Jun 10, 2012
Abuse Experts: Skip the Rabbis
Photos by Levik Hertzel 718-810-2738
A panel of legal experts told Crown Heights residents not to consult with rabbis before reporting an abuse crime.
By COLlive reporter
Members of the Jewish community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, were told by a panel of legal experts to report physical abuse directly to the authorities when a crime occurs and not to consult first with rabbis.
Rabbi Yosef Blau, Senior Spiritual Guidance Counselor of Yeshiva University, said that the old treatment of 'informant' - mosser - in the case of abuse is not valid, noting that current Rabbis say that in the case of abuse, one must go to the authorities.
Explaining that many Orthodox communities are more worried about a 'Chillul Hashem' - embarrassment of G-d's name - than the vicims of abuse, Blau said, "Somehow if a perversion occurs we think if we keep it a secret, then it's not a chillul Hashem. When the DA says that part of our community is worse than the mafia, that's a Chillul Hashem."
"The key to change is in our commmunity," said Blau. "When all is said and done, when victims and their supporters become outsiders and are shunned by the community, they are devastated. When the commmunity supports people for going forward, then we can have real change."
There were no local rabbis present to emphasize his call. Organizers explained their absence by the limited time available for speeches by all 3 rabbis, and reminded of the groundbreaking psak ruling of the Crown Heights Beis Din on the need to report abuses to the police.
The 80 participants of Sunday's seminar on preventing abuse heard from 19 year old Mordechai Feinstein, a former resident who was a victim of abuse as a young teen and has since moved to Miami "on the long road to recovery."
Feinstein reminded the diverse crowd that the key to preventing abuse is good parenting. "As a parent you owe it to your child," he said. "Deal with abuse head on. The only way to make a difference is if parents stand up and say 'We want change.'"
Other speakers were Civil Rights Attorney Norman Siegel and Clergy Abuse Attorney Irwin Zalkin who offered similar advice to what residents heard in past seminars held in the neighborhood.
But the focus of the media circus in the Crown Condos hall, where the seminar was held, was on Charles Hynes, District Attorney of Kings County who has been in hot water recently over his office's handling of abuse cases.
In a defiant speech, Hynes defended his policy of predators' names being kept secret during investigations, making an argument which might not suit the sound-bite quotes expected in the press.
Hynes said that whenever a perpetrator's name was released to the press, within days the community members had figured out who the victims were, and in many cases the victims and their families were silenced with a "level of intimidation and abuse that I have not seen since the mafia," he said.
Hynes also said it is best for abuse accusations to be taken straight to the authorities, as rabbis who are consulted, if they intimidate or otherwise block a witness, are at risk for criminal prosecution.
"We've gone a long way since the day when everything was shoved under the rug," commented a participant. "But the frum communities are a far cry from properly implementing prevention in our schools and dealing with abuse crimes once they happen, G-d forbid."
Hynes is playing politics with Jewish blood . There have been at least 100 deadly attacks in crown heights and not once has hynes gone after the thugs like he is doing to shuchat. A SCHOOL YARD FIGHT GRANTS EXTRADITION? Hynes is using shuchat to pave his next elections .Shame on him there must be a Federal Investoagtion on him .
Ad mosai
perhaps its your lack of consultation with people like YY Jacobson or Simon Jacobson etc
I opine that they made it specifically for the news and wanted a small turnout. Otherwise they would of made it in a hall worthy of a larger crowd, not a small 'shtiebel' size hall.
Your right, Mr Federman is not a perfect human being,but neither are you, me or anyone for that matter.
You can't complain about an event, unless YOU actually got off your couch and went there, then if you where unsatisfied you have a right to talk.
Federman use's his money and legal skills, to help victims, and alsoYeshiva's and Shluchim not to go bankrupt b/c of CH"V negligence on this issue
#3 is 110% correct.
Oh and I did go, even though I didn't agree with having Hynes, who has failed this community way too many times in the past, being a part of the event.
Also,the was another very exciting event for families at the same time. Please schedule future events as such,later in the evening .
Should we trust the system that did "justice" to Polard and Rubashkin ?!
Cant they get some respectable people to be on the forefront?
There are telltale signs and indications that can be recognised if one knows what to look for. This applies to spousal abuse, child abuse and other abuse. There are special course available.This would aslo be appropriate for school principals and head teachers.
The DA & the lawyers said teachers and principals WILL go to JAIL for NOT reporting abuse!
It could have been better thou - I could have recieved an annoying automated call at dinner time.
I think Hynes mentioned that if there is any sort of intimidation, it is considered a Class A felony and principles’ teacher etc.. can face a year in prison.
Did they advertise this properly?
Have they no shame?!
Not the only Chutzpa...
It's an event openly mocking the authority of Rabbonim. While bringing down an MO rabbi, and showing that you don't care for the halachic opinion of the vast majority of today's ORTHODOX rabbis (not MODERN O.). With all due respect, Rabbi's Shwei and Braun are still in the minority.
Was a disgusting Chilul H'.
The only ones who cared for this were those sitting in the front row of seats, and who have been assaulting anash at their will, -all in the name of "protecting our children",
I'm sure, you folks (large portion of which don't even have children of their own) are the only ones who care for children, that's why almost none of (percentage wise) of the mothers of children in our community didn't attend. I know, it's because they really don't care for their children, only you (obsessed) ones do.
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You guys for real? You really do not even know what is flying.... i wont even waste my time here trying to prove anything to a bunch of people that hide behind the internet and can not even use there names..... too afraid huh?
This directly ties into the concept (or in our case lack thereof), of innocent until proven guilty. Which of course can't apply to "abusers", as I (or any 24yo bum) can freely put up a website, accuse whoever I'd like of "abuse", claim I have "proof", and have everyone believe me!
No court of law necessary, of course no oversight of Rabbis necessary (they're way outdated), just me and my laptop is all you need, and you'll believe everything I say. Innocent until proven guilty, don't you see?
So if I randomly choose to put someone you know on my website, and you say "wait a minute, is this true?", I now will place you on many list too, you must be an abuser. Because hey, forget the courts, the rabbis, the police, you were proven guilty by two guys with a laptop, and I have on my side the great hero Charles Hynes, you know, the guy who wants to throw a nice innocent Jewish boy in jail for protecting our community. So, I'll do a double hitter, I'll bring Hynes, and darn with crown heights community, and darn with the Agudah (who represent orthodox Judaism, a little closer to Lubavitch Hashkafa then YU/M.O.) whom Hynes has been slamming.
To the people that put this event together, don’t try and help the community, don’t try to “make change”.
Classic quote from S S. “You only hurt yourself when you try to help others”
Buy a few guns (you most probable already have) take care of your family and let community fend for itself.
Then again, you take care of your family and sorry to hear that you think Chabad and your community is your family.
Chabad’s issue, they can take care of the world but they can’t take care of there own.
chas v'shalom for all the above
And easer solution might be for the DA to contact every school, tell them to clean up shop and let them know that going forward they will have big issues.
Fire out of control – Pedophiles (B”H very few, relatively speaking comparing to the catholic church)
Dry grass/tinder – Kids
No firefighters’ – Adults/Parents/Activist
Results = a few Pedophiles will molest a large number of kids “””” YOUR KIDS “”””
So do something about it or somebody else will…..
Yaakov (if that is your name) let me give you a little education.
A) As you see some people on the panel are heavy heavy hitters and that (24yo bum) invited them to talk the connections he has with lawyers, law enforcement, FBI, therapist all over the country you will never have or never reach out too.
B) He and his team are well respected by every other abuse advocate out there.
c) Read this and learn from it
Many people make the mistake of assuming that,because Henry Ford had but little "schooling," he is not a man of "education." Those who make this mistake do not know Henry Ford, nor do they understand the real meaning of the word "educate." That word is derived from the Latin word "educo," meaning to educe, to draw out, to DEVELOP FROM WITHIN.
An educated man is not, necessarily, one who has an abundance of general or specialized knowledge. An educated man is one who has so developed the faculties of his mind that he may acquire anything he wants, or its equivalent, without violating the rights of others. Henry Ford comes well within the meaning of this definition.
During the world war, a Chicago newspaper published certain editorials in which, among other statements, Henry Ford was called "an ignorant pacifist." Mr. Ford objected to the statements, and brought suit against the paper for libeling him. When the suit was tried in the Courts, the attorneys for the paper pleaded justification, and placed Mr. Ford, himself, on the witness stand, for the purpose of proving to the jury that he was ignorant. The attorneys asked Mr. Ford a great variety of questions, all of them intended to prove, by his own evidence, that, while he might possess considerable specialized knowledge pertaining to the manufacture of automobiles, he was, in the main, ignorant.
Mr. Ford was plied with such questions as the following:
"Who was Benedict Arnold?" and "How many soldiers did the British send over to America to put down the Rebellion of 1776?" In answer to the last question, Mr. Ford replied, "I do not know the exact number of soldiers the British sent over, but I have heard that it was a considerably larger number than ever went back."
Finally, Mr. Ford became tired of this line of questioning, and in reply to a particularly offensive question, he leaned over, pointed his finger at the lawyer who had asked the question, and said, "If I should really WANT to answer the foolish question you have just asked, or any of the other questions you have been asking me, let me remind you that I have a row of electric push-buttons on my desk, and by pushing the right button, I can summon to my aid men who can answer ANY question I desire to ask concerning the business to which I am devoting most of my efforts. Now, will you kindly tell me, WHY I should clutter up my mind with general knowledge, for the purpose of being able to answer questions, when I have men around me who can supply any knowledge I require?"
There certainly was good logic to that reply.
That answer floored the lawyer. Every person in the courtroom realized it was the answer, not of an ignorant man, but of a man of EDUCATION. Any man is educated who knows where to get knowledge when he needs it, and how to organize that knowledge into definite plans of action.
THAT IS YOUR 24 YEAR OLD BUM!
-24 year old bum from san diego