Walder

 I will try to put this carefully, but rationally-

The position of either the defenders of Walder, or the “I
don’t knows” are becoming less and less
tenable, and for a number of reasons. And objections that you keep bringing are
not convincing anyone but yourself.

That the Sephardi BD is not competent – that is nonsense,
and nobody is buying such a line. Rav Eliyahu is a Talmid Chacham, and he knows halacha very
well. To point where someone who is Brisk and totally rejects Zionism, was praising
him.

Your view of Rav Eliyahu is generous and irrelevant. It is simply bizarre that he should be the go to person for a bnei brak case not involving Sephardim. Bnei Brak would use Rav Silman or Rav Rosenberg. Rav Silman has been specifically involved with abuse cases for many years

That they did not follow correct procedure – the halacha is
out in the open, even Rav Silman writes that with such cases, we no longer
follow strict Torah requirements for witnesses, can rely even on recordings, photographs, intermediaries
etc.

If you bothered reading the Shoel imeishiv - procedure is modified to stop abuse not to decide guilt!

Rav Eliyahu was very quick to announce guilt WHERE ARE THE LETTERS FROM Bnei Brak regarding guilt? 

That we don’t know the dikduk of the letter from Rav
Sternbuch – there is already sufficient information in the ether – explicit statements
have been made of a history of bad name of Walder, that he was chashud of not keeping all
issurim in the Torah including the gimmel chamurot.

Rav Sternbuch is not shy about expressing his views but you say rely on the ether.
nope that is not the way serious people act.

That there was a Daas Torah statement from Ponovezh Rosh

Yeshiva - the first statement had more
holes than swiss cheese, and was retracted for a more measured statement. The 2nd and authoritative statement
emphasised more the damage to the nifgaim, and the need to go to
authorities.

neither statement said he was guilty as charged. Something you view as insignificant

That the suicide was either murder from the loshon hara, or
from extreme stress and hence not culpable.
One Rav said suicide is never
excusable. And you cannot send a message out that suicide is Ok under stress.
Perhaps everything is permissible, perhaps homosexuality, perhaps chillul
shabbes, etc perhaps even annulling gittin.

Wow so you found one rav - so what that is not the accepted view today

That those who speak out and rise up against the Rebbetzin

were chilonim, This is grasping at
straws – there are many alumni of the Seminary where she teaches, who follow her.
Do you think chilonim are interested or even know about her? This is much bigger than you realize – it is
bigger than Watergate. Unitl now there
has not been an uprising against Rabbonim, against rebbetzen. And that is by frum people. Maybe the haskalah,
there were reformists, but this is about frum people, rejecting their leaders en masse. 

Here we go again follow the mob. 

You are again fantasizing about a mass rebellion of the masses against their teachers -a common theme amongst secular observers

The Rabbis are afraid of this – they don’t
realise the depth of the revulsion, or protecting abusers. Parents are sick of
this – they want an end to such whitewashing.
That is why the statements that have come out, have then been retracted
and a more palatable version given.

That Rav Tau and Rav Aviner wanted to bury this – they are
both peripheral figures in RZ world

Nope neither are minor figures and both acknowledged the possibility of guilt

. Rav Tau broke away from Mercaz haRav, I’m

not sure how widely he is accepted – Mercaz HaRav is still mainstream RZ and
has many satellite yeshivas, and hesder yeshivas. Aviner was more prominent 30 years ago, but
again is marginalised. In any case,
there are individuals who are in denial about many things, about covid, vaccines
etc. The majority of the DL and also 99%
of the sephardi world all back Rav
Eliyahu.

Again follow the mob!

That we can continue as we always have done – this is no
longer an option. Today, information is spread in seconds to everyone’s
computer. Even with restrictions, there
are many frum blogs, and the biggest topic is sexual abuse. What is at risk is a fracture in chareidi
society , where people will just walk out, and no longer accept Daas Torah of
their gedolim. In fact, the process has already started.

I don’t know if this claim has been made on this particular
blog, but the claim has been made by individual commentors as well as Roshei
yeshiva, that the process of dayanim involved is corrupted, and they have
arrived at false conclusions. This was
actually what Walder himself claimed in his suicide note. He invited 2 Dayanim to see him in the great
BD in the sky! This is pure evil – it is
alleging that even the greatest dayanim across the board, and orthodox spectrum
are corrupt, and that the “tikkun” is by way of the bullet. This is
lawlessness, chaos, and madness combined.

It is also sheker of the most fundamental nature. I have never been taken to a BD , although I was
once falsely accused in a business
matter – I was confident that I could present my case if I was invited. If a
man of so many words, so articulate, with great lawyers, and more learning than
the kids and women accusing him, claimed his innocence, could he not prove it
in a BD?

Wow! What a profound fantasy I can imagine being able to fly- so what?

And finally, the scale is simply tipping away from the denialist

Again follow the mob! 

You simply can't believe there are still skeptics - no one is a denier

position. Every day, there is a new Rav, a new Rosh Yeshiva, a new posek coming
out against Walder. They chareidim,
MO, American, Israeli, Brisk,
Lubavitch, RZ etc. The pro-Walder cult
is drying out, they find themselves in
the same position as Walder himself – they have no case, no argument, and they are also following his lead in
committing moral suicide.

Again follow the mob!

The doctor who sees you now may have Covid

 https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/10/doctors-covid-staff-shortage-526842

Hospitals and long-term care facilities are so short staffed that many are compelling Covid-positive doctors and nurses to return to work, arguing that bringing back asymptomatic or even symptomatic staff is the only way they can keep their doors open amid a spike in hospitalizations.

The practice, allowed by the most recent federal guidance, underscores the dire situation in which many facilities find themselves as more than 120,000 people nationwide are now hospitalized with the virus — almost three times the total from Thanksgiving when Omicron was first detected.

Fox News Host Brian Kilmeade Tells Donald Trump: 'Learn To Lose'

 https://www.newsweek.com/brian-kilmeade-learn-lose-donald-trump-fox-1667391

Kilmeade said that Trump has still not proven his claims more than 14 months since the last election took place.

"If you did, in fact, get screwed out of this election, put together an A-team list of lawyers, not the ones we witnessed, show us the districts and show us how," Kilmeade said.

Suicide in Judaism

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4372311/jewish/Suicide-in-Judaism.htm 

Rabbi Yechiel Epstein, one of the renowned halachic experts (poskim) of the 19th century, elaborates on this definition of suicide in his classic work Aruch HaShulchan. Rabbi Epstein writes that essentially only one who kills himself while being of clear and sound mind, free from internal or external coercion, is considered to have committed suicide. If, however, it’s possible that there is another factor at play, such as extremes of fear, pain, distress or mental illness, then it’s almost as though this person were “coerced” into suicide, and it’s not considered a suicide of clear and sound mind. This does not mean that misery is a valid excuse for suicide, only that, post facto, we do not treat the deceased as a suicide.

What arises from the writings of Rabbi Epstein and others is that essentially we latch onto any rationale we can to avoid considering it a deliberate suicide in the halachic sense. In other words, it is not considered a true halachic suicide as far as mourning and burial are concerned unless there is no other theoretical alternative.

Rav Sternbuch's Opaque letter

 

This letter is apparently a continuation of the war against secular influences and makes no reference to the allegations of abuse or that the author committed suicide. It simply says his books are a bad influence apparently because he supposedly didn't get a proper yeshiva education. He says that rabbis have already prohibited them - but there is no mention of which rabbis I assume he is referring to the Eidah's ban. [see letter below which appeared in the summer.] 

Israel rolls out fourth jab for over 60s as cases reach 10,000 a day

 https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israel-rolls-out-fourth-jab-for-over-60s-as-cases-reach-10-000-a-day-4kj8Pd2WWxrRuEI80JiUiC

Israel has become the first country in the world to widely distribute a fourth dose of the vaccine as it grapples with a surge in cases caused by the Omicron variant. It was also one of the first countries to officially recommend a third dose, a policy that has been adopted by countries all over the world this winter in response to the new, highly transmissible variant.

Child Abuse-Rav Aaron Feldman

 

Fake news from Tucker Carlson

COVID-19: Israel records 32,000 infected, green pass in malls canceled

 https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/coronavirus/article-692057

Israel registered around 32,000 new cases on Sunday, internal Health Ministry data showed on Monday, with over 21,500 virus carriers identified among those who underwent a PCR test and another 10,000 among individuals who took an antigen test.

Heart inflammation risk rises dramatically for young with booster shots

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/320052

A rare side-effect of the mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines may be more common than previously believed, according to a new study conducted in Oregon, with additional research suggesting the risk for the side-effect increases dramatically among males under 40 with each additional dose of the vaccine.

The first study, conducted by doctors in Portland from the Kaiser Permanente healthcare provider network, examined incidents of two kinds of heart inflammation - myocarditis and pericarditis -from the Kaiser Permanente database.

Both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccines have been linked in a number of cases to heart inflammation, particularly in younger male recipients of the vaccine.

Ted Cruz Mocked by CNN Hosts for 'Groveling' to Tucker Carlson

 https://www.newsweek.com/ted-cruz-mocked-cnn-hosts-tucker-carlson-fox-anderson-cooper-brianna-keilar-1667197

The network's anchors took aim at the Texas Republican after he appeared on the Fox News host's show to backtrack on remarks, which he has made several times before, following criticism from Carlson.

Cruz has referred to January 6 as a terrorist incident at least 17 times on social media, statements or public hearings over the past year, according to CNN, but never apologized for them—until Carlson took issue.

Health Ministry: Significant increase in serious cases

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/320109

The Ministry of Health announced Sunday morning that 17,521 new COVID diagnoses were made in the last day - out of about 151,000 tests. The percentage of positives was 11.71%.

Over 115,000 Israelis are considered "active," and 523 of them are hospitalized.

The number of people considered seriously sick has increased significantly and stands at 208, with the condition of 68 of them defined as critical. 16 patients are connected to ECMO machines and 48 to respirators.

For comparison, yesterday there were 172 were considered in serious condition and last weekend, 103 were.

Antigen tests miss nearly half of COVID-19 cases

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/320084

New data published Saturday night on Hadashot Sof Hashavua showed that rapid tests miss approximately half of COVID-19 diagnoses.

The Defense Ministry's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure took all of the antigen tests conducted this week by the various testing companies, and discovered that just 1.8% of those who underwent official antigen tests received a positive result - a rate far below that of the PCR tests.

The rate of those testing negative on antigen tests despite testing positive on PCR tests was 47%. At the same time, the percentage of those testing positive on antigen tests but negative on PCR tests was 37%

Rabbi Tau: ‘We Have Become Involved In Mob Justice Towards Any Person Accused Of Intimate Crimes’

 https://vinnews.com/2022/01/05/rabbi-tau-we-have-become-involved-in-mob-justice-towards-any-person-accused-of-intimate-crimes/

 In a long letter published after his meeting with Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi Tzvi Tau, head of the Har Hamor yeshiva and the most prominent student of Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, presented his opinion about the Walder affair.

CDC: Children who had COVID-19 at increased risk for diabetes

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/320075

A new research by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that children who contracted COVID-19 and recovered are at significantly increased risk of developing diabetes than children who did not contract COVID-19.

The research, published Friday, also showed that children who recovered from COVID-19 were at significantly increased risk of diabetes even when compared to children who had recovered from another respiratory virus.

"SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with worsening of diabetes symptoms, and persons with diabetes are at increased risk for severe COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 infection might also induce newly diagnosed diabetes," CDC said in its release.

Sexual Abuse in the Orthodox Jewish Community

 https://www.academia.edu/11345186/Sexual_Abuse_in_the_Orthodox_Jewish_Community

Critique of an academic paper about the frequency of sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community, and discussion of the defensiveness and reluctance to address this issue in this particular ethnic-religious group.

Psychotherapy Treatment with Patients of Opposite Sex, Halakhic Considerations

https://www.academia.edu/11018700/Klafter_Nachum_Andrew_Psychotherapy_Treatment_with_Patients_of_Opposite_Sex_Halakhic_Considerations

In this paper, I defend the halakhic position that it is entirely appropriate for professional psychotherapists to provide psychotherapy treatment to clients of the opposite gender. In Israel, an ultra-Orthodox psychiatrist attempted to promulgate a fringe ruling which opined that such a practice is forbidden the the halakha.

The Jewish Legal Obligation to Report Sexual Abuse

 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ibxr=0#inbox/FMfcgzGmtNbQPjvsDFPKRJvPPgwbTrQZ

Two rabbinic organizations in North America promulgated contrasting opinions about reporting suspected sexual abuse. This paper analyzes those opinions.

Holocaust and death of more than 2 million Jews in Egypt during plague of darkness

 אמת ליעקב שמות פרק י פסוק כב

פירש"י וז"ל: ולמה הביא עליהם חשך שהיו בישראל באותו הדור רשעים ולא היו רוצים לצאת ומתו בשלשת ימי אפלה וכו'. הנה אף שבאמת כל בני הדור ההוא לא היו נחשבים כצדיקים, שהרי מצינו שטענו מלאכי השרת הללו עובדי עבודה זרה והללו עבודה זרה, הרי שהמלאכים לא היו יכולים לראות שום הבדל בין ישראל למצרים, וא"כ מדוע מתו דוקא רשעים אלו ולא כל הרשעים. ונראה משום שאלו היו רוצים לעכב בידיהם של האחרים מלצאת, דהם סברו שמכיון שקבלה בידם שישתעבדו ד' מאות שנה א"כ עדיין לא הגיע זמן הקץ, ופחדו שאם יצאו קודם הזמן אז יארע להם כמו שיארע לבני אפרים שיצאו קודם הזמן, ולא האמינו לדברי משה והזקנים שחישב ה' את הקץ בזכות האבות, ולכן המיתן הקדוש ברוך הוא. אבל הכלל כולו, אף שבעיני המלאכים היו בגדר עובדי עבודה זרה, אבל רק הקדוש ברוך הוא יש לו את הראייה למרחוק להבין שאומה זו שעכשיו הם עובדי עבודה זרה יהיו בעוד שבעה שבועות מוכנים לעמוד בהר סיני ולומר "נעשה ונשמע", ופנימיות כזו גם המלאכים אין מרגישים בה, עד שהוצרך הקדוש ברוך הוא להוכיח את זה למדת הדין על ידי מה שהראה להם ארונו של יוסף [בראשית רבה פרשה פ"ז אות ח'], והיינו שהוכיח להם שאומה זו תוך תוכם ממקור אחר נחצב, וביארתי זה היטב להלן בדברינו ריש פרשת בשלח [י"ג פי"ט], עיין שם.

ונצייר נא לעצמנו מה היתה הרגשתם של בני ישראל במשך ימי מכת חושך, שהרי רואים הם שישראל לוקין יותר מן המצרים, שבמשך ג' ימים מתו יותר מב' מליונים גברים לבד מטף וזקנים ונשים, והלא לא ידעו טעם מכה זו, ובודאי שהיו ישראל תמהין ואומרין מה זה עשה ד' לנו. וזוהי נחמתנו במצב זה2 שאנו מתרעמין כביכול על הנהגת השי"ת בנוגע לכלל ישראל, אבל לפ"ז משמע שאנו קרובין לגאולה..

Rabbinic coverup of sexual abuse

After Tropper  resigned I met the famous Jewish columnist who had served as Tropper's PR man and asked what had happened? He replied "Everyone knew he was a menuval."

Years ago when I was writing my books on abuse I asked the head of one of the largest organizations dealing with Jewish education permission to publish his protocols for preventing abuse he hesitated

saying " Then people might say there is a problem. That attitude still exists.

There have  been a number of abuser (e.g. Mondrowitz) who escaped prosecution in America with Rabbinic assistance

A well known godol advised against going to the police regarding a pedophile because it would be harmful for the welfare of the yeshiva Rav Sternbuch rejected this conclusion and said "you don't sacrifice people for institutions that is an American idea"

Rabbi Reisman objected to my publicizing a convicted pedophile

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2016/06/rav-yisroel-reismans-psak-it-is-redifus.html

Rabbi Cohen was the opposing view who felt strongly in favor of publicizing.

A prominent Rosh yeshiva just claimed that it has been known for many years that a certain prominent figure was doing terrible things for years without anyone going to police or making meaningful efforts to stop him.              

Sometimes it goes the  other way

A beis din in Chicago decided after their investigation that a certain person had raped many of his students. A second beis din questioned all involved and concluded that no rape had occurred but there were rumors that some had believed and repeated them as facts which were accepted at face value . But the conclusion of the first beis  din was widely believed and accepted even after the 2nd beis din disagreed. One of the "victims" even claimed being raped by this man when she was attending a funeral!

Nachalot was believed by various rabbis to be the source of a pedophile ring. One even told his students that it would be appropriate to beat someone he mistakenly suspected

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2012/11/nachalot-abuse-case-of-hysteria-moral.html

http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2013/05/nachlaot-abuse-scandal-rav-moshe.html

A woman in Lakewood went to the rabbis there and claimed her husband sexually abused their child and she wanted a divorce, They believed her and pressured the husband to divorce her. 10-years later she admitted that she only made the claim because her lawyer said to do it

An orphan was persuaded by a group of prominent rabbis to marry a pedophile because they were sure marriage would cure his pedophillia. She found out about his problem when he was arrested for sexual abuse, The rabbis graciously offered to pay for half of the divorce expenses

Bottom line: Rabbis are not experts on child abuse or investigating it and determining whether it happened by alleged victims

REBBETZIN TZIPORAH HELLER

 https://www.facebook.com/hellersite/posts/344125784380328

When the story broke, I chose to say little. I wasn’t there and neither was the supercilious writer for Haaretz, one of Israel’s left-leaning dailies. I had heard his name before. His career is built on exposés and he spares no effort time or (probably other people’s) money on digging up anything he could about the observant community that he abandoned. Often times people who leave the path of Torah remain scrupulous about some mitzvos. I don’t know him personally, but I know that one mitzvah that he treats lightly is telling the truth. As time went on, it turned out that some of Israel’s most respected authorities, world class dayanim associated with the most respected courts were conducting interview after interview . Their conclusions were hair-raising and undisputed. One thing must not be forgotten. I am not sure what the sentence would have been if he were tried in a court of law, and sentenced, but I am sure that we don’t have a punishment called Death By Shaming.

Unique Charedi issues with child abuse - Jerusalem Conference on Abuse 2011

When I started seriously researching the issue of abuse several years ago, I was informed that contrary to common belief - child abuse is a problem for the chareidi world just as it for the rest of the world. Unfortunately it is still a common misconception. I still get comments that abuse is rare in the chareidi world and so it is claimed that  all this talk about this disgusting topic is just giving the wrong impression that there is a serious problem and it is polluting the purity of the environment

Even among the enlightened ones there is a strong feeling that the seriousness of the problem should be publicly minimized. In fact one of my friends cautioned me - "even though it is true that abuse is the same as the rest of the world but it is a chillul haShem to say such a thing. You can bring about needed change by mentioning there is a problem - why publicize that we are as bad as the goyim in this area."

Last week there was a conference on child abuse in Jerusalem. Dr. Bunzel - a prominent frum psychiatrist from Bnei Brak and one who has a close working relationship with Rav Silman made a number of important observations.

1) the rate of abuse in the Chareidi society is actually higher than in the outside population  There are some chareidi abusers who have abused hundreds of kids.

2) Many of the chareidi abusers don't understand the problem with what they are doing. They say, "But I didn't know that this behavior is assur. It is something I don't want others to know that I am doing  but the Torah doesn't prohibit it" The problem is that many don't have words for sexual activity and don't really understand what the Torah prohibits. Even when they do, they think that if there is no genital intercourse with the child above 3 for a girl and above 9 for a boy - the physical contact which gets them aroused is not prohibited. They ask ," Where does it say in the Torah that you can't touch or look or take pictures or show pictures or movies to kids. where does it say that oral sex is prohibited? The goyim prohibit these things but that is not what the Torah says and we are only concerned with the Torah!" Perhaps worst of all they have no awareness that what they are doing to the child is destroying the victim.

3) Bnei Brak is a paradise for perverts because it has a naive population of children who don't understand that the unpleasant acts that someone is doing to them is sexual abuse and even if they realize it no one is going to call the police - especially not their parents. That is because that would be a violation of  the horrible sin of mesira which they views as more serious than the abuse itself. Typically their rabbi will tell them he will take care of the problem  - but don't go to the police.

4) Chemical castration is often the only thing that changes the molester and even that is not 100% successful.

Study: Coronavirus spreads quickly throughout body, can linger in organs for months

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/study-finds-covid-spreads-quickly-throughout-body-can-linger-in-organs-for-months/

New research has found that not only can the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 spread throughout the body to a range of organs outside the respiratory system, but it can also remain there for months after the initial infection.

The US National Institutes of Health study found that the virus can “disseminate early during infection and infect cells throughout the entire body.”

Organs in danger of infection include the brain, ocular tissue, muscles, skin, peripheral nerves as well as tissue in the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, reproductive, endocrine and lymphoid systems.

First Flurona Case Reported in LA As Omicron Variant Drives COVID Case Surge

 https://www.newsweek.com/flurona-los-angeles-la-county-first-omicron-variant-covid-case-surge-california-1666200

A Los Angeles County COVID-19 testing site has detected its first case of flurona, a coinfection of influenza and COVID-19, as Omicron drives a surge in COVID-19 infections across the United States.

Doctors have been concerned about the possibility of a "twindemic" of these two respiratory viruses since two young pregnant women in Israel tested positive for both.

Though the first official case of the coinfection was reported in Israel in late December, reports of people suffering from flu and coronavirus in the United States date back as far as 2020, according to the Times of Israel.

False allegation of child sexual abuse

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_allegation_of_child_sexual_abuse

Denial of child sexual abuse by the accused, or by others, is common and its reality is not easily accepted (though such a denial should never be interpreted as evidence of guilt).^[19][20] Reporting rates may also be substantially below actual rates of abuse as many victims do not disclose their abuse,^[21][22] which may result in an overrepresentation of false allegations due to the inaccurate estimation of actual cases of abuse.^[23] Of the millions of reports of child sexual abuse each year to state protective agencies in the US (including both substantiated and unsubstantiated reports), there is no formal determination as to what portion of those represent false allegations.

Findings of multiple studies performed between 1987 and 1995 suggested that the rate of false allegations ranged from a low of 6% to a high of 35% of reported child sexual abuse cases.^[8] Experts have argued that the reason for the wide range of differences in the rates resulted from different criteria used in various studies. In particular, a lower rate was found in studies that considered false allegations to be based on intentional lying, whereas the higher rates were reported in studies that also added unintentional false allegations resulting from suggestive questioning.^[8] A 1992 meta-analysis suggests that false allegations represent between two and ten percent of all allegations.^[6]

False reports are more common in custody disputes.^[24][25][26] Children appear to rarely make up false allegations of their own accord^[25][26][27] but will make false allegations if coercively questioned by individuals who believe abuse has occurred but refuse to accept children's statements that they were not abused (as was common practice during the satanic ritual abuse moral panic).^[7] False allegations can also arise as a consequence of false memories, sometimes implanted by questionable therapeutic practices.^[28]

Revealed: Jerusalem Foundation renting office to missionaries

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/319977

The organization "Jews for J," one of the main preaching arms of the "Messianic Jews" cult, recently opened an office in the heart of Jerusalem, aimed at convincing Jews in the capital to convert out of their religion.

Information on the office reached Yad L'Achim by way of classified documents from the cult, together with intensive field work on the part of Yad L'Achim's counter-missionary department. This information led to the precise location of the office, whose address was not publicized even in internal missionary publications.

In material obtained by Yad L'Achim, Yoel Ben David, one of the leading missionaries in the country who was chosen to head the office, is seen declaring that throughout all his years in Tel Aviv, one thing bothered him: "When will we get to Jerusalem? When will we bring the Christian gospel here… We all wanted to reach Jerusalem. And throughout my seventeen-and-a-half years of service in the organization, this is something we talked about a lot."

Cycle of child sexual abuse: links between being a victim and becoming a perpetrator

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11731348/

Results: Among 747 males the risk of being a perpetrator was positively correlated with reported sexual abuse victim experiences. The overall rate of having been a victim was 35% for perpetrators and 11% for non-perpetrators. Of the 96 females, 43% had been victims but only one was a perpetrator. A high percentage of male subjects abused in childhood by a female relative became perpetrators. Having been a victim was a strong predictor of becoming a perpetrator, as was an index of parental loss in childhood.

Conclusions: The data support the notion of a victim-to-victimiser cycle in a minority of male perpetrators but not among the female victims studied. Sexual abuse by a female in childhood may be a risk factor for a cycle of abuse in males.

Do victims of sexual abuse turn into abusers?

 https://lifestyle.livemint.com/news/talking-point/do-all-victims-of-sexual-abuse-turn-into-abusers-111601554413281.html

It is a widespread belief that people who were sexually abused in childhood often participate in abusive relationships as adults— either as victimizers of children and adults, or as victims. Some people call this a dangerous myth, which can be used to explain or excuse the behaviour of those who sexually abuse children. It is offensive and unhelpful to demonize adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, the vast majority of who will never perpetrate sexual violence against others. There is, however, some empirical evidence for belief in this ‘cycle’, and the results of the few studies that explore this issue support this hypothesis. In an incisive study called ‘Cycle of Child Sexual Abuse: Links Between Being a Victim and Becoming a Perpetrator’, the authors found that, among 747 men studied, “the risk of being a perpetrator was positively correlated with reported sexual abuse victim experiences. The overall rate of having been a victim was 35 per cent for perpetrators and 11 per cent for non-perpetrators. A high percentage of male subjects abused in childhood by a female relative became perpetrators. Having been a victim was a strong predictor of becoming a perpetrator…” Other studies on sexually abused boys have shown that around one in five continue in later life to molest children themselves.

The Myth of the Abused Becoming Abusers

 https://defendinnocence.org/child-sexual-abuse-risk-reduction/sexual-development-at-all-ages/concerning-behavior/myth-abused-becoming-abusers/

This is relatively harmless compared to some myths—like the one that most perpetrators of child sexual abuse were once abused themselves. Or, in other words, that if someone is sexually abused as a child they are more likely to become an abuser when they grow up.

Of course, there are sexual abusers who were abused as children, but it isn’t as frequent or common as most people, even therapists, believe. In her book Predators, Anna C. Salter talks about how most men convicted of child sexual abuse will simply say that they were abused as children because it affords them more sympathy. In reality, fewer than 10% of them actually were.

Adults physically abused as children not more likely to physically abuse their children

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/newsroom/releases/042115-podcast-child-abuse

 Barrett Whitener: Contrary to conventional wisdom, adults who were physically abused as children were no more likely to abuse their own children than were other adults their age. That’s the conclusion of researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health. Their study, which was published in the journal Science, relied on public records to identify children who had been physically abused back in the 1960s and ‘70s. In one of the longest-running studies of its kind, the researchers followed up several times, not only with the original abused children, now in their late 40s and early 50s, but also with their children. The adult children of the originally physically-abused parents were no more likely to have been physically abused than others their age. However, the children of the abused parents were more likely to have been neglected and to have been sexually abused.

Chief Rabbi’s secret mission for mother in twins custody battle

 https://www.thejc.com/news/news/chief-rabbi's-secret-mission-for-mother-in-twins-custody-battle-2ldgLDbeBCSiLqYuHhOZIE

The Chief Rabbi secretly flew to Austria in an unprecedented mercy mission help a British mother at the centre of a decade-long custody battle, the JC can reveal.

Moved by the plight of Cambridge graduate Beth Alexander, 37, who has seen her 12-year-old twin sons just once in person in the past five years, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis led an unpublicised delegation to Vienna to directly appeal to her former husband and local Jewish leaders.

Desperate to try to effect change on her behalf, the Chief Rabbi vowed that if what it took was him getting on a plane and going in person, he would do so.

Her message to her sons is this: “Mama loves you so, so much, I’ll never stop fighting for you. I’m waiting to bring you home.”

Meretz minister: 'Settlers in Homesh are subhuman'

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/319980

Deputy Economy Minister Yair Golan (Meretz) on Thursday morning said that the "settlers" in the Jewish town of Homesh are "subhuman."

In an interview with the Knesset Channel, Golan claimed, "People who come and settle a place which was evacuated under the law, and where no one should be, and when I was commander of the Judea and Samaria Brigade I did not allow anyone to settle there. Now they cry their cries, 'Oy vey, how can this be conceivable? This is shameful and an embarrassment.' Those same people who come to settle there riot in Kafr Burqa, smash headstones, and make pogroms."

"These are not people - they are subhuman. These are despicable people and the most rotten part of the Jewish nation. We must not provide them with any backing, and we must forcefully remove them from this place and bring back law and order to the area. This nationalist insanity will bring disaster upon us."

In a tweet, Golan wrote, "In my words, I referred to those who destroy graves, attack innocent people, destroy property which is not theirs. How should we be treating these people? How should we be referring to these people? It's time to speak the truth: This is not our Judaism."

Migdal Emunah

https://migdalemunah.org.uk

4. Migdal Emunah is made up of professionals. Most of our clients have had no previסus support or counselling for their trauma. Our inquiries are from victims' family members or their friends, professionals and lay leaders with concerns or difficulties in handling disclosures. It is our experience that there is great need fסr services to bסth groups.

Our relationship with religious organisations and settings

13. Migdal Emunah provides services exclusively for those from the Jewish community. A significant percentage of our clients self identify as 'chareidi' or 'ex-chareidi'. The majסrity are affiliated with the Orthodox Jewish community (of which the chareidi community is a subsection) and its various religious institutions. A significant number of our clients have been sexually abused during religious sleep away camps, at boarding schools, סח synagogue premises, and in rabbis' homes. The majority of our clients will have reported their abuse to their Rabbi and/or Beth Din (religious court). 

40. ln the minority, Rabbi Shraga Feivel Zimmerman, currently Rabbi of Gateshead community and shortly to assume a new positiסn as head of the Federation Beth Din, has advised that a 'rodef' (lit 'pursuer', i.e., someone who presents a current risk) - and there will be different opinions as to who fits that description - must be reported to the police without delay, but he has stopped short of issuing a formal ruling saying this. 

Rabbinical court rules divorced dad can vaccinate kids despite mom’s objection

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/rabbinical-court-rules-divorced-dad-can-vaccinate-kids-despite-moms-objection/

A rabbinical court has ruled that a divorced father may vaccinate his young twins against the coronavirus despite the objections of their mother, it was reported on Wednesday.

“It was clear to me that I wanted to vaccinate the children — for health and also so they don’t infect those around them,” 6, a father of six-year-old twins, told Channel 13 news.

Guy, whose identity was obscured, also said that it was hard for children so young to wear masks all the time, indicating that without vaccination they could be more likely to catch the coronavirus or pass it on.

Israel Reports First Case of ‘Flurona’

 https://hamodia.com/2021/12/30/israel-reports-first-case-of-flurona/

Israel has documented its first case of the so-called “flurona” — a simultaneous coronavirus and influenza virus infection, Yediot reported on Thursday.

The double infection was first identified in a woman this week at Rabin Medical Center (Ichilov) in Petach Tikva. According to the hospital, the new mother, who is not vaccinated against either pathogen, is feeling well and is expected to be discharged from the hospital later Thursday.

The Health Ministry is still examining the case, which was relatively mild, and has yet to determine whether a combination of the two viruses causes more severe illness.

Health officials estimate many other patients have also come down with both bugs but have not been diagnosed.

Outrage as Israel’s Political Elite Test Positive for COVID After Lavish New Year’s Eve Rave

 https://www.thedailybeast.com/outrage-as-israels-political-elite-test-positive-for-covid-19-after-lavish-new-years-eve-rave

The most visible official whose flouting of the rules was disclosed by Instagram—in this case the account of his own husband, pop star Harel Skaat—is Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll.

Roll, 37, a former model and a centrist liberal, and one of the most prominent gay public figures in the country, and Litzman, 73, a stern ultra-orthodox Jew and uncompromising champion of right-wing causes, have little in common but for the fact of finding themselves in hot water after flouting COVID-19 guidelines.

Roll and Skaat have both been found positive for corona after the New Year’s Eve bash in a Caesarea club, in which Roll was filmed languidly dancing as Skaat crooned at the crowd from onstage—with nary a face mask in sight.

Ghislaine Maxwell to seek new trial after juror's sexual abuse claim -lawyer

 https://www.reuters.com/world/us/ghislaine-maxwells-prosecutors-seek-inquiry-into-jurors-sexual-abuse-claim-2022-01-05/

Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted last week of aiding Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuses, deserves a new trial, her lawyer said on Wednesday after a juror told media including Reuters that he had been a victim of sexual abuse.

Nathan's decision on whether a new trial is warranted could hinge on how the juror responded to questions during jury selection about his experiences with sexual abuse, which legal experts said was a key question that defense lawyers were looking at to weed out potentially biased jurors.

The juror, who asked to be identified by his first and middle names, Scotty David, told Reuters on Tuesday evening that during deliberations, after some jurors expressed skepticism about the accounts of two of Maxwell's accusers, he shared his experience of having been sexually abused as a child.

"When I shared that, they were able to sort of come around on, they were able to come around on the memory aspect of the sexual abuse," Scotty David, a 35-year-old Manhattan resident, said, referring to other jurors.

Tucker Carlson: Democrats fixation on Jan. 6 reveals their midterm strategy

 https://www.foxnews.com/media/tucker-carlson-democrats-january-6

Let’s be honest, everyone who’s conservative appreciates Ted Cruz. You may not like him, but you’ve got to appreciate him. He’s legitimately smart, and he’s one of the more articulate people to serve in Congress, maybe the most articulate. He doesn’t use a single word by accident. Every word Ted Cruz uses is used intentionally, he’s a lawyer.

He described Jan. 6 as a violent terrorist attack. Of all the things Jan. 6 was, it was definitely not a violent terrorist attack. It wasn’t an insurrection. Was it a riot? Sure. It wasn’t a violent terrorist attack. Sorry. So why are you telling us it was, Ted Cruz? And why are none of your Republican friends who are supposed to be representing us and all of the people who were arrested during this purge saying anything?

What the hell is going on here? You’re making us think the Republican Party is as useless as we suspected it was. That can’t be true. Reassure us, please, Ted Cruz. 

Tucker: Maybe the Republican party is as worthless as we suspected it was

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/319973

Tucker Carlson slams Ted Cruz for repeating leftist talking points about January 6.

For the Jan. 6 Rioters, Justice Is Still Coming

 https://time.com/6133257/january-6-investigation-capitol-riot-fbi/

What the American justice system has found to be a riot, GOP lawmakers, conservative media and right-wing activists cast as a legitimate protest that just got out of hand. By and large, they recall the day as an exuberant, even lighthearted, exercise in self–expression: the smiling grandmothers in red Trump hats posing for photos in the chaos; the Texas man drinking- a beer who bragged, “I don’t always storm the -Capitol of the United States of America, but when I do, I prefer Coors Light.”

Rodef

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodef

The allowance to kill the rodef does not apply, however, in a case where lesser means would prevent the innocent's murder.[2] Furthermore, according to the Rambam, killing a rodef who may have been stopped by lesser means constitutes murder, though the punishment for a murderer in this case is not dealt out by beit din.[3]

Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Timeline: From Trump's First Tweet, Speech to Biden's Certification

 https://www.newsweek.com/jan-6-capitol-riot-timeline-trumps-first-tweet-speech-bidens-certification-1665436

Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the Capitol riot, in which a mob of supporters of Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building following a rally in which the then-president baselessly alleged fraud in the 2020 election. The attack resulted in five deaths and charges against more than 700 people, and it prompted Trump's historic second impeachment and the largest prosecutorial undertaking in America's history.

Police should not disclose details about investigation of cases, accused or victim to media till completion of probe: Karnataka High Court

 https://www.barandbench.com/news/litigation/police-disclose-details-investigation-cases-accused-victim-to-media-karnataka-high-cour

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to ensure that Police officers do not disclose details regarding investigation of cases, accused or the victim to media till the conclusion of such investigation

Line of Dissent: Should a Bais Din Disclose That Its Verdict Wasn’t Unanimous?

 https://baishavaad.org/line-of-dissent-should-a-bais-din-disclose-that-its-verdict-wasnt-unanimous/

 And from where is it derived that when the judge leaves the courtroom he may not say, “I deemed you exempt and my colleagues deemed you liable, but what can I do, as my colleagues outnumbered me and consequently you were deemed liable?” About this it is stated: “You shall not go as a talebearer among your people” (Vayikra 19:16), and it says: “One who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but one who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter” (Mishlei 11:13).[2]

Sean Hannity Fails to Mention Letter Sent to Him by Jan. 6 Committee During Show

https://www.newsweek.com/sean-hannity-january-6-committee-text-letter-cooperation-fox-news-1665729 

Committee Chair Bennie Thompson and Vice-Chair Liz Cheney said Hannity also expressed concern for the storming of the Capitol and attempted to advise the then-President Donald Trump in the now-public letter.

The letter added: "You also had relevant communications while the riot was underway, and in the days thereafter. These communications make you a fact witness in our investigation."

It also highlighted text messages showing Hannity was concerned with Trump's January 6 plan.

The letter went on to say: "The Select Committee is in possession of dozens of text messages you sent to and received from former White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows and others related to the 2020 election and President Trump's efforts to contest the outcome of the vote."

Halachic Synopsis for Child & Domestic Abuse - reviewed by Rav Moshe Sternbuch

We have seen that there are rabbonim who have failed to acknowledge their error in running a talmid chachom out of town for reporting abuse to the police. It seems that part of the problem is a lack of knowledge about the issues of child abuse - both the halacha and the psychology. Therefore I am posting my synopsis which was reviewed and approved by Rav Moshe Sternbuch. (This is included in my books on abuse.) They mistakenly claim that calling the police is mesira and that a beis din is required to give permission and not just a single rav. They are not aware that an abuser is a rodef and that he thinks differently than normal people - and can not be trusted. Some rabbonim seem willing to talk with me - this is the initial step.

Update July 6 2013 Regarding G's question of whether my view  and that of Rav Eliashiv is inconsistent with that of Rav Sternbuch:

I don't think there is any difference between Rav Eliashiv and Rav Sternbuch. What I have been saying all along is based on the halachic guidelines I heard from Rav Sternbuch.

1) If you think there is a possibility that a delay in contacting the police places a child risk - then go right to the police.

2) If you think that a there is no harm in waiting then consult a rabbi. However Rav Sternbuch clearly has said one does not abdicate his judgement when consulting a rabbi. It is to basically just to provide an objective view that there is reasonable basis to suspect abuse. However if you feel that the rabbi is wrong - then you are required by Rav Sternbuch to ask another rabbi. All of this again is only if the delay doesn't create a possibility of danger for a child. Rav Sternbuch said in addition that a rabbi needs to be consulted in order that the world shouldn't be hefker. Again this principle does not override the welfare of a child and thus is only relevant when it doesn't endanger a child's welfare.

In addition if there is mandated reporting - in New Jersey that applies to everyone - then you also must report possible abuse. Rav Sternbuch said that even with mandated reporting one should go to the rabbi because the police don't mind if you ask a rabbi or professional or friend first.

This latter point is problematic. There is no question that some places don't mind or rather there were some places where up till recently didn't feel it was critical to report immediately. However if they do insist that you report immediately you could get into trouble for delaying. For example if a child is abused because you delayed then you could be in serious trouble. The halacha does not require you to endanger your welfare, finances or professional license to first consult a rabbi. So practically speaking - especially where there is mandatory reporting - it is typically best to go right to the police if you think that any delay would possibly danger a child.

In sum - I recorded what Rav Sternbuch told me his views are. And he approved the accuracy of my report. However I am saying that utilizing his principles - most of the time it is best to call the police first because the lack of rabbis who know what they are talking about in these issues and therefore there is the distinct possibility that a delay caused by trying to consult with a rabbi would endanger a child.Thus on a practical level you are creating a possible harm to a child by delaying. Rav Sternbuch seems to feel that typically you will have time to consult a rabbi without endangering the child. It is thus a question of reality - not of halachic principle. In my experience with Rav Sternbuch - he doesn't actually conduct an investigation and call in witnesses. He listens and if it sounds that there are grounds to suspect abuse then he says to call the police.

The rabbi is not serving as a beis din and the rabbis is not poskening halacha here. There is no din of mesira in reporting abuse. Reporting abuse is a non-judicial procedure based on rodef. Even if it is only a sofek rodef - we treat it the same as certain rodef.

A molester is considered a rodef because typically they will attack again.  We did have a disagreement regarding someone who hasn't molested for many years. Rav Sternbuch said he is presumed to be no longer dangerous while the professionals I spoke to disagreed and said that some pedophiles will be inactive for 20 or more years and then start again. This is especially true after they have been sentenced to jail for abuse - they tend to behave themselves for various periods after getting out. On the other hand as far as I know there is no requirement to report according to  mandated reporting - if you don't think it likely that he will attack again.

My understanding of Satmar and Lakewood - is they are in agreement with Rav Menashe Klein. There is a requirement of beis din, there needs to an actual investigation and witnesses and they don't seem to understand that nice people with proper yichus can be pedophiles. They don't understand that promises mean nothing to a pedophile.They are not trained or experienced in conducting an investigation in these issues. In sum they are willing to give the molester the benefit of the doubt - even at the expense of children being attacked. Rav Sternbuch is clearly not requiring anything which might endanger the child and he leaves the investigation up to the police.

Halachic  Synopsis for Child and Domestic Abuse 

Child abuse - Rabbi Simon Jacobson's views

VIN reports:

New York - Rabbi Simon Jacobson of Brooklyn NY is a sought-after scholar and lecturer on Jewish thought and its contemporary application, speaking to diverse audiences worldwide, he has also undertaken a strong approach on the issue of child abuse in the frum community. VIN News recently exchanged email and phone conversations with the good rabbi to get his opinion on the issue of exposing child molesters in the frum world.

 

 Dear Rabbi, As chief-editor of a news website I commend you for courageously addressing one of the worst curses plaguing our community: child abuse. I receive many submissions exposing child molesters and various forms of abuse in our communities. I would like you to discuss the issue of publicizing this information. On one hand, many argue that we are prohibited from “loshon hora,” speaking ill of others, even if it may be true. On the other hand how can any responsible person ignore the issue that has such devastating effects and just “push it under the rug”? I believe that you have the power to spearhead a major campaign, headed by real Rabbis and activists, to address this issue for the benefit of the larger community. The gravity of abuse and its terrible consequences requires that we do nothing less than wake up, shake up and turn the community upside down. Thank you,

 

Dear Editors: Thank you for your supporting words and confidence. I am not really sure whether I can live up to your expectations to spearhead any major effort, but I can try adding my small contribution to this vital topic. The only reason I have for the last few weeks been writing about abuse is precisely due to its far-reaching and devastating effects on so many lives. And not just for now, but for generations to come. Everything we build and teach our children, all our investments and dedication to good, all our moral standards, our entire education system, can be wiped out in one fell swoop when we or our children are violated. I have been trained in the Torah way of thinking that any question we have must be framed in objective context, and weighed by various moral criteria that help us achieve some clarity. This is especially true for controversial and emotionally charged issues, due to their subjective effect on all of us – fear, anger, vengeance, shock, disbelief, and all the other complex feelings evoked by abuse. The first of all ethical and Torah axioms must be stated at the outset: No one has a right to in any way violate in any way the body or soul of another human being. Indeed, we don’t even have the right to mutilate our own bodies, because your body does not belong to you; it is “Divine property.” Let alone someone else’s property. No crime is worse that assaulting another’s dignity – which is compared to the dignity of G-d Himself, being that every person was created in the Divine Image. Even a hanged murderer must not be defiled and his body not left to hang overnight because it reflects the Divine Image. How much more so – infinitely more so – regarding a live person and innocent child… Abuse, in any form or shape, physical, psychological, verbal, emotional or sexual, is above all a violent crime – a terrible crime. Abusing another (even if it’s intangible) is no different than taking a weapon and beating someone to a pulp. And because of its terrible long-term effects, the crime is that much worse. What do we do with violent criminals? We punish them. Once it has been determined that abuse was perpetrated, there should be consequences, both for the perpetrator and as a deterrent to other potential violators. The actual consequences need to be determined by local legal and Torah standards by the authorities on location. If for any reason the Torah authorities cannot deal with the situation, the only recourse is the same one employ for murderers, thieves and other criminals: legal action. The next question is this: What are our obligations as parents, teachers, writers, website editors, or just plain adult citizens, when it comes to abuse? On one hand we are talking about protecting innocent people from criminal predators, which clearly is a major obligation and priority concern. On the other hand, we do have laws prohibiting embarrassing people (even criminals) in public, always hopeful, allowing people to correct their ways. We have laws about avoiding gossip and speaking ill about others (loshon hora), and not feeding into the base instinct of “talking about others” or “mob mentality” witch-hunting expeditions.[...]