"About 2 years ago, a major police investigation started into sexual
abuse of children at Yeshivah Centre (YC). I have a son, Manny Waks
(MW), who was a victim. We both cooperated fully with the police. A few
months later, he went public about these matters, and has become an
activist within the Jewish community. He is in very regular contact with
the media. The Respondents (and other members of the YC leadership)
have a very strong religious view about "mesirah" (informing on a Jew to
the secular authorities). I am part of the same religious community,
but have a view at the opposite end of the spectrum to theirs. My son MW
is longer part of the YC community. The Respondents have been involved
in an escalating campaign of "shunning" me during the last 18 months,
because of my views and actions, and those of my son who they find it
hard to attack except via me."
Chabad's Yeshivah College in the Melbourne suburb East St. Kilda
Originally published at 9:59 pm CDT 3-20-2013
From: Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2013 12:05
To: Zephaniah Waks
Subject: Your complaint to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
Online Complaint
Please note that not all questions may apply to your complaint
Part 1: About you
Title
Name
Zephaniah Waks
Street address
[REDACTED]
Suburb
East St Kilda
Postcode
3183
State
VIC
Contact number
[REDACTED]
TTY
Email Address (a copy of your complaint will be sent to this address)
[REDACTED]
Do you need to communicate with us electronically?
No
Please advise why?
Are you making this complaint on behalf of someone else?
No
The name of the person
Your relationship to the person
Do you have a solicitor/advocate representing you?
No
Name of the person
Their contact number
Their organisation
Their address (if applicable)
If you already have a Case Number enter it here
Part 2: The Respondent
Name/Organisation
Rabbi Z Telsner
Their contact number
[REDACTED]
Street address
[REDACTED]
Suburb
East St Kilda
Postcode
3183
What is the respondents relationship to you? e.g. employer, landlord, provides goods or services to you
Rabbi of Synagogue I attend
If theres more than one respondent enter their details below
2nd respondent Name: Mr H Herbst
2nd respondent Address: [REDACTED]
2nd respondent Contact number: [REDACTED]
2nd respondent Relationship to you: Head of Committee of Synagogue I attend
3rd respondent Name:
3rd respondent Address:
3rd respondent Contact number:
3rd respondent Relationship to you:
4th respondent Name:
4th respondent Address:
4th respondent Contact number:
4th respondent Relationship to you:
Part 3: About the complaint
Why are you complaining to the Commission? Do you believe you have been discriminated against because of your:
religious belief or activity, religious vilification,personal association with someone who has, or is assumed to have, one of these personal characteristics
If you have been discriminated against for another reason, please state that reason:
When did this happen to you? Provide the date or dates of the events you are complaining about.
Ongoing for the last 18 months
What happened to you? Describe the events that you want to complain about. You need to say what happened, who did it and where it happened. Put in as much detail as you can and explain why you think this happened, for example because of your race, sex, disability etc.About 2 years ago, a major police investigation started into sexual abuse of children at Yeshivah Centre (YC). I have a son, Manny Waks (MW), who was a victim. We both cooperated fully with the police. A few months later, he went public about these matters, and has become an activist within the Jewish community. He is in very regular contact with the media. The Respondents (and other members of the YC leadership) have a very strong religious view about "mesirah" (informing on a Jew to the secular authorities). I am part of the same religious community, but have a view at the opposite end of the spectrum to theirs. My son MW is longer part of the YC community. The Respondents have been involved in an escalating campaign of "shunning" me during the last 18 months, because of my views and actions, and those of my son who they find it hard to attack except via me.
Part 4: How has this affected you
What loss or harm have you experienced because of what happened to you?
Within the YC community, of which I am a member for the last 27 years: "shunning", loss of friends, many people avoid me, I do not receive religious honours in the synagogue like a normal member, vicious posts on blogs etc
Part 5: Results
What kind of outcome do you want to resolve your dispute?
The Respondents to: stop the "shunning" etc; stop the encouragement, overt and tacit, of the "shunning" etc by others; admonish others in the YC community to also stop.
Part 6: Other ways you have tried to resolve the dispute
Have you made your complaint to another agency? e.g. Australian Human Rights Commission, Fairwork Australia?
Yes
What was the outcome of your complaint?
The Respondents have ignored a summons to a Jewish religious court, which would have been the natural venue to solve this problem.