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Wednesday, January 10, 2007

INSIDE THE KOSHER ERUV, AFTER EATING NON-KOSHER CHICKENS, UNDER THE BLACK HAT, AND BLESSED BY THE ASHER YATZER GEDOLIM!

Inside the eruv: Are some Orthodox
discreet or closing their eyes?
By Eugene L. Meyer and Richard Greenberg
January 10, 2007


NEW YORK (JTA) — Within Jewish circles, much of the focus on sexual predators has centered on the Orthodox community, particularly its more fervently religious precincts, where some contend that clergy sex abuse is more hidden — and possibly more widespread — than elsewhere.

Whether or not those contentions are true, the problem in that community was spotlighted by two recent episodes. They are among several incidents, emanating from across the denominational spectrum, that JTA examined in this six-part investigation of the Jewish community´s response to clergy sex abuse.

RELATED ARTICLES:
Examining the abuse-control system
Disabusing the abusers: A tightrope act
Raising awareness — and hackles
‘Don´t think it can´t happen to you´
Wayward clergymen: Epidemic or aberration?


The first of two episodes that JTA tracked in the fervently Orthodox, or haredi, community involved a fierce debate over remarks by a haredi rabbi who reportedly suggested that his community sweeps the issue "under the carpet." The second involved the arrest of a haredi rabbi and teacher, who was charged with sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a minor.

On Thanksgiving, at the annual national convention of Agudath Israel of America, a haredi advocacy organization, Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon, a featured speaker, ignited a controversy with his discussion of the haredi response to clergy sex abuse.

Salomon, a dean of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, N.J., one of the world´s largest yeshivas, said, according to an Agudath Israel spokesman, that haredim are indeed guilty of "sweeping things under the carpet."

What he meant was open to interpretation. Salomon declined comment, but according to the Agudath Israel spokesman, Rabbi Avi Shafran, Salomon meant that rather than ignoring or covering up sexual misconduct, as detractors maintain, haredi officials deal with it discreetly to protect the dignity of the families of perpetrators and victims.

The response to Salomon´s remarks was swift and often heated, with several Web site and blog contributors arguing that the rabbi´s comments should be taken literally — that is, haredi officials often look the other way when clergy sex abuse takes place in their midst.

Shafran, who accused the online detractors of making glib and sweeping generalizations without corroborating evidence, termed the comments "abhorrent."

Other communities were criticized as well on one Web site.

"Denial, secrecy, and sweeping under the carpet are not unique to charedi, Orthodox, or Jewish institutions," wrote Nachum Klafter, a self-described "frum psychiatrist," in a Nov. 26 posting on the Web site haloscan.com. "They are typical reactions of well-intentioned, scandalized human beings to the horrible shock of childhood sexual abuse."

Eleven days after those remarks were posted, a haredi rabbi, Yehuda Kolko, was arrested and charged in connection with the alleged molestation of a 9-year-old boy and a 31-year-old man, both former students of his during different eras at Brooklyn´s Yeshiva-Mesivta Torah Temimah. Kolko, 60, had long served the yeshiva as a teacher and an assistant principal.

Kolko, meanwhile, is named in at least four civil suits filed over the past eight months by his alleged victims, including the 9-year-old boy. The most recent litigation, which seeks $10 million in damages from Torah Temimah, was filed in New York state court the day before Kolko was arrested. It alleges not only that Kolko molested the 9-year-old during the 2003-04 school year, but that the school administration covered up the rabbi´s pedophilia for 25 years.

The suit charges that Rabbi Lipa Margulies, identified as the leader of Torah Temimah, knew of many "credible allegations of sexual abuse and pedophilia against Kolko," yet continued to employ him as an elementary school teacher "and give him unfettered access to young children."

Avi Moskowitz, the attorney representing Torah Temimah, said: "The yeshiva adamantly denies the allegations in the complaints and is sure that when the cases are over, the yeshiva will be vindicated."

Another one of the lawsuits brought against Torah Temimah was filed in May by David Framowitz, now 49 and living in Israel. In that $10 million federal litigation Framowitz, who was joined by a co-plaintiff also seeking $10 million, alleged that he was victimized by Kolko while he was a seventh- and eighth-grader at Torah Temimah.

Although the lawsuit, which named Kolko as a co-defendant, referred to Framowitz only as "John Doe No. 1," he has since dropped his anonymity and gone public with his story.

"That´s the only way that people would believe that there´s actually a problem, if they knew that there´s a real person out there who was molested," Framowitz told JTA in a recent telephone interview. "There are many other victims out there, and I want people to know that this really exists."

Framowitz grew up in part in fervently Orthodox communities in Brooklyn where rabbinic sex abuse, he said, is rarely reported. And when it is reported, he added, rabbinic courts seldom have the expertise or the inclination to deal with it effectively.

After his own reports of abuse were met with disbelief and inaction, Framowitz said he chose to "deeply bury" his painful memories of the alleged incidents.

"I never really got over it," he said, "but I was able to get on with my life."

An accountant by trade, Framowitz made aliyah several years ago, and now lives in the West Bank community of Karnei Shomron with his wife and four adult children. They have one grandson.

Framowitz said he decided to speak out publicly about his experience after he learned through the Internet in the fall of 2005 that Kolko was still teaching young boys. He said he is relieved that Kolko has been arrested and charged, although in connection with reported incidents unrelated to his alleged victimization.

"It´s a relief knowing that the story is finally out there," Framowitz said, "and that maybe Kolko will be prevented from being around other kids."

JTA tried unsuccessfully to reach Kolko, who along with Framowitz was the focus of a May 15 New York magazine story that said "rabbi-on-child molestation," according to several sources, "is a widespread problem in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and one that has been long covered up."

Attorney Jeffrey Herman, who is representing the plaintiffs in the lawsuits stemming from Kolko´s alleged misconduct, was quoted in the New York magazine piece saying that the clergy abuse situation in the haredi community "reminds me of where the Catholic church was 15 or 20 years ago. What I see are some members of the community turning a blind eye to what´s going on in their backyards."


Sifting the evidence

Hard numbers are not available to determine if clergy sex abuse is more widespread in haredi communities than in other Jewish locales. However, several insiders said there is anecdotal evidence that abuse often goes unreported there. The reason, they said, is that many individuals in those communities, which are noted for their insularity, resistance to modernity and reverence for religious leaders, are loath to confront rabbis for fear of being publicly shunned.

Shafran said he doubts that clergy sex abuse is more prevalent in the fervently Orthodox world than elsewhere. Asked whether victims there are afraid to report abuse, he said, "I hope it´s not true. But it´s easy to see how someone would be reluctant to publicly report such an issue."

He said modesty, which is prized by many haredim, might preclude the open discussion of matters "that are part of the average radio talk show agenda."

Others believe that underreporting of clergy sexual misconduct may in fact facilitate abuse.

"Offenders have learned to hide behind" the reluctance of victims to speak out, said Brian Leggiere, an Orthodox Jew and a psychiatrist in Manhattan who has treated both perpetrators and victims of sexual abuse. He added, though, "The situation is changing for the better, but very slowly. Each community is different, so it´s hard to generalize."

In some neighborhoods, Leggiere pointed out, public safety is beginning to gain traction as an ideal worth defending, as is the notion that professional therapy or other forms of treatment for sex abuse victims, as well as for perpetrators, should not be stigmatized.


Judging the judges


Among many Orthodox Jews, the preferred forum for adjudicating communal disputes is a beit din, a rabbinic court. But critics say such panels often try to dissuade sex abuse victims from pursuing their complaints, a charge vigorously denied by Shafran. But, he added, "In cases where there is some degree of doubt, the beit din has a responsibility to counsel against going to authorities until there is proven criminal activity."

Mark Dratch, a modern Orthodox rabbi who chairs the Rabbinical Council of America´s Task Force on Rabbinic Improprieties, said that if the beit din "is used to make the community safer, that´s appropriate. If that relationship is used to bypass the justice system, I think that´s wrong, particularly in cases of suspected criminal activity.

"The problem in the ultra-Orthodox community is people go to the beit din and not to civil authorities. There is a very complicated relationship between rabbis and civil authorities," he said. "It doesn´t always work appropriately."

Dratch, who now directs JSafe, a nonprofit organization addressing abuse in the Jewish community, said he has "pleaded with members of Agudah to expose the dangers of clerical and familial abuse. I said if you don´t expose, victims have no place to turn."

Agudath Israel has not promulgated anti-abuse policies for its affiliated congregations, Shafran conceded, "nor have there been complaints" of sexual misconduct at Agudath Israel-affiliated congregations. But he added, "I wouldn´t rule out that one day there would be such guidelines. The Talmud teaches us that we should stay away from even the appearance of impropriety."

Agudath Israel does have binding behavioral guidelines that apply to its youth groups and its five summer camps, which serve about 2,000 youngsters, according to Shafran.

Yehuda Kolko worked at one of those camps, Camp Agudah in Ferndale, N.Y., decades ago, according to Shafran, apparently long before the behavioral guidelines existed.

The federal lawsuit filed in May states that while Kolko was at Camp Agudah, he repeatedly molested Framowitz, who was a camper there in the summers following his seventh- and eighth-grade years at Torah Temimah.

Framowitz´s co-plaintiff — "John Doe No. 2," an adult male living in the United States — alleged that he also was abused by Kolko, but only at Torah Temimah. The lawsuit contends that the administrations at both the camp and the school knew Kolko was a pedophile and did nothing about it.

Shafran declined comment on the litigation, which is being divided into two complaints, one for each plaintiff, according to attorney Herman. The complaint initiated by Framowitz has been dismissed on the plaintiffs´ initiative but will be refiled, Framowitz and Herman said.

An attorney representing Kolko in the federal litigation declined comment on behalf of his client.


Elsewhere in Orthodoxy


The modern Orthodox community was deeply scarred by the sex abuse scandal involving Rabbi Baruch Lanner, a former regional director of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth, a branch of the centrist Orthodox Union.

Lanner was sentenced in 2002 to seven years in prison for sexually abusing two female students during the 1990s while he was their principal at a yeshiva high school in New Jersey.

However, a 2000 report by a special O.U. commission found that Lanner had also sexually abused women and teenage girls, and physically abused boys and girls while he was a leader at NCSY. The case attracted widespread attention, in part, because the report said some O.U. and NCSY leaders had failed to take action for several years to halt Lanner´s misconduct.

Ultimately, according to organization insiders, O.U. Executive Vice President Rabbi Raphael Butler resigned under pressure in the wake of the scandal.

Both the O.U. and the NCSY have upgraded behavioral guidelines and enhanced anti-abuse training programs, according to officials at both organizations. The NCSY policies, which cover 17 pages and were revised most recently in October, are binding on at least 25,000 individuals, including NCSY professionals, volunteers and program participants. The guidelines spell out prohibited conduct in detail, and include step-by-step instructions for filing an abuse complaint.

Both O.U. and NCSY officials said they are not aware of any complaints of sexual misconduct toward youths since the NCSY guidelines were upgraded a few years ago.

The Chabad-Lubavitch movement has no written conduct guidelines applying specifically to its estimated 4,000 global emissaries, known as shluchim, or its approximately 3,000 multi-use facilities that double as synagogues and are usually referred to as Chabad Houses.

However, many Chabad Houses have adopted behavioral policies originally formulated for the movement´s schools, according to movement spokesman Rabbi Zalman Shmotkin.

In addition, according to Shmotkin, shluchim must strictly abide by the Shulchan Aruch, the 16th-century code of Jewish law that prohibits non-married or unrelated adults of the opposite sex from being secluded with each other.


On the school front


Some of the denominational policies examined by JTA are designed to guard against situations that could result in inappropriate contact with minors, regardless of their sex. They mandate, for example, that at least two adults be present when a child is receiving private religious instruction.

A non-seclusion requirement is among many anti-abuse provisions included in mandatory school behavioral policies adopted by Chabad about five years ago. The policies cover approximately 2,000 personnel at some 350 Chabad schools attended by about 24,000 students.

The policies also instruct school officials to consult two recognized rabbinic authorities — one Chabad-affiliated and one not — regarding the centuries-old Jewish legal injunction known as mesirah, which in some instances prohibits Jews from reporting Jewish perpetrators to non-Jewish authorities.

Mesirah has been blamed for the reticence of some Orthodox sex abuse victims to go public with their complaints. In a spring 2004 article in the anti-abuse publication Working Together, Dratch of JSafe said that in cases of child sex abuse, "the consensus of contemporary Jewish religious authorities is that such reporting is religiously mandatory."

Three years ago, several safeguards were adopted by Torah Umesorah-The National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, a service organization — the largest of its kind in the United States — that provides religious educational materials for nearly 200,000 Orthodox students spanning that denomination´s ideological spectrum.

The Torah Umesorah guidelines, which were presented to school principals, warn teachers and other staffers to refrain from sexually immodest behavior or speech and from inappropriate touching. They also prohibit school personnel from being secluded with students.

But the guidelines are nonbinding because each of the hundreds of schools served by Torah Umesorah are self-governing.

"We´re a service agency, not a governing agency," Rabbi Joshua Fishman, the organization´s executive vice president, told JTA.

Elliot Pasik, a New York attorney and children´s rights advocate, said the way in which the guidelines were distributed calls into question Torah Umesorah´s commitment to protecting students from sexually predatory teachers and other staffers.

The guidelines were accompanied by a Sept. 24, 2003, cover letter signed by Fishman that said in part: "This document should be maintained with a sense of confidentiality. It should only be shared with your educational administrative and teaching staff."

Perhaps as a result of that directive, Pasik said few, if any, parents he knows with children attending schools serviced by Torah Umesorah were told about the rules unless they called the Torah Umesorah national office in Manhattan. Pasik´s children have attended yeshivas affiliated with Torah Umesorah.

Furthermore, he added, "I have personally spoken with several teachers and they knew nothing about these guidelines."

Asked to respond, Fishman declined comment, except to say, "We believe that molesters should be reported."

Pasik said the situation shows the need for a centralized governing body — perhaps a state or federal agency — that can hold schools accountable for the safety of students.

"It´s hard for people in any organization to govern themselves," he said. "We´re not being patrolled or governed by anybody."

Pasik recently lobbied for passage of legislation in New York that authorizes non-public schools to require fingerprinting and FBI background checks for prospective employees. The measure was enacted Aug. 16.

The larger issue of child molestation in the Orthodox community was addressed in a one-page statement accompanying the Torah Umesorah guidelines.

Issued by the organization´s rabbinical board, the statement says in part that "a small number of individuals have caused untold pain to many children. 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."

The statement urges "everyone to use every means to stop these violations of children, including, at times, exposing the identities of the abusers and even their incarceration. At times, our primary intent may not be to punish the perpetrators, but rather to help them. Therefore, it is preferable, wherever appropriate, to force them to undergo appropriate professional therapy."



JTA: The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is the "AP" of the Jewish world. Today, it released six major articles dealing with sexual abuse in the Jewish community. Here are the links:

REINING IN ABUSE
In jurisdictional jungle, where does the buck stop in misconduct cases?
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17473&intcategoryid=4


Wayward clergy by the numbers, s: Is it rampant or an aberration?
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17474&intcategoryid=4

Awareness Center a clearinghouse of concern — and controversy
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17471&intcategoryid=4


Inside the eruv: Are some Orthodox discreet or closing their eyes?
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17472&intcategoryid=4

Clergy sexual misconduct: What´s being done to squelch it?
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17475&intcategoryid=4


The aftermath of sexual abuse: How one synagogue coped
http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17470&intcategoryid=4

46 comments:

mr.rosh yeshiva said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Paul Mendlowitz said...

Bring it on my friend!!!!

Anonymous said...

WHERE DID YOU GO MR. ROSH YESHIVA????



MR. Rosh Yeshiva said....., (before the scumbag Applegrad/Kleinman deleted his own post)

Don't bring me out of retirement, don't make me take your file out of the archives.

Do you want the real Paul Mendlowitz to be exposed?

Anonymous said...

Bring it on!

Paul Mendlowitz said...

To the gang at Torah Temimah; Neuhoff, Applegrad, Kleinman..of course Belsky and Margulies,

Bring it on guys; I'm just warming up!

Wait until the Feds come knocking, you guys are so sick it's almost unreal!

Anonymous said...

Call the gerer rabbis in boro park and ask them why they did nothing all these years WHEN THEY KNEW THE FACTS ALL ALONG AND ASK THEM WHAT THEY INTEND TO DO IN THE FUTURE TO ASSURE VICTIMS WONT BE IGNORED And how and when they intend to reach out to the system's victims with apologies and comforting words.
Lastly, ask them what teshuva they took upon themselves for this massive dereliction of duties.

David Olewski 718-436-8216 854-8777
Elie Fisher 718-853-3084 or 435-9135
Nuchem Kernwasser 718-853-7179 917-515-8117

while your at it calling the gerer rabbonim why not call the molester himself.
AVROHAM MORDECHAI LEIZEROWITZ
RESIDING AT: RECHOV YECHESKAIL 102
JERUSALEM ISRAEL
PHONE NUMBER:011-972-2-627-3330
lets confront him and see what he says, probably the same he told me when i confronted him awhile back "YOU WERE DREAMING". as if i have nothing better to dream about than pervert leizerowitz.
LEIZEROWITZ VICTIM FOREVER

Anonymous said...

Bring it on!

Anonymous said...

UOJ,

Your last post implies that the YTT gangsters just tried pulling some stunt again. What are those scumbags up to?

Anonymous said...

The only thing that's "abhorrant" is Shafran and his obtuse, smart alec attitude. Every interview the putz gives, is more nauseating than the next.

Why was Fishman identified in the article as still being with Torah Umesorah? They should have credited UOJ & Pasik for forcing his resignation.

Anonymous said...

DAVID OLEWSKI DROP DEAD!!!
go to hell and take lazerovitch with you.
duvid i dont mean to be nosy but one question please answer, how many suffering parents of 13-14-15 year olds did you turn away and shut up all these years?
dont you have a heart?
you are a father of children, if your child came to you with such an allegation what would you have done then, made hell to get sicko out or would you just tell your son forget it i am in the beit din of ger and i cant have such a stink on my name.
i am a victim of lazerovitch, and i cant wait for oneday someone with guts to step up to the plate and go to the D.A. and sice you were a mandated reporter you get yor ass locked away for a long time.
its one thing i pray for everyday of my life to see you guys pay up, i want some justice.

Anonymous said...

Skipper !!! It's me, little buddy.

http://www.gilligansisle.com/gil.html

In every episode, Gilligan manages to ruin the castaways chances of being rescued. Whenever he tries to help, he always ends up doing more harm than good.

Anonymous said...

Victims be strong, I am a victim too.

I will one day share my story.

Anonymous said...

Someone wrote in the comments on the letter to Margulies inhuman about the slob landlord from East 27th with the illegal apt.

The tenant that left in the summer was showing people a letter from a Con Edison investigation that the landlord was stealing his electricity after he wired the house himself. That's one of the many reasons he had to leave. They also couldn't take the screams from the kids. The mother who is also nuts, is kind of abusive to the kids. You can't miss her when she takes the kids to the bus stop in the morning in her tattered bathrobe.

The landlords have also been stealing food from simcha halls to feed their family. They got caught at one chasuna taking every last portion. The chosson and kalla didn't even get meals to take home. The leftover portions were donated to a yeshiva that got zilch. The losers were confronted after by the rosh yeshiva and the chosson. They claimed that they only took some cookies for the kids. When they were told there are eidim that even saw them packing up partially eaten portions, they completely changed the story and hired a lawyer. The new story by the loudmouth lawyer who is friends with them, is that they go around to simchos to take food to feed aniyim. That's pretty funny because the tenant told me that Yanky Feuereisen once catered a specific dish that was stolen and he could smell the landlord reheating it the next day.

The landlord tried to attack the tenant at the end with Mendel Epstein's thugs from the Iggud Rabbonim. The tenant said he will go to Mechon Lehoroyo, so the landlord chickened out.

Anonymous said...

You guys should know that there are some rabbonim who do things behind the scenes without publicizing it. I know one roshe yeshiva / rov who doesn't want me to identify him. He wrote a letter to the college in Israel that employs Mondrowitz, asking how they can justify it. He never received a response.

Anonymous said...

Gil tries to profit off scandal by placing ads for his book about mesarev beis din in the middle of newspaper articles on the Tendler scandal. Journalist Steven Weiss attacked Gil for that, commenting that "it takes a special kind of person to do that."

He also wrote a despicable blog post engineered to get hits about that poor baby girl in Flatbush that was killed by falling furniture. Gil picked up on false media reports that it was a TV, when the very frum family doesn't even own a TV. Gil wrote some insensitive comments at the expense of the nifteres & the avaylim so he could grind his axe against right wing chareidim, which he can do, depending on who he's talking to.

I'm disappointed that the RCA gives this amateur the podium at their convention.

The title of Gil's atrocious post on his Hirhurim blog by the way, was "Death by television".

It wouldn't surprise me if Gil was also posing as someone else and wrote that post yesterday defending Rabbi Vigler and Torah Temimah. He could easily use another computer to get around UOJ's block on his IP.

Anonymous said...

Who are Mendel Epstein's thugs from the Iggud Rabbonim -they should be exposed i its time to stop this shtetl nonsense. Put all the players out in the open -and lets see if they can take the heat once they're exposed and not being protected by their "Rabbis"

Anonymous said...

Mendel Epstein's thugs

Mendel Epstein is the controlling force behind the scenes of the Iggud Haganovim. He is rumored to sometimes contract outside goons, but he can usually depend on his own in house thugs who comprise the corrupt "beis din". The chavrei beis din include Gershon Tennenbaum (see last night's post on Failed Messiah), Belsky, Steinberg, Elbaz and others. The Av Beis din Rabbi Kurzrock is getting senile and is used as a tool. Yaakov Klass is Vice President so they can always count on the Jewish Press as a public megaphone for whatever agit-prop they want out there. If you ever get a hazmana from the Iggud, you can bet that whoever had them issue it is confident that the corrupt "beis din's" decision will be fixed in his favor.

You can also arrange a bittul kiddushin with these guns for hire if you have about half a million to shell out.

The Iggud is protecting Kolko, Margo and Tendler.

Iggud activist Ben Barber raises money for DA Charles Hynes who won't prosecute yeshiva abusers. Hynes actually comes to Barber's house for parlor meetings / shnorring fests.

Convicted pedophile Lipa Brenner is connected to the Iggud. Lipa Brenner's son in law is Ephraim Bryks.

Anonymous said...

Hey it's me again, Tuvya Neuhoff. Margo is upset at me after my friendship with Gil Student was exposed. He thinks Gilligan is too much of a shlepper and that anyone on staff at YTT should have more choshuve associations. After all, we at YTT are the best of the best.

Anonymous said...

At Margo's urging, the Iggud hired us as outside consultants / behavioral coaches.

Anonymous said...

If you ever get summoned by the Iggud, just tell them you are willing to go to a real beis din. It's guaranteed that you will never hear from them again. Eli Greenwald told Belsky he was willing to go to the RCA beis din. Kolko, Margulies and Belsky fell off the face of the earth and left him alone after that.

Anonymous said...

"After all, we at YTT are the best of the best."

I know a guy from out of town who is a tremendous masmid and lamdan. He tried to go to Yam Hatalmud after Eretz Yisroel, but Margo, via a crony, was very mean and snotty to him. He said "our yeshiva is not for you.".

The only reason why these behaymos wouldn't take him is because he is on the geeky side.

The meforshim on the Seder Viduy say that being mean to people in that way is a type of sinas chinam. Al cheit shechotonu lefonecha betzorus ayin.

Anonymous said...

That lady with the shmatta bathrobe on East 27. Chuckle chuckle, but I feel sorry for the kids. What a nutty house. They wake up the neighbors at crazy hours. She is the aerobics instructor at a Jewish hotel and runs a illegal business in her basement. Someone I know went there for the $5 workout but never went back because the place is so gross and smelly.

Anonymous said...

HA HA HA HA !!!!!!!!

I just can't believe this crap that the Gil Student spin team posted today:

http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2007/01/moshe-rosenberg-rabbi-yosef-blau-jj.html#9101263240175872261

Anonymous said...
Kudos for doing the responsible thing and removing that post. I am a reuglar reader of hirhurim and know that Gil Student speaks strongly about abuse and molestation and didn’t deserve that post.

For the record, I know Neuhoff and asked him myself for corroboration of what was stated on that post. I am taking the liberty of clarifying some misinformation.

1) It was his own decision to start the blog (not Rabbi Belsky). As stated on his blog, this was based on his distaste for the sensationalism, disparagment of Torah leaders, and inaccuracies reported on the UOJ blog. Rabbi Belsky was only approached regarding the question of publicizing UOJ’s identity.

2) The blog was "clean" throughout and is still left up for those who wish to investigate (tuvyasblog). In fact, he publicly credited UOJ on the blog for his role in making Torah Temimah safer.

3) He said that his involvement in Torah Temimah was as follows. Torah Temimah asked him in June to work for 2 hours weekly in the school, which he agreed to. His involvement in the blog had nothing to do with Rabbi Margulies and T.T. (in fact, Rabbi M. was upset about it because he felt that UOJ should be ignored). When his name was publicized, he called T.T. immediately to inform that it would be perceived as a conflict of interest and informed them that he will not be working there. He has had nothing to with T.T since and has not received a penny from them. He also has had nothing to do with blogging since.

January 11, 2007 10:49 AM

Anonymous said...

BREAKING NEWS!!! A MUST READ!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16579038/

This precedent-setting ruling incriminates all those who knew about the molestation and/or covered it up, not just the molestors themselves.

Anonymous said...

http://theunorthodoxjew.blogspot.com/2006/08/tuvya-chaim-neuhoff-is-fraud-send-your.html

If Neuhoff's friend is reporting accurately, it's incredible that Tuvya would LIE when there's documented proof above he was still involved with YTT.

Anonymous said...

"The blog was "clean" throughout and is still left up for those who wish to investigate (tuvyasblog)."

It was a vile and pointless blog. The comments were vicious and contained an extensive amount of nivul peh. The name of a victim of sexual abuse was posted in derision by some sick commenters. UOJ repeatedly asked Neuhoff to delete the name and he refused.

"Torah Temimah asked him in June to work for 2 hours weekly in the school, which he agreed to"

On 8/15/06 Tuvya wrote (since erased):

"I was recently approached by Torah Temimah to work on a very part-time basis as school psychologist for the coming year. I have since declined this offer due to a possible misperception."


" His involvement in the blog had nothing to do with Rabbi Margulies and T.T."

And it's a mere coincidence that his partner in outing UOJ was Y. Kleinman, which is the same name as the YTT administrator.

"in fact, Rabbi M. was upset about it because he felt that UOJ should be ignored"

So much so that he had his administration working 24/7 this past summer to expose him. Just like the Agudah wants to ignore him by dedicating their convention to him.

"When his name was publicized, he called T.T. immediately to inform that it would be perceived as a conflict of interest and informed them that he will not be working there."

And they put his name on their stationery anyway, listing him as the school psychologist in their back to school letter, a month after his outing.

"He has had nothing to with T.T since and has not received a penny from them"

That's because Belsky picked up the tab. In Neuhoff's own words, Belsky told him "secharcha merube".

"He also has had nothing to do with blogging since"

Maybe not, but on the same day that UOJ announced his retirement around RH, a new blog was started by "Greg" called "About UOJ". The blog lists the negative comments UOJ made on his blog towards gedolim. What's interesting is that on 7/21/06, Tuvya/Neuhoff wrote:

"I will try to compose a list of all people who UOJ has insulted and mocked within the past year and a half"

Another coincidence? Also, on the same day, all the posts on Tuvya's blog that were dated after the UOJ outing, were mysteriously deleted. These posts contained his feeble attempt at defending his actions and his denial of employment at YTT.

Anonymous said...

Oy larash oy lishcheno!!

Neuhoff lived at 1296 E. 10th which is directly across the street from the house Kolko owned ar 1295 E. 10th. I believe Kolko lived in that house temporarily in the early 80's, while Neuhoff's family bought the house across the street around the same time.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what ANGRY FATHER is plannign on doing other than filing a lawsuit?

To MR. Rosh Yeshiva,

What more can you do than what you did back in August? UOJ took your best shot and is still up and running?

UOJ,

Are you ever going to admit or deny whether you are actually PAul Mendlowitz?

Anonymous said...

It appears that OU Executive Vice President, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is being pushed out of the OU.

http://www.forward.com/articles/ou-leader-being-pushed-out/

Can anyone shed light on this?

Is it related to his speaking out on sexual abuse in the Jewish community?

Is Belsky and company involved?

Paul Mendlowitz said...

My friends in the OU tell me that Belsky's days are numbered there. It's about time. All of us can say shkoach for that; the OU board hates him and what he stands for. Rational politics however demands, not too much of a shakeup at the same time. Belsky is history there, and if I have anything to say about it, (which I do), Torah Vodaath is next.

Anonymous said...

http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=16930

As this article outlines, Rabbi Weil is a tough cookie and may be too hot to handle for the OU.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=9090

According to this article, Weil kicked a sex offender out of his shul.

Otherwise, Steve Savitsky lives in Woodmere and is also the big honcho at Vaad of the 5 Towns.

Anonymous said...

Another "coincidence", Neuhoff says he was hired in June by YTT. They had made the big announcement at the Aaron Twerski/parents meeting that they had hired a psychologist. A day later, "Tuvya" made his debut commenting on this blog. He went on to start his own blog a week later because he claimed UOJ wasn't posting his comments. Does it sound like they hired a psychologist or a henchman?

Anonymous said...

According to the NYS Education Department, Clown Neuhoff is not licensed as a psychologist (or a social worker, for that matter.) Correct me if I'm wrong.

http://www.op.nysed.gov/opsearches.htm

Anonymous said...

At a time that he's trying to salvage whatever reputation he has left, all these implausable excuses start emerging. How much time until his kids are in shidduchim? Forget even that he's not employable anymore with a large segment of our community.

Neuhoff remains the bungalow, East 10th, East 31st St PUTZ.

Anonymous said...

Gross,

Neuhoff's licensing challenge has been raised on these pages before and there were veiled threats to have him reported. That may have been the real "conflict of interest" that led him to lay low.

Otherwise, he would have been a perfect fit for YTT. Not only is he a willing stooge, but he has no qualifications a la Aaron Twerski J.D.

It's amazing how the Hungarian parent body is so easily impressed by all these imposters.

Anonymous said...

"It's amazing how the Hungarian parent body is so easily impressed by all these imposters."

The biggest joke and fraud of all was when Margo promoted himself from Torah Vodaath bus driver, to Menahel, and finally to "Rosh Yeshiva."

I've heard plenty of funny things, but this really has me bowling over.

Anonymous said...

These days perhaps one of the most widely read but also controversial frum bloggers is Unorthodox Jew. UOJ, as he is known, identifies himself as an attorney with a penchant to expose extreme cases of hypocrisy in frum Jewish life. His favorite subject is shedding light on what he feels is extreme dishonesty and double standards in Jewish life. He also can’t get enough of insisting that too many rabbinical leaders and organizations have no problem with sacrificing honesty and integrity in order to protect those within their ranks.

For the past two years he’s been extremely vocal and shockingly open about alleged cases of physical abuse that have risen to the surface of late in the community. He’s open and forthcoming about using people’s names, which is both rough and controversial. In the physical abuse cases, he says he is determined to protect Jewish children from abusers and does not understand why our leadership has not been more outspoken on the subject. No doubt it is a sensitive and even difficult subject matter; however, being a victim in a case like this is no doubt even more difficult than the need to talk about it.

Anonymous said...

How timid is Larry Gordon? He can't bring himself to
write "sexual" abuse, so instead says "physical" abuse.

How sloppy is Larry Gordon? He mixes up UOJ with Pasik and Herman.

Larry - ya wanna get more readers? Stop showing those bridal pictures with the chassonim and kallahs touching each other. You're pissin' off the rabbis - big time. Ya got Shafran in the Jewish Star, and they got real reporters. CYA Larry, before the rabbis do a Gourmet Glatt on you.

Anonymous said...

Of course this is nothing compared to the UOJ effect.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/09/AR2007010901949.html

"People should be concerned about what we are doing to the climate," said Jay Lawrimore, chief of the climate monitoring branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Burning of fossil fuels is causing an increase in greenhouse gases, and there's a broad scientific consensus that is producing climate change."

Anonymous said...

http://www.brooklyngraphic.com/site/tab6.cfm?newsid=17701988&BRD=2384&PAG=461&dept_id=552852&rfi=6

Wagons filled with discontent and outrage are circling Flatbush’s Yeshiva Torah Temimah as more and more students, both past and present, allege that the school did nothing to stop wayward sexual abuse by a prominent rabbi, even after they had been repeatedly told about the teacher and the spiritual leader’s sinful actions.

Despite the clouds of discontent that hang over the school at 555 Ocean Parkway, officials are tight-lipped about the allegations, the lawsuits as well as the arrest of Rabbi Yehuda Kolko, who was charged last month with abusing a nine-year-old boy from the school.

On January 4, lawyers for Yeshiva Torah Temimah were handed their fourth lawsuit in one year – this one on behalf of an unidentified child and his parents who claim that the school covered up allegations that Kolko sexually abused him during the 2004-2005 school year.

Most of the alleged “cover-ups” were conducted by Rabbi Lipa Margulies, the leader of Torah Temimah at the time, who also happened to be a neighbor to the parents of one of the plaintiffs.

Anonymous said...

Interesting info on the Buildings Dept website. At 1296 East 10th, there are eleven violations, a very high number, all of which are still active. They are seemingly dangerous ones and the city forced compliance with a ARA / PRA job. That means they arrange to fix it and force you to pay for it.

At his new digs at 1339 East 31st, he pulled a Kolko. Neuhoff is using the same architect as Yudi to add an attic that is illegal to inhabit. How much do you want to bet that Neuhoff plans on putting bedrooms up there ?

If the city ever finds out, they force you to appear in court where you are sentenced to a fine and mandatory removal of all bedrooms and bathrooms.

So be forewarned if Neuhoff tries to rent out an apartment. Especially now that he's off Margo's dole (or so he claims at least), he's probably looking for a way to pay off the house. The purchase price was 675 grand. The attic and other extensions are estimated at 75 grand not including associated professional fees.

Anonymous said...

No question about it - Neuhoff is ruing the day he decided to take on UOJ. Gilbert Studious, beware. LONG LIVE UOJ!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for clearing that up guys. We were under the impression that the certificate of occupancy for Neuhoff's extension was to add a bungalow on top of his house. We read it again and saw that it's indeed for a storage attic.

Anonymous said...

I can't wait for next week's breaking news!

Jewish Survivors said...

In one of the article produced by JTA they quoted an individual by the name of Charlotte Schwab. I personally feel that survivors need to stay away from this woman. Please help me get the word out that this woman is not qualified to be an expert in working with survivors. She parades around as a psychotherapist, yet does not have any clinical training. We need to do what we can to prevent survivors from being revictimized by individuals who do not have the proper credentials to be working with us.

Please make sure the writers at the JTA are aware of the problems. Help make sure this woman is not quoted from again. We all know that all too often we read an article and think the people being quoted know what they are doing. In reality that is not always true. Just because someone wrote a book or a parsha of the week does not necessarily mean they are safe people.

Jewish Survivors Blog
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
WARNING: Dr. Charlotte Schwab and The Schwab Institute
http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2006/05/warning-dr-charlotte-schwab-and-schwab.html


It appears that Charlotte Schwab is contacting everyone who has an e-mail address who identifies themselves as a Jewish Survivor of Sexual Violence.

I've gone to Schwab's web page and found that she does not have a degree in counseling or psychology. She claims to have a doctorate in social psychology which is NOT a clinical degree. Dr. Charlotte Schwab is NOT a licensed mental health professional.

If you are looking for a therapist and need help, some of the information here might be useful.

FYI: to legally state you are a counselor you need to have a degree in a clinical field and be licensed as counselor. Charlotte Schwab does NOT fit this criteria!

When I sent a request to be removed from her mailing list I received the following note:

Are you sure you want to be removed? I am a survivor and counselor and advocate for survivors pro bono all over the country. My book, Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a Sacred Trust has helped countless victims/survivors. You may read about my work and my book on my web site: www.drcharlotteschwab.com.

I sent the following note:

"I do not want to be on your mailing list. you state you are a counselor. I looked at your site and you are not licensed. I don't like people who falsely represent themselves like that."

Charlotte Scwab Responded:

Counselors do not have to be licensed. I practiced psychotherapy in Manhattan for 25 years. You sound like a very judgemental, uninformed person. It is tragic that you are so closed.

You are removed (from her mailing list).


According to Schwab's web page:

Education and Training

University of Michigan, BA Education, English, and Psychology
New York University, MPA Organization and Management

New York University, Ph.D. (NOT A CLINICAL DEGREE) Interdisciplinary Degree, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Organization and Management, Urban Affairs, Politics, Behavior, Sociology.


Dr. Charlotte Rolnick Schwab, a psychotherapist for over twenty-five years and a former professor of social psychology, has spent most of her professional life in the New York Metropolitan Area, practicing in Manhattan and Connecticut. She now lives and practices in Delray Beach, Florida.

In addition to working in private practice, Dr. Schwab was a professor of Social Psychology, Women's Studies and Social Work at Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY). She is also a noted lecturer, seminar and workshop leader who specializes in helping women and men to communicate and negotiate effectively and to create healthy, successful personal and business relationships.

Dr. Schwab maintained a successful psychotherapy practice, and was a coach, mentor, and human resources development consultant in Manhattan for over 25 years. She is a noted public speaker, workshop and seminar leader for both private and public venues, including corporations, and non-profit organizations, and she appears on television and radio.

Anonymous said...

isn't anyone the least bit interested in the greatest threat the Jewish people face today,namely mixed dancing?