Here is an audio recording of what Rabbi Manis Friedman said about child sexual abuse completely in context – including the missing couple of minutes from the beginning of the video version of the rant that will probably make you ill. Friedman brings up the subject of molestation, says that hardly a kid who attends yeshivas or programs [Chabad, haredi, etc.] hasn't been sexually abused, and then he goes on to trivialize the abuse, make jokes about victims, and in essence claim that child sexual abuse is only as damaging as victims allow it to be because the damage is all collateral. The abuse itself isn't a big aveirah, sin, he says – not saying the after-blessing over a piece of cake is worse. But Friedman opens with a horrific statement about abuse that was not included in the video version of Friedman's rant. And when you hear it you'll know how horrible Manis Friedman truly is.
Rabbi Manis Friedman
Here is an audio recording of what Rabbi Manis Friedman said about child sexual abuse completely in context – including the missing couple of minutes from the beginning of the video version of the rant that will probably make you ill.
Friedman brings up the subject of molestation, says that hardly a kid who attends programs [Chabad, haredi, etc.] hasn't been sexually abused, and then he goes on to trivialize the abuse, make jokes about victims, and in essence claim that child sexual abuse is only as damaging as victims allow it to be because the damage is all collateral. The abuse itself isn't a big aveirah, sin, he says – not saying the after-blessing over a piece of cake is worse. But Friedman opens with a horrific statement about abuse that was not included in the video version of Friedman's rant. And when you hear it you'll know how horrible Manis Friedman truly is. (And that is true even when his 'clarification' is taken into account.]
That official Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn has not distanced itself from what you are about to hear is appalling. And when you add to this the silence of Chabad headquarters with regard to the massive Chabad child sexual abuse scandal in Melbourne, Australia, Chabad headquarters' behavior becomes even worse.
The audio runs about 13 minutes and 25 seconds. Please click the gray bar to listen:
Rabbi Manis Friedman Child Sexual Abuse 1-2013 Israel
And here's a brief excerpt from the audio for those of you who don't have the patientce to listen to the whole 13 minutes in order. This brief quote runs for 1 minute 34 seconds:
Rabbi Manis Friedman Child Sexual Abuse quote 1-2013
In 2009, Manis Friedman essentially called for genocide against Palestinians and other Arabs when responding in writing to a written question from Moment Magazine.
Friedman's response was published by Moment alongside the responses of many other rabbis – none of whom used the question to call for genocide.
Here are some of the posts related to that controversy: 1, 2, 3, 4.