Rinat Member writes via email:
Shmarya, I think that you would be doing a great public service if you blogged about the case about Adam Melzer that has been unfolding In Teaneck. You blogged about the JW article but there is a lot that is missing there. First…
…many more boys have come forward about Melzer with much worse stories -- although that is briefly mentioned in the JW article. What is not in the article, however, is that Melzer regularly still attends Beth Abraham and he is always accompanied by an unrelated teenage boy when he comes and leaves. This is all done in full view of Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger. Even worse, Neuberger has not abided by the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County directive that each shul rabbi should exhort the congregants of the shul to go to the DA with any information regarding the case. This is particularly important in this shul because Melzer was known to hang out with teenage boys in Beth Abraham and that is where he met many of them. I do not daven in the shul but I have confirmed all of this with numerous witnesses.
If you want to post this as a guest post please do so but it is critical that this information get out there because if more kids do not come forward he is likely to get off with a slap on the wrist -- particularly since he is represented by super lawyer Ben Brafman.
Rabbi Neuberger is not the only rabbi to remain silent.
This shouldn't be a surprise considering the past behavior of Modern Orthodox rabbis in the Baruch Lanner affair.
Like Lanner, Melzer is a very prominent member of the Modern Orthodox community. While Lanner was active in kiruv (outreach), Melzer is active in youth sports and is a promoter of Orthodox music concerts featuring the biggest names in the haredi and Modern Orthodox music business.
Rabbis and Sex Offenders.
The Case of Adam Melzer.
RETRACTION 2:35 PM, 8-25-08 – Comments to this post left by: 1. anon, 2. [no name], 3. Meir, and 4. Troubled; all come from the same IP address. Worse yet, that IP address matches the IP address of "Rinat Member," whose email I published here.
This is a classic example of sockpuppeting.
This same IP address has been used in the past on other posts to leave comments critical of the RCA and of Rabbi Dovid Cohen. Aliases used include: 1. JW, 2. BA Member, 3. Disappointed with the RCA, 4. Anon, 5. STOP DAVID COHEN, 6. anon, and , 7. shocked about david cohen.
It is entirely possible the information I posted today about Adam Melzer and Rabbi Neuberger is true. But "Rinat Member" is clearly not trustworthy.
Sockpuppeting is never okay, and what this man did today is wrong.
I apologize to all of you – Rabbi Neuberger included – for publishing this email.