Should Young Israel Allow The Brother Of Convicted Pedophile Baruch Lebovits To Speak?

A Shabbos tisch with the Nikolsberg Rebbe is scheduled for Friday night at Young Israel of the Upper West Side.

The Rebbe's brother, Baruch Lebovits (pictured above) was just convicted of sodomizing and molesting a teenage boy, and the Rebbe is widely seen as a protector/enabler of his brother.

So why is Young Israel hosting him?

Please click to enlarge:

 

Perhaps it would be better if Young Israel postponed the Rebbe's tisch until after the Rebbe made a strong statement condemning sexual abuse and pedophilia.

If you want to ask Young Israel about this, here is the contact information:

Young Israel of the West Side

210 West 91st Street

New York, NY 10024

office@yiws.org

(212) 787 7513

Comments

[soso]

Invite him and ask him personally...
then you might see even clearer...

[Pessie Gelb]

Burich Mordechai Lebovits pretended to be a big tzadik his whole life. Maybe at an earlier stage in his life he was a big tzadikbut the yaitzer hora the sutan the baal duvar the malach hamuves got him to fall down and become a rusha mirisha choite machtze es harabim one who causes the multitudes to sin and not only sin but go completely away from yidishkait. Burich Mordechai was so ashamed of his sins that when his sins were found out about and publicized he stopped going to his brother, the nikolsburger rebbe shalito. It is illogical to say that the nikolsburger rebbe shalito has been an enabler and protector of his brother or his brother's sinful ways because Burich Mordechai was too ashamed of his sins to tell anybody about his sins not even his brother not even his rebbe. He will probably still be pretending to be a big tzadik who has never sinned even at his sentencing.
The nikolsburger rebbe shalito says shaloish seudois toire after the zman moitzei shabos and these shaloish seudois toirehs are broadcast live on the nikolsburger hotline and recorded so that people can listen later on the nikolsburger hotline. Last shabos the rebbe shalito talked about what happened to his brother without mentioning his brothers name or saying that he was refering to his brother. The rebbe shalito talked about the nature of the neshume and how a tzadik can be chaped by the yaitzer horo to do a minor avairo and avairo goireres avairo and laide laide he falls down into the shoiel tachteoi the deep abyss the bottomless pit of being a rushe mirishe choite machtzi es harabim who causes the multitudes to not only sin but completely go away from yidishkait. The rebbe's talk in yidish can be heard by dialing 718-705-6060 and then pressing the 3 button and then pressing the 1 button. Anybody who is thinking of protesting against the nikolsburger rebbe shalito should first listen to this shalosh seudos toire and make sure that they understand it even though it is in yidish and they dont understand yidish.

[HaNavon]

they should absolutely invite him, but then there should be enough people there to make it awkward for him when he's asked about it in public. we should have someone there, pre planned, who will stand up along with several other friends, and say in a loud voice "rabboisei, we have a question that needs answering: rabbi leibowitz, why did you try to cover up cases of child molesters?" and then proceed to present written evidence, on copied sheets of paper, which you then hand out to everyone in attendance.

[HaNavon]

pessie gelb;

i've been reading your posts, and i'm wondering, are you learning disabled?

[Pessie Gelb]

The nikolsburger rebbe shalito not only did not try to cover up what his brother was doing but he didnt even know what his brother was doing until the whole world knew about it.

[Pessie Gelb]

Hanavon:
What is your written evidence that the nikolsburger rebbe shalito knew about his brother sins and tried to cover them up and protect his brother?

[Yechiel]

B"H
The Nikolsburger crowd to include the Rebbe is very "funny".
People with keen senses know what I mean. Quite disturbing. Shomer nafsho yirchak mehem...

[A E ANDERSON]

Since when does Guilt-by-Association bother Failed Messiah.com? The operating principle of this blog has been Rubashkin, the "Rubashkin Crime Family" and anyone _related_ to them is by that very fact alone suspect if not guilty. And every Chabadnik is a crazed messianist, etc., by association in any form with Lubavitch.

Of course, Young Israel of Wherever violates a fundamental principle of Western as well as Judaic morality by engaging in the Guilt-by-Association FALLACY. Because it is not only immoral -- WRONG -- but also logically fallacious.

I will demonstrate this by a false syllogism (pun intended), which is fallacious and perhaps fellatious as well:

Yankele played with boy's schmekle @ the Kinsgston Av mikva
Yankele knows Shlomie.
THEREFORE, Shlomie also played with the little boy's etc.

Even were the syllogistic logic correct, which it is not (QED), the proposition remains fallacious because it is an ad hominen argument.

Perhaps Young Israel has a little growing up to do.

N.B. - And, yes, I agree with the others here who observe that the brother likely did not allegedly bugger the little boy in front of his brother, the rabbi.

[Mr. Apikorus]

In this country and by Western law in general, guilt by association is associated with Tailgunner Joe McCarthy. Except, perhaps, on this blog.

[harold]

Should Young Israel Allow The Brother Of Convicted Pedophile Baruch Lebovits To Speak

… and why not? Since when is it a crime to be the brother of a Pedophile? Isn't a person supposed to be judged by their own actions? What foolishness.

[seymour]

Should Young Israel Allow The Brother Of Convicted Pedophile Baruch Lebovits To Speak

… and why not? Since when is it a crime to be the brother of a Pedophile? Isn't a person supposed to be judged by their own actions? What foolishness.

Posted by: harold | March 18, 2010 at 07:32 AM

_______________________________________

I usually do not agree with you, but in this case I do

[seymour]

Burich Mordechai Lebovits pretended to be a big tzadik his whole life. Maybe at an earlier stage in his life he was a big tzadikbut the yaitzer hora the sutan the baal duvar the malach hamuves got him to fall down and become a rusha mirisha choite machtze es harabim one who causes the multitudes to sin and not only sin but go completely away from yidishkait. Burich Mordechai was so ashamed of his sins that when his sins were found out about and publicized he stopped going to his brother, the nikolsburger rebbe shalito. It is illogical to say that the nikolsburger rebbe shalito has been an enabler and protector of his brother or his brother's sinful ways because Burich Mordechai was too ashamed of his sins to tell anybody about his sins not even his brother not even his rebbe. He will probably still be pretending to be a big tzadik who has never sinned even at his sentencing.

Pessie Gelb

_________________________________________

Please stop your nonsense

he is no different than any other molester. what do you think that other no Jewish molester tell people what they are doing

[Yossi]

Bigger issue in my mind is that the Rebbe himself was the Maspid for the executed murderer, and arranged a big funeral, calling him a tzadik!

Video was on YouTube!

[Jay]

I would tend to agree with Yossi. His relationship to his brother is irrelevant in that we have no direct evidence that he was aware of the actions of his brother. If it were proven otherwise then the invitation would be wrong. However his 'canonization' as it were, of an executed murderer stands out as a grossly inappropriate action.

[Chaptz]

Nikolsburg was unaware until very recently about his brothers behavior

[Critical minyan]

I don't care if he speaks or not, but I do think he's gonna be dissapointed that there aren't gonna be a lot of young Israelites at the Young Israel.

[Jay]

More likely he'd be delighted if there were fewer Young Israelites and more right wingers.

[Bill]

If I were the Nikolsburger Rebbe's advisor, I would tell him that if he had nothing to do with his brother's crimes, this is his opportunity to become the most famous and well-regarded Orthodox Jew of his generation.

He should get up there and blow the whole thing out of the water. As one of the prophets said, "Tell my nation it's crimes, and to Israel its sins." He should deliver a straigt-up indictment of Orthodox Judaism failure to address the Pedophelia problem. No euphemisms. No vaugue discussions about "tahara" or "tznuis."

Just get up there and deliver a scathing invective about pedophelia and Orthodox Judaism's failure to remedy it.

The best defense is offense.

[Pinchos Dov]

No direct evidence. No proof. The Nikolsburg Rebbe just heard about it.

We've heard this before, haven't we? Children can't be trusted, they lie. The child didn't complain about the abuse until years later, and can't be believed. There's no medical evidence. The kid didn't go to the hospital or doctor. We know this rabbi - nobody else has complained about him. He's married, and has beautiful children. He's a superb mechanech.

When do we ever learn? First, we got conned by the molesters themselves, now even the bloggers are being conned by the coverup artists, like the Nikolsburg Rebbe. His convicted brother is 53 years old. He didn't become a molester overnight. He's been at it for decades, and there have been complaints. Many kids knew to stay away from him.

Oh, yeah, Lipa Margulies didn't know that Yudi Kolko was a molester until recently.

[Shmarya]

Should Young Israel Allow The Brother Of Convicted Pedophile Baruch Lebovits To Speak

… and why not? Since when is it a crime to be the brother of a Pedophile? Isn't a person supposed to be judged by their own actions? What foolishness.

Idiot.

The Rebbe has allegedly been covering up for his brother for years.

It isn't just the molesters who are bad, harold – it's the rabbis who cover up for them.

[Dov]

Better they should invite Howard Stern to speak. He has no associations with child molestors and just talks about sex.

[Zalman Alpert]

Just a bit of background , for year the so called Nikolsburger rebbe was the object of ridicule in the wider Satmar /Hungarian Chassidic community. Several books against him and his "outreach" tactics in that community were published as well as a number of tapes. He lost his teaching position in Satmar. the 2 volumes are called Mese Shave and are fascinating reading , even if in the world of Alice in Wonderland.
While he was highly regarded for his scholarship, he was regarded as an eccentric and strange man. As far as I can tell his biological father was no rebbe, rather he pinned his status on the fact that his mother married the ate Skulener rebbe in his old age.
Once the war in Satmar broke out pitting the 2 brothers Teitelbaum against each other with a myriad of other alliances , the "Nikolsbuger" was granted normative status by at least some parts of the community.
He has developed into a publicity hound speaking at Chabad affairs , travelling the US as a Holy man who does miracles etc. I guess it must also be said that his brother the perp also calls himself the Komorner rebbe. As Huey Long should have said "Every man a rebbe"I suppose on the basis that his brother is the Nikolsburger rebbe.
All this makes him guily of nothing (perhaps of sillines and inflated ego , but who that community is immune to that illness). But I guess the opportunity for him to gig in a main stream Upper West Side shul is fantastic with its networking and contribution potential. On the other side the Shul long led by a serious rav Rav Gettinger (I believe he is retired now) thinks its hosting a serious Hassidic master and hopes to get some points on that basis.Frankly they would be better off hostng a serious Lubavitcher spiritual leader.

[Twistelton-Twistelton]

"The Rebbe has allegedly been covering up for his brother for years."

Just who made this allegation?!?!?
Other than Shmarya.

[Shmarya]

Just who made this allegation?!?!?

Victims. Advocates.

[Successful Messiah]

"Idiot.

The Rebbe has allegedly been covering up for his brother for years."

Moron. How has the Rebbe allegedly been covering up for his brother?

[Shmarya]

Please.

How did Rabbi Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg cover up for Kolko and Margulies?

Cretin.

[Pinchos Dov]

Agree with Shmarya here. The people who are asking for direct proof of the Nikolsburg Rebbe's coverup are fools.

[Pessie Gelb]

When was the first time that the rebbe was accused of covering up for his brother? When was the first time that the rebbe was accused of enabling his brother?

[Mr. Apikorus]

If one makes an unsupported allegation, what's wrong with asking for proof?

[Pessie Gelb]

The rebbe is more shocked than we are from finding out that his brother, who was thought to be a tzadik, commited such horrible abomination toiaivu sins, especially since Burich Mordechai is his brother and he always sat in a position of honor next to the rebbe by the tish, until Burich Mordechai's sins became public knowlege and Burich Mordechai became ashamed to go to his brother.

[Pessie Gelb]

The rivnitzer rebbe zatzal could look into a persons eyes and know every avairo that a person ever commited. I guess that we dont have such rebbes anymore.

[Pinchos Dov]

Nothing wrong in asking for proof, but what kind of proof?

How did juries decide criminal and civil cases, in general, and sex cases in particular, before fingerprints, DNA, photographs, rape kits, videos, medical records, and all of the other scientific gizmos that make decisions a whole lot easier.

They used their God given brains. Logic, reason, common sense, weighing credibility of the witnesses. In cases without scientific proof, that's what they still have to do today. And outside the courtroom, like here, its a lot easier to do so.

Margulies and Kolko. No direct or scientific proof that Margulies covered up anything. Just a few victim statements and the bloggers. Yet, most of us believe that Margulies is a vile creature who covered up Kolko for decades. And why the silence from his end? From silence you can draw an adverse inference of guilt.

Rebbe and his 53 year old brother Baruch Lebovits. Again, no direct or scientific proof. Just the word on the street that many kids knew to stay away from Baruch. That pedophiles aren't created overnight. That many pedophiles abuse hundreds of kids. That this is a religious community notorious for keeping secrets. Think: mesira.

If people want to believe the brother didn't know, and ask questions that can't possibly be answered, g'zunteheit. But you're fools.

[Mr. Apikorus]

"Word on the street" doesn't make Lebovits' brother an enabler.

I'm glad you're not a judge, Pinchos.

[Chaptz]

Shmarya you write "The Rebbe has allegedly been covering up for his brother for years."

Please explain what does "allegedly" mean who made these allegations other than a anonymous person who knows how to type????

[Pinchos Dov]

Pessie Gelb, you say the rebbe's brother, Baruch, was thought to be a tsaddik. Can you elaborate? What did Baruch Lebovits do to deserve such recognition?

[Chaptz]

Shmarya- how do victims know what the rebbe did? it's all speculation...i know from someone very close to the family that he did not know about his brother...whats your source what are the details??? there are none...it's a great story the rebbe covering up i know ...but it's still very crappy of you to assume it happened and to call people that question you "idiots" why are they idiot? why so defensive? your the fool

[Mr. Apikorus]

Shmarya is back in mid-season form. For awhile, I was worried about him.

[harold]

Should Young Israel Allow The Brother Of Convicted Pedophile Baruch Lebovits To Speak

… and why not? Since when is it a crime to be the brother of a Pedophile? Isn't a person supposed to be judged by their own actions? What foolishness.

Idiot.

Please.
Idiot.
Cretin.

Good to have you back Scotty!

[harold]

Hmmmm, Chayim leaves, Scott returns. Could someone check if there is a correlation as to when Scotty mellowed and the appearance of Chayim.

Are Scotty and Chayim one and the same?

CHAREIDI POWER NUMBER ONE

[Mr. Apikorus]

Chareidi power. Number two!

[Pinchos Dov]

I personally spoke to a victim of another molester who tells me that when he was growing up, it was known among many kids to stay away from Baruch. That's my source of knowledge for "word on the street".

I'm not a judge, this is not a courtroom. The strict rules of evidence do not apply here. The Talmud has rules of r'glayim l'davar, suspicious circumstances, and kulo d'lo passuk, persistent rumors. Absent direct evidence of the rebbe's knowledge of his brother's molestations, we need not act like fools. This has been going on for decades. People talk. He's the rebbe. People tell him things. Meanwhile, the rebbe is silent, just like Margulies, Sheinberg, Belsky, and all of the other enablers. They're more clever than the Cardinals who talk and apologize.

When do you guys ever learn? Direct proof? Are you kidding? Do you have direct proof that a Mafia don ever ordered the murder of anybody? Sometimes its just a hand signal.

[steve]

Such naivete. Lebovits, "The Atlantic City Rebbe", has been a known child molester in Boro Park for at least thirty years. Similarly, Yudi "Hot" Kolko was a known molester from his days in Mirrer Yeshiva in the '60's, to his days at Karlin Stolin, Camp Aguda, YTV of OP, YTT and Camp Silver Lake (I'm sure I missed a few stops). The whole oilam knew about Baruch's "problem" except his famous big brother? I have a few bridges I'd like to sell you.

[Chaptz]

PD your basically saying that since margolisa and belsky are guilty so by the mere fact that the nikolsburg rebbe is a jewish leader makes him guilty that's pretty bad false weak reasoning.

[Pinchos Dov]

Chaptz, you're right. Nobody knows about anything. Not Margo, not Belsky. Not the Satmar people who employ Avrohom Reichman. Not the Ger people who employ Lazerewitz in their yeshiva. Not the Lakewood people who employed Yosef Kolko in their camps and yeshivas. Not anybody.

You're only getting one-half the point. It is "reasoning" that won't convict anybody in a courtroom. But its enough to rescind the invitation to speak on Shabbos at a respectable shul.

[liberal till my balls ache]

you guys are secular.
We gave up all the fum stuff, didnt we. all the judgmentalism based on the way people look and the friends they keep. thats why many of us left. that is the symptoms of an insular, closed society.
we left all of that behind, no?
now, when i read this crap about, "ohhh, my grandmas underpants told my cat that the rebbe knew all along" it makes me clear that you are all of you, just a bunch of hypoctites.
still the same old looby dickheads, just you eat pig now.
where is your integrity. If you are secular, then believe in innocent till proven guilty. where the fuck are your morals.

[steve]

dickheads..then believe in innocent till proven guilty. where the fuck are your morals

Tell that to some of Lebovits' victims that are still in therapy decades later, ASSHOLE.

[Pinchos Dov]

"where is your integrity. If you are secular, then believe in innocent till proven guilty."

Innocent till proven guilty is an evidentiary rule that applies only in the courtroom.

Where's the integrity for the victims? They're in therapy, or just dead, from drugs and suicide.

You're an asshole.

Eat shit.

[The Other DK]

From The Young Israel of the West Side website:

NIKOLSBERG DINNER IS SOLD OUT

[cheskel]

Hanavon,
Check my response in the "Cnbc article"
child molestation has been going on for ages. i doubt its worse now then 100 years ago. when velt is givaen velt they would take a molester and beat the crap out of him that would be felt for weeks or months everyone would talk about it and he never touched again. i recall like 20 years ago someone molested a kid. one day the guy came to shul two or three guys took him into room and beat him up so badly that i doubt he ever touches a child.

[Forty Eighter]

Whoever says that BML was a known child molester for 30 years is a liar. I knew him very well all that time. In fact, he was known to have a penchant for "ladies of the night" and for gambling. Basically a low-life, but not little kids.

Even now I wouldn't classify him as a typical pedo. He basically lured adolecent kids into 'consentual' relationships. All the kids involved were known misfits before he knew them. Probably because of their pre-existing unconventional attractions. So although his actions were illegal and disgusting, he is not the most dangerous type of predator out there.

As for the Nikulshberger tzaddik, if you look into his past (30 years) you will find that there were accusations against him that sound eerily similar to what MBL is in to. There was actually a bais din who took testimony from witnesses and victims who described his association with a group of misfit teenagers who were in to some crazy stuff.

There. I spilled the beans.

[steve]

He basically lured adolecent kids into 'consentual' relationships. All the kids involved were known misfits before he knew them.

So he "basically" preys upon the vulnerable and downtrodden kids. That IS typical of child molesters such as Kolko, Mondrowitz, et al. It makes no difference if the child is 6 or 16. The effects will be as equally as devastating. If I read another post attempting to defend this menuval I am going to puke. Enough already! This sexual predator is as guilty as sin! I am writing a long letter to Judge Dimango requesting that she put him away for the maximum amount of time the law allows. Now go spill your beans elsewhere.

[Forty Eighter]

Steve, let me say it more bluntly. From my reading of happened with BML is appears that he started his first 'relationship' with a teenager mutually. He had a keen eye for boys who might be receptive to his advances and he took advantage of that. After word got out that he was game he was approached by other boys for the same thing. He treated them to car rides and trips to atlantic city. If anyone ever rebuffed his advances he moved on. So although he is a disgusting pig, he cant be compared to predators who prey on innocent unconsenting victims. I am not defending him, but think hard if someone like him actually deserves to spend decades in jail.

If you would have folowed the testimony at his trial you would have known that the victim was a troubled kid for years before. He started hard drugs at 12. He stole from everyone to maintain his habit. He roamed the streets. At no point did he say that he tried to rebuff BML's advances. In fact, he voluntarily kept coming back for more. Although he was below the age of consent, a 16 year old street-smart kid can make some decisions for himself, don't you think?

Contrary to word on the street, in none of the 3 cases against BML did the victim become messed up after they came in contact with him.

I say, instead of sending him to jail, have him compensate the victims and have his balls chopped off.

[cheskel]

Forty Eighter,
Well said.Where i am not familiar from the inside but heard similar to yours.
beat the crap out of people like him instead going to prison.

[Shaul in Monsey]

Is it the Monsey Nikolsburger Rebbe that is the brother?

[steve]

Cheskel,

While I would not feel any sympathy for a child molester who gets the "crap beaten out of him", vigilantism is against the law. Also, it obviously has not worked in the frum community. The molesters have had unfettered access to our children for decades. What took place one hundred years ago no one knows as we don't have any statistics available. All we can do is recognize the real problem we are facing now and deal with it both sensibly and lawfully. What you have suggested in your posts makes absolutely no sense and is illegal.

[The Other DK]

Forty Eighter:

You wrote: "Although he was below the age of consent,.."

Please tell us how you know the victim consented. Were you in court and actually heard such testimony? Did you speak to someone who was actually there? Did you read it in a newspaper? Which one.

Even if the victime did consent, it is still a crime because the victim was below the age of consent.

One problem with sexual abuse cases is that the victim gets abused twice. Once by the perp, and the second time by the perp's attorney.

[steve]

Forty Eighter,

What you don't understand is the power that a dominating personality such as Lebovits has on a naive teen. Even if these teens have homosexual tendencies, I find it hard to believe that they felt attracted to Leibovits. That is why statuatory rape is a crime in this country. Many of these teens who are now in their twenty's and thirty's are just coming to terms to what Leibovits did to them. He must be put away for the rest of his life so that he does not victimize any more unwitting children.

[steve]

Some informative reading material on the subject of "grooming". Molesters such as Leibovits and Kolko are experts:

http://www.vachss.com/guest_dispatches/grooming.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_grooming

http://sexual-abuse.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_pedophiles_groom_victims

[Pessie Gelb]

Burich Mordechai Lebovits was never considered to be anything other than a tzadik until people started hearing rumors to the contrary a few months ago.

[The Other DK]

Pessie:

Please read this:

Lebovits, according to one prominent abuse survivor, was a prolific molester.

“Growing up in Borough Park, he was known in the community as a nice guy but don’t get too close to him,” said Joel Engelman, co-founder of Jewish Survivors Network, whose own case against a yeshiva is pending.

“Just common knowledge between the teenagers. I went to yeshiva in Muncasz, where he used to be very often. All the kids knew about him. The 15-year-olds knew about him. In a way, he’s not the most dangerous molester,” Engelman said, because he was known to be dangerous. “On the other hand, he molested the most vulnerable children.”

Engelman estimated that Lebovits had molested dozens of children, if not “hundreds.”

If you want the full article:
http://thejewishstar.wordpress.com/2010/03/10/brooklyn-molester-prison-bound/

[Yerachmiel Lopin]

Many people in BP knew about BML bussiness with boys. I dont believe the Nickel&Dime Rebbe did not know. If by some miracle he did not know he should quit the rebbe business because he does not have the seichel to know what it going on. Its the same as the spying business. If you find out what is going on by reading the newspaper it is time to quite the spying business.

Beside which the Nicklesburger is famous for an episode at the shloshim of Shua in Lakewood where he insulted the freinds of Shua who were kids at risk and often thesmelves molested by saying the bums shout hit the road. By implication it was bizayon hameis and it echoed the discraceful BML attempt to discredit the witness against him as a bum. So the karbanos of molesting he insults, but Martin Grossman he turns into a tzadik.

He is not a Rebbe with rachmonis; he is a hustler who hands out hechsherim for molesters and mudrerers. He is going to the YI for the money. I am optimistic about him. If he goes to the young israel and discovers that defending molesters is bad for business you will discover hwo quickly he can change his niggun.

If he was truly ignorant till now; let him at least say I should have paid more attention. I am sorry for the terrible things my brother did. I will always love him but I condemn what he did and I will urge him to do true thsuvah by starting with a public confession and begging mechilah from his victims.

[Yerachmiel Lopin]

If the Nikolsburger Rebbe realy cares he can talk to the witnesses who heard directly from Motty Borger that Lebovits molested him. IT is time for the rebbele to show he cares or hide his face.

[Izzy]

Yerachmiel,

First intelligent comments in this entire thread.

[Miyahc]

I saw on yeshiva world today that the father of Borger denies any molestation to his son Mutty.

[Pessie Gelb]

Pinchos Dov:
Please investigate and let us know who it was that told the rebbe that there are rumors that people are saying that Burich Mordechai is a person to be kept away from.

[Pessie Gelb]

Steve:
Only the low lifes knew about Burich Mordechai's problem. They should have told his brother the rebbe but they didnt. They are the people who are guilty of silence, not the rebbe who knew nothing about what was going on.

[Pessie Gelb]

Steve:
Ask any of Lebovits's victims if they ever told his brother.

[steve]

In the immortal words of Oliver North, the community needs to give the Nickolsberg Rebbe "deniability". This "wink, wink" hear no evil see no evil is good for business.

[Pessie Gelb]

Pinchos Dov:
The only thing the nikolsburger rebbe shalito is guilty of is not being a baal ruach hakoidesh who is capable like the rivnitzer rebbe was of looking into a persons eyes and seeing all of his sins from looking into a persons eyes.

[Forty Eighter]

Other DK, although I was not in court, I got first hand reports on a daily basis. In the beginning it appeared to be going pretty well for BML, because the victim's testimony sounded did not sound credible and he admitted to many of his own indescretions from before the incident. The victim claimed that BML picked him up for a hitch and asked him if he wanted to drive. They agreed to meet at a certain spot where he let him in the drivers seat and that is when the incidents began. there were plenty of inconsistancies to the story and many times he answered that he doesn't remember. He was not a very likeable witness and he did not evoke much sympathy from the onlookers. I would say that at that point it could have gone either way. What did him in was the backfiring testimony of Berel Ashkenazi, a scumbag in his own right. The whole case turned on a dime when he opened his stupid mouth.

Also keep in mind that BML was never in a position of authority over these young men. He had to court them the old fashioned way, by wineing and dineing them.

Even crusaders against abuse do not consider BML a dangerous charachter. He was an elementary school teacher for many years, and not one accusation came out against him from those days. He seems to have a thing for adolecent boys, and even them he never pursued vigorously. The boys themselves didn't seem to have a problem all these years with what went on. If must know some inside information I will let you know that this case was initiated by a therapist of one of the boys (who has issues predating this story) who was legally obligated to report the incident once he learned about it. From then it took on a life of its own, with parents seeing dollar signs and activists stiring the pot.

Again, I am not a defender of BML. He is a low-life scum bag pig. He was always known as a creepy charachter. It was common knowledge that his 'rebbe' act was nothing but shtick. In any case, sophisticated people should be intellegent enough to discern the actual magnitude of his crimes. If he is let loose tomorrow you still won't have to hide your kids from him, unless you have a whacked out teenage son who roams the streets and finds older hairy creeps attractive.

[The Other DK]

Forty Eighter:

If I have an opportunity, I will speak with people I know who were in court to get their take.

You wrote: "Even crusaders against abuse do not consider BML a dangerous charachter. (sic)"

Here is a link to a letter, titled "Show up in court" regarding the Lebovits case. If you know anything about the movement in the Jewish community to battle molestation, you will recognize at least some of the names. There is at least one name you will recognize if you know anything about Modern Orthodoxy.

http://thejewishstar.wordpress.com/2010/03/17/letter-to-the-editor-4/

Here is one quote from the letter:
"It is also important that as many letters as possible reach the judge expressing solidarity with the victims, outrage with the horrible crime, and concern for the safety of the community."

[cohen]

many of the Nikolsburger Rebbe Shlita talmidim
know him for 50 to 60 years
and they all can testify that he is from the greatest and holiest gedolim and rabonim in this generation

[steve]

He had to court them the old fashioned way, by wineing and dineing them.

The word is "grooming". Read up on it. It will help you better understand why he is such a danger.

[Shlomo]

The terms Gadol Tzaddik Rebbe have all been degraded in later years it seems that anyone who wears the right clothes with a white beard and peyot can all be called one

[abe]

and why not? Since when is it a crime to be the brother of a Pedophile? Isn't

[ZIY]

Forty Eighter writes:

"Contrary to word on the street, in none of the 3 cases against BML did the victim become messed up after they came in contact with him."

One name: Motty Borger.

steve writes,

"It makes no difference if the child is 6 or 16."

Although the point is well taken (i.e. that molesting a 16 year old is also considered molestation) -- in a way, there it is worse molesting a teenager than a pre-pubescent. A young child whose hormones are not fully developed yet and does not know a thing about sexuality, also does not necessarily have full cognizance at the time of the behaviorally abnormal & socially immoral import of what the molester is doing to him. When the teenager is molested, however, it is in essence distorting his current already developed sexuality to express itself in an abnormal way. It addition, it confuses the teenagers even more than the young child, for the more intellectually mature teenager is more immediately fully aware of the cognitive dissonance of a middle-age religious (authority) figure performing on him acts that even the lowest of reshoim would not dare to do.

So, at least in this way, all the taynes that BML was not so bad, ("just a pig"), does not hold water.

Having said that, I wonder if the courts distinguish betweem a 6 year old and a sixteen year old. If not, why?

[steve]

ZIY,

In terms of criminality, there is no difference. In terms of destuction of lives, both are certainly destructive. Which is worse I will leave to scientific research.

[Yerachmiel Lopin]

ZIY- the laws distinguish between a teen and a younger child. I believe the cutoff point is 11 or 12. They definitely consider it worse if the child is younger.

[Pessie Gelb]

Find me a rebbe who actually looked into Burich Mordechai's eyes and was able to see from looking into Burich Mordechai's eyes that Burich Mordechai was not a tzadik and that Burich Mordechai was commiting the horrible abomination toiaivu sin of mishkav zucher and I will tell you that this rebbe is a greater baal riach hakoidesh than the nikolsburger rebbe and a greater rebbe than the nikolsburger rebbe.

[Pessie Gelb]

The only thing that the nikolsburger rebbe is guilty of is not having enough riach hakoidesh to be able to know about Burich Mordechai's sins from looking into Burich Mordechai's eyes.

[Forty Eighter]

ZIY, I beg to differ. Borger was reportedly molested before BML by a close family member. In fact, if statistics are right, that might have been the reason why he was amenable to BML's advances.

Borger was in essence a good kid who could not imagine himself living a lie. He might have also thought that the vicious cycle would continue. So rather than supress his inclinations he decided to break the cycle in the only way he knew.

You gotta give him credit for his altruistic intentions.

[Pessie Gelb]

You cant expect the rebbe to say that his own brother should be in jail for a long period of time, but I think it was Burich Mordechai's decision that he would rather hide out in jail for the rest of his life rather than to show his sinful face to the religious communities after admiting that he is a homosexual. Burich Mordechai could have pleaded guilty and gotten off with a 3 month sentence but to do so would have required Burich Mordechai to admit that is a homosexual instead of a tzadik which is something that Burich Mordechai was too proud to do. Essentially, Burich Mordechai is going to jail because he is too proud to admit that he is gay.

[Pessie Gelb]

The 16 years old's father was willing to drop all charges against Burich Mordechai if Burich Mordechai would get professional help for his problem. Burich Mordechai turned down this offer because he would have had to admit that he is gay in order to seek help and Burich Mordechai was too proudd to admit that he is gay.

[Just The Facts, Ma'am]

Pinchos Dov,

Can I please know what R' Belsky is guilty of? I have seen many posts on this site that he is guilty of a cover up but I have yet to see someone providing proof of this let alone any shred of circumstantial evidence.

[Pessie Gelb]

The only people who talked lushen hora about Burich Mordechai or listened to lushen hora about him were people who regularly engage in lushen hora.

[Pessie Gelb]

The therapist who reported Burich Mordechai to the government was himself molested by a rabbi at the ner yisrueil yeshiva in Baltimore. As a young man this therapist was a rabbi teaching in his father's out-of-town hebrew day school but he didnt get married. He then went to college and got a PHD in psychology and became a therapist. He is over 40 and still not married. Maybe the reason he is not married is because he has the same problem that Motty Borger had, a psychological inability to lead a normal life with a wife. This happened to him because he was molested by a rabbi in yeshiva.

[Pessie Gelb]

It is time to tell the molesters that we will have no tolerance for them and have them put in jail for their horrible sin of causing the people who they molest to leave yidishkait or even commit suicide. Even if 48er is right that Burich Mordechai is not the worst molester around we must teach the other molesters a lesson as to what will happen to them if they dont do teshiva and stop molesting innocent children.

[Moshe]

A Rebbe???? It is disgusting to even call this man a rebbe. He is worse than his brother, Baruch Mordechai. He is a devil in GREAT disguise, playing and acting a roll purely for financial gain. he is a MASTER con artist and it is disgusting to allow him to diminish the holiness of any place of prayer. A, so called, shul that does provide him a podium or a stage to put on his show, will be cursed and the Shechinah will abandon such a place.

Lebowitz (Nikols...) was condemned many years ago by the old Satmar Rebbe, The Satmar Rebbe had ordered his staff to throw out any young man that had any association with lebowitz, from the yeshivah as well as from entering the shul, regardless who's son they may be.

Wake up people and stop exposing young innocent kids to the "APPEARANCE" of a Rabbi and begin to look for substance and NOT fake packaging!!!!

Isn't it strange that a "Pessie" had posted so many posts on here........a typical victim and cool aid drinker who has tasted the Rabbis formula, and I would not be surprised if she tasted other things too.

[Pessie Gelb]

And what have I tasted?

[Jeff Eyges]

Pessie, do you have any critical thinking skills at all, or do you simply believe whatever the rebbes tell you?

[Pessie Gelb]

Many years ago there were people in satmar who did not like the nikolsburger rebbe because he was allegedly too young to be a rebbe.

[Jeff Eyges]

Hmmmm, Chayim leaves, Scott returns. Could someone check if there is a correlation as to when Scotty mellowed and the appearance of Chayim.

Are Scotty and Chayim one and the same?

Same way you showed up shortly after Archie left, harold.

[Shmuel]

It is disgusting to see how people are not interested in the victims feelings they are just excited that there is gossip. it is now clear to me that this blog has no god intentions, till now you could have fooled people, but when I saw this post and the comments, i saw that all you are interested is to gossip and hate.

to take a godol byisroel as the Nikelsburger Rebbe who is one of the biggest Tzadikkim of this generation, a Talmid Chochom, and write on him so dirty... is disgusting.
I did not believe to see how one of the comments say that satmar held of him nothing... this is the biggest compliment... that means that he goes into the category of other tzadikkim as Reb Moshe Feinstien Z"L, Klauzenburger Rebbe Z"L, Lubavitcher Rebbe Z"L Rav Shach Z"L and so on and so on...

and to take the fact that his father wasn't a rebbe and use this against him is so laughable... the whole reason why chassidishe rebbes lost all the respect is because they became rebbe just for the fact that their father was a rebbe, not because they were suitable or had learned the amount of torah...

The Nikelsburger Rebbe grew up in williamsburg without a father in the 50's and 60's, everybody who knows a little bit of Williamsburg history, in those days to grow up as an orphan meant suicide, it was a natural thing that such a kid went off the derech completely, the Nikelsburger Rebbe worked on himself to grow up... he learned... and was known as being always the best in Yeshiva, he learned with Tzadikkim that were 4 times his age who got up for him when he entered the room, they asked him questions in Torah.
those who willingly spoke against him they have a separate well deserved share in Hell on Olem Habba and in Olom Hazeh, but for those who blindly - unknowingly spoke badly on him, I urge you to go and ask for his forgiveness before it is too late.

as for the question if he should be judged for his brothers actions? If that is the case.. what would have FailleMesiah have written in the times of our holy sages?

should the son of an idol worshipper , Avraham be allowed to speak to Hashem? (not young Israel)

Should the brother of the Rosho and Pere Odom Yishmael, Yitzchuk be allowed to be eligible for the Akeida?

should the brother of the Rosho Esov, Yaakov be able to speak to Hashem?

The Bal Shem Tov's father wasn't a Rebbe, and so was Reebe Reb Ber, the Zlotchev Maggid, The Rebbe Reb Elimelech, The Zanzer Rav..
Rashi's father wasn't a commentator, the Rambams father wasn't a commentator.

come on people grow up! and remember you are Jewish!

[Jeff Eyges]

those who willingly spoke against him they have a separate well deserved share in Hell on Olem Habba and in Olom Hazeh

What happens to those who murder the English language?

Shmuel, have you ever had an independent thought?

[Pinchos Dov]

Just the Facts -

David Framowitz first posted about his abuse by Yudi Kolko on the UOJ blog in September 2005. It began to receive progressive attention starting in December 2005, culminating in the NY Magazine article in May 2006. During that time, Eli Greenwald, a Yeshiva Torah Temimah alum, began to quietly investigate whether the allegations were true. He asked his friends and neighbors, and concluded, yes. Kolko went to R Yisroel Belsky to complain about "motsi shem rah", and R Belsky actually issued Greenwald a hazmonah. The hazmona, which may still be up on the UOJ blog, is signed by R Belsky. In the weeks that followed, when the truth of Kolko's deviancy became widely known, R Belsky refused to set up a beis din, but also never withdrew his hazmona.

Additionally, R Belsky has long been the rav at Camp Aguda, where Yudi Kolko also worked for a period of time. Incidentally, Yosef Kolko also worked there. Yosef is Yudi's nephew, and was arrested in Lakewood several months ago for child sex abuse. His predilications were also long known to many rabbis. He is in his early 30s, and single.

Pinchos Dov:
Please investigate and let us know who it was that told the rebbe that there are rumors that people are saying that Burich Mordechai is a person to be kept away from.

[Pinchos Dov]

Now to Pessie's question, whose post I inadvertently pasted above.

I will not be investigating. You want to investigate, g'zundte heit. There's such a thing as seichel. If you don't believe in seichel, and prefer to look in eyes of rabbis for answers, once again, g'zundete heit. I really wish you all the best.

[Shmuel]

world population: 6,814,466,676
english speaking people, as a first language: 375,000,000
this makes over 62 billion who don't speak english, as a 1st language.
so to answer your question Jeff, I don't think that not mastering the english language is such a crime.

my independent thought?
are you blind? from almost a hundred comments here on this post, if my comment is not independent? what is?

[ZIY]

Thank you Shmarya for posting here about the Nikolsburger Rebbe's visit to Young Israel of the Upper West Side, and for associating it to his brother's scandal. Maybe now, at least for this Shabbes, the huge yet usually empty shul will finally fill up for a change with all curious UWS-UES folks. Maybe even die-hard OZ (Ohav Zedek), Carlebach and Ramat Orah chevreh will show up. Oh, and then there's Boyan, Chazkel Besser OBM's shul, Forhand, Lincoln Square, West Side Institutional, Jewish Center, Drisha, etc. etc.

Let's see tonight & tomorrow who shows up, and if his brother's misdeeds are mentioned. (When the lights go off during Shalosh Se'udos, watch out!)

For all those interested to know what he has to say, there is a hotline you can call up after Shabbes to hear his Shalosh Seu'dos droshe. I don't remember the number. Does anyone out there know it?

Here is a poster for this Shabbes' event:

http://www.nikolsburg.org/Images/YIWS_Shabbos.pdf

[Jewishredneck Redneck]

to all of you morons, since you all love facts here is some trivia for you,

the Nikolsburg Rebbe was renowned in satmar from a very young age to be a great scholar and a very pious person minding his own business back in yeshiva he inspired many young people to grow and strive to be better servants of Hashem. He formed a group of bachurim who were interested in growing spiritually they would gather together periodically they would sing together and he would give inspiring talks, this group of boys were known in Satmar to be the best boys in yeshiva.

At the time the rosh yeshiva of Satmar Nosson Yosef Meisels R.I.P. did not like the fact that one single bachur could achieve to inspire so many boys to learn and achieve higher goals, something he couldn't do so he let out a rumor that satmar Rebbe Reb Yoel said that this group is a cult to the likes of shabsai tzvi, later when rabbi meisels was thrown out of Satmar he apologized to the Nikolsburg Rebbe and admitted that the rumor was lie, and attended many Nikolsburg functions.

later on there were a group of people that wanted to join the group so that they could get themselves respected names in the community, known as the laufer brothers, the Rebbe told them they didn't have the characteristics of the other boys, so not wanting to destroy a great group he told them that they can't join. from that point on they looked for ways to destroy this person even if it meant breaking up his family, if you want to know what they did to the Rebbe think of the KKK and what they did.

long story short, all but four rabbi's apologized to the Rebbe including the the last Satmar Rebbe Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, and his two sons.

[Jewishredneck Redneck]

Oh and about him covering up for his brother here are some more facts. he see's thousands of people a year. i was there once i waited four hours for my turn to see him. But when he knows that someone is a child molester he refuses to help him in any way. That being said which one of you is willing to believe on your own brother that he is a child molester, even though I've known this for ten years now.

There are many Rabbi's involved in this case the evidence is shady the father of the boy could not see that maybe he is a bad father so he went on a blaming streak they davened in the same shul and his kid pointed a finger i wouldn't be surprised though if he is found guilty.

that being said in not a single instance can anyone find a single living or breathing roach that can tell you that he is involved in any way in covering up.

Does he invite his brother to his home?
Yes
Does he still love his brother?
Yes
Does he openly protest covering up for molesters? YES.