Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?

Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf?

By Vicki Polin

Skokie Sexual Abuse Examiner - December 18, 2011

Unlike the Catholic church, in the Jewish world there is no single central religious authoritative body that makes decrees or controls the happenings of the greater community.  There is however, one group that does have influence on ultra-orthodox Jews internationally, and that is the Agudath Israel of America usually called the Agudah.

Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter

Over the many years of advocating for the civil rights of Jewish survivors of sexual abuse/assault I have had several conflicts and have even gone to battle with some of the administrators of the Agudah. One such individual is a rabbi by the name of Avi Shafran, who serves as the director of public affairs at Agudath Israel of America and is also the editor-at-large of Ami Magazine a tabloid geared to this community.

A few weeks ago Ami Magazine published an article that attacked psychologist, Dr. Michael J. Salamon, the author of the book, “Abuse in the Jewish Community”.  Interestingly, the attack was based on false information and Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter, the author of the article admitted that he did not even read the book. This past week Ami published another article in which Avi Shafran attacked individuals who donated their time to advocate for orthodox Jewish survivors of sex crimes.

Unlike the Catholic church, in the Jewish world there is no single central religious authoritative body that makes decrees or controls the happenings of the greater community.  There is however, one group that does have influence on ultra-orthodox Jews internationally, and that is the Agudath Israel of America usually called the Agudah.

Over the many years of advocating for the civil rights of Jewish survivors of sexual abuse/assault I have had several conflicts and have even gone to battle with some of the administrators of the Agudah. One such individual is a rabbi by the name of Avi Shafran, who serves as the director of public affairs at Agudath Israel of America and is also the editor-at-large of Ami Magazine a tabloid geared to this community.

A few weeks ago Ami Magazine published an article that attacked psychologist, Dr. Michael J. Salamon, the author of the book, “Abuse in the Jewish Community”.  Interestingly, the attack was based on false information and Rabbi Yitzchok Frankfurter, the author of the article admitted that he did not even read the book. This past week Ami published another article in which Avi Shafran attacked individuals who donated their time to advocate for orthodox Jewish survivors of sex crimes.