Spring Valley Rabbi Accused Of Sodomizing Boys

Ramapo police arrested 58-year-old Rabbi Moishe Turner earlier this week for allegedly sodomizing boys.

 

Rabbi Moishe Turner

Spring Valley Rabbi Accused Of Sodomizing Boys
News 12

Ramapo police arrested 58-year-old Rabbi Moishe Turner earlier this week for allegedly sodomizing boys.

The Monsey resident was arraigned in Spring Valley Village Court yesterday, and charged with seven counts of criminal sex acts in the second degree, and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.

The religious leader posted bail yesterday, and is expected back in court on Oct. 27. His case is being handled by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.

As always, an arrest is not the same thing as a conviction or a guilty plea, but it doesn't mean you treat him as if he were innocent, either.

In halakhic terms, there is clear raglayim l'davar, and therefore in terms of child safety you should treat Rabbi Turner as if he were guilty.

In terms of everything else, his status is a sofek.

You don't give him synagogue or communal honors, but you still consider him a part of the community in other ways.

The main thing is to remove his access to children.

[Hat Tips: Devorah, Seymour.]

 

Comments

[Litvish]

Comments on VIN indicate that at least some people in the local community do not find this at all surprising.

Other comments on VIN complain that this could bring disrepute on the Spring Valley frumiks since they otherwise have an unblemished reputation according to....themselves.

[Robert Wisler]

How do these guys always seem to get their bail posted within a few minutes of being arrested? I mean, this guy was accused of anally raping a kid (not fondling, not masturbating, but anally violating a boy). Wouldn't the bail be set pretty high?

How much you want to bet that Twerski was doing that Shaul Spitzer kid who was his "butler".

Oh well, from these low, in-bred Ukrainian/Rumanian peasants, I guess homosexual sodomy is just their normal behavior. God, I wish they'd go back to the backward, low, inferior places in Eastern Europe that spawned them.

[devorah]

Was this in the Journal News? I must have missed it.

[A. Nuran]

So, are they going to put the boy to death?

[Steven]

Yeah, an honour killing. And the Rabbi can go on to be a Rebbe.

[Yonah]

http://m.reporternews.com/news/2007/feb/06/turner-sentenced-to-30-years-victims-parents-say/

[OMG]

Posted by: Robert Wisler | October 23, 2011 at 09:32 PM

FYI, in certain states, oral sex is considered sodomy.

[Jd]

The guy did this in Monsey 35 years ago
My father used to tel me to stay away from him

[Jd]

He has 2 brothers צדיקים one in Monsey and one in union city

[Jd]

His father was a big צדיק his name was y turner he was a famous violin player

[Steven]

Love how on VIN and here there are comments saying he did it 35 years ago, I am not surprised, we all knew etc.

Educate your kids so it doesn't happen. If no-one complains to the police it will keep happening.

[mmm]

there isn't a community leader in the area that did not know about him. he was banned from many public places in the past 20-30 years.

[Jeff]

According to what you are all saying, everyone knew, yet they were so scared shitless of one another and of the community that no one did anything but try to keep their own kids away from him.

God, what a toxic way of life.

[Hershel]

Jeff, no one did anything about it because Turner is a "religious leader". Neither the Police or the other local "religious leaders" would believe that such an upstanding looking man was buggering boys. The other local Rabbis and the local population all walk around with their eyes closed. This man is accused of very serious crimes not minor offences. In the coming years as the religious community starts tuning into what is morally right and wrong the scandal of how many young married women are raped by "religious leaders" and "marriage counselors" will start to float to the surface.

[seymour]

there isn't a community leader in the area that did not know about him. he was banned from many public places in the past 20-30 years.

Posted by: mmm | October 24, 2011 at 06:58 AM

again the leaders are to blame for allowing this to go on

when will they be punished or take any responsibility or when will the community confrint their own leaders for their non actions

[mmm]

leaders are just one issue the bigger issue is that victims don't want to come forward. they are ashamed and went trough enough.

[jewishwhistleblower]

The news story and a video including a picture of the Rabbi is available at:
http://www.news12.com/WAP/topstories.xml?region=HV&returnurl=APstories.jsp&streamformat=unk

>How do these guys always seem to get
>their bail posted within a few minutes
>of being arrested?

The same way that they get great deals when convicted. Our community and leadership protect them. Just look at the Rabbis Kolko and (Lewis/Lipa) Brenner cases. Guilty pleas with no jail time.

Anyone know anything about this creep? Where is he a religious leader? What is the name of his shul or yeshiva? How many followers does he have and are they protecting him? Maybe there should be a vigil outside his shul or yeshiva.

Time to shed some light.

[ezra]

> As always, an arrest is not the same thing as a conviction or a guilty plea, but it doesn't mean you treat him as if he were innocent, either.

Actually, Shmarya, it does. The law is pretty clear on this: A person is innocent until proven guilty. That's why juries return verdicts of "not guilty" rather than "innocent" -- the defendant is presumed innocent all during the trial.

Now, if you're saying that the community shouldn't automatically treat him like a wrongfully charged tzaddik and a victim of anti-Semitism, even though he hasn't been convicted, I completely agree.

[jewishwhistleblower]

Rabbi Turner has ties to Monsey and Union City.

I believe his family are part of the Klausenburg-Sanz chasidic community.

If early reports and public records are correct, it appears that he has a younger brother that runs a girls school, family outreach program and child care service and is a police chaplain. I am of course not alleging anything in terms of his extended family just indicating his background.

I believe there was a civil action against Rabbi Moishe Turner in an insurance matter 20 years ago that resulted in a small judgment against him.

[jewishwhistleblower]

>Actually, Shmarya, it does. The law is
>pretty clear on this: A person is
>innocent until proven guilty. That's
>why juries return verdicts of "not
>guilty" rather than "innocent" -- the
>defendant is presumed innocent all
>during the trial.

So what? That standard only applies in a court of law and no where else.

For example, if you look up the site that records allegations against catholic priests http://bishopaccountability.org/
you will find a database of 4,392 priests (with updates it is now around 5,600) with allegations of sexual misconduct. Very few of these priests have ever been charged criminally even fewer convicted. Should these priests have access to our children simply because under the definition of the law they are innocent? Of course not. The court of common sense dictates otherwise.

Moreover, Jewish Law is clear in that the requirements to determine that there are raglayim l'davar is a much lower standard than in the US criminal courts.

I would also note that in Nachalot, Israel there was a sefer Torah commissioned by ay alleged pedophile (accordingly innocent according to you and US law) that was recently burned according to the psak of Rabbi Michael Elkohen's Rosh Yeshiva. You can read about it at Rabbi Elkohen's blog http://mekubal.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/sefer-torah-burning/

The sefer Torah was commissioned on behalf of an alleged pedophile who has not yet been indicted. The psak was that a Sefer Torah written by a Apikorus must be burned. Thus it seems that a pedophile (alleged) was declared an Apikorus.

[Mikal]

He is no "community leader" nor is he a " rabbi" and thankfully if allegations hold true he will hopefully not be protected by the community.
I do know him and am surprised, I personally never heard any type of rumors about him.. Let's wait and see and be weary in the interim.

[RightJew]

A few minutes ago comment no. 14 on the VIN article accused some prominent rabbis in Philadelphia and Brklyn of covering up for molesters.

Now comment 14 is gone!

http://www.vosizneias.com/93363/2011/10/23/rockland-county-ny-spring-val%20ley-rabbi-accused-of-sodomizing-boys

[jewishwhistleblower]

>He is no "community leader" nor is he
>a " rabbi"

Really?

http://www.ou.org/pdf/daf/5764/Daf%2012-8.pdf
This publication indicates that he is/was a mashgiach/rabbi at OU.

Also google "888-547-2224"
He's listed numerous times as a Rabbi.

[fred]

What school did he teach in

[Baruch Bendit]

Big deal, "he was banned from many public areas". If the the "community leaders" knew about him, why wasn't he behind bars?

Reminds me of the "Monsey Chicken Scandal" some years ago.

HaRav HaGaon Moreinu v'Rabeinu HoRav Maran Bresslauer, shlita, knew for weeks in advance that there was a potential problem but never acted on it.

Then, when the trief chickens were uncovered, Bresslauer refused to accept the blame.

And today he is back, full force, in the Hechsher business.

Woe to Klal Yisrael.

[Baruch Bendit]

According to what you are all saying, everyone knew, yet they were so scared shitless of one another and of the community that no one did anything but try to keep their own kids away from him.

God, what a toxic way of life.

You can blame this on the "Da'as Torah" in the Orthodox communities, who discourage reporting these perverts to the authorities.

Kaminetzsky in Philadelphia; Cohen from Ohel and G'Vul Yaabetz in Flatbush; the Agudah empty-heads; the Chabad Rabbis . . . . all are more interested in blaming the victims rather than prosecuting the victims.

[jancsipista]

this all is beyond belief grownups knew about it and just let it go on for decades, what in the universe are we learning torah for, to be sadists and murderers of the souls of children who cant defend themself this i say is the ultimate evil for good people to do nothing they become just as evil as the molester, theese are helpless children what are we raising them to be enemies of religion theese rabbis are their own worst enemy and the enemy of yiddishkeit.

[Mikal]

>He is no "community leader" nor is he
>a " rabbi"

Really?

http://www.ou.org/pdf/daf/5764/Daf%2012-8.pdf
This publication indicates that he is/was a mashgiach/rabbi at OU.

Also google "888-547-2224"
He's listed numerous times as a Rabbi.

Posted by: jewishwhistleblower | October 24, 2011 at 10:43 AM

He does not have any rabbinic position or community leader position, the fact that one works as a mashgiach in any kashrus organization just means that they have some level of ability of cognitive thinking and they have basic training (about 3 and a half min) in what to look out for. The fact that two thirds of the orthodox population carry the title Rabbi or Reb kind of makes the title meaningless..
Anyhow, any statements from the OU?

[mmm]

if you listed as a rabbi you get a discount on your phone bill. He was a mishgiach. I hope he didn't bless food with his hand

[anuran]

The leaders are to blame.

So are the people for following them.

If you won't do what's necessary to protect your children from a known monster you don't deserve to be a parent. Protecting children and pregnant women is the basis of civilization. Any society which fails to do so loses its right to exist by a law much older and less forgiving than the Torah

[jewishwhistleblower]

According to the News 12 Report (the televised version), the Rockland County Sheriff's Office reported that when he was booked Turner identified himself as a Rabbi.

The OU publication for its mashgichim noted above certaily refers to Turner as a Rabbi.

So? Is he or is he not a religious leader? Who does he lead? How many follow him? Where is his shul or yeshiva? Let's start naming the institutions that have kept this creep in a leadership position.

[mmm]

http://www.lohud.com/article/20111024/NEWS03/110240357/Monsey-man-charged-sexually-abusing-boy-14

[jewishwhistleblower]

Just so there is no confusion, Turner was an OU Rabbinic Field Representative.

He is a Rabbi.

Volume 12, No.8 IYAR 5764/May 2004
The Daf HaKasharus, A Monthly Newsletter for the OU Rabbinic Field Representative.
...
Condolences to our devoted RFR Rabbi Moshe Turner of Monsey, NY ...

The Daf HaKasharus is a publication of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Eleven Broadway, New York, NY 10004

[jewishwhistleblower]

Here's an OU article on what an RFR is:

http://oukosher.org/index.php/common/article/your_rfr_your_ou_kosher_customer_service_agent/

Your RFR – Your OU Kosher Customer Service Agent
...
Out in the field, the RFR is the face of the OU, and you may not be aware that your RFR is both a valuable source of information and can provide service that you should be aware of — and avail yourself of.
...

[613ENFORCER]

http://youtu.be/nom8Y3oeJps

[seymour]

if the frum want to scam and list themselves as rebbies to get phone a discount then the frum cannot complain when people sate them as rebbie when they get busted

[jancsipista]

if what i read about him is half true he should be skinned alive, it just boggles the mind how someone who supposedly learned torah can stoop to such pure evil , he definitly deserved the death penalty if what they claim he did is true

[Sarah K]

I've heard that anyone who calls him/herself a rabbi takes part of his/her compensation wherever he/she works as a housing allowance so it's not taxable. They do this even if it's more than their rent or mortgage payments. Great deal, no?

[jd]

i stopped going 30 years ago to the mikvah in kluzenburg because of him

[jd]

he is no rabbi. i know him very well. we all new for years to stay away from him. everybody in monsey knows about him including his neighbors. the reason they are shocked because they feel bad for his wife so they have to say to the media that they are shocked. he gave me his car sometimes for the day for free. my father told me nothing is for free he wants something. stay AWAY. i was a very tememosdiga boy. thank god i listen to my father. but my friend got touched by him. i know this for a fact

[OMG]

but my friend got touched by him. i know this for a fact
Posted by: jd | October 24, 2011 at 04:50 PM

Therefore, you knew that he is molesting boys, and what did you do to stop it, nothing. Look in the mirror and blame yourself too.