Rishaim Gemurim Margulies & Kolko receive Hazmana # 2 To come to Bais Din Immediately.

Yisroel Belsky's Bogus Hazmana follows...

Click images to enlarge.

Lipa Margulies, Yeshiva Torah Temimah And Yudi Kolko Summoned To Bais Din

Click on images to enlarge:

A Prominent Torah Temimah Parent Comments Below The Hazmanah




Please allow me to introduce myself to the readership of this blog. My name is Eli Greenwald, and I am a Torah Temimah parent with a keen interest in protecting the well being of my child as well as the health and safety of all of our children.

This comment can be printed as a comment or, if you choose, as a lead post.

When the anonymous letters were distributed to a large segment of the Flatbush community, I was naturally very concerned that such a situation could exist at my child's Yeshiva. With my conscience torn between chas v'shalom falsely accusing an innocent man; yet, on the other hand, unable to rest, knowing that the lives of pure, innocent children may have been shattered in the past and could presently still be at risk, I decided that I must use every available resource to verify whether the charges as stated in the anonymous letters were accurate.

Sadly, after speaking to multiple sources, which included people intimately familiar with the Bais Din proceedings some 25 years ago, I became convinced that not only is there credible overwhelming evidence to support the charges, but that Rabbi Margulies has known about the charges all these years. Though victims came forth to tell their stories of abuse, for reasons known only to G-D, proper and decisive action was not taken against Rabbi Kolko. In fact, action was taken to besmirch the victims' reputations causing them much pain and devastation. By the way, it is my understanding that Bais Din never issued a P'sak on the matter. Most importantly, I have personally spoken to many victims of Rabbi Kolko. Their stories are very real and painful. Children should never have to live through what these and other victims have been through. The effect of their childhood abuse lingers on and remains with them well into their adulthood.

I believe that it is incumbent upon every parent to check into this matter thoroughly using his/her own resources and due diligence. I was able to verify the accuracy of the charges. I am just an individual with no special connections. If I was able to verify the facts, anyone can and should. We do not have any excuses when it comes to the safety of our children! You have not discharged your obligation to safeguard your children by calling the Yeshiva and "feeling relieved" after the administration reassures you that there is no substance to the charges. Perform an independent investigation and you will discover the truth.

Here is my personal story and the price that I have paid for getting involved. Believe me, it is a small price compared to what the victims have suffered through. Though many have tried to discourage me from getting involved specifically because of this fear factor, the victims need to see that there are people out there who do care about them. There must be a light at the end of this dark tunnel that they have walked alone through for so long. Ultimately, Emes does prevail; if not on this world, then, in the next. That is what should keep us all going and striving to do the right thing without ulterior motives.

Upon verifying the charges, I called YTT and spoke to Rabbis Applegrad and Margulies. After telling each of them during separate conversations that I found the evidence to be overwhelming, I was told that they would not be taking any action to address the situation. In fact, instead of addressing the strong concerns expressed by a long-time parent and graduate of Yeshiva Torah Temimah, a few hours after speaking to Rabbi Margulies, I received a Hazmana from Rabbi Kolko summoning me to Bais Din (please see attached Hazmana) for being Motzei Shem Ra. Flabbergasted to say the least, I realized that this was an intimidation tactic -

something that was used very effectively during the prior Bais Din proceedings. I responded to the Hazmana by agreeing to go to a different Bais Din and have not heard back from the Torah Temimah team since.

I have deep empathy for the innocent members of Rabbi Kolko's family who will suffer as a result of what their dear loved one has wreaked upon them. I empathize with Rabbi Kolko as well and wish that he would seek the help that he so desperately needs. I do not wish to see Rabbi Kolko suffer any embarrassment and do not have any enmity towards him. My only wish is for him to be removed from his current position and that he is not allowed to regain employment around children again. Bearing this in mind, I believe that the comments on this blog should be restricted to mature, well thought out comments that contribute to the public dialogue and purpose of this blog, and not childish, boorish remarks that are personal in nature and decrease the blog's effectiveness.

I have known Rabbi Kolko for quite some time and this conflict of interest has made it even more difficult for me to get involved. However, to ignore the reality would be a perversion of justice. The victims and the safety of our children should and must be our ultimate consideration. Too many people at the highest levels of our leading organizations have known about this and chosen to ignore it. Trust me, I have spoken to some of those people and felt very discouraged after talking to them. They have applied Midas HaRachamim to the abuser/ perpetrator while applying a strict Midas HaDin to the victims. The needs, feelings and rights of the victims as well as the safety of our innocent children have literally been ignored and left by the wayside. This is not only a shame, but is truly Midas Sedom. To those on the street who are spreading rumors about my "personal vendetta" against Rabbi Kolko, the truth is there for all that wish to see it. All you need to do is take the blinders off your eyes.

Most outrageous is how YTT handled the entire incident since the allegations were brought to their attention over 20 years ago. Instead of removing this Rebbi from the Yeshiva and giving him the help that he needed, they chose to keep him on staff and pretend that the problem didn't exist. Rabbi Margulies could have done the right thing, but instead chose to embark on a path that has led to the destruction of many more lives and the current debacle. This is truly unforgivable!

I encourage everyone to begin to sign their names to their comments and posts. I address this to UOJ as well. While I certainly understand your strategic reasons for remaining anonymous, I believe that, at some point, you should unmask your cloak of anonymity. Yes, you have made controversial statements in the past, many that I disagree with, and you may not want to reveal your identity, but you should do so anyway. The only REAL and EFFECTIVE way for the community to break through the wall of resistance is for concerned and involved members of the community to step forward without fear of being exposed. I am doing this today. Mr. Alster has done the same. Kudos to Attorney Elliot Pasik who has been at the forefront for quite some time. As we continue to remain ANONYMOUS, we encourage and enable those who are taking advantage of us to continue to do so. By remaining anonymous, we are recoiling in fear. This is not the proper solution to the issue.

We must begin to form parent groups for the purpose of educating ourselves and our children about this very important topic. Mr. Pasik has spoken about background checks and an internal registry, etc. These are topics and initiatives that need the grassroots support of the parent community at large. Then, and only then, will the organizations act to implement these important solutions. We need involved parents who are willing to step forward with courage despite the resistance that they are sure to encounter along the way.

Any volunteers?

Please feel free to contact me if you would like to verify the above information.

bes1267@yahoo.com

Eli Greenwald


belsky_hazmana.pdf (60k)


Interested readers should contact Eli Greenwald for a copy of the hazmana Yisroel Belsky issued to him.


Yisroel Belsky,

I'm talking to you now...listen very carefully.

1-You knew about Kolko since the 1960's from Camp Agudah...you did nothing!
2-You were in the room and part of the bais din twenty years ago; you heard testimony from at least three of Kolko's victims, and you did nothing!
3-You are now playing along with this farce; you should have kicked Kolko out of your house on his guilty tuchis...you issued a bogus hazmana!

Yisroel Belsky...You will be summoned to testify in court; we have witnesses who will testify that you knew about Kolko's behavior for forty years; YOU STOOD BY AS HUNDREDS OF KIDS WERE MOLESTED BY THIS NON-KOSHER ANIMAL!

It's no wonder your life has been relegated to the trash bin of kashrus...you are no better than the animals you supposedly supervise for kosher slaughter.
So what if their lungs are ripped out k'neged halacha...you are getting paid well to look away!

Who is paying you in the Kolko matter? Margulies, Kolko???

We'll see your corrupt tuchis in court!

UOJ

Pinchos Sheinberg's Grandson An Infamous Sexual Predator-How Is That For Motive In Preventing Justice For Lipa Margulies/Yudi Kolko?

The Awareness Center

Case of Rabbi Yaakov Weiner

Camp Mogen Avraham

(Grandson of Rabbi Chaim Pinchus Scheinberg, who is a decendent of the Chofetz Chaim)

Camp and State Health Department records filed in court indicate that the parents were not told of the alleged abuse until nearly 48 hours after the boy spoke of it, while the 36-year-old Weiner's father, a rabbi well-known in the Queens Orthodox community, was notified sooner. --- "We believe that there was pressure placed on the victim and children's families to get them not to testify," said Sullivan County District Attorney Stephen Lungen in a recent telephone interview. "There was a child who could have substantiated what was said, and that family would not cooperate. --- The entire matter left Sullivan County Judge Frank Labuda confused. --- "It is clear in the evening hours of August 8 and the morning of August 9, two years ago, something happened at bunk 3 Gimel bunk... " he said in his January 2000 ruling. But Labuda concluded that trial testimony "does not create a clear picture for this court of exactly what happened in Gimel bunk nor who did it."

He found Weiner not guilty.-- Jewish Community Grapples With Sex Abuse

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Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.

Table of Contents:

Camp Mogen Avraham - Incident Report (10/30/1998)
Victims Statement (12/30/1998)
Allegations of Camper Abuse - Camp Mogen Avraham (04/02/1999)
Rabbi Charged In Sex Abuse (02/20/1999)
Last in a Series: `Conspiracy of silence' fuels rabbis' sexual misdeeds (11/01/1999)
SUPREME COURT - STATE OF NEW YORK (03/26/2003)
Jewish Community Grapples With Sex Abuse (05/27/2003)

Also see:

Rabbi Yaakov Weiner Family History

Offenders: Problems Our Parents Wouldn't Speak Of

Rabbis, Cantors, and Other Trusted Officials

Recidivism of Sex Offenders (U.S. Department of Justice: Center for Sex Offender Management)

When Melodies, Torah Scholars, and Abuse Collide


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Please note that the alleged victim's name and the name of the two minor witnesses have been removed from this report.
Defense Exhibit G

Camp Mogen Avraham - Incident Report re: Alleged Victim

October 30, 1998


Sunday, August 9, 1998 At approximately 9:15 P.M. the Junior D. H. (Mendel Zlotnick) reported that a child (Alleged Victim) in bunk gimel was upset and had told a Staff asst. that a staff member had sexually harassed him. I told the D.H. to send the child to me and that I would deal with the situation.

I interviewed the child. He stated that a person had come into the bunk last night (Saturday night) very late and had come over to his bed. He (Alleged Victim) was lying on his stomach and made like he was sleeping. According to Alleged Victim, the person put a blunt metallic-like object on his buttocks, tore the seam on his pajama bottoms and kissed him there. The person did not exert force to hurt him nor did he hit him in any way. The individual then got up, went to the sink in the bathroom which was located right near Alleged Victim's bed, washed his hands and left the bunk. The entire incident lasted less than a minute and no words at all were exchanged. When I asked if he saw who it was or the person's back or any part of him, he said "no". He said that he remained on his stomach because he was afraid, making believe he was sleeping thought the incident. He then said that there were other boys who were up who saw what was going on and had told him they thought it was R' Yaakov Weiner. I asked for their names and he told me "Witness 1" and "Witness 2". I requested that Alleged Victim bring me the pajama bottoms. As I recall they were shorts and the seam in the back was open about three inches. I then asked Alleged Victim if he had told his parents about what had occurred as it had been visiting day, that same day. He responded saying that he had not discussed the incident with his parents when they visited him that day because he was afraid.

I met with each one of the boys separately. They both are from (name of town withheld). Both boys stated that someone came into the bunk. They also had made believe that they were sleeping. The person went over to Alleged Victims bed. They heard some noise but saw nothing that was going on. They also both said that they did not see the person's face at all, but from the back of his head, when he went into the bathroom, it looked like Yaakov Weiner's wavy hair.

I sent people to find Yaakov Weiner but was told that he had left camp to go to a concert. I waited up until after 12:15 AM (Camp Time) and when he still hadn't returned, I went to sleep, leaving a message the I wanted to speak to him.


Monday, August 10 I informed Rabbi Kaminetsky about the reported incident and we agreed that I would speak with Yaakov Weiner.

The two other boys came to me in the early morning before I spoke to Yaakov Weiner saying that they think they made a mistake. I asked them why they changed their minds and they said "it couldn't be Rabbi Weiner, he wouldn't do such a thing". In my mind I discounted this as merely their feeling guilty of accusing Rabbi Weiner of such behavior, and told them not to worry about it, we were taking care of it.

I met with Yaakov after breakfast for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Despite much pressure, he maintained that he didn't know what I was talking about and when told of the accusation (but not the name of the accuser), he denied it completely. After seeing that he would not admit to anything, I suggested that he call and inform his father, which he did. I then also spoke to his father. I expressed my concerns that although there were no eyewitnesses that positively identified Yaakov, there were two boys who believed it was him (again, no names were mentioned), and that I had enough suspicion and concern that I felt Yaakov should leave camp immediately, even if he were innocent. Yaakov's father agreed that despite his believe that Yaakov was totally innocent, it would be best for all that he leave. Rabbi Weiner (sr.) stressed that by no means should his leaving be viewed as an admission of guilt, but rather as away to get Yaakov out of a situation of being accused and the issue festering and possibly becoming public. Rabbi Weiner stated that he will be on top of the situation and be in touch. Yaakov left right after lunch. To my knowledge he never had an opportunity to speak to any of the boys at any time before he left nor was he informed as to who were his accusers.

I reported all of this to Rabbi Kaminetsky who in turn said that he would call Alleged Victim's parents. I also informed Alleged Victim that Yaakov Weiner was no longer in camp. He seemed relieved by that. I spent some time counseling him, My general sense of Alleged Victim was that although initially upset, he was handling the situation well and not showing any adverse effects.


Tuesday, August 11? Rabbi Kaminetsky informed me that Alleged Victims parents would be coming up to camp to evaluate the situation in person and they would want to speak with me. When the Alleged Victim's Parents came, they met with their son and I spoke to them for about 10 minutes. Despite being obviously upset by the incident, they expressed gratitude for our professional handling of the situation and felt reassured that it was wise for the Alleged Victim to remain in camp. We discussed camp not reporting the incident based on the lack of positive identification and evidence, my having informed Yaakov Weiner's father, and the relatively low level of the alleged abuse. We all concurred that considering the above factors and the trauma that would possibly result from further action, it would be best not to take any additional action. The Alleged Victim's parents were very agreeable to this approach. I also stated that we would watch Alleged Victim closely to make sure that he was not being adversely affected, that he would call them before Shabbos, and that I would counsel him if needed.


Thursday, August 13? Alleged Victim's Mother called and felt that the shorts that Alleged Victim had been wearing that night should be thrown out as it might be upsetting him. I relayed the message to Alleged Victim.

Throughout the rest of the trip I kept a close watch on Alleged Victim and asked his D.H. to regularly report to me as to how he was doing. These reports, observations and my brief encounters with Alleged Victim yielded only the most positive results. Alleged Victim was fully involved, enjoying all camp activities and functioning well.


Tuesday, August 25 A day after returned from Camp Rabbi Weiner (Sr.) called saying that Yaakov was still distraught over the allegations and wanted to clear his name. He would like to take a lie detector test. Rabbi Weiner asked if I would be involved. I responded, "Let me look into it". Upon doing some research, I sent Rabbi Weiner a letter stating my opinion, based on research and an article written by William Safire, which I enclosed. I stated that I would not be convinced of Yaakov's innocence even if the polygraph was negative, and once again urged him to seek professional help for Yaakov


Signed

Label Steinhardt

Program Director

October, 30, 1998

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Victims Statement
County of Nassau - Town of Hempstead - State of New York

Defendants Exhibit F - 06/05/00 (initials mp)

(Please note that the names of the alleged victim and family members have been removed)


I (alleged victim) am 10 years old and I live at (victims address withheld), New York. I am giving this statement to Investigator Geoffrey Cabrera of the New York State Police about what Yaakov Weiner did to me this past summer when I was at summer camp in -Sullivan County, New York. I (alleged victim) know the difference between the truth and a lie and I know that the private parts of the body are the wiener and the buns and the anus.

I went to Camp Mogan Avrahom in the end of July 1998. I slept in bunk gimel. Yaakov Weiner slept in the bottom bunk of next to mine. The first week or two of Camp went fine. I had a good time at camp until the day before visiting day which was August 9, 1998. That night, August 8th, was shabbos. It was easy day I did pretty much what ever I want. That night, after shabbos I know I woke up because someone ripped the back of my shorts open. I was sleeping on my stomach but I turned my head and took a glimpse at who was doing this. I saw Yaakov Weiner there. The bathroom light was on and I knew him clearly. I was scared to death because I saw that he had something in his hand as I pretended to be asleep. I was just wishing that he would go away. Then he covered me with a blanket and he went by his bed for a few minutes. He came back over to my bed and uncovered me. There he took his finger and stuck it in my crack and inside my anus. He did that for a few minutes and then he put his mouth on my buns and kissed me there. Then he got up and went to the bathroom and washed his hands then he came back undressed and layed across me and started rubbing his wiener on my buns. He did that for a few minutes and then he got up and went away. He came back again a few minutes ------ and did it again rubbing his wiener on my buns. He put his wiener close to my crack but not inside or against my anus. Then he throw a pillow on the floor and sat on the pillow. Then he started touching my buns with his hands. After that he went away and went to his bed and went to sleep. I didn't want to stay in the bunk anymore so I changed my shorts and got a blanket. I went out on the porch and stayed there sitting awake. The next day was visiting day and my ------ came to visit but I didn't tell them what happened because I was scared. That night I told a staff assistant Yimmy Tannebaum what Yaakov Weiner did to me.

I, (alleged victim) have read this statement and I know that it is all true to the best of my knowledge.

Dated: December 30, 1998

At Woodmere, New York

Signed by Victim and his parent

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Allegations of Camper Abuse
CAMP MOGEN AVRAHAM

SULIVAN COUNTY

Report Prepared by: Timothy Shay R.

Senior Sanitarian

April 2, 1999

(Please note that the names of the alleged victim and family members have been removed)


A) Notification / Verification:

On October 23, 1998, the Monticello District Office (MDO) was notified by Mr. Brian Devine Senior Sanitarian with the Bureau of Community Sanitation & Food Protection (BCSFP), of an allegation of camper sexual abuse involving a child who attended Camp Mogen Avraham, a children's overnight camp (T. Bethel) in Sullivan County. BCSFP staff were alerted to the allegation by the NYS Child Protective Agency which had been informed of the August 8, 1998 incident through a mandated reporter, from the Peninsula counseling Center in Woodmere, NY, who was counseling the victim.

Mr. Timothy Shay, Senior Sanitarian, verified the allegation through a telephone call to the counseling center that same day.


B) Allegation:

The victim, then year old (alleged victim), alleged that on August 8, 1998 while sleeping in his bunk, he was awaken when Rabbi Yaakov Weiner, a religious instructor at camp, ripped a hole in the rear of his shorts and touched and kissed his buttocks and anus. (alleged victim), also alleged that Rabbi Weiner laid on top of him and rubbed his genitals against him. The abuses occurred during a brief period in which the camp's O.D. (on duty) system was being implemented. The Rabbi reportedly moved about the bunk between (alleged victim), bed, his own bed and the bathroom during the incident.

(Alleged victim), stated that he knew who his attacker was because he was able to see Rabbi Weiner in the light of the bathroom and because the Rabbi returned to his own bed in the bunk after the assault. Two campers in the bunk witnessed the incident.

(Alleged victim), reported the incident to camp staff following evening. The specifics of (alleged victim), allegations were obtained through an interview of his mother, (name withheld).


C) Findings:

1. Camp's Response:

Rabbi Label Steinhardt, the camp's program director, investigated the incident by conducting interviews on Sunday evening, August 9, 1998 with alleged victim and the two campers who witnessed the incident and by questioning the alleged perpetrator the following day (see Appendix #1).

Rabbi Steinhardt's investigation confirmed the nature and time of the allegation, but by his accounts, the identity of the attacker was unclear. Rabbi Steinhart reported that alleged victim did not positively identify the attacker and that the perpetrator left the bunk house after conducting a brief assault.

Rabbi Steinhardt stated that the two witnesses did not see the perpetrators face but thought Rabbi Weiner because of his "wavy hair".

Rabbi Weiner's sleeping accommodations were in bunk 3. His bed was next to Alleged Victim's and within the same room as the other 8 campers and staff. All 8 of the campers in the room at the time of the alleged abuse, where as, all of the staff were reported to be at the hall for a staff party. The dinning hall is located several hundred yards from the bunks.

Rabbi Steinhardt was not able to question Rabbi Weiner about the allegation until Monday, August 10, 1998, because Rabbi Weiner was out of camp until late Sunday evening. Despite the allegation against him, Rabbi Weiner was allowed to sleep in bunk 3 with alleged victim and the campers when he returned to camp late Sunday night. Rabbi Steinhardt stated that Rabbi Weiner was not prevented from sleeping in the bunk because he was not convinced that Rabbi Weiner was the perpetrator. When questioned on Monday, Rabbi Weiner adamantly denied involvement but left camp that day based on Rabbi Steinhart's suggestions.

(Parents names withheld) were notified about the incident by Rabbi Kaminetsky, the camp's Director. Tuesday evening, August 11, 1998. They came to the camp on Wednesday to discuss the incident and evaluate alleged victims condition.

On August 11, 1998, after speaking with Rabbi Steinhard and (alleged victim the parents) decided ((alleged victim) was handling the situation well and would stay in camp. They also agreed that "authorities" would not be contacted due to the lack of positive identification of the perpetrator. (Alleged victim's parent), subsequently informed Mr. Shay that she felt pressured into not reporting the incident to "authorities".


2. Supervision

At the time of the incident, the camp was implementing an "on-duty" (O.D.) system of supervision. This system which was employed each night between 10:00pm and 12:00 am after the campers were settled in bed allowed one counselor to supervise 6 to 8 bunks while the bunks primary counselor was off duty. (Each bunk has 8 to 9 campers and there are two bunks per building). The system required the O.D. counselor "make rounds" to ensure there are no problems and check in with division head twice during his shift. Due to the late reporting of this allegation, the identity of the on duty counselor for (alleged victim's) bunk on the night of the incident could not established. Consequently, the actions and observations of that individual are unknown.


3. Safety Plan:

Camp Mogen Avraham's written safety plan was last approved by the MDO on June 3, 1993. This plan was revised and updated on February 13, 1997 in accordance with the 1996 children's camp code revisions and the department's safety plan guidelines. On March 17, 1997, the updated written plan was reviewed by MDO staff and the operator was informed that it contained insufficient detail to be accepted. On May 8, 1997, a revised plan was submitted by the camp but it was not reviewed by MDO staff until November 18, 1998 (as part of this investigation) due to a lack of available staff resources.

The November 18, 1998 review found that although the revised plan contained much of the previously requested information, it still lacked sufficient and accurate details to be accepted. ------ plan's deficiencies include and unacceptable O.D. system which had an unspecified by apparently inadequate staff to camper supervision ratio permitted intermittent visual and/or veri------- communication capability between camper and staff between 10:00 p.m. and 12:00 am. The plan also contained a policy system which required only allegations of abuse, which the camp determined to be true to be reported to the Health Department.

The previously submitted safety plans (1993 and February 13, 1997) contained neither sufficient detail to identify the deficiencies of the O.D. system nor the erroneous statement pertaining to abuse reporting


4. Alleged Perpetrator:

Yaakov Weiner is 36 years old and unmarried. He was hired in a teaching position, which commonly referred to as a "learning Rabbi", for the camp's second session which began July 1998. He had been employed at the camp for approximately ten summers and occupied several positions including bunk counselor and rotation counselor in 1994 and 1995. Evaluations of performance from these periods showed Rabbi Weiner to be a less than ideal candidate for rehiring as a bunk or rotation counselor (see Appendix #2). Rabbi Steinhardt stated it w as for this reason he was given the more structured position of a Learning Rabbi. Neither of the job performance evaluations showed that Rabbi Weiner had a history of abuse or inappropriate contact with campers. Records for the 1996-1998, including job performance evaluations, staff employment application, training records, were not provided to the MDO when requested. Rabbi Weiner is not believed to have attended the camp's 1998 pre-camp staff training because he was not at camp for that session. Rabbi Weiner's job duties were to provide religious instructions to campers. Rabbi Steinhardt stated that Rabbi Weiner had no supervisonal responsibilities in the bunk. He was assigned to sleep in Bunk #3 because there was an available bed.


5. Other Agencies Involvement:

An Investigation by the NYS (New York State) Police in Liberty, NY has resulted in Rabbi Weiner being arrested on February 11, 1999 and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, State Police Investigators reported that Alleged Victim was very credible and that the testimony of the campers who had witnessed the incident was similar to the account provided by Rabbi Steinhardt it appeared they had been influenced by someone.


D. Analysis and Conclusions:

Alleged Victim's disclosure camp staff of his experience the night of August 8, 1998 constituted allegations of abuse which warranted notification by the camp to DOH and other investigative agencies. Conclusion is reached regardless of which version of the incident is more accurate (the camp's or alleged victim's). As such, the camp's failure to report to the MDO within 24 hours an allegation of camper abuse is a violation of Section 7-2.8(d) of Subpart 7-2 of the NYS Sanitary Code and will be the subject administrative enforcement action against the camp. It is not believed that the camp's failure to report due to improper information in their written safety plan, which stated that only allegations which determined to be true would be reported. In this case, the allegations was believed to be true, It was only the identity of the perpetrator that was in question.

The camp's failure to prevent Rabbi Weiner from sleeping in a camper bunk the night of the alleged abuse disclosure was inappropriate and placed the camper, especially alleged victim at unreasonable risk to their health and safety including physical and sexual abuse. This unreasonable risk to camper's health and safety is a violation of Section 7-2.5(n)(1) of Subpart 702 and will also be part of administrative enforcement action against the camp. The camp should have placed the well being of the campers above any concern that Rabbi Weiner was being falsely accused and as such, required him to sleep separate from campers until the matter could be thoroughly investigated by the appropriate authorities. Especially assuming that Alleged Victim did not identify his attacker to camp staff. Camp administrative staff should have realized that allowing Rabbi Weiner to sleep in the same quarters as Alleged Victim placed additional avoidable mental anguish on the child who believed that Rabbi Weiner had accosted him based on eyewitness accounts of the two other campers.

The camp's O.D. System as described in their May 8, 1997 written safety plan is not acceptable because it does not provide for continuous visual and/or verbal communication capabilities between campers and staff because the staff to camper ratio (as low as 1:72) is unacceptable to handle emergencies during sleep/resting periods and the camp was not informed that their O.D. System was unacceptable camp implemented it as written during the 1997-1998 seasons. As a result, no administrative enforcement action will be taken for this deficiency.

The camp's policy of housing staff who are not directly responsible for camper supervision in camp bunks is inappropriate. Although addiction staff in the bunks would increase the staff to camper ratio, the benefit of the additional staff is questionable without the staff having specific supervisory responsibilities and training. In fact, this policy allows an opportunistic individual legitimate access to campers on their bunks that might otherwise not be available. Providing a designated staff bunk is the resolution to this problem: however if it is not possible, employing a camp policy which requires two staff be present at all times camper and staff are together would greatly enhance camper safety.

The lack or unavailability of a current employment application (with references) and the alleged perpetrator's failure to attend pre-camp training are both technical violations of Subpart 7-2. How neither is believed to have contributed to the incident because it is assumed that the camp's knowledge and Rabbi Weiner's background and acceptability would surpass that of any reference he may have supplied that he would have gained sufficient knowledge from previous experience at camp to fulfill his job duties as a teacher.


Recommendations:

The camp's written policy for reporting allegations of abuse must be modified to indicate all allegations of abuse will be reported to the MDO within 24 hours. Additionally, the written safety plan and staff training must identify indicators of abuse, the camp policy handling an allegation and designate the person(s) responsible for reporting to the MDO.

The camp must revamp its O.D. System for supervision campers to provide continuous and/or verbal communication capabilities between campers and staff, and a higher staff camp ratio to deal with emergencies. Additionally, consideration should be given to mandating "two deep" staff supervision at all times including O.D. to lesson future abuse.

The camp shoujld consider separate housing for staff not assigned specific bunk supervision duties.

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Rabbi Charged In Sex Abuse
by Caren Halbfinger

Journal News (Westchester County, NY) - February 20, 1999 Saturday - NEWS; Pg. 1B


YONKERS - A city yeshiva teacher has been charged with sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy last summer at a Sullivan County camp.

Rabbi Yaakov Weiner, who teaches kindergartners and first-graders at Stein Yeshiva of Lincoln Park in Yonkers, is accused of sexually touching a 10-year-old boy in a cabin at Camp Mogen Avraham in Bethel in the early morning hours of Aug. 9, state police investigator Geoffrey Cabrera said yesterday.

There were other boys in the cabin at the time, Cabrera said. Weiner taught Judaic studies at the camp. Weiner is to appear March 4 in Thompson Town Court on charges of first-degree sexual abuse, a felony, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor. Weiner, 36, of Forest Hills, Queens, was charged Feb. 11 and was released Feb. 12 after posting $25,000 bail.

Sullivan County District Attorney Stephen Lungen said yesterday that he was continuing to investigate the case and that he expected to present it to a grand jury within the next few weeks.

Cabrera said he called the principal at Stein Yeshiva, an Orthodox religious school, to verify Weiner's employment on Monday and found school officials caught off-guard about the investigation.

'' They hadn't been informed by (Weiner), and they were pretty mortified, '' Cabrera said. '' They said they had never dealt with anything like this in the past. ''

School officials refused to answer questions yesterday and told parents not to speak to a reporter. But from the shocked reaction of one mother, it appeared the school had told parents little about the charge against Weiner.

The 10-year-old boy, who lives in Nassau County, reported the incident to camp officials immediately, Cabrera said.

But, Lungen said, camp officials never reported the incident to police.

School officials, doctors and child-care workers are required by state law to report suspected incidents of abuse.

The camp's Manhattan office was closed yesterday.

The child's parents told Nassau County police about the alleged abuse in late October. Nassau County police immediately passed the information to state police in Liberty, N.Y., Cabrera said, but Lungen said his office wasn't notified until a week ago.

'' We're trying to figure out what happened, '' Lungen said. '' We're looking into what caused the delay. It appears the original officer who got the case got transferred and never followed it up. Unfortunately, those things do happen, and that's the way it appears. ''

Cabrera said he was assigned to the case on Dec. 10, after being transferred to the Liberty State Police Barracks from Orange County, where he had spent the past six years investigating child abuse cases. He would not comment on what happened to the case before he started to work on it.


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SHORT FORM ORDER
SUPREME COURT - STATE OF NEW YORK
Present: HON. ROBERT ROBERTO, JR.

Justice

Please Note: The fact that the Camp settled is very significant. The timing also indicates that this may have been done to quiet the victim's family and prevent disclosure in the newspaper. This settlement occurred during the time that Newday journalist, Stephanie Saul was working on her article Jewish Community Grapples With Sex Abuse. --Name withheld upon request --


TRIAL/IAS PART 2

NASSAU COUNTRY

SPECIAL TERM PART II

SEALING ORDER

Index No. 14030/99

Court's Mtn: 3/26/03


CHILD VICTIM'S NAME WITHHELD, an infant under the age of 14, by his m/n/g, CHILD VICTIM'S PARENT'S NAMES WITHHELD, individually,

Plantiff(s),


- against-

CAMPS MOGEN AVRAHAM, HELLER, STERNBERG, INC. and YAAKOV WEINER,

Defendant(s)


Infant's compromise order, with supporting papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .X


Upon the foregoing papers it is ordered that this court file is sealed.

The Clerk is directed to mark the file "sealed" and not to provide access thereto except to the parties or their counsel, upon appropriate identification, or upon further order of this Court.


Date: March 26, 2003 Robert Roberto, JR., J.S.C.


Entered: April 3, 2003 - Nassau County County Clerk's Office

(Top)



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Jewish Community Grapples With Sex Abuse
By Stephanie Saul - Staff Writer

Newsday - May 26, 2003, 8:10 PM EDT

http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/crime/nyc-rabbi0527,0,3810252.story?coll=nyc-manheadlines-crime

This is the first in a three-part series.


It was the sound of ripping cloth, they said, that woke them up.

On an August night in the Catskills, with summer camp almost over, the boys had fallen asleep in their bunkhouse, exhausted from play and religious study. Only minutes later, they would later testify in court, the noise awakened them. Then came mysterious movements in the dark cabin. The campers lay still. Why was a human figure hovering over the bed of a 10-year-old Woodmere boy?

The terrified boy blurted out his allegation to a camp counselor almost a day later: Someone, he said, had torn open the seat of his pajamas and sexually abused him.

The boy's parents were called to camp more than a day later, but police were not notified.

"We all concurred that considering the trauma that would possibly result from further action, it would be best not to take any additional action," according to the camp's notes, later filed in court in a civil suit. A state Department of Health sanitarian later found that the camp violated state regulations by not reporting the accusation.

Police learned of the allegations two months later, alerted by a psychologist who was treating the boy. The boy's mother later told a state official she felt pressured to remain silent, according to state health department records. After all, the alleged abuser and the camp officials were revered religious leaders.

The accused was eventually acquitted by a judge, who said "contradictory and sometimes retracting statements" left him unclear about what happened. The camp suggests that the alleged incident was fabricated.

After more than a year of charges and disclosures concerning sexual abuse of young people by Catholic priests, the story may sound familiar. But the camp, Mogen Avraham, is a popular summer retreat in Bethel for Orthodox Jewish children. And the accused was not a priest, but a teaching rabbi from Forest Hills.

The alleged 1998 incident at Camp Mogen Avraham is just one in a growing dossier of allegations that rabbis, cantors and other Jewish religious leaders have abused children and teenagers in their care, a Newsday investigation has found.

In sheer numbers, the problem is unlikely to rival the Catholic Church's, since priests outnumber rabbis by roughly nine to one. While there is no data on the number of clergy with sexual disorders, experts say that, anecdotally, the problem does not seem as severe in the rabbinate as in the priesthood, even in relative terms.

Even so, some rabbis call the sexual abuse allegations a "crisis," and religious organizations are grappling with ways to handle it.

"We have a huge problem on our hands, a problem that is just beginning to be addressed in religious circles," Vicki Polin, a psychotherapist, said in recent testimony to the Maryland legislature.

Polin, who is Jewish and calls herself a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, runs The Awareness Center, a Baltimore-based clearinghouse that tracks sexual abuse allegations against Jewish religious leaders. The center's Web site lists about 40 alleged cases of abuse involving rabbis and cantors. As with the Catholic scandals, Jewish victims say they still struggle years, even decades, later with this betrayal of trust.

"I can honestly say that he ruined not only my Bas-Mitzvah, but my faith in Judaism," wrote one woman, now 30, referring to Rabbi Sidney Goldenberg. In a letter to California prosecutors, the woman said Goldenberg, then a cantor, made lewd comments and rubbed her thigh in her parents' home in Seaford in 1985. At the time, he was supposed to be helping her prepare for her bat mitzvah, the joyous and solemn religious celebration when a Jewish girl turns 13.

Goldenberg was convicted in 1997 of abusing a 12-year-old California bat mitzvah student, after investigators uncovered a 27-year trail of complaints by girls against him. He served three years and is now living on Coney Island, according to police.

Like the Goldenberg case, the abuse allegations tend to have common elements, including some familiar from the Catholic scandals:

Children and in some cases parents are reluctant to accuse respected clergymen. When they do, they are often disbelieved, dismissed, even derided.

"You have to understand the extent to which the guys in the school looked up to [the rabbi]," says one man, now 38, who says he was abused as a teenager by a rabbi now teaching in Israel. "He was beyond question."

And another rabbi recalls dismissing several girls' complaints against Goldenberg as "some giggly thing."

Religious authorities fail to report abuse charges to the police. Among strictly observant Orthodox Jews, this tendency is bolstered by the ancient doctrine of mesira, which prohibits Jews from informing on other Jews to secular authorities, a legacy of centuries of oppression of Jews in many countries.

When religious leaders try to investigate cases and prevent abusers from having contact with children, their efforts often fail. "Few rabbis have any training in recognizing abuse, and the rabbinical courts have no investigative arm," says Rabbi Yosef Blau, the spiritual counselor to students at Yeshiva University.

Alleged abusers continue to operate freely by moving among congregations, states, even countries. Avrohom Mondrowitz, a self-styled rabbi who once had a popular radio show in Brooklyn, is living openly and teaching in a Jerusalem college although he is wanted on charges of sexually abusing four Brooklyn boys, aged 10 to 16. If he ever returns to the United States, he will be arrested, according to the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes.

Many of the alleged abusers were popular, even charismatic leaders, who were thought to be particularly good in relating to young people. Rabbi Baruch Lanner, convicted last year of endangering the welfare of two girls at a New Jersey yeshiva, sidestepped abuse allegations for years, in part because of his reputation as a dynamic figure in an Orthodox youth program.

Unlike the Catholic Church, Jewish authority is not centralized, but various groups within the branches of Judaism have begun to strengthen anti-abuse policies for their members.

At its annual meeting, which starts today in Rye, the Rabbinical Council of America, an organization of 1,100 Orthodox rabbis, features programs on curbing abuse, including one entitled "Rabbinic Behavior: Confronting a Crisis of Accountability."

"We're trying to establish that inappropriate behavior is inexcusable," said Rabbi Hershel Billet, president of the organization and rabbi at Young Israel of Woodmere.

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, a psychotherapist who is also the Orthodox Union's executive vice president, said he hopes the rabbinical council will make a firm commitment during the meeting "to develop a real, real tight program" combating sexual abuse.

The rabbinical council is expected to discuss ways to adjudicate abuse allegations against its members, with penalties that include ouster.

Sources within the organization say that the impetus for the panel's work includes old abuse allegations against Rabbi Ephraim Bryks of Kew Gardens Hills, which he has repeatedly denied, and the recent arrest of Rabbi Israel Kestenbaum of Highland Park, N.J.

Kestenbaum, a chaplaincy leader for the New York Board of Rabbis, was charged in February with endangering the welfare of a minor after allegedly discussing sex with an undercover police officer posing as a teenage girl in a chat room called "I Love Older Men." Kestenbaum has pleaded not guilty.

Rabbis concerned about sex abuse say accusations against a rabbi are often handled quietly, or not at all. Accused rabbis go on hiatus briefly, then revive their ministries in other congregations, even other countries in the far-flung Diaspora.

One of those was Rabbi Matis Weinberg. Accused of sexually abusing students at his California yeshiva two decades ago, he is said to have agreed to leave teaching. But Weinberg resurrected his teaching career in Israel. When Yeshiva University in Manhattan recently unearthed the allegations against Weinberg, the New York school severed its ties to the Jerusalem college where Weinberg had lectured until recently.

Weinberg has never been charged with a crime and has denied the former students' allegations. Through a friend, he declined to discuss the charges with Newsday.

The allegations against Weinberg have been widely reported in the Jewish press and have helped bring the issue to the fore in recent months.

Like the Orthodox rabbis' council, representatives of other branches of Judaism say they are taking steps to combat sexual abuse.

"I would rather this not become an epidemic and I think what we need to do is take affirmative steps to guide people before they make mistakes," said Rabbi Jerome Epstein of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the lay arm of the Conservative movement. Epstein said the group's committee on congregational standards is currently working on a "best practices" document.

Rabbi Steven Rosenberg of McAllen, Texas, formerly the leader of the Jewish Center of Bay Shore, said his Conservative congregation already has adopted such rules.

"If I have a bat mitzvah in my office, the door is never closed," said Rosenberg, who also tells his 23 religion school teachers "they are not allowed to touch students, not a pat, not a hug."

"It is very important for me for my congregants to know: That kind of behavior -- we will not tolerate it," said Rosenberg.

Rosenberg was sensitized by the case against Sidney Goldenberg, the former cantor, who had worked at the Bay Shore synagogue before moving to California.

Many rabbis say their groups would always notify police about abuse although their rules usually do not spell this out. Such notification was one of the remedies embraced by Roman Catholic bishops in the priest abuse scandal. And Reform rabbis are in the process of revising their ethics code to include such a requirement, according to Rabbi Paul Menitoff, executive vice president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

The National Conference of Synagogue Youth, an Orthodox group, does have a policy requiring that police be notified, an outgrowth of its scandal involving Lanner, a longtime youth leader with the group.

In that case, a religious court called a bet din concluded in 1989 that the most serious charges against Lanner were unfounded, clearing the way for his continued youth work. Last year, more than a dozen years later, he was convicted in New Jersey on abuse-related charges.

Orthodox Jews frequently rely on the batei din, but Blau, a member of the Lanner bet din, has become an outspoken critic of the religious court system.

For one thing, he said, judges in the religious courts often know the accused, making fair decisions difficult. In addition, he said that perjury before a bet din is rarely punished.

Appearing in February before dozens of students in the main study hall at Yeshiva University, Blau and the two other members of the Lanner bet din issued an extraordinary public apology for their role in allowing Lanner to continue unchecked for so many years.

"We must do everything in our power to protect potential victims from abuse," the apology said. "This includes reporting accusations of abuse to Jewish and, at times, to secular authorities."

Such a secular-reporting requirement is controversial among some Orthodox groups, partly because it appears to run counter to the doctrine called mesira.

In ancient times, one who violated the doctrine and reported a fellow Jew to secular authorities could be killed on sight. Today, the punishment is generally ostracism in the community.

The vast majority of rabbis agree that mesira is overridden when there is imminent danger to possible future victims, but Blau says the taboo remains, particularly among the most traditional Orthodox.

Civil authorities who seek to act against rabbinic abuse often become frustrated by the reluctance of witnesses to testify.

Prosecutors in Sullivan County complained during the case that their witnesses faced pressure when they tried to prosecute Yaakov Weiner, the teaching rabbi acquitted in the Mogen Avraham case.

"It was a bitter pill for me," remembers Tom Cawley, the former Sullivan County assistant district attorney who prosecuted the Mogen Avraham case. "They sent their kid to camp up here in Bethel and thought he'd be taken care of. Someone was taken care of, all right, but it wasn't him."

Weiner, who has taught in several yeshivas throughout the metropolitan area, consistently denied the charges. Attempts to reach him through one of his lawyers were unsuccessful.

The boy's mother and father, a rabbi himself, would not discuss the case with Newsday. But camp and State Health Department records filed in court indicate that the parents were not told of the alleged abuse until nearly 48 hours after the boy spoke of it, while the 36-year-old Weiner's father, a rabbi well-known in the Queens Orthodox community, was notified sooner.

Contacted recently, the camp's current executive director, Moshe Wein, defended the camp's handling of the accusation, saying, "There's no evidence to indicate that an incident took place." He added, "This may be one of those cases in which a child lied."

Lawyers for Weiner at his bench trial made much of contradictions in the boy's statements. But the most confusing testimony came from the alleged victim's bunkmates.

One of the boys reversed his story between the time he spoke to police and the trial several months later, Cawley said in court.

"We believe that there was pressure placed on the victim and children's families to get them not to testify," said Sullivan County District Attorney Stephen Lungen in a recent telephone interview. "There was a child who could have substantiated what was said, and that family would not cooperate."

The entire matter left Sullivan County Judge Frank Labuda confused.

"It is clear in the evening hours of August 8 and the morning of August 9, two years ago, something happened at bunk 3 Gimel bunk... " he said in his January 2000 ruling. But Labuda concluded that trial testimony "does not create a clear picture for this court of exactly what happened in Gimel bunk nor who did it."

He found Weiner not guilty.

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Lipa Margulies, keep you filthy hands off our precious torah, away from our gedolei yisroel and most importantly, away from our children!!!!!

A Reader Writes....

I'm pro the campaign to oust the molester but I wonder whether it is wise to turn this back into a referendum on Gedolei Yisroel. We need to stay focused on the mission to oust the molester and his protector. The anti-Gedolim tirades just give comfort to the pro-molester forces who take comfort - albeit stupidly - in the fact that their hats are blacker and bigger than ours.

If some Gedolei Yisroel intervened in the prior Bais Din, rather than get obsessed with personalities, we should look at the Halachic issues. There is a sound Halachic basis to accept the testimony of women and children when they are the only ones who are likely to have knowledge of the facts. Thats clearly the case here. That, incidentally is part of the Halachic basis for the seven Monsey Rabonim who signed against Rabbi Mordechai Tendler recently based almost solely on the testimony of women.

Thus, in the first instance, that Psak may simply have been erroneous and needs to be rectified the second time around. The second interesting point is that somebody must have solicited the intervention of Rav Scheinberg into a sitting Bais Din comprised of some oustanding talmeidei chachomin and poskim who clearly were capable of deciding the issue themselves. I would posit that that was none other than Kolko or Margulies or both. Anotherwords they actively sought to suppress the truth through a questionable psak rather than allow the Bais Din to proceed. That in itself speaks volumes about their true intentions.

In the latest incarnation of a Bais Din that Margulies agreed to go to a Bais Din comprised of Rabbis Kaminetzky and Levine. Margulies then did an about face and said hes not going until he gets a Psak from Rav Eliyashiv. Its literally identical to what he pulled with Rav Scheinberg. Manipulating and perverting our holy Torah for his nefarious ends. Rather than allow the truth to come out he once again tries to pervert the Halacha under the guise of "daas torah" to suppress the truth.

Lipa Margulies, keep your filthy hands off our precious torah, away from our gedolei yisroel and most importantly, away from our children!!!!!!


UOJ RESPONDS........


I think this IS the perfect time to define what is so loosely termed as Gedolei Yisroel. What does that mean? The guy with the biggest yeshiva? Can someone please define that term to me?

There was a "rabbi" that was hell bent in dismissing the previous bais din on a "technicality" and was able to convince a bais din that heard gut wrenching testimony from victims that their testimony was invalid according to halacha.

Now this behaima wears 80 pairs of tzizis and walks around all day in his Tefillin. Is this guy part of the Gedolei Yisroel? You know what, if he is, I want out of HIS religion.

What Gedolei Yisroel are we talking about exactly..the ones that will permit a Jewish Mafioso to keep his molester rebbe in a classroom?

As long as the "gedolim" do nothing...there are no gedolim only reshaim!

Thousands Attend Anti-UOJ Rally in Brooklyn

By-Hear O' Israel Teen-Aged Staff, Lipa Mar-Rotzeach & featured children specialist Yudi Kronkite

Thousands took part in an anti-UOJ rally for The Molester Chassidim held on Ocean Parkway at the Margo Coverup Hall on Motzei Shabbos parshas Tetzaveh.

The Admor of Molest, Lipa Marfioso "Hakoton", was present when gabbai Gedalia Gofer, speaking for the Admor announced, "With the elections for biggest reshaim approaching, there is an obligation on all to vote for the "Zipper Kadima" list. You are also asked to help influence others to vote Zipper Kadima and may all be blessed with success." He called on the audience to set all other silly considerations aside and to heed the gedolei Abuse And Molest and the entire Coverup mishpocha shlita unreservedly.

Yaakov Applegrad, third on the UOJ list of menuvalim, opened "youknowwhat" without shame and led the pervert gathering. He said gedolei Molest referred to the coming lawsuit as a yom din ledoros. On this day of judgment, he said, we must assess what we have gone through, how many kids we ruined for life, and that matters of harboring vicious molesters are the top of the list of displaying kevod Shomayim. "We must know that with every Zipper Kadima ballot slip we declare Mi leHashem eilai. Gedolei Yisroel, including the Moetzes, taught us that every vote for Zipper Kadima is a kiddush Hashem, no matter how many children are destroyed for life."

HaRav Alter Farshimelt Shmeckle, one of the roshei yeshivas of Yeshivas Chiddushei NAMBLA, said the gathering was organized to fulfill ve'osiso kechol asher yorucho. "Some people mistakenly believe the matter of Zipper protection relates to a few askonim, but not to a man busy with the education and raising of his children.

We used to be at peace, believing this was just propaganda and the decrees would not be carried out. The past months have proven the era of idle threats has come to an end. Woe are we if they continue with just a portion of their plans.

UOJ made a surprise appearance. He was able to grab the microphone away from Rav Alter Farshimelt Shmeckle and questioned the crowd; who are the ones standing guard to protect these ***holes??? UOJ stared down at Shea Fishman and Dovid Zweibel and said in unison with his supporters "none other than the representatives of the Moetzes and Torah U'Mesorah." Singing and dancing broke out to celebrate the announcement that the Agudah planned to have not one, but two conventions a year.

At the end of the rally sign-up forms to volunteer for cover-up activities were handed out.

The Gedolim Made Me Do It!

An Important Reader Writes......

On Septpember 24, 2003, Torah U'Mesorah, The National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, the umbrella organization for more than 700 yeshivas and day schools in the United States and Canada, that teach Torah and general studies to more than 200,000 Jewish children, sent out a confidential 3-page document regarding child sex abuse to all of their member schools. Relevant excerpts appear below:

"At recent meetings of the Rabbinical Board of Torah Umesorah, attended by Rav Dovid Feinstein, Rav Yitzchok Feigelstock, Rav Aharon Feldman, Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky, Rav Aryeh Malkiel Kotler, Rav Avrohom Chaim Levin, Rav Yaakov Perlow and Rav Aaron Schechter, shlita, the following statement concerning a painful issue was issued:

We address ourselves to the problem of child molestation in our community. A small number of individuals have caused untold pain to many children, primarily varying in age from three to fourteen. In addition to the sins which they have committed, they have created painful memories in the minds of their victims, memories which can have a devastating lifetime impact.

It is incumbent upon everyone to use every means to stop these violations of children, including, at times, exposing the identities of the abusers and even their incarceration....."


Rabbi Elyashiv Comments.....

A ruling by Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv appears in Yeshurun, a compendium of articles on Halacha, in which the rabbi says it is permissible, in certain cases, to hand over a child abuser to the American police. Elyashiv, considered the most important interpreter of Halacha by Ashkenazi Haredim, said that it was permitted to inform the government in cases in which, "It is clear that he has committed a foul deed, and that this [informing] constitutes a sort of repair of the world." Elyashiv adds another condition, according to which the situation must be that, "Someone is abusing a boy or girl such that we are unable to stop him from continuing his evil actions."

The Saddest, Most Truthful Purim Shpiel Ever

A reader posts a Purim shpiel....

Dr. Budapesht mit offices in Villiamsbooger, Fletboosha, and boor park.
Telephone...1-800-MESHUGA.

We are pleased to report that through our intelligence sources, chaver Deep Nose, we have obtained a secretly recorded transcript of a recent visit by Lipa to his therapist – yes I said therapist – who is none other than the world renowned Hungarian genius, the venerable Dr. Budapesht. (Besht for short)

We are sharing it with our supporters who, in light of Lipa’s self-destructive behavior have become deeply concerned about his mental health. Some even fear he may have to be institutionalized in the dreaded Institute for the Talmudically Insane, where the hopelessly krume kep and farshvollene nuz are put out to pasture. Recently, there have been sensationalist reports by an anonymous pashkivil that blood curdling cries of all kinds of krumme svoris and upgefrekte shtiklach Toirah can be heard throughout the night at the Institute. We strongly suggest that you completely disregard anything reported in an anonymous pashkivil not signed by the Vaad Harabanim of Kupas Haair unless it has nice pictures and credit card forms, which of course changes everything.

Lipa: Doctor you have to help me. Lately I haven’t been sleeping. I have this recurring nightmare of the Jewish world's biggest blogger eating up the Yeshiva. What can this mean?

Dr. Budapesht: What’s this I hear about you harboring a child molester Yudi Kolko?

Lipa: Nu, so what’s the big deal?

Dr. Budapesht: Big deal? Are you nuts? Are you out of your mind? Don’t you realize this will bring down your whole yeshiva!!!

Lipa: Am I nuts? That’s what you’re supposed to tell me. That’s why I pay you the big bucks.

Dr. Budapesht: Lipa. You are absolutely, certifiably insane. Only a complete meshugeneh would a keep such a monster in his yeshiva.

Lipa: Now I can relax since you have diagnosed me. At least I’m getting my money’s worth. But Doctor Besht please stop making up bullshit stories for a second and look at it from my point of view. I’m running a business here. If I admit that I’ve been harboring a child molester, what would that do the reputation of my boobeleh, Yeshiva Torah Temimah? Do you realize we are more successful than any Yeshiva in the world? Our talmidim are considered the best and the brightest. We send more talmidim to Brisk who go on to do rich and chushive shidduchim and become rosh yeshiva’s and ramim than any other yeshiva. We are the elite, the crème de le crème. The Harvard and Yale of the yeshiva world in one package.

Dr. Budapesht: Are you done you putz?

Lipa: Are you kidding? I just got started you still don’t understand doctor. I am personally responsible for all this excellence. Me. No one else. It’s all mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. My building. My talmidim. My Yeshiva. My Kuvid. My reputation. My Chashivoos. That’s what’s on the line here. If it gets out that I’ve been harboring a molester for all these years, no one will even touch me with my own one inch pole, not even Mohel Yitzchok Fisher. I’m finished. Finito. Nada. Zilcho. All the chashoovim who used to chanfe me (kiss my fat ass) will now shake their heads at me with disapproving looks and say loudly “ah shanda”. Even worse, much worse, people will pity me and give me this sorry look and say things like. “Nebbbbaach”. I couldn’t handle that. That would destroy me completely. I need to be on top, ask the rebbetzin...oh, I forgot..any rebbetzin... The King. Melech HaMargolis Loilum Vued. Do you really think I care if a few hundred kids got tzsbushivit (poked in the ass) by this guy? They’ll get over it. That’s a very small price to pay for my success and accomplishments. Yechi Hamelech.

Dr. Budapesht: I’m afraid the situation is very serious.

Lipa: Aha! So you do understand. Finally. Only a Hungarian genius like you could understand a man as deep and complex as me and my pockets. It’s all very rational. It’s to all to save my hide, which of course makes it OK.

Dr. Budapesht: No. You completely misunderstood what I was saying. Your situation is serious. You are a narcissistic, psychotic, megalomaniac, screwed up sonafobitch suffering from severe delusional dementia. I’m afraid we’re going to have to commit you immediately. Willy, take him away.

Lipa: No please wait. Listen to me. I’m not crazy. Rabbi Applegrad will vouch for me. He tells me we have nothing to be afraid of. Why should we be afraid? We are the establishment. We are in the right. I am personally responsible for telling the world it's within the boundaries of halacha to keep a sexual predator in a yeshiva around little children. I know for a fact he did not molest anyone for the last five minutes...make it three. The statute of limitations for a man like me is thirty seconds, so I beat it by two and a half minutes. I spoke to Maran Ayatollah Eliyashiv..he said to be machmir; to make certain that at least for a full minute Kolko doesn't do the "poke a kid shtick"..except on Purim where we give him five minutes. So there you have it...the psak on the statute of limitations in halacha. You know why???....because we as frum Yiden must assume that Kolko does tshuva after each poke.

Getting back to me, I am the Rosh Yeshiva, Maran Shlita, Gaon Olam..even the Yated said so. If I say its OK then it is OK by definition. Don’t you understand Doctor?

Loud Noise: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Kaboom UUUUUUUU BOOOOm.

Lipa: What’s that noise? What’s going on? Why did it suddenly stop?

Dr. Budapesht: That’s the Krooma Svura alarm. I’m afraid you broke it. Kaput. After holding up for 30 years of krooma Toirah you broke it. One second. Willy, bring me the Krumometer right now. I don’t believe it. 10.5 on the Lukshin Scale. I must show this to the residents. Igor,Yunshee, Pishta, Tibor, come here right now. This will be a breakthrough article in the New Chandelier Journal of Magyarism. Igor get your hand off his wallet! You want the IRS after you? Oh look at that. What a shtik krumkeit. In all my years never have I seen such brilliant krumkeit. Truly remarkable.

Lipa: It’s like I was telling you, everything at Toirah Temimah is number one. Even our krooma svuris are exceptionally krum.

Dr. Besht: Lipa. I have no choice. I must commit you immediately or you must make up at least one hundred miracle bullshit stories about me. Krumkeit on this level is not only contagious it can be fatal. It’s even worse than the Kirahouser Rebbe Cold Storage Flu.

Lipa: Wait, you don’t understand my pain. The booshes, the bizyoines. This blogger and his letter. I’ve become a laughingstock. I’m the one being molested here. Can’t you see? Even Rabbi Applegrad, who’s usually as smooth and slick as a Brisker flipping latkes, is avoiding me. I deserve sympathy. Look what’s happening to my melucha. Hey look outside the window. See that Brisker. He’s being mevatel me. Oy gevalt. It’s starting. Please doctor you must do something.

Dr. Besht: Willy. Take him away right now. Please make sure your wearing protective gear. This stuff is so strong you’ll be walking and talking backwards before you can count to three. I got to get back to my "fullofshit" stories about myself, Nosson Scherman is running out of material for his Gedolim series.

"We Toil And They Toil ....We Toil To Save Our Children From Abuse And Receive Rewards...And They Toil And Receive No Rewards"....

A Reader Writes The Yated Ne'eman....

Dear Yated Editor,
I address this to the parents of the children who are caught up in the problem with gedolim cards.

Dear suffering parents,

Remember your goals, which are to raise kinderlach al derech haTorah. The photographers and marketers of these cards do not share your goals. They are in it to make money, which is why these cards are printed, attractively packaged, and sold with the plan to withhold certain cards, which in turn, ensures more sales - and not necessarily more ahavas haTorah.

Please understand that any leader in any field (social, community, business, religious, etc.) has become a leader because he/she thinks “outside of the box.” This means that the person has unusual thinking patterns, which sometimes (not always) results in unusual success.

Abusers also think “outside of the box.” This is what sustains their positions as leaders, even in the face of acute distress of those that they are taking advantage of. Their trick is to “out-think” the person or people that they are trying to manipulate. The trick to getting out from under a problem, is to out-think even those who think outside of the box by thinking outside of the box yourself.

Firstly, hang on to your goal of raising good, frum, emesdike kinderlach. While you keep that goal in mind, whatever you come up with must be different than what you have been doing until now, since the same type of thinking that got you into the problem is not going to get you out of it! So change how you approach the ideal of raising your child. Think of new ways to do it.

Here is one “outside of the box” solution. Call up Torah Umesorah, Artscroll, the Agudah, and your local Hebrew Library - whatever - and get any article, essay, etc. that has a photo of your child’s “missing” gadol. Get a copy of it and present it to your son. Do they need a face from the actual set? No, they need the missing face, because the goal is to see the faces of our great leaders. Get any photo. If they are sorry about this paltry replacement (because they want it to match the set), remind them what the overall goal is, and how it can be accomplished in more ways than one.

Alternatively, get a list of the gedolim, and collect your own photos from numerous sources! I myself have a “Tzaddik Album” at home where I paste in whatever nice photos of gedolim come along. This hobby has no parameters. It just unfolds with time and is kept among the family albums.

Remember that people who abuse the system get away with their behaviors because they confuse and frustrate the rest of the world who walk on more common ground. In order to stop them, it will not help to “speak to the hanhala” or take any normal, common action. Normal, common actions is what makes abusers laugh. They expect “normal” and base their game-plan on the well-meaning, generally innocent masses.

To get back control of your own children you, too, must think outside of the box. Take your sanity, pocketbook and child back from the grips of a phenomenon that has simply gotten out of control.

UOJ Comments,

Thanks Pinky, I could not have said it better myself!

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Disclosing That You Are A Victim Of Sexual Abuse

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Disclosing, Confronting or Going Public

Reprinted by Permission © 1992, Shauna Green

Survivors of various forms of abuse often want to disclose their experiences, confront their perpetrators, and/or speak-out about their abuse, in an attempt to try to help educate the public. Often the urge to share personal information about one self occurs during various stages of healing. From personal experience and talking to other Adult Survivors of childhood abuse, it is suggested that you consider the many questions listed in this article. You may also want to refer to "The Courage to Heal" ( by Laura Davis and Ellen Bass) and "The Courage to Heal Workbook" (by Laura Davis).

Unfortunately, the reality is that our society is NOT very accepting and/or understanding to the various issues of Adult Survivors of abuse, especially of Spritual Abuse and or Sadistic Ritual Abuse (SRA). The majority of the survivors I have spoken to, who have confronted individuals, and/or have gone public -- shared that they had negative experiences after they have shared their abuse histories with others. These survivors have all been met with disbelief and have been considered to be crazy, hysterical and/or delusional. Too often when individuals state that they are Adult Survivor's (of incest, cults and/or other forms of ritual abuse), they find that they automatically lose credibility.

We, as survivors can not be responsible for the reactions of others. What we can do is take control of our actions and be prepared for the outcome if we as an individual decide to share out histories with others. It is also important to be aware and accept, that the a vast number of adult survivors of sadistic abuse will not find it to be beneficial to confront, disclose and/or go public. It is vital for each individual to decide for themself, and be sure that they are not being pressured to make any decisions. This is a reminder that once you share information about yourself, you can NOT take it back.

If you thinking about going public, it is important to consider how you are going to do it.


Are you going to use your real name or a pseudonym?

Will you wear a disguise of some sort?

Will you be paid? How much?

If you are going on television will the producer of the show agree in writing to use a computer and distort both your voice and face (this is strongly suggested for the beginner)?

Will you have to sign a contract or an agreement? What will it say? It is strongly suggested you read the agreement BEFORE the day you are supposed to speak-out!

Will your attempt to educate the public cause harm to your credibility? Are you allowing yourself to be exploited?

Will it hurt you in your present or future career, social life, family life (including your spouse and children)?


The Following are some questions you can ask yourself to help you make up your mind if disclosing, confronting and/or going public is right for you.

Directions: Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. Think about the following questions and your answers. Share your responses with at least one trusted support person. Ask for Feedback! BEFORE you disclose and/or confront someone.


Whom do I want to tell? Why?

Is someone or something internally/externally pressuring me to disclose my abuse history or confront my perpetrator(s)? Who and/or What is pressuring me?

If my plans includes going public, what are my motives? (It's suggested you consider all of the following questions before speaking in any public forum).

What do I hope to gain from this disclosure and/or confrontation? What could I loose by this disclosure and/or confrontation? Are my expectations realistic?

Have I thought about safety issues? What are they for me?

What are my motives for confronting my perpetrators? Do I have to be concerned about my safety?

Am I confronting my perpetrator(s) to gain information? Can anyone else supply me with the information I desire?

Would I be risking something I still want from my family (i.e. financial and/or emotional support, inheritance, employment in family business, other)?

Could I live with the possibility of being excluded from family gatherings (i.e. Holidays, Weddings, Deaths in my family. . .)? What would that mean to me? How would I deal with the loss?

Am I willing to take the risk of losing contact with other family members with whom I want to stay connected? What would that mean? Would I deal with the loss?

Am I grounded and stable enough to risk being called crazy?

Could I maintain my own reality in the face of denial?

Can I withstand the anger that I am likely to face from others?

Could I handle my own anger and/or other feelings? How would I do that?

Could I handle no reaction at all?

Do I have a solid enough support system to back me up before, during and after the confrontation?

Which support people agreed to be available before, during, and after?

Can I realistically imagine both the worst and best outcomes that might result? Could I live with either one?

How have I prepared myself for the Confrontation and/or disclosure?

Other issues I've considered regarding confronting or disclosing my abuse to others.


Remember: It is important that you focus on yourself and your own personal needs before deciding to go disclose, confront and/or go public. This is also true before, during and after any confrontation. Try to remember what you want or need to say (for your own personal needs and not anyone else's), how you want to handle the situation, rather than on any response you may hope to get. Plan to process the confrontation and/or disclosure with your therapist and/or trusted support person(s). Remember, this can be an ongoing task (and that's ok).

The Haman Of Our Times

Vayehi Beyimei Margulies V’Kolko

This post is to update the public on the goings on since I mailed the letter so many of you received.

Members of my group have been in touch with Margulies and Kolko. As I predicted to them, every agreement reached with Margulies was shortly thereafter breached by him.

As I’ve been telling my friends,

“you can’t teach an alter mamzer new tricks.”

Most recently, at the behest of a prominent asken and Yeshiva Torah Temimah parent, Margulies proposed a panel of three to hear the charges and evidence against Kolko. We immediately agreed. Sound like progress? With anyone other than Margulies I’d be dancing for joy. With Margulies I knew it was only a matter of time before he backed out of this latest agreement.

Guess what my friends, I was right again!

The latest ploy by Margulies and Kolko involves Margulies shopping around for a reason not to go to his own bais din. That’s right, this human tinaf poorly disguised as the “Rosh Yeshiva” is looking for ways to avoid bais din in order to keep a molester in Yeshiva Torah Temima!

The depths of Margulies depravity is beginning to surprise even me.

We have irrefutable proof that Yudi Kolko is a chronic and violent child molester. So does Margulies! Every day that goes by produces more horrific stories of Kolko violently abusing children. Yet, Margulies refuses to fire this sick violent child molester.

Is this the man we want running a Yeshiva with a thousand children?

My brothers and sisters, whether you like me or hate me, agree with my ravings on other topics or are furious at me for expressing myself as I have, you all agree with me that a child molester does not belong in the classroom.

I’ve been patient. I’ve been relatively quiet. I’m out of patience.

If Margulies and Kolko do not appear before bais din immediately I will release the other vicious "dogs" on them and Yeshiva Torah Temimah. This is a promise. As you all know, I deliver on my promises.

I want the world to know that I gave Margulies and Kolko every chance possible to prevent this next move. They can still stop me. All they have to do is go straight to bais din, don’t stop at go, don’t collect $200, just go straight to Bais Din. NOW!

Auschwitz, Sexual Abuse And Rabbis

A Reader Comments

"Herskovic died Friday at his Encino home after a lengthy battle with cancer, said his daughter, Patricia Herskovic.

Three months after being sent from Belgium to Auschwitz, Herskovic escaped by cutting through a chain-link fence with two other prisoners using a pair of wire cutters he had hidden. It was the first night of Hanukkah in 1942.

The three hopped a train to Breslau, Germany, but a local rabbi threw them out when they tried to tell him about the horrors at Auschwitz."

People dont realize.... throughout jewish history rabbis denied and did not address many important issues as they happened. Rabbonim (for the most part i hope) are learned people, that know how to deal with pure halacha and jewish matters.

War, sexual abuse, drugs and many other world issues are out of many rabbonims' league and they just dont have the tools to deal with. It usually takes years and years for the "leaders" in that sense, to catch up to the times. Drug use is a good example, I think they are finally catching up, but sexual abuse unfortunately is taking a longer time. I hope sooner rather than later people and leaders will stop being this blind and deal with these issues in an appropriate manner. If they would only look back at their own history... and learn from the mistakes of the past.

Case of Rabbi Yudi Kolko - Yeshiva Torah Temimah

<The Awareness Center is The Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA)

http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/Kolko_Yudi.html

Case of Rabbi Yudi Kolko - Yeshiva Torah Temimah
Flatbush (New York), NY

My name is Jeffrey Herman and I am an attorney who represents victims of sexual abuse who were abused by Yudi Kolko. I am currently investigating these claims.

If anyone has information about this case, please contact me via email at jherman@hermanlaw.com or via telephone at (305) 931-2200.


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Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.

Table of Contents:

Request from attorney Jeffrey Herman (02/18/2006)

A Survivor Speaks Out (02/01/2006)

A Survivors Story (02/16/2006)


Also see:

Rabbis, Cantors and Other Trusted Officials

Offenders: Problems Our Parents Wouldn't Speak Of

Recidivism of Sex Offenders (U.S. Department of Justice: Center for Sex Offender Management)

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Request from attorney Jeffrey Herman
Unorthodox Jews Blog - Saturday, February 18, 2006

http://unorthodoxjews.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_unorthodoxjews_archive.html


My name is Jeffrey Herman and I am an attorney who represents victims of sexual abuse who were abused by Yudi Kolko. I am currently investigating these claims.

If anyone has information about this case, please contact me via email at jherman@hermanlaw.com or via telephone at (305) 931-2200.

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A Survivor Speaks Out
By (Name Removed)

Unorthodox Jew - February 1, 2006

http://unorthodoxjews.blogspot.com/2006_02_01_unorthodoxjews_archive.html


"I too was molested by Rabbi Yidi Kolko, both while a student in 7th and 8th grades in Yeshiva Torah V'daas and during those same summers whilst a camper in Camp Agudah.

I used to get rides to school in the mornings with Yidi whether in his old blue car or in his brand new brown car. At that time he lived on 56th Street between 14th & 15th Avenue, whilst I lived on 57th Street, between 15th and 16th Avenues. He was newly married at that time and his first child, a daughter, was also just born then.

Once we got to the Yeshiva on Ocean Parkway, which then was just off of Caton Road, he would park the car (either down the block from the Yeshiva, on the Ocean Parkway service road, or around the corner, I think it was East 5th Street, and ask me to come over and either sit beside him or sit on his lap. Sometimes he would move over to the passenger seat and would then sit me on his lap.

That's when he went fishing. He would insert his hands down the front of my pants and would begin to "search around" to say the least. At the same time he would pull me closer to himself, or would push himself forward againt myself, sometimes even pushing me into the stearing wheel, to the point that it hurt.

Unfortunately I didn't react or complain. The winters were cold and these rides saved on not having to walk all the way to 13th Avenue to wait for the bus (especially on Sunday mornings), you were able to leave your house later since you could always make the ride, and you saved a couple of cents, which was a lot in those days.

During one of those Sunday mornings whilst we were driving on Caton Avenue, whilst I was sitting in the front passenger seat - I almost always sat in the front passenger seat - we were involved in a terrible traffic accident where a car went through a red light and slammed into Yidi's car. B"H we all got out without a scratch.

In Camp Aguda it was the same, whether if he took me into the trees, or into his cabin, or even would take me out for a drive. FYI, during the summer of 1970 I had my bar mitzva in the camp.

I of course told my parents and tried on several times

to explain to them what I was going through, but they didn't want to believe me and my "stories", etc. My father at that time was a very well known and respected person in the Boro Park & Midwood communities and within the Yeshiva world. So I just shut up and let the molestation and perversion continue.

I also think that Yidi Kolko is a danger to the students, past and present in Yeshiva Tora Temimah and I feel that it is about time that the wall of silence be torn down.

Did I suffer as a result, probably. But I have made a life for myself and today am very happily married with 4 wonderful children".

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A Survivors Story
By (Name Removed)

Unorthodox Jew - Thursday, February 16, 2006


"It is time for Yidi Kolko to pay the price for what he did to me and to others".

I Am (Name Removed)

I have spent the past few days reading all of the comments that have been posted to this blog and would like to comment.

It was not easy for me to finally open up and put in writing and post on this blog some of the things that Yidi Kolko did to me so many years ago at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas of Flatbush and at camp Agudah.

Yes, I've been carrying it for all of these years and no matter how hard I tried to forget about it, it always seems to be there. Always there. And with every case of child abuse or molestation that gets publicized, it's always there. Even today, even when I'm happily married with 4 wonderful children.

I recommend that each one of you look at your sons, or brothers and ask: can they possibly be a victim of sexual molestation by a rebbe, a teacher, a camp counselor, etc?

And if he/they were, would he be strong enough to tell you about it?

And then the question I ask is: Would you at all believe him?

For you would ask: how could it be that such an outstanding rebbe, teacher, counselor, etc., who everyone loves and raves about, how could he do something like this?

And your immediate response would automatically be: No, my son, for some reason, isn't telling the truth, he must be lying...

As I said before, I've lived with this for a very long time and it is time for Yidi Kolko to pay the price for what he did to me and to others.

What this price is I'll let others decide.

They say that time has a way of healing - from my own experience, it doesn't ever go away.

In order to survive and remain normal, one must be strong... and always and continuously believe in Hashem.

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Last Updated: 02/18/2006



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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

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