Case of Daniel Hayman

Case of Daniel Hayman

Director - Bondi's Jewish Yeshvia Centre, Sydney, Australia

Queens Park, Australia

Arrested on charged of two counts of gross indecency against 14 and 16 year old males at the Jewish Centre in 1985 and 1986.

Fairfax Media has previously revealed that Hayman recently told one of his alleged victims that Yeshiva spiritual leader Rabbi Pinchus Feldman had admonished him about 25 years ago over his relationship with a boy.

If you or anyone else you know has been abused by Daniel Hayman, the Police is urging you to call  call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit their website.

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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:

2013

1. Daniel Hayman charged over child sex at Bondi's Jewish Yeshiva centre (11/05/2013)

Also see: 

1. Policies For inclusion on The Awareness Center's Sex Offender's Registry
2. Listing Alleged and Convicted Sex Offenders

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Daniel Hayman charged over child sex at Bondi's Jewish Yeshiva centre

By Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie

November 5, 2013 - Sydney Morning Herald

Sydney detectives have charged a businessman with child sexual abuse offences at Bondi's Jewish Yeshiva centre during the 1980s.

A 49-year-old man was arrested on Monday afternoon in the suburb of Queens Park in Sydney's east and later charged with two counts of gross indecency against 14 and 16 year old males at the Jewish Centre in 1985 and 1986.

He has been refused bail and detectives want people with further information about the alleged 1980s offences to come forward.

Fairfax Media has confirmed the arrested man is Daniel Hayman, who has been residing in Los Angeles in recent years.

The arrest and charging of Hayman overnight is likely to put some of Australia's most senior rabbinical figures under scrutiny over their failures to act on complaints from victims.

Despite complaints, Hayman was never reported to police and left Australia to live in Los Angles Jewish community, where leaders again acted to shield him.

Corporate records show Hayman was a director of a major Australian Jewish educational arm for several years after his alleged sexual abuse of boys.

Fairfax Media has previously revealed that Hayman recently told one of his alleged victims that Yeshiva spiritual leader Rabbi Pinchus Feldman had admonished him about 25 years ago over his relationship with a boy.

The leader of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia, Moshe Gutnick, in March revealed he failed to alert police to an anonymous complaint about Hayman in the 1980s.

Rabbi Gutnick said in hindsight he was wrong not to alert police. Rabbi Feldman said he had no recollection of any confession of child sex abuse 25 years ago.

Fairfax also revealed this year an audio recording of another senior Australian rabbi discussing Hayman's alleged interaction with boys or adolescents.

In the tape recording, Rabbi Baruch Lesches said some of Hayman's alleged victims may have consented.

Rabbi Lesches, who was at Bondi Yeshiva at the time of the alleged incidents and now is a major New York Jewish leader, also cautioned against reporting Hayman to police.

He later apologised for his private remarks after Fairfax released the audio of his discussion about Hayman.

Two recent convictions of men associated with Melbourne's Yeshiva college in St Kilda for historic child sex offences have put the spotlight on the attitudes Australia's senior orthodox Jewish leaders to handling abuse claims.

Victorian detectives are investigating how senior St Kilda Yeshiva figures handled complaints against David Kramer and David Cyprus, who were both employed by the school.

Strike Force Bungo was formed last year to investigate child sexual abuse in the Jewish community in Sydney's east. Hayman is alleged to have abuse the boys while a volunteer supervisor at a camp run by the Yeshiva centre.

Police have urged anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit their website.

STATEMENT BY SYDNEY YESHIVA CENTRE

Mr Daniel Hayman was arrested yesterday on charges of child sexual abuse allegations from more than 25 years ago.

Mr Hayman attended Yeshiva Synagogue to pray or for classes but was never an employee or teacher at the Yeshiva Centre. Any volunteer work that he offered Yeshiva did not include responsibility for children.

We would like to assure the community that Mr Hayman currently has no association with Yeshiva and has been disassociated  from the Sydney Yeshiva Centre for more than a decade. He was instrumental in establishing the Tzemach Tzedek Synagogue which broke away from Yeshiva over ten years ago.

There have been media reports that Mr Hayman claims to have privately confessed child sex abuse crimes to Rabbi Pinchus Feldman 25 years ago. Rabbi Feldman does not have any recollection of such a confession. 

Rabbi Feldman wishes to reiterate the following which he has publicly said on numerous occasions:

"To make my position absolutely clear, I endorse the unequivocal Rabbinical rulings encouraging any victims of abuse to report to the police and I will continue to support the efforts of law enforcement agencies in investigating and taking action to protect our community."

Yeshiva unequivocally condemns any form of abuse, including child sexual abuse.

As part of a commitment to the highest standards of care for our pupils, our school Yeshiva College has comprehensive child protection policies in place. Those policies and procedures are constantly being reviewed and updated to ensure maximum safety and protection for our students.

As has been widely reported, in 2003 a case of child sexual abuse was promptly reported to the authorities by Yeshiva, and that has always been and continues to be the policy at Yeshiva.

We welcome investigations by the Police to uncover and prosecute against such crimes and are confident in the outstanding competence and professionalism of the Australian authorities to ensure the protection and welfare of citizens in our society.

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FAIR USE NOTICE
 
Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."--Margaret Mead
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What the Melbourne Jewish community is not being told about child sexual abuse

What the Melbourne Jewish community is not being told about child sexual abuse

By Vivien Resofsky

J-Wire - June 25, 2013

About a month ago I sat in the Rabbi’s office, hopeful despite the negative responses over the last 7 years.  The question took me by surprise.  ” How many people support you?”…writes Viven Resofsky.

I first saw a Rabbi about child sexual abuse in 2004 while I was working at Jewish Care. A terrible example of child sexual abuse was the catalyst. The abuse had gone on for years and finally the girl had the courage to ask for help. She went to a teacher she trusted at Beth Rivkah Ladies College but the teacher did not help her.  Instead she told her student that she was not a pure diamond because her parents were not born into Ultra Orthodox families  and had become Ultra Orthodox by choice. (Baal Teshuvah).

Despite the fact that the teacher was mandated to report disclosures of abuse she did nothing and consequently nothing in the girl’s life changed.  So the girl did something she could do by herself and began to hurt herself physically. Luckily, she came across a doctor who not only knew how to respond but had the confidence and conviction to respond responsibly.

There were other referrals about child sexual abuse and in my opinion, many people who were working with children weren’t sufficiently educated and confident to deal with child sexual abuse.

Four years later I spoke to the same Rabbi again about child sexual abuse. It was 2008 at the time of the publicity surrounding alleged abuse and non-reporting by school authorities at Adass Ladies College.  Comments from community members and leading organistions plus the Australian Jewish News (AJN) editorials revealed widespread ignorance about child sexual abuse.

“We are pleased to be able to report is that the likelihood of such an event taking place now or in the future in any Australian Jewish school – Orthodox or otherwise is remote”. (A lesson learned, AJN Editorial 17/10/2008).

At the time I publicized my opinion that there indeed was a high likelihood of such an event taking place again.  Compliance with Working With Children checks is a minimum measure, Yeshivah’s assertion that it would  enforce mandatory reporting and child protection polices outside school hours (but not during school hours)‘ reflects the minimum standard of care that the law required.

The solution to child sexual abuse is public awareness backed up by comprehensive community education. This is more than the minimum required by law. The organisation leading the response to child sexual abuse, The Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The Taskforce) opposed  providing comprehensive community education. The Taskforce is a volunteer organisation whose leaders who address the public are not qualified in child protection or any field related to children. I believe that it’s policies are based on selectively chosen ‘experts’ assertions, rather than those derived from research and programs that have been evaluated and been proven to work.

This is clear from the written policy of The Taskforce in 2008 in relation to parental education that  ‘parents should educate themselves: by attending workshops, internet research, or taking advantage of the many professional organisations that provide information, resources and training.’  (1).

The approach of parents educating themselves contradicts the latest Victorian child protection inquiry report (2012).  Recommendation 10 states :  “The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development should develop a wide-ranging education and information campaign for parents and caregivers of all school-aged children on the prevention of child sexual abuse.(2)   Comprehensive educational programs have  not been developed in Australia so how  parents be expected to find the right  education by themselves?  Why not help them? Research supporting the inquiry’s conclusions is now at least 10 years old.

In 2011, Manny Waks told the public about the abuse he suffered at Yeshivah and the fact that leaders of Yeshivah including Rabbis, did not report the abuse. For example,  Rabbi Kluwgant made public comments such as this one published in the US, Jewish Daily Forward newspaper.

“ ..Rabbis approach to disclosures of sexual abuse has definitely changed for the better in recent years.”   But Kluwgant added that there has been no attempt to cover up abuse in Australia and that the rabbinate there is committed to addressing the issue. “A lot (of abuse accusations are) based on rumour and innuendo, unless they’re proven in a court of law,” Kluwgant added. “I could tell you lots of lashon hara (evil talk).”

I contacted the Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV) about this and other comments made that I considered misled the public.  A Rabbi looked at a community education program which had been developed by a highly regarded  child protection organisation in the UK.   The program is easily accessible on the internet, at no cost.  His feedback seemed positive. “It’s like the education for  Rabbis. But that’s to be expected”. But still nothing changed.

It was AJN’s  Editor, Mr  Zeddy Lawrence’s article  Enough is Enough that led me to contact Rabbi Kluwgant again.   Mr Lawrence was scathing in his criticism of our spiritual leaders

“ for not owning up their past actions in relation to allegations of child sexual abuse.” (AJN 8/3).

Surely now, I thought  the RCV would be more willing to look at the elements that community education should contain. It was due to this contact that I found myself sitting in the Rabbi’s  about the same issue.  He told me that  had recently attended an educational workshop presented by Tzedek (the new child advocacy organisation). I think he was suggesting that the issue of community education was resolved as Tzedek was providing education.  I disagreed. I believe that Tzedek’s workshop was a good beginning but it did not cover all of the elements community members need to know to prevent, recognize and respond responsibly to child sexual abuse.

” How many people support you?” Rabbi Goodhardt asked me.  Seven years ago The Taskforce took away support for community education when it pressurized The National Council of Jewish Women to withdraw its support for a community education initiative.

I believe that Rabbi Goodhardt’s question reflects the essence of the problem. Responding to child sexual abuse should not be about who has the support of influential organisations.  I believe that until our leading organisations seek the best answers, based on information derived from genuine experts that reflects the best interests of children, the change required for the future health of our children will not be good enough.

Some missing elements in existing community education efforts.

• Education about child protection policies

Schools and programs for children should have specific child sexual abuse prevention policies that focus on appropriate adult and child boundaries and adult and child situations. The Taskforce did not deal with child protection policies. They just left it out, yet they told the community that they were ‘Tackling abuse head on.’ (AJN 21/09/12 ).

The Taskforce also left out community education that incorporates parents checking  their school’s policies, how to check them and what to look for. How can parents advocate for sound policies if they don’t know they exist and if they don’t know what ‘good policies’ look like?

The JCCV recently started another group within its organization, called the JCCV Reference Group to deal with this important element of protecting children that The Taskforce had previously ignored.

History has shown that leaving it to organizations to reform themselves is not the entire answer.  I agree with Rabbi Yakov Horowitz that  parents will have to take the lead role and create a groundswell for the protection of children. (3 ).  Although JCCV Reference Group leader, Andrew Blode “acknowledged the role of the parent in sharing this responsibility by requesting child protection policy and practice from the organisations to which their children are entrusted”  he does not mention providing parents with the education they need to request these policies.  Why not?

• Education about responding to child sexual abuse.

What would you do if you suspected that a member of your congregation is abusing a child? What should you do if a child told you that this person is sexually abusing him or her?

When a child tells someone about sexual abuse, a supportive, caring response is the first step in getting help for the child and re-establishing their trust in adults.  Many of us feel panicked and want to deny it, or are afraid of making a mistake and some just want to brush it aside and not be involved.

Our fear of responding to child sexual abuse is one of the reasons many incidents of child sexual abuse go unreported. Experts tell us that protecting children is the responsibility of every adult as there is the possibility of any adult being called upon to help a child. That is why community education that includes responding to child sexual abuse is so important. Not only do we need to be educated and prepared – just in case, we need to be confident enough to respond responsibly.

Education about how to respond to child sexual abuse is one missing element in existing community education.

• Support to act on suspicions.

What should you do if you sense something is wrong but you are not sure?  How can they check it out and work out what choice might be the best option for this particular situation. How should you deal with it?

If you suspect abuse or suspect that someone is grooming a child for abuse, you don’t have to assume you are right. By acting on suspicions of child sexual abuse you may spare not only one child but perhaps countless others. Many of those who abuse have more than one victim.

Support lines for professionals as well as community members are important.  I believe that best practice for such a service is when professionally qualified people, with expertise in child protection, work within organisations that are independent, transparent, and accountable respond. This is not the case in the Melbourne Jewish community.

• exactly is a ‘sensitive’ approach?  Is that an approach based on what some self proclaimed so called experts assert?  Do Taskforce volunteers who are not professionally qualified advice about how to deal with a person suspected of abusing?  Dealing with offenders is a very specialised area that requires expertise. What are the policies and measures The taskforce have adopted to deal with sex offenders to prevent further child sexual abuse?
  Surely the rabbinate who are involved with responding to child sexual abuse have learned lessons from the past.  I believe the late Rabbi Groner tried to address allegations of abuse by trying to ‘cure’ alleged offenders through psychiatry and that he genuinely thought this was the best solution.  Isn’t that what The Taskforce with the support of the RCV is doing despite the fact that we now know so much more about child sexual abuse?. The role of Rabbis.

In its submission to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry, The Taskforce stated that they have an informal liaison with the Rabbinical Council of Victoria and “can informally advise them when a situation arises”.

What does that mean?  Is the word informal code for ‘keeping it in house?” How does The Taskforce advise Rabbis during certain sensitive cases, including ones “where there wasn’t enough evidence to charge anyone but there were many concerns”? Where is this stated?  Doesn’t this come under the heading of responding to child sexual abuse? Where can the community access information about the processes between The Taskforce and the RCV?

Who decides whether there is enough evidence to charge anyone?  What

Case of Rabbi Boruch Leshes

Case of Rabbi Boruch Leshes

(AKA: Rabbi Boruch Dov Leshes)

Former Senior Leader, Yeshiva Centre - Sydney, Australia
Monsey, NY

Enabler of alleged and convicted sex offenders.  

Rabbi Boruch Leshes blames survivors sex crimes for the offenses committed against them.

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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:

2013

1. Rabbi's Shocking Comments on Sexual Abuse (06/23/2013)
2. Victims may have consented: Rabbi (06/23/2013)
3. Australian rabbi apologizes for saying sex abuse victims may have consented  (06/24/2013)

Also see: 

1. Case of Rabbi Manis Friedman
2. Alleged Enablers of Sex Offenders in Jewish Communities

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Rabbi's Shocking Comments on Sexual Abuse

Sydney Morning Herald - June 23, 2013

Rabbi Boruch Lesches, a former senior leader at Sydney's Yeshiva centre, talking about sexual abuse in the Jewish community.

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Victims may have consented: Rabbi

By Richard Baker and Nick McKenzie

Sydney Morning Herald - June 23, 2013

A senior Australian rabbi who failed to stop an alleged paedophile from sexually abusing boys at a Sydney Jewish school said some of the victims may have consented to sexual relations and has warned that involving police now would ''open a can of worms''.

Former senior Sydney Rabbi Boruch Dov Lesches made the extraordinary remarks in a recent conversation with a person familiar with a series of alleged child rapes and molestation by a man associated with Sydney's Yeshiva community in the 1980s.

Rabbi Lesches' comments are likely to increase public scrutiny of Australia's senior rabbinical leaders' handling of child sexual abuse cases, amid allegations of cover-ups, victim intimidation and the hiding of perpetrators overseas.

In a legally recorded telephone conversation heard by Fairfax Media and provided to NSW detectives investigating the Sydney Yeshiva cases, Rabbi Lesches admitted to counselling the alleged abuser upon learning he had sexually abused a boy a decade his junior

Rabbi Lesches is now one of New York's leading ultra-Orthodox figures.

Rabbi Lesches said he told the man that both he and the boy would be forced to leave the Yeshiva community if he could not control his urges.

''If not, both of them would have to leave,'' he said.

Rabbi Lesches, who never informed police of the abuse, said he did not know the man had ignored his warning and gone on to sexually abuse at least three other boys in the late 1980s.

He said other Yeshiva leaders were responsible for supervising the man.

In the conversation, Rabbi Lesches suggested one of the man's victims, who was aged about 11 at the time of the abuse, may have been a consensual partner. ''Everyone was telling different stories and trying to put the blame on someone else,'' he said.

''We are speaking about very young boys … everybody says about the other one that 'he agreed to this'.''

When challenged on his position that young boys could give consent, Rabbi Lesches replied ''you would be surprised'' and added that some non-Jewish boys, who he termed ''goyims'', began acting or thinking sexually ''from the age of five''.

He said teenagers from poor backgrounds had ''nothing else to do in life, only thinking 24 hours about sex'' with each other, members of their own families and even ''dogs''.

Rabbi Lesches also said reporting the alleged abusers to police so many years after incidents occurred would ''destroy them and their children'' and cause pain for victims.

''Do not talk this way … when it is such a long time ago, everybody suffers,'' he said. ''If you start to do something about it will not be productive and not be good for nobody.''

A traditional rule, mesirah, prohibits a Jew from reporting another's wrong-doing to non-Jewish authorities; it remains a powerful influence in some ultra-orthodox communities.

Rabbi Lesches, who did not respond to questions from Fairfax Media, is the third senior rabbinical leader to be identified as having known something about the abuse of boys at the Sydney Yeshiva in the 1980s.

In February, Fairfax Media reported how the alleged perpetrator, who was sent overseas, had recently admitted guilt to some of his victims. He told of how the centre's spiritual leader, Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, once warned him to stop what he was doing.

In response to that story, Rabbi Feldman released a statement saying he had no recollection of anyone confessing to him their involvement in child sexual abuse 25 years ago.

In early March, another senior rabbinical leader, Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, admitted he did not contact police after a young boy contacted him more than 20 years ago to report sexual abuse at Bondi's Yeshiva.

Rabbi Gutnick, who heads the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia, said he received an anonymous phone call and alerted senior members of the Yeshiva to the boy's claims. He said that with the benefit of hindsight ''I would have probably called the police''.

Rabbi Gutnick is understood to have told Bondi detectives recently all that he could recall about the phone call. In a statement published in the Australian Jewish News this year, he said he ''felt deeply saddened that I had not recognised what I only now know was a legitimate cry for help''.

''I appeal to the entire community - to victims and their parents, to community members and leaders. If you have information please come forward to the police. Don't be afraid,'' Rabbi Gutnick urged.

The Sydney Yeshiva Centre said it has comprehensive child protection policies in place and the centre had liaised with police over the allegations. In a statement the centre said it ''unequivocally condemns any form of abuse'' and treats its child welfare responsibilities with the utmost care.

''Yeshiva … has always endeavoured to comply in full with all its legal and moral child safety obligations.''

Fairfax Media can also reveal that the family of the man being investigated by NSW Police over the sexual incidents at the Bondi Yeshiva are big financial supporters of the New York Monsey ultra-orthodox community led by Rabbi Lesches.

The alleged abuser was also appointed to the board of an Australian company involved in providing educational materials for Jewish students, years after his abuse of boys.

The alleged abuser has in recent years been sheltered by a leading Los Angeles Jewish welfare group, with 2011 emails between the man and one of the organisation's senior members showing he was in danger of having his past in Sydney exposed.

''I have no idea how anyone found out - but calls are coming daily from many sources. So far, we've been protecting you,'' wrote an executive director at the LA organisation in an email to the man.

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Australian rabbi apologizes for saying sex abuse victims may have consented

Rabbinical Council of Victoria says comments by former Sydney Chabad leader were appalling.

Jerusalem Post and JTA - June 24, 2013

A former senior Chabad leader in Sydney in Monsey, N.Y, has issued an apology for making comments suggesting that some of the Jewish victims of alleged child sex abuse in Australia may have consented, Australian media reported Monday.

In a legally recorded telephone conversation obtained by Fairfax media and posted on YouTube, Rabbi Boruch Lesches - who now heads the Lubavitch community in Monsey, NY - admitted to knowing about the alleged abuse of a boy but not going to the police with the information. Instead, according to Fairfax Media, the rabbi told the alleged perpetrator that if the abuse did not stop, both he and the boy would be dismissed from the community.

The phone conversations were provided to NSW police investigating child sex allegations against a man associated with Sydney’s Chabad community in the 1980s.

"We are speaking about very young boys... everybody says about the other one that 'he agreed to this,'" Lesches said in the phone conversation. When queried about young boys consenting, he said, “You would be surprised.”

Reporting alleged abusers to police so many years after incidents occurred would "destroy them and their children" and cause pain for victims, he warned, according to Australian news outlet Brisbane Times.

Lesches dismissed the reopening of the case now as a “can of worms." “When it is such a long time ago, everybody suffers,” he said. “If you start to do something about it, it will not be productive.”

The Brisbane Times reported that on Monday, Rabbi Lesches issued a statement, saying that he regretted making the comments in the recent telephone conversation. Lesches is quoted as saying, "I would like to apologize for statements made in a private telephone conversation that caused pain to the greater public... I would like to make my position absolutely clear: Without any reservation, I endorse the rabbinical rulings encouraging victims of abuse to report to the police." According to Fairfax Media, the alleged abuser, currently being investigated by police for sexually abusing at least four boys in the Sydney Yeshiva community, has admitted that Rabbi Lesches spoke to him regarding his activities with a younger boy.

The Rabbinical Council of Victoria issued a statement Sunday saying it was “appalled” by the comments. “It is deeply regrettable and shocking that there still do exist some individuals out there on the fringe in the religious leadership world who take positions contrary to the clear-cut contemporary halachic approach on the matter of child sexual abuse,” said Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant, president of the council.

Manny Waks, a spokesman for Jewish child sex abuse victims, also said the comments were “absolutely shocking.”

“Unfortunately this attitude and some of the views are fairly prevalent within the fervently Orthodox community,” he said. “After so many exposes, surely this is now undeniable.”

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FAIR USE NOTICE

Some of the information on The Awareness Center's web pages may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.

We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml . If you wish to use copyrighted material from this update for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

_________________________________________________________________________________

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."--Margaret Mead

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WARNING: J. Hershy Worch is a potential DANGER to All Women and Children living in Tzfat, Israel

WARNING:  J. Hershy Worch is a potential DANGER to All Women and Children living in Tzfat, Israel

The following message was forwarded to The Awareness Center by a reliable source:

Photograph from Worch's MySpace web page

Wanted: Responsible Woman Driver 

Tzfat emailer - April 7 2013 

To convey a group of five girls to and from their home in Ibikur/Canaan to school in Me'or Chayim. 20 times per month. 

1200 - 1300 shekel negotiable. 

Must be reliable, prompt and safe.J. Hershy Worchtel-072.252-4236cell-050.413-7569

For over twenty years there have been numerous allegations made against Rabbi J. Hershy Worch involving clergy sexual abuse .  The post from the Tzfat emailer suggests that he has contact with groups of girls and is looking to bring them to a school in which he is connected.  

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The Case of J. Hershy Worch - CLICK HERE for more information

Jeremy Hershy Worch was born in Manchester, England, on May 20, 1954. He received his smicha (rabbinic ordination) from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach in 1992.  

The  first arose against Rabbi Worch occurred during the years in which he was living in Australia.  A book was written about his alleged predatorial several years ago regarding his behavior at Hamakom Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, titled "The Torn Messiah".  

Over the years Rabbi Worch has been accused of utilizing a mixture of kabbalah, hypno-eroticism and other manipulative techniques to enagage his potential victims prior to sexually assaulting them.

There have been allegations that Reb Hershy creates a cult-like devotion to himself utilizing trance-like-states, guided meditation, hypnosis; all under the guise of kabbalah teachings. Allegedly his MO (modus operandi) has been to use such techniques on women with histories of childhood abuse, so that he can lead them into BDSM (Bondage, Domination, Sadism, Masochism). activities with him.

Rabbi Worch has allegedly written a "BDSM-Kabbalah" and finds his "students" over the internet, primarily through his Livejournal "Kabbalah_101" community.

Please help The Awareness Center warn the Tzfat community of how dangerous he allegedly has been in the past.

Rabbinical Council of Victoria: Resolution Condemning and Combating Child Abuse

Rabbinical Council of Victoria:  Resolution Condemning and Combating Child Abuse
February 14, 2013

The Problem with the Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault

The Problem with the Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault

By Vivien Resofsky

Galus Australia - October 19, 2012

I have been attempting to engage The Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (The Taskforce) since 2006, both directly and in the pages of The Australian Jewish News because I am deeply worried by their approach – particularly by their assertion that children can and should be taught to protect themselves against adult predators. The truth is, they can’t.

I am so concerned that I have also submitted complaints to the JCCV, Jewish Care and the Rabbinical Council of Victoria about what I believe is The Taskforce’s dangerously misguided approach to a very complex issue; however, nothing has changed.

The best evidence indicates that we cannot leave children to protect themselves; however, The Taskforce refuses to acknowledge this. The Protecting our Vulnerable Children Inquiry Report (Feb 2012), weighed up all the worldwide research and evidence about the effectiveness of teaching children personal safety to prevent abuse. It accepted Finkelhor (2009 ),Smallbone et al. (2008) “There is little convincing evidence for the effectiveness of these programs for preventing sexual abuse.”

Ms Weiner, who has no degree or equivalent in any field related to child protection does not agree with the research. She states that, “Giving a child the tools to say NO denies the perpetrator the opportunity to abuse.”

Why would Ms Weiner advocate a position that goes against the best evidence? Unfortunately, Ms Weiner’s position is echoed by Mrs Balfour, head of The Early Learning Centre at Beth Rivkah, who believes The Taskforce – that schools do not need to educate parents, because children under the age of five can protect themselves!

Alongside Debbie Weiner, Taskforce board member, Sheiny New, also speaks publicly on behalf of the group and about child abuse. Ms New has spoken and written extensively about this issue, however, like Ms Weiner, she has no degree or equivalent in the area.

This information, however, is not available on The Taskforce website. In fact, much information about who comprises the Taskforce and their work with children is absent from their website. There is a serious lack of transparency that characterises the group. It is usual practice for a group that purports to protect children to articulate this and to clearly state it as part of their vision; however, the word, “child,” is hardly mentioned on The Taskforce site.

While The Taskforce has existed for 17 years, it only first acknowledged the issue of child abuse  in 2006. It then moved to gain a monopoly on the protection of our children despite its lack of experience and the lack of qualifications of Taskforce volunteers.

In 2006, The Taskforce emailed Di Hirsh of the NCJW, strongly requesting that Ms Hirsh and her organisation withdraw their support from a community child protection awareness and education campaign. The Taskforce’s reasoning for this demand was that they wanted to present an efficient and unified communal response to such a sensitive subject in The Taskforce’s forthcoming forum.

In doing this, The Taskforce successfully removed support for a campaign that included child welfare professionals so that a group of volunteers could be the sole providers of communal education on child abuse.

It is important to remember that The Taskforce is a voluntary organisation whose members are not professionals in the area of child protection; however, The Taskforce have positioned themselves as the community’s authority on the matter.

Because they have worked for 17 years to raise awareness of family violence, they believe that qualifies them to advise on child abuse. Not only is this a logical problem, it also requires a real leap of faith because The Taskforce has only spoken out against child abuse in the last 6 years.

The Taskforce personnel also base their credibility on the training they receive from experts. Many of these experts are highly respected in their fields; however, educational seminars that last for a couple of hours, or at most, a couple of days, can not qualify people to do the work of trained professionals. The Taskforce should not therefore position itself as able to give advice on a par with professional advice.

The Taskforce’s lack of professional personnel leads it to offer poor advice (such as the idea that children can protect themselves). Ms New’s public statement that with the right treatment, victims of child sexual abuse will be, “just fine,” goes against research that demonstrates that only 1 in 10 cases of abuse is even reported. Many abused children cannot get help at all, because their abuse is unknown. Educating parents to spot signs of abuse can address this issue. This is not, however, what The Taskforce is doing.

This makes Ms Weiner’s claim that The Taskforce is, “tackling abuse head on,” difficult to believe. Ms Weiner’s and The Taskforce’s refusal to support parent-directed education is evidence that best practice is not in place. Parents need guidance to help them learn how to assess whether or not good child protection procedures are in place in schools and other institutions. They need to know what to look for. For example, does the organization train staff about child sexual abuse? Does the organization have a code of conduct for adults working with children? Does it outline clear expectations about boundaries between staff and children? How is staff misconduct handled?

It is difficult to understand why The Taskforce relies on extremely out of date ideas of child self protection. We used to think programs that teach children to identify and refuse inappropriate touch would prevent child sexual abuse. Personal safety programs for children have been in existence for over 25 years but experts now advise that children can’t fend off would-be abusers by themselves.

The Protecting our Vulnerable Inquiry 2012, weighed up all the worldwide research and evidence about the effectiveness of teaching children personal safety to prevent abuse. It agreed with Finkelhor 2009 and Smallbone et al. 2008: “There is little convincing evidence for the effectiveness of these programs for preventing sexual abuse.” (The Protecting our Vulnerable Children’s Inquiry Report 2012)

Telling parents that something will prevent abuse when it clearly will not puts children at unacceptable risk. Sexual abuse is most commonly a gradual process of desensitization, further complicated by the power imbalance between the victim and perpetrator. Would-be abusers use a grooming process to gain trust and acceptance.

Grooming can be described as a psychological process that breaks down a child’s resistance by using techniques such as gift giving, engaging the child in peer like activities, desensitizing the child to touch, isolating the child and then making the child feel responsible for the abuse. Grooming can take place over months or longer. Those who would offend try to get themselves into a situation where they are alone with a child who trusts them. The abused child is then caught in a web of confusion, guilt, deceit and mistrust and a child commonly feels overwhelmed and powerless to stop the abuse.

Ms New, however, advises that parents should educate themselves and then educate their children. The Child Protection Inquiry, however, does not expect parents to educate themselves. It recommends that efforts should focus on raising public awareness of child sexual abuse and providing parents of all school-aged children with education.

Parents need to become aware and even trained in the defence of their children. They can create a barrier between those who would abuse and their children. They need to discuss matters with their children in language that is not threatening and gives the child age-appropriate references. Parents can vet situations when they leave their children in the care of others and ensure that stringent screening, monitoring, training and reporting policies are in place. They need to know the steps they can take when they suspect something is not right. Schools should continue to teach children about personal safety, but the responsibility for protecting children should be placed on adults.

Finally, we must ask ourselves if it is appropriate for a single group to address matters of abuse in both the Ultra Orthodox and less religious communities. The differences in attitudes, values, and culture are enormous between the extremely religious and the less religious sub-groups in our community. Can and should a single group be charged with such a broad agenda?

According to Ms New there are “Jewish” specific factors that impact on why victims of child sexual abuse don’t report. When she refers to “Jewish” factors, are these applicable across the board or only to the Ultra-Orthodox community?

When The Taskforce makes statements like, “We consider ourselves to be a light unto other nations, and if we start talking about violence and abuse in what we consider a perfect Jewish family that light will be dimmed just a little bit and she (the victim) did not want to be the cause of more anti-Semitism…”

or “Living in a host country we would prefer not to create anti Semitism.” or (referring to the Shidduch system)“…The first question asked is: “Is it a nice family?” sexual assault does not a nice family make. Don’t be judgemental. If your brother had to choose between two equally lovely girls but one had been raped 6 months ago which would you choose?”

Do any of these statements apply to non-religious Jews who are the vast majority in the community?

Why then have the JCCV and Jewish Care welcomed The Taskforce’s attempt to be the sole organisation dealing with abuse in the community? Many non-religious Jews are horrified by such attitudes and might wonder why The Taskforce is not doing more to combat them. Meanwhile Ms New asks us not to be judgmental of that belief system. Surely such a group cannot represent our entire community.

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Vivien Resofsky is a social worker whose specialist training (in both Australia and the USA) underpins her extensive practical professional experience in areas relating to child protection and domestic violence. She has worked with children and families at Jewish Care, The Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service and DHS Child Protection and is an accredited trainer of several programs.

Her writing has appeared in numerous publications; for the Australian government; and for the wider media, including The Herald Sun, The Courier Mail, and The AJN. Vivien is also the author of the highly regarded Wesley World series of books which are parent/child guides to personal safety.

Vivien’s work, which has focused primarily on child abuse in the past six years, draws together research and evidence-based theory, practical experience and programmes with evaluated, evidence-based success.

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The Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault has been contacted to offer them a right-of-reply. To read a previous article about The Taskforce written from their own point of view, please see Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence.