Chabad's Non-Apology 'Apology' For Child Sex Abuse Rings Hollow, Victim's Father Says

Chabad continues to cover up, continues to mistreat victims and continues to refuse to fully cooperate with police. So how can Chabad's conditional 'apology' mean anything? It can't – especially when it didn't even apologize to a victim's father that it repeatedly harassed.

Zephania Waks, the father of alleged victim Manny Waks, writes:

I am really sorry to have to write this note about the recent Yeshivah Centre (YC) letter, which many others have called an "apology". I would have preferred to see the glass half full. But I see a glass sprayed with paint to make it appear it contains something, where in reality it's empty.
 
Others have already pointed out the problematic language in the letter of "if" this happened, "may" have occurred  etc. Without mentioning specific cases, is anyone in any doubt that widespread sexual abuse occurred in YC? And we won't discuss the lie of "cooperation" with the police, the contrary is on the public record in the Magistrate's court. But I'll leave all that, I'll concentrate on 3 other points.
 
The letter states "Only by working together, can we ensure that it does not happen again". I don't know who the letter was mailed to, what were the criteria, but I, & many others, have not received a copy in the mail from YC. This reminds me of when YC "cooperated" over a year ago with the police in sending out the original letter to potential victims from YC, seeking police assistance. That letter also did not go to many kids that were in the relevant classes at the time. It was explained away at the time as a "misunderstanding". So much for "working together"
 
The letter states "we continue to offer support & provide counselling to anyone who feels this would be of benefit to them". As a parent of a self-publicly-named victim, I definitely feel "support...would be of benfit" to me & my family. However, over the past year, since my son went to the media, I have received no support, only vicious villification from the highest levels in YC, including at least 2 sermons from the Sabbath pulpit by one of the letter's signatories. From the beginning, & until very recently, I have asked to talk with the leaders about YC's response, but have been refused. So much for the offer of "support".
 
If the state of affairs described in the previous paragraph is now changed, & people have done tshuva (repented), why have I personally received no communication from YC about the wrongs (no "ifs" or "maybes" here) committed against me very recently? So much for the "apology".
 
I will be happy to change my opinion if YC changes it's actions.

Related Post: Chabad's Non-Apology 'Apology' For Sexual Abuse.

Comments

[Nathan]

Yeshivah Centre Apologises

August 22, 2012 by J-Wire Staff

...

Manny Waks, himself a victim of abuse at the Yeshivah as a schoolboy told J-Wire: “On behalf of some of the victims who were sexually abused as a result of the actions and inactions of the Yeshivah Centre, I commend the current Yeshivah leadership in finally taking the moral position in apologising, unreservedly, to all of us, and for recognising the profound impact sexual abuse has on children.

...

It is my sincere hope that the Yeshivah leadership will now act with integrity and morality, and most importantly, follow through with the views expressed in this letter.”

http://www.jwire.com.au/news/yeshivah-centre-apologises/27514

[Shmarya]

Posted by: Nathan | August 23, 2012 at 03:33 AM

Please.

You're such an asshole.

You know very well that Manny qualified his remarks to include a significant amount of criticism of the letter. The J-Wire story eliminates that, however.

But you can read exactly what Manny said in my first post on this – the same post clearly linked in this one.

And if you weren't such a dishonest cretinous troll, you'd also have noted that after Zephania Waks posted the above comment on his son's Facebook page about four hours ago, Manny agreed that the points his father made were strong.

No stop trolling, little man or I'll delete your comments.

[Aussie]

And if you weren't such a dishonest cretinous troll,

Nathan doesn't know that he can be jailed in Australia for being a troll....
http://xceler8news.com/home/man-jailed-over-facebook-page/

[Steven]

Ironic, that after the Kramer molestations occurred I was told by a person who is involved with abuse in the community, that Kramer's students would be counselled and intead from what I have heard, Rabbi Groner made an announcement in the gym warning students not to talk about it.

[Steven]

..so not only did the kids miss on councelling, but also no parents were told what happened and what could have happened to their kids. And to ALL those teachers and admin who say they were only following orders, they could have said something even if they might have lost their jobs. Gutless wonders.

[Liran]

Nathan doesn't know that he can be jailed in Australia for being a troll....
http://xceler8news.com/home/man-jailed-over-facebook-page/

Posted by: Aussie | August 23, 2012 at 05:58 AM

I don't get it, Nathan cut'n'pasted an article from an Australian news source. How can he be found guilty of anything?

[Eli, what me messiah?]

As I commented on the other post, the letter isn't an apology, but it does say a lot that one would like to see: abuse won't be tolerated, victims can't be blamed, allegations will be reported to the police, staff and children trained.
But without actions, these are just words. Any respectable organization with these problems would match them with the deeds of firing the leaders who were part of the problem, reaching out to victims and their families, etc.
The fact that they issued this letter and didn't fire anyone is almost worse than no letter at all. You can't say these things and then not clean house.

[Disappointed]

7. No name-calling, please.

Shmarya,

Why can't you bring out your points without transgressing your own rules. It detracts from your message.

[Michael]

Zephania has had many disagreements with The Yeshiva going back years, even before the abuse came to light. He has called the Council on them numerous times.

So it's disingenuous to blame their current attitude towards him as wholly related to being the father of an abuse victim.

[Sholi Zohar your nephew]

1) Manny has to do teshuva for marrieg out of his faith. Wonce that happens Hashem will have pity on him.
2) Fathewr waks should do Teshuvas for not listening to the Lubavitcher Rebbe when he was told DO NOT move out of Eretz Yisroel.
No one says that what happened was correct, but when you go against Torah and you don't listen to the Rebbe you get what you deserve.
Uncle Z you screwed up yoourself and your kids that went off the derech. We know that you have 17 kids but they should all be frum.

[put a square into a hole]

To dissapointed!

If you can't take the heat (you don't like the context of the comments) get the FUCK off the internet. Agree or not with Shmarya or not. Make a comment and shut up

[Reese]

Should anyone be surprised?

Look at the latest scandal covered on this site about Rabbi Efraim Zaltsman, head of Chabad at Kingsborough College in Brooklyn, telling a New York court that a sex offender convicted of multiple sex offenses against young women (and who also had been accused of drugging and raping several others) is cured because he has found religion. An Orthodox Jew who is shomer negiah won't rape women, Chabad's shaliach to a college thinks.

Something is very wrong with the current crop of Chabad Rabbis views on sexual abuse.

[dh]

You know, Disappointed, Shmarya is not a public service. I'm certain that you have donated buckets of cash to him so you have standing to kvetch.

[Disappointed]

To dissapointed!

If you can't take the heat (you don't like the context of the comments) get the FUCK off the internet. Agree or not with Shmarya or not. Make a comment and shut up

Posted by: put a square into a hole | August 23, 2012 at 12:01 PM

Thanks for the new rule, I must make a comment and shut up.

I don't mind the context of the articles, comments, etc, just wondering if te same ideas can't be brought out with the type of vulgarity that you think is necessary to make a point.

[Disappointed]

DH:
I have not donated anything to Shmarya, as I assume you and many others here have not.

Having said that, I must say that I don't get your logic.

Must one support a cause financially in order to kvetch about it?

Do the Republicans donate to the Demecrats so they'll have the "standing to kvetch"?

Do the Mets fans have to buy shares in the Yankees so that they may boo them??

[dh]

Disappointed, gumball, some people have a sense of give and take, enough respect for their own prose or opinion to support the entity that provides them a personal platform unlike the massive platform of cheering a sports franchise and major political party.... oh, never mind.

Wow, are you serious? Many others haven't donated? That's sucky. I'm completely embarrassed that mine comtinues to be such a small amount and I'm completely embarrassed that I am carrying on a conversation with you.

We are of the same mind about the vulgarity though. There is real rage here. Anonymity seems to rarify vulgarity.