Haim Waks assaulted Chabad of Melbourne's head rabbi, Zvi Telsner, on Shavuot. Now Chabad has banned Waks from attending its synagogue. But when David Cyprys was accused of sexually abusing children a(fter he had already been arrested at least once for child sexual abuse and had pleaded guilty), Chabad not only did not ban Cyprys from its synagogue or it schools – it made Cyprys the head of security there. Is this a double standard?
Originally published at 11:40 pm CDT 5-25-2013
Haim Waks assaulted Chabad of Melbourne's head rabbi, Zvi Telsner, on Shavuot. Now Chabad has banned Waks from attending its synagogue. But when David Cyprys was accused of sexually abusing children a(fter he had already been arrested at least once for child sexual abuse and had pleaded guilty), Chabad not only did not ban Cyprys from its synagogue or it schools – it made Cyprys the head of security there.
Is this a double standard?
You bet it is.
Haim Waks should be banned (at least until he signs an agreement not to be violent).
But Chabad did not take similar precations to protect children when it should have, and the man Waks assaulted, Rabbi Zvi Telsner, is by many accounts an obnoxious person who has done everything in his power to obstruct the police investigation into Chabad's misconduct and the into the crimes of Cyprys and other pedophiles.
Not only this, but Haim Waks father Zephania was assaulted by a leading shule member in shule the very next day.
All this is more evidence of Chabad's true motivation in this case – and that motivation does not seem to have much to do with protecting children.