Evidence: Haredi Rabbis Knew In As Far Back As 1997 That Now Convicted Pedophile Israel Weingarten Was Molesting His Daughter But Did Not Call Police

Even though rabbis knew in late 1997 that Rabbi Israel Weingarten was sexually abusing at least one of his daughters, they did not tell police or child protective services. US Federal prosecutors convicted Weingarten for trafficking her across national borders for the purpose of sex in 2009. Weingarten worked at Torah Temimah, the yeshiva that also employed notorious haredi pedophile Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, and he was close to disgraced Rabbi Leib Tropper.

Posted with permission of Yerachmiel Lopin of FrumFollies.

What Was Said Inside Satmar About Yisroel Moshe Weingarten
by Yerachmiel Lopin • FrumFollies

In 2003 a letter was sent by Rabbi Mordechai Stauber in Antwerp to the Bais Din of R Wosner in Monsey. You can see the Hebrew original below.

BAIS RACHEL

Kleuter, Lagere, Middelbare School en Satmar
Lamorinierestraat 26-28
2019 Antwerpen
Tel 281-3000 – Fax 218 91-23
Friday, Parshas Pinchas, 5763, [July 18, 2003] Antwerp, May Zion be Restored

Respectfully to the renowned great scholar, presiding on justice, righteous leader to his congregation, his glory on the Jewish people, the honorable renowned, Rabbi, Gaon Benzion Yaakov Halevi Wosner, may he be granted long days, and along with him to the rabbis and sages, members of the Beit Din Tzedek (religious court) of the Holy Congregation of Monsey.

After inquiring about your well-being, I am answering your request to write what I know about the painful affair of the Weingarten family.  They lived here in our city Antwerp for many years. Their young girls were educated here in Bais Rachel of Satmar. There was a feeling during all those years that an oppressive atmosphere was controlling the girls and their mother. Though we tried to do everything for the good, it did not help much. In the summer of 5756 [1996] Reb Yisroel Moshe came and pestered us to move his oldest daughter, Frumah Leah, to a higher class; something we don’t do for others. After deliberation we decided to agree. We knew the bitterness of the daughter came from the goings-on at the house. Therefore [we thought] it is worth giving in on a trivial matter; perhaps through this the student will be more satisfied.  But actually we saw, to the contrary, that she came to school with swollen eyes, and at times, with other marks. We did not want to touch this because we knew they were odd people and we wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Reb Wolf Gross, who lives several houses away from them, was a true friend of Yisroel Moshe, and he helped them a lot so there would be something to eat in their house. He told me that Frumah Leah wants to commit suicide, G-d save us, and throw herself out the window. They actually saved her at the last moment. [He told me that] in my role as principal I am obligated to interrogate her in order not [to be guilty of] “standing by on the blood of a fellow Jew” [Leviticus 19:16].

I initiated discussions with her several times until she revealed to me that she endured murderous beatings from him [her father] for reasons she could not reveal to me under any circumstances. Only after much urging and assurances, she wrote on paper that for a long time her father was doing with her [sexually] perverted things, have mercy on us. I do not remember all she wrote. But this I remember exactly as I received it from her. “He takes and he ejaculates (motzi zerah l’vatallah) …(ellipses in original) very close to actual biblically prohibited incestuous intercourse, (ad karov ligiluy arayos mamash), have mercy on us.    She added afterwards, verbally, that she was disgusted with a life like this for a quite a while and that he hit her with frightening sadism. Because of this she wanted to put an end to her life, G-d save us.

It is self understood what a shock this was for us.  Because the one of whom we speak was a girl of 15, we passed the matter over to the rabbonim and the leader of Satmar [in Antwerp], Rabbi Chaim Yosef Dovid Weiss, may he live long, head of our congregation. [Rabbi Weiss] took the testimony and he [the father] did not deny it. As a consequence he [Rabbi Weiss] forbade him [Yisroel Weingarten] to seclude himself with his daughter (asar lo l’hityached im bito). He arranged for her to immediately go to Manchester, [England, to a girls school where she would board].

This happened during Chanukah, 5757 [December 1997]. At the end of the winter she returned from Manchester and the whole family traveled to Israel for Passover. After Passover he [Yisroel Weingarten] returned alone with his aforementioned daughter and he was secluded with her all summer. All we did was write a letter that we have no responsibility (achrayis) for the aforementioned student [Frumah Leah] from here on in. Also, that none of his children have permission to set foot in our institutions. Till the month of Ellul, his disgrace was not [publicly] revealed. On the contrary; he [Yisroel Weingarten] made himself out to be a respectable man and we kept quiet. In the middle of Ellul his true disgrace was revealed through others with more ugly things. The whole city was astonished. Suddenly it came out through a tape that the daughter was involved in sin with a neighbor, Meyerowitz. This was something that the dayan of Satmar did not hear from him [Yisroel Weingarten] all through the course of the previous winter while he judged him.

We surmised that all of his doings were astounding and full of contradictions. My wife, may she live long, told me many times at the end of long discussion that she senses from him an air of impurity (ruach tummah). I still gave him the benefit of the doubt until I heard from his daughter the aforementioned deeds [about which she wrote]. Through this were explained many contradictions.

His wife endured a lot from him. Many times she burst out in gushing tears. He was terribly, unfathomably, sadistic towards her. After some weeks she returned and said that all of her words were nonsense and lies, and so on. It was seen that he manipulates her [manipaleert ) in a terrible way.

The devastation (hachurban) [evoked] in putting forth my words pains me greatly. [Do] what it is in your power to save them from this hypocrite, crook and swindler without equal who does the acts of Zimri and demands the reward of Pinchas [BT Sotah 22b referring to Numbers 25:6-14].  I would also add, that the Admor Rabbi Leibish of  Phshevorsk, may he live long, said that they investigated the family in 5757 [1997-1998], meaning the woman and daughter, in Jerusalem the holy city, and they [the investigators] uncovered things.

Signed and sealed in sorrow and wishing you success,

Mordechai Stauber

(HT for Translation to DH and JE)

Index of Israel Weingarten Posts.

 

Comments

[Paul G.]

now this story is in fact a point example of my previous post on 'dascalowitz'.

In this case as the Kranczer case- there are multiple witnesses or at least a blood-relative claiming abuse.

Thankfully - this guy was convicted. The rabbis involved in this coverup should be publicly shamed and stripped of any official or otherwise position.

oh.. and there was no need for a choreographed victim-advocate group.

[HaNavon]

Any Rav or Beis Din that knows about such abuse and does not act with the police must be reported.

Everyone seems to have known exactly what he was doing and did nothing. WHen his daughter came out against him in the courts, they refused to believe her based solely on the fact that she is no longer religious. This is indicative of a very sick society that needs to change.

As for Weingarten himself, we can rest well knowing that he will be in prison for the rest of his life and is probably either in solitary confinement to protect him, or has been beaten by other prisoners. In the prison system, pedophiles, police and turncoats are notoriously beaten or castrated.

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

Sorry for a slight offtopic, but I found this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpj23o-vKKs

[Loshon Hora]

The letter shows that the Rabbis are concerned & not in denial,& removed his daughter from him.
It seems that he outsmarted them, and their restrictions were not obligated by law.
I guess their mistake was not to call the police there & then.
Mind you had he gone on trial in the EU, he would probably be on the street now, and on no sexoffender list, & would not have to go on trial again in the US.
Now I think he is put away for ever.Although the pain they suffered that extra time is unimaginable.
As for the new guy, it is disgusting beyond belief, I know not this animal, it is impossible that he is not wiered, and shady with all that under his belt.
I must wait for his guilty plea or verdict to believe it. There had to be something to it, because the girl wouldn't just make it up without reason, but how really bad it is, has yet to be seen, the flight to Israel is a no-no red flag though.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: Loshon Hora | December 07, 2010 at 02:09 PM
I am Leo Weingarten YM Weingarten youngest sibling, during his trial I sided with my nice. It pains me to see how you try to justify your views. The fact is that it was known in Belgium for 6-7 years but nobody did anything to mitigate his ability to sexual molest other children. The fact is to send off one kid to England, will not protect other children from a pedophile, almost every day; the pedophile will prey for a victim, new or old is totally irrelevant to him. Therefore not only was YM able to continue molesting his daughter in 1996-1997 after it known to the leadership of the community, but others too, Believe me there are other who came forward after the trial. Finally anybody in the leadership, who knows of any molestation but doesn’t report it to police, is responsible as the molester himself.

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

Finally anybody in the leadership, who knows of any molestation but doesn’t report it to police, is responsible as the molester himself.
This is the source of the problems. And this is all of us is discussing here.

[Mikal W. Grass]

That a-hole Weingarten probably pimped his poor daughter out to the neighbor for Shabbos challah and a glass of grape juice. What a disgusting pieces of crap.

So, let me see if I understand this correctly: the rabbis knew about the sexual and physical abuse; Weingarten admitted that he sexually abused his daughter; his wife admitted it; and the neighbors and community knew about it as well? And all they did was forbid the father to be secluded with his daughter?

That piece of chara played those poor rabbis for the hand wringing fools they turned out to be. They did nothing to help this poor girl except send this poor girl away to school.

Pedophilia scandals occur with great frequency in Belgium. The fact that this happened in a frum community in a country in which child pornography is rampant, doesn't surprise me.

Hey,but as long as he keeps Shabbat and eats kosher.

[Moshe Aron Kestenbaum, Williamsburg ODA]

Why is this pimp Weingarten still alive?

[Loshon Hora]

Posted by: Loshon Hora | December 07, 2010 at 02:09 PM
I am Leo Weingarten YM Weingarten youngest sibling, during his trial I sided with my nice. It pains me to see how you try to justify your views. The fact is that it was known in Belgium for 6-7 years but nobody did anything to mitigate his ability to sexual molest other children. The fact is to send off one kid to England, will not protect other children from a pedophile, almost every day; the pedophile will prey for a victim, new or old is totally irrelevant to him. Therefore not only was YM able to continue molesting his daughter in 1996-1997 after it known to the leadership of the community, but others too, Believe me there are other who came forward after the trial. Finally anybody in the leadership, who knows of any molestation but doesn’t report it to police, is responsible as the molester himself.

Leo, I with you on your pain, but you are missing the point I was making, that Rabbis don't condone it, & try to act against, but don't have the skills nor the power, and I agree that is where the police are needed.BTW the sending to England was not a cover up, they also forbade him to have contact with her, which he didn't listen.They should have called the police then, I am sure they don't sleep at night until this very day because of that mistake.
As for other kids, unfortunatly Rabbis are not trained in sexual abuse, & don't have the capability of dealing with it. I am sure that they have learned from this very sad episode.
You have the names how about contacting them?

[Menachem Mendel lll]

WHY DID THIS MONSTER MOLEST HIS DAUGHTER?

Distinguished "Rabbi" Israel Weingarten could have hopped on a train to Amsterdam and within a hour he would have been in mid stroke stuffing his circumcised schlong into an assortment of hot blond white ass, uber skanky japonese meat or shavartzy touches.

For a fee and legal in the eyes of the law.

Perhaps the train was inconvenient or it was too much money since his pay and subsidies do not include funds for uber hot prostitutes, whores, sluts or crack heads.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

TALUMUD SANHEDRIN 37a STATES:

FOR THIS REASON WAS MAN CREATED ALONE, TO TEACH THEE THAT WHOSOEVER DESTROYS A SINGLE SOUL... SCRIPTURE IMPUTES [GUILT] TO HIM AS THOUGH HE HAD DESTROYED A COMPLETE WORLD; AND WHOSOEVER PRESERVES A SINGLE SOUL..., SCRIPTURE ASCRIBES [MERIT] TO HIM AS THOUGH HE HAD PRESERVED A COMPLETE WORLD.

So the shaylah is: Why didn't the Haredi "Rabbis" say or do something?

Answer: Because the above quote does not apply to them only to "lesser Jews."
They didn't give a shit if a innocent sweet Jewish child life is destroyed provided that donation dollars and subsidies keep coming their way order to support the "Jewish way of life" they have grown accustomed to and are owed by you and I.

Moshiach Uber Alles!

[Boris]

These Rabbis are out of control. A convicted serial registered sex offender attends a shul in Brooklyn. One of the members reported this to some of the officers of the shul after he witnessed the registered sex offender acting strangely, including bottle feeding a members 1 year old in his lap. When the Rabbi found out that the member had told some of shul officers that there was a registered sex offender in their midst he the Rabbi went balistic yelling and berating the innocent member, saying that he was a mirror of the registered sex offender and how dare he speak lashan harah against this Bal Teshuvah, etc... Absoutely sicking how these Rabbis try to protect the guilty and punish the innocent.

[Aleksandr Sigalov]

As for other kids, unfortunatly Rabbis are not trained in sexual abuse, & don't have the capability of dealing with it.
From all the sexual abuse news, it seems that "rabbis" are very well trained in sexual abuse. ;) lol

If you know what I mean ;) lol

[corn popper]

i am thoroughly sickened by this excuse for a human being and his rabbinic enablers - as harold zatzal would say "yech"

[YbM]

what is there to say? shefokh chamaskha 3al hatzadiqim, ve3al hachosidim of this kind, wow, the head gear, the peyos, the beard and all. we should be spitting at his grave and those of the creeps who cover up for him!

[David]

This letter is truly shocking. Chida Weiss has a reputation for a no-nonsense guy and he is one of the main activists in the campaign for the Japanese boys. Yet he along with the head of the school, the Pshevorsker and others named and unnamed all knew what was going on but did nothing. See how Stauber shakes himself from responsibility by denying the poor kids entry to their institutions. What a sad joke for Chida to try and prevent him from living with her? And what did Wosner do on receipt of the letter?

This document will make waves because it has names, a date and shows who knew what and when and how little they did other than try and sort it out internally.

The problem is that these people do not know how to handle this. They are frightened of letting the sexual genie out of the bottle and as can be seen here as soon as the problem moves on 'none of his children have permission to set foot in our institutions'

Can it get any worse?

[A. Nuran]

Put them in maximum security prisons in General Population. Post signs saying they are baby-rapers. A month's sentence should be plenty of time for justice to be done.

[Shmarya]

…oh.. and there was no need for a choreographed victim-advocate group.

Posted by: Paul G. | December 07, 2010 at 01:53 PM

Please.

You are sickening.

There was "no need" for a "victim-advocate" group because Weingarten was tried in FEDERAL court.

The issue with the other case you mention is that it is being tried in NY State Brooklyn court by a prosecutor with a history of making inappropriate deals to let haredi pedophiles off easy.

But of course, you know that, now don't you?

[steve]

Paul G. is either related to one of the molesters, (my guess is Leibovits), a child molester himself, and/or one of the founders of the now defunct "Get Rid of Nuchem" blog. The worst thing you can do with people like Paul is to give him attention and make him feel important. Don't waste your time.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: Loshon Hora | December 07, 2010 at 03:22 PM
I never ever said that Rabbis condone sexual molestation; my view was that Rabbis are not trained to understand the damage which molestation causes, and that the victim will almost never be healed, because, the torah never explicitly forbids sexual contact, between adult and child. You have a Beit Din Tzedek sits in judgment, and decrees, that the father cannot be alone with his daughter “asar lo l’hityached im bito”. How did that help this child or his other children? That is the problem; sweeping under the rug will only hurt other children. By the way, even with all this knowledge, at the trial in 2009 twelve years after the Belgium episode, you had hundredths of post on VIN who criticized the victim because she came forward. And to top it off, during the sentencing I was there in the Court room, there were around fifty Chasidic people supporting YM. And you know who came all the way from Israel Gavad Yerushaláyim Rav Tovia Weiss. This is what is despicable, that after they knew all the information regarding YM Weingarten, they still had the gumption to support him over his daughter, becausen she was not religious anymore. Not knowing how to handle these issues is not problem, it is willful negligent when they should done something the years leading up to the trial and they didn’t.

[A. Nuran]

If you know and don't stop it you are an accessory to the crime and lower than whale dung.

[Menachem Mendel lll]

Even the most uneducated and down and out garden variety goy (GVG) a la The Jerry Springer Show could not do their children what this Hashem fearing Neshuma struttin' monster did.

MOSHIACH!

[A. Nuran]

Leo, if they knew and failed to stop it they condoned it.

If they knew and shuffled the offenders off to new pulpits or yeshivot they condoned it.

If they applied pressure to victims and their families they condoned it.

If the discouraged witnesses from cooperating with the police they condoned it.

If they protected "the community" by protecting rot within they condoned it.

They are guilty as sin, and their sins are mortal. To hell with every single one of them. I only hope some way can be found to prosecute them as accessories to rape and child molestation.

[ruthie]

this is the first time a report here on failedmessiah has made my stomach hurt. really hurt.

yup, as long as he eats kosher and keeps shabbat!!

is anyone helping this girl? does she have people around her who think she's wonderful? does she have people around who love her.
please let us know.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: ruthie | December 07, 2010 at 10:38 PM
Ruthie thanks for showing you care for my niece. She is all grown up, well adjusted, with a steady relationship. She is productive and good hearted person, with much love to give, and always a smile on her face. I love her as my own daughter.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: A. Nuran | December 07, 2010 at 10:36 PM
A Nuran, I will agree with your supposition, I inartfully used “condone”, the word should be “approve”. The fact is true, that with their inaction they did condone his behavior.

[Vamoose]

really scary how despicable these people are. Does anyone realize the writer acknowledged they expelled the victims and siblings from the school because they were molested. Equally disturbing is how the Rabbis were devastated by her presumably consensual relationship with the neighbor but not too concerned with her fathers serial incestual rape.

[r1]

Leo, I was groped by my father. I told my mother and family. My mother refuses to believe me till this day. (this is not at all religious orthodox circles).

I am desperate about it.

So I thank you for standing by your niece, who suffered so much more.

And I can confirm, that the rejection by those who believe the perpetrator over the victim keeps victims from healing.

[antony]

This is really dynamite.
What brother Leo is telling us.
The head rabbi of the Netura Karta who used to live in Belgium and most likely new him came specially to defend him.
I am sure this great rabbi doesnt read your blog although he speaks English better than Hebrew, but I would think it would be more important than all the Torah books he studies.
I must congratulate you on this post. It has given names of a host of rabbis, starting with the Chida Weiss of Japan fame. Who has never been to school in his life and has never mixed with other kids. He is really a great talmid chochom having always had private education, and also a multi-millionaire property dealer with his brother. But has missed out on life and not really fit to be a rov even a free one. He has lately lost his young son in law.
This satmar in antwerp seems to be rotten through and through, that they could allow this to carry on. Not that satmar is any better elsewhere. One must commend the brother for coming forward here, most likely at great cost to himself.
The Wolf Gross mentioned is from belz, and certainly not a person who can manage these things.
The Stauber family control a lot in Satmar all over the world one is the editor of the 'YID' another was a labor councillor in London. They ought to be able to put more pressure than just a letter.

[PulpitRabbi]

@Loshon Hora wrote:
unfortunatly Rabbis are not trained in sexual abuse, & don't have the capability of dealing with it

It is absolutely horendous, most tragic and shameful that those rabbis (some of whom I actually know) did nothing more than a pathetic attempt to protect the daughter. But do not paint everyone with the same brush. I know of many rabbis who would not hesitate to contact the police or family services (and I know some who have in fact done so, yours truly included). And not all those who will call the police are MO, I know many Chareidim who would, too, some of them chassidim.

But sadly, in this case, as in many other cases, the rabbinic establishment of that community totally failed the victims. I hope they will now wake up, but I am not yet convinced. Paradoxically, the fact that this abuse was so horrendous, so extreme, makes it too easy to dismiss as an outlier. I think that nothing less than public testimony by as many victims as possible, will shake 'em awake. This should be encouraged (when the victims are up to it).

[jancsipista]

i cannot imagind a more evil group of people then those who knew about this horrible behaviour and just did nothing to me it is the ultimate evil how in the universe can they just ignore the daughters plight is beyond imagination they are equally guilty the same as the father who did the molestation this is a horror of horrors

[MIkal W. Grass]

Vamoose, I too was shocked that the school expelled the victim and her siblings because of the molestation. As if being molested is contagious?!

Throughout this entire ordeal, Weingarten was allowed to roam free like a lion hunting a baby lamb. The rabbinic decrees were nothing more than a slap on the wrist. The rabbis know very well how to deal with these scum (stop making excuses for them, please) but they refuse to call the police. By permitting these self admitted scum to be a part of the community, they are killing the Jewish community from within. Even the anti-semites and the progroms weren't able to damage the Jewish people the way these chickenhearted and myopic rabbis have.

[jancsipista]

GRASS-Even the anti-semites and the progroms weren't able to damage the Jewish people the way these chickenhearted and myopic rabbis have.
You hit the nail on its head they are the rabbis worst then any anti-semite the damage to the jewish people is incalcullable infinitly worst then any anti semite can do

[Sarah]

'Finally anybody in the leadership, who knows of any molestation but doesn’t report it to police, is responsible as the molester himself.'

Actually, any person who purports to following the laws of the Torah, who knows of a case of child abuse and does not take steps to stop it happening, is as responsible as the molester him/herself.

Now, let's take this argument for once to its logical conclusion.
Torturing a child is arguably the worst sin that can be committed.
Are there any Orthodox Jewish communities anywhere in the world who have taken all necessary steps to prevent abuse from occuring and once it occurs, to report the perpetrator to the police?
No. In fact they almost all uniformly remain silent, deny or condone it.
Now, let us imagine for arguments sake that there is a G-d in the world and the Jewish nation is on some level being judged for their actions.
So what we have is the entire Orthodox Jewish world, barring certain outspoken individuals, being responsible for committing the worst sin known to humanity.
Something tells me, what with the leader of at least one nation currently threatening to destroy the entire State of Israel with nuclear weaponry, the time may be ripe for some minor soul searching.
Or they could just do nothing and see what happens.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: antony | December 08, 2010 at 04:44 AM
Not only did they condom the sexual molestation they came to show support and signed affidavits that they know that he is innocent, noting more than pure perjury.
This is a direct quote from the official court transcripts of the sentencing hearing, starting at page 179 line 5.

The Court: Go ahed.
Mr. Lorandos: The sexual abuse of children is part of what the Greeks call the tremens[o]s, the most tremendous horror that any child or society can endure.
Equally so, if not more so, is the determination that an innocent person has perpetrated these terrible, terrible crimes.
The court understands that it is the position of the defendant, as well as the Chief Rabbi, who is here from Israel, Rabbi Weiss, from the Rabbinical Court in Antwerp, affiant Yidel Rodert who is here – the court’s read his affidavit; School Director Robert Freedman who is here, Rabbi Green and others, who are here – who are affiants, your Honor, that there’s a completely different side to this horrific tale. It would be difficult in the extreme to find a more completely polarized set of circumstances.

[antony]

To Leo
As you realise I suppose I know all the people you mentioned most likely a lot better than you.
How do you understand a rov of R T Weiss calibre and the Chido of not doing anything about it.
Is it because they prefer him to carry on doing it. Is that better than he should be in prison out of harms way.
Or dont they believe that a Jew can be so wicked.
I am thinking now maybe that is why he lost his young son in law.
Since you are in a position to tell us.
Please tell everybody here exactly why you think these rabbonim do nothing about it.
I must say that this is really the tip of the iceberg. There is much more that goes on that is well known to all rabbonim but to make sure their wives dont get to know and demand a divorce they will keep everything hidden.
When they come home late they will always say they have been to the beth hamedrash and if the wife asks the rov he will always corroborate it and say he attends his shiur nightly and never misses.

[Mikal W. Grass]

Anthony, they lied because they don't want the non-Jews to know Jewish business. However, in the Weingarten case, the wife knew exactly what was going on. But, the woman has absolutely no power to do anything about it, lest her kids never get a proper shidduch.

These are the same guys who think it is ok for a married man to have sex with a non-Jewish woman or a prostitute; that if a woman doesn't go to the mikveh at the exact minute she is supposed to, her kids will be deviants, miscreants, have low iq or have behavioural problems; and that the internet is evil.

These guys praise their wives on Shabbat by singing Aishet Chayal, but they don't mean it; it is just a custom passed from generation to generation, something that they are supposed to do because their fathers did it.

The system is corrupt.

[Chaya]

Please, Shmarya, can you keep this articel pinned for a while? It's too important to let it drift away.....

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: antony | December 08, 2010 at 01:11 PM
I am sure you know these people better than me, in fact, I don’t know them at all, and during the sentencing, my nephew pointed out Rabbi Weiss from Israel. As to their motive, I could only surmise that like any close-knit family, they will succumb to the inclination to defend their own. As every day, you could see in a court of law, families will support killers and all kind of violent behavior, with the same argument, he is my son I love him dearly. Therefore, when you have a so called Rabbi like my brother, who has albeit a small group but boisterous supporters, you tend to stay away. But it still begs the question, from 1996 to 2008 where were these Rabbis, School principles. What did they do to protect the other Weingarten children, did they feel it is ok that a pedophile has access to his other children.

Here is where I might disagree with nearly everyone; I believe that because of the orthodox upbringing i.e. segregated the sexes, you have in the yeshiva a propensity of young man exploring their sexuality with other young man. In my days, it was an open secret. Who did whom? What you have is noting different then what is happing in other segregated societies, like the catholic schools, but after these young men get married, they stay in a monogamous relationship. Here is where I think that the Rabbis go wrong, because of their lack of education they fail to realize the difference between; expletory sex between young men of the same age is normal behavior, and pedophilia, where you have an adult trolling for sex with young man or woman. It is interesting that in the letter Stauber himself made a distinction that YM didn’t have actual intercourse. Even after having firsthand knowledge from my niece, he still made a distinction between what not permissible “He takes and he ejaculates (motzi zerah l’vatallah)” according the Torah, ejaculating was Stauber issue.
Finally, I just most admonish you, that it is not right to interject the death of Rabbi Weiss son in law. I don’t believe in Karma.

[Chaya]

I happen to have been involved in this case when the family lived in Monsey; this case needs a book not just a blog. Weingarten was a brilliant con man who played all the people involved in his case against each other, including his own daughter. He set her up with a neighbor in Begium to make it look like she was slut; so that she would be discredited. He played the Rabbonim of Monsey against each other too. I myself was in the room when Rabbi Benzion Wosner cried tears of frustration and pain in being unable to get the children away from Weingarten. The Rabbonim of Monsey (with the exception of R' Green and R' Halberstam) were not afraid to get the police involved; in fact CPS of Rockland County had the case until Weingarten fled to Monroe..... Oh the twists and turns of this case are unbelievable. Just an example - He got the children to tell CPS the MOTHER molested them! And got away with it! You must understand that all the children living with him in Monsey backed him 100%. Another thing, he didn't let any of his children get married; as soon as he was in prison about 4-5 of them got married immediately!

[jancsipista]

chaya as soon as the daughter confided in one of the yeshiva rebbes that should of been the point where the police got involved i still cant bring myself to comprehend the evil that his daughter told one of the rebbes that he ejaculated in from of the daughter there is no way a normal person would not run to the authorities its beyond comprehention why they didnt

[Loshon Hora]

Leo,
Being this pervs brother I commend you that you are not ashamed to tell us you are his brother.
If Heaven forbid I knew this stuff about my brother, I would disassociate myself from him. I would be so embarrassed of him.
That said a few questions.
On your blog you claim he b...gered you as a kid & you told your parents.
Why did your parents not seek therapy & help for him?
How did they let this perv get married?
Why do you have to become Modern Orthodox or not frum , to tell your tail, is Stamar so evil & corrupt that you couldn't stay?
Is Satmar anything but an erliche community? I guess the Rebbes may go to court against each other, but not the Chasidim to report child abuse?
I see he had many supporters in court has he gotten any visitors in jail?
As for Rabbi T Weiss, I know him personally & know peolpe who know him from a young age he is a big tzadik. He is accessible why don't you ask him why he supported a man he knew was a dangerous pervet.
Rabbi TW was a war orphan ,he married a camp survivor war orphan who had been abused in the camps she was dangerous for him & the kids, and he had such rachmonus on her, he wouldn't divorce, until others got involved, and made him do so, for his and his children's safty. He would never take a job, that could upset her for years later. A man who has been through that Hell himself, cannot be judged. I don't have the gutts to ask him, but I wish you would.

[antony]

About R T Weiss.
The facts are slightly different.
He came in the war as Tibor Weiss to UK and was 'found' by R M Schneider who went about 'rescuing' kids. He married and had about 6 children from his wife. His living conditions in a damp basement was hard on her and in the end 'got' to her. He moved to a nice house but it was too late. So he got a heter of 100 rabbis and married a widow of a well known author and moved to Antwerp.
He is not like any orthodox rabbi as you put it, he is also a BT of sorts and is approachable. I do not believe he viewed your niece 'with contempt'.
I can only believe in your brothers case that he had 'pressure' put on him.
He is really out of his depths with his job at Netura Karta. He is not the anti zionist that they make him out to be. He would more fit into the Aguda mold. In the UK he was rov of Aguda shul. In Antwerp he was rov of Gur.
The NK dont have their own rabbonim, they are into politics not Torah. So they have to import them from the UK.
What you say about Yeshivot and what goes on there. I am shocked to say the least and this deserves its own post. You even consider this to be normal behaviour there. Is this all yeshivot or just Satmar.
At least it explains why they afterwards grow up into villains if that is what they are taught there.
shame!shame! shame!

[Loshon Hora]

osted by: antony | December 08, 2010 at 11:27 PM
6 Kids I know of 3 what happened to the other 3?
Neturei Karta? No Eida Chareidis?
Aguda in UK? not what I remember was meant to be 69, although they do have an upstairs minyan a branch of Aguda, they are not affiliated & he never took the job anyway.
I believe he is from the Kanoim & not Agudah, but a peace loving person, and wants no machloikes, so he speaks to all. His Son is A Gerer Chosid one son-in-law a Breslaver & the other a Yeshivishe.
He is a real nice caring person, I don't believe he had something against the girl, because she became frei,after what she went through, he is from the war generation, and understands people, the problem is, he may have understood the perv too, & had too much Rachmonus him, which may be missplaced, but hard too judge, a person of such great character. I am sure he could explain it to you.
Think about it, maybe he should have told the authorities about his wife. [I do think they knew something, because she wasn't allowed contact with her children, and would watch them going & comming to & from school, through a local laundermat windiow].
He never got her into jail, & always cared for her after his divorce. A person with such Rachmonus, may have rachmonus on Reshaim too, I am so much lower than him, he is a very great & holy selfless pious Jew.

[Loshon Hora]

You need to understand that this happened in the mid 60’s, both of my parents were survivors of the holocaust, they went through hell and back. Leo Weingarten.
Isn't That true about R' Tovia too?

[jancsipista]

i cant understand why one hassid calles the other great holy person like loshan hora says that he is so much lower what is this describing another person like he is the almighty this is a trademark of hassidim, i can tell you this much i at the age of 10 this was over 50 years ago was molested in the mikva by non other then our town shoihet and he went to mikva everyday i heard even when it was cold on tisha b,av he cried sitting on the floor with so much screaming he also was a moyel he was in 1959 62 years old and he did this to me i dont understand all this holy buisness they are lower then low and everyone describes them as g-d like what is this.

[Loshon Hora]

Posted by: jancsipista | December 09, 2010 at 09:21 AM
R' Tovia is not A Hassid he is an Oberlander Aschkanazic Rabbi.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: antony | December 08, 2010 at 11:27 PM
He is not like any orthodox rabbi as you put it, he is also a BT of sorts and is approachable. I do not believe he viewed your niece 'with contempt'.

Anybody, who has a once of compassion, would understand, that for a victim of molestation the first and most important part of healing is that they want the world to believe them, and the second part is comforting the abuser. So if you have a grand Rabbi like Rabbi Weiss, fly all the way from Israel to be at the sentencing hearing, to show support for the predator. As YM’s lawyers claimed in open court, that Rabbi Weiss came to the court, because he is in total support of YM, and he and the others in the courtroom, are totally convinced that he is incent. All of that was said right in front of the victim, and if your claim is true, that Rabbi Weiss speaks English, then why didn’t he just stood up and walk out, to show for the victim that he is only there because he has pity on YM, but not because he believes that he is innocent. Finally, any Rabbi who would surrender to pressure and fly to the US to show support for a predator, doesn’t depict a person under pressure. That is willful, and he is guilty of hurting a Victim at the most vulnerable time, in the mid of her healing process.

Regarding the sexual activities in the yeshivas, I am kind of surprised that you are in shock, I am not trying to be the Jewish Master and Johnson, but it is a well known fact that if you segregate the sexes kids will explore either masturbation themselves, or with others. Numerous studies were conducted about this subject. And it is not only my view that it is normal, experts agree with that supposition. Can you tell us more about yourself, so we could understand why would you believe that exploration is not normal?

You wrote
"At least it explains why they afterwards grow up into villains if that is what they are taught there.
shame! shame! shame!"

I never wrote that they are taught to do it, I said they “explore” not taught there is a big distinction between the two.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: Loshon Hora | December 09, 2010 at 08:55 AM
Interesting factoids about Rabbi Weiss, but we are in 21st century, were we understand the emotional impact of a victim of pedophilia, to show his real compassion he should have taken the position that first YM should give up custody of the other children, and two, apologies to his daughter, which in 2002 was the victims only demand. And could have easily told YM, I have compassion that you have a condition that you need help, I will be there with you, as long as you get help and you stay away from children. But he misplaced his compassion, therefore, all the factoids is irrelevant to our discussion.

You wrote
You need to understand that this happened in the mid 60’s, both of my parents were survivors of the holocaust, they went through hell and back. Leo Weingarten.
"Isn't that true about R' Tovia too?"

No, it happened in 2009 a big difference in understand pedophile, inasmuch in the mid 60’s my parents couldn’t speak one word of English.

[Loshon Hora]

Isn't it fair to say that Rabbi Weiss at that stage knew the evedence, & knew that the results would be, bad.
Is it not at all possible he came to try & reason with him, that he plead guilty & appoligize, and take a lessor sentance & help.
He may have been working from behind the scenes,the nut fired his lawyer, is it possible the lawyer consulted with R' Tovia on a plea, but the nut wouldn't do it?
Like the letter you published was private & got out, could there be some more classified info here.
Could Assange possibly help us in this one?
There are laws in Shulchan Aruch about testifying against a parent, I cannot say they apply or don't apply over here, because I don't know,and don't claim to know.
What bothers me is you have valid complaints, & I really feel they should be addressed not only in cyber blogespghere.
I also noticed you wrote incent, did you mean that or innocent? There is no way that R' Tovia thought he was innocent, he definatly had the information you have.
I think for the health of your niece he should be contacted, & spoken too. I guarantee you, if your niiece came to him for help, he would be the first one to selflessly help her, yet the mafia, mmay not allow her in.
Please contact him to inform him how hurt you feel, you will feel very different later.
Please get back to us here or on your blog with the results.

[antony]

Of course I know nothing about your brothers case but I do know about R Weiss. He was rov at 69 upstairs which was called zeirei aguda for many years. When the position downstairs of 69 became vacant he refused it. It has been taken by R Zeev Feldman also involved in your case who wrote in his begging letter what a tzaddik your brother is. And of course gaon as well. It shows you what are tsaddikim are like today. He has his 'minders' in Israel who just use him. It is well known that he has contact with all gedolim not of the NK persuasion. Again I cannot understand his motives.
Now to the other thing what you call mast..... I can understand it being done in private, boys are human, but not in public sessions. That is what I would never believe in a 'holy' yeshivo.
Is that what all the 'shovavim' fuss is all about starting now.
Well dont do it in the first place.
The real answer is, is that these yeshivot of chasidim where they dont learn, they get up to this.
I think that instead of going after the few pedophiles and lets be honest its not that many. These blogs should be going after this activity if its really done in public sessions as you put it.

[Loshon Hora]

I don't know when he could have been Rov in 69 upstairs what I remember it was R' Lipa Honig & then R' Sender Feurstein?

[antony]

he was rov in between them for many years. Those two you mentioned were not really practising rabbonim like him.
he was also RY in a yeshivo which has since folded.
Before that he was in Gateshead kollel.
he has two brothers as sons in law in manchester.
he left for antwerp because of his first wife who is no longer alive where he married his second.

[Loshon Hora]

He could not have been for that many years , because i remember when R'lipa's sons one by one put on shtreimels & then he did a little B4 he passed away & then I remember my Menahel R' Feurstein taking over.

[Leo Weingarten]

Antony I came across you post about me in Frum Follies, I decided to reply here too.
Here is the link
http://frumfollies.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/what-was-said-inside-satmar-about-yisroel-moshe-weingarten/#comments

antony permalink
This is what the orthodox Rabbis failed to recognize, that sexual experimentation between young adults of same age is normal behavior. But pedophilia is one of the worst types of abuse we could imagine.
normal!!!
In a Yeshivo
SHAME!
SHAME!
SHAME!
No wonder there are drop outs like you. If that is what chasidim call normal.
Just surprised there [aren’t] many more.

It is not my fault, that you have such a lack of understand of human natural behavior, and human biology, I could live with that, but what I resent, that you totally misrepresent what I wrote. Let me tell a story I was told when I was a young man, A Chasid comes to a Rebbe and tells his Rebbe, I need a blessing, my son is totally crazy, please bless him to get back his faculties. The Rebbe inquired what is his problem? The Chasid replied, Rebbe, my son goes out every Friday night to dance with the girls, and after dancing they go and eat Chazer(pig), he is crazy, the Rebbe replied Crazy? If he would dance with the Chazer and eat the girls, (no pun intended), then he would be crazy, but as it stands now, he is not crazy, he is just a shagitz. Understand that normal behavior is still normal behavior, regardless what the Torah has to say, the fact that you claim that this behavior is not normal, that is a indicator that you lack an high school education, from that I could easily extrapolate that you are Chasidic, but for whatever reason you’re disguising your real upbringing.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: r1 | December 08, 2010 at 02:52 AM

Sorry I didn’t notice your post until now.

I am so sorry for your personal bad experience, the only thing I could tell you, go for help, on a personal level remember you didn’t do anything wrong, and you are a human who was taken advantage off. And try not to be angry, anger will destroy your essence.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: Loshon Hora | December 09, 2010 at 01:00 PM

You wrote
“did you mean that or innocent?”

Yes innocent, that is what YM’s new lawyer claimed in open court, that all these Rabbis who showed up, are here, because, they know that the story is totally fabricate by the alleged victim. Actually, to tell you the truth, this statement doesn’t anymore hurt my niece, she was able to move on, and currently she has a good and healthy life/relationship, and she don’t *need* or want any help. What I am trying to accomplish with this post, is to illuminate your community, to the misconception that a Rabbi like Rabbi T Weiss, has daas torah, therefore he cannot be wrong. Well not only was he wrong with his pronouncement that YM is innocent, but sitting in the courtroom during the sentencing he made my niece feel pain, for no reason just to give the impression to the Jewish community that YM is innocent. By that stage, coming to the court didn’t mean a thing, judges usually make up their mind, how many years they will give the convict, before the open court sentence.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: antony | December 09, 2010 at 03:45 PM

You wrote

"I think that instead of going after the few pedophiles and [let’s] be honest [it’s] not that many. These blogs should be going after this activity if [it’s] really done in public sessions as you put it."

Please go back any read what I wrote; I never said that the experimentation was done in “open sessions” what I wrote it was an open secret. An open secret is a concept or idea that is "officially" secret or restricted in knowledge, but is actually widely known; or refers to something which is widely known to be true, but which none of the people most intimately concerned is willing to categorically acknowledge in public. So please understand plain English before you show you ignorance.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: Loshon Hora | December 09, 2010 at 01:00 PM

You wrote

“Isn't it fair to say that Rabbi Weiss at that stage knew the [evidence], & knew that the results would be, bad.
Is it not at all possible he came to try & reason with him, that he plead guilty & [apologize], and take a [lesser] [sentence] & help.
He may have been working from behind the [scenes,] [the] nut fired his lawyer, is it possible the lawyer consulted with R' Tovia on a plea, but the nut wouldn't do it?"

Just to make sure that you and the readers understand what transpired here, you need to have a clear understanding of the timeline. The trial was conducted in March, and he was convicted on March 11. The sentencing was on May 8 that is when Rabbi T Weiss came to show support, therefore, no he didn’t come trying to convince YM to plead guilty, at that he was already convicted, the only purpose was, to show the Chasidic world that he supports YM. There was no behind the scene discussions.

[Loshon Hora]

Just to make sure that you and the readers understand what transpired here, you need to have a clear understanding of the timeline. The trial was conducted in March, and he was convicted on March 11. The sentencing was on May 8 that is when Rabbi T Weiss came to show support, therefore, no he didn’t come trying to convince YM to plead guilty, at that he was already convicted, the only purpose was, to show the Chasidic world that he supports YM. There was no behind the scene discussions.
Between you & me the jail sentance he got is a death sentance only a more painful one, which he deserves. Does that mean no Rabbi or chaplin should ever visit him.
B4 a Jew went out to be killed they would poor him a cup of wine,etc.
Even though a guy is getting what he desrves it isn't as revenge, it is with mercy & we Rachmonim show that mercy. Of course the victim deserves much more mercy & I guarantee you if she came & explained who she was & what she went through he would help.
We all know this is asad episode & I hope isolated.
As for your fight with Antony, he could look in Pele Yoeitz [ois Zayin, zivug] & see what he writes about bochurim dormitories, & that waas a few hundred years ago.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: Loshon Hora | December 10, 2010 at 12:23 AM

LH, so that it is clear that we have a disagreement, and I believe it is only on one minor point. Therefore, I would ask you, please allow me to drill down to the details, it seems that you obviously agree that from the Stauber letter, it seems that back in 1996, there was an investigation by a Beit Din as to the veracity of the daughter claims, that her father molested her. According to Stauber description of the inquiry,
“[Rabbi Weiss] (not Rabbi T. Weiss) took the testimony and he [the father] did not deny it. As a consequence he [Rabbi Weiss] forbade him [Yisroel Weingarten] to seclude himself with his daughter (asar lo l’hityached im bito)”.

So from this document, we know that in 1997, that in Belgium it was known to some of the leadership, about YM daughters charges, against her father, and the Rabbis decided to act on this information, with removing the daughter from YM’s household.

At the same time Rabbi T. Weiss also resided in Belgium, maybe he knew, alternative. maybe didn’t. I don’t know and you don’t know, so I will give Rabbi Weiss the benefit of doubt, that in 1997 he didn’t know anything.

Move forward in 2008 YM got arrested and on Friday May 8, 2009 YM was sentenced. Here is where we depart; I would say that I don’t even have a problem if Rabbi Weiss came from Israel to support YM as human and a Jew, regardless of his conviction. Supporting a broken man is ok, as long that support, is understood to mean, that as Jew I am willing to stand with this convict, but I am *appalled* by his actions. And to show that he really means what he says, he should have walked over 10 feet to the victim, greet her and tell her that “I am truly sorry for what your father did to you, but I am here because I feel for his sickness too.” But not only didn’t he do what is right, he was sitting in the court while YM’s lawyer argued with the judge that all these Rabbis believe in YM’s innocents, while the lawyer physically pointed out Rabbi Weiss. Furthermore, his lawyer told the judge that most of these Rabbis are affiants, which means a person signed an affidavit under the penalty of perjury. For argument sake, let’s assume that Rabbi T Weiss didn’t sign an affidavit, but he still decided to stay put, because he didn’t want to commit chillul hashem. Then at a minimum, after the fact, he should have walk over to the victim, and explained his behavior, which he never did. To top it off, up to today, Rabbi Weiss never ever made a direct or indirect contact with the victim, to explain his action and inquiring to what was her position. How can a Rabbi make a judgment without speaking to the other party?

In regard to your question, if my view is that nobody should visit him, definitely I don’t see any issue with any visitation. He is a human albeit sick.

Regarding Antony, I am not having a fight with him. I am just trying to enlighten him to the facts of life.
PS can you be kind enough to describe for us what is written in Pele Yoeitz.
Thank you

[Loshon Hora]

The Pele Yoeitz printed his sefer 186 years ago.
In Znus he writes there is another znus by boys that they ejaculate with their hands or do mishkav zchur, it comes from lack of knowledge of how strongly prohibited it is, or from bad freinds that make love games.
There is an obligation of the elders to warn the young, & let them know how strongly prohibited this is until they [youn] are awestricken.& one should be attcached to the L-ord for ever & ever..
& one should not rely on their trust [of the young]because they have between them untrustworthy sons & those whose outward appearance is not what they are internaly.
Therfore in every city & city one must set up guards over the lads, & & the Rabbi on his desciples, & a father on his sons, should stand on constant guard. Especially at darkof night & darkness, so that nobody commits a crime. For this is a very bad illness & a great impurity, and causes bad to himself, and all the community, and the guarding & rebuke on this bring redemption wealth and salvation.
This is my own transalation you may check it yourself, you may ost it on your blog.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: Loshon Hora | December 10, 2010 at 09:56 AM
First, thank for your depiction of the writings of the Pele Yoeitz, it is self evident that he understood 186 years ago what is actually an open secret. To come around full circle, even if it is sinful according the Torah, it still could be normal for young man to explore. Think about a cheeseburger, it is sinful to eat but it is still normal behavior.
On another note, Antony posted on frum follies that he decided to stop posting on FM, because you are a female. Additionally, he totally discounted the Pele Yoeitz and he took the position and wrote,

“Never mind the pele yoez which a girl [shouldn’t] be reading in the first place [that’s] why I [don’t] comment on failed [Moshiach].”
(I took the liberty to correct his mistakes)

Do you have an idea why he waved it off without even an explanation?
Thank you

[Loshon Hora]

Antony has never heard of the P"Y or never learned that one.

[antony]

I am well aware of this sefer and can mention you many others with the same theme.
But you being a girl a disciple of Feuerstein should not be reading it.
In your yesodai hatora you must have been taught that. Why do you think a girl should not be learning Torah, its because they get the wrong ideas of things. This subject was made for men not for women like you. You should keep to woman's subjects and not mix into mens. You have plenty of your own.

[antony]

And to Leo
Just because you never went to a decent school in your younger days you are trying to show me who holds a university degree that I miss out some marks.
This is a blog not a high school essay to be marked by a professor. It is meant to be written in English my first language and only one. No I dont speak hebrew like you. A few marks missing which you have kindly put in (thanks) to show off your English (third language I suppose) will not make it more readable. Perhaps Loshon horo (is that what Feuerstein taught you to talk) cannot understand without. Yesodai Hatora was never a good school in his time but has improved since.

[Loshon Hora]

Where do you get this girl business from?
Feurstein had nothing to do with the girls school.
I make a Brocho everyday Sheloi Osani Ishoh.

[Leo Weingarten]

Posted by: Antony | December 11, 2010 at 01:06 PM
Antony, I never ever made any issue of your lack of English writing skills; I was trying to understand your inability to grasp simple high-school level English. I had taken in consideration, from your previous postings in this thread that you have extensive knowledge of the Orthodox Rabbis, whereabouts in Belgium, up and including to, the house number where they were practicing. From that information, I extrapolated that you must be from Belgium, therefore, I could easily surmise, that English is not your first language. After all, Belgium had three official languages, Flemish/Dutch, French in the Brussels area, and on a small scale German, but English is not common. That was never meant as a putdown; therefore, I deduced rightly or wrongly, that you are having a comprehension problem. Furthermore, I even took your word, without challenge, that you have a university education, but my view was that English is not your strong area, but regardless what you claim, from our going back and forth, I could easily conclude that you never ever had a formal “English” education, because you fail to properly express your thoughts in writing. I vividly remember when my son was in 7th grade, he was able to write a more cohesive essay, then you were able to string together.

On one point you are right, I never had a formal high-school education, and when I was seventeen, I took a pre GED test and my English comprehension was at fifth grade level, but I persevered and got my GED and finally my BA. But I will always admit to my short comings, we all have some. You fail in that regard.

Let me circle back to the real issue at hand. My view is simple, if teenagers explore their sexuality, alone or with another human partner, male or female, that would be considered normal human behavior, I am not discussing if it is permissible according to Torah law. We all know that if you are not married, the Torah forbids any sexual activities, either alone or with a partner. The same as according Torah law, it is not permissible, to eat a cheeseburger, but if you eat a cheeseburger, it would still be a normal human behavior, the same is with sexual exploration as a young man, if you explore your sexuality, that is still normal human behavior. Based on this view, I alleged that the current Rabbis are equating sexual exploration were same age young men are engaged in these activities, with pedophilia, where adults are every day on the prowl for a victim. In my view, the consequences of the inaction by the Rabbis are, one, the great majority of victims suffer mentally for the rest of their lives. Two, a victim has a greater propensity, to become a predator; therefore, the orthodox communities are breeding new predators and because the government doesn’t have the ability to prosecute and incarcerate the predators, in due time, if not yet, they will multiple at a factor greater than the, none orthodox community. By that time, it would be too late to discuss what is the difference between “open session” v “open secret”

Finally, you totally misrepresenting what I said, or even insinuated. You claim that I said that in the yeshiva (by the way see how you should spell yeshiva) it was encouraged to sexually explore, you make it sound that I said that in the Mikvah there were long lines of young men masturbating each other. Alternatively, in the big study hall were you have 800-900 young men learning, they were either partaking in fellatio, or at a minimum they partook in auto manual manipulation, that is a nice way of saying “hand job.” No, I never ever said that, I said it was a open secret, meaning it was widely known that people explore, and yes, you had the Rabbis talk about it, but it was understood, that exploring your sexuality is a sin like eating a cheeseburger, and teshuvah, will suffice. And because two young men partook both are equally guilty of the sin, therefore, as long they did teshuvah, all is good. But you see, pedophilia is “NOT” sexual exploration or activities, were according to Torah law both partner are equally guilty. The pedophile is the sole guilty person, one he is a choteh umachti, (they sin and make others sin) and to top it off they damaged an innocent young men for life, in my view every predator is a Retzach and the Torah says, "You shall not stand on your friend's blood.” (Leviticus 19:16). Therefore, Rabbis most be willing to report any predator to the proper police authorities, so the predator could be locked up.

Hopefully you will agree with my take, but if you don’t, instated of attacking and using generalities, be specific as to what point you disagree with.

[770]

An important fix to the english translation:
"This happened during Chanukah, 5757 [December 1997]"
Chanukah 5757 was December 1996 and not 1997

http://www.hebcal.com/converter/?hd=25&hm=Kislev&hy=5757&h2g=Convert+Hebrew+to+Gregorian+date

[Sharon J.]

The problem with all of these pedophiles is that they don't get punished for the crimes like they used to. Bring back public execution and torture and I bet these perverts could keep their things in their pants.

[Runner1983]

It is now some 2 years after this article appeared and I just happened to stumble on it. After reading the article and all of the commentary which follows, plus reading about the life choices of the Haredim, I must add my own commentary to the discussion, even though it may only be read by a few people.

Knowing that a rabbi molested a young girl and that other rabbis did not report him to the police should be a crime. It is most definitely a sin against G_d. By not reporting the crime, the molester is free to molest other children, and this is so contrary to Jewish values, one could say that these people are no longer practicing Judaism, but something else. They are masquerading as Jews, and only using Judaism as the basis for their cult. They have hijacked our religion.

One could speculate the reason for so many cases of child sexual abuse. One wonders if it is in part caused by the norms within the haredi society which prevents normal human interaction between boy and girls. I feel sorry for the children born into this cult. They grow up in darkness, and will never have the joy of seeing the light. This is NOT Judaism.

[venus]

to leo
-_- thank you for sharing and recording this on a panel.

i hope your niece has found peace wherever she may be and well.. that the forces of the universe protect her.

what about your nephews... one in lev tahor is being persecuted on a blog from a supposedly toronto man in a twisted fashion, because of his father. is there a way to protect your nephew ... how is the mother years later?

thank you for reading