Manny Waks – New Wall of Shame – Sexual Abuse and the Royal Commission

 

http://www.mannywaks.com/blog/wall-of-shame#comments

Wall of Shame 27/12/2017   With the recent conclusion of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, I thought this would be a good opportunity to publicly list those remaining individuals and institutions who, in my view, played a role in the Australian Jewish community’s child sexual abuse scandal and have still not accepted responsibility for their actions and/or inaction or been held to account by others. Over the years, I have named them all in various fora, but this is a good opportunity to list them on a new Wall of Shame. Based on my personal interactions with these individuals/institutions, and/or based on their public comments, in my opinion, it would be appropriate that they publicly acknowledge their offensive behaviour and apologise. They have all been provided with numerous opportunities to take responsibility for their behaviour, so I’m hoping that listing them here will hold them to account in one way or another. All of them have caused significant pain and suffering to me personally and to other victims and survivors of child sexual abuse (and in many cases, to others within the community). It is my view, and that of others, that none of the individuals named should be in any leadership position. If anything, the shunning that so many of us experienced (partly due to most, if not all, of these individuals) should be directed at them. So, now that the Royal Commission has concluded, it is up to each and every one of us to do the right thing. We can take the easier option of ignoring this issue, and hope it will just go away. Unfortunately, this approach has proved counter-productive and ultimately destructive for the entire community. Alternatively, we can do the right thing and ensure full accountability. Wall of Shame Based on the Royal Commission findings: ​ (Rabbi) Pinchus Feldman (Rabbi) Yossi Feldman (Rabbi) Chaim Zvi Groner (Rabbi) Meir Shlomo Kluwgant (Rabbi) Boruch Lesches ​(Rabbi) Zvi Hirsch Telsner Yeshivah Centre – Melbourne Yeshiva Centre – Sydney Based on personal attacks against me (and/or my family and/or other victims/survivors) and/or their public statements:  (Rebbetzin) Pnina Feldman (see my previous blog post) (Rabbi) Meir Shlomo Kluwgant (see my previous blog post) ​Dr Danny Lamm (see my previous blog post) David Werdiger (see my previous blog post) Dr Shyrla Pakula Werdiger (see my previous blog post) Debbie Wiener / The Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence (see my previous blog post)

The Re-appointment of Zvi Hirsch Telsner and the Insensitivity to Sexual Abuse Victims and Families Apparent

Yeshivah victims outraged at new contract offer to Telsner 28/8/2017 3 Comments The Yeshivah community have chosen the Jewish month of Elul, traditionally a time of repentance in preparation for the High Holy Days, to once again deliver a huge slap in the face to child sexual abuse victims and in particular, to those who have suffered as a result of (Rabbi) Zvi Hirsch Telsner by appointing the disgraced Rabbi to ‘perform non-congregational/non-pulpit duties’. In 2015, Telsner resigned his role at Yeshivah and admitted that his own ‘conduct towards victims and their families did not demonstrate…values or behaviour to the extent necessary of a Rabbi’ in his position. And yet, at a time when other community institutions are avoiding being associated with those implicated in the child sexual abuse scandal in our community, it is Yeshivah alone, the institution responsible for the rape and abuse of dozens of children in its care, that considers it appropriate to reward Telsner with a new contract. That this appointment should be made under the guise of being ‘motivated by a genuine desire to move forward’ is cynical and offensive. That the announcement should fail to acknowledge the pain and suffering inflicted by Telsner on child sexual abuse victims and the embarrassment that he has caused the entire Jewish community is a reflection on just how out of touch and insensitive the Yeshivah Board remains. Telsner’s re-appointment sends a clear message to the community that no matter how badly or how violently you attack child sexual abuse victims, Yeshivah will take little, if any, action. And it also sends a message to victims – that Yeshivah still do not ‘get it’ and you will find no support from within that community. Despite all of the injustice that Yeshivah’s victims have experienced, it is again apparent that the Yeshivah community is determined to prolong our suffering by denying us the justice that comes with holding to account those who have hurt us. Sadly, this has been the attitude of successive leaders of Yeshivah. Very little seems to have changed culturally and many are asking if Yeshivah can really ever change.​ We call on Yeshivah to belatedly do the right thing and immediately disassociate itself from Telsner. Since Yeshivah’s personal apology to Victims’ Advocate Manny Waks and their Redress Scheme announcement, Waks has occasionally engaged with the Yeshivah leadership. Due to Telsner’s re-appointment, Waks has decided to sever ties with the Yeshivah leadership.​ Yeshivah Centre public announcement: ​Dear…, As you know, settling the matter of Rabbi of the main Yeshivah Shule, has been top priority of the CIVL Board. We have considered feedback received from many groups of stakeholders including CIVL [Chabad Institutions of Victoria] members, broader Yeshivah community members, the other Moisdois [religious institutions], Halachic [Jewish Law] authorities, legal authorities, political entities, donors and supporters in the wider Jewish community etc. Motivated by a genuine desire to move forward, we have been in comprehensive discussions with Rabbi Telsner and Rabbi Telsner has shown great support in enabling Rabbinical renewal within the main Yeshivah Shule and broader institutions. Rabbi Telsner and the Board have reached a mutually beneficial agreement. Rabbi Telsner does not and will not be holding any formal position within the Shule. The Board recognises Rabbi Telsner’s value to the community and as such, the CIVL Board has chosen to retain Rabbi Telsner to perform non-congregational/non-pulpit duties. Members of our community may choose to engage Rabbi Telsner in an individual and private capacity going forward. The CIVL Board will now embark on the process of engaging a new Rabbi. Ksiva Vachasima Tova [traditional Jewish New Year blessing] Sincerely, The Board of CIVL (Chabad Institutions of Victoria Ltd) Avi Althaus Yossi Gestetner Rabbi CT Groner Yisroel Paltiel Rabbi B Serebryanski Saul Spigler Yankel Wajsbort Chana Warlow-Shill Rabbi CD Wilhelm

PLEASE VIEW THE BLOG OF MANNY WAKS: http://www.mannywaks.com/

Meir Shlomo Kluwgant (Rabbi) – His Lies and Hypocrisy

2nd Nissan 5774 2 April 2014

MEDIA RELEASE

The RCV welcomes the recent apology and retraction issued by Mr Manny Waks for posting false and inaccurate statements about an individual in our community on the Tzedek website and in the social media. Mr Waks has admitted that he believes that this individual was completely innocent of these allegations at all times. The RCV notes with concern that the publication of the defamatory matters over which he has apologised, has true capacity to cause untold harm to individuals, their family members, and to the whole of the community. The RCV would urge Mr Waks and the Board of Tzedek to give serious consideration to his position, as well as the practises that led to the publication of those damaging and defamatory comments. The RCV reiterates its long-held position that victims and individuals with credible information about child sexual abuse should take these matters to the police and other relevant authorities. END Queries to be directed to the Executive Director of the RCV at executive@rcv.org.au Postal Address: C/o 619 St Kilda Rd Melbourne VIC 3004 T: 0425 808 789 E: executive@rcv.org.au W: www.rcv.org.au  Rabbinical Council of Victoria Inc. Reg. No. A0042905Y

The following is taken from the blogpost of Manny Waks. Unfortunately, we were unable to include some of the official documents included in that post. Regardless, we recommend that you read the blog in its original format: http://www.mannywaks.com/blog/the-lies-and-hypocrisy-of-rabbi-meir-shlomo-kluwgant

The lies and hypocrisy of (Rabbi) Meir Shlomo Kluwgant 12/7/2017 ​​Last week, recently-appointed Adass Israel School Principal (Melbourne, Australia), (Rabbi) Meir Shlomo Kluwgant provided a statement to the Australian Jewish News in which he stated ‘any allegations beyond the highly regrettable text that was referred to in the Royal Commission, which led to me resigning my professional and communal positions in 2015 are utterly baseless’. ​At the time, I posted that he was a liar and invited him to sue me for defamation if that was untrue. Of course, he won’t be doing that any time soon. As we all know, Kluwgant was caught at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse’s public hearing sending a text message attacking my family and shifting blame to my father for the sexual abuse of three of his children at the Yeshivah Centre (which he initially said he couldn’t recall sending), and was accused of telling another victim not to engage with police. He rightly lost several senior professional and communal positions. After the Royal Commission, it emerged that this was part of a wider pattern of behaviour by Kluwgant in which he repeatedly, knowingly and falsely attacked people’s families and abused his positions of authority when dealing with matters relating to child sexual abuse. This was his modus operandi. Here is a story, most of which is included in my book. In 2014, a year before the Royal Commission, I was approached by an individual who claimed that he had been raped by former Yeshivah Principal, Rabbi Abraham Glick, while attending Yeshivah. I assisted this individual in the same way I would assist anybody who approached me with such allegations. As the matter progressed, Rabbi Glick was questioned by police who did not have enough evidence at the time to charge him. Subsequently Rabbi Glick sued me for defamation, and the matter was settled out of court with a public apology on my part (as was noted in my book, and with the authorisation of Rabbi Glick, it was a technical apology in order to resolve the matter between us). In response, Kluwgant, Glick’s nephew who occupied the role of President of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV), immediately issued a public statement condemning me on behalf of the RCV which stated in part: ‘The RCV notes with concern that the publication of the defamatory matters over which he has apologised, has true capacity to cause untold harm to individuals, their family members, and to the whole of the community’. ‘The RCV reiterates its long-held position that victims and individuals with credible information about child sexual abuse should take these matters to the police and other relevant authorities.’ RCV Media Release: 2nd Nissan 5774 2 April 2014 MEDIA RELEASE The RCV welcomes the recent apology and retraction issued by Mr Manny Waks for posting false and inaccurate statements about an individual in our community on the Tzedek website and in the social media. Mr Waks has admitted that he believes that this individual was completely innocent of these allegations at all times. The RCV notes with concern that the publication of the defamatory matters over which he has apologised, has true capacity to cause untold harm to individuals, their family members, and to the whole of the community. The RCV would urge Mr Waks and the Board of Tzedek to give serious consideration to his position, as well as the practises that led to the publication of those damaging and defamatory comments. The RCV reiterates its long-held position that victims and individuals with credible information about child sexual abuse should take these matters to the police and other relevant authorities. END ​ Kluwgant was then challenged by a supporter of mine who sent an email to him and a number of members of the RCV asking, among other things, why the RCV was involving itself in a private civil dispute between two members of the community who had nothing to do with the RCV, whether Kluwgant had been involved in the issuing of the RCV statement given his obvious conflict and whether the RCV was prepared to comment on the conduct of Rabbi Glick or Yeshivah in protecting paedophiles and covering up child sexual abuse. Not surprisingly, my friend did not receive an adequate response. Fast forward to early 2015 and in the days immediately following the Royal Commission, after the entire community and Rabbinate had seen Kluwgant’s true character exposed, my friend received a phone call from a rabbi on the RCV. “You remember that email you sent to us a year ago after we put out a statement on the Glick allegations?” he said. “I want to tell you what Kluwgant did. He forwarded that email to me and others and falsely stated that a close member of your family used to be a teacher and had sexually abused students and therefore we should ignore everything you have to say because you associate with paedophiles.” “I know that is untrue,” the Rabbi continued, “and I will give you all of the evidence you need to sue Kluwgant because he is unfit to be a rabbi.” At least when an allegation is made publicly, the person has the opportunity to defend themselves. When the allegation is made behind someone’s back, as Kluwgant prefers to do, the person is not afforded that chance. For Kluwgant to have acted so hypocritically and irreligiously only hours after issuing a public statement about the harm caused by false allegations speaks volumes of his character. But the story gets worse. A few days later, and literally a week after the conclusion of the Royal Commission, my friend received a phone call by coincidence (or as we were taught in Chabad: HaShgochoh Protis/Divine Providence) from Rabbi Yaakov Glasman, Kluwgant’s first cousin and current President of the Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand. Rabbi Glasman said that Kluwgant was feeling extremely remorseful after the events of the Royal Commission and wanted to make things right with people. He asked if my friend could come over to Kluwgant’s house that evening as Kluwgant wanted to smooth things over. My friend immediately agreed. Rabbi Glasman did not know that my friend had been provided with a copy of the defamatory email which Kluwgant had sent, and Kluwgant did not know that my friend had a copy of it with him when he went to his house that evening. Kluwgant invited my friend inside and they sat down. Kluwgant began, “I have heard on the grapevine that you have some issues with me and I just want to make it absolutely clear that I have never done anything to give you or your family any reason to be upset with me.” Stunned, my friend replied, “please think very carefully about that statement as I don’t want you to tell me in a minute that I haven’t given you every opportunity to come clean if there is anything you want to get off your chest.” “I swear to you, I have never done anything to you or your family,” Kluwgant continued. My friend took the email out of his pocket and showed it to Kluwgant. “Oh my gosh,” Kluwgant said. “How did you get that? It was supposed to be confidential!” Kluwgant started crying and begged forgiveness. He said his life had been ruined, his son was getting married soon and he was about to become a grandfather. He asked whether they could just tear up the email and pretend it never happened. My friend told him that he was a “fucking liar and a fraud” and that it was like he had just watched the Royal Commission again. My friend sued Kluwgant for defamation and the matter settled out of court with Kluwgant admitting that he had not believed the allegations he made to be true and being forced to tell everyone to whom he had made the false allegations that he was a liar. ​Only a few months ago, to their absolute credit, the Executive of the RCV which includes many Chabad rabbis, formally apologised to my friend and his family for Kluwgant’s conduct. “The RCV did not authorise and would not authorise such conduct and disavows and distances itself from (Rabbi) Kluwgant’s conduct and condemns it in the strongest possible terms.’ Another example of Kluwgant’s hypocrisy (The Australian Jewish News) I share the above story not for the purpose of embarrassing Kluwgant and his family – he has done a good enough job of that himself – but in the interests of child safety and ensuring that the Adass community are able to make an informed choice when they meet to determine Kluwgant’s future (apparently next week). If Kluwgant continues in the role of Principal of Adass, this is the type of conduct that staff should fear. As any expert will tell you, administering a child safe organisation and navigating the challenges which can arise in dealing with issues around child safety and mandatory reporting, requires a certain level of integrity and honesty. Kluwgant has shown time and again that he is unfit and that children, and staff would not be safe in an environment in which he was Principal. It is my sincere hope and understanding that even without the above information, the Adass community will remove Kluwgant when they meet shortly. The endorsement of Rabbi Beck, which Kluwgant claims to have, appears to have been procured by certain members of the Adass Board without fully informing the Rabbi of Kluwgant’s history. Of course, fully appraised of Kluwgant’s history, no institution could ever consider him for a leadership role, particularly one involving children. When this lunacy is over, I will again offer Kluwgant the opportunity to do teshuvah (repentance) and to understand the nature of his conduct, just as I did after the Royal Commission. Hopefully next time he will take me up on it.​ Once he has done that, I will be the first to wish him all the best in furthering his career.

Evil in Oz – Rabbi Chaim Tsvi Groner – Chabad Flippant Response

http://www.mannywaks.com/media-release-yeshivah-victims-alarmed-at-yeshivah-statement-on-rabbi-chaim-tsvi-groner.html

Media Release: Yeshivah victims alarmed at Yeshivah statement on Rabbi Chaim Tsvi Groner

Manny Waks
​28 April 2017

​Yeshivah victims note with alarm that Rabbi Chaim Tsvi Groner continues to serve as a Director of the three entities comprising Yeshivah despite being under police investigation.

We are also gravely concerned with the response issued by the Chabad Institutions of Victoria Limited (‘CIVL’) Board on 26 April 2017 and in particular, their statement that ‘the Board is of the view that Rabbi Groner did not mislead the Royal Commission’.

Yeshivah’s view as to whether or not Rabbi Groner is guilty of the serious crime for which he is being investigated is irrelevant to the question of whether he should remain on the boards at this time. If Yeshivah has learned nothing else from its past failures, it should be that it is never appropriate to supplant their decision-making over the role of police.

Moreover, it is extraordinary that Yeshivah would express such a view concerning Rabbi Groner’s evidence about the role of Rabbi Telsner while in the very next sentence, admitting that they are still ‘working through the various considerations’ and unable to clarify Rabbi Telsner’s position.

This should serve as a reminder to the community that crimes must be reported directly to the police and that Yeshivah is not only ill-equipped to investigate crimes but remains unable or unwilling to judge the conduct of particular members of their community objectively.

In our view, the fact that Rabbi Groner has not yet stood down raises questions over whether he is capable of separating his own interests from those of Yeshivah. Additionally, the fact that the other Board members have not stood him down raises questions over their commitment to normal governance practices and accountability. It must be obvious to Yeshivah that the past practice of protecting their own at all costs has no place today and will only lead to another avoidable and drawn out Chillul Hashem (desecration of God’s name) in which their entire community suffers.

We call on Rabbi Groner to immediately do the right thing and take responsibility for his conduct by standing down from the Boards of Yeshivah. Failing that, Yeshivah should take the only proper course of action and stand down Rabbi Groner without delay.

We have heard some of the new Board members speak of a desire to implement the good governance and accountability which has been lacking in the past. Now is their opportunity. In our view, any board of Yeshivah that counts Rabbi Groner as a member has no credibility and is no different to its predecessor.

The Australian Federal Police – Rabbi Chaim Tsvi Groner

Media Release: Australian Federal Police asked to investigate Yeshivah’s Rabbi Chaim Tsvi Groner over evidence to Royal Commission

Manny Waks
19 April 2017

Rabbi Chaim Tsvi Groner

The Australian Federal Police have received a complaint by victims of child sexual abuse at the Yeshivah Centre in East St. Kilda that alleges Rabbi Chaim Tsvi Groner, a Member of the Yeshivah Board, knowingly provided false or misleading evidence to the Royal Commission last month.

Rabbi Groner told the Royal Commission that disgraced Rabbi Zvi Telsner did not ‘still occupy a position of leadership within the Yeshivah Centre’

Rabbi Groner was called to appear before the Royal Commission’s Case Study 53 last month, which followed an investigation into the Chabad run Jewish school by the Royal Commission in early 2015 which heard that Rabbi Zvi Telsner, as Head Rabbi of Yeshivah, had delivered sermons attacking child sexual abuse victims and their families, encouraging other members of the community to ostracise them and discouraging victims from reporting their abuse to the police or media.

Rabbi Telsner, who is the brother in law of Rabbi Groner, supposedly resigned his position as Head Rabbi in September 2015 after another attack on a victim of child sexual abuse and released a statement acknowledging that his ‘conduct towards victims and their families did not demonstrate the values or behavior…necessary of a Rabbi in my position’.

Giving evidence last month, Rabbi Groner told the Royal Commission that presently, ‘the full extent of [Rabbi Telsner’s] involvement in the Yeshivah Centre Melbourne’ is as a ‘congregant’ who ‘gives a few classes in the Synagogue’ and that Rabbi Telsner did not ‘still occupy a position of leadership within the Yeshivah Centre Melbourne’.

According to victims, Rabbi Telsner continues in the position of Head Rabbi despite ‘resignation’

In a complaint made to the Australian Federal Police and the Royal Commission last week, victims of abuse said that Rabbi Telsner remained extensively involved in the Yeshivah Centre Melbourne and continued to occupy its most senior leadership position. 

In particular, Rabbi Telsner:

• officiates at life cycle events of congregants – for example on 4 April 2017 Rabbi Telsner officiated at a wedding ceremony in which he was introduced by Rabbi Moshe Kahn (Director of Chabad Youth) as the Moreh D’atra (Head Rabbi and most senior halachic decision maker of the Yeshivah Centre);
• together with Rabbi Groner, is the co-head of the Chabad Kashrut Committee in which they are responsible for determining the kosher status of food eaten by the Yeshivah community;
• is seated in front of the congregation in the Head Rabbi’s seat during Synagogue services;
• continues to be paid his regular salary as Head Rabbi;
• maintains an office within the synagogue building; 
• delivers sermons from the pulpit during weekly and festival prayer services;
• is waited on by congregants and prayer leaders before prayers commence as a congregation does for its Head Rabbi.

Victims allege Rabbi Groner knowingly gave false or misleading evidence to the Royal Commission

Victims have asked the Australian Federal Police to investigate whether Rabbi Groner’s evidence breached Section 6H of the Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth) which makes it an offence to knowingly provide false or misleading evidence at a hearing before a Royal Commission. The Act provides:

(1)    A person shall not, at a hearing before a Commission, intentionally give evidence that the person knows to be false or misleading with respect to any matter being a matter that is material to the inquiry being made by the Commission
(2)    An offence against subsection (1) is an indictable offence and subject to this section is punishable on conviction by imprisonment for a period not exceeding 5 years or by a fine not exceeding $20,000.

Continuing involvement of Rabbis Telsner and Groner with Yeshivah a source of ongoing trauma for victims

Victims who were sexually abused as children within Yeshivah cite the continuing involvement of Rabbis Telsner and Groner with Yeshivah as a source of ongoing trauma which makes it difficult for them to move on with their lives. They are disappointed that the Jewish community, donors and the Government continue to support and provide funding to Yeshivah despite its failure to hold these individuals to account over their roles in the child sexual abuse scandal.
Rabbi Groner was a Trustee of Yeshivah during the period in which victims were bullied and ostracised for speaking out. He is one of only two members of the old guard who did not resign in the wake of the Royal Commission’s revelations and instead, implemented a new governance structure in which he was given a permanent seat on the Board. Rabbi Groner is the son of the late Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner, the long-time leader of Yeshivah, who was found by the Royal Commission to have ‘failed in his obligation to the students of Yeshivah’ by not acting upon complaints of child sexual abuse.

UPDATE: The AFP has responded – in part it reads:

I would like to advise you that further discussion has occurred between the AFP and the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Royal Commission) regarding your allegations about false evidence provided to the Royal Commission by Rabbi Chaim Tsvi Groner. As a result of these discussions your information has been sent to the relevant area for assessment.

Please see: http://www.mannywaks.com/media-release-australian-federal-police-asked-to-investigate-yeshivahs-rabbi-chaim-tsvi-groner-over-evidence-to-royal-commission.html

THE MALKA LEIFER DEFENSE… More Abusing Children and Denying it… Israel

 

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Rabbi-charged-with-rape-sexual-assault-sodomy-against-a-minor-475756

Rabbi charged with rape, sexual assault, sodomy against a minor

By JEREMY SHARON 12/18/2016

According to the indictment, Harrison, now 58, initiated direct contact with the complainant after he was her substitute teacher at Beit Shulamit in December 2009. In an indictment sheet of horrifying allegations, Rabbi David Harrison, who taught at the Beit Shulamit religious girls high school in Jerusalem, was charged with dozens of counts of rape, sodomy, sexual assault, assault and intimidation through threats against a former pupil, who was a minor at the time.

The complainant, a woman now aged 21, filed a charge of rape and other allegations against the rabbi at the beginning of the month claiming that they took place over a period of several months when she was 14.

Harrison has spent his career as a teacher and educator, and has also worked extensively performing wedding ceremonies for couples without a personal connection to a rabbi. Harrison began work at Beit Shulamit, in the Ramot neighborhood, as a part-time teacher in September 2007 but was fired in June 2010.

According to the indictment, Harrison, now 58, initiated direct contact with the complainant in December 2009, after he was her substitute teacher at Beit Shulamit.

A few days later, he met the pupil close to her classroom and asked her to accompany him to a staff room where he gave her worksheets to hand out to another class.

On this and several other occasions, Harrison allegedly touched the student on her hand, arm, stomach and chest, but apologized immediately for having touched her.

At a later stage, Harrison allegedly called the pupil to the same staff room used specifically by the rabbis of the school and which could be locked from the inside.

When she entered, Harrison allegedly locked the door behind her and told her to sit down, whereupon he took off his pants and underwear, and forced her to perform oral sex, while telling her that it was all right because he was a rabbi, that it was a secret between them and threatening to harm her if she told anyone.

In the next incident after this assault, Harrison allegedly met the girl at the entrance to the school and told her to come with him to a bomb shelter in the building, divided into two rooms. According to the indictment he pushed her into the inner room of the shelter, and told her to undress, slapping her in the face when he told her she was undressing too slowly.

He then hit her again, forced her to lie on a table in the room and then raped her. Afterwards he told her that she’d had fun, and that so had he, and that she had been a good girl. He again threatened to harm her and that he would tell everyone she was a prostitute if she spoke with anyone about what he had done.

According to the charge sheet, Harrison raped the girl between two and four times a week, including sodomy. On one occasion the day after he raped her, he forced her to swallow an emergency contraception or “morning after” pill.

During May 2010, the complainant was ill and was away from school. When she returned, Harrison allegedly ordered her to meet him in the shelter and scolded her for having been away without informing him.

He then allegedly ordered her to strip and beat her for several minutes, and then raped her once again.

The beatings occurred on other occasions as well, in which Harrison would kick the pupil, beat her with his belt, and in one incident threw a chair at her, bruising and scratching her.

Harrison would allegedly repeatedly threaten to harm her if she did not do as he instructed, and threatened to tell her parents and others that she had initiated sex with him and that they would believe him and not her because he was a rabbi.

He also threatened that he would have her expelled from school, that no other schools would accept her, and threatened to send other people to harm her and even kill her.

The state has requested that Harrison be incarcerated until the end of the legal proceedings against him.

The director of the Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel, Orit Sulitzeanu, described the allegations as “outrageous and terrifying” and said that such crimes required a severe punishment.

“This criminal exploitation by an educator and religious figure is unforgivable,” said Sulitzeanu.

“This incident demonstrates the urgent need to ensure that advisers are placed in all educational frameworks who will be able to identify and deal with sexual violence, and for pupils to attend workshops for the prevention of sexual violence.”

Harrison denies the allegations against him and says he does not even know the woman.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Rabbi-charged-with-rape-sexual-assault-sodomy-against-a-minor-475756

The Halachic Obligation to Report Abuse

http://www.kollel.edu.au/single-post/2016/12/25/The-Halachic-Obligation-of-Reporting-Abuse-to-

FACING CHALLENGES, REPORTING ABUSE, AVOIDING HARM…

We are surprised by this. You may be too.

“Don’t Stand Back. Don’t Withhold Yourself.”

 

The following is a link to a video regarding the obligation to report abuse.

http://www.kollel.edu.au/single-post/2016/12/25/The-Halachic-Obligation-of-Reporting-Abuse-to-