Motti Elon is honored speaker: Dealing with sexual predators in our neighborhoods.

 JPost - Elon convicted of sex crimes agains minors

The notice below highlights a major problem. What do you do with a child molester/sexual predator and how do you interact with him on a daily basis. What honor can be given and what access to children and women? 

This applies to people such as Dovid Weinberger, Elimelech Meisels, Mordechai Tendler, etc etc. Once upon a time when such crimes were either swept under the rug or the perpetrator banished to someone else's neighborhood - not much thought was given to this problem - because it officially didn't exist. However with the major change in the last few years, we now have sexual predators who are highly talented, personable and well known - in our neighborhoods - even as next door neighbors. There is no mesora for how to deal with these child rapists, adulterers and predators. What should be done? In addition how do you react to people such as Rabbi Druckman who insist on giving honor to predators such as Motti Elon and/or insist against clear evidence that they are innocent?

update:  Hannah @AMotherInIsrael 

I took the picture and posted it on my blog. Not sure why it appears here without credit or link. 

From A Mother In Israel

Shaal Avicha by Rabbi Yoel Abraham - complete sefer

  שאל אביך   see previous post   Was siruv justified?

The file is free for downloading with the permission of the author. Click the link at the top which will take you to SCRIBD. Then simply download by click on any button which says download

Chareidi MKs condemn attack on soldier in Beit Shemesh by Chareidi extremists

Arutz 7   Hareidi extremists attacked a reserve soldier returning home from the front Monday, according to several reports, as he came home to Beit Shemesh to visit his parents and pray at a local synagogue. 

"His two children were very frightened," an eyewitness told Walla! news Tuesday. "The extremists cursed him, threw stones at his car, and ordered him to leave the neighborhood." 

The incident unfolded on Hillel street at about 10:00 pm, according to the report. The extremists called the reservist a "Nazi" and "vermin." 

Several other eyewitnesses told Arutz Sheva on Tuesday that friends and neighbors of the reserve soldier condemned and apologized for the incident, helped him recover and offered to pay for the damage. 

The District Police has opened an investigation and "are expected to make arrests." 

Several hareidi MKs sharply criticized the incident Tuesday, with some even going as far as calling the extremists "terrorists." 

"There are limits," Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri said Tuesday morning. "The attack by Jewish extremists on a soldier as he prayed in synagogue is an act of terrorism." 

"They should be treated as we treat terrorists," he continued. "A hand that raises itself against a soldier should be smacked." [...]

What this war is about and why talk of 'proportionate force' is irrelevant.

American Gedolim against religious coercion by Israeli Gedolim

Honesty

Confirmed! It's a forgery.

http://www.matziv.com/pictures...

The signatures of Rav Yosef Rosenblum, Rav Dovid Feinstein and Rav Shlomo Miller also look forged.

It's also almost impossible that Rav Refoel Shor got involved in a communal matter such as this. He doesn't get involved in communal matters, especially if means criticizing others.

Kikar haShabbat

Was the siruv justified - against the sefer Shaal Avicha - by Rav Kaufman's beis din?

I was requested to post this information which you should examine carefully.
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Guest Post

Complete sefer can be downloaded with this link

WAS THIS SIRUV KOSHER AND JUSTIFIED? OR JUST A BLATANT CASE OF CRONYISIM?

Attached you will find a PDF of a sefer recently issued About Oz Vihaddar Publishing company

And the Siruv against this sefer By Rav Kaufman’s Bais Horaah /Rav Chaim Flohrs Kollel of Monsey NY 

OVERVIEW AND BACKROUND INFO:

The 300 page Sefer authored by Rabbi Yoel Abraham(with Haskomos of 5 prominent Rabbonim) containing a Halachic Discussion regarding the Many Textual Changes made to the Targum al Hatorah In their recently  published Chumasim .

The Sefer titled Shaal Avicha is a Birur Halacha seeking to enhance and reinforce our Mesores in Targum which is the mesores of Rashi Hakodosh and Rabenu Gershom and Rabenu Tam of the Chachmei TZORFAS (France and GERMANY)

And to  Dispute the many  changes made in all the new seforim and chumashim issued by Oz Vihadar who relied on the Targum of Taimon  and svtina  which was historically  questionable and Not accepted by orthodox Mesores  of Ashkenaz and even many Sefardim   only by Maskilim see the details in the sefer.

The Question is why? And How A Siruv was issued By Rav Shlomo Zalman Kaufman? 

And If Rav Shlomo Zalman Kaufman who has an existing working relationship with Rabbi Leifer who is the owner of Oz Vihader and also happens to be the owner of Rockland Mikvaos where Rav Kaufman was recently appointed to join Rabbi Leifer as an additional Rav Hamachsir of several Mikvaos (of course through the efforts of Rav Chaim Flohr’s longtime relationship with Rabbi Leifer) And the real question was Rabbi Kaufman working to protect his friend ?

Attached you will also  find an open letter ‘MICHTAV GOLOY’ by Rabbi Yoel Abraham  Astounded at the unbelievable Siruv rapidly issued by Rav Kaufman and detailing exactly each step as it happened with copies of all documents and the dates so you can judge for yourself whether or not  this Siruv is Kosher !

What’s astounding also is that Rav Gold was pushed out of the bais din because he was one of five Rabbonim who gave Haskomah to this sefer so he was considered by rav Kaufman not to be impartial

Yet Rav Kaufman himself and his Cronyism with Rabbi Leifer did not affect his own impartiality!!!

THE REAL Question now is is How can we now rely on these Rabbonim for the Hechsher on the Mikvah!! If this is what transpired

נזדמן לידי המכתב גלוי הנכתב ע"י הרב המחבר דבר ה' במחזה שליט"א, וכאשר קריתי בו ראיתי בתוכו כמה וכמה תמיהות, ואמרתי אשיחה וירוח לי.

ראשית כל, אם האמת אתו, אין כאן שום מקום לדין תורה, דדין תורה אינו אלא בדברים שבין אדם לחבירו, ולא בדיני איסור והיתר וכ"ש לא בדברים שהם יסודי הדת, וכמו שמובן לכל בר דעת דאין שום מקום לעקל או להזמין לדין תורה למי שמפרסם על סוחר אחד המוכר נבילות וטריפות בשם בשר כשר, או למי שמפרסם על ירקות של קאמפאני אחד המוכרן בחזקת נקי מתולעים, שיש בתוכו תולעים, או למי שמפרסם על מאגאזינען שהם מלא מינות ודיעות כוזבות ואסור לקנותן, בטענה ותביעה שהמה גורמים להם נזק רב, וכמו שידענו מרב אחד שהכריז ברבים שסוחר אחד מוכר דגים טמאים, והדבר ידוע.

ואם הוא משקר ואין האמת אתו, אין שום צורך לטרוח על זה הבי"ד, התובע יברר הדברים כשמלה שהוא משקר ובודה הדברים מלבו, ומוציא שם רע עליו, ויפרסם הדבר לרבים, ואם אין היכולת ביד התובע לברר הדברים, על זה אפשר לקבוע ישיבת בי"ד שיבררו הדברים, אבל אין צורך להזמין הרב המחבר הנ"ל על זה, דהא ספרו נכתב בבאר היטב דברים מפורשים, הן דברי התובע, והן דבריו מ"ש עליהם, ויעיינו הבי"ד בדבריו, ויפסקו לפי ראות עיניהם מי ומי ההולכים עם האמת, ועל דבר זה נראה שהרב המחבר שליט"א מרוצה להכניס לפנים משורת הדין, לבוא לברר דבריו הנכתבים בעל פה לפני הבי"ד.

והשנית, מה שכתבו בהעיקול שהוא מפרסם כתבי פלסתר, לא ידענו מה זה כתבי פלסתר, הלא אינו חוזר וכותב רק דברים שהם בעצמם כתבו בחומשיהם, והרב המחבר חתם עצמו על כל מה שכתב, ומה זה ועל מה זה נקראו כתבי פלסתר.

והשלישית, אם הוא השיב תיכף ומיד שהוא מוכן לילך להבי"ד של בית הוראה, למה נתאחר הדבר לחתום שטרי בירורין מיום ד' תמוז תשע"ג עד כ"א אדר ב' תשע"ד

 !

   מכתב גלוי 

Conservative Movement joins Reform in call for proselytizing

Wall Street Journal   Mr. Eisen is chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary.

I believe that Jewish institutions and their rabbis should actively encourage non-Jewish family members in our midst to take the next step and formally commit to Judaism. 

To some this may seem a surprising idea. It is well known that Judaism has not been a proselytizing faith. Historically, Jewish authorities were wary of potential converts. The rabbis sought to make sure that converts were motivated solely by devotion to the God of Israel and the desire to join the people of Israel. Conversion purely for the sake of marriage was disallowed.[...]

I am asking the rabbis of the Conservative movement to use every means to explicitly and strongly advocate for conversion, bringing potential converts close and actively making the case for them to commit to Judaism. I am asking Jewish leaders to provide the funding needed for programs, courses and initiatives that will place conversion at the center of Jewish consciousness and the community's agenda.[...]

Rav Steinman: We are to pray for all soldiers - even the Shabbos transgressors!

Kikar haShabbat

וכשרצו לעורר מבחינות אחרות, הגיב רבינו "סאיז דאך יידישע קינדער - ארחמנות..." - 'הרי הם ילדים יהודים, ורחמנות עליהם'.

כמו כן, על הטענה שיש כאלו שאינם שומרי שבת, לא ויתר מרן הגראי"ל ואמר שצריך להתפלל גם עליהם. וסיפר מעשה שהיה עם מרן הגר"ח מבריסק זצוק"ל שפעם אחת היה גזר דין מוות על אחד מאנשי "הבונד" והיה צריך הרבה כסף כדי לשכור לו עורך דין, ועמד מרן הגר"ח זצוק"ל "בעצם יום הכיפורים הקדוש" ואסף כסף כדי להציל אותו, ובאמת הצליח להצילו ממות.

הרי לנו שאף לאחד שהיה ידוע לרשע, טרח אותו גאון וצדיק כ"כ כדי להצילו, ואנשי הבונד היו ידועים "לאפיקורסים ממש".

Seminary Scandal: Character witnesses are irrelevant in verifying abuse allegations

update: Rabbi Karlinsky wrote:

My article was directed to “observers”, both for those who had positive experiences with an accused, who on that basis reject the possibility of the allegations being true, or those having to decide whether to engage with him, who will use the (sometimes significant number of) character witnesses coming foward. It in no way is meant to reflect my opinion on the workings of a Dayan. But if you are interested in researching what the proper approach is for a beit din, you may want to see Shut Shoel U-Meshiv (Kama) sec.1 #185, arguing that a court accepting testimony in areas like this is NOT governed by the usual practices governing removing a person from a presumption of kashrus. The standards demanded of an educator or Rabbi ARE higher than for an average citizen. While it is not "guilty until proven innocent", claims made by women with lots to lose, and which reveal a pattern that experts recognize as predatory requires the accused to clear his name if he wants to continue in a Rabbinic position.
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From my book Child and Domestic Abuse Volume II. this is accepted as halacha l'maaseh
Sho’el U’Meishiv (1:185): Rumors spread about a certain teacher who had lived in that city for 8 years. Children that he had taught while they were young and now were 13 years or more older testified that he had sodomized them when they were younger. The previous summer a certain G d fearing man found out about this and was outraged and informed the rav of the community. However the rav did not want to accept this testimony… However the Maharik and the Terumas HaDeshen wrote and the Rema rules in Shulchan Aruch that in a situation where kosher witness are not necessary - then even a woman or child is believed. If so, in this matter it is definitely impossible for there to be adult males and it is impossible for there to be testimony in the matter. That is because without a doubt this man – even if he is wicked and dissolute – keeps his deeds secret and he only amuses himself with small children and claims he is only playing with them. Therefore it is obvious that they should be believed. However we are not trying to disqualify him from being a witness or making an oath but we only want to be able to say whether he perhaps did this. Our Sages said in Nida (61) that while it is prohibited to believe lashon harah, the concern aroused by it is required. And in Mo’ed Koton (18) they said that regarding bad talk – at least some of it is true. Therefore woe is to us that in our days such a thing happened that a man like this should be a teacher of children who are pure creatures and there is concern that he violated them. Therefore in my opinion it is appropriate to remove the crown of teacher from his head. They need to be concerned for their souls until he completely repents with appropriate afflictions and only then can he considered a full member of the community and it will be an atonement for his sins. Furthermore as long as he hasn’t confessed his sins then repentance is not possible as the Tevu’os Shor wrote in siman 2…. But in this case where there is testimony – even though it is not from kosher witnesses it is worth more than rumors and it is obvious he should be prevented from getting students to teach.

===================================
Cross Currents    by Rabbi Shaya Karlinsky Dean and Rosh Yeshiva of Shapell’s/Darche Noam Institutions: Yeshivat Darche Noam/ Shapell’s and the Midreshet Rachel v’Chaya College of Jewish Studies for Women

We have been witness to an increasing number of depressing revelations about Rabbis acting inappropriately towards women they have been counseling or educating. I have no intention of discussing any specific case. I would like to discuss a pattern that is all too common in these cases.

In response to accusations of improper behavior by Rabbis with female students or congregants, lots of well-meaning people come to the defense of the accused. These people will vouch for his tremendous integrity, meticulous observance of all appropriate boundaries in every interaction they ever experienced or witnessed, and the life-changing advice and counseling they or their friends received from the accused. Since, if and when breaches of ethical and Halachic behavior happen, they happen “behind closed doors,” the only way to verify the accusations is for victims to provide detailed testimony of what they claim happened. Frequently, the victims themselves are troubled individuals, or were having some specific emotional crisis which can make them vulnerable to advances from the predator, while compromising their credibility as plaintiffs or witnesses. People can become easily swayed and confused when weighing claims of somewhat unreliable plaintiffs/witnesses against the claims and testimony of obviously well adjusted success stories of said Rabbi’s activities. [...]

When a Rabbi or educator is accused of improper behavior of a sexual or abusive nature, character witnesses are irrelevant to verifying whether the accusations are true. All the many people who have been helped in the past in no way undermine the credibility of the accusers. What is important is the specific accusations, whether there is a pattern to those accusations, and whether the accused can properly refute those accusations. If the defendant is being falsely accused by vindictive or unstable women, either the cross examination of the accusers will verify that, or direct testimony to contradict the claims can be provided. If the accusations are credible, if a pattern of improper behavior is verified, if the accused is guilty, then all the people who were helped should have no impact of the conclusions one needs to draw. In fact, his help is revealed to be part of his abominations, empowering him to continue preying on vulnerable and innocent victims. Those he helped are his “honest” measure, enabling him destroy the lives of those he was cheating. [...]

Seminary scandal: Lastest Psak of Israel Beis Din on July 25, 2014

Last night, Rav Aharon Feldman brought the case to Beis Din here (Rav Mendel Shafran is Rosh Beis Din). They sat for 8 hours hearing testimony from everyone involved, and wrote up their official Hachlatot.

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

They concluded (my translation)

1) There is absolutely no danger to students to be educated in these four seminaries.

2) The staffs of these schools are incredible and they have done their work with mesiras nefesh, faithfully and with yeras shamayim. They have succeeded in producing a large number of students over the years who have produced distinguished frum homes that are faithful to G-d and His Torah and they are capable of producing more.

3) We request that Touro certify these seminaries for past credits

4) It is prohibited for any other school (either preexisting or newly established) to attempt to recruit students - either directly or indirectly - who have been accepted in these seminaries for the coming year. This is prohibited by a number of halachos and we are sure no one will try to do such a sin.

5) It is prohibited to defame or slander these seminaries in any manner

6) There are those who have intervened without authority who haven't heard all the facts and should be ignored.

7) There are additional issues regarding this case but they are not discussed in this ruling but will be fully addressed at a future time.

Rifky Stein & Yoel Weiss: Rifky said he raped her - because he didn't let her kiss him?!

In this increasingly bizarre story, Rivky has just put a very brief audio clip of Yoel on her website - saying that she said that he raped her. 

    "So, she's laying down in bed with me, an hour later I  want to have sex with her again, this time she's busy there saying no. After we finished with her she said you know you raped me"

The context of the quote is not given and I would like to hear the whole recording as well as finding out who Yoel was talking with, who recorded the conversation and whether Yoel was aware that he was being recorded.  Perhaps more important did she say it with hurt and anger or did she say it with a smile?

A possible answer can be found in the video below where she talks about Yoel raping her. At about 5 minutes she says something that is seems incomprehensible. Perhaps someone can give me a rational explanation.

“When he was raping me he wouldn’t let me kiss him on the mouth because it wasn’t about intimacy”.

 Here she is describing how she was brutally raped by her husband.  She states that it was rape and not normal intimacy because she wasn't allowed to kiss him?! What woman being raped is upset that she can't kiss her rapist? What she is clearly saying is that if he had allowed her to kiss him on the mouth - she would not have considered it rape but intimacy?

Why would allowing her to kiss him make it not rape? What if he allowed her one kiss but not two - is it still rape? I don't think she would convince a jury that she had been brutally raped simply because he didn't want her to kiss him.