In the past four months, the Crown Heights Jewish Community has seen as many child abuse-related arrests and reports as there have been in the past 20 years.
Op-Ed: Why Is Crown Heights’ Crack Down Working?
In the past four months, the Crown Heights Jewish Community has seen as many child abuse-related arrests and reports as there have been in the past 20 years.
A Crown Heights victims’ advocacy group called Crown Heights Watch has documented at least four arrests in the past four months. What has lead to this drastic upsurge in reporting child abuse? What was the game changer that turned the tide, leaving the offenders running for cover and the victims openly speaking to the police?
In a courageous move on July 11, 2011, the Crown Heights Rabbinical Court (Beit Din) issued a public letter requiring its members to report credible claims of child abuse to the police.
Other rabbinical authorities have also encouraged their members to go the police, but what was unique here is the fact that the Crown Heights Beit Din made the matter public and not only allowed its members to report directly to the police, but required it.
The Beit Din’s letter stated that Jewish law requires reporting credible claims of abuse to the authorities. It went on to reiterate that Jewish laws written to stop Jewish individuals from informing to the police and taking other Jews to secular court do not apply in the context of abuse. This is because the potential offender is classified as a threat that is endangering the lives of the innocent.
Since the Beit Din’s letter was released there have been at least four arrests of Crown Heights residents and rabbis accused of child abuse. That number is staggering considering that in the last 20 years the Crown Heights Jewish community has seen few if any arrests related to child abuse. And it’s not because abuse did not exist – national surveys estimate that 25 percent of children in the US are victims of abuse. It’s because child abuse previously went unreported.
Asking a Rabbi’s Permisson
Some Select Orthodox organizations advise members to seek a rabbi’s permission before reporting abuse to the authorities. Needing a rabbi’s permission before reporting abuse to the authorities leads to countless victims suffering in silence and zero accountability and deterrence for perpetrators. Social workers, child-care providers, teachers, counselors and others are legally bound to report abuse. Encouraging them not to may also constitute obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
When rabbis serve as gatekeepers to the police, they may also discourage victims from reporting abuse in an effort to avoid chilul hashem (desecration of God’s name), that is, giving a bad name to the community. The Crown Heights Beit Din’s letter is an unequivocal statement that abuse victims should not need a rabbi’s permission to report abuse to the authorities and that the value of human life supersedes claims of chilul hashem.
The impact of the Crown Heights Beit Din’s letter is monumental. As a result, the culture of silence has changed dramatically over the last few months. A Rabbinical Court requiring victims to report abuse to the secular authorities is a heartening sign of progress in an otherwise seemingly insular community. This step forward should be highlighted in an effort to pressure other rabbinical courts to follow suit. Victims should not have to suffer in silence. As a closely connected community, we must also be aware that an abuse accusation from one community member against another should not lead to cyberspace lynch-mobs, vigilantism, or “guilty until proven innocent” group-think mentality. Let the system play it out.
The bottom line is that the recent arrests and exposure of several alleged predators in Crown Heights would have never occurred without the Beit Din’s letter encouraging victims to report abuse. We are seeing a major sign of progress – with the Crown Heights Beit Din at the vanguard.
The hope is that communities elsewhere can replicate this example.
Please Note: the language as it appears in the original Jerusalem Post article was slightly modified to fit our readership’s sensitivities.
This Op-Ed reflects the views of its author. It does not necessarily reflect the views of CrownHeights.info or its Editors.
Any reader that wishes to make his or her voice heard, on any topic of their desire, is welcome to submit his or her Op-Ed to News@CrownHeights.info.
yoniqua
Thank you, Eli.
Protect the Children! Not the Predators!
Finally! Protection for the children and not the predators.
nachman
Eli we know you are behind crown heights watch. take the credit for finally doing something good
domment
if other communities join, then we can help each other if needed.
happy
i really like the line on crownheightswatch.com
The perpetrators are not the victims. The perpetrators families aren’t the victims.
THE VICTIMS ARE THE REAL VICTIMS!
Moshe
B’H
Why are you complaining? I don’t think there are more abusers now than 20 years ago. The fact that so many people are being arrested is a very GOOD sign. It means that FINALLY the community is opening its eyes on that horrific and sensitive issue of child abuse. Now we’re ready to act and denounce and expose the abusers. So, it’s grat, and we’re creating a safer environment within the communiyy, at the same time we’re giving the following message to the abusers: now, you won’t go and abuse another child and remain unpunished! Now, we’re going to denounce you!
So, we should rejoice. There are as many abusers now as in the past. The difference is that in the past, people were affraid to speak!
abuse hurts
about time we put a stop to the abuse. thank you crown heights watch. you’re doing a great job.
Michael
Nachman what makes you think that? I know for a fact that Eli is not behind the website although I’m sure he supports some of what they are doing because he has also written previously on protecting abuse victims ….
cm
Yes and please continue to teach your children that about this safty issue and that they have the right to protect themselvs run away fight back….
Chaya (Crown Heights)
While it is a good idea (In my opinion at least) to have a website like CHW i think it should only have story’s that have arrests.
I’ve been looking through the site, most are arrests while some are just story’s.. Anyone can write a story about anyone they don’t like or had a bad experience with etc.(Especially due to the anonymous nature of the web)
But again, Thanks for keeping out children safe.
Watch this
I haven’t seen any serious predators listed on the website.
Proof? Except for one of the listed, most of the others have no charges pressed against them!
All I see are a few rumored ones from many years ago, by anonymous accusers and a bunch of drugged up kids, which have no bearing today, since no-one claims that they are active predators today, all they tell are a bunch of unsubstantiated stories of ten or more years ago, which even according to them are not relevant today at all.
However, what I do see the purpose of this website is, to serve a bigger purpose, and that is to be used as a tool to instill fear into the hearts of anyone who dare challenge the authority of the authors of the Beis-Din letter.
You may be next on the list! We don’t need to prove anything! We can use anonymous sources! Guilty until proven innocent! Etc. Etc.
In written emails to people involved, one of the authors of this letter confirmed that he has inside first-hand information about the plans of the authors of this website. If need be it can and will be produced. Of course he denies any connection, and he even demands apologies for being accused of knowing what goes on on this website. He even challenged some family members with a question: “how do you know he is for sure not a predator?!”
This is all in writing, and can be produced.
The only thing accomplished by this website is, that children of the accused will never be able to get married like normal kids because of some rumored anonymous accusation against their fathers which haven’t been proven at all, but their fathers have been declared guilty as charged without a chance to defend themselves and to prove their innocence.
And when one of the accusers went to the author of the letter to seek help, he advised him to remain silent and not to defend himself.
The poor guys reaction: “They killed me, there’s nothing I can do about it, I have no support even by the Rabbis, even they aren’t interested in hearing me out, I’m as good as dead”.
What he fails to realize is, that this man you’re seeking guidance from, he’s the one who killed you. And he also fails to realize that he has to fight for his children, because they will have to get married one day.
This doesn’t mean that if credible witnesses come forth and they are willing to identify themselves, and not remain anonymous, and the accused are confronted directly and are given the chance to defend themselves and they don’t, then without question you must report them to the authorities and if they are still active, then you should also publicize their names and their pictures to warn the public.
Otherwise you are a murderer of the accused and of their children. Translation: This website is committing “mass murder!”
P.S. If the letter was an innocent letter about reporting predators to authorities, then why is it being used as the basis for the website which has nothing to do with the authorities? And why are the authors of the letter supporting the website, when all they wrote was that you may go to authorities? Who gave permission to start a website which serves as a death chamber by the judge-jury-executioner?
And most importantly: If the charges are true, why didn’t anyone go to the authorities, but instead went to the anonymous website?
to # 8
when i say eli, i mean eli and his people vd“l no need to give proof at the moment lets just hope that CH watch keeps to their line ”The perpetrators are not the victims. The perpetrators families aren’t the victims” once they post someone who is not 100% a predator then that person becomes the victim.
Dangerous
crownheightswatch.com is a dangerous website. Aside from posting the names of legitimate pedophiles which we all have to be on the look out for, it also continues to post the names and pictures of people who may very well be innocent, but their lives and those of their families have been ruined by these false and scurrilous allegations.
They have also posted people who were found guilty of very minor infractions and who do not deserve to be dragged through the mud like this.
Focus on the legitimate targets and you will have the community’s support, but just spreading a wide net, on the premise that since most of the people named are guilty, we can sacrifice a few innocents to catch the evil doers is very wrong.
What a disgrace!
Abused
i think the people who publish the name of the predetors are just as guilty as the predetors.
there is much more personnal agenda in that site.
there is the real predetors missing from that site and there are accusations against people who never brought to justice as well.
as for the rabbi’s they are the worse predetors
Anonymous
Great article. The author clearly expresses concerns with the CH watch website where he states that we have to steer clear from cyberspace lynch mobs. Did egeryone read that? Its toward the end. Read it! This article is very balanced.
A survivor-s Mom
As the mother of a child who was molested by one of the pedophiles listed but not arrsted (yet) Crownheightswatch.com I would like you to know that the reasons said chusuve party has not been put in jail is becuase it was past the sratute of limitations. My son kept his “terrible secret” inside for 7 years till he finally confided in us. It is normal for children who are molested to not come forward for many years and I hope your child never has to bear the pain of suffering in silence.
So for all you experts on who should or should not be on the website, I assure you that any name put on has been very carefully checked out and stories authenticated. No one is “just put on”.
I too was worried about “his family” and lost many nights over it. But bottom line “he” did it to his family, not me or my son.
No one would come forward with such a story, which is extremely humiliating (were it not true)
I am very proud of my son and his courage for coming forward.
Maybe he will help other survivors and just maybe he will stop someone from doing it seeing the effect on his family as well.
A Victim, 20 years later.
Thank you Rabbis for having the courage to do this. You have restored my faith in the Religious Community and it’s leadership.
Get the garbage out!
Except for one of the listed, most of the others have no charges pressed against them!
—
It is the very opposite. Only three of those listed have no charges against them – the teacher at OT, the wannabe chazzan and the school principal. One of the others is cooling his heels in Rikers, another was convicted, another is under arrest abroad and the rest have rap sheets.
Time to wash CH out with a pressure washer. I thought the 2 on that list whom I knew were harmless characters. They’re as harmless as a glass of Drano.
To A survivor-s Mom wrote:
If what you say is 100% true that the guy did something wrong years ago, and the only reason he wasn’t charged is because the statute of limitations has past, and since then there isn’t one chargeable offense that can bring him to justice even now after his name was posted, doesn’t that maybe tell you that he is no longer a threat, and that your agenda is pure revenge (assuming that your story is 100% true) and has nothing to do with protecting any future victims?
Are you still insisting that his children must be killed for that offense?
Besides, if your child told you a story that happened long enough, more than the statute of limitations, could it be maybe that he doesn’t exactly remember it so many years later? Seven years (or more) is a long time.
I think that if nobody can come forth with a story “within the statute of limitations” which is more than seven years, then this individual is probably not a dangerous predator at this point.
I don’t think capital punishment for him AND his children can be called justice in this case.
And, at the end of the day, there are no competent Rabbonim that allow posting such information on a website. Even going to the authorities is not sanctioned by the overwhelming majority of Rabbonim unless you have explicit permission of a competent Rav on a case-by-case-basis. The only ones who permit going to authorities without prior permission (unless its an active case of pursual) are the secularist Rabbis or the two of CH, and what qualifies them to render a psak to murder entire families so freely? What is their expertise in the field of predators? Seriously, what are their qualifications?
concerned in MA
In MA, there are puplic lists available of convicted sex offenders, their addresses, photos & what type of offense(s) were committed. When I looked at the info for my sleepy little town, I was horrified. You never know. Even the “nicest” people can harbor a dark side.
Also, you must remember, that in secular law, a person is innocent unless proven guilty in a court of (secular) law. The secular newspapers are full of photos of ‘accused” people. Unfortunately, that seems to be the norm….post a photo of the acused, rather than wait to see if the person is actually guilty before posting a photo.
What is this statute of limitations?
What does this mean? That if it happened long ago the American judicial system doesn’t deal with it? In Australia, it doesn’t matter if 50 years has passed. Old men are taken to court/gaol from crimes they committed eons ago. What, if you murder someone long enough ago and never got caught then you are off the hook? Someone pls explain.
In addition, people that come out with their stories must be believed and they are almost always true.We wish we could deny this because the truth is just so terribly painful.
To #19
You are writing with extremely uninformed background about this issue. A predator 99.99% does not stop some form of abuse just because any amount of time has elapsed. Seven years have no meaning for a sick mind. Twenty years have no meaning for a perpetrator who has not been reported. It continues. It may stop for a short amount of time after a so-called warning, but again, a sick mind works in ways others can not begin to fathom. I don’t know if you are in denial,ignorant of how these things work, know someone who perpetrated and want them to be left alone, or, or. I have done much reading/study on this topic, so I am not simply pulling information from the air.
chaim
Kol HaKovod to the beis din for doing what they can to prevent Future Child Abuse
shimmy
Some people that were abused as children
have life long emotional problems
as a result of the child abuse
to survivors mother.
I’m not putting down any of the grest pain a child can experience from such abuse.But….
Many of the people on that website are innocent. you could write up a story about ANYONE whose life you wish to ruin.
I personally know one of the accused was blackmailed by someone else who was (you could say “alittle”)upset at that person. I know he wouldnt do such a thing. I’d call that site a life-ruiner/blackmailers site.
And, believe me there are evil people in this community. and im not reffering to the child molestors(although that definitely is evil). I“M talking about people who’d do anything to get their way, including blackmail.so you cant say that ”no one would have the guts to write it if it werent true”. This is one of the reasons this site was formed.
Besides, I question that controvercial letter from this rov. If there has to be no testimony, no proof, then you can make up the story about anyone! its so dammaging!
rifka
whoever says that someone who comes forard “maybe doesnt remember” has the mindset of the people who are in denial and not helping the situation! it is what is allowing much abuse to continue. when a child talks about how hw was molested no matter how ling ago.. you BLIEVE him!
To # 19
To # 19
I need to give credit where credit is deserved, you are very articulate and descriptive in your writing and you bring a great point, However, i can guarantee that you don’t know anybody that was ever coerced into being sodomized (look it up in a dictionary) if you did, you would have a website trying to wipe out these monsters. As the monster just destroyed a kids life/future how he/she copes with the world for the rest of his/her life. So if a molester destroys a child life he is asking for his life to be destroyed. famous quite: don’t do the crime if you cant pay the fine and this is NOT a parking ticket.
AND YES REVENGE IS SWEET, and if somebody stole your kids life on purpose, G-D forbid, you would be singing a different tune.
to 13
I am cracking up, what is a minor fraction? please explain. You are either sick and did sick things or not. And those that have tried to or done sick things even small as you say, I want kept away from my kids. We have a right to know who is a danger to our kids. sadly 3 of the people listed on this sight have walked through my door. They will not be allowed on my property. You can allow them on yours since maybe they will only do small damage to your kids.To crown heights watch you are the real heroes protecting our children from these monsters who hid to long behind a religious facade.jewish law should protect the innocent kids not those that inflict the damage and pain. to 13 who are you protecting? You need to think about the kids.
to 19
nobody wants to relive that pain, how insensitive to say it could be made up. sounds like you are looking for excuses. I feel very bad for the families of these ppl listed ( except for those who helped cover it up). sadly outing them and protecting our kids is not optional. They did the crime now they have to pay and most importantly NOT DO IT AGAIN
TO #19
You are obviously related to a molester, phedaphile, sicko… And just out to protect this mans-sicko, phedaphile , molesters- family name. What was your father thinking about when he was touching that young boy? Obviously not about/ not caring if his children will get a shiddich …if he didn’t care why should we?
I can’t imagine how I would feel if a man tried to or even suggested to touch my son! I hope my son tells me!
to #13
“who were found guilty of very minor infractions and who do not deserve to be dragged through the mud like this.” U HAVE YOUR HEAD TWISTED ! there is NOTHING MINOR ABOUT TOUCHING A CHILD INAPPROPRIATLY!
if you even dear think about touching my child, you should get electric shot treatment, ye go find out what that is . google it.
10 bad men in our midst
there is only 3 men out of 10 men on CHW who have not been arressted. those 3 men everybody knows about.
check it out for yourselfs. these things are good to be aware of.
not sure,but i think very hard to get arrest.
question from a father
to all of you saying, that what if it was your child that was abused in school what would you do? well the real question is what if your son grows up and becomes a molester will you post his name on CHW? will you throw him out of your home? or will you try to get him help and get him to lead a normal life? what goes around comes around. you never know what kind of crime your children will be up to when they grow up.
crown heights leads the way.
I have been abused for many years in crown heights by a family member. However, g-d willing when my children grow up I won’t care if they marry a relative of an abuser. We have lost touch of a person’s individuality,strength and free will which leads to today’s shidduch crisis. I come from a very choshuv family with over 100 first cousins. Some of you reading this write now might marry one of my cousins in the near future and will very likely come in contact with my abuser. My point being; it’s time to focus on the accomplishments and personality of those looking for shidduchim – not on the faults of their parents. It’s very likely that the children of abusers are so sickened by their parents actions that they will actively do everything in their power to go against such evil. And as long as everyone knows of the disease they will always watch where the abuser goes and make sure he’s not around any vulnerable human being.
shut it down
I personally have been involved in child abuse cases from things that were just an angry father who couldn’t cope with extreme stress & he hit his son to a mother doing unspeakable things. So i know what I’m talking about.
Crownheightswatch should be SHUT DOWN NOW. It has no credibility and is fueled by vengeful people who want to destroy their teachers, neighbors, friends etc.
If a person is abused he must run, not walk to the police. Not to the Rabbis, they don’t know squat & certainly not to this disgusting loshon horo site which takes the word of one wacko over dozens who swear nothing ever happened.
The problem with them is,they jump straight in & publish. I really hope they are sued in court, they deserve much worse. And note how they point fingers at people who are mentally challenged.
You want the names of “respectable” married men, now grandfathers, who have been abusing their wives for decades? Oh, but you don’t care if the wife gets beaten to a pulp on a regular basis, just if someone allegedly touches a kid. We’ve all seen the bruises until these thugs got smart & started beating where it doesn’t show.
There’s something really wrong with a society where if you don’t get an A on your paper you scream abuse. Where a girl is rejected by a boy so she yells rape. Crownheightswatch is a dangerous site: not because it exposes truths, but because it has no culpability for when they get it wrong. They destroy people’s lives, parnassah & families & WHEN they are proved wrong, after the true victim is broke and destroyed, they just move on to the next case.
Laibel
While much good is being done, There are good folk who are being blackmailed and their family’s hurt for no reason other than revenge of former students.
So much good potential being overlooked by many because of its witch-hunt men mentality.
minor infractions
@28, 31.
One of the people on the site was found guilty of getting undressed in front of minors in the mikva.
I call that a minor infraction and that person does not deserve to be on the site.
Perhaps they should just post the whole tzach list, after all most of us have gotten undressed in the mikva in front of an underage boy, does that make all of us sick pedophiles?
Until we ban all kids under the age of 18 from going to mikva at the same time as adults, this minor infraction will occur hundreds of times a morning in CH, and thousands of times a day thought the frum world.
To 11
Well said!
Kol Hakavod!
FED UP
WHILE I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THE BOY THAT WAS ACTUALLY MOLESTED, A QUESTION DOES BEG TO BE ASKED. IF YOU HAD A REALLY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR OWN CHILD HE MIGHT HAVE FELT MORE COMFORTABLE COMING TO YOU MUCH SOONER…. AS FOR THE WEBSITE YOU SPEAK OF HERE, WHICH IS RUN BY PEOPLE WITH THEIR OWN POLICE RECORDS, CAN LEGITIMATELY BE TERMED A PORNOGRAPHIC SITE, AND IS THERE FOR THE GANGSTERS ON TOP TO VENT THEIR PERSONAL VENDETTA’S AGAINST PEOPLE THEY HAVE GRIPES WITH. LABELING PEOPLE WITHOUT A SHRED OF EVIDENCE (IN MOST CASES), WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST CONSIDERATION AS TO THE UNWARRANTED DAMAGE THEY ARE DOING TO THESE SUPPOSED ACCUSED PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES. AND TO HAVE ANY ROV BACK THIS KIND OF LEWD PORNOGRAPHY IS THE MOST SHOCKING AND DISSAPPOINTING THING FOR CROWN HEIGHTS. IF ONE CAN’T EVEN GO TO A ROV ANYMORE BECAUSE HE IS SOLD TO A BUNCH OF HOODLUMS IS A PRETTY PRETTY SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS. IF ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY GUILTY WHY IS THERE ABSOLUTELY NOT A SHRED OF PROOF OR EVIDENCE? AND IF TRUE WHY HASN’T ANYONE GONE TO THE POLICE. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A WEBSITE WASHING OUR FILTHY LAUNDRY FOR THE WORLD TO SEE? OBVIOUSLY THESE EX CONS HAVE NO COMPUNCTIONS AS TO WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO “THE REBBE’S SHCHUNA” ALL I CAN SAY IS SHAME ON THE SO CALLED ROV AND SHAME ON THIS WEBDSITE FOR CONDONING THIS LEWD FICTITIOUS WEBSITE,.
Think before You Write!!!!
according to my shulchan aruch (must be an older version…) a person is innocent until proven guilty. Most of the people on that repulsive site have absolutely not been proven guilty in any shape or form whatever.
CrownHeights.info belittles its site by acknowledging such a low class site as the one they write about.
wake up people
just few days passed since prev article
Child Abuse Arrests Spike in Brooklyn. Or Do They?
and there is a new one !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Claiming child abuse became convenient and cost-effective
way to punish husband, son-in-law, brother-in-law etc that
he dears to have different opinion
Go to ACS look at posters there. Men are either wife
abusers or child abusers or both. You will never find
a poster that we need to protect man from his wife’s
“NEVEL PEH” and mother can be never abusive !!
HELlOOOOOOOOO !!
Disgusted
If you are accused of molestation you are guilty until proven innocent, what other way can it be, we are talking about our children, the ones G-d gave to us to love and protect. If there is someone suspected of this horror is it not better for the neighbor or friend of the family to be aware of the possibility rather than to allow them to out of ignorance allow their children to be placed in danger? And those that would want to continue this secret distruction of lies are just as sick as the perpetrators.
To all of the above
A lot of the above remarks are trying to defend specific individuals, however, you are not mentioning names of who you think is innocent. Please state the names and then you will hear if the public agrees or disagrees with you and please remember the names are already public knowledge.
Old time Ch-er
Such dribble.
All on that website are guilty!
All the cooments here pro-pedophiles are most likely family to accused and named or PEDO’s themselves.
Instead of looking out for the victims the usual M.O. of protecting the accuser and so on.
SImilar head in the sand behavior.
None of those names are inncoent. They have NOT been caught yet perhaps, but all are guilty…DEAD GUILTY!
A survivor-s Mom
To #19 from survivor’s mom
CRown Heights Rabbonim were consulted and frum professionals and everything was done “al pi da’as torah”
You are simply uninformed.
And no this was not done for revenge, but yes to protect other children from him
and any professional who deals with molestors will tell you there are other victims they just haven’t come forward
and no you don’t “forget’ the details of being violated (especailly by a Rabbi you trusted) when you are a child
If you were ch”v raped, would you “forget” it!
Your words are horrible–you are totally off base and live in denial–become informed. Speak to victims! Maybe you’ll get some sechel
A survivor-s Mom
to #25
what kind of “proof” would you consider valid?
Eyewitness account of the person who was violated (graphic details were provided on site)? Is that good enough for you?
Those of you lambasting survivor’s coming forward are guilty of allowing this evil to continue.
Until it happens to you or your child–you won’t believe it?????
A survivor-s Mom
TO # 36
Who is being blackmailed?????
Asking a menahel or mechanech who molested a child to step down from working with kids is blackmail???
How about calling it protection for other kids???
Yevsekim
I was told by an honest Rov that the letter/ psak is not al pi halacha!
The psak is against halacha, and guess what. That’s why it’s unprecedented! That’s the reason WHY those Rabbis are the first (and only) to do such a “courageous” act, far from courageous it is an example of MEGALEH PONIM BATORAH SHELO KAHALACHA,which brings destruction and tragedy. It was issued to clear the way to facilitate the nefarious website which serves their purposes of doing away with their political enemies.
I believe that the site will be shut down, and the popularity that the authors of the letter are temporarily enjoying from the seekers of evil will soon backfire and prove their undoing. “Bor Kara vayachpereihu…” the end result will be “yoshuv amalo B’rosho……”.That can’t transpire too soon.
To #45
You write:
“45. A survivor-s Mom wrote:
To #19 from survivor’s mom
”CRown Heights Rabbonim were consulted and frum professionals and everything was done “al pi da’as torah””
If that’s the case why does the Rabbi deny that he has any knowledge about the site or who runs it?!
Who is lying? You, the Rabbi, or both?
To #49
So u are saying its ok according to Halacha molest
a child ?
Great tab you got
SCHNEUR A SURVIVOR
my mom wrote on this site and after seeing all the comments i felt the need to respond. I happen to be one of the people who has come forward publicly about being abused. Many of you know who I am and irrespective of what people may think here is what I would like to say.
1. Thank you mother for showing your support.
2. although I understand how the mind would think with these things there will always be different opinions but remember they are all opinions. 90% of you have no idea what this is and how it affects us young children. lots of times people tell me i dont know a lot since im young and I have a lot to learn which I agree but let me tell all of you, YOU HAVENT THE FAINTEST IDEA OF WHAT THE SITUATION IS.
3. GD Forbid I will never wish this on anyone but I am not speculating here nor am I giving an opinion. I am stating facts.
4. I am a victim I was abused by someone very powerful and trusting in my life. I did not make this up. I have no reason. As i have stated previously I dont want money I dont care about anything except helping other victims.
5. Greatfully I am a hard working man and own my own business. I worked 80 hours a week and just simply gained the courage to come forward by feeling good about myself. Confidene gives courage.
6. I am not sitting around all day bored looking for something to do. This is a dirty thing and people are simply unwilling to accept the reality.
7. so everyone thinks that since we are chabad and we have a higher standered therefore we are incapable of having this problem like Penn state or like all the churches for decades already?? You are all so wrong. This is a crime,it does not discriminate.
8. I am proud to say as well that I am a recovering drug addict. everyone who knows me knows this about me. I have made mistakes in my life but I have lived up to it like any human should do especially if we hold ourselves to a higher standered. they always stressed to me in rehab that drugs do no discriminate against age religion race etc etc its a disease. Same to here with molestation. Its a horrible disease that kills children for life and i understand how the situation maybe delicate but dont go around saying were liars and its not true and lets be quiet and were all drugged addicts lets go to rabbis etc etc.
9. With all due respect to Rabbi Osdaba and Rabbi Schwei they claim they dont even know what “molestation” is. how then can we expect as a community for them to make proper descsions in these matters.
10. the fact is when we keep this eternally cases like leiby kletzky take place. If people truely took care of the situation predators would be afraid. They would definitely scale it down a lot. Some people simply would not care and just do it anyway
11. I see lots of you comment on halacha this and halacha that and when you start making excuses for these sick actions you make yourself and halacha look bad. I can assure you as far as I may be from religion I believe in GD and I know right from wrong and there is no religion in the world that would accept anything less then a “Yud Chazaka” to deal with predators.
12. what all you fail to understand especially #35 is that its one thing when a husband abuses his wife and yes its so wrong and criminal and its still hard for a women to deal with at the end of the day they are both adults. but these are children!!!!!!! wake up and smell the coffee. When I was abused i was so young, misguided, looking for my place in life and someone took advantage of that, Someone so close to me and I was a child!!! I wasnt an adult with the ability to go to the police and fight back. You know why!!! because of people like you who would shut me up.
13. I even came to this website and was willing to share my full story yet powerful people tried to block it. I hope in the spirit of sharing my view the publisher will post this.
14. I am here proud and many of you know me, many of you have threatened me and my family but I am not going to be quiet! This is something I believe in and would devote my life to the cause if I had the time. If someone wishes to cause me or my loves ones harm then let it be the will of GD. I have resigned to my fate whatever it may be. Just as long as maybe theres a chance I can save and give courage to 1 child if not many more.
15. Last but not least anyone who knows me personally and who wishes to really believe this and yet cannot I am more then willing to speak to everyone time permitting on this matter.
15. this is not about making a scene and destroying peoples lives. people who molest children do not consult their families. yes of course I feel bad but at the end of the day I didnt ask for this and sometimes you need to do whats right in order to protect our children.
I apologize for any spelling mistakes as this came from the heart.
to schneur
even thou the entire post spoke to my heart, the last line had me bust out and laugh. you have baytzem as they say, and we will expose the evil in our midst.
sad to say, a very large percentage of the population has no idea how bad this problem is and how high up the chain of command it goes. for some reason when it comes to pedophilia, chasidim act like mobsters and deny, protect, cover up and threaten.
doesn’t matter at this point, the wave has started and we will not be stopped, we will get you all.
A note to CHW
Dear CHW,
why dont you write what your process is so that people know that your not just horsing around and just working on a personal vendetta.
i believe you can clear up a lot of these allegation.
Lawyer
i’m still waiting for the first wrongly accused child molester to sue ch watch for defamation, slander etc. then we will know for certain that they are innocent. i guess whomever it is, they will let the community know (op-ed or letter to local website) that they have been falsley accused and we can now trust our children around them.
huh
personal vendetta? against whom? there are 10 pedo’s on the site.
we need g-ds help
there are bad bad bad people out there. and they will never stop
mot
to #11 you seem at great pains to protect molesters. However it is not a case of a “courtroom scenario” but rather a rodef / sakonos nefashos situation. Differnet dinim apply.
to 56
to 56, actually that’s a very general statement , if they get help it’s possible for these people to stop, and maybe they already did stop.
to 58
No Therapist in the world would ever sign a document stating that the child molester that been seeing for 10 years is cured, because there is no way to know of he is cured
to #58
not possible… they never stop… just mayb slow down to track their steps better..
THANK YOU SCHNEUR.
As a survivor myself i understand all the crap that goes on behind the scenes in order to shove everything under the rug. i’ve contacted a few organizations recently and hope to speak publicly soon. It’s the few stubborn, strong survivors like u and I who will hopefully change the future for our children. Unfortunately, most abused children dont always live to carry out their full potential; they’re so badly hurt by the abuse that they don’t make good choices in life.
I like the comment u made about spousal abuse. ur so right. people always lump all sorts of abuse together. however, children are children and they dont have the ability to protect themselves. In addition, many of those in abusive marriages are victims of abuse themselves but haven’t dealt with the issue.
58
59-60 it is possible actually, there is always the margin of doubt but if worked on in intense therapy its possible to get the impulses out
number 58
so your a pedophile?
58
to 63, I don’t even know why I’m answering such an idiotic question but no I’m not.
to number 58
are you sure?
to 58
Ye 58 i think you are one also
58
I actually AM NOT but there is no point in trying to deal with people like you guys.
sfafd
So why are you answering? are you really moshe keller? come on you can tell us ;) we wont bite dont wore