The Saga Of Rabbi Avrohom Mondrowitz, Ger Hasid and Accused Child Rapist, Continues

The Jerusalem Post's Matthew Wagner has a new report on the Rabbi Avrohom Mondrowitz case. This is the story's first major coverage in Israel.

Mondrowitz allegedly abused (anally raped, I'm told) children in Boro Park during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was indicted by a Brooklyn grand jury but fled to Israel in 1987 before trial. Israel refused to extradite him to due a technicality in the extradition treaty between the US and Israel. What technicality? The treaty did not specifically mention man on boy rape as a crime.

Shocked? Don't be. Israel protected Mondrowitz. It's a fact. Why? The key quote from the JPost piece tells the story:

… However, a prominent member of the Ger [hasidic] community in Jerusalem defended Mondrowitz.

"There are people who are trying to disparage Mondrowitz's name," said the source.

"Mondrowitz is a very intelligent, talented man and so are all of his children. His father is highly respected in the community. I can't believe these stories are true.…

Ger is the largest hasidic group in Israel and the most influential politically, controlling today half of the United Torah Judaism political party. Then it controlled its own party, Agudat Israel, which later combined with the Lithuanian haredi party Degel HaTorah to form the block now known as UTJ. Chabad was usually in the Agudat Israel camp, as were most but not all other hasidic groups, excluding primarily the virulently anti-Zionist groups like Satmar, and Belz, which was an early pioneer, so to speak, in selling its votes to the highest bidder. Shas was formed about this time. Before that, its Sefardic haredi voters were usually steered into the Degel HaTorah camp by Sefardic haredi leaders or to other less successful parties that no longer exist.

The word for many years on the Mondrowitz case is that the various leaders of Ger did not want him extradited. This is so even though the Edah Haredit beit din in Mea Shearim issued a ruling in 1988 against Mondrowitz noting that he had committed "insidious acts" and warning him to stay away from children.

At the time Mondrowitz worked for various schools in Israel, including the Jerusalem College of Technology and the Jerusalem College of Engineering.

The ruling from Edah Haredit did not change this.

Mondrowitz was aided by the fact that at first his accusers were all Italian-American children. There were many Jewish victims. Some of them and their parents even spoke with police. But all Jewish victims and their families refused to testify citing everything from laws against speaking lashon hara and laws against mesira (informing), to fears that siblings would not get shidduchim, that they and their families would be harassed and ostracized by their haredi communities, etc.

Haredi rabbis – who are loathe to accept the testimony of children anyway and who disparage non-haredi court proceedings – were reluctant to act based on testimony that was not only from minors and given in a non-Jewish setting, but was from non-Jews rather than from Jews. Even though some recognized that Mondrowitz was guilty, they would not act against him for these reasons and because they did not want to bring shame down on the haredi community. Others also feared having Mondrowitz go to prison in the US, where it is difficult to keep a haredi standard of kosher and religious observance and where child molesters are treated badly by other inmates.

By the time Jewish victims came forward, Mondrowitz was safe in the protective arms of Ger in Israel.

And so the case sat for 20 years. Sure, the law changed, first in 1988 to recognize man on boy rape and then in January of this year, finally making the 1988 change retroactive to the signature of the original treaty.

Then, a combination of pressure brought against the Brooklyn DA by bloggers (UOJ first among them) and their readers and some back door work by other advocates forced the Brooklyn DA to ask for Mondrowitz's extradition.

(The JPost says Hynes asked for extradition in January, but seems to be basing this on information given by the Brooklyn DA's spokesman. I am not sure this information is accurate. UPDATE: The Jewish Week reports the extradition request was made in February. Why this may be significant will have to wait for another post.)

What will come from this?

Time will tell. Mondrowitz will certainly fight extradition and the JPost reports Israel has its own open investigation against Mondrowitz. I suspect that Israel will charge him for lesser crimes than child rape and will, after a long legal process, convict and jail him, housing him in a yeshiva-prison, refusing to release him for extradition until his sentence in Israel is fully served. He will have weekend furloughs and conjugal visits and time off for family celebrations and lifecycle events. He will learn Torah most of the day and eat glatt kosher mehadrin food.

Mondrowitz is now 60 years old. By the time the legal wrangling is finished and his Israeli "jail time" served, he will be nearing 70. By then, the Brooklyn DA will have forgotten about Avrohom Mondrowitz, who will anyway then be an old man.

You get the picture.

The Mondrowitz case is proof that you can rape children as long as you belong to a well-connected (and in this case wealthy) haredi family. The law may one day find you – but that will only be after years of work by victims and their advocates.

The case also illustrates the misuse of halakha by haredi rabbis out to protect their own. It shows a level of disregard for crimes committed against non-Jews.

But most of all it illustrates the destructiveness of silence. Haredi victims and their families remained silent, preferring to rely on the courage of the non-Jewish victims while they themselves hid in the shadows while their neighbors whispered about the "Hot Yudis" and "Avremels" in their midst but refused to stand up and do anything.

If you want to protect children, end the silence.

Your voices are the only weapons you have.

Comments

[Neandershort]

I can't believe these stories are true.…

That is for a jury, not the defendant's cronies, to determine. Something similar is playing itself out with Shevachgate. The putz who sold treif chickens as kosher for years under the watchful :) eyes of rabbanim and mashgihim is now in Israel, out of reach of New York authorities, being protected by the same haredi mafia. He should be kidnaped, put on a plane for New York and made to face the music. They did it with Eichmann. When there's a will there's a way... Until then I will be exceedingly skeptical about hekhsherim and mashgihim.

Others also feared having Mondrowitz go to prison in the US, where it is difficult to keep a haredi standard of kosher and religious observance

This guy raped children - and they are concerned that he will not be able to to keep a haredi standard of religious observance in prison. As if he has been keeping one outside of prison?

and where child molesters are treated badly by other inmates.

Too bad! It's amazing that these idiots supporting this jerk totally discount that children are treated badly by child molesters. He's a serial child rapist and they are concerned about how he will be treated in prison?

[mickey]

Why is this a surprise? "Rabbi"Ben Zion Sobol sodomized dozens of teens in a "yeshiva" he set up just for this purpose, Neve Yehoshua, there was a suicide of an affected talmid, and no one said anything. He was sent to work at Feldheim instead, and writes shiurim on the net where he's held to be a tzaddik. This story was known by everyone and hushed up, because, after all, he's a rosh yeshiva.

[BTA]

Kudos to you for telling this story. It's about time. These Rabbis provide clarity for those in their communities who would give lip service to the "kids at risk" while harboring a lowlife, scumbag like Monsterwitz.

He is the orthodox's worst Rabbi and there are plenty to choose from.

[yona loriner]

why is everybody jumping to conclusions??????
do u know for a fact that its true????!!!???

[yona loriner]

whatever happened to the american way??? inocent untill proven guilty!!!!!!!

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

whatever happened to the american way??? inocent untill proven guilty!!!!!!!

That only applies in a court of law.

[Neandershort]

whatever happened to the american way??? inocent untill proven guilty!!!!!!!

When he gets his ass back to New York and faces a jury, he will have all the protections any criminal defendant gets.

[Neandershort]

Your voices are the only weapons you have.
Actually, we have our fists, feet, elbows and knees as well. If the parents of his victims were to beat him to an inch of his miserable life, he'd probably be only too willing to come back to New York and go with the straight law.

[REBBELE]

,,,,MONDROWITZ WAS SAFE IN THE ARMS OF GER IN ISRAEL.

Where do you get your information from? Mondrowitz is and has been persona non grata in Ger since the allegations surfaced. But then again why should you allow the true facts get in your way of a) frum bashing b) chassidim bashing and best of all c) Ger and Aguda bashing. The seal of god is truth. The seal of FailedMessiah is half truth, lies, and distortion

[shmuel]

"whatever happened to the american way??? inocent untill proven guilty!!!!!!!"

And he skipped town rather than be found guilty. Anyone who runs out on his own trial....well, you know what that means...

whatever happened to the american way??? inocent untill proven guilty!!!!!!!

The American way? Ha! Like he can claim that! He fled to Israel in order to avoid his trial. Now you want to invoke "the American way" on his behalf?

He has purposely stalled the very mechanism that is supposed to put to rest his question of guilt or innocence.

Part of "the American way" is also that the defendant has the right to a prompt trial. He could have had his trial 20 years ago, but he fled. So, maybe he isn't interested in the "American way," after all.

[Anon]

"Something similar is playing itself out with Shevachgate."

Nothing similar at all. The perpetrator in Shevachgate stands to serve little time if convicted in the US - don't recall what the maximum penalty is, but its not that much. Also, unlike Mondrowitz he has in effect been punished as he has lost his home, his wife and his kids.

[Isa]

Regarding"""What happened to the American Way?"""
Ever hear of bounty hunters? these folk work for the bail bondsman. Bounty hunters do not need any warrants etc, etc, Supreme Court decision of ~1872 which still stands.

[adderabbi]

why would he need conjugal visits? he'd be in prison!

[victim]

As a victim of Mondrowitz who is no longer frum i will only say that if u beleive he is innocent and that ger is not protecting him call the gerrer rav in jerusalem. his name is meir silbershtein (speaks hebrew and yiddish) He stated on the phone this morning @ about 7:AM israel time to an anonymous caller that he believes mondrowitz IS GUILTY yet due to the fact we don't know if he has molested while in israel all these years and since his elderly parents wont survive further agravation and on account of an aleged psak by rabbi aurbach zt"l that he is to be protected form the authorities AT ALL COST, he as head rav of ger is offering to host mondrowitz in his own home while out on bail. When told the caller is a long suffering victim of mondrowitz he replied that the victim should get over it. Call him and find out for yourself what these wretched dogs will do to cover for a rabid sodomizer!

[Larry]

There has been no report on the January 9, 2008 court appearance. Anyone know what transpired?

[Shmarya]

Postponed until the 12th.

[Anonymous]

Extradition! (from the Broadway sensation Fondler on the Roof)

Extradition, extradition! Extradition!
Extradition, extradition! Extradition!

Who, day and night, must sodomize talmidim,
tell them it's okay, behind shadowy closed doors?
And who has the right, as scoffers of the law,
to seek asylum in the Holy Land?

The Rebbeim, the Rebbeim! Extradition!
The Rebbeim, the Rebbeim! Extradition!

Who must know the way to run a yeshiva,
A quiet yeshiva, a kosher yeshiva?
Who must squirrel away all the sexual abuse,
To perpetuate the torah way?

The hanhala, the hanhala! Extradition!
The hanhala, the hanhala! Extradition!

At three, I learned the alef bais.
At four, my balls were fondled.
I hear they found the bastard.
I hope he rots in hell.

The talmidim, the talmidim! Extradition!
The talmidim, the talmidim! Extradition!

And who is it that makes sure
that whatever comes to pass,
molesters of children
will get it up their ass?

The zroya netuyah! Extradition!
Of the law! The law! Extradition!

[Anonymous]

Extradition! (from the Broadway sensation Fondler on the Roof)

Extradition, extradition! Extradition!
Extradition, extradition! Extradition!

Who, day and night, must sodomize talmidim,
tell them it's okay, behind shadowy closed doors?
And who has the right, as scoffers of the law,
to seek asylum in the Holy Land?

The Rebbeim, the Rebbeim! Extradition!
The Rebbeim, the Rebbeim! Extradition!

Who must know the way to run a yeshiva,
A quiet yeshiva, a kosher yeshiva?
Who must squirrel away all the sexual abuse,
To perpetuate the torah way?

The hanhala, the hanhala! Extradition!
The hanhala, the hanhala! Extradition!

At three, I learned the alef bais.
At four, my balls were fondled.
I hear they found the bastard.
I hope he rots in hell.

The talmidim, the talmidim! Extradition!
The talmidim, the talmidim! Extradition!

And who is it that makes sure
that whatever comes to pass,
molesters of children
will get it up their ass?

The zroya netuyah! Extradition!
Of the law! The law! Extradition!

[jewbro]

To the guy who was a victim who spoke to the main man at Ger...

Really sorry to hear that you ain't frum no more...
Is it cause of him? Man, is he gonna burn!

It's not like I don't understand how you feel but ain't it bad enough that guys like this make us lose our faith in rabbis... but why chuck Torah?
Hey bro, hold on to your soul!

jewbro

[Mikey]

For Mondrowitz go to prison in the US, where it is difficult to keep a haredi standard of kosher is WRONG.

Never mind the stupid laws of the United States. Mondrowitz should most definitely not serve time in a New York, or any, jail.

This should be dealt with strictly according to Halacha! And only Halacha d'oraita.

And since most of his victims where boys... never mind the kashrut level, his food would no longer be applicable.