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Monday, April 30, 2007

YOU MUST KNOW!


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http://www.amashgiachspeaksout.com/updates.htm

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Monday, April 23, 2007

The Facts About Child Sexual Abuse



A reader writes: You can't win with these kvetchers. You can't talk about Shapiro because he's dead. Pinny Shitlips at the Yated says you can't talk about Kolko because he's living and it's hamalbin. Avi Shafran says you can't talk about the victims because then the Agudah gets sued. Shea Fishman claims not to remember anything about anything except the weather report. Heinemann says you can't mention the newspapers & Perlow says topics outside Boro Park are off limits and it's verboten anyway because it's on the internet. David Mandel says you can't mention the acts that took place even without any names because they're too salacious. Margulies says there's no need to discuss anything because he has the situation under control. Applegrad says that no one was aware of anything even before Fishman was clubbed in the head by Pasik and suffered amnesia. Dovid Cohen says you must be biased against YTT.......

The Facts About Child Sexual Abuse
Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault-2006

Kindly e-mail this article to every parent you know & or print it out and pass it around your neighborhood... UOJ


Child sexual abuse occurs when someone exploits a child sexually. It can take many forms, including exposure of the genitals, obscene internet solicitation, voyeurism, exposing children to pornographic materials, creating pornographic materials of children, fondling, masturbation, and oral, vaginal, or anal intercourse.

Most studies have focused only on incidents that involve physical touching of or penetration of genitals. Even using this narrow definition, study after study has illustrated that sexual abuse is alarmingly common:

􀂃 Researchers have established that between 30 and 40 percent of all girls—and between 10 and 20 percent of all boys—are sexually victimized at least once before they reach age 18.1

􀂃 In one national study, 67% of all reported sexual assaults were perpetrated against children under the age of 18. In over half of those cases, the perpetrator had abused a child under the age of 12.2

􀂃 The same study concluded that one in every seven reported sexual assaults was perpetrated against a victim aged six or younger.3

The vast majority of perpetrators are teenage or adult males. They come from all socio-economic levels, religions, and ethnic backgrounds. Most identify as exclusively or predominantly heterosexual.

􀂃 In 2001, 96.5% of reported sexual assaults in Wisconsin were perpetrated by males.4

􀂃 In one study of over 10,000 non-incarcerated, male child molesters, the men closely matched the demographics of the general male population in marriage status, education, employment, religiosity, and ethnicity.5

􀂃 98% of all child sexual abuse is perpetrated by heterosexual males.6

􀂃 70% of men who molest boys identify as exclusively or predominantly heterosexual in their adult sexual preferences.7

1 Bolen, R.,& Scannapieco, M. (1999).Prevalence of child sexual abuse: A corrective meta-analysis. Social Service Review, 73, 281-313

2 Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and Offender

Characteristics. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000

3 Ibid.

4 Sexual Asaults in Wisconsin 1999-2001, Wisconsin Office of Justice Assistance Statistical Analysis Center

5 Abel, G. M.D., Nora Harlow (2001) The Abel and Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study

6 Jenny, C., Roesley, T., and Poyer, K. (1994) “Are Children at risk for Sex Abuse by

Homosexuals?,”Pediatrics Vol. 94

7 Abel, G. M.D., Nora Harlow (2001) The Abel and Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault 2006

Perpetrators are rarely strangers to their victims; most abuse children with whom they have ongoing, regular contact. Many perpetrators will abuse the same child repeatedly over a period of months or even years and it is also common for perpetrators to abuse more than one child.

􀂃 In Wisconsin in 2001, 90% of perpetrators of reported child sexual abuse knew their victims. 22% were related to the victim. Only 10% were strangers.8

􀂃 In one study of incest offenders, men who molested their daughters averaged 62 different sexually abusive acts. Men who molested their sons, averaged 81 such acts.9

􀂃 Another study found the average duration of incest to be more than 8 years.10

􀂃 54% of convicted sex offenders reported having at least two victims.11

􀂃 In a study of convicted, extra-familial child molesters, those who abused girls had an average of 52 victims each. Those who abused boys, while less common, averaged 150 victims each.12

In order to avoid detection, many molesters deliberately engage in behavior designed to manipulate a child into silence. This process, called “grooming,” often includes paying special attention to a child or giving gifts to gain the child’s loyalty and trust. It may also involve testing and blurring the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors with the child. Due to powerful feelings of confusion, fear, shame, and sometimes even conflicted loyalty towards the abuser, children seldom tell anyone about sexual abuse.

􀂃 An estimated 88% of child sexual abuse incidents are never reported.13

􀂃 In a study of 116 confirmed cases of child sexual abuse, 79% of the children initially denied the abuse or were tentative in disclosing. Of those who did disclose, 75% disclosed accidentally.

Additionally, of those who did disclose, 22% eventually recanted their statements.14

Child sexual abuse has been linked with a wide range of negative consequences for victims. Compared to their non-abused peers, children who have been victims of sexual abuse are more likely to experience a variety of emotional and behavioral problems—many with the potential for serious and life-threatening consequences. The effects of child sexual abuse do not have to be devastating, however. There is significant evidence that being believed and supported by family members and other caring adults can minimize the intensity of the trauma to children and help them to heal from the abuse.

􀂃 Long term effects of child abuse include fear, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, inappropriate sexual behavior, poor self esteem, tendency toward substance abuse and difficulty with close relationships.15

8 Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2000

9 Abel et al. (1987) as cited in Transforming Trauma, Anna Salter pp 37-38

10 Donaldson and Gardner (1985) as cited in Transforming Trauma, Anna Salter p 37

11 Managing Adult Sex Offenders in the Community: A Containment Approach. English, Pullen and Jones,

U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, January, 1997

12 Abel, G. M.D., Nora Harlow (2001) The Abel and Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study

13 Kilpatrick, 1999

14 Sorensen & Snow, 1991

15 Browne & Finkelhor, 1986

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault 2006

􀂃 Sexually abused children are 4 to 5 times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 4 to 5 times more likely to develop an alcohol or drug dependency, and 3 to 5 times more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors. 16

􀂃 A history of sexual abuse is a significant risk factor for the development of disordered eating behaviors such as anorexia, bulimia, and the use of laxatives and diuretics to lose weight.17

􀂃 A history of child sexual abuse increases the likelihood of suicide attempts. 18

􀂃 Sexually abused youths are more likely to become sexually active at an earlier age19, report inconsistent condom use, and engage in behaviors that put them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV infection.20 Girls who have been sexually abused also have higher rates of adolescent pregnancy.21

􀂃 Individuals who were sexually abused as children are 4 times more likely than their peers to engage in prostitution.22 Approximately 95% of teenage prostitutes were sexually abused as children.23

Many of the behavior patterns precipitated by childhood sexual abuse, such as the use of alcohol and other drugs, sexual promiscuity, low self-esteem and a low sense of personal power can in turn increase a person’s vulnerability to sexual assaults. It is not surprising, therefore, that having been sexually assaulted in the past is a significant risk factor for future sexual assaults. This does not mean that victims cause the sexual assaults, but rather that perpetrators look for and exploit these vulnerabilities.

􀂃 Children who are sexually abused are 5 times more likely to be subsequently sexually abused or assaulted.24

􀂃 55.4% of women who reported childhood sexual abuse also reported being subsequently raped. 25

16 Youth Victimization: Prevalence and Implications, US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, 2003

17 Stephen A. Wonderlich, M.D., et al, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health

Sciences, Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 200: 391277-1283

18 Blumenthal SJ. Suicide: a guide to risk factors, assessment, and treatment of suicidal patients. Medical Clinics of North America, 1988; 72(4): 937-71.

19 Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., et al, Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University, Archives of General Psychiatry, 2000, 57:953-959

20 Larry K. Brown, M.D., et al, American Journal of Psychiatry, 2000;157:1413-1415

21 Boyer, Debra and Fine, David. “Sexual Abuse as a Factor in Adolescent Pregnancy and Child Maltreatment.” Family Planning Perspective, Jan., 1992.

22 Population Reports: Ending Violence Against Women, 2000

23 CCPCA, 1992

24 Merrill, L.L., Newell, C.E., Gold, S.R., and Millen, J.S. Childhood Abuse and Sexual Revictimization in a Female Navy Recruit Sample. Naval Health Research Center, Pub. 97-5, 1997

25 Ibid.

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault 2006

How Can I Protect My Child?

Minimize opportunities for molesters

Ensure that safety precautions are in place to protect your child at school, church, clubs or other activities— especially those involving special trips and overnight outings. Have the adults in these organizations undergone background checks? Are adults ever alone with a child? If yes, when and why? How can these activities be restructured to avoid isolation?

Stay involved in your child’s activities—attend little league practices and piano recitals, volunteer to chaperone for trips or dances. Meet your child’s teachers, coaches, and activity leaders. Keep track of where, and with whom, your child is if s/he is not with you.

Be alert for adults or adolescents, particularly males, who display an unusual interest in children. While the following behaviors are not conclusive proof that a person is a child molester (nor is the lack of these behaviors proof that a person does not molest children), they are nonetheless cause for serious concern.

Do not allow someone to have unsupervised access to children if he or she exhibits the following:

􀂃 seems more interested in spending time with children than with his own peers

􀂃 seems focused on children of a particular age or gender (especially if the person does not have children of that age)

􀂃 singles out a child for special attention, gifts, or favors

􀂃 wants to take a child on special outings without others present, or seems eager to spend alone-time with a child

􀂃 invites children into his home unsupervised

􀂃 allows or encourages children to do “grown up” things—or things they are not allowed to do at home


Talk to your child


Give your child the clear message that her body is her own and that she does not have to submit to unwanted touches by anyone—including family members and authority figures. Allow her to decide whether she wants to give Grandma a kiss, be tickled by Brother, or sit on Uncle’s lap--and back her up in those decisions.

Regularly reinforce through words and actions that you want to know about what is going on in your child’s life and that you will listen and help in any way you can if he has a problem.

Specifically discuss the topic of sexual abuse with your child so she knows what it is--and that it’s okay to talk to you about it. (For age-appropriate ways to discuss sexual abuse with children, refer to resource list below)

Help your child identify other people he might be able to go to with a problem if he didn’t feel comfortable coming to you.

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault 2006

Be Aware of Signs of Child Sexual Abuse

Behavioral

Children who experience sexual abuse are often too frightened or confused to tell anyone—but they may indicate that something is wrong by their behavior. The behaviors listed here are general indicators that a child may be experiencing problems—although not necessarily sexual abuse. Use this list as a tool for
identifying areas of potential concern. Then calmly talk to your child to find out more about what is going on in her or his life. Take note of:

􀂃 Abrupt changes in your child’s behavior

􀂃 Regression to previously outgrown behaviors (thumb-sucking, bedwetting)

􀂃 Nightmares, fearfulness or clinginess

􀂃 Sudden shyness around adults or reluctance around a particular adult

􀂃 Anger problems, fighting, cruelty towards others, delinquency

􀂃 Withdrawal, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities

􀂃 Unusual level of modesty or body-shame; wearing loose-fitting clothing, or
multiple layers of clothing even in the summer; extreme reluctance to change or shower around others (ie: for gym class)

􀂃 Running away

􀂃 Use of alcohol or drugs

􀂃 Self-mutilation (cutting, burning, hair-pulling)

􀂃 Eating disorders

Sexual

Some sexually abused children exhibit sexual behavior problems. Not all sexual behavior in children is abnormal--children are naturally curious about their bodies and those of other people. It is relatively common for children to play “doctor” or other games involving looking at and touching genitals. Children also discover that their genitals feel good, and even very young children may rub their genitals. Therapists can be a good resource for clarifying whether a particular behavior is of concern—and treating children with sexual behavior problems. Generally, a behavior may be of concern if:

􀂃 The child seems unable to stop the behavior when redirected by adults—or is interested in the activity to the exclusion of other age-appropriate interests

􀂃 There is a significant disparity in age or size of the children involved

􀂃 The children involved do not know each other or do not have a prior history of playing together

􀂃 One or more of the children use force, coercion, or manipulation to get the others to cooperate.

􀂃 The behavior mimics or illustrates knowledge of explicit adult sexual behavior (imitating sexual intercourse, oral sex, penetration of vagina or anus with objects)

􀂃 Children seem overly secretive or ashamed about the behavior

􀂃 Children behave seductively towards adults

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault 2006

Physical

In the majority of sexual abuse cases, no physical signs are apparent. When physical evidence does exist in may take the form of the symptoms listed below. Consider taking your child to a doctor for evaluation and treatment if you observe:

􀂃 Redness, swelling, irritation of the genitals

􀂃 Bleeding or tearing around the anus or vagina

􀂃 Discomfort sitting or using the bathroom

􀂃 Frequent yeast or urinary-tract infections

􀂃 Unusual discharge from the anus or vagina

􀂃 Soreness, redness in the mouth and throat

􀂃 Sexually transmitted diseases

􀂃 Pregnancy

Statements

When children do try to tell adults about sexual abuse, they may not have the language to accurately describe what is happening. If the child’s meaning is unclear, calmly ask for clarification without putting words in the child’s mouth (ie: “Tell me more about that,” instead of “Do you mean Danny touched you on
your private parts?”). Children may also use language that is indirect or ask for help without telling you why as a way to test your reaction. Pay attention to statements like the following:

􀂃 I don’t like it when he comes over.

􀂃 He made me touch his thingie.

􀂃 She plays with my noodle and I don’t like it.

􀂃 He fooled around with me.

􀂃 I don’t like it when he wants to play the “mommy-daddy game.”

􀂃 Please don’t make me go to their house tonight.

What can I do if I learn my child has been sexually abused?

Stay calm. Your child will be relieved to know that you are concerned, but a display of strong negative emotions may frighten her and cause her to feel that she is in trouble or that she has caused you to become upset.

Let your child know that you believe him, that you’re glad he told you, and you will do your best to protect and support him.

Write down the specific statements your child makes (in his own words) and make note of any other behaviors you observe.

Avoid interrogating your child for details. If you have reason to believe that she has been sexually abused, contact a child protection center immediately and have an investigator conduct an interview. They are trained to gather information in ways which avoid unnecessary trauma to the child—and which enhance the integrity (and potential legal admissibility) of the child’s statements.

Do not confront someone you believe to be an abuser. Instead, notify people who can help you and your child, such as a child protection center, the police or child protective services.

Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault 2006

How can I help my child heal from sexual abuse?

With good support from parents and other adults, children who have been abused can heal and move beyond the experience of abuse. Being believed and supported by family after a disclosure is one of the most important factors in a positive healing process.

Therapists and/or support groups can be valuable allies in providing ongoing support for your child through the healing process. Contact your local sexual assault service provider to get referrals for therapists and agencies that work with young survivors.

Return to a normal daily routine as quickly as is practical. This doesn’t mean acting as if the abuse never happened, but rather openly acknowledging and dealing with the abuse, while also working to minimize the disruption to daily life. This avoids sending the unintentional message that your child is “damaged” or “different” from other children.

Educate yourself about sexual violence, safety precautions you can implement to help protect your child, and ways you can support your child’s healing and growth. The resources listed below are a great start.

Consider getting help and support for yourself. Parents often experience grief, rage, guilt, and other reactions to a child’s victimization. Counselors and/or support groups can help you express and work through these feelings—and help you to in turn provide support to your child.

Learn More

Continue to educate yourself and look for opportunities to educate others in the community about perpetrator tactics and ways adults can protect children. Some great resources available from the WCASA Library include:

Predators--Pedophiles, Rapists and Other Sex Offenders; Who They Are, How

They Operate, and How We Can Protect Ourselves and Our Children

by Anna C. Salter, Ph.D, Basic Books, 2003

Children Can’t Protect Themselves—It’s Your Job; Protecting Children from Sexual

Abuse, A Guide for Adults

The Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center, Inc., 2002

He Told Me Not To Tell; A Parents’ Guide For Talking to Children

About Sexual Assault

By Jennifer Fay, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, 1991

Kids Helping Kids {Break the Silence of Sexual Abuse}

By Linda Lee Foltz, Lighthouse Point Press, 2003

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Evil, Incompetent, Corrupt, Immoral, Emotionally Dead, Mentally Deficient, Spiritually Bankrupt - The State Of The Rabbinate!

What if " Rabbi Yudi Cho" from "Baltimore Tech" or "Torah Temima Tech" was accused over and over again of threatening the well-being and the lives of his students?

And the rabbis did nothing!

What if numerous complaints were lodged with rabbis nationwide about various rabbis sexually abusing their students?

And the rabbis did nothing!

What if numerous mental health professionals informed the many Orthodox Jewish organizations that sexual abuse by rabbis was being perpetrated upon their students in yeshivas, girls' schools, camps and anywhere else rabbis had access to children?

And the rabbis did nothing?

What if these authentic, documented allegations over the past FORTY years have been proven to be true?

And the rabbis did nothing!

What if there was a convened bais din of "prominent" rabbis that found the allegations of sexual molestation believable, but were overidden by a demented rabbi without any concern for the welfare of the children?

And the rabbis did nothing!

What if a "prominent" rabbi, Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, found Moshe Eisemann of Baltimore guilty as charged of sexually abusing students, and yet still have him living among hundreds of children on the NIRC campus?

And the rabbis did nothing!

What if Eliezer Eisgrau, a principal of a day school in Baltimore, was accused by his daughter of having been RAPED by her father, as well as other students' allegations of sexual misconduct...and Rabbi Yosef Blau, the mashgiach ruchni of Yeshiva University found Eisgrau's daughter's accusations absolutely credible?

And the rabbis did nothing?

What If Shlomo Mandel Of Yeshiva Of Brooklyn admitted that Rabbi Yehuda Nussbaum was indeed a danger to children, and yet permits him to "tutor" boys on the premises of Yeshiva Of Brooklyn!

And the rabbis did nothing!

What if Shlomo Mandel, principal of Yeshiva Of Brooklyn, allegedly has a history of physically, emotionally and sexually abusing children himself, dating back FORTY plus years since his teen-age years?

And the rabbis did nothing!

I ask you, my fellow Jews, what have WE done to deserve these rabbis?

AND THE JEWS DID NOTHING!

***********************

A Letter to Rabbi Heinemann From A Survivor Of Incest


(From Jewish Survivors)

Dear Rabbi Heinemann,

I do not feel comfortable calling you on the phone or mailing my letter directly to you. I am hoping someone reading this will print out my letter and hand it directly to you.

I read the note you put up in your synagogue and have been reading on the various blogs that you do not feel that Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro's name should have been mentioned in the Baltimore Jewish Times article because Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro is no longer alive and can't defend himself and also because we should be protecting the family members of sex offenders.

I want to let you know that I am a family member of a sex offender. I am also an incest survivor. I tried many times growing up to get help and no one would listen. When I approached various rabbis asking for help, they seemed more concerned about protecting my father's good name then they were in stopping the insanity that was going on in my home. I was told over and over again that my father was a good person. That I should just try to get along with my family better.

No one cared that I was suicidal. No one cared that I often slept in a park as a way to prevent my father from raping me at night.

Rabbi Heinemann, I went to you twice trying to ask you for help and you told me you didn't believe me. The first time I was twelve. The second time I was over eighteen. Why is it that you care more about my father then you did about me?

Please remember every incest survivor is a family member of a sex offender. We also deserve to have a voice!

Sincerely,
Sara Rivka Rachel Leah

Sunday, April 15, 2007

JEW-JIVE


Baltimore Jewish Times -
By Anonymous Insider

April 18, 2007


Up until the last minute, the Baltimore rabbis were hoping
we would cancel the story, and they would therefore find
no need to send out their letter.

We were urged not to go to press, but Neil decided to push
forward. The final straw was UOJ's (blogger - Unorthodox
Jew) publishing of the abridged version of the article. They
knew they were in trouble and mailed out the letter right
after yom-tov.

UOJ is indeed correct, the rabbis were coerced in to the
mailing, they would never have mailed it out if not for the
story being published.

Rabbi Heinemann's conduct exemplifies the worst of the
rabbinate by posting the shameful note in his shul. He
should be severely chastised for his double-speak.

We will continue to publish and publicize these crimes and
will not be intimidated.


____________________________________________________

TO THE VAAD HARABBONIM - RABBINICAL COUNCIL OF GREATER BALTIMORE

April 15, 2007

Rabbinic Abuse in Our Community

There is no subject more painful for me to discuss than the issue of Rabbinic abuse within our communities. Yet at this point I believe it is the subject most necessary to address. I must acknowledge that this horrible form of Rabbinic abuse and corruption exists ” and has existed for generations ” in all Jewish communities as well.

This issue of rabbinic abuse, coverups and vile corruption by so many rabbis and Jewish organizations must be confronted directly and I believe that this discussion can be a first step towards the necessary and achievable goal of ridding our communities of this horrible scourge...................

As long as Moshe Eisemann is living on the Ner Israel campus surrounded by hundreds of children, and Eliezer Eisgrau is principal of Talmudical Academy of Baltimore, your words mean as much to me as those of your fellow "clergymen", albeit of a different faith, the "Most Reverend" Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson!

Brave rabbis....Admitting sexual abuse "exists" in the Jewish community with a figurative gun at their heads, knowing that scores of Jewish sexual abuse victims nationwide are talking to journalists, attorneys, the various D.A.s, and the police.

This is one Jew you can't jive!

UOJ


*****************************************************

Tuesday April 17th 2007-Erev Rosh Chodesh Iyar-14th day of the Omer-(Before the ink was dry on the Vaad letter)


The following handwritten letter was posted in the Agudah of Baltimore yesterday afternoon:

"Based on last week's vicious article in the Baltimore Jewish(?) Times and other articles of the past, it is my opinion that it is totally inappropriate for this publication to be found in any Jewish home."

Rabbi Heinemann's signature and seal appear on the paper
******************************************************
SO MUCH FOR THE VAAD'S AGREEMENT TO PUBLICIZE SEXUAL ABUSE ISSUES TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITY!WHY AM I NOT SURPRISED? BECAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THEM FOR THE LIARS/CHARLATANS THAT THEY ARE!
________________________________________

SCROLL DOWN A BIT TO APRIL 7TH, TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE FRAUD YISROEL BELSKY'S HAZMANA TO SILENCE A TORAH TEMIMAH PARENT ABOUT THE YUDI KOLKO CASE. WHAT JUST DAWNED ON ME IS THE HAZMANA IS FOR "MOTZEE SHEM RA" NOT LASHON HARA! MEANING...BELSKY WAS CLAIMING THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST KOLKO WERE NOT TRUE, WHEREAS "LOSHON HARA" MEANS EVEN IF IT'S TRUE, ONE IS FORBIDDEN TO SPEAK ABOUT IT! BLOGGER POSEK BELSKY HAS KNOWN ABOUT THE KOLKO ACCUSATIONS FOR 40 YEARS! HOW HE CAN BE PART OF ANY JEWISH ORGANIZATION, ESPECIALLY KASHRUTH-OU, WHERE CREDIBILTY IS EVERYTHING, IS BEYOND ME!

UOJ

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Rabbi, Teacher, Molester - Ephraim Shapiro’s mark on the Baltimore Jewish community.

(Part of a continuing series on child molestation within the Jewish community)
*********************************************************

Rabbi, Teacher, Molester
Ephraim Shapiro’s mark on the Baltimore Jewish community.

Phil Jacobs
Executive Editor
Baltimore Jewish times


(Part of a continuing series on child molestation within the Jewish community)

Photographer Murray Levin has looked through his camera lenses countless times, capturing Jewish weddings, bar mitzvahs and other joyous events.
The one “picture,” he however can’t stop focusing on isn’t in his camera, but in his 64-year-old memory.

It’s an image of a bar mitzvah lesson at the old Agudas Achim Synagogue. It’s the shame that came along with his teacher the now deceased Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro, placing his hand down the 12-year-old Murray Levin’s pants and fondling him.
With at least half a dozen maftir lessons, came the rabbi’s touch.

But it wasn’t just Murray Levin.

The former Talmudical Academy teacher, by one influential Baltimore rabbi’s estimates, molested hundreds of this area’s sons, grandsons and brothers.

Bob Glickstein, 65, another survivor of Rabbi Shapiro’s, figures it could be thousands.

One thing that hasn’t survived for Glickstein is any connection to Judaism. Living now in Vero Beach, Fla., this yoga instructor calls his bar mitzvah day “the worst day of my life, because I had to have Rabbi Shapiro there.” He married out of the faith, had a child and raised him as a non-Jew. He not so jokingly calls himself an “anti-Semite.”

This was part of the cost of Rabbi Shapiro’s actions.

Rabbi Shapiro, who died in the early 1980s, remains “alive” in the memories of so many. His collateral damage is everywhere. A weekly Kiddush of respected businessmen meets, and the topics invariably turns to the sexual molestation the rabbi heaped on many of them.

A bite on the ear.

A “French” kiss.

Anal intercourse.

Masturbation.


All these terms are difficult to read, but they all are connected to Rabbi Shapiro’s “maftir” lessons.

Local rabbis requested that Rabbi Shapiro’s name not be used in this article to spare his family any further embarrassment.

(see following “Why we must mention names, deceased or alive.”)

The following are interviews with three of the Rabbi’s “survivors.”
If you are a survivor or if you know of someone who survived any sexual molestation, you have an audience here.

Murray Levin

The way Murray Levin sees it, sexual predators live in a world of “no risk and total reward.”

Organized Judaism, be it synagogues, schools or community groups bury this news or distract, he said.

“I don’t think they see themselves getting apprehended,” said Mr. Levin. “They are bright people, great communicators and intellectual. And they will continue until we bring out the trauma they cause. We have to create an environment that shows them they can’t continue without severe consequences.”

Mr. Levin held his molestation in for decades. And he does not want anyone else to hold back. Most of all, he sees it as a calling that the older survivors do what they can to protect all future generations even if it means teaching little children to speak out.”

“Families,” he said, are going to have to speak up. We have to become the predator of the predators.”

Mr. Levin was molested in a portable building at the Agudas Achim Synagogue on the 3600 block of Reisterstown Road near Coldspring Lane. He was studying for his bar mitzvah, which would take place at Shaarei Zion.

“Rabbi Shapiro was grooming me with French kissing and masturbation,” said Mr. Levin.

Mr. Levin kept it all quiet. He didn’t know that there was a possibility of someone else involved until four years after his bar mitzvah. He was watching a football game with a couple of friends on TV. The friends pretended to tackle one another like football players, and one of them randomly said,

“Rabbi Shapiro stuck his fingers in my ass.”

That was Mr. Levin’s first clue that he wasn’t alone.

In between his molestation, Mr. Levin, who would lead junior services in shul, and who described himself as a gifted and talented child, captain of the safety patrol, began to fall internally. His image of self, his trust in boundaries and other people failed.

To this day, even though he makes a great deal of his living photographing the Jewish community, Mr. Levin wonders what might have been with his life had it not been violated.

“Many of us are still hiding,” he said with a quiet voice.

“To me, anybody could be a pedophile,” he said. “Everybody who works with or who is near our children need to be scrutinized. I want everyone to be aware of who you pass responsibility of your children to.”

Bob Glickstein

He doesn’t want much to do with Judaism.

He can still “feel” the texture of Rabbi Shapiro’s moustache against his face when he was being kissed.

Bob Glickstein’s Jewish “upbringing” ended during his bar mitzvah lessons with Rabbi Shapiro at Agudas Achim.

“He used religion to molest young boys,” said Mr. Glickstein.

This 65-year-old yoga instructor talks candidly in a Vero Beach, Fla. coffee bar called Cacophony. He has only told a couple of people about his molestation.
But he wants the word out there now.

“Rabbi Shapiro knew what he was doing,” said Mr. Glickstein. “He had a boys group he called the Akiba Boys of Agudas Achim. They would do chores around the shul. But meanwhile, he was molesting them. He had a system of bar mitzvah lessons that would feed into his molestation. Everything he did was about molesting boys.

“It was a horrific experience,” he added. “He would call me into his office. “He’d start playing with you.”

It was difficult for Mr. Glickstein to continue. He sat up straight, perhaps finding confidence in a yoga posture, and he remembered some more.

He called his bar mitzvah the worst day of his life, because Rabbi Shapiro was in attendance. The rabbi was also at his father’s funeral.

Mr. Glickstein kept it to himself, yet he used it as part of his influence to start looking into other religions, such as eastern religions. A short marriage to a non-Jew resulted in a son, who he raised out of the faith.

There was nothing joking about this comment on his face.

“I am basically anti-Semitic,” he said. “I like Jews, but I just need to stay away from them (as a result of his molestations).

“There’s always been a lot of fear and anger in my life that comes as a result of Rabbi Shapiro’s actions,” he said. “There’s never a time that passes that I don’t think about him. There’s anger and there’s fear.”

Mr. Glickstein said that he’s always had difficulty since the molestations, which happened four to six times, when it comes to authority figures and establishing close relationships.

David Framowitz

David Framowitz was an 11th-grade Talmudical Academy student from Brooklyn, N.Y., boarding in the school's dormitory. He said he was molested by Rabbi Shapiro on three separate occasions.

When Rabbi Shapiro attempted a fourth try, the high school junior threatened to kill the rabbi.

Mr. Framowitz, 49, remembers that Rabbi Shapiro was the dormitory counselor.

He would lie in the beds of students, reaching to fondle them. And it was common he'd try to kiss them on the lips.

Mr. Framowitz, who now lives in Israel, was a major source for a New York Magazine article last year based on his $20 million federal lawsuit against Rabbi Yehudah Kolko and Yeshiva Torah Temimah of Flatbush in Brooklyn. (Mr. Framowitz said Rabbi Kolko molested him when he was around 12.)

"I became a student for seven months [at] TA in Baltimore," said Mr. Framowitz. "I had Rabbi Shapiro attack me three times. The last time I told him, ‘You touch me one more time, I'll kill you.'

"He was the dorm counselor. He'd walk around and French kiss boys, poke them with his fingers. He'd lie across you when you were in bed. He'd play with you."

Mr. Framowitz would tell his mother, who insisted he leave TA immediately. None of the other boys he knew wanted to discuss Rabbi Shapiro.

He then gave several reasons why people stay so silent. "There's a fear factor," he said. "There's a worry over shidduchim [finding a match for marriage]. ‘What are the neighbors going to say? It can't happen to a nice Jewish family. A rabbi doesn't do these things, especially a frum rabbi. There's something wrong with the boy. It's not the Jewish way, it's not the frum way. It can't be.'"

Last September during a visit to Baltimore, Mr. Framowitz decided to pay an unscheduled visit to Talmudical Academy. It was his first time there since 1974.

He met with Rabbi Yehuda Lefkowitz, the school’s executive director.

“I told Rabbi Lefkowitz that I was a victim of Shapiro’s,” “His face went white. “I told him I wasn’t there to cause trouble or threaten anything.

But what I wanted from TA was for the school to investigate and to find other victims. I told him I thought there should be some sort of monetary scholarship fund to pay for the therapy of the victims. And I wanted a letter of apology.

His response to me was there’s nobody here from those days, it’s a whole new administration and faculty. I gave him my email and a business card.

It’s now March. I haven’t heard a thing from him.”

Rabbi Lefkowitz said that he passed the information along immediately to school’s board, and “nobody took it as a joking matter.”

Rabbi Shapiro is Deceased. Why Print This?

He can’t defend himself.

He’s deceased, what difference does it make now?

This is an embarrassment to his family.


These are just three of the reasons why we were asked not to print the name of the deceased “Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro.”

“He can’t defend himself.”

He died in 1989. He was eulogized before 700 people as a “kind man.” There are estimates as high as hundreds of molestation victims who weren’t able to “defend” themselves while the rabbi was alive. There are young men whose lives were changed forever because of his acts. Some of these men are more figuratively “dead” than Rabbi Shapiro will ever be. They need our help, compassion and therapeutic assistance. It wasn’t their fault. They can heal now.

• “He’s deceased, what difference does it make now?

A large percentage of sexual molestors were molested themselves. Survivors may find answers and empowerment if they know that their molestor was actually a survivor of Ephraim Shapiro’s.

• “This is an embarrassment to his family.”

The models of discussion and behind-the-scenes declarations against molestation is not working, especially in the Orthodox community. At best, a person is taken away from a setting of teaching children or sometimes sent out of town. Arrests, the courage of a survivor to charge his molester, doesn’t happen a great deal of the time.

Names.

Perhaps if the pedophile knows that this is now about names and his association to names of innocent relatives. Perhaps, just perhaps that will keep another child safe for a day.
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On behalf of the many thousands of Jewish children, both boys and girls, that have been sexually abused by so-called Orthodox rabbis, I applaud The Baltimore Jewish Times and Mr. Phil Jacobs for undertaking this noble project. I'm certain the local "rabbis" are not sending them flowers. The full story will appear this coming weekend, after Pesach, in The Baltimore Jewish Times ; the article that was posted here was an abbreviated version. I will re-post the article this weekend in conjunction with The Baltimore Jewish Times' printing. Any rabbi that ever, no matter when, sexually abused a child, will have their turn as - "rabbi child molester of the week". Smile for the cameras you filthy animals......, and if you intend to die on me to escape my wrath, "please" don't think twice, go-for-it; I'll chase you after you drop dead! I'll write the hespedim (eulogies) from now on.
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Sexual molestation victims of Leizerowitz and his enabler
David Olewski, it is critical that you contact immediately!:

Eric H. Green at
Law Offices of Eric H. Green and Associates
295 Madison Ave
New York, NY 10017-6304
Phone: (212) 532-2450

And award winning journalist Kristen Lombardi: klombardi@villagevoice.com

Ms. Lombardi broke the back of the Boston Archdiocese, and was able to revive the Abraham Mondrowitz case in the D.A.'s office. Your anonymity is guaranteed!


UOJ

Saturday, April 07, 2007

THE VILE FRAUD THAT IS YISROEL BELSKY!

Yisroel Belsky's Bogus Loshon Hara Hazmana ...



Click image to enlarge.
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You may vote for 5 out of the 6 questions!

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SEE THE SHAIGETZ AND FRAUD YISROEL BELSKY:
Download the Belsky files here:
http://savefile.com/files/53776
(copy & paste)