Manny Waks Responds: How Chabad Really Treats Abuse Victims, Part 3

"…[Shyrla Pakula Werdiger, whose husband sits on Chabad's Yeshivah Centre board in a senior capacity] clarified that her description of ‘damaged, deranged and generally vindictive and destructive individuals who all bring a chilul hashem to the name of Judaism in general’ was intended for myself (and Rebbetzin Feldman) only, not all victims of child sexual abuse as per her initial wording. Apparently I am the one responsible for desecrating God’s name while her community – the [Chabad] Yeshivah community, with its paedophiles, cover-ups, intimidation and lies have cast our community in such a fine light.…"

 Above: Manny Waks

Manny Waks, the founder of the anti-child-sex-abuse organization Tzedek, who was a victim of child sex abuse himself while a student at Chabad's Yeshivah Centre in Melbourne, Australia, responds to the recent public attacks on him by senior members of the Chabad community:

Seems like it’s open season to have a go at me. The day before Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement – there was the vile email from Rebbetzin Feldman from Sydney’s Yeshiva Centre.

Yesterday, the day after Yom Kippur, Shyrla Pakula Werdiger – who presumably would’ve spent Yom Kippur in the Yeshivah synagogue fasting and repenting for her sins – produced the following rant on the Jews for Justice for Yeshivah’s Victims Facebook page:

‘I don't defend the Grand Most High Pooh-bah Rebbetzin in any way but I do believe that this was a private email to Lord High Executioner waks, which he chose to publicize. They are all damaged deranged and generally vindictive and destructive individuals who all bring a chilul hashem [desecration of God’s name] to the name of Judaism in general, Orthodox Judaism in particular. I could go on but I won't. And yes, poor timing perhaps. But so what.’

Having caused offence to a number of readers who responded accordingly, she clarified that her description of ‘damaged, deranged and generally vindictive and destructive individuals who all bring a chilul hashem to the name of Judaism in general’ was intended for myself (and Rebbetzin Feldman) only, not all victims of child sexual abuse as per her initial wording. Apparently I am the one responsible for desecrating God’s name while her community – the Yeshivah community, with its paedophiles, cover-ups, intimidation and lies have cast our community in such a fine light.

For those who may not know, Shyrla is the wife of Shlomo Werdiger. Shlomo is one of a number of individuals who continue to sit on the Melbourne Yeshivah Centre Committee of Management, despite having sat on the Committee for at least some, if not all of the time during which I and others were abused, and representatives of the Centre enabled perpetrators to escape justice. Perhaps that is why the petition currently being circulated by Jews for Justice for Yeshivah’s Victims (https://www.change.org/p/rabbi-avrohom-glick-and-don-wolf-apologise-to-the-innocent-victims-who-were-sexually-abused-as-children-on-your-watch-and-resign-from-all-positions-of-leadership - which seeks to hold people to account for the failure to protect children in their care) hit such a raw nerve with Shyrla. Shlomo is also President of the United Israel Appeal (Vic). Shyrla is a medical practitioner. This family is considered a “moderate” Chabad-Yeshivah family.

I’m currently obtaining legal advice in relation to any action which I may have against Shyrla. I will also be making a formal complaint to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Notifications/Make-a-Notification.aspx).

I have never claimed to be infallible. I have no issue when people criticise me, as long as it’s done lawfully and civilly. I don’t expect everyone to agree with me on everything. I apologise when I overstep the mark. But clearly both the Feldman and Werdiger statements have no place in fair debate. They are clear examples of hurt speak, designed to do nothing more than offend, intimidate and in the case of Werdiger, to damage my reputation in public. What else was Werdiger, a doctor, trying to achieve – is she deliberately trying to push me over the edge? Is this how a doctor behaves towards someone they believe to be ‘damaged’, ‘deranged’ and ‘destructive’?

In the circumstances, I feel that it is appropriate to use whatever means at my disposal to draw attention to the disgusting behaviour of these individuals. Not least because, over the last few years, it has become apparent that so many within the Chabad-Yeshiva(h) community agree with the sentiments expressed by these senior figures.

Finally, the silence of the Jewish community leadership – both secular and rabbinic – is deafening at this time. Where are they? Where are the Rabbis who have been so quick to call out lashon hara (hate speech) in the past? Why the double standards when the attack comes from their own? What message are they sending?

Thankfully the community has spoken loud and clear. It is our community, and we can no longer remain silent. Silence is what got us into this mess in the first place.

Related Posts:

How Chabad Really Treats Abuse Victims.

How Chabad Really Treats Abuse Victims, Part 2.

Comments

[S M L]

He's right. End of story.

[noname]

I thought she was a lab tech. A doctor wrote that? She actually called them "damaged deranged and generally vindictive"? OY! What kind of doctor is she? I certainly hope she has no patient contact. Her ethics are right up there with the doctor who (apparently) took a selfie while Joan (a"h) was on the table. These women both need a refresher course in professional medical behavior...at the absolute minimum.

[Alter Kocker]

Manny:
One hopes that the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency takes Mrs. Werdiger's license to practice. (I will not refer to her as Dr, as that connotes a person of ethics and integrity, which she is clearly not deserving) This behavior is abysmal and a clear message must be sent. The obvious intent of both emails was to intimidate. Both of these women realize that either their husbands or themselves are culpable in the conspiracy of silence and blowback against yourself and your family.

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

She calls herself doctor, but nowhere does she state what her doctorate is in.

She works as a 'Lactation Consultant', which is a job usually done by a nurse.

Everybody loves calling themselves 'doctor', even rappers, athletes, frumma, etc.

[jammam]

Dr Shyrla Pakula MB BS IBCLC, Dr Paula's blog http://shyrlap.wix.com/breastfeedingclinic
The Melbourne Breastfeeding Clinic

The Clinic was established in 1986. Dr Pakula provides a completely personal service to mothers and babies who are experiencing difficulty breastfeeding

Dr Shyrla Pakula is a medical doctor and a certified Lactation Consultant who has worked in the field of Breastfeeding Medicine since 1986. She has helped thousands of mother-baby pairs deal with breastfeeding problems of all kinds, including nipple and breast pain, breast tlumps, supply issues, and unsettled babies.

Dr Pakula of the Melbourne Breastfeeding Clinic, is a GP and Lactation Consultant (LC) who has been working in the field of Breastfeeding Medicine for nearly 30 years. She is also rostered to Masada Mother Baby Unit with which she has been associated for 20 years.

[jammam]

Oh, very nice for a frum tznius woman to have photos of breasts and nipples all over her website, NOT!

[dh]

Something is fishy. She is a medical doctor? But she is only a (sucking) consultant? So, what, she graduated medical school but didn't do an internship or residency? Is that like going to law school but not passing the bar?

More info, por favor.

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

Anytime I see a 'medical doctor' who is obviously underemployed, I know there is something awry about their credentials. Perhaps a grad who couldn't pass her boards, had her license restricted by the Board of Medical Examiners, etc.

Of course, we won't get a straight answer.

There is no such field as 'Breastfeeding Medicine'. Breastfeeding issues are dealt with by nurses, and sometimes midwives.

[dh]

These are horrible, intentionally hurtful, hateful people Manny. The three amigas aimed for nothing less than to cause you great embarrassment and pain in public concourse. I wish you a superlative lawsuit and to take them for everything they've got. May you put soap on the steps of their lives. Go get 'em.

[dh]

Haha. Breastfeeding Medicine. You mean he wasn't a doctor?????

[jammam]

Medical Board of Australia
Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency(AHPRA)
Dr Shyrla Pakula
Doctor (GP)
Dr Shyrla Paula is trained as a Doctor (GP) and has a practice located in Caulfield.

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

Jammam, I 've been around doctors for many years, and have known plenty of sketchy characters who are technically doctors, and I can spot a phony a mile, or 10,000 miles, away.

She's so phony, if you scratched the surface, you'd find more surface.

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

DH, 5:53, LOL!

[Rebitzman]

I'm not sure the civil courts is where I would go with this, but as the Chabad rabbi is currently suing him for much much less.......

I am also curious - in part 2 of this series there are long posts made by the Rebbitzen and by someone signed "doctor". They are written in a similar style and express the same ideas. Given the discussion as to the Rebbitzen's profession, I can't help but wonder if it's not the same person.

[dh]

excellent observation

[Rebbetzin Hockstein]

Actually, Dr. Jack Newman in Toronto, Canada is THE world's expert on breastfeeding medicine. And there is an Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, too. I suggest that you stick to what you know and let the childbirth educators, doulas, lactation consultants, nurses, etc. deal with what is or is not a medical specialty. A little time spent with Mr. Google can verify this info.

[Rebbetzin Hockstein]

The fact that this lady is ostensibly providing support to women and interacting with them on an issue that requires sensitivity is astounding.

[dh]

Ah! Another expert is created by virtue of marrying a rabbi! A miracle! Jack Newman is a Pediatrician. As such, and as all pediatricians do with the moms of newborns, he counsels on sucking. Jack also coupled with a gal and makes money by writing and speaking about it. There is also the La Leche League and a bunch of other groups that counsel women on breast feeding.

Feldman is no more astounding than any woman in the La Leche League that answers the phone. In fact she is way less astounding because it would never cross the minds of any of them to intentionally publicly shame a victim.

Now take your ridiculous title and go make chicken soup.

[dh]

I'll turn it over to WSC or S M L or another of our Board Certified REAL Specialists to explain what a medical specialty is. I suddenly have a hankering for milk and cookies.

[Chafraud-Depravitch]

Oh, very nice for a frum tznius woman to have photos of breasts and nipples all over her website, NOT!
Posted by: jammam
----

So I had to go look. The first thing that my browser does is ask permission to set a cookie.
I figured, why not? Cookies and milk how can you go wrong?

This is a perfect example of how the Satan works!
The cookies weren't pas yisroel, and milk not chalav yisroel.

Kidding aside.
Thank you Manny for exposing the freaks at Chabad's Yeshivah Centre who committed child sexual abuse or assisted criminals engaging in child sexual abuse by turning a 'blind eye', orchestrating cover-ups, and minimizing the magnitude of the crime.
Those are the things that really expose Chabad-Lubavitch for what they really are, Chafraud-Depravitch.

I also want to thank "Rebbitzen" (LOL) Pnina Feldman, the wife of the Chabad's top emissary in Sydney, Australia Rabbi Pinchas Feldman, and Dr Shyrla Pakula MB BS IBCLC of The Melbourne Breastfeeding Clinic for getting on the WORLD WIDE web and personally showing the Internet what truly repugnant (and amazingly stupid) individuals they are.
Chabadniks attacking a "fellow Jew"? Dual attacks flanking Yom Kippur? And then foolishly confirming their shameful behavior for blogs and news sites?
Certainly the pride of their husbands, the Chabad movement, and of course, their Rebbe.

Wow! If they weren't so disgusting, they would be comedy gold.

[Chafraud-Depravitch]

I am also curious - in part 2 of this series there are long posts made by the Rebbitzen and by someone signed "doctor". They are written in a similar style and express the same ideas. Given the discussion as to the Rebbitzen's profession, I can't help but wonder if it's not the same person.

Posted by: Rebitzman
-----

I'm sure the answer to that is in Failedmessiah's server logs.

[dh]

I'm certain Shmarya would never reveal such data, for many reasons, the least of which is that it would open the door for ppl to interpret that action and intent as failing to preserve privacy. Shmarya has a longstanding habit and policy of protecting the privacy of FailedMessiah in all respects, including the identities, locations and other personal identifying information of those that wish to remain anonymous.

[Rebbetzin Hockstein]

I am called Rebbetzin Hockstein. Yes, I make great chicken soup, but my profesional life involves my work as a lactation consultant. I find it amusing that people who are anti-abuse are so, well, abusive and accusatory in tone. For what it is worth, these are my first posts in quite a while, and will probably be my last. While I am an educator by profession, I learned a long time, some people are not interested in knowing or learning a thing.

[Chafraud-Depravitch]

dh,

I don't think he's obligated to protect the privacy of sock puppets or criminal abettors. Server logs are a very valuable investigative tool. I've seen a number of blog administrators expose deceptive people without compromising their own integrity.
Nobody needs a specific IP address revealed to confirm that two apparently different posters are posting from the same IP address.

And I think Shmarya has used such information in the past to call out BS comment posters when he caught them, without giving out specifics like name, email, addresses, etc (which I don't believe appear in server logs).

I haven't been here very long and don't know precisely how Shmarya runs his site. But I think I know him well enough to say that he wouldn't protect criminals or their supporter's antics on his blog.

Of course he shouldn't publish the IP of every jerk who comes here screaming "Shmarya! anti-semite! Go to hell!"
But they're not criminals. They're just stupid.

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

If you are not on this list, you are not a legitimate medical specialty. It's really that simple.

http://www.abms.org/Who_We_Help/Physicians/specialties.aspx

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

Sounds like Professor Irwin Corey, the standup comic from years ago, known at The World's Leading Authority:

http://www.irwincorey.org

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

"...what is or is not a medical specialty..." is decided by physicians who are leaders in that field. It is not decided by "childbirth educators, doulas, lactation consultants, nurses, etc.".

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

There are bullshit boards with websites set up for just about any field where gullible or desperate patients are to be found and taken advantage of.

Cosmetic surgery and cancer treatment are rife with these pseudo-boards.

Every few months I get another letter in the mail asking if I want to be 'certified' by such a Board, or if I'd like to be named one of America's Best Doctors. All I have to do is mail in a check.

Dumbass frumma, who always seem to think they can outsmart anyone anytime, are easily impressed by such organizations.

[WoolSilkCotton; I must be seen to be believed]

++...I find it amusing that people who are anti-abuse are so, well, abusive and accusatory...++

So you're comparing child molesting to people who criticize you?

[dh]

I'm certain Shmarya would never reveal such data, for many reasons, the least of which is that it would open the door for ppl to interpret that action and intent as failing to preserve privacy. Shmarya has a longstanding habit and policy of protecting the privacy of FailedMessiah in all respects, including the identities, locations and other personal identifying information of those that wish to remain anonymous.

Callng out a troll as a troll by the troll's moniker comports with the above and in no way designates the troll as an entity that has, does or will violate any law by virtue of trolldom.

[dh]

Madame Hockstein, by "educator", do you mean accredited teacher? I, myself have over 21 years of education (and not because I was held back, haha, beat you to the punch) and just took a quick trip through Google to determine that lactation consultants can get a certificate with about 45 hours of on the floor training and a 125 question test. Wowsers!!! That's heavy duty. I'll have mine by the weekend. What did the world do before that money making scheme for thousands of years? I'll take a brief pause here to give you time to make a large donation to FM.

Waiting...waiting...waiting...beep...beep....booop...boob...

Did you use PayPal? Good on you. Next time add another zero. You can afford it. After all, you're a lactation consultant. Even you don't take that seriously. Read your post again. You consider your real profession as one of being an "educator". Lower case "e".

Here's the thing. If you read FM regulary and you were educated such that you were able to think critically, had exercized your brain over the years, had grown your sense of compassion, hadn't ceased to grow as a human being when you popped into bed with the rabbi and attained your title and pedestal and surrounded yourself with slobbering obsequious sychophants, you would realize that FM and probably many of the people that you insult and to whom you are unkind know far more than do you, have suffered far more than have you (and poor box schlepping feldman et.al.) and the very individuals that you now snub are the ones to whom you will run when you are in the most need.

Oh, crap. Now I want another Oreo.

[dh]

BTW, I wanted to ask you, do you also do feng shui?

Oh, darn, crumbs in the keyboard again.

[Rebitzman]

"I am called Rebbitzen Hockstein...."

I am called Rebbitzen as well, make better chicken soup and also have a professional life.........

I can also distinguish when someone is attacking me, and when they are attacking what I say.

[dh]

Yes, my fine feathered friend, but have you lactated?

PS I'm attacking her.