Thursday, July 20, 2017

This article examines specific factors that contribute to the underreporting of child sexual abuse within Orthodox Jewish communities.

Journal of Child Sexual Abuse

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ABSTRACT

Child sexual abuse remains an underreported crime throughout the world, despite extensive research and resources dedicated both to improving investigative techniques and helping children disclose their experiences.

The discovery of rampant cover-ups within the Catholic Church has exposed some of the ways religious and cultural issues can impede reporting to authorities. This article examines specific factors that contribute to the underreporting of child sexual abuse within Orthodox Jewish communities.

It also explores ways in which these communities have handled child sexual abuse reporting in the past and describes recent progress. Implications are offered for CSA prevention, detection, and recovery in Orthodox Jewish communities as well as other minority religious groups.

KEYWORDS: Child sexual abuse, cultural factors, Jews, religion, underreporting

Author information

David Katzenstein

David Katzenstein, LCSW-R, is the clinical coordinator of the Department of Behavioral Health at Premium Health Center. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Touro College, Wurzweiler, and NYU Schools of Social Work and is currently a doctoral candidate at NYU- Silver School of Social Work.

Lisa Aronson Fontes

Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and author of the book Interviewing Clients Across Cultures as well as numerous publications related to cultural issues in child abuse and violence against women.

In the three years since the indictment was filed, the family members were humiliated, ostracized and boycotted by their community. Rabbis choose to protect the teacher at the expense of the children with some even accompanying him to court.

Ahron Shlomo Lyson Sentenced to 7 Years for Sexually Abusing Three Brothers

Ahron Shlomo Lyson (Lisson), 34, from Beitar Illit, was sentenced Wednesday to seven years in prison and two years’ probation for sexually assaulting his students. Lyson was a teacher in Ohalei Menachem in Beitar Illit, and was convicted last December of sexually assaulting three brothers, aged 13-15.

According to the indictment, in the years 2009-2014 Lyson invited the boys to his home, where he sexually abused them. In addition, he abused one of the boys twice in the mikvah. The court also ruled that Lyson must compensate the brothers in various amounts ranging from NIS 150,000 to NIS 80,000.

In an interview with YNet, the mother of the boys said, “I thank the Creator and thank the court and the system that justice has been served and (the abuser) was punished. We are very moved and hope that this will give every other child the strength to report abuse and know that there is someone who protects them, believes them and hears them. Thank you to the judge who believed the children, and I hope that tonight they will be able to sleep better than they have for the past few years.”

In the three years since the indictment was filed, the family members were humiliated, ostracized and boycotted by their community. Rabbis choose to protect the teacher at the expense of the children with some even accompanying him to court. But the family’s determination, and the determination of others like them have led to the fact that it is slowly becoming clear in the haredi community that it is impossible to continue silencing the victims and protecting the abusers.

Shana Aaronson and JCW's amazing team in Israel has been in close contact with the survivors and their parents for two years now.

“The punishment he received will never bring back to my children the years of childhood that they lost and the social life that was cut off,” added the mother. “I stand behind my decision to report (the abuse) and embark on this justice crusade, even though it was not easy, I participated in 59 hearings throughout the trial just to give my children the strength to know that Mother is always behind them.”

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Mazel Tov - Rabbi Hershel Schachter!

CLICK ABOVE PHOTO! Rabbi Moshe Feinstein states the very marriage of a gentile woman to a non observant Jew, is equivalent to an open declaration that she will not observe the precepts. This is so, because it is highly unlikely that the gentile member of such a union, will be more committed to Judaism than her remiss Jewish husband (certainly when they are living together prior to their marriage). Unlike mental or tacit negations, explains Rav Feinstein, open declarations do invalidate conversions. When such cases appear before a rabbinical court, its members actually become witnesses to an acceptance declaration that is not sincere. Therefore, it is no longer a tacit insincerity, but rather an obvious one. As such, they are forbidden to sanction the conversion. Regardless of what this Jewish court may declare, the conversion is invalid and the person is not deemed a member of the Jewish nation. In Iggros Moshe, Letters of Moshe (Yoreh De’ah, no. 157), he writes that “According to the Law, it is certain that one who converts for the sake of marriage, does not intend to keep the commandments, and is not a proselyte at all.”

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