Report: Chabad Allegedly Helped Pedophile Flee Possible Prosecution

Accusations have been rife that Kramer had been accused of sexually abusing boys and was forced by the Yeshivah administration, then led by the late head of Chabad in Australia Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner, to leave the school and the country. He subsequently travelled to Israel, where further accusations of improper behaviour were made, and then to the United States, where in 2008 he was found guilty of two counts of child molestation. Meanwhile the Chabad blogoshpere is ripe with allegations that Yeshivah dayan Rabbi Zvi Telsner (who is the late Rabbi Groner's son-in-law, I believe) is discouraging witnesses from stepping forward.

 

Police investigate abuse allegations at Jewish school
NAOMI LEVIN • AJN

VICTORIA Police are investigating allegations of child sex abuse at Melbourne’s Yeshivah College.

The Moorabbin sexual offences division has contacted former students of the Orthodox boys’ school about incidences of abuse, which allegedly took place between 1989 and 1993.

The allegations are linked to David Kramer, who was described by former Yeshivah students and parents as a charismatic and much-loved member of staff in the early 1990s. He taught Jewish studies to boys from Year 5 to Year 8.

Accusations have been rife – first reported by The AJN in October 2008 – that Kramer had been accused of sexually abusing boys and was forced by the Yeshivah administration, then led by the late Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner, to leave the school and the country. He subsequently travelled to Israel, where further accusations of improper behaviour were made, and then to the United States, where in 2008 he was found guilty of two counts of child molestation.

Today, he is in a Missouri jail, serving a seven-year sentence after being dobbed in by St Louis rabbi Ze’ev Smason.

As yet, no charges have been laid against Kramer by Australian law enforcement agencies, but it is understood that Victoria Police are preparing a case to extradite the former teacher once he is eligible for parole, believed to be during the coming 12 months.

In the meantime, the force is calling on members of the community with any information on Kramer to speak to either the Moorabbin sexual offences unit or Crime Stoppers.

The AJN understands several people have already provided detectives with information. “We’ve had a good response so far, but would certainly encourage other people to come forward,” Detective Acting Sergeant Scott Dwyer said.

Yeshivah College, as well as community rabbis, are co-operating with police, and the Yeshivah Centre’s Va’ad Ruchni held a meeting with detectives on Wednesday.

Yeshivah principal Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler released a statement to the school community encouraging those with information to help police.

“The safety and welfare of our students, both past and present, is of paramount importance to the college and the college has a number of well-developed policies and procedures in place to ensure that our students are provided with a safe and nurturing environment,” he said, adding that today, the school complied fully with mandatory reporting standards, Working with Children checks and provided education for students on appropriate behaviour.

However, there have been allegations, particularly prevalent in the Chabad blogosphere, that Yeshivah dayan Rabbi Zvi Telsner was discouraging witnesses from stepping forward. Rabbi Telsner told The AJN this rumour was “absolute rubbish”.

The dayan delivered a sermon last Shabbat, which some congregants claimed was intended to persuade former Yeshivah students not to make statements to the police. “If people are conjuring out of that that I said they shouldn’t go to the police, there is something wrong with them,” he said.

Rabbi Telsner called on the Yeshivah community to unite and help each other, rather than “sending emails around and making trouble”.

The Rabbinical Council of Victoria, the peak Orthodox group of which Rabbi Telsner is a member, declined to comment directly on the police investigation. Instead, the president Rabbi Yaakov Glasman referred to a statement released last year explaining that halacha obliges those with information about child abuse to make a report to secular authorities.

The RCV, which according to the statement has become increasingly aware of child abuse in the community, has formed a partnership with the Jewish Taskforce on Domestic Violence and rabbis are given training in dealing with victims or witnesses of abuse.

Those with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or the Moorabbin sexual offences unit (03) 9556 6128.
If you are seeking help, please contact the Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence: (03) 9523 2100.

Chabad allegedly helped the Chabad yeshiva student who severely beat the sister-in-law of the Rebbe flee arrest. Chana Gourary was beaten because she asserted her right (and her son's right) to half of her late father, the 6th's Chabad-Lubavitch rebbe Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn's library.

Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the 7th rebbe and her brother-in-law, saw messianic import in keeping the library together and under Chabad's (i.e., his) control.

So he ranted publicly about his nephew, Chana's son, and the "theft" of books Chana and her son rightly owned under Jewish law.

A Chabad Yeshiva student heard those rants and responded by beating Chana on Shabbat. He was whisked away to the airport – also on Shabbat – allegedly by non-Jews hired by the Rebbe's office. He boarded a plane for Israel just after Shabbat and successfully escaped arrest – largely because Chabad convinced local police to wait until after Shabbat to make the arrest. When the cops came to Crown Heights to arrest the yeshiva student, he was already gone.

He lives openly in Israel in a Chabad community, where he married and is treated well.

Photos: Top and right, David Kramer; left top, Yeshiva College; bottom left, Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner; bottom right, Chana Gourary after the beating.

Related Posts:

Chabad Controlled Rabbinical Council Says Mesira, Prohibition Of Going To Secular Court, Do Not Apply To Child Sexual Abuse.

Police Need Your Help.

Why Are Mandatory Reporting Laws Necessary?

Australian Rabbis Warn of Another Predatory Religious Figure, Urge Jews to Speak Out – But Only to Rabbis.

Head Of Chabad Australia Allegedly Covered Up Sex Abuse, Allowed Perv To Escape.

[Hat Tip: JWB.]

Comments

[Yid72]

In the Venn diagram of Jewish values and Chabad there is no overlap of the two circles.

[seymour]

the chasiduch = mafai I see no difference
maybe just that chasedich have a better act and fool more people

[Norm]

Hlep me-

I am not familiar t with the verb in this sentence:

Today, he is in a Missouri jail, serving a seven-year sentence after being dobbed in by St Louis rabbi Ze’ev Smason.

[Yoel]

We all know that this is just more anti Israel propoganda.

[Do tell]

Melbourne pedarasts and chana gurary ..... What do these things have to do with each other . any excuse to drag up old stories. Mazel tov u have stooped to a new low

Your playing with a "lebedike bombe" suggesting the rebbe would be anything but furious and disgusted at both these stories and would never be involved with protecting these criminals

[danny]

It's about the Chabad ability to shuttle their criminals out of the country into a comfortable life in a new location -- complete with a wife and/or new bochurim to instruct.

[out there]

99 Percent of the abuse done is hidden under the carpet because frum people don't report to authorities and education department ,that is the case in Melbourne Australia especially in the adass israel school in melbourne ,there was the worst abuse for decades and no body opened their mouth because the rabbis said it was against jewish law to report that's why you have abusers like rabbi josef goldberg still teaching in the adass israel school

[jewishwhistleblower]

>Your playing with a "lebedike bombe"
>suggesting the rebbe would be anything
>but furious and disgusted at both
>these stories and would never be
>involved with protecting these
>criminals

Do tell, please name some of the pedophiles that the Rebbe helped imprison or where he wrote that such crimes must be reported directly to the police.

You can't.

It was the standard operating procedure at chabad at the time to:

1) not report abuse to the authorities;
2) "deal" with it quietly, moving the abuser if necessary; and
3) protect the institution at all costs (that consideration being above any welfare of children concerns in the abuser's present or future communities).

It was also standard to write the Rebbe (before his death in 1994) for direction. Such requests were usually answered by one of his "lieutenants" and reflected the above procedures.

Do you really believe any Lubavitch leader blew his nose without asking the Rebbe?

The Rebbe and the leasership of Chabad were directly involved in these cover-ups.

See comments at:

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2011/06/head-of-chabad-australia-allegedly-covered-up-sex-abuse-allowed-perv-to-escape-345.html

[jewishwhistleblower]

Even now the Chabad promoted "The Committee of Concerned Anash for Pidyon Shevuyim" that was set up to help Shlomo Rubashkin is involved with smear campaign tactics against the government attorneys who successfully prosecuted Rubashkin. It appears at least from the following examples that such tactics originate from Rubashkin's convicted pedophile son-in-law Rabbi Yaakov Weiss. He wrote a false letter to the Judicial Committee in Iowa.

It appears from an Iowa Judicial Watch website (http://www.iowajudicialwatch.org/)that obtained correspondence from the Supreme Court of Iowa nomination committee that convicted pedophile and Rubashkin son-in-law Rabbi Yaakov Weiss emailed the Supreme Court of Iowa nomination committee a few months back (http://www.iowajudicialwatch.org/2011/the-popularity-contest/). In that correspondence it appears that pedophile Weiss claims he is a Postville resident. I have confirmed the email address to belong to Weiss (http://who.godaddy.com/whoischeck.aspx?Domain=JEWISHCOLONIE.COM). Perhaps someone should mention this to Weiss' probation officer. Click on Letters for candidates with last names beginning with the letter “d.” at (http://www.iowajudicialwatch.org/2011/the-popularity-contest/) or the following links:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/47685224

Or

http://www.scribd.com/doc/47685224/d-letters

Or

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:kJu20ultEVcJ:www.scribd.com/doc/47685224/d-letters+yaakov973&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

A copy of the letter in question:
[Begin Letter]
Yaakov973@aol.com
01/11/2011 11:46 PM
To SupCtNom@iowacourts.gov
cc
Subject Matt Dummermath
I am a resident of Postville.
I cannot think of a candidate more unfit for the prestigious position of Supreme Court judge than Matt Dummermath. He destroyed our town and our region. His reputation has proven that he is out to prosecute, not seek justice.
Moreover, it has now come out that Matt was involved in misconduct: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100924/NEWS01/9240356/-1/NETWORKING/Misconduct-cases-taint-justice-in-Iowa
Based on this I believe it would be a big mistake and stain to choose Mr. Dummermath as a nominee for this high position.
I do think, however, that Judge Callahan is a very fair judge.
Thank you.
Yaakov
Postville, IA
[End Letter]

[jewishwhistleblower]

Further another email was sent by an Ari Chitrik to the Judicial committee about 9 hours later using the similar language of "stain" and the identical subject line. This letter is found on the page after Weiss' letter:
[Begin Letter]
"Ari Chitrik"
01/11/2011 11:46 PM
To
cc
Subject Matt Dummermath
Electing Matt Dummermath will be a stain on the Iowa courts.
[End Letter]

Rabbi Yaakov Weiss and Ari Chitrik were or are both members of the "The Committee of Concerned Anash for Pidyon Shevuyim".
See:
http://chabad.info/index.php?url=article_en&id=13459%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3E%3Cbr%20/%3Eon%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%20article%20they%20wrote%20Article%20courtesy%20of%20www.collive.com%3Cbr%20/%3E
http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=1428&alias=committee-for-rubashkin-case

Although pedophile Weiss is no longer shown as a member of the committee it appears from the above that as of the beginning of the year he may still have been directing the efforts of this committee and its efforts. The committee was set up for the purposes of assisting Weiss' father-in-law Sholom Rubashkin:
http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=7754&alias=rubashkin-needs-your-letter
http://www.ncfje.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/1144649/jewish/The-Rubashkin-Case.htm

[jewishwhistleblower]

Who is Ari Chitrik?

See: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Ari+Chitrik%22&sa=N&tbs=nws:1,ar:1

In particular:

March 8, 2006: Anthony Duncan, 47, was killed when a garage wall collapsed at 733 Ocean Parkway in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Architect Robert Scarano, cited for violations throughout Brooklyn, had signed papers taking responsibility for the shoring-up. Owner Viera Novak and developer Ari Chitrik of O.P. Equities were cited for, among other things, failing to safeguard the public and the property.

[Office of the Chief Rabbi]

Whistleblower:
The public is asked to report any violations of any condition of Weiss' probation to the Albany County Probation Department (reference Docket/Indictment No. 31-2649) at (518) 487-5180 or by email at probation@albanycounty.com.

[jewishwhistleblower]

The terms of Weiss' probation conditions are found at:
http://www.jewishcolonie.info/index.php?Probation-Conditions

If Weiss' letter is accurate and he is currently a Postville resident then there are problems with general conditions #1, 2 and 4:
1. Answer truthfully all reasonable inquiries by the Probation Officer and to notify the Probation Officer prior to any change in address or employment.
2. Remain within the jurisdiction of the Court unless granted permission to leave by Court or the Probation Officer. (The jurisdiction of the court is Albany County - Webmaster)
4. Maintain a residence as approved by the Probation Department.

Obviously, I suspect that Weiss is not a Postville resident and that the letter accordingly is a false submission to a judicial body in Iowa. Does that pose a problem? I do not know. Whether this constitutes a criminal or illegal act as set out in general condition #5 is beyond my expertise:
5. Refrain from committing any additional crime, offense, violation or other illegal activity.

Regardless, I encourage those more directly familiar with Weiss' residence to make the appropriate report to the probation department so that they can make the appropriate inquiries.

Clearly, if Weiss has changed his residence, children in Iowa must be protected.

[Aussie]

This is not the first time Groner covered up the wrong doings of his teachers....
Groner was so well respected....I have never understood why...

[Melb]

Aussie
what other cover-ups are you referring to?

[Sarah]

I cannot comprehend why no-one is mentioning the fact that Kramer was in Tzfat in Israel BEFORE he came to Melbourne.

He worked there and was found molesting children there.

I cannot possibly be the only person on this blog that knows.

[Was There]

To the best of my memory Groner sold a prominent seat in shul during one of the yamim noraim to notorious drug importer Edmond Arnold Mooseek in exchange for a $100,000 donation (and without gaining the permission of the permanent seat holder, who was overseas)

[Aussie]

Aussie
what other cover-ups are you referring to?

Lets see....There was the bashing of 2 students at a school camp by a Rabbi in the late 80's....
There was the Wax-cyprus child sex scandal in the 90's...