Meyer Seewald

Founder of JCW Departs Organization

Five years after he founded Jewish Community Watch (JCW), an organization dedicated to rooting out child abuse in Orthodox-Jewish communities, Meyer Seewald is saying goodbye.

The following letter was sent out by the current directors of JCW:

Dear Friends and Supporters of JCW:

We ask that you join us in wishing our founder, Meyer Seewald, the best of luck as he embarks on his next journey in life. Only 5 years ago, Meyer began work on his vision of a world where child sexual abuse was openly discussed, abusers were no longer protected by their community and victims had a safe place to turn to for help. To the surprise of many and the gratitude of even more, Meyer succeeded in many ways.

Yet, there is still much more to do.

Unfortunately, there is only one Meyer Seewald and there is a limit to the pain each of us can take on – especially someone who makes each victim’s pain his own, as Meyer does. As he steps out of the daily operations of JCW, rest assured that his vision is very much alive and the blood, sweat and tears which he poured into JCW every single day continue to be the heartbeat and the life force of our organization.

Meyer will be leaving the organization in the able hands of our dedicated staff. We’ve brought on seasoned professionals to man every area of the organization. Our legal dept. is staffed by in-house attorney to handle all legal matters as well as provide guidance on all matters that arise. Our victim support division is manned by licensed therapists with years of training and experience in the private, public and non-for-profit sectors. In addition, JCW now has an in-house investigative division with an on-staff law enforcement professional who has spent over 20+ years as a police detective.

JCW has also benefited extensively from the support we receive from a number of attorneys, therapists, law enforcement professionals and others who are on call as pro-bono consultants for matters that require their expertise. Along with the above-mentioned professionals, we also continue to add community leaders from the business, professional and religious world to help us broaden our reach and take JCW to places we could not get to during our formative years.

Over the next few months, there will be a complete revamping of our website in order to handle the caseload and traffic of the organization. Part of that overhaul will include a new page, the “Child Safety Alert” page, on which we will post known offenders in our community as well as, upon the approval of our legal counsel, others who are found to have had an association or involvement in an act or cover up of abuse.

We are maturing as an organization and the communities we service depend on us more than ever before. Our goal is to make JCW’s mission unnecessary but until that day we intend to become a household name that is cherished and cheered by parents concerned with the safety of their child and which instills fear and dread in the hearts of molesters, abusers and those who protect them.

Shabbat Shalom.

JCW Board of Directors

36 Comments

  • Friend!

    Thank you for your bravery and devotion – you have made a huge difference in the lives of many people.
    Hatzlachah Rabbah and Mazel Tov!

    • LeahMem

      Huge Difference!
      Countless suicides!
      Malignining countless people without facts! Publicly degrading Rabbonim!!
      And if u truly believe in something u dont leave! No respect from me!

    • Shoshana

      My name is Shoshana and have gotten Turkey from school and from home I have to keep it inside of me because no one beliefs me I ran away but that only made that worse tried to get help but the help was no help it was dangerous Of me I didn’t know that because I had work with her and thought she was safe she was not she abused me

  • Naftali

    It’s okay to believe anyone who claims they were a victim of child molesting and to do everything possible to get them help. so that they can move on with life. but to deem the accused guilty based on unprofessional. primitive .on experience. is reckless and dangerous. which is why so many people were wrongfully put on the Wall of Shame .or pretty close to getting on. which maked real predators. On The Wall of Shame a predator in question

  • Anonymous

    just about time !!!
    thank you for stepping down …
    the idea of saving our children from bad people is amazing but not trough someone who has no experience… the fact that you felt that you can just attack anyone was part of abuse too…if anything needs to get down because someone abuse a child it should’ve been down by professional and not by some one who as 0 education … wishing you all the best in the future

  • Rivky

    Yes I also hired professional therapists and professional investigators to review most JCW cases and it turned out that most of the people on the Wall of Shame are totally innocent

  • Focus also on shluchim

    So the Nash brothers hopefully will help fund the Chabad Shluchim who do so much for humanity and for the continuatuion of Yiddishkeit.
    A little Hakoras Hatov would be in place for the brachos they receive from Hashem.
    Maybe that is the real reason for all their wealth to make life a little bit easier for shluchim

    • #7 Hakoras Hatov

      Trying to understand your comment, do you mean that if they focus on other Tzedaka’s but Shluchim they are not showing “Hakoras Hatov” to gd?

    • You can help shluchim too! Stop pushing responsibility onto others. Maybe that's why Hashem made you.

      They give shluchim plenty of money, they just don’t make big announcements about it.

  • A reader

    Do they have any Rabbanim on their staff to answer halachic question? While it may be, but not necessarily, ok to post names of people alleged to have committed abuse, it may not be ok to post those who may have covered up abuse.

  • Sad day :(

    the above comments show how badly we need the organization! There are too many people who are still so uneducated about the monsters in our midst. i wouldn’t be surprised to know that the above commenters are hiding something about themselves or some one they know!

    • Mother of abused daughters

      Stop postulating, this young man did what none of your community would have done. It would have continued being covered up for years. Shame on all of you, who speak against an organization that is trying to help the innocents. Mine was only four years old a Baby, it took 25 years for my child to speak of the unspeakable, because your vast organization put fear into them. Many of these kids lives are ruined by self righteous hypocrites.

  • ????

    Are there ANY people – apart from me – who thinks the re-vamped JCW is worthy of appreciation? I get what you are saying because I felt their methods in the beginning were wrong, but since the organization became more transparent and supported by professionals and Rabbonim I changed my opinion.

    Meyer Seewald protects OUR children & grandchildren. He has every right to move on, since he has built a solid framework to counter abuse that is sustainable. That is what successful people do! (I guess you are all still stuck in your sad little ruts.) He has worked tirelessly, traveled hundreds of thousands of miles to host meetings, meet with victims and pester authorities for justice. HAVE ANY OF YOU DONE ANYTHING??

  • good luck in the future

    Im sorry to see him leave .i think its amazing that the awarness of molestesters have been put in public knowledge .which hopefully will prevent any more children to be hurt .meyer can sleep at night knowing he has helped a lot of children who would have been molested as more awarness came because of jcw hatzlocha

  • Mendel W.

    Some rumors floating around as to the real reason he is stepping down…

  • To #6

    Yes, most of those people are innocent victims of
    lowlife abuse. To the ones responsible the message
    is to look in the mirror before seeking to find faults
    of others. They should be made aware that they
    will be judged as accordingly!

  • ?

    Why is he leaving, what does getting married have to do with it. Maybe he should increase in his activities since he’s getting married?

  • Abuse? HA, big deal!

    A generation ago, yes, an organization like JCW would have provided a very necessary and valuable service to the Jewish community. But times have changed. If parents are legally allowed to gender change their minor children, then anything goes. What used to be abuse yesterday, can be glorified today.

    I mean, we’re talking about giving children as young as 8, hormone drugs that alter their normal development when they reach Bar/Bas Mitzvah age. So, what’s worse: THAT or a Satmar principal being affectionate with a talmid?
    The Ribono Shel Olam promised not to destroy the world with a mabul. Is he now doing it with mosquitos?

    • Ummm What?

      Ummm what did I just read? Seriously, I think some brain cells just vanished away as i read your comment.

  • Mel

    @ focus on shluchim

    What in the world are u saying? The Nash brothers have done so much chesed. You and I don’t even know how much they give. Nothing gives you the right to say where they should give their money. Helping shluchim is important- and so is jcw! Before we start saving the world our children come first. Even though their work doesn’t look “holy” it’s the holiest of holiest. Thank you to all those who have given their time and money to this organization. Most of the community is appreciative-this poster is the minority. Continue going from strength to strength!

  • Ms3w

    Meyer, you tried so hard, did so much, and plowed through all the sickness…..molesters, most of which have personality disorders, very desperate and distorted people. We wish you the very best, and just know that whenever someone gets stopped before they do something, or if the chas ve sholom get caught in a sick act, you are getting mitzvas because you began this organization.
    As my bubby says to her doctors,
    may we see you at a simcha, and not for a sick visit.
    thanks again, and wishing you blessings

  • #15

    First check the credentials of who you trust to protect
    “your” children .
    Our children deserve Hashem’s protection.
    May the lowlife step all the way down.

  • To "focus also on shluchim"

    To the individual who said “focus also on shluchim”: I’m not sure if you are mentally ill or posses very limited mental faculties but clearly you don’t live in the same world the rest of us do. The Nash brothers do more for Chabad shluchim and Chabad institutions than anyone else out there second only, perhaps, to a few special people like George Rohr and Gennady Bogolubov. It’s sickening and nauseating to read comments like yours. Please seek help. For real. Maybe call JCW and they can help you get the therapy you clearly need.

    • I know

      Indeed the “focus” should be on the few shluchim who are on the Wall of Shame!

  • Anon

    Meyer Seewald you are a tzaddik. So confused by the above commenters, do you think protecting children is wrong? Do you support abuse? Crazy.

  • thank you meyer s.

    It is because of you that frum communities are more aware of sexual abuse and are slowly starting to put appropriate measures in place to support those that were abused and prevent future abuse.

    Like everyone else in the public eye there will always be naysayers. ignore them. you know deep down that the work you’ve done is incredible and caused significant change within our community.

    Yashar koach. thank you.

  • #28

    You’re right that you are confused. You have much to learn about an evil spirit who uses any possible tools for spite and vengeance under the pretext of the protecting children Who would allow him around children? Who would allow children to see the
    behavior his “credentials” have proven. He has no problem transgressing our Holy Torah for spiritual harm to himself and to harm innocent
    people. His turn will come.

  • Mosh

    Meyer Seewald, thank you for the time and effort you put into this organization. I hope that by now you are unphased by what the unaware and sadly, ignorant people throw at you.

    May all what you’ve been through help you succeed in your personal and other aspects of your life.

    Hatslacha rabah.

  • Clear headed

    The end doesn’t always justify the means.
    Mayer was and is well intentioned, his tactics, however, are, and were, distructive to countless innocents.
    As the Gemara states: “Why do you consider your blood redder than another’s.”
    JCW should be in advocacy not in prosecution.

    • An appreciative supporter of Mayer and JCW.

      You wrote “countless innocents” and seem to have put thought into your message even quoting the Gemara to help influence your readers.

      Can you name a few of the countless innocents that JCW has wrongfully damaged, one way or another?

      I would imagine that if it is indeed true (which I doubt), the innocent may not wish to be represented here; however, if there is someone you know of that does not mind sharing, please post.

      I may be out of line here, and if I am please help me understand where/how.