Disgraced NCSY Sex Offender Rabbi Baruch Lanner Hangs Out With OU Head Rabbi Steven Weil

At the conclusion of the class, the two sat together swapping stories and getting along.

A source emails:

Lanner back in Boca for Yom Tov.

He attended a "chabura" given by Steven Weil today.

Lanner actively participated in Weil's class.

At the conclusion of the class, the two sat together swapping stories and getting along.

The person who has brought the most embarrassment in history to the OU hangs out with the head of the OU.

Not smart.

How seriously does the OU treat its failures during the Lanner era?

Not very seriously, it seems.

Comments

[Robert Wisler]

I was friendly with Steven Weil when he was the rabbi of Young Israel in Oak Park, MI. Very personable guy and REALLY rose through the ranks of the Orthodox Jewish world quickly! I miss his presence in Detroit.

[harold]

the two sat together swapping stories

Does anyone know what stories they were swapping? Maybe they were arguing? I think one should ask "A source emails" for some clarification.

[alternative childcare]

Really now. You, Shmarya, advocated for amnesty for Ben Zion Sobel, who sodomized dozens of yeshiva boys, because time passed and he has been supposedly "clean", whereas you don't even allow people to speak to Lanner, who, while a mushchas and disgrace, did much much less than Sobel.

[Shmarya]

Really now. You, Shmarya, advocated for amnesty for Ben Zion Sobel, who sodomized dozens of yeshiva boys, because time passed and he has been supposedly "clean", whereas you don't even allow people to speak to Lanner, who, while a mushchas and disgrace, did much much less than Sobel.

Please.

I did not "advocate" for "amnesty" for Sobel.

I believe what I said was working in the Jerusalem office of a school located more than 100 miles outside of Jerusalem and in which he had no contact with students should not be automatically used against the school.

[No lanner]

Why is Baruch Lanner welcomed in the shul at all.

Rabbi Goldberg should be fired by the Boca Raton Synagogue for not banning this pervert from the shul.

No warning was sent to the community that he was there.

Also why has YU hired Rabbi Kenneth Brander to run the Center from the Jewish Future as he too welcomed Lanner to BRS

[Jeremy]

Lanner paid for his deeds by sitting for years in prison.
I guess the guy who runs this blog does not believe in repentance and has zero compassion.
What a stinker

[Michael]

Lanner paid for his deeds by sitting for years in prison.

False.

Lanner "paid" for the sexual abuse of ONE teenage girl while he was principal at Hillel Yeshiva. There were literally dozens of other cases dating back 20 years prior to that incident for which he never "paid". To truly "pay" for all he's done he'd have to spend the rest of his life in prison.

As for Rabbi Weil, all officers of the OU should have the basic common sense (and decency since the OU was complicit in allowing Lanner's sexual rampage to continue for so many years) to keep their distance from Lanner.

[jay]

Hopefully they kept him far away from children.

[harold]

Hopefully they kept him far away from children.

One way is to keep him in shul under the watchful eyes of the public at large. As they say, "keep your friends close and your enemies even closer". As long as he is being occupied davening or attending a "chabura" the public at large is safe. It is when you don't know where he is that you should worry.

As for Rabbi Weil, as long as Baruch's hands are above his gartel he is safe.

[jay]

As long as he is kept away from a kiddush table or from boys under 18 in the sanctuary, out of the bathroom,off the playground, out of the classrooms, out of the kitchen. In fact, what would make the most sense would be a separate entrance and exit leading to a small area in the sanctuary within the men's section but fenced in on all sides by an immovable mechitzah. In other words, keep him in a cage.

[Monsey Hocker]

Who says Lanner wasn't puttin' the moves on Weil? On second thought, Weil doesn't fit the profile.

[The Hedyot]

There's nothing wrong with talking to someone, even a lowlife like Lanner.

[No lanner]

No warning was sent to the shul about Lanner being here.

He was free to molest children in Boca. The Boca Raton Synagogue under Rabbi Efrem Goldberg took no steps to protect the children of the BRS community from being abused during this or any other visit he makes.

[harold]

No warning was sent to the shul about Lanner being here.

How is this warning supposed to work? Is he supposed to give the police his daily itinerary so they can walk in front of him announcing "Hear ye, hear ye, everyone off the streets Baruch Lanner is coming. Maybe he has been told that before he goes anywhere he is to give them a few hour notice so if he plans on going to Waldbaum’s Supermarket they can empty the store while he shops or if he plans on going to Citibank they can clear the teller lines in preparation for his arrival.

If all he wanted to do is come to listen to a lecture just what was he supposed to do? I know, as soon as he steps into the shul he should be handcuffed and shackled.

[Shmarya]

How is this warning supposed to work? Is he supposed to give the police his daily itinerary so they can walk in front of him announcing "Hear ye, hear ye, everyone off the streets Baruch Lanner is coming. Maybe he has been told that before he goes anywhere he is to give them a few hour notice so if he plans on going to Waldbaum’s Supermarket they can empty the store while he shops or if he plans on going to Citibank they can clear the teller lines in preparation for his arrival.

If all he wanted to do is come to listen to a lecture just what was he supposed to do? I know, as soon as he steps into the shul he should be handcuffed and shackled

Idiot.

The rabbi of the shul should long ago have told Lanner and his son who he stays with that when Lanner is in town, he must notify the rabbi before coming to shul.

The shul could simply note Lanner's presence in an email to congregants or use other forms of notification. It could be something as benign as "Rabbi Baruch Lanner will be visiting his son from September 19th to October 12th," as long as congregants have been previously warned about Lanner and his behaviors.

[A nudnik]

Harold,

In the town where I live, there are a group of volunteers who have pictures of some of the local perps. If one of them shows up in shul, we keep an eye on them.

Some, but not all, of the perps have agreed to restrictions upon their movements, which makes things easier.

If the rabbi of the synagogue knows about Lanner (and, quite frankly, I would have trouble believing that he doesn't), I would expect that he would arrange for trusted individuals to discreetly keep an eye on Lanner.

Lanner is on the Florida sexual offender registry. Here is the link to the picture displayed at the top of the post:
http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/flyer.do?personId=39003

[honest and fair]

This is pure venom and mob incitation.The man has been here now 10 -15 times.

Fact 1 - There have been absolitely no incidents

Fact 2 - He reports tom the police each tim e he comes and registers with them.

Fact 3 - He seems to have the support and love of his entire family. They are all well respected and love their children as much as any other parent does.Thus, those who know him best and stand the most to lose, trust him.

Fact 4 - He completed parole incident free and was released from any other form of supervision aside from Megans Law.

Fact 5 - In Elizabeth, New jersey were he has lived for the past 3 years, there have been zero incidents invovlving Lanner.

Fact 6 - At the request of the prosecutor,he was tiered in the lowest risk group and removed from the New Jersey sex offender internet registry.

All of the above FACTS clearly indicate that he poses no threat tom the community at large at this time.

The Honest and fair thing to do...is to watch him but leave him be as long as he conducts himself as he has.

[Shmarya]

Please.

Number 6 is patently false. The prosecutor who prosecuted Lanner did NOT agree to a reduction in tier level.

And then we have this gem:

There have been absolitely no incidents

There were absolutely "no" incidents for the 30 years Lanner abused kids, until, of course, the rabbis wall of silence was broken and dozens, if not hundreds, of victims spilled out into the open.

Any "honest and fair" assessment of the case would have mentioned that.

[FM Fan]

There are dozens if not hundreds of people Lanner abused who are still out there.

Several of them live in the Boca Raton area.

Their lives have been a mess since Lanner's abuse.

And every time they see his face, they experience flashbacks of his lude crude comments.

By the way, there has been NO REMORSE on the part of Baruch Lanner.

[harold]

Harold,

In the town where I live, there are a group of volunteers who have pictures of some of the local perps. If one of them shows up in shul, we keep an eye on them

Now that makes sense! Mr. Rosenberg's suggestion of sending emails out to the shul membership is strange and bizarre - and he calls me an idiot!

[honest and fair]

Number 6 is patently false. The prosecutor who prosecuted Lanner did NOT agree to a reduction in tier level

To borrow a response you use to others " Idiot "

The Megans Law prosecutor you jerk not the trial prosecutor who is not involved in Megans law tiering.Your mob mentality and self righteousness is more of a threat then lanner at this point.

[honest and fair]

There are dozens if not hundreds of people Lanner abused who are still out there.

Several of them live in the Boca Raton area.

Their lives have been a mess since Lanner's abuse.

And every time they see his face, they experience flashbacks of his lude crude comments.

I have personally spoken at length to the past New Jersey NCSY members and your comment concerning at least those that live in Boca is a lie. Many of them infact have him over when lanner visits.
The fact is, lanner has been here several times and is well aware of the rep that proceeds him and there have been absolutely no complaints. So as I said ,watch him vigilantly if you wish BUT LEAVE him alone.

[FM Fan]

I have personally spoken at length to the past New Jersey NCSY members and your comment concerning at least those that live in Boca is a lie. Many of them infact have him over when lanner visits.

You're telling me the people Lanner abused are having him over? You're on drugs. These people hate his guts.

Thanks Lanner defender. I'm sure he was innocent all along.

Jerk.

[Hillel Alum]

Having been a student of Lanners and a NJ NSCY alumni, I seriously doubt anyone of his NCSYers or students from NJ has him in their house, if indeed they ever knew him at all. Just don't take it out on his family, they are victims also.

[Shmarya]

The Megans Law prosecutor you jerk not the trial prosecutor who is not involved in Megans law tiering.Your mob mentality and self righteousness is more of a threat then lanner at this point.

Um, moron, the Megan's Law prosecutor is supposed to be the trial prosecutor – unless the pedophile moves out of his home county after his release and then petitions. If that happens, it is the prosecutor of the new county who is asked by the judge to weigh in on the pedophile's request.

So the prosecutor who *may* have agreed with Lanner's tier reduction was *not* the prosecutor familiar with his case.

But your comment made it appear as if he was.

[honest and fair]

Um, moron, the Megan's Law prosecutor is supposed to be the trial prosecutor

Glad you wrote this....now let anyone who knows the law speak up and verify that the trial prosecutor is NOT the Megans law prosecutor as that prosecutor comes from the Megans Law division. That prosecutor reviewed the entire case and beyond and then agreed Lanner is in the lowest risk catagory.

lets make a deal, if I can PROVE that indeed the Megans law prosecutor agreed to lanners reduced tier after fully reviewing the entire file, you will Publically admit your error and personally advocate that he has done his time and should be left in peace and no longer persicuted on your site.. If I can not prove it, then I will publically admit I was wrong and join in his unequivocal condemnation and complete excommunication.
Now it is time for you to put up or shut up once and for all.

[FM Fan]

lets make a deal, if I can PROVE that indeed the Megans law prosecutor agreed to lanners reduced tier after fully reviewing the entire file, you will Publically admit your error and personally advocate that he has done his time and should be left in peace and no longer persicuted on your site.. If I can not prove it, then I will publically admit I was wrong and join in his unequivocal condemnation and complete excommunication.
Now it is time for you to put up or shut up once and for all.

This is pure bull crap. Lanner has never apologized to his victims. In fact, he lives in a continual state of denial. Before you talk about his doing his time, call Rabbi Etan Tokayer at the Kingsway Jewish Center in Brooklyn New York and ask him which Rabbi kicked him in the balls.

Lanner will never get to live in peace.

He is forever branded with the mark of Cain.

[Shmarya]

lets make a deal, if I can PROVE that indeed the Megans law prosecutor agreed to lanners reduced tier after fully reviewing the entire file, you will Publically admit your error and personally advocate that he has done his time and should be left in peace and no longer persicuted on your site..

Again, I asked the State of New Jersey and Bergen County about this last year.

The prosecutor who tried him is supposed to be asked – unless the pedophile has moved out of his jurisdiction. That's how it works.

Your dear friend – or is it your father? – is a man who abused dozens if not hundreds of kids. He is a danger to other kids now, and must be watched and, if possible, kept away from children.

You don't like that?

Tough.

[alternative childcare]

No, shmarya, this is what you said, appropriate to the matter at hand, in Dec 2008:

The only allegations against Sobel are 20 years old. Police were not called. Nothing was done to prevent Sobel from moving elsewhere and abusing.

If there are no current allegations, and no allegations since Migdal Ohr hired him, I'm not sure Grossman has done anything wrong.

In short, you are a hypocrite, and Sobel's crimes were FAR worse than Lanner's, and having been around for both of them (they occurred at roughly the same time, in the late 70s and early 80s), I can testify that Lanner was a tzaddik compared to Sobel, who sodomized dozens of kids in his yeshiva in a specially built office for just that purpose.

[honest and fair]

If Lanner treated Tokayer so atrociously and so horrifcally then explain :

1) Why did Tokayer (way post high school ) ask Lanner to be the one to present the award to His Father at the Dinner for new jersey ncsy. Would you want a pervert to be the one to bestow honor on your father ?

2) Why did Tokayer work on Lanners staff on his summer programs for 2 consecutive summers well after tokayer was an adult and had received semicha ?

These 2 facts are unequivocal and documented. I suggest you ask Tokayer to explain these two items.That is, if yuo are at all interested in the truth and are not just a mindless idiot who is part of a lynch mob.

Btw, Lanner did apologize to many victims and they even told me so themselves. Lanner is a very complicated person...there is a mixture of good and bad that raged in him.He did many many good things as well as many many not bad things.You obviously never met the man and know nothing of whom you are talking about.
I am not writing these words to answer you,but rather in the hope that someone with a modicum of intelligence and balance will see the FULL picture instead of being swept away by people who invent and distort reality in order to promote their own agendas and satisfy their own personal emotional needs.
The simple truth is that Lanner had much good in him and that is why so many great & pure people like the Rav, Rav Lichtenstien, Rav Schachter all held from him.The tragedy of Lanner is that he could not effectively control his dark side which ultimatley brought him down.
He got what his lack of self discipline brought on him but the picture of him as a perverted dangerous child molestor is completely FALSE and cruel. Stick to the truth as that is tragic enough. There is no reason to make him worse then what he was.He is certainly no danger to anyone now and that is all should matter to any sane person.
I have made my point and will not respond to any further comments on this blog as it reeks of disingenuousness and arrogant,dangerous self righteousness.

[steve]

While we're on the subject of child molesters being honored, see below link where Moshe Eiseman is an honorary guest at this Lakewood Yeshiva's siyum:

http://www.lakewood246.com/news/16403/yeshiva-yishrei-lev-8th-grade-grand-siyum-on-maseches-makos.html

A child molester never retires. This nonsense about "rehabilitation" and "teshuva" do not apply to those that commit such heinous crimes. The recidivism rate is much too high to put one's children in harm's way. Lanner, Eiseman, Sobel and all such predators must be kept away from children and young adults. It is gross negligence to allow these characters into our synagogues and community institutions without any type of supervision and warning to the parents.

[FM Fan]

1) Why did Tokayer (way post high school ) ask Lanner to be the one to present the award to His Father at the Dinner for new jersey ncsy. Would you want a pervert to be the one to bestow honor on your father ?

2) Why did Tokayer work on Lanners staff on his summer programs for 2 consecutive summers well after tokayer was an adult and had received semicha ?

Lanner the cult leader was a well known topic of discussion. These kids grew up pledging allegiance to a very sick man. Plus because he was a "rabbi" in the back of their mind they blamed themselves.

Kids asked themselves, did a rabbi really say I had big boobs?

Did I do something that provoked him?

Lanner didn't begin to ask forgiveness from the people he assaulted physically, sexually or emotionally.

As it is well known, people knew about his behavior and kept silent.

Ask those people today if they would hire him to run a youth program today?

I think the answer is no.

He's a sick man who committed crimes so evil he doesn't get a second chance.

[alternative childcare]

Steve: Kol Hakavod.

[Pinchos Dov]

Honest and fair: you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Lanner, a charming man, fooled many people, including all those rabbis you mention. He is a dangerous criminal, who should be kept far away from all of our communal institutions. He inflicted great, permanent harm on his victims. How do you think his victims are reacting to his being allowed entry into our synagogues, and sitting and shmoozing with rabbis? At this late date, even more pain is being inflicted.

[Steve]

Dear God, the man should not be involved in education or Jewish communal work, but calling him a pervert detracts from what the word really means.

[steve]

Calling him a "pervert" is an insult to perverts.

[Shmarya]

>>>The only allegations against Sobel are 20 years old. Police were not called. Nothing was done to prevent Sobel from moving elsewhere and abusing.

If there are no current allegations, and no allegations since Migdal Ohr hired him, I'm not sure Grossman has done anything wrong.

You really have a serious reading comprehension problem. And you are also dishonest.

Here is my full comment, written almost 2 years ago:

So he's in Jerusalem, many miles away from Migdal Ohr.

The only allegations against Sobel are 20 years old. Police were not called. Nothing was done to prevent Sobel from moving elsewhere and abusing.

It is far from clear Grossman was aware of Sobel's past when he hired him.

If there are no current allegations, and no allegations since Migdal Ohr hired him, I'm not sure Grossman has done anything wrong.

If Rabbi Blau and others had done the right thing back in 1987, this would not be an issue today.So you see, Sobel was woring many miles away from the kids in Migdal Ohr.

Because responsible people did not call police when Sobel was sodomizing kids, he doesn't have a police record.

And it is completely unclear Rabbi Grossman knew Sobel's past – although his office location suggests he did know, and hired Sobel in a job that keeps him away from kids.

Obviously, going to police is the right thing to do.

But rabbis with firsthand knowledge did not do that.

Blame them.

Past all this, do you think pedophiles have the right to work?

Does it matter to you if they have served time and are now released?

Or do you mean to say pedophiles should be left to beg for alms?

[Me]

Honest and Fair -

You know a lot about lanner. Are your initials B.L. by any chance?

[DK]

"Nobody suffered as much as Baruch!"

http://www.rickross.com/reference/clergy/clergy99.html

[Steve2]

Calling him a "pervert" is an insult to perverts.
_____

Steve, please explain how Lanner is a pervert. Again, no sexual activity with little kids - in fact, he seems to have favoured well-developed girls - and none with guys. (I've changed my screen name to Steve2, just to make things easier.)

[steve]

As I said, it would be unfair to label him a "pervert". A sexual predator and offender will suffice.

[Steve2]

All good, Steve ... I misunderstood you.

[No Lanner]

The Boca Raton Synagogue has a email list for the community. While it is officially not an official list its moderators are all appointed by Rabbi Efrem Goldberg and no posting he opposes is allowed. Among the rules of the group is an absolute prohibition on any emails warning people that sexual predators like Rabbi Lanner arer in the community.

Rabbi Goldberg has not had trouble throwing political opponents out of the shul. Baruch Lanner is welcome. If Rabbi Goldberg knew I was posting this criticism I would be expelled from the shul

[Jason Bronstein]

To the idividual who suggestied that Rabbi weil fits the profle ! Shame on you
I think you might just as well fit this profile. I am ashamed as well at the past events with Lanner and the OU. I feel horrible for the girls involved. It is time to move on with Lanner. without question he should not be around children espeially unsupervised. But not the less let him live a life where he can breath and try to be a person that he should of been years ago

[HA]

Don't blame Tokayer. Lanner kicked and punched me in the balls and I still held him in high regard. The mIndset of the victim is a complex thing.

[The Emes]

I remember Rabbi Lanner. I was a face at NCSY events many people might recognize. I never understood why people thought he was so charismatic since I never really drank the kook aid. But I always wondered why I saw "private counseling sessions" that were going on while I was there the few times I attended New Jersey region. I thought it was odd.

Later I was accused by some staff member of liekly being too "involved" with the girls in NCSY and I was far closer in age. No evidence (because it never happened) and I wondered whether there were many administrators with a guilty conscience running these events. I also told one of them that I thought that many of the administrators were people who couldn't find a job elsewhere. I'm not proud that my instincts as a youngster were deadly accurate. I just hope the community learns a great deal from all of this and shows zero tolerance for all of these disgraceful people and casts them out for behavior that is not acceptable in society and certainly not as a Rabbi, being in a position of trust.

And for anyone who says there is nothing wrong with an adult taking advantage of an impressionable teen... well... I wonder how you'd feel if that was your son or daughter.

[jewsforjustice]

Why doesn't this piece-of-shit rabbi at BRS (who is complicit in the knowledge of other illegal activities) leave Lanner with his own little girls on Lanner's next visit to Boca Raton? If he is ready to leave Lanner with my children, then why not with his own, alone, by themselves? Because this rabbi, like his predecessor, is a hypocrite, a real criminal, and the worst kind. This rabbi wants only one thing: that nobody sees the inner financial workings of BRS, that nobody questions how much they pay the rabbis, employees. BRS should not be allowed to keep it's Non-Profit status, per the IRS's rules. It is a for profit entity, and I think the IRS should look into it.

When Mr. Daniel Danino started asking questions about financial improprieties a couple of years ago, they had a policeman escort him from the shul with orders not to be allow back into BRS....ever. Danino only uncovered the tip of the iceberg, there was so much more, but he elected to leave and move out of the community. Enough is enough, time for these rotten rabbis to step down and go into another business.