Case of Rabbi Ephraim F. Shapiro
(AKA: Ephraim Shapiro, Frank Shapiro, Ephraim
Frank Shapiro)
Rabbi - Congregation Agudas Achim, Baltimore,
MD
Rabbi - New Rochelle, NY
Rabbi - Tifereth Israel Anshe Sphard Congregation,
Baltimore, MD
Former Principal -
Talmudical Academy (TA)
- Baltimore, MD
Accused of molesting several boys for over a fifty
year period. Rabbi Shapiro was born in New York on July 22, 1916, and
died April 7, 1989, in Baltimore, MD. His name is listed on this web
page as a way of validate and empowering those he allegedly sexually abused. There is at least alleged victim of Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro who committed suicide. It is unknown at this time how many more there are.
Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro was a graduate of the Rabbi Jacob
Joseph School and Yeshiva University, New York, NY. He moved to Baltimore
in 1941 to serve as the spiritual leader of Congregation Agudas Achim. In
1955 moved to New Rochelle, NY and then returned to Baltimore in 1957 to
serve as rabbi at Tifereth Israel Anshe Sphard Congregation and also the
principal of the Talmudical Academy
until retiring in 1982. While working at the Talmudical Academy,
Rabbi Shapiro worked as a guidance counselor and dorm counselor. Rabbi
Ephraim Shapiro died in 1989 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis also known
as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
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Disclaimer: Inclusion in this website does
not constitute a recommendation or endorsement. Individuals must decide for
themselves if the resources meet their own personal needs.
Table of Contents:
1949
-
Jewish Museum of Baltimore
(03/14/1949)
2006
-
CALL TO ACTION: Looking for Survivors
of Rabbi Shapiro from TA of Baltimore
(08/09/2006)
2007
-
Unnerving Touch
(03/16/2007)
-
Jewish Museum of Baltimore
(03/19/2007)
-
Traditions That Must Be Broken (03/19/2007)
-
Rabbi
Dovid Gottlieb - Sermon on Sexual Abuse in the Baltimore Community
(04/10/2007)
-
Abuse in Our Community
(04/11/2007)
-
Regarding The Letter From The
Vaad (04/13/2007)
-
Regarding The Letter From The
Vaad (04/13/2007)
-
Rabbi's Abuse Victims Suffer Years
Later (04/13/2007)
-
Baltimore's Shalom USA talks
about sexual abuse (04/15/2007)
-
Jewish Times: Rabbi was
molester (04/17/2007)
-
Letter from Rabbi Moshe
Heinemann (04/18/2007)
-
Baltimore Jewish Times-anonymous
insider (04/18/2007)
-
Have Baltimore's Rabbis Learned Their
Lesson? (04/18/2007)
-
A Letter to Rabbi Heinemann From A Survivor
Of Incest (04/23/2007)
-
"It takes a village to raise a sexual
predator" (04/24/2007)
-
Baltimore: A Time of Mourning and
Healing (04/25/2007)
-
Baltimore Roiled by Abuse Charge
Against Late Rabbi (04/27/2007)
-
Rabbi Elan Adler - Sermon on Sexual
Abuse in the Baltimore
Community (04/28/2007)
-
Rabbi Also Molested Girls
(05/04/2007)
-
But He's Dead
(05/04/2007)
-
Letter from Rabbi Moshe Heinemann
(05/09/2007)
-
Note From Phil Jacobs - Baltimore Jewish
Times (05/14/2007)
-
Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg - Sermon
on Sexual Abuse in the Baltimore Community
(05/24/2007)
2009
- Murray Levin's Testimony on SB 238 - Child Sexual Abuse (02/05/2009)
Related Cases:
- Case of Rabbi Yisroel Shapiro - Son of Ephraim Shapiro
-
Case of Rabbi Matis Weinberg
-
Case of Rabbi Moshe Eisemann
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jewish Museum of Baltimore
The Awareness Center, Inc. - March 18, 2007
http://www.jhsm.org/
Up until recently those who are survivors of any form
of childhood sexual abuse really had no voice -- especially those who were
molested by those with any form of authority or power within a community.
The following information is to provide information on the political
clout that surrounded Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro.
Rabbi Jacob Ruderman, Rabbi Herman Newberger, Rabbi Emmanuel Polliakoff, Rabbi Jacob Weinberg, and Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro entering the Bet Hamidrash, 1980. |
Wedding Annoucement 1
The Gettysburg Times - August 9, 1947
The ceremony will be performed by Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro,
Baltimore and Rabbi David L. Silver, Harrisburg. The bride, who will be given
in marriage by her ...
Wedding Annoucement 2
The Frederick News - June 12, 1952
(Frederick, Maryland) Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro officiated
at the six o'clock ceremony. A re- ception followed in the Synagogue parlors
with music by the Josef Neff orchestra. ...
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
CALL TO ACTION: Looking for Survivors of Rabbi
Shapiro from TA of Baltimore.
Unorthodox Jew - August 9, 2006
In the mid 70's in TA Baltimore there was a Rabbi Shapiro
(who lived with his wife in the TA dormitory building) who allegedly physically
and sexually molested the boys that resided in the TA dorm.
This Rabbi Shapiro would french kiss the boys, insert
his tounge into their mouths, or would physically force his fingers into
their mouths, he would lie down beside the boys on their beds, or would lay
down across the boys whistle constantly touching them all over their
bodies.
If you are a survivor of Rabbi Shapiro, or know of
anyone who might have been sexually victimized, please contact us at
tavictims @yahoo.com so that you
can be included in our future lawsuit against TA.
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Unnerving Touch
by Phil Jacobs, Executive Editor
Baltimore Jewish Times - MARCH 16, 2007
http://jewishtimes.com/Opinion/
There was plenty of herring, whitefish salad, pastries
and crackers to go around. There was coffee and for those that wanted,
wine.
Blessings were said over food and drinks.
Collective "amens" responded.
About 10 men sat on chairs around two tables. They
all seemed to be friends. They ranged in age from their 20s to 50s.
There was a D'var Torah given over the week's portion
Ki Tissa. It was a chabura or gathering after shul in this Pikesville
home.
Many of the men had something in common that made this
group unique here. Several told about the sexual or physical abuse they had
endured over the years as students at one of the area yeshivas. It wasn't
a one-time get-together. Some of them have been friends since childhood.
They know one another's stories almost by heart. Some tell their stories,
because it feels good to know they weren't the only victims.
On this cool, sunny morning, with men in black hats
and women pushing strollers just yards away on the street, a debate broke
out.
A businessman with rabbinic ordination had a friendly
confrontation with another friend, also a businessman. Both men, happily
married with families, had been sexually molested while teens by a now-deceased
rabbi (Ephraim Shapiro) of an area yeshiva and synagogue. It should be noted
that men as old as their mid-60s have contacted the Baltimore Jewish Times
about this man.
"He was a father figure to me," said one man. "How
can we talk just about the bad when he also did some good?"
"You are a textbook case," answered his
friendâ¤"â¤"as in "textbook denial."
Their stories were graphic, and might be too uncomfortable
for some people reading this publication.
Finally, the question posed to the businessman who
called the rabbi a "father figure:" Would he have permitted his own children
to be alone with this man? The answer: an unqualified "no."
There were plenty of other discussions. Only the name
of the rabbi would change. The stories of molestation, inappropriate touching
and intimidating glaring was a commonality.
One man joked that he was given good grades sometimes
for classes he never really took as long as he kept his mouth shut about
being molested at both the rabbi's home and school. Another said that should
the group write a book, it would be called "Touched by a Rabbi."
There was the issue of protectxia, Hebrew and Yiddish
for "protection." Their parents, they said, sometimes went to community leaders,
but little was done.
And then there was the hitting, a virtual black-
and-blue-board jungle of hitting and humiliation.
One man told of being six years old and placed in a
classroom trash can by his teacher.
Others spoke of being hit or poked. One man took his
hand, put four fingers together like a wedge and showed how his yeshiva teacher
would poke and hurt the students.
As lunch time approached, the crowd started to leave,
guests rolling up the plastic tablecloths and crumbs swept into the trash
can.
There was not much more to say today.
On the way home, the discussion turned to city politics.
And when the walkers started splitting off, one person's parting words: "When
I was in ninth grade, I was one of the smarter students. But then this happened,
and I started on the way down."
Or as one man had said minutes before: "I held this
in for 14 years until I was sitting in the car driving with my wife, and
I told her. The more I thought about it, the more I understood what happened
to me and to others. It's something that I think about now every day of my
life."
The men went home to their wives and children.
They'd sing Shabbat songs, give words of Torah, entertain
guests and return to shul for Mincha and Ma'ariv. The week would come and
go.
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____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Traditions That Must Be Broken
(2007) by Vicki Polin, MA, ATR, LCPC
Executive Director - The Awareness Center, Inc.
Recently the case of Rabbi Ephraim F. Shapiro has been
made public. It's not a new case it's one that's been kept as a deep
dark secret in the Baltimore Jewish community for over fifty years.
Over the last five years I have spoken to several survivors
of this alleged sex offender, many sharing their stories and struggles, yet
many were too afraid to mention his name -- even to me, let alone publicly.
You see Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro was a highly connected and respected
individual in the Jewish community of Baltimore. Think about it --
who would want to believe a child claiming molestation by this great and
powerful rebbe?
Most children who are survivors of childhood sexual
abuse never go on to molest other children, yet those who molest children
have often been victimized themselves.
Since the 1950's there have been new child molesters
named that have had a connection to the Baltimore community (i.e. Rabbi Matis
Weinberg, Rabbi
Ephraim
Bryks, Rabbi
Mordecai
Tendler, Rabbi Aron BoruchTendler, Rabbi
Moshe
Eisemann,
Shmuel
Juravel, etc.). I am not like many others who have wondered who molested
these alleged molesters? Could it have been Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro?
It's very possible that he had access to
Matis
Weinberg,
Ephraim
Bryks, Aron Boruch Tendler as children. I don't have the answer to that question
and I am not attempting to make excuses for alleged or convicted sex
offenders. I'm just trying to put a puzzle together that has been playing
out in my head for years.
I too am a survivor of
childhood
sexual abuse. One of my offenders was also sent away to a boarding
school when he was very young. At one time this offender disclosed
to me that he was gang raped several times by a group of older students at
his school. I am not unlike the survivors in Baltimore or from any
other community. I too am afraid of naming my offender. I too
am still in a place of protecting the identities of those who harmed me.
As strange as it may sound there are times I'm thankful
to my offenders for what they did to me, without them I would not be doing
what I do today. I doubt that I would have been dedicated to my life
to educating our communities and or protecting others. I might have
ended up being an interior designer instead.
I am not unlike many of the survivors of Rabbi Ephraim
Shapiro. I too ask myself, what will it take for me to publicly name
my offenders? I can't expect other survivors to do something that I
myself still have not done, yet I totally honor and respect them when they
do.
What's most important for us all to remember is that
we can as a people stop these sorts of crimes from happening. We need
to honor and respect those who come forward and share their experiences.
We need to honor and respect those who advocate for the truth to be told.
We all need to be honest and caring. We have all been victimized each
and every time a child is abused. We all need to be kind to ourselves and
do what it takes to protect one more child from being harmed.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Abuse in Our Community
Vaad Harabbonim (The Rabbinical Council of Greater
Baltimore) - April 11, 2007
The following letter was originally created as part
of an agreement between the administration at Ner Israel Rabbinical College
and ta few of the "alleged" survivors of
Rabbi Moshe
Eisemann.
Due to the knowledge that the Baltimore Jewish Times
was going to continue with their series on sexual abuse in the Baltimore
community, the administration at Ner Israel encouraged various rabbis on
the Vaad Harabbonim (Board of Rabbis) to sign the letter.
There is no subject more painful for us to discuss
than the issue of sexual abuse within our community. Yet at this point we
believe it is the subject most necessary to address. We must acknowledge
that this horrible form of abuse exists — and has existed for generations
— in our community as well. This issue must be confronted directly and
we believe that this discussion can be a first step towards the necessary
and achievable goal of ridding our community of this scourge.
We feel it essential to discuss this matter directly
with you, as the greatest allies of the abuser are ignorance and silence.
The abuser preys on people who cannot understand that what he is doing to
them is so very wrong. And the abuser thrives in an environment where he
is confident that his victims will not report what they have experienced
or where their reports of abuse will not be taken seriously. We therefore
urge you to discuss this matter in a sensitive and non-alarming manner with
your children so that they will clearly understand that they should forcefully
refuse and immediately report inappropriate touch. They need to know that
should, Heaven forbid, something like this ever occur to them, they will
have somewhere to turn. And if they turn to you, you must respond
compassionately, deliberately and with competent rabbinic and/or professional
guidance, understanding that the thoughtful measure of your response will
have enormous impact on your child's future.
We feel additionally compelled to discuss this issue
openly in order to assist — in some small way — in the healing
of survivors. Abuse often creates terrible confusion in the minds of its
victims who may not understand the terrible wrong they have experienced,
or who may blame themselves for the abuse. Addressing the issue clearly and
definitively allows survivors of abuse to see that our contempt is reserved
for those who violated them, whereas they — the survivors — are
so richly deserving of our compassion and our respect.
We cannot speak with certainty to the prevalence of
abuse in our community. It is clear however that any single abuser will often
have many victims. Those who abuse within the family — and this horror
absolutely does happen — often victimize numerous family members. A
coach, camp counselor, teacher, principal or rabbi who abuses his charges
throughout his career has had the opportunity to abuse hundreds of children.
We can say without question that across the nation we have had prolific abusers
in these positions, and consequently, we have hundreds of survivors in our
communities.
The damage that abuse can cause is devastating and
potentially life altering: it commonly ruins an individual's sense of self,
their ability to trust others, and their ability to engage in a healthy intimate
relationship. Furthermore, there is a growing consensus amongst mental health
professionals serving the observant community that many of our "teens-at-risk"
issues were generated by incidents of abuse, The risks of suicide, alcohol
and drug abuse and other self-destructive behaviors are all increased
dramatically by abuse.
As such it is already well established by our own Poskim
that an abuser is to be considered a Rodef (literally, a pursue"), effectively
poised to destroy innocent lives and, therefore, virtually all means may
be used to stop him and bring him to justice. Communities and day schools
— with the blessing of Gedolei Yisroel — have encouraged and
facilitated the reporting of these crimes to the local authorities, who are
most equipped to investigate and prosecute these complex claims.
In the past, many mistakes were made in handling these
situations. Abusers were often not recognized for what they were, as it was
too difficult to believe that otherwise good people could do such things,
nor was it sufficiently appreciated what damage such acts could cause. It
was often thought that if the abuser was spoken to or warned, and perhaps
moved to a different environment, he would never do these things again. In
responding this way many terrible mistakes were made arid tragic consequences
resulted. We have seen too often the immediate or eventual failure of these
"behind-the-scenes agreements" to keep the perpetrators away from others.
Naïveté and a lack of understanding of the insidious nature of
these perpetrators have allowed the toll of victims to rise. These failures
haunt us — but they also motivate us to respond more effectively and
wisely in the future.
An abuser is not simply a lustful person, plagued by
a Taavah — a desire — that can be addressed with sincere Teshuva.
He has a severe illness, that may be incurable, and that is at best enormously
difficult to manage. Publicizing his status as an abuser — while causing
enormous damage to his own family — may be the only way to truly protect
the community from him.
Can we produce the same result — safety for the
community — without going public? We do not know if we can. We do know
that we as rabbis are not qualified to manage the behavior of such a person
such that we can confidently say that he poses no threat to his community.
Understanding, treating and managing this illness is a highly complex field
that we are not properly trained in. There are specialized professionals
in this area whose experience and expertise we must call upon to guide us.
They — as experts in this most complex field — may consider specific
situations to be safely manageable using a professionally designed —
and consistently and vigilantly guided — protocol for the individual
abuser. But in many cases the most effective method to protect the community
will be in publicizing the abuser's identity. In all situations we must be
mindful that our obligation to protect future potential victims of sexual
abuse is paramount.
A final word about false accusations: We are very sensitive
about the possibility of false accusations which, themselves, cause enormous
pain and damage. This obliges us, therefore, to ensure at the outset that
claims and counterclaims are investigated objectively and fairly by those
most trained and equipped to do so.
The issues discussed here are most complex and very
painful. But they must be discussed and this problem must be addressed.
Allow us to summarize with a few action points.
1. We must educate our children about inappropriate
touch, so that they will clearly understand that they should forcefully refuse
and immediately report inappropriate touch.
2. Credible concerns of abuse must be reported to the
authorities who have the expertise, experience and wisdom to thoroughly and
responsibly investigate them. We — as Rabbonim — are committed
to facilitating and supporting this process.
3. We must have — and we are in the process of
developing — a clear approach to protecting our community, both here
and elsewhere, from established or strongly suspected abusers. This approach
could possibly include a professionally designed — and consistently
and vigilantly guided — management protocol for the individual. Many
situations will require the drastic step of publicizing the identity and
the dangers posed by the perpetrator.
Effective action can really go a long way. If we can
begin to approach this issue wisely and confidently we can create a climate
where abuse would rarely occur and where, if it does happen, it would always
be addressed promptly.
We pray that Hashem spare us such tragedies in the
future, and that He grant us the wisdom and the courage to responsibly address
the threats we currently face.
Signed
1. Rabbi Elan Adler, Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah
Hebrew Congregation
2. Rabbi Reuben Arieh, Ohr HaMizrach Congregation
3. Rabbi Menachem Goldberger, Congregation Tiferes
Yisroel
4. Rabbi Emanuel Goldfeiz, Congregation Beit
Yaakov
5. Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb, Cong. Shmorei Emunah
6. Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Bnai Jacob Shaarei Zion
7. Rabbi Dovid Haber, KAYTT and Star-K
8. Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Agudath Israel of Baltimore
and Star-K
9. Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, Sheiris Yisroel
10. Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan, Chabad Lubavitch of
Baltimore
11. Rabbi Nesanel Kostelitz, Machzikei Torah Congregation
and the Community Kollel
12. Rabbi Chaim Landau, Ner Tamid
13. Rabbi Elchonon Lisbon, Bais Lubavitch - Chabad
of Park Heights
14. Rabbi Sheftel Neuberger, Ner Israel Rabbinical
College and High School
15. Rabbi Gavriel Newman, Beth Jacob Congregation
16. Rabbi Shlomo Salfer, Winands Road Synagogue
Center
17. Rabbi Jonathan Seidemann, Kehilath B'nai Torah
18. Rabbi Simcha Shafran, Adath Yeshurun and the Bais
Din of Baltimore
19. Rabbi Mordechai Shuchatowitz, Agudath Israel of
Greenspring and Av Beis Din of
Baltimore
Baltimore
20. Rabbi Shmuel Silber, Suburban Orthodox
21. Rabbi Amrom Taub, Arugas Habosem Congregation
22. Rabbi Y. Zvi Weiss, Bais Haknesses of
Baltimore
23. Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg, Beth Tfiloh
Additional signatures will be appended later, as not all of the Rabbis were available during the Pesach season.
--------------------------------------
Regarding The Letter From
The Vaad
By Vicki Polin
The Awarenss Center's Daily News Letter - April 14,
2007
I want everyone to see the excellent letter that was
sent out to the Jewish community of Baltimore. I was totally amazed when
I read it.
There are some minor things that need to be address,
yet on a whole the letter is what each and every Jewish community should
be publishing.
I want to stress that the correct term that should
be used when addressing those who commit sexual offences is either "sex offender"
or "offender." This will help everyone from distinguishing the difference
between those who abuse their spouses.
We also need to be aware that it is not just men who
can be "offenders." The Awareness Center has worked with many survivors where
the offender was a woman, including mothers. We have also had cases where
the offender is a child or adolescent. An example of this is the case of
Shmuel Juravel. When the offender is a minor they could be sexually reactive.
Another words acting out what's happened to them. In these cases, if caught
early enough a child stands a chance of learning new behaviors to cope.
If a parent would like some help in learning how to
talk to their children about sexual abuse or if they want books for children
to read on the topic, please feel free to contact us and we will do our best
to guide you in the right direction. The Awareness Center also posts suggested
books on our web page: http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/books.html
I personally want to thank all of the rabbis in the
Baltimore community who have signed the letter and also those who have not
been given the opportunity yet to sign the letter yet want to. This is a
major step in the right direction.
Click here to read
the original
letter
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Rabbi's Abuse Victims Suffer Years Later
By Phil Jacobs
Baltimore Jewish Times - April 13, 2007
This article is part of a continuing series on child
molestation within the Jewish community.
Photographer Murray Levin has looked through his camera
lenses countless times, capturing Jewish weddings, bar mitzvahs and other
joyous events. The one "picture," however, he can't stop focusing on isn't
in his camera but in his 64-year-old memory.
It's an image of a bar mitzvah lesson at the old Agudas
Achim Synagogue. It's the shame that came along with his teacher, the
now-deceased Rabbi Ephraim F. Shapiro, placing his hand down the 12-year-old
Murray Levin's pants and fondling him.
With at least half a dozen maftir lessons came the
rabbi's touch.
But it wasn't just Murray Levin.
The former Talmudical Academy principal, by one influential
Baltimore rabbi's estimate, molested hundreds of times.
Bob Glickstein, 65, another survivor of Rabbi Shapiro's
fondlings, figures it could be thousands. One thing that hasn't survived
for Mr. Glickstein is any connection to Judaism. Living now in Vero Beach,
Fla., this yoga instructor calls his bar mitzvah day "the worst day of my
life, because I had to have Rabbi Shapiro there."
Mr. Glickstein married out of the faith, had a child
and raised him as a non-Jew. He not so jokingly calls himself an
"anti-Semite."
This was part of the cost of Rabbi Shapiro's
actions.
Rabbi Shapiro, who died in April 1989, remains "alive"
in the memories of so many. His collateral damage is everywhere. A weekly
Kiddush of respected businessmen meets, and the topic invariably turns to
the sexual molestation the rabbi heaped on many of them.
Several local rabbis recently expressed profound compassion
for the victims, encouraging them to seek qualified, professional help. Indeed,
at two major Orthodox synagogues on the last day of Passover, rabbis spoke
from the pulpit on the issue of child molestation. The Vaad Ha Rabbonim in
a meeting last week issued a statement to the community condemning sexual
molestation and supporting survivors to seek help.
The following are interviews with three of the rabbi's
"survivors."
If you are a survivor or if you know of someone who
survived any sexual molestation, you have an audience here.
Murray Levin
The way Murray Levin sees it, sexual predators live
in a world of "no risk and total reward."
Organized Judaism be it congregations,
schools or community groups buries this news or distracts,
he said.
"I don't think they see themselves getting apprehended,"
Mr. Levin said of predators. "They are bright people, great communicators
and intellectual. And they will continue until we bring out the trauma they
cause. We have to create an environment that shows them they can't continue
without severe consequences."
Mr. Levin held his molestation in for decades. He does
not want anyone else to hold back. Most of all, he sees it as a calling that
older survivors must do what they can to protect all future generations,
even if it means "teaching little children to speak out."
"Families," he said, "are going to have to speak up.
We have to become the predator of the predators."
Mr. Levin was molested by Rabbi Shapiro and by one
other person connected to the Agudas Achim Synagogue in the 3600 block of
Reisterstown Road near Cold Spring Lane. He was studying for his bar mitzvah,
which would take place at Shaarei Zion Synagogue.
"Rabbi Shapiro was grooming me with French kissing
and masturbation," said Mr. Levin.
Mr. Levin kept it all quiet. He didn't know that there
was a possibility of someone else involved until four years after his bar
mitzvah. He was watching a football game on TV with a couple of friends.
The friends pretended to tackle one another like football players, and one
of them randomly said, "Rabbi Shapiro stuck his fingers in my ass."
That was Mr. Levin's first clue that he wasn't
alone.
In between his molestation, Mr. Levin who would lead junior services in shul and who described himself as a gifted
and talented child, captain of the safety patrol, and concert master of his
high school orchestra began to fall internally. His image of
self, his trust in boundaries and other people failed.
To this day, even though he makes a great deal of his
living photographing the Jewish community, Mr. Levin wonders what might have
been with his life had it not been violated.
"Many of us are still hiding," he said with a quiet
voice.
"To me, anybody could be a pedophile," he said. "Everybody
who works with or who is near our children need to be scrutinized. I want
everyone to be aware of who you pass responsibility of your children to.
I would like to see these predators at least be given an opportunity for
rehabilitation, to be useful. But they have to be compelled to seek help.
Also, people need to know who the pedophiles are, if they are alive or if
they are dead. "
Bob Glickstein
He doesn't want much to do with Judaism.
He can still "feel" the texture of Rabbi Shapiro's
mustache against his face when he was being kissed.
Bob Glickstein's Jewish "upbringing" ended during his
bar mitzvah lessons with Rabbi Shapiro at Agudas Achim.
"He used religion to molest young boys," said Mr.
Glickstein.
Mr. Glickstein talks candidly in a Vero Beach coffee
bar called Cacophony. He has only told a couple of people about his
molestation.
But he wants the word out there now.
"Rabbi Shapiro knew what he was doing," said Mr.
Glickstein. "He had a boys group he called the Akiba Boys of Agudas Achim.
They would do chores around the shul. But meanwhile, he was molesting them.
He had a system of bar mitzvah lessons that would feed into his molestation.
Everything he did was about molesting boys.
"It was a horrific experience," he added. "He would
call me into his office. He'd start playing with you."
It was difficult for Mr. Glickstein to continue. He
sat up straight, perhaps finding confidence in a yoga posture, and he remembered
some more.
He called his bar mitzvah the worst day of his life,
because Rabbi Shapiro was in attendance. The rabbi was also at his father's
funeral.
Mr. Glickstein kept it to himself, yet he used it as
part of his influence to start looking into other religions, such as Eastern
religions. A short marriage to a non-Jew resulted in a son, whom he raised
out of the faith.
There was nothing joking about this comment on his
face. "I am basically anti-Semitic," he said. "I like Jews, but I just need
to stay away from them [as a result of his molestations].
"There's always been a lot of fear and anger in my
life that comes as a result of Rabbi Shapiro's actions," he said. "There's
never a time that passes that I don't think about him. There's anger and
there's fear."
Mr. Glickstein said that he's always had difficulty
since the molestations, which happened four to six times, when it comes to
authority figures and establishing close relationships.
David Framowitz
David Framowitz was an 11th-grade Talmudical Academy
student from Brooklyn, N.Y., boarding in the school's dormitory. He said
he was molested by Rabbi Shapiro on three separate occasions.
When Rabbi Shapiro attempted a fourth try, the high
school junior threatened to kill the rabbi.
Mr. Framowitz, 49, remembers that Rabbi Shapiro was
the dormitory counselor. He would lie in the beds of students, reaching to
fondle them. And it was common he'd try to kiss them on the lips.
Mr. Framowitz, who now lives in Israel, was a major
source for a New York Magazine article last year based on his $20 million
federal lawsuit against Rabbi Yehudah Kolko and Yeshiva Torah Temimah of
Flatbush in Brooklyn. (Mr. Framowitz said Rabbi Kolko molested him when he
was around 12.)
"I became a student for seven months [at] TA in Baltimore,"
said Mr. Framowitz. "I had Rabbi Shapiro attack me three times. The last
time I told him, ŨYou touch me one more time, I'll kill
you.'
"He was the dorm counselor. He'd walk around and French
kiss boys, poke them with his fingers. He'd lie across you when you were
in bed. He'd play with you."
Mr. Framowitz would tell his mother, who insisted he
leave TA immediately. None of the other boys he knew wanted to discuss Rabbi
Shapiro.
He then gave several reasons why people stay so silent.
"There's a fear factor," he said. "There's a worry over shidduchim [finding
a match for marriage]. ŨWhat are the neighbors going to say?
It can't happen to a nice Jewish family. A rabbi doesn't do these things,
especially a frum rabbi. There's something wrong with the boy. It's not the
Jewish way, it's not the frum way. It can't be.'"
Last September during a visit to Baltimore, Mr. Framowitz
decided to pay an unscheduled visit to Talmudical Academy. It was his first
time there since 1974.
He met with Rabbi Yehuda Lefkowitz, the school's executive
director. "I told Rabbi Lefkowitz that I was a victim of Shapiro's," said
Mr. Framowitz. "I told him I thought there should be some sort of monetary
scholarship fund to pay for the therapy of the victims."
Rabbi Lefkowitz informed the school's board, and grimly
said "nobody took it as a joking matter."
Mr. Framowitz said he thinks there are well over 1,000
people who were molested by Rabbi Shapiro.
"The guy was a real sicko," said Mr. Framowitz. "He
was worse than Kolko. I've made it through my life, but this is something
you don't forget ever. It's always with you, always there. And if I'm not
busy or not doing things, my mind wanders back to those days."
Rabbi Shapiro Is Deceased. Why Print This?
"He can't defend himself."
"He's deceased, what difference does it make now?"
"This is an embarrassment to his family."
These are just three of the reasons why we were asked
not to print the name of the deceased Rabbi Ephraim F. Shapiro. Pikesville
area mental health professionals offer suggestions to several concerns.
"He can't defend himself."
He died in 1989. He was eulogized before 700 people
as a "man of deep religious devotion, Torah scholarship and gentle kindnesses,
to his family, his students and to many in the community."
There are estimates of hundreds of molestation victims
who weren't able to "defend" themselves while the rabbi was alive. There
are young men whose lives were changed forever because of his acts. Some
of these men are more figuratively "dead" than Rabbi Shapiro will ever be.
They need our help, compassion and therapeutic assistance. It wasn't their
fault. They can perhaps heal now.
"He's deceased, what difference does it make now?
Survivors may find answers and empowerment if they
know that their molester was actually a survivor of Rabbi Shapiro's. Mental
health professionals are legally obligated to report deceased perpetrators
to Protective Services. The ensuing investigations focus on all of the
perpetrator's survivors, and the subsequent possibility that they have or
are currently molesting children as well. Given the reality that survivors
are vulnerable to molesting others, and the cycle continues to perpetuate
itself, it is imperative that the names of all perpetrators dead and alive are
disclosed.
"This is an embarrassment to his family."
The models of discussion and behind-the-scenes declarations
against molestation are not working, suggest one therapist, especially in
the Orthodox community. At best, a person is taken away from a setting of
teaching children, or sometimes sent out of town. Arrests, the courage of
a survivor to charge his molester, don't happen a great deal of the
time.
Names.
Perhaps if a pedophile knows that this is now about
names and his association to names of innocent relatives. Perhaps, just perhaps,
that will keep another child safe for a day.
Who Was Rabbi Shapiro?
Rabbi Ephraim F. Shapiro was the former principal of
Talmudical Academy. His April 1989 funeral services were held at the Old
Court Road yeshiva.He was 72 when he died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,
or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Rabbi Shapiro was the son of Russian immigrants. He
was born on New York's Lower East Side. A graduate of the Rabbi Jacob Joseph
School and Yeshiva University, Rabbi Shapiro came to Baltimore in 1941 as
spiritual leader of Congregation Agudas Achim.
He left in 1955 to become rabbi of a congregation in
New Rochelle, N.Y. Two years later, he returned here to become the rabbi
at the Tifereth Israel Anshe Sphard Congregation on Dolfield Avenue. He held
that position until 1968.
In addition, he served as principal of TA, as well
as working as a guidance counselor and a dorm counselor. When he retired
in 1982, he was honored for 25 years of service to the yeshiva.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Baltimore's Shalom USA talks about sexual abuse
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Baltimore's Shalom USA talks about sexual abuse
Jewish Survivors of Sexual Violence Speaks Out - April
15, 2006
http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2007/04/baltimores-shalom-usa-talks-about.html
Early this morning Phil Jacobs, Murray Levin and Yacov
Margolese spoke out on Shalom USA.
The Show starts off with Phil Jacobs, senior editor
of The Baltimore Jewish Times coming out as a Survivor of childhood sexual
abuse. Phil states that he had to wait until he was therapeutically ready
to write about the topic. He said that he doesn't care about the issue of
lashon hara. The issue is about children being protected, that's the real
issue.
Murray Levin is know for his photography business.
He was profiled on page 16 of the Baltimore Jewish Times as being survivor
of Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro. What assisted him to go public is that there is
people of a new generation being effected by the same offender.
Murray stated, there are people much, much younger
then him going public. He had to fulfil his obligation of also coming forward.
It's not just to address the issue of clergy sexual abuse, but every pedophile.
It's our parents who have been effective, brothers effective. Murray said
that he never told his family until a month ago. Murray is now 64
years-old.
DJ asked Murray, why couldn't he just move on with
his life and let it go?
Murray stated his fear, embarrassment and shame were
what kept him quiet. These are the same issues that keep other survivors
quiet. He said he was not sure what to do when he was 11 or 12 years old.
He then went on to talked about the statement put out by the rabbinical council
of greater Baltimore. "The first sentence there is no subject more painful
then the issue of sexual abuse."
Murray went on to say that the Rabbinical council only
coming out now because there is shame on their side. Now we need to move
past this and we need rehabilitation of survivors and the offenders.
DJ said that Murray looks like he's in fine shape.
Murray stated, what I've recognized in the last 6 months,
we are effected in different ways. He was lucky. People abused in home never
get a break. Every survivor is effective differently. It was burred deep
inside me. I got a break because I wasn't being abused at home.
Yacov Margolese stated that, "I am a survivor of sexual
abuse". Yacov got silent.
Murray said that Yacov is much younger then he is.
This is a problem that is multi generation.
DJ said, Yacov earlier started to organize a group
of survivors. attempting to bring this issue to others in the community.
Yacov said, My abuse started when I was 4 at the mikvah.
I don't know who my first offender was. It happened in NY. I moved to Baltimore
at 13. I was abused again in Baltimore. This time my perpetrator was a woman,
and then again by someone else (Shmuel Juraval).
We went to rabbis to get things fixed. I myself personally
did not go to all the rabbis, others also went and were met denial. Most
of the rabbis stated it's not molestation, the perpetrators are going to
get married, he's going to yeshiva -- he's going to be fine, he won't molest
again. No one who went directly to the rabbis felt they were being taken
seriously.
Yacov went on to say: Today there is a tremendous lack
of education. My parents also were clueless in how to deal with this. When
Shmuel Juravel was arrested and convicted. I knew it was time to bring it
back to our community. I knew it was time for there to be a change. I reached
out to other survivors.
Larry Cohen, Shalom USA asked: What about the
enablers?
Phil Jacobs said, it seems to be the big elephant in
the room. How could people not know about all of this. What about people
in authority who refused to act?
Larry Cohen said, Should these rabbis and community
leaders who refused to act still be in leadership roles today?
Yacov Margolese said, a year ago survivors told their
stories to a group of rabbis. About 20 people telling their stories on a
Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.
Phil Jacobs said, my abuse happened 30 - 40 years ago,
you can't get the taste of fire out. In my case I can not go into a public
bath room. My life Lisa practically has to walk in there with me. Who's a
friend who's not a friend. Authority figures that's what it gets into.
Larry Cohen said, the Board of rabbi issued a statement.
What about the non-orthodox movement. Is anything happening. This is not
just an orthodox issue.
Phil Jacobs said, Children getting molested. Google
Judge Hammerman. I wrote about him. He was connected to a reform
synagogue.
Caller Rhonda: It took me a long time to say I was
abused by my mom's friend. I was also abused by my husband while living in
Monsey. My ex husband was molesting me. It was very hard for me to get it
out.
Caller Rabbi Mark Dratch said, I have no idea how big
the problem is. I talked to a woman was abused who was abused in the hallway
of his synagogue. I deals mostly with halachic issues, which are important
in the orthodox world. He continued on by saying lashon hara does not mean
that we can never speak badly about anyone.
Yacov Margolese said: In the office of the Northwest
Citizen's Patrol (NWCP), there is a wall with photographs of criminals, yet
has no photos' of those who molest children. Instead they have been handling
these cases in a quiet way. Yacov stated the letter from the Vaad is nothing
more then a miracle. great step forward.
Murray Levin said: I want to mention that over the
last Vicki Polin of The Awareness Center invited me to go to testify at a
senate hearing. Ever since she's been mentoring me. the center. For anyone
who needs help, the phone number of The Awareness Center is:
443-857-5560.
Caller Rabbi Dratch stated: Should someone go to the
rabbis or the police first? This is a complicated question. I have a lot
of respect with the rabbis I spoke to. I don't want to go against the rabbis
of Baltimore. We have a letter from various rabbis saying that we are obligated
to go to law enforcement first, prior to the rabbis.
Larry Cohen said: I'm very much confused with my feelings.
Rabbi Ehraim Shapiro married me and my wife, got me my job. guided me in
a positive way. People are torn on rabbis who do good to one, yet do horrible
things to others.
Murray Levin: Briefly discussed a meeting with Phil
Jacobs, Bob Glickstein and two of the sons of Ephraim Shapiro. During the
meeting he asked the two sons if anyone in the family was molested. The sons
said no, yet
disclosed
that one of their brothers had to take a new assignment away from teaching
bar mitzvah lessions due to their brothers was molesting children.
Caller: Vicki Polin of The Awareness Center said that
Murray Levin, Yacov Margolese, Bob Glickstein and Phil Jacobs should be seen
as hero's for coming out and telling the story in the Baltimore Jewish Times.
She continued on saying that when the four men walk into a room everyone
should stand up and give them a round of applause.
Vicki went on to state that one out of every 3 - 5
women and one out of every 5-7 men are survivors of child sexual abuse. She
stated a more recent study stated that 25% of all Americans are survivors
of childhood molestation. Pedophilia is not about religion.
She said every parent should teach their children about
good touch/bad touch. There are suggested books on The Awareness Center's
web page for both parents and children of all ages. Parents need to teach
their children that the parts of their bodies covered by a bathing suit are
parts of their bodies that are private.
Caller: Rose said that the letter from the Vaad is
just a paper. It has no meaning without an action plan behind it.
Caller: Max said the Jewish community is small. When
we bleed on the tallis, everyone sees it. We are like the Catholic church.
We all need to go you have to go to the authorities. We have got to get the
predators out of the schools.
Caller: Moshe said my wife has been abusing our children
for years. The rabbis of Baltimore, Child Protective Services, therapist
and family courts have failed to protect my children. Last time my wife abused
the children was on yom tov. She took a knife and cut his daughter. He's
gotten no help from rabbis. Numerous cases of the abuse reported. The courts
and the rabbis have been impotent. What am I supposed to do?
Murray Levin said, Moshe it doesn't take place in your
family, call Jewish times, Vicki Polin at Awareness Center, Yacov
Margolese.
Yacov Margolese said, if you have or think you were
molested. reach out to myself or other here or other resources.
Phil Jacobs said, let's keep the conversation going.
Let's keep coming back and talking about it.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jewish Times: Rabbi was molester
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jewish Times: Rabbi was molester
The Baltimore Examiner - Apr 17, 2007
by
Luke Broadwater
(TheAwarenessCenter.org) Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro,
who died in 1989, is accused of molesting hundreds of people but was never
charged with a crime.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Baltimore Jewish Times Editor
Neil Rubin knew his paper's Friday article detailing sexual abuse allegations
against a deceased rabbi would be controversial. But running the article,
he says, was the right thing to do.
In the April 13 article "Rabbi's Abuse Victims Suffer
Years Later," investigative editor Phil Jacobs recounted the stories of three
people who say they were abused by Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro, the former principal
of Talmudical Academy. Shapiro died in 1989.
According to some estimates, Shapiro molested hundreds,
the article states.
"He was never charged with anything," Rubin says of
Shapiro. "To the best of our knowledge, he was never publicly accused of
anything before this. We talked to many people on the record, many people
who were not in the story. Many people knew about this. It was one of those
unspoken things in the community."
Since the article ran, the Jewish Times has received
some backlash, Rubin said.
"We can't say definitively whether they're true or
not true," Rubin says of the allegations. "We anguished over it. I had relatives
who grew up under this guy's tutelage. My mother said to me, `You broke my
heart. I understand why you did it, but you broke my heart.' "
Jacobs first started reporting the article some seven
years ago, but ramped up efforts within the past nine months, Rubin
said.
"Meeting with family members, Phil felt very strongly
that one of things that's not written about is the impact on the victims,"
Rubin said. "And he's given them a voice."
The Jewish Times included in its story a rebuttal to
expected criticism, under the headline: "Rabbi Shapiro Is Deceased. Why Print
This?"
"There are estimates of hundreds of molestation victims
who weren't able to `defend' themselves while the rabbi was alive," the Jewish
Times wrote. "There are young men whose lives were changed forever because
of his acts. Some of these men are more figuratively `dead' than Rabbi Shapiro
will ever be."
Rubin said he knew the story would upset some
people.
"We have some very angry people now," he said. "We
have some people who are quietly saying, `Way to go, me too.' People were
coming up to me and asking me about this story. People are saying, `How dare
you.' Nobody's saying it's wrong. "
Despite the criticism, Rubin says his paper is
undeterred.
"We're going to be doing follow-ups," he said.
"This was not a hit-and-run. We're having the conversation
that we need to have," Rubin said.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Letter from Rabbi Moshe
Heinemann
Letter by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann - April 15, 2007
Note from Vicki Polin - April 17, 2007
The Following letter was posted in Agudath Israel of
Baltimore by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann as a reaction to the Baltimore Jewish
Times publishing a story regarding
Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro. During a meeting with Rabbi Heinemann he disclosed
that his issue with the Jewish Times was with the fact that Rabbi
Ephraim
Shapiro had passed away and that he could not be offered the opportunity
to defend himself. He also added that over the years the Baltimore Jewish
Times has been repeatedly
"Orthodox
bashing". He went to on to say that this was not fair to the family members
of Shapiro who did nothing wrong, and it would hurt family members chances
of getting a good shiddach (marriage partner). Please note that Phil Jacobs,
author of the
series
on sexual abuse in the Jewish community and is the senior editor of Baltimore
Jewish Times is an orthodox Jew.
Letter from Rabbi Moshe Heinemann Banning the Baltimore Jewish Times |
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Baltimore Jewish Times - anonymous insider
By Anonymous Insider
April 18, 2007
Truth be told:
Up until the last minute, the Baltimore rabbis were
hoping we would cancel the story, and they would therefore find no need to
send out their letter.
We were urged not to go to press, but Neil decided
to push forward. The final straw was UOJ's (blogger - Unorthodox Jew) publishing
of the abridged version of the article. They knew they were in trouble and
mailed out the letter right after yom-tov.
UOJ is indeed correct, the rabbis were coerced in to
the mailing, they would never have mailed it out if not for the story being
published.
Rabbi Heinemann's conduct exemplifies the worst of
the rabbinate by posting the shameful note in his shul. He should be severely
chastised for his double-speak.
We will continue to publish and publicize these crimes
and will not be intimidated.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Have Baltimore's Rabbis Learned Their
Lesson?
By Failed Messiah
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2007/04/have_baltimores.html#comments
Phil Jacobs of the Baltimore Jewish Times wrote a piece
that detailed the years of rabbi-on-boy sexual abuse perpetrated by Baltimore's
Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro. He interviewed many survivors and published their
stories. This exposé is what many people believe provoked the haredi
rabbis of Baltimore to issue the letter (found in a post a few below this
one) that urges people to go to the proper "authorities" to report abuse,
and notes rabbis are not trained to investigate claims or handle rehab.
Now Baltimore's leading rabbi, Moshe Heinemann of Star-K
fame, who signed that letter, has written another letter and, The Awareness
Center's Vicki Polin reports via email, posted it in his synagogue. Here
is what that letter says:
"Based on last week's vicious article (regarding rabbi
Ephraim Shapiro) in the Baltimore Jewish Times and other articles of the
past, it is my opinion that it is totally inappropriate for this publication
to be found in any Jewish home." -- Rabbi Moshe Heinemann
In other words, Rabbi Heinemann is punishing Phil Jacobs
and the Baltimore Jewish Times for reporting on haredi criminal activity
and the ensuing years of coverups.
Baltimore's Orthodox community is very large and
influential. Rabbi Heinemann's ban, which surely will quickly spread beyond
his synagogue to others and, more importantly, to advertisers – especially
to those advertisers using Star-K supervision.
It is my opinion that – in light of Rabbi Heinemann's
thuggish behavior – we should enact a ban of our own. From now on, do
not eat any Star-K products. Tell your local supermarket not to buy products
with Star-K supervision. Let's do everything in our power to teach Rabbi
Heinemann the lesson he sorely needs to learn.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
A Letter to Rabbi Heinemann From A Survivor Of
Incest
Jewish Survivors of Sexual Violence Speak Out - April
23, 2007
http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2007/04/letter-to-rabbi-heinemann-from-survivor.html
Dear Rabbi Heinemann,
I do not feel comfortable calling you on the phone
or mailing my letter directly to you. I am hoping someone reading this will
print out my letter and hand it directly to you.
I read the note you put up in your synagogue and have
been reading on the various blogs that you do not feel that Rabbi Ephraim
Shapiro's name should have been mentioned in the Baltimore Jewish Times article
because Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro is no longer alive and can't defend himself
and also because we should be protecting the family members of sex
offenders.
I want to let you know that I am a family member of
a sex offender. I am also an incest survivor. I tried many times growing
up to get help and no one would listen. When I approached various rabbis
asking for help, they seemed more concerned about protecting my father's
good name then they were in stopping the insanity that was going on in my
home. I was told over and over again that my father was a good person. That
I should just try to get along with my family better.
No one cared that I was suicidal. No one cared that
I often slept in a park as a way to prevent my father from raping me at
night.
Rabbi Heinemann, I went to you twice trying to ask
you for help and you told me you didn't believe me. The first time I was
twelve. The second time I was over eighteen. Why is it that you care more
about my father then you did about me?
Please remember every incest survivor is a family member
of a sex offender. We also deserve to have a voice!
Sincerely,
Sara Rivka Rachel Leah
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
"It takes a village to raise a sexual predator"
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
"It takes a village to raise a sexual predator"
By Jewish Survivors Blogger
Jewish Survivors of Sexual Violence Speak Out! - April
24, 2007
Vicki Polin has said it a million times: "It takes a village to raise a sexual predator"
I think the rabbonim of New York, Baltimore, Chicago
and Los Angeles need to be aware that the problem we have with sexual predators
is on them. The warnings signs were there, yet they choose to lead our
communities to ignore them. It's been much easier for them to blame survivors
of sex crimes.
It's vitally important that all survivors and parents
of survivors to make police reports on those who offend. It's not up to our
rabbis to conduct investigations. It is also important that survivors of
sex crimes file civil suits against those who offend and also those who enable
them to continue to rape our men, women and children.
It is time for all Jewish survivors of sexual abuse,
sexual assault, clergy sexual abuse, sexual manipulation to unite. There
is power in numbers. Don't allow those who ignored our cries to divide and
conquer us anymore. Start self-help groups in your community and start networking
with others. We do not need to be alone anymore. Use the law of the land
and not the politics of our religious leaders.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Baltimore: A Time of Mourning and
Healing
by Vicki Polin, Executive Director
The Awareness Center, Inc. - April 25, 2007
Throughout the month of April, 2007 there has been
a heightened awareness of child sexual abuse in the Baltimore Jewish
Community.
On April 11th the Vaad Harabbonim's (Rabbinical Council
of Greater Baltimore)
published a
letter that was sent to homes of many community members. Next came the
Baltimore Jewish Times article exposing Rabbi Ephraim
Shapiro's alleged past of being a serial child molester. Almost immediately
after the publishing of the article, Rabbi Moshe Heinemann
reacted by posting a sign in his synagogue banning the newspaper. The
Awareness Center believes that The Baltimore Jewish Times is the only Jewish
newspaper in Baltimore that has the courage to allow survivors of sex crimes
an avenue to have their voices heard. The paper is helping to prevent any
more children from being harmed.
With everything that has been happening in Baltimore,
we cannot overlook the effect this is having on individuals who live in the
community. The entire Jewish community of Baltimore has been put through
a whirlwind of emotions.
I know for myself when a friend handed me a copy of
the letter from the Vaad, my mood was immediately elated. I thought to myself,
finally, the rabbonim of Baltimore are "getting it." I personally felt validated
for the work I've been doing along with everyone connected with The Awareness
Center for the last six years.
I went to bed that night with a smile on my face, but
when I woke up the next morning with my joy turned to sorrow. I couldn't
stop thinking of the survivors I know who have been sexually victimized.
The number of years of pain and suffering they have been enduring by the
lack of education and awareness in our community or any other community in
the world.
I am not unlike other survivors, I felt like someone
had died. I started wondering if the letter was just some sort of public
relations stunt to show the world that our rabbis cared. I knew the article
regarding Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro was coming out that week in the Baltimore
Jewish Times. I also knew the rabbis knew it was going to be published. I
hate being cynical, yet after working in the field for as long as I have
-- it made sense not to trust the letter.
My reaction was to call all of the rabbis who signed
the letter from the Vaad Harabbonim. I wanted to personally thank them for
having the courage to sign and publish the letter. I wanted to meet with
each one personally. I started leaving messages.
The first rabbi I made an appointment with was Rabbi
Moshe Heinemann. The night before the meeting is when I learned of
his letter, banning the Baltimore Jewish Times. When
we met, I made it a point to discuss his letter along with many other issues.
After the meeting I realized how much more education was needed in the community.
This was just the beginning. At least the community finally admitted that
there was a problem. That was a giant step in the right direction.
The most important issue we all seem to be neglecting
is healing the community from the heightened awareness that there are individuals
in our community that molest our children.
With the exposure of sexual abuse in the Baltimore
community -- goes a loss of the innocence and a reality many of us wanted
to hold on to. This is a major loss for everyone. The entire Jewish community
of Baltimore is going through a period of mourning. The entire community
has been traumatized. Many community members are in a state of shock.
Individuals, parents and families are now faced with
the fact that there have been several community leaders they trusted who
molested children. Many community members are also shocked to learn that
many of their friends are survivors of criminal sex offenses.
The community is forced to be aware that many community
leaders they loved and trusted helped to cover up these serious crimes. The
community is also being forced to deal with the fact that some of the criminals
may end up in prison, and could also end up on the national sex offender
registry. All of this is a great deal to process in less then a month.
I've received phone calls and also various individuals
have been stopping me on the street wanting to talk. I've been trying to
explain that the reactions of the community is very similar to those who
were hit by hurricane Katrina. Everyone is in a state of shock. It's almost
as if a bomb went off and everyone is afraid that there may be another one.
Many are experiencing what I like to call the "deer in headlights
syndrome".
Several individuals in the Baltimore Jewish community
have told me they are having difficulties sleeping at night or waking up
from nightmares. Some are saying they are having difficulties concentrating,
having difficulties making decisions, not being able to eat, etc.
When an individual and even an entire communities is
traumatized it is vitally important for there to be an open dialog going
on. It's important for each person to talk about what they are experiencing
and to express their thoughts and feelings with those they trust. Everyone
may have to do this many times over and over again -- for the next several
months. The community is basically experiencing
vicarious
victimization (secondary
Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder).
I am suggesting that community members in Baltimore
have gatherings in their homes with friends and talk about what they are
experiencing. The Awareness Center is more then willing to help in anyway
we can. Please feel free to call us: 443___________.
Remember talking about it is HEALING!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Baltimore Roiled by Abuse Charge Against
Late Rabbi
By Nathan Guttman
Forward - April 27, 2007
http://www.forward.com/articles/baltimore-roiled-by-abuse-charge-against-late-rabb/
Baltimore - A series of exposés on sexual abuse
at a well-known yeshiva is roiling the Baltimore Jewish community and inflaming
the already strained relations between the local Jewish newspaper and the
city's sizable Orthodox population.
The controversy revolves around allegations in the
Baltimore Jewish Times that the late principal of the Talmudical Academy,
Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro, may have molested Jewish students at the school and
other youngsters who came to him for bar mitzvah classes.
In the wake of the allegations, local Orthodox rabbis
have delivered sermons on the need to speak out against abuse and do a better
job of responding to allegations that do arise. At the same time, the articles
have upset members of the city's Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox population who
feel that the paper crossed the line by identifying Shapiro — almost
two decades after his death.
Case in point is Moshe Heinemann, perhaps the city's
most prominent Orthodox rabbi and head of the Star-K kosher certification
service. He signed on to a letter calling for more action in tackling abuse.
Soon after, he also posted a separate letter in his synagogue calling on
congregants to boycott the Baltimore Jewish Times.
"Based on last week's vicious article in the Baltimore
Jewish Times," Heinemann wrote, "it is my opinion that it is totally
inappropriate for this publication to be found in any Jewish home."
Baltimore's 100,000-person Jewish community is about
20% Orthodox — twice the national average. In contrast to other cities,
the Orthodox in Baltimore — even those furthest to the right religiously
— often engage the wider Jewish community and work closely with the
local Jewish federation and its subsidiary agencies. The city has two Jewish
Community Centers: one in the Orthodox neighborhood is closed on Saturday,
the other remains open.
But the paper, with a circulation of 15,000, has become
an increasing point of tension for many in the Orthodox community. Even before
the sex-abuse controversy, Orthodox rabbis complained about the Jewish Times
publishing marriage announcements of interfaith couples, advertising non-kosher
restaurants and running ads with pictures of women whose outfits fail to
meet Orthodox requirements for modest dress.
Now, in some Orthodox circles, with the publication
of the recent articles on sex abuse, the sense of frustration is boiling
over into anger.
"We were outraged by the way they dealt with the
molestation case," said Rabbi Abba Cohen, a prominent rabbi living in Baltimore
who heads up the Washington office of the ultra-Orthodox Agudath Israel of
America.
"The person who is accused is dead," Cohen added. "We
need to ask what good does publishing his name do and what harm does it cause
his family."
The author of the articles, Baltimore Jewish Times
executive editor Phil Jacobs, also published a subsequent column defending
the decision to publish. Jacobs argued that just as Shapiro cannot defend
himself now, his victims could not defend themselves when the acts were carried
out. In addition, Jacobs argued that making the story public was a needed
step in helping the victims achieve closure. "For the survivors, Rabbi Shapiro
is still very much alive," Jacobs told the Forward.
One article quoted Murray Levin, 64, who took bar mitzvah
lessons as a child with Shapiro. "Rabbi Shapiro was grooming me with French
kissing and masturbation," Levin alleged. Another survivor of the rabbi's
alleged sexual molestation, Bob Glickstein, told the Baltimore Jewish Times
that even though decades have passed, he could still feel Rabbi Shapiro's
mustache touching his face.
It was more than a year ago that Jacobs first learned
of a regular group of 20 alleged victims of sexual abuse who held a regular
Kiddush on Shabbat afternoons. When he met with the group, the stories burst
out, including ones about the Talmudical Academy, a widely respected institution
within ultra-Orthodox educational circles, but best known to the outside
world as the home of high-school basketball phenom Tamir Goodman.
"It was gut-wrenching," Jacobs said, "there was a feeling
that if we could have, we would kick open the window and gasp for air."
More research, including conversations with victims,
rabbis and mental health professionals, led to a February 23 cover story,
which told the story of "Steve," a survivor of sexual abuse in the
synagogue.
The paper did not reveal the identity of the victim
nor of the alleged abuser. According to Jacobs, the paper suspected that
Shapiro was the rabbi in question but could not confirm it.
After the first article came out, a friend walked up
to Jacobs and identified Shapiro as the rabbi in question.
Jacobs met with Shapiro's sons and with several Orthodox
rabbis. No understanding was reached — and Jacobs decided to name Shapiro
in print.
In its April 13 edition, the paper published three
testimonies of victims who alleged that they had been abused by Shapiro.
The allegations ran under the headline "Rabbi, Teacher, Molester," along
with a large photo of the late Shapiro, who served as a rabbi at several
local synagogues, in addition to his stint as principal and dorm counselor
at Talmudical Academy.
The second story, which named Shapiro, ran inside the
paper, with no mention on the cover. Still, it instantly became the talk
of the city's Jewish community. The paper was flooded with letters. "About
70% were supportive and 30% were against us publishing the story," said Neil
Rubin, the paper's editor. No one, he added, has canceled a subscription
over the matter.
In a tightly knit community such as Baltimore, feedback
comes from all sides, even during off hours. When Rubin and Jacobs sat at
the local Goldberg's bagel shop, a person came up to them and said "me too."
In another instance, Jacobs was walking home from synagogue and people on
a porch applauded him for the article.
Yet not all reactions were as supportive. When shopping
at the local grocery store, a woman came up to Jacobs and attacked him verbally.
He also received an e-mail suggesting that he and his family leave town.
Many rabbis in the Orthodox community have refrained
from speaking to the press about the issue. But Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb, of
congregation Shomrei Emunah, delivered a sermon on the topic that appeared
to shed some light on the thinking of the community's leaders. Gottlieb,
as well as rabbis at three other Orthodox synagogues, devoted his sermon
to the need to speak out against sexual abuse.
The sermons were followed by a letter on the issue
from the Va'ad Ha'Rabonim, the community's main Orthodox rabbinical council.
In the detailed appeal, titled "Abuse in Our Community," the Orthodox rabbis
acknowledged that mistakes were made in the past and called on followers
to be aware of the issue of abuse. The letter called for educating children
on the issue and advocated referring cases to "the authorities who have the
expertise, experience and wisdom." The rabbis also stated that they are in
the process of developing a new approach to protect the community from sexual
abusers. "We pray that Hashem spares us such tragedies in the future and
that he grants us the wisdom and the courage to responsibly address the threats
we face," the letter concluded.
Sources in the Orthodox community said the appeal was
ground breaking and reflected a sincere desire to uproot such conduct. Though
the rabbis' letter does not refer directly to the newspaper articles about
Shapiro, sources said that the exposés were the trigger for taking
on the issue.
Among those signing the letter was Heinemann, director
of the Star-K kosher certifier. He did not respond to calls from the Forward.
Several Jewish activists in Baltimore said that he has taken down the sign
calling for a boycott of the paper.
As the Orthodox community in Baltimore struggles to
adopt new procedures to address sexual abuse, other Jewish groups are also
taking action. Shofar, a coalition of mental health and treatment providers
in the Jewish community, convened Tuesday to discuss the new revelations
about sexual abuse in the community.
Rubin and Jacobs estimate that more than 100 cases
of abuse occurred, with more allegations pouring in about Shapiro and others
in the community. As long as abuse allegations continue to flow, Jacobs said,
the newspaper would keep running articles on a monthly basis.
The intensive coverage though has not sat well with
everyone.
"What are they going to do next? Have a molester of
the week feature?" Agudath Israel's Cohen asked.
Jacobs and his colleagues, however, say that they have
no plans of giving up. "If it keeps a perpetrator away, then we go on with
it for as long as we can," said Jacobs.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rabbi Elan Adler: Sermon on Sexual Abuse in the Baltimore Community
Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Hebrew Congregation -
April 28, 2007
A terrible thing has happened in our Jewish community,
something that has caught us off guard and sent us reeling. We found out,
through publicity in the BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES, that even the holiest of
Jewish people are only human, and that the Jewish community is not immune
to sexual abuse by clergy and other people of authority.
By now you must have read the article, which was a
cover story a couple of months ago, about a young man the JEWISH TIMES referred
to as Steve, who was sexually abused by Orthodox Rabbis.
A few weeks ago, the JEWISH TIMES editor wrote of a
group of men who gather as friends, all of whom shared experiences of being
molested by Jewish teachers.
And just last week came the news of a well known and
respected Orthodox rabbi whose sexual abuse was corroborated by several victims,
most of them while they were kids and who are now in their 50's or 60's.
The article graphically described what is known clinically as predatory behavior,
by a revered teacher and rabbi who fondled and molested his students, perhaps
as many as hundreds of them.
Many of you, as well as many in our community, were
incensed by the article, feeling that it is lashon harah, evil gossip about
someone, and further, considering that the rabbi died almost 20 years ago,
the article was a disgrace of a man who could hardly defend himself against
the onslaught of accusation. And besides, many of you said, he was a kind
and comforting man who had the finest reputation, a reputation now being
tarnished in full view of the public.
I have to say that when the most recent article first
came out, and it named names which the first one didn't, I was torn. On the
one hand, one teaching of our Jewish tradition kept flashing in my mind,
and it actually comes from the names of the Torah portions this morning,
which are Acharei Mot and Kedoshim. On their own, they are just names of
portions, but when you put them together, they are a statement: Acharei Mot
means after the death, and Kedoshim means holy things. Put together, it
says,
After the death, you say holy things, and this has been a guiding principle for centuries, the idea that after someone passes away, you find the nicest and most complimentary things to say. In rabbinic school, when learning about how to prepare eulogies, we were taught exactly this: once someone has died, focus on the positive and desirable attributes of the person, and let the rest be.
That's how part of me felt when the recent article
came out.
The other part of me was not reserved for this particular
rabbi, but for any rabbi or cantor, or teacher or person of authority who
would use their power and intimidation to violate the bodies of children
under their care and supervision. I felt anger towards anyone, especially
a religious Jew, who would repeatedly molest a child, knowing that the child
would be scared to tell anyone. I felt anger for the victims, who didn't
know where to turn or who to tell, and who would likely carry their shame
in silence, and whose lives would be forever affected by the brazen
abuser.
The story of abuse in our community in not about a
deceased Rabbi, or about one particular segment of our community, or even
about what should be published and what should not. In my opinion, the story
of abuse in our community is how it has been misunderstood, how it has been
covered up, and how it will be dealt with.
Sexual abuse has been terribly misunderstood. I know
that because of the many ways confirmations of abuse have been mishandled
by people who should have known better.
Do you remember when the extent of this abuse first
became publicized about the Catholic Church? I remember when bishops and
cardinals and others in high authority were cross-examined about what they
knew, and when they knew it, and how they handled known molesters in the
church.
When being asked, over and over again we heard testimony
that sounded something like this: We didn't know what to do about the allegations
regarding Father Dawson, but then we heard several more, and we knew we had
to do something about it. So what did you do? Well, we mandated Father Dawson
to seek psychological help or maybe even psychiatric help, and we thought
that would cure the problem, and perhaps a month of that was not enough.
And after that month, did Father Dawson still have
contact with children? Well, yes, we thought he was over the problem, and
that his sessions with the professionals had straightened him out. That what
the testimony sounded like over and over again. At best, not understanding;
at worst, minimizing the problem, sending Father Dawson to parish after parish,
where he abuses more and more, and in the wake of the misunderstood lusts
of Father Dawson lay the strewn and ruined lives of his victims.
What were they thinking? Didn't they read today's Torah
portion as part of the Old Testament? Didn't they read chapter 18 of the
book of Leviticus, the many verses that describe the various relationships
forbidden by the Torah? These verses are read on Yom Kippur, the holiest
day of the year during the mincha service, and they are unbelievable in what
they forbid. Do not have relations with your mother, do not have relations
with your sister, do not have relations with your uncle, do not have relations
with your sister-in-law, if you are a male, do not have relations with another
male as you would with a female.......you've probably read these or heard
of these, and you may ask, why did you call them unbelievable?
I'll tell you why, because most people reading this
list of forbidden relationships would have a one-word Yiddish reponse- Feh!
Who would want to have relations with these people? What kind of sick mind
would go there? And the answer is exactly what makes the list unbelievable,
and this is why God had to say them- because people do have these desires
and these lusts, and they need to be curbed. Why didn't the hierarchy in
the church not understand this and remove the priests from the temptations?
Why did they think that a few sessions with a shrink would obliterate and
extinguish what God himself knows to be in the human mind?
And so they were sent from parish to parish, exponentially
victimizing unsuspecting children and teens, knowing that ignorance and silence
are two of the greatest allies of sexual abusers.
And, my friends, the leaders of the Jewish community
may have misdiagnosed the confirmations of abuse as well. In last week's
Torah portion, in speaking of the Metzorah, the one who had a leper's disease,
the Torah says in Leviticus 14:54, Zot Hatorah lechol nega, this is the law
for every affliction. But the Talmud in Eruvin 54a has this teaching: Zot
Hatorah, this Torah, the study of Torah, Lechol nega, is good for every ailment.
The teaching was a very traditional one, namely, that for whatever ails you,
the Torah is the remedy- if you have a headache, study the Torah. If you
have any pain or affliction, the Torah is the remedy.
I can relate to you at least a dozen times where I've
heard a parent of a formerly religious child, who had severe psychological
problems or who was dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, when asking their
Rabbi for help, the Rabbi would say, "if he studied the Torah more, if he
davened better, if he performed more commandments, everything would be
fine."
It's a traditional teaching, but it's terribly misguided.
Someone who is a sexual predator and abuser and molester needs heavy duty
professional help over long periods of time. It doesn't matter if they're
Orthodox, conservative or reform, reconstructionist, humanist, secular, Buddhist
or Moslem, and to say that study or observance will take care of it is
irresponsible and inexcusable.
So one story of abuse in our community is how it has
been so gravely misunderstood and therefore minimized to the detriment of
the innocent victims.
You may say, Rabbi, we didn't know then what we know
now, about human behavior and how to treat people who abuse. That may be
so, but another story of abuse in our community is those who knew, and continue
to know, and who say nothing.
They say nothing because they don't want to shame or
embarrass their institutions. They say nothing because they don't want to
embarrass the family of the abuser, or because they feel it will affect the
"marriagability" of the abusers children or even the abused. Or they say
nothing because they think the problem will go away, or because they pity
the abuser who can't control himself but who is otherwise a very nice
person.
Those who know, and who don't report, are shameful
accomplices to the shredded and humiliated lives of the victims. Are there
such people in our community? You decide.
This is from a letter distributed by the Vaad Harrabanim
to all Orthodox households prior to the JEWISH TIMES article:
"In the past, many mistakes were made in handling
situations. Abusers were often not recognized for what they were, as it was
too difficult to believe that otherwise good people could do such things,
nor was it sufficiently appreciated what damage such acts could cause. It
was often thought that if the abuser was spoken to or warned, and perhaps
moved to a different environment, he would never do those things again. In
responding this way, many terrible mistakes were made and tragic consequences
resulted. We have seen too often the immediate or eventual failure of these
"behind the scenes" agreements to keep the perpetrators away from
others."
I was one of the rabbis who signed the letter. But
I did not write the letter. Behind the scenes agreements is something I should
have asked about prior to signing the letter. When were these agreements
made? Twenty years ago when rabbis were more naive, or 20 days ago, when
it could signal a coverup?
Are there Rabbis and principals and leaders in the
know, who know, but won't say anything? This is something that needs to be
investigated, and investigated with seriousness and speed. If there are abusive
ticking bombs in our community, and we don't do everything we can to prevent
another abuse, and people are being protected, it should make us feel
tremendously uncomfortable.
So this story is not about a deceased rabbi, or just
about one particular segment of our community, or about what should be published
or what should not. It is about how it has been misunderstood, and how it's
been covered up and may continue to be, and it's about a third area, how
it will be dealt with from now on.
There is no question that if we know of a sexual predator,
especially one who abuses children, Jewish law or halachah that this abuser
is called a rodeph, literally a pursuer, one who is effectively poised to
destroy innocent lives and therefore, virtually any means may be used to
stop him and bring him to justice.
Not just from hearsay or innuendo, but once an abuser
has been reported and corroborated by at least two other sources, we must
speedily stop that person and expose him. In many cases, the most effective
method to protect the community is to publicize the abuser's name.
Some may consider that a shanda, but we must be mindful
that what the person has done, the crime committed and the shame borne is
silence is an even bigger shanda. We have an obligation to protect not only
current victims, but also all future victims, and these future victims are
not only the future victims of the abuser, but also the victims of the victims
themselves- there has been shown to be a significant correlation between
being abused and then abusing others. Unless someone is stopped in his tracks,
the ripple effect of abuse can be staggering.
Whether alive or deceased, the perpetrators must be
exposed. Even the deceased are not entitled to go to their graves in peace
while the pain and shame of their victims finds no rest or comfort. The deceased
abuser cannot defend himself, but neither can he have the luxury of remaining
guiltless in the eyes of humanity while so many of his victims continue to
suffer a life of torment and pain.
And while we diligently root out the perpetrators of
such heinous behavior, that takes advantage of the most powerless in society
by the most powerful, we need to tell the victims that they can come forward
to a receptive community that will hear their anguish, not be judgmental
about how or why anything happened, and help them to be liberated from their
nightmare and be supportive as they begin their healing.
Yes, a terrible thing has happened to our Jewish community.
We found out that we are not immune to the same ills and disgraces that plaque
our neighbors. We thought we were immune, and that our Torah study and Torah
observance can protect us from such behavior. We thought that a religious
personality couldn't possibly do such a thing. But if we did, we missed a
critical teaching of our Torah portion today. Leviticus 19:1, Kedoshim Tihiyu,
you shall be holy. This means not only in the letter of the law, but also
the spirit of the law. Nachmanides made an insightful comment when he taught,
"someone who only observes the letter of the law can easily become a degenerate
with the permission of the Torah, for such a person can perform the technical
requirements of the commandments, WHILE SURRENDERING TO SELF INDULGENCE,
GLUTTONY AND LICENTIOUSNESS.
If you can keep strictly kosher, daven three times
a day, keep every aspect of Shabbat, and meticulously observe the commandments,
and then molest and abuse and scar an innocent child for life, whether living
or deceased, you are not entitled to the mantle of holiness.
You are entitled to the contempt of the community which
so faithfully put its trust in you.
May God help us to bring the perpetrators to justice
and the victims to find their solace and strength from a community anxious
to hear and help.
Amen.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rabbi Also Molested Girls
By Phil Jacobs Executive Editor
Baltimore Jewish Times - May 04, 2007
Part of a continuing series on sexual molestation in
the Jewish community. Warning: This article contains graphic sexual descriptions
that may be offensive to some readers.
It wasn't only boys. Since the Baltimore Jewish Times'
April 13 account that the deceased Rabbi Ephraim F. Shapiro—former principal
of the Talmudical Academy and spiritual leader of the old Agudas Achim
Synagogue—molested young boys hundreds of times, at least three women
have come forward to share their molestation stories.
Pedophiles, according to Lisa Ferentz, a Pikesville-based
clinical social worker and creator of a certificate program in Advanced Trauma
Treatment, are not necessarily attracted to one gender over the other.
"What matters the most to many pedophiles," she said,
"is the age of the victim. They are attracted to, and interested in controlling
and maintaining power, over a child—it can either be a boy or a girl.
This is important for parents to understand as they work to protect their
children from potential predators.
"If they have information about a pedophile molesting
boys, they shouldn't assume that their daughters are any safer in the company
of that person," said Ms. Ferentz. "All kids need to be educated about
inappropriate touch, and they should be empowered to fight back whenever
possible, and to immediately tell a safe adult."
The following are accounts of three women now ranging
in age from 58-69. When molested by Rabbi Shapiro, their age range was 7-12.
(One of the women contacted the newspaper anonymously.)
Annette Stadd-Wilson
She was 7 and in second grade when she was molested
after a Sunday school class by her teacher, Rabbi Ephraim F. Shapiro. He
would go on to molest her countless number of times.
Annette Stadd-Wilson is now 58 and living in Phoenix,
Ariz. She is a yoga instructor.
"This was a married man with children," she said with
anger in her voice. "This was a man of God. He got away with this his entire
life, and nobody came forward to make him stop."
Rabbi Shapiro would call her into his office, she
recounted. He would then unzip his pants and ask her to caress him, she said.
"This happened many times, and he would press me against his private parts,"
she said.
For Mrs. Wilson, there was even a deeper double meaning.
The two shared the same birthday.
"As a girl, I always thought that something was wrong
with me, for this to happen to me. When you are a young child and this happens,
you think it is OK because you are the child and he is the adult—and
a rabbi as well."
Rabbi Shapiro also officiated at her late father's
funeral. She remembered the rabbi giving her some advice about the grieving
process. Ms. Stadd chose to ignore him.
"I chose to leave the Jewish religion and found Eastern
religion and yoga," she said. "I thank God that I did. It gave me an
understanding of life and religion that made sense. I have thought that what
happened to me does affect my lack of trust and feeling good about myself.
Human beings all have a right to grow up feeling happy and healthy about
themselves, and molestation destroys this."
Mrs. Wilson said she rarely speaks about her
experiences.
"It's so devastating," she said, "you can't even talk
about it. We have to ask ourselves, 'How do we stop this?' I would like for
Jewish people to stand up and come forward and face this. ... And I'm not
sure I left Judaism because of this or not, but it probably had something
to do with it. There's just way too much hypocrisy here."
E.J. Dopkin
Ellen Jane Dopkin was the only girl in her Agudas Achim
Synagogue class.
She was post-bat mitzvah age, but her Hebrew school
classroom achievements gave her the rare opportunity as a girl to be part
of a special class studying the works of the Jewish sage Rashi.
She was the only girl in a class of about 15 young
teens. One day, her teacher, the late Rabbi Shapiro, asked her to stay after
class. They were alone. He placed his hands all over her body. He forced
a kiss on her lips.
It happened over and over, she said.
Known to friends as "E.J.," Mrs. Dopkin sits in her
beautiful Pikesville home with her husband, Michael. The events described
above happened decades ago. Yet, they remain fresh for Mrs. Dopkin.
She was told about the April 13 Jewish Times story
on Rabbi Shapiro and boys. She wanted to make sure that the community understood
that girls were involved, too.
"Sometimes it happened in his office in the downstairs
part of the school," she said. "Sometimes he had me come to his house. I
never told anybody. I was a young girl. I didn't know what to do.
"It impacted me," she said. "It kept a block in front
of me and my life. I felt that I wasn't able to accomplish as much as I could
have because of what he did to me."
Mrs. Dopkin said she thinks of herself as a survivor.
She said she's working to do what she can to get past her memories.
"Having an experience such as this makes you feel as
if you don't want to trust people of authority, and then you don't want to
trust anyone else, and then you don't even want to trust yourself," she said.
"Then, the healing process is to say to yourself, 'I can try to get past
this.'"
What would Mrs. Dopkin ask Rabbi Shapiro today if she
could?
"How could you use religion as an entering point to
your terrible behavior?"
An Anonymous Caller
The Jewish Times received a call on Wednesday, April
25, from another woman who claimed she was molested by the late Ephraim
Shapiro.
She was 111/2 and taking private bat mitzvah lessons
with the rabbi at Agudas Achim.
"He would cop a feel," said the 68-year-old woman,
who asked for anonymity. "He'd try to get underneath my sweaters. I was a
little skinny minnie. I didn't know from this stuff. We didn't talk about
these things."
"I never thought about it all of these years, I never
told anybody," she said. "That's the trouble with the Jewish people. We sweep
everything under the rug.
"It's a shame this wasn't told while he was
living."
The impact stayed with her for years. "I didn't want
to have any more with Jewish learning," she said. "I was sick of the whole
damn thing. I knew he should not touch me, but he did.
"I remember his grubby hands. But Agudas Achim was
a second home to my grandfather. I hated it, but I had to go."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
But He's Dead
Neil Rubin Editor
Baltimore Jewish Times - MAY 04, 2007
The critics have a point. And just like the allegations
themselves, they should not be ignored.
As readers of this publication know, Executive Editor
Phil Jacobs continues to write groundbreaking stories about the case of the
late Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro, whom we are convinced sexually abused many children
here from the 1940s possibly until the 1980s.
It is uncomfortable. It is controversial. And it should
be done with sympathy particularly to the late rabbi's family members (whom
we purposely have not named).
So why go on destroying the reputation of a beloved
man who can no longer defend himself? Please, readers, enter our newsroom
to hear our own questions and responses.
Why ruin a good name? In Judaism "a good name"
is one of the greatest crowns. While the rabbi is praised by many, too many
others have a sharply different view. This was not about one isolated incident.
Also, this is not about one man, but about how a community would not speak
out.
His victims want to be heard. They were too frightened,
too embarrassed, to come forward until recently. We have reached, as one
local therapist told me, "the tipping point."
Ultimately, the decision to publish came down to balancing
the good with the bad. The good won.
Community rabbis, professionals and groups are now
talking about something that was, and apparently could still be, much more
widespread than I had imagined. Questions are being asked: Who knew? Who
protected whom? How can we prevent this?
But he can't defend himself. Neither could the late
President Harry Truman when we learned of his anti-Semitic statements, nor
could the late President Thomas Jefferson when we learned of his child with
a slave, and nor could the late President John F. Kennedy when we heard of
his affairs in the White House.
Those cases pale in comparison.
Why not go after living abusers? Who said
we're not? Phil has worked on the Rabbi Shapiro story for a year. Current
abusers and there are some here are put on notice: Get help. Now.
It's not popular to say, but while despising their
actions I have sympathy for the abusers. They, too, need a path to recovery,
and we all need to help them. That's because it's the best way to prevent
future abusers, many perpetrators themselves having been victimized as
children.
What about the communal price? My great fear:
Our educators will be afraid to hug and give emotional support to our kids,
including my own. But I trust our schools and synagogues to properly screen
and train their staff. If not, now we know what can happen.
Also, very selfishly, will this become known as the
sexual abuse Jewish Times? Our community is so much deeper than this extremely
disturbing chapter.
Let the rabbis police themselves. Some rabbis are quite
angry with us. But the old ways of dealing with this has failed miserably
for the victims, their families and the community.
The Talmud instructs that to save a life is to save
an entire world. I believe that the people brave enough to share their stories
publicly literally could be saving lives. They must be encouraged, not
demonized.
Is it Orthodox bashing? Were that the
goal, the approach and tone would be much different. In fact, the
behind-the-scenes contact with Orthodox leaders on this a far from monolithic
community on any issue has been intense. There were no surprises for them
when this hit the pages.
I note that we have received both public and private
support from some Orthodox rabbis.
By the way, it wasn't Orthodox bashing when we wrote
about the late
Judge Robert
I. Hammerman, who was active in Reform circles.
Final thoughts: We don't take allegations lightly,
nor do we rush to print everything we hear. We investigate and then decide.
And not everything pans out.
We are not infallible, but we are extremely confident
in the information brought forward. And we understand that as journalists
we will take heat for doing what we think is right. Likewise, we are obligated
to allow people who disagree to share their views.
We'll keep doing that, and we'll keep balancing the
good with the bad.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Second Letter from Rabbi Heinemann
By Rabbi Moshe Heinemann
May 9, 2007
Can you believe Rabbi Heinemann wrote the following
letter and post it in his synagogue (under glass) back on May 9th?
If the letter is authentic then it is another response
to Phil Jacobs (Baltimore Jewish Times) series on alledged sex offender,
Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro.
1. Rabbi's
Abuse Victims Suffer Years Later - April 13, 2007
Writing letters like this makes it appear that Rabbi
Heinemann is lacking the information and education needed to understand the
life long struggles many survivors of sex crimes are faced with.
Please give Rabbi Heinemann a call and let him know
what you think of his letters!
Rabbi Moshe Heinemann
Phone: 410-484-4110
Fax: 410-653-9294
I was told that the Hebrew in his letter translates
to:
"The verse in Mishlei 26:11, which states, 'As a
dog returns to its vomit, so does a fool return to his folly,' see Ibn Ezra
there."
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Note From Phil Jacobs
Baltimore Jewish Times - May 14, 2007
It is strongly suggested before anyone speaks
to a reporter that they consult with a therapist and an attorney. It is also
suggested you download and
read the article about going public.
During the investigation of the late Rabbi Ephraim
Shapiro, the name coming up perhaps "second" in the conversations was more
often than not that of Rabbi Moshe Eisemann.
I would like to move ahead with the investigation of
this Ner Israel rabbi and teacher.
However, the sensitive, triggering nature of this sort
of interview process is understandably difficult.
For anyone who would come forward and consent to an
interview, I would guarantee anonymity. And as I have with the survivors
of Rabbi Shapiro and Shmuel Zev Juravel, I have absolutely shared the articles
giving the survivors license to edit prior to publication. That will continue
with anyone who comes forward in the Eisemann case.
My concern is the safety of the survivors. Whatever
it takes to tell their stories and maintain that safety is given highest
priority.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg - Sermon on Sexual Abuse in the Baltimore Community
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg - Sermon on Sexual Abuse in the Baltimore Community
Shavuot Yizkor Sermon
May 24, 2007
By Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg
The following sermon was given as a reaction to
the case of Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro being published in the Baltimore Jewish
Times and the letter that was created by the Vaad of Baltimore.
For 23 years not I've paused at this moment to say
Yizkor for my father. And so many different memories of him are recalled.
Today for the first time, I pause to say Yizkor for my mother, or blessed
memory. What memories did she leave me? Well, this I can tell you: the memories
that I will always have of my mother are going to be quiet different than
the memories Ale Baldwin's daughter is always going to have of her
father.
Even those of us who usually are not caught up in the
latest Hollywood gossip or scandal could not help but take note of what recently
took place with the actor, Alex Baldwin and his daughter. As upsetting as
it was, it can serve a positive purpose in helping us better understand the
strange rabbinic commentary and verse in The Book of Ruth we read this morning,
will help us better understand the meaning of God and the giving of the Torah
we celebrate on Shavous. It will also help us better understand the tragic
affects of sexual abusers and will help us better understand the purpose
of the Yizkor memorial service we are about to recite.
Alec Baldwin is divorced from his wife, actress Kim
Bassinger. They have been involved in a bitter custody fight over their 11
year old daughter, Ireland. On April 11th Alec Baldwiin called his daughter
and when she wasn't there to answer, he called her a "thoughtless little
pig" and went on to say, "Once again I have made a ____ of myself trying
to get you on the phone. . . I don't give a damn that you are 12 years old
or 11 years old or a child, or that your mother is a thoughtless pain the
___ who doesn't care a your ___ out." It is a terrible thing for any father
to say to a child under any circumstances. But here the circumstance made
matters even worse because everything Alec Baldwin said to his child had
been recorded on the phone's answering machine. And it is suspected that
Baldwin's ex-wife, Ms. Bassinger, - atstaska in her own right -- made the
recording available for the world to hear.
You have to wonder if Mr. Baldwin would have spoken
differently if he had known that his words would go public. According to
our sages, he most certainly would have! Our sages expressed this thought
in commenting on an incident in The Book of Ruth we read every Shavuot. The
story of Ruth is a beautiful, moving and touching one; a story exhibiting
the goodness and devotion of plain and ordinary people. Ruth, a Moabite woman,
widowed, was a devoted daughter-in-law, a righteous convert of our people.
One day, searching for food in a time of famine, she meet a true gentleman
named Boaz who generously gives of his own food to her, described by the
Bible with the touching words, "Vayitzavat la koli v'tochal vatisba vatotar
-- these words our sages in the Midrash, recognizing the generosity of Boaz,
still go on to say, "Had Boaz known that the Bible would eternally record
that he gave Ruth some parched grain to eat, he would have given her a royal
banquet." Yes, Boaz, you didn't realize it but your actions were being recorded.
Sure it was nice that you gave Ruth something to eat . . . but you would
have given a lot more than "parched corn" if you knew people would be reading
about it until the end of time. If only you had realized it, you would have
acted differently. And that's what the Torah means when we are told, right
in the beginning of Genesis: "Zeh sefer toldot ha-Adam-- this is the book
of the story of man." Just as the story of adam and Abraham and Moses and
Boaz are recorded in this book, so too all of our lives are being recorded.
As we are told in The Ethics of the Fathers: "V'chol maasecha b'sefer nichtavim
- all of your deeds are being recorded in a book." It's not just Alec Baldwin
speaking to his daughter. . . it's all of us in our day to day existence
whose words and actions are being recorded.
Many of our children, when asked to choose a reading
for their Bat Mitzvah service, have recently started choosing a reading called
"When You thought I Wasn't Looking":
When you though I wasn't looking, you hung my first painting on the refrigerator, and
I wanted to painting another.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you fed a stray cat, and I thought it was good to be king to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you baked a birthday cake just for me, and I knew that little things were special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you said a prayer and I believed there was a God and
that I could always talk to.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you kissed me goo-night and I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tars come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt -- but that it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you smiled and it made me want to look that pretty too.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you cared and I wanted to be everything I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked . . . and wanted to say thanks for all those things you did. . .
When you thought I wasn't looking,
The poem makes a very important point. . . whether we know it or not, we're no different than Alec Baldwin. Everything we say and do is being recorded by our children: the amount of charity we give, the excuses we offer for not giving, the comments we make behind the back of friends, our business ethics, our moral behavior, what we eat, drink and watch on TV . . . all of impact that had on us, she would look puzzled and say it was not big deal. But, God Almight, what a big deal it was! What it said to us, how it made us feel, what it meant to us. . . can never -- and will never -- be forgotten.
The poet-Laureate of our people, Chaim Nachman-Bialik,
captures this feeling in his poem "Shirati" where he tries to trace the origin
of the sigh, the sob, the krechts, so frequently found in his poetry. He
describes the misery of his childhood; his father died when he was very young.
His mother slaved in a little store supporting his brothers and sisters.
Only inn the evening could she begin her cooking, cleaning and sewing. late
one night the little boy rose from his bed and saw his mother cooking in
the kitchen. In utter exhaustion she was weeping as she kneaded dough for
bread. As she baked by candle light, her lips moved in prayer, "May I bring
my children to be God-fearing. May they be true to Torah. May they never
disgrace me." As she prayed, the tears rolled down her sweet, tired lonely
cheeks. She did not realize it, but her tears mixed with the dough. Little
Bialik saw this heart-rendering sight and returned to bed. The next morning
he ate this very bread. "as I ate, I swollowed my mother's tears. Part of
my mother was in that bread! And now I know why there are tears in my eyes,
why there is a sigh in my breast."
I exaggerate not. A portion of our parents is implanted
within us. Unbeknownst to them, they made indelible impressions on us that
have been permanently recorded into our very beings. Their obituaries do
not lie buried in some old newspaper. It is recorded and alive in our hearts
and souls!
In describing death, the Bible frequently uses the
phrase, "he was gathered into his people." that's were we wind up - in people.
People wind up in people, not in the ground. This, then, is a basic truth
of human experience. Whether we like it or not, we are being recorded all
the time. Our obituaries are constantly being written and are opened for
all of us to see. In the biographies of our loved ones and fellow human beings,
in the record of the general community, in the chronicles of Judaism, we
are constantly making entries.
In these moments before Yizkor when we remember the
entries of those who preceded us, let us ask: "What entries are we making,
what actions are being recorded in the lives of those that will follow us?"
In the moments before Yizkor I remember countless moments of joy shared with
my mother. . . the warmth and love she enveloped me with. What will my children
remember? What are they seeing when I think they aren't looking? Yizkor beckons.
We pause to remember: "T'hey nishmosom tsurorom b'tsror hachayim - May the souls of our dearly departed be bound up in the bond of eternal life." And let us add the additional prayer: "T'hi nishmosi - God, allow my life to be bound up in the lives of others who are living so that after the fullness of my days, others will gather to bless my name for having lived and shared and given and cared." Amen.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
In Memory of Gabriel Kishner z'l
From shuls to locker rooms, stop the silent accomplices
By Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner
Times Of Israel Blog - July 31, 2012, 9:55 am 2
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/from-shuls-to-locker-rooms-stop-the-silent-accomplices/
David-Seth Kirshner is the rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, a Conservative synagogue in Closter, New Jersey, and a fellow at the Hartman Institute
My oldest brother Gabriel committed suicide. He was 36 years young and had his whole life ahead of him. Instead of living it, he poisoned himself with carbon monoxide and left his wife and two-year-old daughter to find his lifeless body slumped in the backseat of his Toyota. But while Gabe killed himself at 36, he really died 23 years earlier.
At the age of 13, Gabe decided he would attend a Jewish all-boys boarding school outside of Baltimore, Maryland. He went there to make friends, further his education and to have some stability since my dad moved our family around a lot. He did not get those things in Baltimore. Instead, he was sexually molested and raped repeatedly by the principal, Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro. This killed Gabe’s spirit and potential. His heart stopped beating 23 years later.
I learned more about Gabe after he died than I did while he was alive. Among the many things I gathered post-mortem, was that he was molested and raped from 1973 to ’75. He was not alone. Dozens of his classmates and hundreds of boys before and after Gabriel were sexually molested and raped by the “rabbi.” Gabe did not tell anyone he was molested. He only acted out. His abuse was one of many facts we learned after his suicide. I also learned that Gabe’s wicked temper, severe homophobia, fear of intimacy and physical contact, and the addictions that plagued him — all came from the abuse he endured, not from his DNA. His attendance at this school led to these behaviors, and ultimately, to his premature death.
I don’t intend to dedicate another word to the monster Shapiro, but I do want to focus on the pain that my brother endured for 23 years of his life, the agony my family lives with every day, and the excruciating anger I feel toward those who must have known of this abuse and chose to remain silent.
This week, the NCAA made an unprecedented ruling and found Penn State University guilty of a significant cover-up regarding the sexual abuse of young boys by its assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky. The NCAA found the silence of coaches and staff, including head coach, Joe Paterno, to be equally egregious, and worthy of the most severe penalties. In short, Sandusky is a twisted monster. Society is stuck with that. The people who ignored his behaviors for the betterment of the team, school or win column were called out loudly for their silence.
Pundits from all sides will weigh in on whether the penalties will bite or will change the course of the game. Frankly, I don’t care. I’m satisfied, though, that the NCAA said in a full-throated voice what our moral compass already knows: Silence in the face of crime is itself a crime. We learned that lesson in ancient history, we were reminded of it at Nuremberg, and it holds true in University Park, Pennsylvania, today.
Paterno was a god at Penn State. Joe-Pa were words spoken on campus like “baruch Hashem“ is uttered in Monsey. He was invincible; a legend and hero who lived modestly and strove to be a blue-collar everyman. His iconic image was bronzed, surrounded by his players, representing his wins and determination and longevity outside the stadium that could have borne his name.
In the wake of this scandal, we learned that his silence has squelched those deity-like references. His statue has been torn down and his 112 wins eradicated, evaporated as if they never happened, as if to say they do not count and they never will. And in the process, the crowds and cheers that surrounded his name and the university that was synonymous with his cardigan sweaters has quieted to an absolute hush, like a critical fumble with seconds left in the game that will surely cost the team a victory and its legacy.
There is a sliver of solace in this unfortunate saga. The details of the penalty are far less important than the overall magnitude of its message. The NCAA’s actions reaffirmed that silence is an accomplice. Sweeping things under the rug just makes someone an accessory, not a savior.
This move ought to be a very loud and stern church bell ringing (or shofar blast) to the priests, rabbis and others in the world of influence and access to kids that sexual predators will be prosecuted and so will those who hide it from others. Let those who think the church is stronger with the father in the parish or the community is better with the rabbi at the synagogue tremble. Let this be a cry to all of us to lift up the rug and check all brooms. We will no longer value the sanctity of people of the cloth at the cost of the souls they have raped; we will not save names and careers over lives and innocence.
If someone had broken their silence years ago, perhaps my brother would have had the fortitude and hope to pen this piece, instead of me in his memory.
We pause to remember: "T'hey nishmosom tsurorom b'tsror hachayim - May the souls of our dearly departed be bound up in the bond of eternal life." And let us add the additional prayer: "T'hi nishmosi - God, allow my life to be bound up in the lives of others who are living so that after the fullness of my days, others will gather to bless my name for having lived and shared and given and cared." Amen.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
In Memory of Gabriel Kishner z'l
From shuls to locker rooms, stop the silent accomplices
By Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner
Times Of Israel Blog - July 31, 2012, 9:55 am 2
http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/from-shuls-to-locker-rooms-stop-the-silent-accomplices/
David-Seth Kirshner is the rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, a Conservative synagogue in Closter, New Jersey, and a fellow at the Hartman Institute
Gabriel Kirshner z'l |
My oldest brother Gabriel committed suicide. He was 36 years young and had his whole life ahead of him. Instead of living it, he poisoned himself with carbon monoxide and left his wife and two-year-old daughter to find his lifeless body slumped in the backseat of his Toyota. But while Gabe killed himself at 36, he really died 23 years earlier.
At the age of 13, Gabe decided he would attend a Jewish all-boys boarding school outside of Baltimore, Maryland. He went there to make friends, further his education and to have some stability since my dad moved our family around a lot. He did not get those things in Baltimore. Instead, he was sexually molested and raped repeatedly by the principal, Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro. This killed Gabe’s spirit and potential. His heart stopped beating 23 years later.
I learned more about Gabe after he died than I did while he was alive. Among the many things I gathered post-mortem, was that he was molested and raped from 1973 to ’75. He was not alone. Dozens of his classmates and hundreds of boys before and after Gabriel were sexually molested and raped by the “rabbi.” Gabe did not tell anyone he was molested. He only acted out. His abuse was one of many facts we learned after his suicide. I also learned that Gabe’s wicked temper, severe homophobia, fear of intimacy and physical contact, and the addictions that plagued him — all came from the abuse he endured, not from his DNA. His attendance at this school led to these behaviors, and ultimately, to his premature death.
I don’t intend to dedicate another word to the monster Shapiro, but I do want to focus on the pain that my brother endured for 23 years of his life, the agony my family lives with every day, and the excruciating anger I feel toward those who must have known of this abuse and chose to remain silent.
This week, the NCAA made an unprecedented ruling and found Penn State University guilty of a significant cover-up regarding the sexual abuse of young boys by its assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky. The NCAA found the silence of coaches and staff, including head coach, Joe Paterno, to be equally egregious, and worthy of the most severe penalties. In short, Sandusky is a twisted monster. Society is stuck with that. The people who ignored his behaviors for the betterment of the team, school or win column were called out loudly for their silence.
Pundits from all sides will weigh in on whether the penalties will bite or will change the course of the game. Frankly, I don’t care. I’m satisfied, though, that the NCAA said in a full-throated voice what our moral compass already knows: Silence in the face of crime is itself a crime. We learned that lesson in ancient history, we were reminded of it at Nuremberg, and it holds true in University Park, Pennsylvania, today.
Paterno was a god at Penn State. Joe-Pa were words spoken on campus like “baruch Hashem“ is uttered in Monsey. He was invincible; a legend and hero who lived modestly and strove to be a blue-collar everyman. His iconic image was bronzed, surrounded by his players, representing his wins and determination and longevity outside the stadium that could have borne his name.
In the wake of this scandal, we learned that his silence has squelched those deity-like references. His statue has been torn down and his 112 wins eradicated, evaporated as if they never happened, as if to say they do not count and they never will. And in the process, the crowds and cheers that surrounded his name and the university that was synonymous with his cardigan sweaters has quieted to an absolute hush, like a critical fumble with seconds left in the game that will surely cost the team a victory and its legacy.
There is a sliver of solace in this unfortunate saga. The details of the penalty are far less important than the overall magnitude of its message. The NCAA’s actions reaffirmed that silence is an accomplice. Sweeping things under the rug just makes someone an accessory, not a savior.
This move ought to be a very loud and stern church bell ringing (or shofar blast) to the priests, rabbis and others in the world of influence and access to kids that sexual predators will be prosecuted and so will those who hide it from others. Let those who think the church is stronger with the father in the parish or the community is better with the rabbi at the synagogue tremble. Let this be a cry to all of us to lift up the rug and check all brooms. We will no longer value the sanctity of people of the cloth at the cost of the souls they have raped; we will not save names and careers over lives and innocence.
If someone had broken their silence years ago, perhaps my brother would have had the fortitude and hope to pen this piece, instead of me in his memory.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Murray Levin's Testimony on SB 238 - Child Sexual Abuse
Child Victims Voice Maryland - Feb. 5, 2009
Murray Levin is a survivor of Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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