There are 10,000 more children in households with married couples in Lakewood receiving food, income or state aid than the next closest town .... 31 percent of people in town live under the poverty line ---

Yeshivas are Jewish schools that focus “on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah,” where students attend for life, collecting taxpayer-funded government assistance for as long as they are enrolled.

Malkiel & Aaron Kotler With An Estimated Net Worth Of $250-$300 Million - While The Victims Of Their Kollel Scam Starve & Steal!

Yeshivas are Jewish schools that focus “on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah,” where students attend for life, collecting taxpayer-funded government assistance for as long as they are enrolled.

DOES THIS LOOK LIKE THIS SYSTEM WORKS?




LAKEWOOD - Welfare is so widespread in the township that half of all children live in homes that receive some form of government aid, an Asbury Park Press analysis of census data found.

But one statistic stands out among all other municipalities in the state. There are 10,000 more children in households with married couples in Lakewood receiving food, income or state aid than the next closest town.

Of the 43,600 children under 18 years of age in Lakewood, 18,200 with married parents receive government assistance. 

Newark, the largest city in the state, is second with 7,800 children with married parents receiving aid, according to the Census Bureau's 2015, 5-year average American Community Survey. Newark has a total of 70,669 children, and 37,965 children in households receiving public assistance, the data show.

That poverty indicator is telling in two ways: Lakewood has a strong family tradition with many of it residents living in a two-parent household with young children, yet most of those families can't make ends meet without government help.

Following the FBI's public assistance fraud raids this week that saw the arrest of seven married couples with children, it may be an understatement that many township residents are in a "panic," as termed by one of the leaders of the majority Orthodox Jewish community. Up to 30 couples could be arrested by the time the probe is completed, according to one law enforcement source.

More: Lakewood welfare fraud: What we know so far

"It's absolute panic," said Rabbi Moshe Weisberg, a member of Lakewood's Vaad, or Jewish council, about the mood in the town after this week's arrests. "People are begging us for guidance."
In Lakewood, 21,600 children live in households that receive some form of public assistance, nearly half of the town's 43,600 children, according to federal data.

The millions of dollars doled out in the township is high, especially for a community that voted overwhelmingly Republican in 2016, with some districts voting 9 to 1 for Donald Trump.

Conservative voters are traditionally for smaller government and less public aid, saying individuals need to be self-sufficient.

The town has more than 100,000 residents, up 15,000 from 2010, according to census records. The average Lakewood resident is 22.4 years old – making it one of the youngest towns in the state – and roughly 31 percent of people in town live under the poverty line, including retirees and single residents, according to the Census Bureau. The median household income in the town is just under $42,000, which is in the bottom 5 percent of N.J. towns, data shows.

Poverty in Lakewood

49.6%

Of Lakewood’s 43,571 children, 49.6 percent of them live in a household that receives food stamps, welfare or Supplemental Security Income.

26th lowest

Lakewood's median household income is 26th lowest in the state at $40,983

31%

In total, about 31 percent of the town, or 25,876 residents, had income below the poverty level in 2015.

2,770

Of the estimated 8,500 students in college or enrolled in graduate-level studies, 2,770 claimed poverty, or 3.28 percent of all the poverty in the township.

22.4 years

Lakewood has one of the youngest populations in the state, with an average age of 22.4 years. The average age in Ocean County is 42.8 and 39.4 in New Jersey.

Sources: Census Bureau, 2010 census and 5-year ACS report for 2015

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Wealth and income 

in Lakewood

$1.8 billion

Lakewood reported $1.8 billion in taxable income in 2014, or 0.5 percent of all income in New Jersey.

940

The top income bracket reported by the IRS is $200,000 and above. Lakewood had 940 income earners in that category, or 3 percent of the town. Across the state, 7 percent reported incomes of $200,000 or more.

65%

Most Lakewood children — 65 percent — lived in families earning $50,000 or less. The state average was 42 percent.

45%

45 percent of all for-profit businesses in Lakewood reported taxable income of $50,000 or less.

Below state average

Interest, dividends and capital gains from stock profits — a strong indicator of wealth — were below the state average for those reporting more than $200,000 in income, the topmost bracket.

27%

Taxable business profits in Lakewood were below the state average. 27 percent reported income over $200,000. The state average was 42 percent.

Source: IRS income data for 2014

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http://www.app.com/story/news/investigations/watchdog/2017/06/30/lakewood-welfare-half-children-get-assistance-families-panic-after-arrests/438839001/

Three major Israeli medical studies in the past decade have revealed that, despite the fact that Charedi women develop breast cancer at a lower rate than the general population, they suffer a 30 per cent higher mortality rate from the disease.

Dangers of stringent modesty

In a segment of society where women’s health cannot be discussed, how are women supposed to discover the need for the preventative care that can save their lives, asks Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll

 

 

"There’s no greater value for a Charedi woman than modesty.”

So said the former chief of staff for the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, Rabbi Dov Halbertal. He was explaining why posters raising awareness of breast cancer screening in Charedi society were inappropriate for the very population they were crafted to reach. No matter how carefully posters talking about women’s health are worded, he explained, the fact that they address women at all makes them inherently immodest.

How, then, does one convey a message about women’s health to those who have no access to the internet or television, and where “kosher” radio stations won’t utter the words “breast cancer”?

Doesn’t the very absence of information in these women’s lives mean that they are the ones who most need to hear it?

Three major Israeli medical studies in the past decade have revealed that, despite the fact that Charedi women develop breast cancer at a lower rate than the general population, they suffer a 30 per cent higher mortality rate from the disease.

There are numerous unofficial theories as to why they are disproportionately dying from breast cancer. Ashkenazi Jews have a one in 40 chance of carrying a BRCA mutation, which significantly increases the risk and aggressiveness of the disease. Socioeconomic, health and lifestyle factors, such as poverty, poor diet and lack of exercise increase risk. In addition, too many are diagnosed in later stages due to lack of awareness about screening.

Charedi society values modesty as a high priority. The word “breast” is rarely uttered, even in women-only settings. When heightened modesty is coupled with a cultural reluctance to discuss “negative things” plus the need to appear as healthy as possible for potential marriage matches, and compounded by an overall reluctance to medical testing, it creates a population unaware of the risks and signs of a disease whose survival rate decreases rapidly the longer it is left undiagnosed. I’ve written about this extensively and lectured about it at the JOFA (Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance) conference in New York. It will be the topic of one of my upcoming UK lectures in July.

Ruth Colian of U’Bizchutan, a movement to get Charedi women into the Knesset, embarked on a campaign to raise awareness of breast cancer screening within her community two years ago. Recognising the sensitivity of the subject, she created a campaign designed to meet the needs of Charedi society.

Her billboard poster — a pashkevil, as they are known in Yiddish — called on women to “perform the Torah commandment of guarding one’s health” and to call a number for more information about mammography. She got rabbinic approval for her wording and set to work hanging the posters in Charedi neighbourhoods. Chochmat Nashim, an organisation of religious women that spotlights issues facing the Jewish community, raised funds for the campaign.

This year, 2,000 posters, 2,000 fliers and an enormous highway billboard broadcast the message. So far, Colian reports that 250 calls have come in, with men and women calling in nearly equal numbers. She tells them about the issue and gives them the current medical guidelines appropriate for their age.

When Colian tried to bring her campaign to the city of Bnai Brak, the majority of whose 182,000 residents are Charedi, she was told the posters would create panic and were immodest and inappropriate.

Halbertal echoed these claims in a television appearance with Colian, saying that public streets are not the place to discuss women’s issues but failed to suggest a viable alternative. Previous campaigns had attempted to raise awareness with brochures placed in mikvahs, that most private and feminine space, but were nixed by rabbis who claimed women would become fearful about their health, which in turn would ruin the mood on a night when husbands and wives were meant to be together.

In a segment of society where women’s health cannot be discussed, where internet campaigns don’t exist, where pink ribbons mean nothing, where health care clinic pamphlets are censored to remove women, where there are no women MKs and none of the male MKs attend women’s health committees, and where Charedi women from within the community like Colian are blocked from disseminating life-saving information, how exactly are women supposed to discover the need for the proactive, preventative care that can save their lives?

We need to make education and awareness accessible to all.

Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll is a writer and activist

https://www.thejc.com/comment/columnists/dangers-of-stringent-modesty-1.440529

These Are The Same Dogs That Oppose The Child Victims Act In New York Along With The Agudath Israel of America

Sex abuse allegations go to the top of the Vatican

Franco Origlia/Getty Images

Cardinal George Pell, one of the highest-ranking officials in the Vatican, has been charged with sexual abuse by Australian police. He is the highest-profile member of the clergy to be charged. [NYT / Jacqueline Williams] Pell is head of finance for the Catholic Church — a very powerful position in the Vatican — and is also the highest-ranking member of the clergy from Australia. Police said the incidents of sexual abuse involving him took place years ago, beginning when he was starting as a priest in the 1960s and continuing as his rank climbed in the church. [NYT / Jacqueline Williams] So far, Pell has vigorously denied the news and called the charges character assassination. Shortly after the news broke, he announced he would take a leave of absence to return to Australia and fight the charges. He’s scheduled to appear in court there next month. [Radio Vatican] Though it's the first time he’s been formally charged, rumors and accusations have swirled around Pell for years. [Associated Press] The new scandal is especially bad for the Vatican under the reform-minded leadership of Pope Francis, who pledged two years ago that the church would hold responsible priests who had committed sexual assault. [United States Conference of Catholic Bishops] However, some victims said they believe the pope has been slow and reluctant to address the church’s longstanding problem with abuse. [NYT / Laurie Goodstein] For instance, last year the pope nixed a tribunal meant to prosecute bishops who helped priests cover up sexual assault cases, after outcry from bishops and sexual assault victims alike (the latter saw the tribunal as a purely symbolic move). [Associated Press / Nicole Winfield] Sexual assault of young parishioners by older male priests was a major scandal first brought to light by the Boston Globe investigation in the early 2000s. The paper’s series revealed that the church knew about hundreds of priests sexually abusing minors and covered it up for decades. [The Boston Globe / Michael Rezendes] Pell openly admitted that the church did not take abuse allegations seriously in past decades, saying he accepted priests' denials at face value to protect the institution. He said he regretted doing so. [Washington Post / Julie Zauzmer]

His yeshiva stops offering secular studies altogether when the boys turn 13. After the next schoolyear, if you don’t intervene, he will attend yeshiva for 12 hours a day (from 7am — 7pm), and will receive no secular instruction.

A Mother’s Plea to Mayor de Blasio:

 

My Son Deserves An Education!

Dear Mr. de Blasio,

I am writing to you as a desperate mother, urging you to address a serious human rights violation happening under your watch. We live in a wonderful city, one of the most progressive and diverse in the world, with a fantastic education system for many. And yet, here I am, a mother of a boy attending middle school, and I am worried sick about the poor quality education he is receiving. I am begging you to do something to ensure that he receives an education in English, math, science, and social studies, as mandated by law.

My son is eleven years old. He attends a Hasidic boys’ yeshiva from 9 in the morning until 5:30 in the evening. You would think, with all the hours he spends in school, he would have enough time to receive both an adequate religious and secular education. This could not be farther from the truth.

His yeshiva teaches almost exclusively Judaic studies. Only 90 minutes are dedicated to secular studies, and only four days a week, and only in the subjects English and math. In his school, my son never learns about other cultures and religions or even about the history of slavery here in America. He is offered no lessons in basic science or in other core subjects. Furthermore, because secular studies take place at the end of a long and tiring school day, many of the boys, including my son, have difficulty paying attention.

All these gaps in his learning are despite my efforts to supplement his education outside of the classroom. My son speaks a little English only because I taught him. My son is reading English at a higher level than any of his classmates only because I taught him. Most of his classmates only began to learn reading in English when they were 8 years old, and they are still barely able to speak the language.

If you think this situation could not get any worse, you are mistaken. It can, and it does. His yeshiva stops offering secular studies altogether when the boys turn 13. After the next schoolyear, if you don’t intervene, he will attend yeshiva for 12 hours a day (from 7am — 7pm), and will receive no secular instruction.

All this is in blatant violation of New York State Education Law which requires nonpublic schools to provide an education that is “substantially equivalent” to that of public schools, and which clearly spells out the requirement to teach a minimum of English, math, science, and social studies, all through high school.

Now, Mayor de Blasio, I know what you are thinking: I have a choice to place my son in a different school. There are many public and private schools in our city that offer a much better general education than the one he is now receiving. But this is not realistic option for most Hasidic people for many reasons, and is especially impossible in my case.

Can you imagine how helpless I feel to not be able to give my child basic educational nourishment? There is nothing more frustrating than seeing my son’s future and potential being robbed from him because of these terrible decisions.

You see, I have done everything in my ability to care for my child since the day he was born. I am the one who dropped him off for school, and I am the one who picked him up. I always helped him with his homework and with anything else he needed. When my husband and I divorced, I continued caring for my son by trying to move him to an Orthodox school that is in compliance with the law, one that provides a solid Judaic education and also offers good secular instruction. Unfortunately, a judge has determined that his father has full decision making power over his schooling, knowing full well that he is not getting a proper education in his current school. Let that sink in! A judge, who is sworn to uphold the law, has ruled to leave my child in a yeshiva where he is not getting basic instruction, meaning a yeshiva that is in violation of the law!

How depraved is it for a mother to have to go through this? Can you imagine how helpless I feel to not be able to give my child basic educational nourishment? There is nothing more frustrating than seeing my son’s future and potential being robbed from him because of these terrible decisions.

And while my anger is largely with the judge and his poor judgement, the decision to have my son remain in his current yeshiva would not be nearly as problematic and harmful had you heeded our calls to bring all Hasidic schools into compliance with the law, ensuring that all children receive the education they deserve “irrespective of the place of instruction.”

As you probably already know, Mayor de Blasio, my situation is not so unique. There are too many Hasidic parents who feel similarly and who want to do right by their children. However, sectarian adherence is highly valued amongst Hasidic people, and the individual parents and families are terrified to speak up for fear of their children being kicked out of school or being isolated from the community. Furthermore, many believe that because our education system has been broken for so long, there is no potential for change.

This is where they are wrong. I think there is a potential for change. There is the possibility to give these boys, including my dear son, a chance to receive a proper education and a brighter future. The laws are already in place, and the city has the capacity and the obligation to enforce them. If you were willing to be courageous in the face of political risks, change would have come years ago when these issues were first brought to your attention. After all this time, Hasidic parents are feeling discouraged and deflated. Many prior promises by the Education Department to improve the yeshivas have been broken, and there are still very few signs of improvement in our schools. We have watched our government turn a blind eye and enable this injustice for too long! How is this possible under your leadership?

I implore you, Mayor de Blasio, take it upon yourself to demand justice for my son, and others like him, who are robbed of an education, of a choice, and of a future. Education is a right to which we should all have access. Regardless of race, class, or religion, every child deserves an equal education, and I expect this right to be upheld in New York City as well, starting swiftly, in the upcoming 2017–2018 school year!

Sincerely,

A Concerned Mother

https://medium.com/@hasidicmom/a-mothers-plea-to-mayor-de-blasio-c342e52cc319

Parents Must Demand That All Yeshivas And Girls Jewish Schools Implement Stringent Guidelines As The Ones Outlined In This Article...

Report on Sexual Abuse in U.S.A. Gymnastics Urges ‘Culture Change’

The governing body of America’s gymnastics organization has announced recommendations for protecting its athletes from sexual abuse. Credit Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

U.S.A. Gymnastics, the national governing body of the sport, said on Tuesday that it was adopting new recommendations intended to safeguard its athletes, after reports last year that it had routinely failed to notify law enforcement officials about allegations of sexual abuse by its coaches.

“Even one instance of child abuse is one too many,” said Paul Parilla, the chairman of the governing body in a statement published on Tuesday along with details of 70 new recommendations. “U.S.A. Gymnastics is very sorry that anyone has been harmed during his or her gymnastics career, and we offer our deepest regrets to any athlete who suffered abuse or mistreatment while participating in the sport.”

The report was prompted by an investigation published by the Indianapolis Star last year. The newspaper had uncovered four instances in which gymnastics officials were warned about suspected abuse by coaches but did not alert the authorities, and it said the coaches had gone on to abuse at least 14 underage gymnasts.

Late last year, U.S.A. Gymnastics commissioned a former federal child sexual abuse prosecutor, Deborah J. Daniels, to conduct an independent review of its policies. During the review, Ms. Daniels and her researchers from Praesidium, a company that specializes in preventing sexual abuse in organizations that serve youth and vulnerable adults, carried out more than 160 interviews with people in the gymnastics community; visited 25 clubs and the National Team Training Center; and attended competitions and camps through last month.

The result of that work was released online in a 100-page report on Tuesday, along with the recommendations, which the governing body’s board of directors said it would adopt to prevent abuse and streamline its policies governing the way it handles reports of it. 

They include prohibiting adults from being alone with minor gymnasts, including sleeping in a hotel room. Adults will also be prohibited from having out-of-program contact with gymnasts via email, text or social media.

While U.S.A. Gymnastics already had some regulations in place, the report said the organization, which oversees the sport in the United States and sets rules and policies for athletes and coaches, needed to put in place what it called a “culture change” in the way it does so.

The recommendations were broken down into 10 areas, including administrative management; education, training and athlete support; reporting of suspected violations; and screening and selection of coaches, volunteers and other adults with access to athletes. The report recommended that it needed to be specific about prohibited behavior, by defining “appropriate” and “inappropriate” conduct in member clubs and by individuals who work with the athletes.

“Most member clubs do not have written guidelines regarding appropriate and inappropriate physical and verbal interactions,” the report said.

It noted in particular how the reporting of alleged abuse has been hampered by the relationship between an athlete and an adult who might have control over his or her career. For example, the report said U.S.A Gymnastics’s procedures for reporting suspected sexual abuse was in the form of a written grievance process by parents and the athletes that was aimed at dispute resolution.

“Young athletes (in their teens or younger) and their parents are highly unlikely to report ongoing abuse to the authority that has so much power over the athlete’s success in the sport,” the report said.

But a big problem is the gymnastics community has been its decentralized nature. Clubs are private businesses, which makes tracking the behavior of coaches uneven if he or she moves to another. “If a club’s management is vigilant, it will check references as well as conduct a background check,” the report said. But those only reveal any criminal convictions, meaning that a new club may not find out about prior abuse or grooming activity.

The abuse charges have put the gymnastics federation under a shadow, particularly last year, when The Star reported revealed that U.S.A. Gymnastics had kept files of complaints involving more than 50 coaches suspected of abusing athletes, yet in many cases failed to alert law enforcement of possible wrongdoing. One of them was a longtime doctor for the American gymnastics team, Lawrence G. Nassar, who was charged in February with 22 charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving at least seven victims.

Ms. Daniels’s report also said one coach accused of abuse had worked in at least 12 clubs in four states. “He left a trail of anguish in his path, in the form of over 15 abused girls whose lives were forever damaged — but clubs continued to hire him, either because they were unaware of the abuse or, in the case of at least one club, reportedly knew but promised to ‘watch’ him.”

Stephen Drew, a Michigan lawyer who represents gymnasts who allege they were abused by Dr. Nassar and emboldened to come forward after the Star report, said some of the new recommendations, such as immediate reporting of suspected abuse, were already law.

But he said the recommendations should be used to create “a clear protocol to document and investigate past abuse complaints — and to initially believe the person.”

“It is hard enough for people to come forward and make a complaint like this,” Mr. Drew added. “Every sign should indicate ‘we are taking this seriously.’”

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/27/sports/usa-gymnastics-child-sex-abuse.html?emc=edit_tnt_20170627&nlid=32999454&tntemail0=y

Achas Shoalti by ----- Yours Truly.... Enjoy --- אחת שאלתי

MUSIC WRITTEN BY PAUL F. MENDLOWITZ

Summer camp is a perfect place for sex abusers to groom and abuse kids. Children are as vulnerable to sexual predation at camp as they are anywhere else—perhaps more so, because their parents aren’t there to supervise them...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s Focus on Camp Safety 

 

 

Summer camp is a perfect place for sex abusers to groom and abuse kids. Children are as vulnerable to sexual predation at camp as they are anywhere else—perhaps more so, because their parents aren’t there to supervise them. It’s tempting, as a parent, to use euphemisms when describing body parts and functions to your child. But if your child should ever be molested, this “soft” language can actually hurt the investigation—and your child’s credibility as a victim. It behooves you as a parent to teach your child the proper names for “private” parts of his or her body, and that no one should ever touch them unless that person is a doctor or an emergency medical technician.

 

As a child I enjoyed my camp experiences. In Boy Scout camp I learned about safety, first aid and to be prepared. As a counselor and senior staffer in Jewish sleepaway camps I was always safety conscious. For over 40 summers as I took campers on overnights in the woods, canoeing and whitewater rafting I never had an accident or even a sniffle despite rain and foul weather. Summer camp has changed a great deal.

Years ago counselors were actually trained. At 16 you were a CIT, at 17 you were a JC and at 18 you were trusted to be a counselor. There were rules—for campers and for counselors. Camp was a rustic experience that was structured around fun activities, sports, arts and crafts, swimming and chinuch. Counselors took their responsibilities seriously.

Today, with the exception of Moshava, Jewish sleepaway camps are hotels for children, complete with A/C and canteens offering full-course meals. Activities are optional as is instructional swim, and counselors are more interested in socializing, texting and sports than in supervising their campers. How times have changed. Camp owners want to fill bunk beds and will allow parents and campers to dictate policy. Visiting Day is whenever a parent wants to come to camp; parents fork over extra money for trip days to take campers out of camp; and grills, TVs, cell phones and refrigerators challenge bunk wiring systems and fire codes.

Freedom is what summer is all about. In 2017 it means freedom from parents, freedom from schedules and freedom from rules. If this is what today’s parents want for their children, fine. But summer camp should not mean freedom from safety.

A good camp will have written health policies and protocols, and all children attending the camp should be required to have had a complete exam by a doctor in the past year and be up to date on all childhood shots. Close quarters can breed a host of illnesses. Are daily showers mandated, especially for boys? Before camp starts, parents should make sure the camp has a detailed health history of their child, including any significant illnesses, operations, injuries, allergies and any current medical problems.

Is there a resident pediatrician? Are first-aid supplies readily available throughout the camp and on athletic fields? Parents should also ask questions about activities. Some camps have high rope courses, rock climbing, extreme skateboarding, in-line skating and freestyle BMX biking. If your child will be involved in boating, swimming or other water sports, for example, you’ll want to know about such things as life jackets, supervision and the ARC and CPR certification of instructors. Does the camp have a release statement that allows them to seek emergency medical treatment while making efforts to contact parents?

For children with allergies, parents should send along Benadryl or Epi-pens for children who could suffer a serious attack if exposed to a known allergen, such as a bee sting. Parents who send medication to camp with their child should know who supervises such things and what the rules are regarding over-the-counter drugs. Another concern for some parents is what their child will eat at camp. Food allergies or anything the parent does not want the child to eat should be clearly communicated to the camp staff. Is peanut butter served? Is candy with nuts available in the canteen?

Most camps are located in isolated rural areas. What are the security measures taken by the camp? Are there night patrols and security cameras? Is access restricted? What safety precautions are in place at cookouts and campfires? Are fire extinguishers prominently available?

Summer camp is a perfect place for sex abusers to groom and abuse kids. Children are as vulnerable to sexual predation at camp as they are anywhere else—perhaps more so, because their parents aren’t there to supervise them. It’s tempting, as a parent, to use euphemisms when describing body parts and functions to your child. But if your child should ever be molested, this “soft” language can actually hurt the investigation—and your child’s credibility as a victim. It behooves you as a parent to teach your child the proper names for “private” parts of his or her body, and that no one should ever touch them unless that person is a doctor or an emergency medical technician.

Parents have an obligation to determine whether or not the camp is accredited, what sort of child sex abuse/awareness training the staff receive, what sort of hiring practices the camp uses (are background checks required?) and whether the camp asks for staff references.

If the camp has a pool, is it well maintained? Is the deep end roped off from the shallow end so it’s crystal clear to little ones where they can swim? Is there adequate adult supervision at all times? Are campers allowed to wander around unsupervised? Is the food served well balanced? Are campers allowed to receive food packages from home? If so, what provisions are made for proper storage in the bunks to avoid infestation?

Do counselors check for hats and sunscreen, hydration adequate rest? How are field trips managed? Do they involve riding on a bus, and does that bus have seat belts? Does camp staff bring emergency contact numbers with them on field trips so that the information is easily obtainable? Much of this is common sense and applies to day camps as well as sleepaway camps. Don’t assume anything. Ask.

Do camp personnel know about health conditions such as Lyme disease, West Nile virus or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever? Camp staff should also be able to spot signs of dehydration, overheating, sunburn, respiratory distress, asthma or other conditions that can occur during rigorous activities.

Illnesses that commonly affect camp life and require intervention include upper respiratory tract infections, vomiting and diarrhea, asthma and allergies, conjunctivitis (pinkeye), poison ivy and poison oak, sunburn and heat-related illnesses. To minimize a child’s risk of developing such conditions, find out which safety measures camps have in place to protect the children in their care.

Thank God that there have been few catastrophes. However, we still hear about the occasional drowning, lost camper or lice epidemic. Summer camp remains a magical, cherished time for children. What happens in camp usually stays in camp. Parents need to insure that camp memories are always positive.

 .http://jewishlinknj.com/features/19405-let-s-focus-on-camp-safety

"BREATH OF FRESH AIR FOR WOMEN" LOSES IN COURT - Judge Does Not Do Women Any Favors...

Israeli Woman Who Sued El Al for Sexism Wins (LOSES) Landmark Ruling!

Renee Rabinowitz was asked to switch seats on an El Al flight from Newark to Tel Aviv in 2015 because a strictly Orthodox male passenger did not want to sit next to her. 

 

JERUSALEM — Israeli airline employees cannot ask women to change seats to spare a man from having to sit next to them, a Jerusalem court ruled on Wednesday, handing down a groundbreaking decision in a case brought by a woman in her 80s.

Strictly religious Jewish men who refuse to sit next to women, for fear of even inadvertent contact that could be considered immodest, are a growing phenomenon that has caused disruptions and flight delays around the world and prompted protests and social media campaigns. The pressure to switch seats can be particularly acute on El Al, Israel’s national airline. And the issue has become emblematic of a broader battle in Israel over religion and gender in public spaces.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Renee Rabinowitz, now 83, boarded El Al Flight 028, bound for Tel Aviv from Newark in December 2015. She had settled into her aisle seat in the business-class section when the passenger with the window seat showed up: an Orthodox man who complained about sitting next to a woman. A flight attendant asked her to change seats to accommodate him, and she gave in reluctantly.

Ms. Rabinowitz, who escaped the Nazis in Europe as a child, said on Wednesday that she was “exhilarated” by the verdict.

After the hearing, she said: “I was sitting in a bible class, which wasn’t so great for the teacher because my phone kept ringing. Anyway, I’m thrilled because the judge understood the issue. She realized it is not a question of money; they awarded a very small sum. She realized it’s a matter of El Al changing its policy, which they have been ordered to do.”

Ms. Rabinowitz was represented in court by the Israel Religious Action Center, the public and legal advocacy arm of the Reform Movement in Israel, a liberal stream of Judaism. The center has also fought Israeli bus companies and the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety over gender segregation on buses serving ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.

“This is a common story; it happens to many,” Anat Hoffman, the director of the group, said of the pressure on women to change seats. Ms. Hoffman called the verdict “a breath of fresh air” and compared Ms. Rabinowitz to the Israeli actress who starred in the movie “Wonder Woman.” “Like Gal Gadot, Renee has superpowers,” she said.

El Al’s lawyers argued in court that passengers often ask flight attendants to reseat them to be closer to a relative, or farther from a crying baby, or for many other reasons. The airline’s policy, the lawyers said, was to accommodate such requests whenever possible, “in a way that does not inconvenience other passengers” or cause delays.

El Al denied that it discriminated against women, saying its reseating policies applied equally to men. 

And the airline argued that the principle of taking religious sensibilities into consideration has been defended and recognized in Israeli courts. But the court found that asking people to move because of their gender violated Israel’s anti-discrimination codes.

In discussions outside the courtroom, the two sides in the case agreed on a judgment proposed by the judge, declaring that it is forbidden for a crew member to ask a passenger to change seats at the request of another passenger based on gender. El Al agreed to tell its cabin staff in writing about the prohibition within 45 days, and to provide training in how to deal with such situations within six months.

Ms. Rabinowitz was awarded 6,500 shekels, or about $1,800, in compensation. Her lawyer originally asked for 50,000 shekels.

Ms. Rabinowitz, who lives in an assisted-living facility in Jerusalem, said that she was thinking of flying to the United States next winter but that she had not yet decided which airline to use. “I would have no problem flying with El Al,” she said. “But it depends on who has the best deal.”

NYTIMES.COM

Not So Holy Holistic Piece Of Garbage In The Holy Land!

Holistic therapist accused of sexually assaulting patients

 

Alternative medicine therapist arrested after allegedly sexually assaulting haredi women during treatment.

Entrance to clinic

 This individual, a native English speaker, has spent time "practicing" and seeing clients in Miami Florida in the last few years, as well as in his primary Jerusalem office. If you believe you may have been hurt by this man, please please reach out to your local police department.

 By Police Spokesperson

Jerusalem police arrested a man operating an alternative medicine clinic in the capital after several female patients said he sexually assaulted them during treatment.

The 57-year old Jerusalem resident was taken into custody Monday after two haredi women filed complaints with police.

Police say the clinic operator posed as a doctor, despite having no formal medical training.

At his Jerusalem clinic, the suspect offered a variety of alternative or holistic treatments including naturopathy, acupuncture, and carniosacral therapy.

The first complaint was filed last week by a 40-year old Jerusalem woman, who described to investigators a series of sexual offenses the suspect allegedly committed against her.

She claimed the crimes were committed while she was being treated at the clinic last year. When the woman felt the suspect’s behavior became inappropriate, she turned to a local assistance center, which after hearing the nature of her complaints, directed her to the police.

A second woman, 33 years old, also filed a complaint against the suspect, making similar accusations of sexual abuse.

After police took the suspect into custody, a court extended the arrest to next Sunday.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/230955

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