This is being reposted with the permission of the author. We have also posted Noodles’ donation page. It is separate from ours but we ask that you support your bloggers.
Larry Noodles has posted extensively on the Rabbi Daniel Greer case. He may be one of the foremost authorities on that subject and one of the major figures instrumental in the Greer conviction and in the corresponding civil suit victories.
The child who was abused by Greer may have Noodles to thank, at least in some small part, for the justice he sought and won. It is our hope that by publicizing this case, Rabbi Daniel Greer will be swiftly returned to prison to spend the remainder of his sentence behind bars and NOT in home-confinement, where he has been since Covid-19 provided him an excuse for release.
The child that he abused has a lifetime enchained by memories. Twelve years of Greer’s life is but a small piece of a life spent. Having said all of that, we must pose this question to our readers. Where are the Religious Leaders who should be speaking out. They should be acknowledging the tragedy in their midst. They should be expressing the shame and horror of the Greer case. They should be supporting victims. Instead… crickets. That, in and of itself, is a tragedy.
The United States Supreme Court declined to hear “Rabbi” Daniel Greer’s appeal of the $21 million civil verdict entered against him almost three years ago in Federal Court. Greer filed a petition for certification before the Supreme Court after he had lost on appeal at the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Greer’s attorneys argued on appeal that the verdict was “excessive” and “shocking” and should either be completely set aside or reduced. The Second Circuit held the following: “The amount of compensatory damages is undoubtedly high, but we are not persuaded that a new trial or remittitur (reduction) is warranted under Connecticut law. The award here is not excessive when compared to the awards in the cases cited above. Here, the record indicates that EM suffered repeated abuse for approximately three years, from the time he was fourteen until he was seventeen years old. At certain points, EM was abused for hours at a time, on a weekly basis. The first time Greer abused EM, he plied EM with alcohol, pretended to care about EM and his family, acknowledged EM’s parents’ financial struggles, and then kissed him. Eventually the abuse included oral sex, anal sex, mutual masturbation, and watching pornography together — while EM was a sophomore, junior, and senior in high school and Greer was a 60-something year old man.”
The New Haven Police arrested Greer a few months after the civil verdict of $20 million entered in the child rape case. If Greer had won the civil case I don’t believe that the State’s Attorneys Office would have filed the criminal case. If Greer had offered the victim a settlement, long before the civil case was filed, a civil case would have never been filed.
Greer’s attorneys also argued on appeal that the trial judge’s jury instructions pertaining to Greer’s refusal to answer questions based on his right against self incrimination was improper. The trial judge instructed the jury that they could make negative inferences against Greer due to his failure to answer difficult questions on cross examination. The Second Circuit listed the questions Greer refused to answer: Greer refused to answer whether he “sexually abused and assaulted other minors including Avi Hack” whether he “taught religious and secular studies, communal service, ethics, theology and Jewish history,” whether he “forced EM to have sex with him when he was a child at various locations in New Haven apartments he owned,” whether “he had molested EM in Greer’s bedroom” whether he “had sex with EM at a motel in Branford” whether he “forced EM to have sex with him at a motel in Paoli” whether he forced EM to have sex with him when EM was a child at a hotel in Philadelphia,” whether he “had sex with EM when he was a child at land in Hamden…”
Greer was sentenced to 20 years of incarceration suspended after 12 after he was convicted of child molestation. Greer is currently on home confinement, after he was recently released due to COVID19 in the prisons. Greer’s case will be reviewed again on February 1, by Judge Alander. Greer may or may not go back to jail. Eventually Greer will have to go to jail and spend 12 years in the custody of the Department of Corrections. Greer has already registered as a sex offender. Greer is allowed to leave his abode in order to go to doctor appointments and appointments with his attorney. A local recently told me that she saw Greer driving around in his minivan in his Edgewood neighborhood. Greer used to be known as the “Mayor of Edgewood.” Greer is now known as “The Pedophile of Edgewood.”
Greer was tried and incarcerated just before the pandemic. Greer has been in and out of prison ever since, due to issues in the prison related to the pandemic, and Greer’s age. Greer is 80 years old. At one point Greer’s son Ezi Greer drove his father to the Superior Court to turn him in to the Marshal. I was there and took pictures. I was shocked that Ezi drove his father to the prison. During the civil trial an expert testified that he had evidence that Ezi was molested by his father. Ezi Greer was active in politics in New Haven for many years, along with his brother Rabbi Dov Greer. Dov, Ezi and Avi Hack also helped run Greer’s yeshiva, where EM was enrolled. Avi Hack was also molested by Greer. Avi, Dov and Ezi protected Daniel Greer for years while Greer attracted minors to his yeshiva for the purposes of rape and abuse. After “Rabbi” Greer was sued Dov moved to Long Island, Ezi moved to Waterbury, and Avi moved to Providence RI. Avi’s father Harold Hack, who also protected Greer for year, also moved to Waterbury. Greer got Harold a job at the City of New Haven. Harold’s daughter is married to Ezi Greer.
Ezi, Avi, Dov and Harold refused to testify against Greer at Greer’s civil and criminal trials. I contacted numerous potential witnesses to testify against Greer in the criminal trial. A few showed up and testified against Greer. One testified that he was a classmate of EM at the high school and that he suspected that EM was being molested by Greer at the time he was in school. Another testified that Greer tried to molest him. A few others wanted to testify but found it too emotionally painful to show up in court and testify. I was surprised that EM had the strength to testify at the civil trial and the criminal trial. Greer’s lawyer William Ward mercilessly attacked EM at the civil trial, yelling at him calling him a “LIAR” and a “THIEF.” Greer’s lawyer Willie the Dow at the criminal trial was more respectful and didn’t yell and scream at the victim. The Dow probably learned from Ward’s mistake, attacking the victim, victim blaming, did not work out very well for Ward.
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This is being published from the files of Larry Noodles.
Please see his blog for an in-depth look into Rabbi Daniel Greer, whom Noodles refers to as the “GOAT.” He has written extensively on the subject.
In our opinion, far too many Jewish organizations, shuls, funds, and people have supported Rabbi Greer, written letters on his behalf, explained away his crimes as if they did not happen. Is it not time that his supporters be held accountable for their support and by implication their complacency?
A recent letter written to the Court and posted by Noodles on his blog reads: “He [Greer] humiliates people with the ease that others say good morning.”
“However, I wish to echo and amplify the voices of his true victims and tell you both from experience and professional expertise that victims of emotional, let alone physcial or sexual abuse often come back, often seek to impress, and often fail to confront the abuser.”
We will be following this story closely and adding information as it becomes available regarding Rabbi Greer and his supporters.
Is it not time to denounce Rabbi Greer and show your support for his victims?
NEW GOAT VICTIM COMES FORWARD
Daniel Greer was sentenced to 20 years in prison, suspended after 12, last month after getting convicted of four felony counts of risk of injury to a minor. Connecticut trial Judge Jon Alander considered the testimony of no less than three accusers, ie., Rabbi Avi Hack, Eli Mirlis and Rafi when he sentenced pedophile “Rabbi” Daniel Greer, AKA “the Goat” to 20 years in jail.
In spite of the testimony of no less than three accusers, in spite of the fact that the Goat’s two loyal sons fled the compound, and in spite of the fact that Dr. Ford testified in the civil trial that Ezi Greer was molested by the Goat, the Goat received numerous glowing letters of admiration, love, and support. One such love letter was written and signed by “Senior” Rabbi Albert Feldman, Rabbi Emeritus of the Westville Synagogue, who stated: “After knowing Daniel Greer for better than a half-century, I can fully vouch for Rabbi Daniel Greer’s upright moral and ethical character and behavior in all situations.”
Larry Noodles and the Goat – i.e. Larry Dressler and Rabbi Daniel Greer
Rabbi Daniel Greer allegedly spent years and years hurting people, committing rape. A remarkable attorney, Larry Dressler, lost his legal license in events connected with Greer, events about which we have no direct knowledge but are in part explained below.
Dressler should be hailed a hero and returned to the practice of law. There are so many lawyers out there who know not right from wrong. Larry Dressler is not one of them. And we have remarkable admiration for him and for the judge on the Greer case. Had this been tried in New York, things might have been dreadfully different.
We will be covering the Goat story and the many institutions that knew he was engaging in harmful conduct that placed children in jeopardy and did nothing. We have received dozens of requests to provide information on those institutions and it is our intention to do so. We thank those of you who have been sending us this information.
Rabbi Greer’s money was apparently far too appealing for anyone to call him out and to save his many victims from a lifetime of hardship. Dressler was, yet, another victim.
With great admiration we are posting the most recent story as printed and formatted from the pages of Larry Noodles.
Judge Alander denied the Goat’s motion claiming that I tampered with the Goat’s witnesses Thomas DeRosa and Jean Ledbury. On the advice of my Attorney John Williams, pictured above, I refused to answer most questions of Attorney Grudberg based on my Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination.
The Goat’s Motion for a new trial based on witness tampering was heard at 9:30 AM this morning before Judge Alander. The Goat wore an ankle bracelet that looked like a black tape recorder strapped onto his ankle. It was sticking out over his pants. The Ewe was there to support her Goat wearing that old ratty wig she needs to replace. The Goat is too cheap to give the Ewe money for a new wig but no expense is spared on his wet dream team of attorneys.
The State’s Attorneys Office had numerous investigators and State’s Attorneys in the courtroom. The Goat had his Yale wet dream team of Attorneys Grudberg, the Dow and the Dow’s college intern. The Goat also had Attorney Richard Emanuel, a top appellate attorney, in Court observing the proceedings. Emanuel will be filing the Goat’s appeal. I was present with my attorney John Williams, the legendary New Haven civil rights attorney who defended Bobby Seale and the Black Panthers back in the 1960s. John graduated from Harvard. The Dow and Grudberg graduated from Yale. The annual Yale-Harvard football game is this Saturday in New Haven. Harvard will beat Yale just as Williams beat the Dow and Grudberg today.
The Goat’s attorney Grudberg submitted affidavits signed by Goat secretary Jean Ledbury and former Goat science teacher Thomas DeRosa attesting that they felt intimidated by their interactions with Larry Noodles. Ledbury stated that she was frightened when Noodles said “Hello Mrs. Ledbury” to her while she was putting coins in the parking meter. She also said that she felt threatened when Noodles took pictures, along with another reporter from the New Haven Independent, of her and the Goat in her car in front of the courthouse. Thomas DeRosa attested that he felt intimidated by Noodles when I allegedly met with DeRosa at his house in Southbury wearing a baseball hat. Grudberg argued that these witnesses would have testified better had they not felt intimidated. Judge Alander was not impressed. Ledbury and DeRosa showed up and testified for the Goat. If they were intimidated they would have stayed home.
It didn’t look good for Grudberg or the The Dow. Alander was ready to throw out the Goat’s motion without hearing any testimony. The Dow was down 500 points. Grudberg then cried to Judge Alander that he subpoenaed the States Attorney and requested the production of all written communications between the States Attorneys office and Larry Noodles. Grudberg argued that Noodles was working for the State of Connecticut when he contacted DeRosa. Grudberg quoted the Noodles blog many times when he argued that I was an agent of the State of Connecticut. Does Grudberg know the difference between truth and fantasy?
The State’s Attorney objected to turning over communications with Noodles to Grudberg. The State’s Attorney stated that there was nothing in the communications that had anything to do with Ledbury or DeRosa. Grudberg said he should be able to see that for himself. Grudberg suggested that Alander review the materials by himself in chambers. Alander asked the State’s Attorney how many pages of communication existed between Noodles and the State’s Attorney’s Office. The State’s Attorney said that there were hundreds of pages of documents, along with court pleadings from the civil rape trial, and other materials, including emails and text messages, along with recipes for noodle kugel. Judge Alander didn’t seem very excited about reading a large stack of documents, and kugel recipes in his chambers. Alander ordered the State to give Grudberg the documents to review and if Grudberg saw anything important to alert the Court. The Court took a recess. After about a half an hour Grudberg told Alander that the attorneys all needed to meet in chambers. After some period of time Judge Alander came on the bench and announced that a full blown evidentiary hearing would be conducted on whether Noodles was an agent of the State of Connecticut and whether Noodles tampered with the Goat’s witnesses. The kugel recipe I sent to the State’s Attorney’s Office must have blown my cover as a rogue secret agent of the Prosecutor’s Office. I am still waiting for the State to wire money into my off shore Swiss bank account.
Former Goat science teacher Thomas DeRosa was called to the witness stand. He said he has a very bad back and is in constant pain. He said he takes Valium every day and has morphine patch on his arm. DeRosa spoke very slowly. DeRosa didn’t hear or understand half the questions when he was on the witness stand. The attorneys had to keep repeating and rephrasing the questions. DeRosa testified that he met someone at his house whom he later identified as “Noodles.” DeRosa said he read the Noodles blog and was fascinated by it. DeRosa said that he didn’t understand why I was named “Noodles.” DeRosa said that I came out of the bushes and surprised him while he was in his driveway. DeRosa said that I went into a tirade about the Goat raping 5 students and tying up 3 others. DRosa said he felt vulnerable because he didn’t have his cane or his back brace. DeRosa said he couldn’t defend himself if anything violent happened. DeRosa said he asked me to leave after 5 or 10 minutes. He said he went inside and got his cane and back brace and came back outside to see me but I had left. He said he could defend himself better with his back brace and cane. After I left DeRosa said he contacted the Goat and told the Goat that I was at his house asking him questions. He said he never contacted the police. He said he “couldn’t remember” if I told him that I was from the State’s Attorney’s Office. Judge Alander said to DeRosa, “Wouldn’t that be something that you would remember?” DeRosa couldn’t remember the exact date when I was at his house. DeRosa said he was agitated when he testified for because of his encounter with Noodles. DeRosa said that I was wearing a baseball hat, which he said he found to be particularly odd. He couldn’t understand why I was wearing a baseball hat. DeRosa clearly was too stoned to remember anything. He probably got his fentanyl patch mixed up with his morphine patch. I wanted to call 911 and have him admitted to Yale Hospital to detox. Judge Alander was not impressed with DeRosa.
I was called to the witness stand after DeRosa. My Attorney John Williams advised me to take the Fifth Amendment when I was asked about any encounters I may have had with DeRosa or Jean Ledbury, on the grounds that the Goat accused me of the crime of witness tampering. Judge Alander allowed me to invoke the Fifth Amendment. I refused to answer most questions. The only questions I answered were stupid questions that Grudberg already knew the answers to. Grudberg asked me if I attended the Goat’s civil and criminal trials. Duh! Grudberg is pretty stupid for a Yale graduate. Grudberg asked me if I pleaded guilty to a Federal crime involving fraud and dishonesty which caused me to lose my law license. Duh again! Grudberg wasn’t getting anywhere so he asked me whether I had any of the records of communications between me and the State’s Attorneys Office, listed on the subpoena that he served upon me. I told him I didn’t have any time to search for these records, if I even had anything. Judge Alander told Grudberg that the State of Connecticut just gave him all the records of communications between Noodles and the Prosecutor’s Office. Grudberg said that he wanted to see if I had anything that the State was missing. Alander shook his head and told Grudberg that he already had his documents and to leave Noodles alone. No further questions. The Dow crashed 1,000 points. The Goat looked very angry.
Goat secretary Jean Ledbury testified after Alander kicked me off the witness stand. Ledbury said that when she picked up the Goat at the courthouse she was accosted by me and Chris Peak from the New Haven Independent: “he came running toward my car. They got in front of me, so I couldn’t move the car toward them. They yelled at me and took my picture through the windshield.” Ledbury said that I approached her in the hallway of the Court and said, “I hope you know, either way this goes, you’re going to be out of a job. It shook me up, it got me rattled.” Judge Alander was not impressed with Ledbury’s testimony.
Grudberg called State’s Attorney Wilensky to the witness stand. It is extremely rare for a State’s Attorney to be called to the witness stand in a case she prosecuted. It takes a lot of chutzpah on the part of Grudberg to put a fellow member of the bar on the hot seat. The courtroom was packed with attorneys and investigators from the State’s attorneys office, public defenders, and court employees. Even judges from other courtrooms showed up to watch the show. The topic of discussion throughout the day was “Mr. Dressler” and whether “Mr. Dressler was an agent of the State” or part of the “Prosecution’s team.” With a poker face, Judge Alander read portions of my blog postings into the court record. Alander stated, “the Noodles blog posting of Oct 25th stated the following: ‘None of the post conviction articles have given any credit to Larry Noodles for helping to bring down the Goat. Against my immoral code as a convicted felon, I spent half the summer in the Office of the State’s Attorney tracking down, and convincing witnesses to testify against the Goat. I was impressed with the female dream team at the Office of the State’s Attorney. They set aside their entire conference room for the Goat case. They had boxes of goat files spread out throughout the office. They even had a flow chart on the conference room wall… I was surprised they asked a criminal like myself to assist them in putting away the Goat.’” I was flattered that my blog postings were making the Connecticut law books and will be cited as precedent for many years to come. Res Ipsa Noodles?
Wilensky testified that she had met with me many times and exchanged text messages because she wanted my help tracking down at least one state’s witness for the trial. Wilensky stated that she never authorized, instructed or inferred that I have contact with Ledbury or DeRosa. Grudberg argued to Judge Alander that there was prosecutorial misconduct and a new trial should be granted because Noodles had been “welcomed into the fold by the State, to assist with the effort to prosecute the case. This is someone working in tandem with the state to try to obtain Daniel Greer’s conviction. ‘You lie down with dogs, you get fleas.’ The State chose to accept help from this individual. When you do that, you’re bound by what he does. You can’t wash your hands of him when he steps over the line.”
The Noodles hearing didn’t end until 4:30 PM in the afternoon. Rabbi Notis was waiting in the hall all afternoon to testify for the Goat during sentencing. Sentencing never occured because the Noodles hearing went on all day. Sentencing of the Goat has been rescheduled for December 2nd. Judge Alander denied the Goat’s motion for a new trial based on Noodles tampering with the lokshen.
“The freshmen up at Yale get no tail so to satisfy their yen, they go out with Harvard men – the sophomores up at Yale get no tail so that half the freshmen class has to take it up the ass – the Juniors up at Yale get no tail so to release their frustrations they resort to masturbation – the Juniors up at Yale get no tail – the Seniors up at Yale they get tail but after three years with the guys they can hardly get a rise – the Bulldog up at Yale has no tail well after running through those halls he is lucky he has balls”
“The hand of G-d lay heavy upon the he-goats, the ewes, the crooks, the politicians, and the infidels, and He wrought havoc among them: He struck them with hemorrhoids.” I Samuel 5-6
“It is better to be cursed by the Prophet Achiya ha’Shiloni, and repeatedly cursed out by Larry Noodles, than to be blessed by Bil’am.” Taanit 20.
Moshiach Now!
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If you have been the victim of government prosecution and / or persecution, and have been commanded to surrender to a correctional institution, and are in need of advice, counseling, contacts, and information please contact me, everything will be kept strictly confidential: lawrencedressler@gmail.com or give me a call at 2037108137
We are investigating a) the numerous people at the highest echelons of Jewish Community leadership who protected Greer; b) those who bore witness to Greer’s atrocities and chose to remain silent, and c) others who should be held accountable for the tenure of Rabbi Greer’s rabbinical status, such that he remained protected.
For now, we will be publishing commentary. We hope that our coverage of this subject will provide Greer’s victim(s), and there were more than one, find some solace. G-d knows we owe it to them.
The criminal trial of Rabbi Daniel Greer is over. He is guilty of four counts of risk of injury to a minor — a felony — and now awaits sentencing. He was also found liable in the civil case concerning the same complainant. And now, the extreme damage done by him has a chance to mend itself, however long that process may be.
First of all, the rupture of the youth, dignity and integrity of the complainant, who is now 31 years old. Secondly, the damage done to the Jewish people in general and to the religious community of which I am a part specifically as he is well known, very visible and was politically highly influential locally. But thirdly, to people of good faith overall.
Of course, we live in an age of egregious trespass and abuse at the highest and most prestigious levels. Severe cases of abuse, although shocking, are no longer surprising. A leading religious personality of any faith has a special obligation to demonstrate humility and aversion to wrongdoing. This is true in life in general. Perhaps, it is true even more so regarding behavior with children.
Children have only adults to look up to for trust, guidance and instruction. Adults have a sacred responsibility to mentor and love them to the best of their abilities. This is especially so in school, the nest in which young ones grow and mature. By his behavior, the disgraced Rabbi Greer has created a very large ugly hole from which we, all local people of good faith, must hope to emerge to our better selves and to greater goodness and kindness.
This young Jew from out of town is very happy to bend over and speak with convicted pedophile Rabbi Daniel Greer in his black Mercury on the Eve of Yom Kippur. The Goat had no problem recruiting Jews who believe in conspiracy theories. It’s not just the dumb goyim who believe in conspiracy theories. These Jews believe that the Goat was falsely accused of sexual molestation by Avi Hack, Eli Mirlis and Rafi in order to take the Goat’s ill begotten monies that the Goat received from scamming the State of Connecticut and the City of New Haven for years. In the civil trial the jury heard that Ezi Greer was also molested by the Goat. Talk about a vast right wing deep state pizzagoat conspiracy!
Rabbi Daniel Greer, AKA “the Goat” has used his conviction to recruit Jews to the compound. There are many Jews living in Amish style communities with little interaction with the outside world. These Jews even dress like the Amish. Jews who live in Lakewood, Kiryas Yoel, Monsey, Williamsburg and Monroe choose to live in these communities because they believe that the outside world is doomed. They insulated themselves from the morally bankrupt secular world. They have good intentions. They do not want their children to be exposed to a country run by criminals in the White House, pedophiles in Hollywood and con artists on Wall Street. You can’t blame them. The President’s Office and the halls of Congress are occupied by rednecks, hillbillies and trailer trash whose only goal is to line their pockets at the expense of the American people. They wrap themselves in the American flag while their families profit off of such thug countries as Russia, China, and the Ukraine. These criminals don’t even know the rules of the criminal underworld. Criminals are not supposed to rat each other out to the authorities. Trump had no problem ratting out Biden to China for Biden’s sleezy business dealings with the Ukraine. The United States government is run by criminals, traitors and rats. It takes a criminal like myself to recognize another criminal. The guys I lived with in Otisville Federal prison are amateurs compared to the professional crooks in Washington DC, Wall Street, and Beverly Hills.
The Jews who chose to set up their own utopian communes created their own set of problems. They created a yeshiva system that protects and even honors pedophile Rabbis. They created a backward, fundamentalist world where conspiracy theories abound. They think that the goyim want to kill them with the measles vaccine. They rail against homosexuals yet homosexuality is rampant at their all boys yeshiva high schools and summer camps. The Goat has capitalized on their fears and stupidity. The Goat has told these Jews that his conviction was a plot to get his money. These Jews were not hard to convince. They already believe in conspiracy theories. They willingly arrived in the compound to help the Goat.
The Jews who helped the Goat with his minyan on Yom Kippur could be seen, and heard, praying from the second floor of the Goat’s nightmare on Elm Street building all day on Yom Kippur. I walked by and recognized a few of them as some of the drifters who have been recruited in the past. I have occasionally run into these guys and have spoken with them. They are actually decent individuals. They are desperate. They lack money. Some of them can’t carry on an intelligent conversation. Some of them have nervous facial tics. Some are mentally deficient. One guy has a really bad rash all over his body. Some are newly religious. They are misfits. It’s unfortunate that these young men have fallen through the cracks of the traditional Jewish world. Jewish organizations have ignored them. On Yom Kippur they ended up with a 79 year old pedophile who puts the moves on them. I believe Rabbi Notis sent a few guys of his own to help out.
Rabbi Notis is the perfect example of a conspiracy theorist. I watched Notis testify for the Goat in his criminal trial. Notis stated that anyone who was raped by a rabbi would never go back to that rabbi as an adult. Notis knew very well that Avi Hack went back to the Goat for many years as an adult. Notis would probably argue that Avi Hack was part of the conspiracy to take the Goat down and get his money. Why would Avi Hack voluntarily testify that he was raped by the Goat? Avi had no reason to come forward. Why would Avi want to embarrass himself and his family by coming forward? There was no evidence that Avi was raped by the Goat other than Avi’s own statements. Notis had nothing to say about the Goat molesting Rafi. Rafi never went back to the compound as an adult to honor the Goat. Rafi didn’t have anything to gain by testifying against the Goat. Notis had nothing to say about the allegation that Ezi Greer was molested by his own father. During the civil trial the expert witness for Eli Mirlis testified that Ezi Greer may have been raped by his father. Such inflammatory information would never have been disclosed to the jury had there not been some grain of truth to it.
There is a Connecticut Jewish media blackout with regard to the Goat’s guilty verdict. The silence of the New Haven Jewish Federation, synagogues of all denominations, and Rabbis of all persuasions is deafening. The Goat was always critical of Jewish organizations, especially the Jewish Federation. The Goat was not affiliated with any of these organizations. The Goat never needed their handouts. The Goat got his money by scamming the State of Connecticut with grants for his non-profits and scamming the City of New Haven for grants to plant trees in the Edgewood neighborhood. The Goat used to mockingly say that these organizations focused on the Holocaust and Israel, and ignored the Torah, the source of moral law. Jewish organizations raise money by appealing to Jewish guilt. The Goat was right in this regard. These Jewish institutions lack any moral foundation whatsoever. All they care about is fundraising. If a Jewish child was raped by a Gentile the Jewish organizations would make sure the entire world knew about it. But if your Jewish kid is raped by a Rabbi, the Rabbi gets a free pass. The Rabbi’s crimes get swept under the rug. Victims get silenced. The Goat knew that he could get away with his crimes for 40 years because he knew that Jewish organizations support Rabbi pedophiles over Jewish victims. The Goat is laughing all the way to prison. The Goat got away with raping numerous Jewish children for 40 years. I have been contacted by others out there who claim that the Goat raped children other than Avi Hack and Eli Mirlis. The leaders of Jewish organizations do not realize that when you don’t speak out for other parents’ children, nobody will speak out for you if something happens to your child. Ironically the depraved Goat knows more about morals than the Jewish Federation.
One of the Goat’s recruits at the Goat’s dorm at 777 Elm Street, greeting New Haven Independent reporter Chris Peak when Peak went to interview guys staying at the compound
I expect the Goat to start recruiting young men for Sukkot. Reserve your seat in the Goat’s sukkah now in order to get a good view of the Goat. Just be careful not to bend over when you wave your luluv and esrog.
There was no victory for the Goat today. The Goat was convicted of four counts of risk of injury to a minor. The Goat faces a maximum of 80 years in State prison
Yesterday I was convinced that the Goat would walk away free today. After watching the jury deliberate this morning I became convinced that the Goat would be convicted. The jury handed Judge Alander a note asking the same question they had asked yesterday. They wanted to know the years Dr. DeRosa worked at the Yeshiva. They didn’t want to know about anything else that they had asked about yesterday. I figured that there was one juror who was hung up on Dr. DeRosa. I thought that the evidence was overwhelmingly against the Goat. I figured that the majority of jurors wanted to convict and that there was one or two holdouts. The majority had to convince the holdouts to convict. It was only a matter of time before there would be a verdict of guilty.
At about 12:30 PM the jury returned a verdict of guilty on all four charges of risk of injury to a minor. After the forewoman of the jury stated “GUILTY” four times, the Goat looked at his Ewe, shook his head and then looked away. The Ewe sat in silence. The Goat and the Ewe had prayed all morning. Their prayers were not answered. The marshals surrounded the Goat. They put him in cuffs. They took him outside the Courtroom and into a side room. Willie the Dow asked Judge Alander to poll the jury. Each individual juror was asked whether they voted to convict. Sentencing was set for November 20th. The Goat faces a maximum of 80 years in prison. The Goat did not look happy. The Dow crashed. It was Black Wednesday.
State’s Attorney Wilinsky asked Judge Alander to increase the Goat’s appearance bond now that the Goat was a convicted felon. The Dow argued that the Goat never attempted to leave the compound and has lived in New Haven for 40 years. Wilinsky asked the Dow whether the Goat had an Israeli passport. The Dow said he would find out. Judge Alander increased the Goat’s bond to $750K. Judge Alander told the Dow that he can come back in the afternoon for a bond hearing in order to discuss electronic monitoring and other conditions of the Goat’s release.
The Goat was locked up for an hour or so in a holding cell in the Courthouse and then appeared at the bond hearing in the afternoon. The Goat paid a bondsman ten percent of the $750K and was fitted for an ankle bracelet. The Goat will have electronic monitoring and be confined to his home in the compound. He will be allowed to go to a shul approved by Probation and allowed to visit his attorneys office and his doctors. The Dow asked Judge Alander if the Goat can go to Beth Israel Shul in Onset MA for Rosh Hashana and the Jewish holidays. Beth Israel was Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s summer Shul. The Dow argued that the Goat has been spending Shabbos in Onset lately and that it is hard to get a minyan in New Haven. Judge Alander told the Dow that the Ewe can help him round up a minyan here in New Haven. Request to travel to Onset for Yom Tovim DENIED.
When States Attorney Wilensky argued for electronic monitoring the Ewe mumbled “Anti-Semite” in the courtroom. At least the Ewe didn’t call her a “SHAYGETZ.” Guys in Otisville prison called me a self hating Jew all the time, which never bothered me. If they really hated me they called me a “SHAYGETZ.” Attorney Wilensky should not feel insulted when the Ewe called her an Anti-Semite. Wilensky should pity the Ewe, the Goat will be locked up with her on home confinement with an ankle bracelet all the time. Could you imagine being locked up with the Goat 24/7?
Judge Alander indicated that the Goat was a flight risk. The States Attorney argued that Orthodox Jewish child molesters tend to flee to Israel. The Dow objected to the electronic monitoring on the Goats hooves on Saturdays on the grounds it would violate the Sabbath. Objection OVERRULED.
I tried to interview a few jurors but was unsuccessful. Two of the female jurors were in tears hugging each other as they walked down the street outside the courthouse. I followed them over to a local restaurant where they all ate lunch together. I noticed that one of the alternate jurors joined them. I went into the bar and asked if I could speak with them, but they appeared very tired and told me that it was a very difficult case and they needed some time to unwind and relax and didn’t want to talk about it. As I left I overheard one of them remark that he was impressed with the performance of the Dow. The Dow rallied and shot up 100 points, after suffering a huge crash with the guilty verdict. I also overheard the jurors mention Avi Hack’s name. I have a feeling that had Avi Hack testified the guilty verdict would have come much sooner. The attorneys were able to drag right wing black hat Haradi Rabbi Notis all the way from Lancaster PA, and poor old Dr. DeRosa from Southbury, yet the key witnesses, the missing pieces to the puzzle, the missing links, Avi Hack, Dov Greer and Ezi Greer, were mentioned throughout the trial yet were AWOL.
The Goat will be confined to his home with an ankle bracelet for at least two years while he files and then argues his appeal. If the Goat is given permission to make a minyan at the compound his recruits may wonder why he is wearing an ankle bracelet. I wonder if the Goat will take his pants off over his ankle bracelet or under his ankle bracelet. The Goat will be allowed to have minors in the compound, as the charges of sexual assault were dismissed so the Goat will not have to register as a sex offender. The Goat can rebuilt his compound and call himself “The Ankle Bracelet Rebbe.”
In closing argument the State made a compelling argument that Eli Mirlis was unable to report the molestation and abuse to Dov Greer, Ezi Greer and Avi Hack. 14 year old Eli Mirlis felt that these adults knew what was going on and would have done nothing to stop it if he reported the abuse. This verdict is long overdue, but unfortunately the enablers who protect abusers and pedophiles never face justice. I have reported on this case in my blog since 2016. I do not get any personal pleasure when Mr. Greer, or anyone else for that matter, goes to jail, as I have spent 18 months in Federal prison myself and I would not wish incarceration on my worst enemy. But Mr. Greer presents a physical danger to others and should be in jail, regardless of his age. After speaking with numerous child sexual assault victims, who reached out to me, they express more anger towards the adults who protected and enabled pedophiles like Mr. Greer or decades, than the actual abuser himself. I hope that this highly publicized verdict will give others who have been abused the strength to come forward. As for other pedophiles, enablers and protectors of abusers, beware of Larry Noodles, I will hunt you down, and get you locked up just like the Goat. Make my day SHAYGETZ!
We’re slogging on, from 516 Ellsworth Ave, Noodles has finally been vindicated with the guilty verdict. Yechi Noodles! Moshiach Now!
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If you wish to help the Larry Noodles website defray the costs of court documents, transcripts, depositions, investigations & research, and make a tax deductible contribution to a non profit organization that works to help bloggers like Larry Noodles protect themselves against bullies like Daniel Greer, and the Department of Injustice, please donate your hard earned dollars, shekels, and dinars to this organization: First Amendment Watchdogs Incorporated, PO Box 2951, New Haven, CT 06515. For IRS non profit status and EIN number click this link
Childhood Sexual Abuse and its Aftermath, “Unbelievable” and a Rabbi on Trial…
The following is being posted with permission in its entirety from the website of Larry Noodles. We encourage you to view the article and the website by clicking here. The permission granted should not be deemed an endorsement of our site by the author.
The article, “State v. Daniel Greer – Day Three” is a summary from the trial of Rabbi Daniel Greer, affectionate referred to by Larry Noodles as “The Goat.” This is explained in an earlier article.
Day Three is a summary the testimony of Lisa Melillo, an expert in forensic interviews of victims of sexual abuse, a summary of the testimony of Shira Mirlis, the wife of one of the victims and a summary of the testimony of Dr. Gabrial Fagan, an expert on Orthodox Jewish child molesters. It is being re-posted here by LM in the context of new developments at a number of acclaimed institutions of religious learning, now confronting abuses that occurred within their midst.
Childhood sexual abuse is complicated, devastating and has lifelong implications. As described in a recent Netflix television series, “Unbelievable” which is a true account of a serial rapist – [altogether unrelated to a religious community] a victim walks around with the aftermath of sexual abuse for a lifetime as if carrying a bullet fragment in the spine. Nothing could be more accurate. The relevance of that series to this article lies with the victim, Marie, who was destroyed not only by her rapist but by the handling of her case by the investigators, the responses of those she trusted and the recriminations that followed.
Childhood victims of any sexual assault are forever altered. Their sexual encounters are never completely healthy following abuse, no matter how much therapy a victim undergoes. And most childhood victims do not get therapy.
The nature of childhood sexual abuse is further complicated and made deeply tragic when the abuser is of the same sex as the abused. Not only does the guilt, shame, embarrassment, self-loathing and diminished self-esteem become part of a victims’ psyche; but also in victims of same gender abuse, the victimized is forced to confront the questions of sexuality that accompany that abuse.
For communities that have chosen to hide the abuse, childhood victims are victimized, repeatedly, over and over, by each and every person who knows, knew or suspected and said nothing. The complacence, if not disgraceful cover-ups within that community, are daily reminders, constant betrayals. The community enables the abuser and leaves the abused with a terminal sense of demoralization.
Children very rarely will report abuse that has not actually happened. Sometimes those children do not understand the nature of what has occurred until they are older, when the “bullet to the spine” is so deeply ingrained in their persona that confronting it risks changing a familiar reality. Adult victims of childhood sexual violence who have lived a lifetime with memories of abuse know that there are moments when the nightmares they confront provide comfort. An alternative reality risks leaving a frightening void.
Children do not know enough to invent sexual confrontations that did not occur. They are innocent enough to not always know they have been abused. Children of insular communities generally are not taught sexuality until they are in early adulthood, and trying to tie in childhood memories with young adult realities can be confusing, unsettling and overwhelmingly terrifying. And then there is the guilt and the shame.
For those of you who are reading this and engaging in the very same cover-ups intended to protect the good name of your community, understand that you are equally as complicit in the abuse as if you had committed it yourself. For members of the justice system, those whose jobs it is to investigate these cases, understand that children do not make up stories of uncomfortable sexual encounters. Tread lightly. You are dealing with the fragile psyche of a child or the shattered life of an adult victim.
Children can misread signs but there is a fine line. Treading lightly on the side of the victimized child is often the better side of valor. Children do not have enough information to invent those stories, particularly not children of religious communities.
For those tasked with hearing new cases that are being filed by childhood victims, do not take your task lightly. The courage of a victim does not come easy. It is like being dragged in gravel while tied to a truck moving at 100 miles per hour. It is agonizing, harrowing, humiliating and can seem endless. Think of the sound of nails scratching sharply on a blackboard, a diamond needle scratching along the vinyl of a record album, and understand you have been tasked with hearing a story that should be disturbing to hear but is far nearly unendurable to tell. Please take your responsibility with the depth of gravity the children and adults deserve.
For a victim the experience of telling the story is heart-rending and scarring and jarring and summoning that level of strength is nothing short of heroic. Children deserve better from our society by not having their stories ignored.
For children or parents of children who are being victimized, please come forward. Your time is now. You will be paving the way to a brighter future for yourself or your child. If you have lived in silence, don’t be afraid of your new reality. You are finally able to seek justice. Take the reins in your hand and ride with them.
There will never be light, just fewer less frightening shadows.
In the case of the State of Connecticut v. Daniel Greer the State presented the testimony of Lisa Melillo. Melillo is an expert in forensics interviews of victims of sexual abuse. Melillo discussed “delayed disclosure.” She testified that children have fear of not being believed or fear of family reaction or fear of getting into trouble. Children may not know that they are being abused, they don’t have sexual knowledge. Children have loyalty to their abuser and love their abuser. In most cases the children know their abuser well. There are very few cases of “stranger danger.” Most cases the sexual abuse occurs as part of a relationship with the abuser, separate from the abuse, it could be a family member. Children fear that they could suffer economic consequences, that their father will be thrown in jail, the family will be broken up, they will have no money. Melillo said children fear going into foster care if they report the abuse.
Melillo said teenage victims don’t perceive themselves as victims. They can be tricked into thinking that they are not being abused. They think that they are in a legitimate relationship. Males are socialized not to be victims. The stigma of homosexuality prevents victims from making a report.
Melillo testified that there is a power relationship that goes on with sexual abuse. The adult has more power over the child than the child has over the adult. We socialize children to obey adults, ie., police officers, teachers, etc… Children have the fear of punishment, or may even be threatened overtly by the abuser. The child perceives the adult as someone who can get them in trouble. The teaching method of “good touch bad touch” to teach children about abuse is no longer used by therapists. A bad touch can feel good to the child. The child is conflicted, as the body is responding in a pleasurable way.
Melillo testified that children “accommodate” the abuse by keeping it a secret. The children feel shame and embarrassment. They feel that they are damaged. Children try to protect themselves, everything will be OK if I just don’t tell. They protect themselves by maintaining a secret. Kids don’t have the resources to help themselves and they feel helpless and trapped. The kids feel they have to accommodate the relationship.
Melillo testified that after kids make a report they have a hard time trying to pin down the details of individual episodes, especially if the abuse has been going on for a long period of time. They may remember the first or last incident. If the abuse has been going on for years it is difficult for them to pin down times, dates and locations. Melillo testified that the children may share other activities with the adult. The sexual abuse may be one part of the relationship. The child also has positive interactions with the adult.
Willie the Dow cross examined Melillo. The Dow pointed out that she testified 36 times in Court, and in each case she testified for the State. Melillo said she would testify for the defense but no defense attorney ever asked her. The Dow pointed out that some people make false reports. The Dow asked Melillio whether the majority of Melillo’s 600 forensic interviews were with young children and not teenagers. Melillo said a large portion of her interviews are with adolescents and teenagers. The Dow obviously didn’t do his homework, he didn’t score any points. The Dow is down, its a bear market in the Goat stock exchange. The Dow pointed out to Melillo that she did not meet with the victim nor did she meet with the Goat. Why would anyone want to meet the Goat?
Melillo testified that the first sexual assault or sexual experience is the most memorable. The Dow asked her if someone left out crucial information in their report of their first assault whether that would that be important. The Dow tried to hammer Mirlis about the fact that in court he mentioned that the Goat touched his crotch on the first assault while in the police report Mirlis did not mention anything about the Goat touching his crotch. The Dow asked Melillo whether “leaving a crucial part about the crotch touch” was important. If this is the best defense that the Dow has for the Goat the State of Connecticut should start to get a jail cell ready for the Goat.
The Dow asked Melillo about whether the victim’s claim would be valid if the victim invited the abuser to a Christening or a bris, do you know what a bris is?” Melillo smiled and said she knew what a bris was and nodded her head. The Dow didn’t have to Dowsplain a bris, although I believe the Dow wanted to explain it to her and show off how educated he has become on Jewish customs.
The Dow made Melillo admit that some factors can be evidence of abuse while the same factors can be evidence of no abuse. Honoring the abuser or severing ties with the abuser can both be evidence of abuse. The Dow didn’t score any points with his cross examination.
Shira Mirlis was called up next to the witness stand by the State of Connecticut. She testified that she is the wife of Eli Mirlis, she has three kids, she went to seminary and then to Israel. Her relationship evolved very quickly with Eli when she met Eli in Israel. Shira testified that Eli told her that he was molested by a “rabbi” when she first met him in 2005. He said he was “molested by the rabbi of the yeshiva of new haven, he was crying when he said this.”
Shira testified that the day Eli was supposed to go back to the United States with Shira he got a call that his father had passed away. Eli was devastated and was very worried about his siblings. Eli was 18 and Shira was 19. Eli was the oldest of six other siblings. Eli and Shira went to the United States and went to the funeral and Eli sat shiva. The goat was at the funeral and may have been at the shiva. After 30 days there was shloshim. Shira was not present at the shloshim. Shira testified that Eli was very protective of his siblings during the thirty days before shloshim.
Shira testified that in 2007 she and Eli got engaged and planned a December wedding, on December 16th. The summer that Eli’s father died the Goat called Eli and said he wanted to meet him to discuss something. The Goat told Eli to meet him at the Branford Motel. Eli told Shira that he wasn’t sure what the Goat wanted. Eli assured Shira that he wasn’t going to let anything happen to him when he was with the goat. After Eli went to the hotel Eli called Shira and asked her to come to the Branford Motel, after the Goat had left. When she talked to him she knew something happened between the Goat and Eli, she could tell by the sound of his voice. Shira went to the Motel and Eli was crying and told her something had happened. Eli didn’t want to discuss the details about what happened between him and the Goat. Shira said Eli had sexual activity with the Goat at the motel and Eli was upset and regretted it. Shira wanted to be supportive of Eli and didn’t press him on all the details. Shira didn’t want Eli to go to the motel with the Goat in the first place.
Shira testified that the Goat was at her wedding, he signed the marriage contract, the ketuba, but she didn’t see him sign it. Shira testified that there were 400 people at her wedding. She said she had no interaction with the Goat. She said that there was a mechitza in the wedding hall, separating the men from the women. She testified that the men dance with the men and the women dance with the women at a Jewish wedding. She testified that she didn’t trust Daniel Greer. She said that she kept a close eye on Eli when he interacted with the Goat. She said she didn’t understand the relationship between Eli and the Goat but she dealt with it the best she could.
Shira testified that she had a sheva brachot, a party after the wedding, at Avi Hack’s house in New Haven. Larry Noodles was at this sheva brachot in December of 2007. Nobody called me to the witness stand. If I was called to the witness stand I would attest that the Goat stopped in the sheva brachot for about two minutes and left. I found it strange that the Goat didn’t stay as I knew Mirlis was a former student. I would think that the Goat would want to stay at the party as he was Eli’s rabbi. I didn’t know Eli at the time. I was asked to attend the party because they needed a minyan for the sheva brachot, and Avi couldn’t scrounge together enough people in the community to come by to make the minyan. Some of Eli’s friends from the goat high school were there.
Shira testified that after she got married she went to New Haven during the Jewish holidays and occasionally on Shabbos. She testified that she fought with Eli about going to New Haven. She said she “couldn’t look at” the Goat. Shira testified that she almost died giving birth to her first son, she hemorrhaged. Shira was in the hospital. She didn’t realize that Eli chose the goat as the sandek and Dov as the mohel. Shira was very upset that Eli chose Dov and the goat to be part of the bris. She knew that the Goat paid for the bris so she went along with it. She said that Eli was making very little money at the time. They were both about 20 years old. She didn’t like the goat holding her son. Shira testified that she had two miscarriages before her son was born, and she didn’t want the goat to touch her son, after all she went through to have a baby. Why is it so easy for rich old Goats to manipulate young people with no money?
Shira testified that Eli eventually told her the gory details of his relationship with the Goat. She said that the Goat and Eli look normal in public. She said Eli told her that “he didn’t like the goat going into him, and mostly the Goat gave him head but when he gave the goat head he wouldn’t let the goat cum in his mouth.” She had a very sick and disgusted look on her face when she explained this to the jury. She said that Ele cried when he told her these details.
The Dow cross examined Shira. The Dow asked Shira why she didn’t want “Dove” Greer involved in the bris. Shira corrected the Dow and said “Dov” Greer not “Dove.” The Dow said there is “Ezi, is that how you pronounce it, and the Hack, and the operation, you know what I am talking about.” The Dow asked Shira if the Jewish community all ate at the same kosher stores, all went to the same shuls and was not unlike another “ethnic community, such as Wooster Square, St. Michael’s Church, Pepe’s Pizza, you know what I am talking about?” Shira looked at the Dow as if he was from planet Mars.
At one point during the cross examination of Shira the Goat pulled the Dow aside and they had a little sidebar whisper conference at counsel’s table. After they finished the Judge asked whether there was any other issues the Dow wanted to raise. Willie the Dow told Judge Alander that he wanted to read a passage of St Paul from the Corinthians. The Judge asked the Dow how that would be relevant. The Goat looked angry. I can’t believe that the Goat requested that his Attorney read a passage from the Corinthians. The Goat would never allow a copy of the Corinthians in his Goat shul.
The Goat is not losing his religion. Even though I had reported that Willie the Dow told Judge Alander that the Goat had surgery scheduled on September 30th, which falls on Rosh Hashana. I heard wrong. The Dow wanted to introduce medical records of the Goat’s prior hernia operation which was on September 30th of some year, which may not have been on Rosh Hashana.
The Dow asked Shira whether she ever told Eli to report the Goat to the police. Shira said she always told Eli to report the Goat to the police. The Dow asked Shira whether she knew that there was a police department in Lakewood, where she lived at the time. The state objected. Objection SUSTAINED
The Dow asked whether Shira ate at the Goat house when she came to New Haven after 2008. Shira interjected that she “RARELY” went to the Goat’s house for meals. The look on her face is one of revulsion when she talks about the Goat. She is very convincing. The jury was riveted by her testimony.
The Dow introduced a copy of the Gan Gathering ad book, showing the ad placed by Mirlis. The Gan gatherings were fundraising dinners that the Goat had every year. I went to many of these gatherings. I have been looking for old ad books for historical purposes, if you have any drop me a line. The Dow asked Shira whether she ever placed an ad on the Gan’s ad book for their “annual anniversary event.” They were fundraising events not “anniversary events.” The Dow is down another 100 points on the world markets.
The State called Dr. Gabriel Fagan, an expert on Orthodox Jewish child molesters, to the witness stand. Fagan graduated from John Jay University and Yeshiva University. Dr. Fagan testified that he works with victims of child abuse as well as perpetrators of abuse, and provides counseling. Dr. Fagan was dressed in black pants, a white shirt, a black jacket, a long brown beard, glasses and a black velvet yarmulke. Dr. Fagan stated that he has testified in a Jewish rabbinical court but never in secular court. The State’s attorney said to Fagan, “Obviously you’re Jewish…” Dr. Fagan interjected, “most people think I am Amish.”
Willie the Dow introduced himself to Fagan before the Court proceedings in the bleachers. The Dow asked Fagan whether he knew what New Haven was famous for. Fagan shook his head. The Dow told him that New Haven was famous for its pizza. The Dow told Fagan that “you people should get out more you would like the pizza.”
Fagan testified that not all Orthodox Jews have beards, he said some don’t have beards for business purposes, others for hygeine purposes. Some see it as law or a common custom. He said most Orthodox Jews wear black jackets and white shirts, as they are very “fashionable.” Some people in the courtroom laughed. Fagan said his clothing is simple, and related to issues of modesty.
Dr. Fagan testified about Orthodox schools and why the sexes are separated. He said that most Orthodox Jews won’t date prior to marraige. There is a strong culture not to engage in pre-marital sex. When you put a bunch of teenagers together there is a risk of pre-marital sex that could lead to mixed dancing. I added the mixed dancing. Fagan didn’t mention mixed dancing.
Fagan said boys and girls learn differently which is a good reason to keep them separated for educational purposes. He said this is a well accepted custom for thousands of years, and Jewish law. He said that the difference between the Orthodox and the non Orthodox is the acceptance of the oral law. There is a way to do everything from the time you wake up until the time you go to sleep. There are 613 commandments, that are expanded on in the oral law, which covers marriage, monetary laws, weddings, bris. The Torah is seen as a blueprint on orthodox life, with the oral law providing additional explanation and commentaries on the meaning of all the laws. The laws apply from the day you are born until the day you die. For Orthodox Jews everything involves community, men need to pray three times a day, they need a quorum of ten individuals, you are always involved in the community, for a school you need a community. You have civic patrols that work with police, you have the EMTs, women who help other women who give birth, when you are sick there are communal institutions that help you, this is what it means to be an Orthodox Jew. The community is extremely central to Orthodox Jewish practice. The Rabbi is the master of ceremonies, in smaller communities a rabbi and his Rebbetzin will be the quarterback for everything in the community. Dr. Fagan testified that without the rabbi in the community there would be chaos. You need rabbis to serve as the conduit as to religious information and guidance.
Dr. Fagan has little coke bottle glasses and speaks quickly with a New Yawk accent. Fagan reminded me of Woody Allen in his rabbi costume in Anne Hall. Dr. Fagan testified that the Orthodox Jewish community has been about ten to fifteen years behind the secular world with regard to issues of sexual abuse in the Jewish community, but today many Jews have written books, formed organizations, and have addressed this issue. Faga said he was aware of these issues in 2002 because he was in the Jewish community as he grew up Orthodox. Formal sex ed was not done in 2002-2003, the time Mirlis alleged that he was raped by the Goat. Fagan said his parents were very open minded and he received information from his parents about the ‘birds and the bees’ as a youngster. He said not as many Orthodox Jewish parents were as open minded.
Fagan said he advises parents that their kids are going to learn about sex one way or another, its better that they learn from their parents rather than someone else Dr. Fagan testified that most Orthodox Jews don’t have televisions and they filter the internet. Jews are highly segregated and not exposed to sexual issues. Jews don’t even have the words to use to speak about sexual topics. There is not even a Yiddish word for sexual abuse.
Dr. Fagan testified that the topic of his PhD dissertation was the issue of why victims did not come forward for a long period of time after abuse. Dr Fagan stated that there is a Yiddish word for the backside, the “tuchos” and most parents use the words “front tushie” and “back tushie” but there are no words for penis or vagina. If children don’t know these words they don’t know that they are being abused if they are touched in this part of their bodies.
Fagan testified that there is a strong focus against “gossip mongering” in the Jewish world. If you speak evil of others you can violate 8-12 commandments. It is inculcated from early on not to speak evil or make accusations against others. Even in kindergarten it is taught not to talk about others, even if someone steals your blocks, you are not supposed to tell the teacher who stole your blocks.
Dr. Fagan testified about how Rabbis are given the highest honor and respect in the Jewish community. The Rabbis are your teachers and as you get older, such as in high school, you may spend 16 hours a day in school. They are your mentors, your guides and teachers, more so than your own parents. Rabbis are part of the connection of chain of events to the Jewish religion, throughout their lives.
Dr. Fagan testified that religious and spiritual conflicts are amplified when the student is abused by a Rabbi who they are close to. The trust is violated. Trust is a central theme in life from the time you are a baby. The relationship between student and rabbi is based on trust, there is reverence, an expectation that this person has additional knowledge to help them in life, when this trust is violated and rocked, the trust gets eroded. A victim is going to have a hard time in social groups, to engage in romantic relationships. If you can’t trust your partner it is difficult to function in a relationship, there is jealousy. Betrayal is another common problem, a crisis of faith, an individual who is part of the community and has a family, and then you have someone who represents that religion and spirituality, it makes the victim question the entire religion. The sense of betrayal comes not just from the person who violated the trust but also a betrayal from God.
Dr. Fagan testified that if someone who is running the place is stealing your wallet, who do you tell? If the Rabbi is running the place and he molests who do you report it to? The dynamic of traumatic sexualization gets amplified. If you have your first sexual encounter in not a typical way, if your first exposure to sexuality is experienced as “icky” or “yukky” it can lead to problems, sexual acting out, excessive pornography. Because masturbation is frowned upon in Jewish world, someone may struggle with sexual self control, he may engage in prostitutes, pornography, etc…
Dr. Fagan testified that in 2006 there was nothing public in the Jewish world on sexual abuse. The first victims who came out felt alone, they felt they were the only ones who were victimized, they got shamed by the community. Victim shaming. If someone came out their entire family was deemed undesirable for marriage. It would effect marriagability. With sexual abuse there is a fear of being seen as “used goods” that people don’t want to talk about.
Fagan testified that a child who is abused will not run away, our brains are like swiss cheese, we look at the good and try not to look at the bad, to justify staying in the house. The Goat did not look happy during this part of the testimony, he pulled the Dow aside, the Dow objected and asked that the testimony be striken. Dow’s Motion to strike testimony DENIED
The Dow cross examined Dr. Fagan. The Dow said that Orthodox communities are not all the same, they may be different whether you are in Passiac or in Crown Heights. The Goat didn’t look happy watching a fellow Orthodox Jew rat him out on the witness stand, spreading loshen hora. Fagan is worse than Larry Noodles! Dr. Fagan told the Dow that most Orthodox schools don’t allow radios, but if they do it is only AM radio rather than FM radio, so they can listen to the Yankees.
The Dow asked Dr. Fagan about rabbinical court. The Dow asked whether Jews are supposed to go to Rabbinical court. The Dow implied that Mirlis was somehow deficient because he didn’t go to a rabbinical court to report abuse, and he went to secular court instead. Nobody in the Jewish world today goes to rabbinical court in order to report sexual abuse.
During the break I spoke with Dr. Fagan. I asked him where he lived. He said he lived in Woodmere, New York. I asked him whether he knew Dov Greer, who lived not too far from Woodmere. Fagan said he never heard of Dov Greer. I pointed to the Goat and said that Dov was his son. The Goat heard our conversation and looked at Fagan to see whether Fagan knew Dov. The Goat hasn’t seen his children in a couple of years. The Goat burned that bridge down a long time ago.
We’re marching on, from the Criminal Court at 235 Church Street, New Haven, on to a conviction without a reasonable doubt, to the outer edges of the flat earth, we’re marching bitterly, goat cliff after goat cliff we are conquering! Yechi Noodles! Moshiach Now!
_____________________________________________________________________________ If you wish to help the Larry Noodles website defray the costs of court documents, transcripts, depositions, investigations & research, and make a tax deductible contribution to a non profit organization that works to help bloggers like Larry Noodles protect themselves against bullies like Daniel Greer, and the Department of Injustice, please donate your hard earned dollars, shekels, and dinars to this organization: First Amendment Watchdogs Incorporated, PO Box 2951, New Haven, CT 06515. For IRS non profit status and EIN number click this link
LOSTMESSIAH 