Fleeing Jewish School Teacher Jailed in US

Fleeing Jewish School Teacher Jailed in US
By James Campbell

Herald Sun

David Kramer

A SECOND case has emerged of a teacher at a Jewish school fleeing Australia after allegations of inappropriate behaviour with students.

David Kramer - a former teacher at Yeshiva College in Caulfield - was jailed in July for seven years in St Louis, Missouri, US, after pleading guilty to two counts of child molestation.

Allegations were made in the 1990s that Kramer, now 47, had abused boys while teaching at Yeshiva.

He is understood to have been dismissed by the school and is claimed to have been asked to leave the country. The alleged incidents were not reported to the police.

Vicki Polin, of the US-based (The Awareness Center) International Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault, said she had been contacted by several former pupils and parents of the school.

"I have been told that Kramer abused over 30 boys in his time at Yeshiva," Ms Polin said.

She said when parents complained to the school, Yeshiva Centre head, Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner - who died in July - told Kramer to leave.

"He paid for him to leave - he gave him a ticket," Ms Polin said.

Yeshiva College general manager Nechama Bendet confirmed the school employed Kramer in June 1989, but could not find records of when he left.

"We have robust policies in place to deal with these allegations," she said. "We take it very seriously."

In March, Malka Leifer, principal of Adass Israel Girls School in Elsternwick, fled Australia after being sacked over allegations of improper behaviour with girls in her care.