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In response to the numerous phone calls I have received regarding the verdict of Nechemia Weberman, below are my thoughts.
"Today is not a day of joy or simchah, it's a day of reflection and making a cheshbon."
We in Klal Yisroel must make a serious attempt to prevent and stop this plague which is rampant in our community. It begins with educating our children at the earliest possible age, not only about being a potential victim, but also unfortunately growing up as a perpetrator.
It is critical that if there is a reason to suspect that a young girl or boy has been violated, we must use our legal resources.
Finally, it is interesting that it took 12 non Jews to believe a dear Jewish daughter. I was hoping there would be 12 Chassidim who would believe her as well.
Sincerely,
Ronnie Greenwald
Gornisht mit Gornisht.
ReplyDelete"It is critical that if there is a reason to suspect that a young girl or boy has been violated, we must use our legal resources."
Legal resources? What does this mean? Go to the police? or is Agudah now running its own Childhood sex crimes task force?
Rabbi Greenwald.I am not a Chasid but I believe her.Many Chasidim do and other don't.I don't think it is malice .They are not all malevolent.Some of the alternate dismissed jurors did not believe her.Not everybody who votes guilty does so in order to validate an experience .In many cases there is Sinas Yisroel involved .I can't say if this is the case here or to what extent.I do not know.But the jury system is no friend of Jews .Lemrick Nelson was acquitted by our precious jury system.So was killer, El Said Nosair,despite the fact that there were twenty witness who saw him murder Rabbi Meir Kahane .I hear your plea that we need to listen to victims and I agree with that.
ReplyDeletePlease don't blame our "precious jury" system, blame our precious Jews who not only look for ways of getting "off Jury duty" but are so proud to discuss and advise others how to do it!!! It is everyone's DUTY to serve on a jury if you seek Justice and want justice. IF YOU avoid doing your duty and sit on a jury don't blame others when you are NOT happy with the verdicts those people who don't find ways to get off Jury duty find a case!
DeleteYes, it would be nice if Ronnie renounced some of his recent activities discouraging reporting in other cases.
ReplyDeleteRabbi Greenwald,
ReplyDeleteYou write, "If there is a reason to suspect that a young girl or boy has been violated, we must use our legal resources."
Unfortunately, you suggested a very restrictive understanding of Rav Elyashiv's psak in a comment your wrote on my blog, Frum Follies (http://wp.me/pFbfD-6A)on November 24,2009,"I met with Rav Elyashiv prior to his written psak and he absolutely did not say that when one child makes an accusation and you are in doubt you may go to the police because that is raglayim l’davar – only that if you do in fact have raglayim l’davar (more than one child’s accusation) – that works to remove the doubt — and only then may you go to the police. In addition, Rav Elyashiv says clearly that prominent Rabbonim should be consulted as well to determine if a case has raglayim."
Rabbi It sounds to me like you have a view about permissable reporting closer to R. Menashe Klein than R. Elyashiv's. You also don't acknowledge the view that person who themselves was the victim can consider their own experience sufficient proof to proceed.
Perhaps your memory or understanding has evolved since then. I would appreciate knowing if you still adhere to the view I quoted above.
Rabbi Eidensohn, I would appreciate knowing your views about the correct statement of R. Elyashiv's text and common halachic understanding of it.
you're hocking him a chinek she'lo l'tzorech. He is just briefly sharing his thoughts, which are entirely correct and appropriate. He is not in a position to offer a policy statement in the way of a major Rav. Rabbi Greenwald is a fine yid, an independent thinker.
DeleteMichoel
I think at worst he might have doodled this girl, but she kept on going back, going back, going back - if it was that horrific, that torturous, that traumatic, that violent, there is NO way on THIS EARTH she would have continued going four times a week, week in, week out, month in, month out, year in, year out. My gut says that if they doodled, she enjoyed it and then later had a fit of regret when she discovered she wasn't all virgin like for her new hubby and decided to be a spiteful little ***** and lie about her relations with Weberman. I know faces and that is NOT the face of a criminal. SHAME ON HER. Not a shred of evidence. Just the word of a girl whose agenda is G-d knows what. SHAME. He might be the one in prison but his soul is free. Her imprisonment has only begun. That she smiled when he was sentence is very telling of the spitefulness in her soul. No good person smiles at the misfortune of another, even if it is deserved. She might have a rush of satisfaction now, but in essence, truly, her suffering and the imprisonment of her soul has just begun. When the initial high wears off, her conscience is going to eat away at her and manifest in very uncomfortable ways. She's condemned herself as well as him. My prayers and thoughts at this time are not with the alleged victim. I see Weberman as the victim here, and wish him G-d's speed, and may he be blessed. Not everything is as it appears. There is much more going on here than meets the eye. As for the sentence, a travesty of justice and yet another demonstration of bigotry at its worst. I don’t know that I’ve ever been as sick to my stomach as I am over this horrific travesty of justice.
ReplyDelete