Case of Michael Spingarn

Case of Michael Spingarn 
(AKA: Moshe Spingam, Michael Alan Spingarn, Alan Spingarn, Aayoh Spingarn, Michael S. Spingarn)

Suffern, NY
Former Executive Director - Denver Synagogue, Denver, CO
Pomona, NY
Project Extreme Summer Camp - Lawrence, NY
Former Executive Director - American Friend of Yeshivot Bnei Akiva, New York, NY

(1991 - 2013) New Rochelle, NY
(1983-1991) Pikesville, MD

Convicted sex offender.  Plead guilty to having a series of sexually explicit online conversations with someone he believed to be 14 years old.

The Awareness Center had computer software issues and the case of Michael Spingarn  accidentally came down for several years.  A few weeks ago we realized this case was missing from our web page and it was put back on line.  

Since putting the page back up we were informed that Spingarn relocated to Denver and recently took the postion of the Executive Director of the Denver Synagogue.  As soon as the leadership learned that Michael Spingarn had a criminal record involving a sexual offense,  his postion was immediately terminated.

After his position at the Denver Synagogue was terminated, Michael Spingarn and his wife, moved to Suffern, NY.

It appears that Michael Spingarn (AKA Moshe Spingarn) is not unlike so many other convicted sex offenders, who started using their Hebrew names publicly to stay off the radar publicly.  

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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

1998 - 2005

1. Development Associates Group, Ltd. (DAG) (08/29/2005)

2002

1. 2 plead guilty in D.A.'s Internet pedophile sting (08/15/2002)

2008

1. Jewish Philanthropy News (09/26/2008)

2010

1. Moshe Spingarn - Facebook (12/07/2010)

2013

1. The Denver Synagogue Hires Moshe Spingarn (07/15/2013) 
2. New Executive Director - Denver Synagogue (08-01-2013)
3. Denver Synagogue Staff  (09-01-2013)
4. The Denver Synagogue Newsletter (11/01/2013)
5. Termination Letter From the Denver Synagogue (11/05/2013)
6. Linkedin (11/06/2013)
7. Intelius (11/06/2013)
8. Denver Synagogue fires executive director for sex offense conviction (11/06/2013)
9. BMH-BJ fires ‘level one’ offender  (11/15/2013)

Also see:

• Case of Murray Massover

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2 plead guilty in D.A.'s Internet pedophile sting

Briefing

Journal News, (Westchester County, NY)

August 15, 2002

Two New Rochelle men pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted dissemination of indecent materials to minors, a felony, in connection with the ongoing Internet "sex sting" operation run by Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro. Michael Spingarn and Murray Massover, both 53, had a series of sexually explicit online conversations with someone they believed to be 14 years old. The "teenager" was actually an investigator with Pirro's office. The men were arrested when they showed up to meet the "teenager" at a prearranged spot. Spingarn is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 30 Massover will be sentenced Nov. 16. The defendants each face a maximum of four years in state prison.

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Development Associates Group, Ltd. (DAG)
DAG - August 29, 2005

Archived images of DAG's web page: www.thefundraisers.com  

Click on image to enlarge

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Jewish Philanthropy News 

September 26, 2008

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Moshe Spingarn - Facebook 
Facebook - December 7, 2010

According to Facebook policy, convicted sex offenders are not allowed to have a Facebook account.  It appears that Michael Spingarn (Moshe Spingarn) is in violation of the Facebook policy, though from this snapshot, it seems as if he has not used this account since 2010.

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The Denver Synagogue Hires Moshe Spingarn
July 15, 2013

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New Executive Director - Denver Synagogue
Denver Synagogue Newsletter - August / September, 2013

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Denver Synagogue Staff 
Denver Synagogue - September 1, 2013

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The Denver Synagogue Newsletter
November / December News Letter - November 1, 2013

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Termination Letter From the Denver Synagogue

Denver Synagogue - November 5, 2013

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Moshe  Spingarn - Linkedin
Linkedin - November 5, 2013

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Intelius - Moshe Sprigarn

November 6, 2013

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Denver Synagogue fires executive director for sex offense conviction

By Electa Draper

Denver Post - November 6, 2013

Denver Synagogue leaders on Monday fired executive director Michael "Moshe" Spingarn and notified congregants in a letter Tuesday that he is a convicted sex offender.

"Yesterday we learned that in 2002 in New York, Mr. Spingarn was convicted as a sex offender," said a letter signed by Rabbi Ben Greenberg and synagogue board president Michael Engleberg.

Greenberg and Engleberg wrote that they confirmed the conviction and immediately fired Spingarn.

"When we learned of the potential danger we took action without delay," their letter said. "On the positive side, we have no information Mr. Spingarn did anything wrong or inappropriate with anyone during his brief tenure at the synagogue."

Spingarn began work at the synagogue, also known as the BMH-BJ Congregation, in July. He could not be reached for comment.

According to a 2002 news story from the Westchester County Journal News reposted on the Illinois-based International Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault website, Spingarn, then 53, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of disseminating indecent materials to minors and having a series of sexually explicit online conversations with someone he believed to be 14 years old during an Internet "sex sting" operation run by the Westchester County district attorney.

He is not listed under Michael or Moshe Spingarn on either the Colorado Bureau of Investigation Convicted Sex Offender Site or the New York State Public Registry of Sex Offenders.

The Westchester County DA's office was asked to confirm the conviction but had not responded as of deadline.

Engleberg on Wednesday told The Denver Post that the synagogue performed "due diligence" before hiring Spingarn and "nothing came up."

He declined to give further details before consulting the synagogue's attorney.

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Convicted Sex Offender Moshe Spingarn leaves Denver - Moves to Suffern, NY

By Vicki Polin

Examiner - November 12, 2013

Over a decade ago Michael Spingarn plead guilty to attempted dissemination of indecent materials to a minor. He was originally arrested after being caught in a internet sting operation that was run by theWestchester County District Attorney's office in New York.

Back in 2002, during a conversations over the internet with the under-cover police officer, Springarn agreed to meet a “fourteen-year-old teen” at a prearranged location. When he showed up was promptly arrested.

While trying to trace Michael Springarn’s history after his conviction is somewhat difficult due to the fact that when seeking employment he has been going by his hebrew name, Moshe Springarn.

According to the Jewish Philanthropy News, back in 2008, Moshe Spingarn was the executive director of theAmerican Friends of Yeshivot Bnei Akiva, earning $125,000 a year. He had also worked briefly at Project Extreme Summer Camp located in Lawrence, NY.

Moshe Springarn has two different Linkedin account's. According to the first has been the President of Development Associates Group, Ltd.(DAG) since 1996. DAG is an organization that assists in the management of non-profit organizations. According to his secondLinkedin account, Springarn is the Director of Development at Project Extreme.

Even though Facebook has a policy in which convicted sex offenders are not allowed to have a Facebook account. It appears that Michael Spingarn (Moshe Spingarn) has been in violation of the Facebook policy, though it seems as if he has not used this account since 2010.

According to The Awareness Center (which is the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Assault),Michael Spingarn was listed on the organization's “Sex Offenders Registry" dating back to 2002, yet due to a computer glitch his name had not appeared since 2006. This error was corrected early in October. It soon after Michael Spingan’s name was re-listed, a spokesperson at The Awareness Center stated the organization was informed that Springarn had recently relocated from New York to Denver, CO for a position as the executive director of the BMH-BJ: The Denver Synagogue.

On November 4, 2013, Rabbi Ben Greenberg, wrote a letter to his congregation announcing Springarn’s termination. According to a reliable source, yesterday Moshe Spingarn, moved back to New York, and is currently residing in Suffern.

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BMH-BJ fires ‘level one’ offender 
By Chris Leepek
Intermountain Jewish News - November 15, 2013

The firing last week of recently appointed BMH-BJ: The Denver Synagogue’s executive director Michael “Moshe” Spingarn — after the synagogue discovered he had been convicted of a sex crime 11 years ago — has caused the congregation to rethink the way it hires employees.

In a letter sent Nov. 5 to synagogue members, spiritual leader Rabbi Ben Greenberg and board president Michael Engleberg wrote that Spingarn, hired by BMH-BJ last July, “was terminated effective immediately; he is no longer affiliated in any capacity with our synagogue.

“Yesterday we learned that in 2002 in New York, Mr. Spingarn was convicted as a sex offender. Upon confirming the accuracy of this information, Mr. Spingarn was summarily terminated.”

The Intermountain Jewish News confirmed last week through the New York State Public Registry of Sex Offenders that Spingarn was convicted on Aug. 14, 2002 “for attempting to disseminate indecent material to minors . . . via computer for sexual contact,”  and for “promoting or possessing sexual performance by a child.”

The incident was a sting operation run by the Westchester County district attorney and involved a person whom Spingarn believed to be a 14-year-old male. The first record of the incident was in June, 2002.

Although listed on the registry itself, Spingarn’s offense was apparently classified as “level one,” which does not mandate listing on the New York Registry’s website, but was confirmed by the IJN via telephone.

According to Westchester Country court records, Spingarn, then 53, pleaded guilty to the offense and was sentenced to five years probation. This was first reported locally by the Denver Post.

Attempts by the IJN to contact Spingarn last week and this week were unsuccessful.

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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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Case of Murray Massover

Case of Murray Massover

Retired - New Rochelle, NY
Manager - Door Store
Manager - Malca Amit Insurance Brokerage, New Rochelle, NY
General Manger - Brink's, Inc., New Rochelle, NY
Student - Roger Williams University, Bristol, CT
Student (Class of 1967) - Hope High School, Hope, North Dakota

Pleaded guilty to attempted dissemination of indecent materials to minors, a felony, in connection with the ongoing Internet "sex sting" operation run by Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

Michael Spingarn and Murray Massover, both 53, had a series of sexually explicit online conversations with someone they believed to be 14 years old. The "teenager" was actually an investigator with Pirro's office. The men were arrested when they showed up to meet the "teenager" at a prearranged spot.

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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:

1986

1. Missing Va. Broker Had $500,000, Reports Say  (03/05/1986)

1998

1. Warwick   (03/05/1998)

1999

1. Obituaries  (07/26/1999)
2. Murray Massover Age: 48 Status: Former staff and Member of the Alumni Association (1999)

2002

1. 2 more arrests made in Internet pedophile sting   (04/22/2002)
2. New Rochelle man caught in Internet sting   (04/25/2002)
3. 2 plead guilty in D.A.'s Internet pedophile sting (08/15/2002)

2003

1. New Age for an Ancient Rite  (02/09/2003)

Also see: 

• Case of Michael Spingarn

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Missing Va. Broker Had $500,000 Report Says
By Donald P. Baker Washington Post Staff Writer

Washington Post - March 5, 1986

RICHMOND, March 4-Clyde B. Pitchford Jr. called his secretary from New York just before he disappeared last month and said he was shipping a $500,000 cash loan to Richmond by armored truck, according to a source close to the investigation of Pitchford, who is being sought on embezzlement charges.

The missing stockbroker asked his personal secretary, Karen White, to "meet a Brink's truck at the bank and make sure there was enough room in his safe-deposit boxes" for the money, the source said.

But the money never arrived here, the source said.

In another report, Reeves Mahoney, a Norfolk lawyer retained by Pitchford's parents, said he had been told that Pitchford put $450,000 in cash in a safe-deposit box at the Sherry Netherland Hotel in New York shortly before he disappeared.

The flamboyant 31-year-old account executive with E.F. Hutton & Co. here was last seen Feb. 12 at the Sherry Netherland, where he was staying in New York while attempting to borrow money to cover mounting debts, the source said.

Mahoney said that Pitchford "has the only key to that box, and hotel employes have been told to call the NYPD if anyone tries to use it."

He said the cash "obviously didn't come from a bank-you get cash like that from private parties."

The other source added that "Clyde didn't get a loan in New York. I don't know where the cash came from."

Joseph Irving, the front office manager of the Sherry Netherland, the posh Fifth Avenue hotel where Pitchford often stayed on New York visits, said he had been instructed by the missing persons bureau of the New York Police Department not to discuss the Pitchford matter. Irvin said only that "like all hotels, we have security boxes for our guests."

Murray Massover (2013)

A spokesman for Brink's Inc. in New York said there is no record of a request from Pitchford to transport cash to Richmond.

"If we got such a call," said Murray Massover, manager of Brink's Broadway office, "and if the person didn't have an account with us, we'd ask them to submit the request in writing."

Pitchford was indicted here Monday on four counts of embezzling money from his clients at Hutton, and prosecutors say more charges are likely. A Hutton spokseman in New York said today that Pitchford was "terminated" as of Feb. 28, but that the brokerage house will "protect our clients."

Sources said today that two men came to Richmond about the time Pitchford disappeared in connection with arranging a loan for him.

The sources gave differing versions of the encounters: One said the men confronted Pitchford at the exclusive Commonwealth Club and engaged in "an unfriendly conversation." The other said the men called at Pitchford's apartment-office the day after he was last seen in New York and told White that they had arranged a $5 million loan for Pitchford.

White, who worked as a $15,000-a-year secretary out of Pitchford's adjoining penthouse apartments here, has returned to her parents' home in Norfolk since Pitchford's disappearance and could not be reached for comment today.

Late today, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Blackwell N. Shelley, acting at the request of four Richmond banks, appointed a trustee to oversee the affairs of Pitchford and Rex Group Inc., of which Pitchford is secretary-treasurer.

The judge acted after Andrea G. Hoffman, an assistant vice president of the Bank of Virginia, testified that two of Pitchford's partners in Rex Group, State Sen. A. Joe Canada Jr. (R-Virginia Beach) and former Olympic equestrian Hugh Wiley of Fluvanna County, Va., signed statements saying that their names had been forged on documents guaranteeing loans to Rex Group.

Hoffman produced financial statements submitted by Pitchford that said Rex Group owned 13,737 shares in the Florida Center Bank of Orlando, which Pitchford valued at $5 billion.

"Did you make this loan?" the judge asked Hoffman. When she said she did, he asked, "Did you believe this {financial statement} by any stretch of the imagination?"

Hoffman said the loans were made primarily on the basis of the guarantees signed by Canada, Wiley and George H. Morris, a New Jersey horseman who is a director of Rex.

The financial statement, she said, was submitted by Pitchford long after the loan was made.

When Bank of Virginia saw the inflated value of the Florida bank stock, "That's when we started to call in the loans," Hoffman said.

Slayton Dabney Jr., an attorney for Bank of Virginia, said "we hope it {the Florida bank stock} is worth $5 million, but there is no reason to believe it is." Dabney said a spokesman for the Florida bank said "very few shares were turned over to Pitchford."

A source said Pitchford was placed on the bank's board of the directors in October after he presented a certified check for $5 million as part of a takeover effort. Pitchford was removed from the bank board Monday night, a bank spokesman said.

In the financial statements introduced at the bankruptcy hearing, Pitchford listed his personal assets at $2,357,180 and those of the Rex Group at $5,003,115,000.

Among his personal assets, according to the July 1985 statement, were $1.1 million worth of real estate, including condominiums in North Palm Beach, Fla., and Virginia Beach that he owns with Canada; $470,000 in furnishings in his Richmond penthouses and his parents' home in Norfolk, four automobiles worth a total of $198,000, including a $135,000 1983 Rolls-Royce that has since been repossessed.

He listed his annual income at $197,796, including $120,000 from Hutton.

In addition to the Florida bank stock, Rex Group holdings listed by Pitchford included more than a dozen jumping horses from France, Germany, Ireland and the United States worth $1.7 million.

Dabney said the horses were "supposed to exist at various locations around the East Coast, but we're not sure where."

He added that he was "also unsure about the location of some of the other assets."

Judge Shelley told Dabney to instruct the trustee he appointed, Douglas O. Tice Jr., to "get his saddle and go to Florida."

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Warwick
DOROTHY MASSOVER

The Providence Journal-Bulletin - March 5, 1998

DOROTHY MASSOVER, 76, of Shalom Apartments, 1 Shalom Drive, a sales associate at the former Outlet Co. for 25 years, died Tuesday at the Kent Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was the wife of Louis Massover.

Born in Pawtucket, a daughter of the late Joseph and Rose (Shapiro) Boslovitz, she lived in Warwick for 20 years, previously living in Providence.

She had been a member of the former Temple Beth Israel, Providence.

Besides her husband, she leaves a daughter, Susan Massover of Providence; a son, Murray Massover of New Rochelle, N.Y.; two sisters, Ida Boslovitz and Bertha Boslovitz, both of Warwick; and four grandchildren. She was the mother of the late Rochelle Alterman and sister of the late Bessie and William Boslovitz and Anna Ettine.

A graveside service will be held today at 2 p.m. in Lincoln Park Cemetery, Post Road, Warwick.

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Obituaries 
The Providence Journal

July 26, 1999

LOUIS J. MASSOVER, 83, of Randall Street, a salesman in the wholesale meat industry in Rhode Island for 18 years, retiring several years ago, died Saturday at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island, Pawtucket. He was the husband of the late Dorothy (Boslovitz) Massover.

A lifelong Providence resident, he was a son of the late Murray and Katherine (Halpern) Massover.

An Army veteran of World War II, Mr. Massover served in Europe. He was a member of the former Temple Beth-Israel and the Masons. He was a scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 10 and a volunteer at Camp Yawgoog, where he was known for teaching leather crafts to Boy Scouts.

He leaves a son, Murray Massover of New Rochelle, N.Y.; a daughter, Susan Massover of Providence; and four grandchildren. He was the father of the late Rochelle Alterman.

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New Rochelle man caught in Internet sting
By Timothy Gray, Staff

Journal News, (Westchester County, NY) - April 25, 2002

A New Rochelle insurance broker was arrested and accused of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old boy he met online last week. The "boy," however, was an investigator for the Westchester County District Attorney's office.

Murray Massover, 53, of 84 Rogers Ave., is accused of having sexual conversations over the Internet with someone he believed to be a minor, and discussing specific sexual scenarios he wanted to act out with him. According to the district attorney's office, Massover also tried to set up a meeting with the undercover investigator, who posed as a young boy in a chat room.

The alleged conversations took place from April 2 to April 11.

Massover was charged with attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, a felony. Such a charge is not limited to the exchange of pornographic images, but also covers explicit conversations between an adult and a minor. Massover faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted.

"Obviously I made a stupid mistake," said Massover who was home last week, after posting a $10,000 bond. "I'm pleading guilty and am doing everything to correct myself."

Massover is the 53rd man arrested since the Westchester District Attorney' s Office began its Internet Pedophile Sting Operation in July 1999. The office, which has a 100-percent conviction rate with such cases, says it plans to continue the sting as long as it keeps snaring pedophiles.

"The identification and prosecution of Internet pedophiles continues to be one of the highest priorities of District Attorney Jeanine Pirro," said Marianne Walsh, a spokeswoman for the office. "Cyberspace provides anonymity to people intent on harming our children."

Pirro's office has attacked that "anonymity" with each bust, sending press releases to local media outlets detailing the nature of each crime.

Despite the aggressive operation, the actual number of online relationships developed between adults and children is very low, according to a study by National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which says that most sexual solicitations of minors on the Internet are from other minors.

But prosecutors defend the sting operation by claiming that it helps prevent potentially dangerous situations.

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2 more arrests made in Internet pedophile sting
Journal News, (Westchester County, NY) - April 16, 2002

A marine insurance broker from New Rochelle and a financial analyst from the Bronx were accused of trying to set up a sexual liaison with someone they met online and thought was a 14-year-old child, authorities said yesterday.

The "child" was actually an undercover investigator with the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.

Charles Martin, 24, of 2816 Schurz Ave., the Bronx, and Murray Massover, 53, of 84 Rogers Ave., New Rochelle, became the 52nd and 53rd people arrested in District Attorney Jeanine Pirro's Internet pedophile sting operation.

Martin, who authorities said was accused of having the online chats between March 29 and April 11, and Massover, between April 2 and 11, were arraigned Friday in White Plains City Court on a charge of first-degree attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, a felony. They face up to four years in state prison if convicted.

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2 plead guilty in D.A.'s Internet pedophile sting
Briefing

Journal News, (Westchester County, NY) - August 15, 2002

Two New Rochelle men pleaded guilty yesterday to attempted dissemination of indecent materials to minors, a felony, in connection with the ongoing Internet "sex sting" operation run by Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro. Michael Spingarn and Murray Massover, both 53, had a series of sexually explicit online conversations with someone they believed to be 14 years old. The "teenager" was actually an investigator with Pirro's office. The men were arrested when they showed up to meet the "teenager" at a prearranged spot. Spingarn is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 30 Massover will be sentenced Nov. 16. The defendants each face a maximum of four years in state prison.

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New Age for an Acient Right
By Yilu Zhao 

New York Times, (NY) - February 9, 2003

Miguel couldn't make the plain blue skullcap provided by the synagogue stay on his hair, which he wears in little spikes. Colin, amused, came to his aid with some hair clips. But Colin's skullcap also kept slipping off his fine blond hair, and he used one hand to keep it in place. Finally, they filed into their seats at Congregation Sons of Israel, a synagogue in Briarcliff Manor, where their classmate Brett Caesar was one of two boys becoming a bar mitzvah that day. Colin and Miguel, who are both Catholic, are among the many 12- and 13-year-olds in Westchester who are spending many of their Saturday mornings in synagogues this year attending the bar and bat mitzvahs of their Jewish friends.

"It's an honor to be invited," said Colin. "You want to show your friends that you care about them." Colin, Miguel and their classmates will likely be invited to a more than a dozen bar and bat mitzvahs this year.

Rabbis at the county's three dozen Conservative and Reform synagogues say that often one-third to one-half of the children attending the bar and bat mitzvah services are not Jewish. Some non-Jewish children are at the Saturday morning services so often that the rabbis know them by name. Some of them spend far more time in synagogue than they do at their own churches. Some don't go to church at all.

The ease with which children and families mingle with one another across religious and ethnic lines today still astonishes many adults.

"I lived in a Jewish ghetto in the Bronx when I was a boy," said Joel J. Blattstein, 60, a spokesman at the White Plains branch of the United Jewish Communities. "My friends were 100 percent Jewish. At my bar mitzvah, everybody was Jewish."

But both Jewish and Christian children shrug off the Christian teenagers' attendance at bar or bat mitzvahs ceremonies, saying it's just part of today's adolescent experience.

All the children at Brett's service sat together in two back sections of the temple, and at least at the beginning they were relatively quiet. But as the nearly three-hour service, almost all of which was conducted in Hebrew, went on, they began talking among themselves, incurring an angry "shh" and a stern stare from the adult designated by the synagogue to sit in each children's row to supervise them. When Brett stepped onto the podium, to lead the prayers, however, his friends grew quiet and watched him intently.

They were impressed, his friends said after the service. They had known Brett only as their video game pal and their sports buddy and had never seen him in a religious setting.

"At school, you don't go to people and say, 'Hey, so what's your religion?'" said Miguel, who immigrated from Mexico with his parents four years ago. "You say, 'Hey, what's up?'"

Some said they hadn't even known that some of their good friends were Jewish until they received their bar or bat mitzvah invitations.

Miguel and Colin were curious about the difference between synagogues and the churches they attend.

"There isn't a place in the synagogue where you can kneel and pray," said Miguel.

Sam Chalsen, another blond 13-year-old, observed: "The architecture of the synagogue is always more futuristic than the churches. And we don't have kids standing up to lead the prayers."

Pointing out that the Torah reads from right to left, Colin remarked, "The Torah goes the wrong way."

During that service, Colin said, he was often lost about which page of the Torah was being read, since he doesn't read Hebrew. "So I was asking people every minute where we are now," he said.

Miguel had done some homework on Judaism before he arrived at the temple. He grabbed a little booklet about bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies from Food Emporium and learned that the service is a rite of passage into adulthood. He checked out the location of Jerusalem on the map and chatted with his father about Judaism.

"I am going to look up Judaism in the Britannica and Google it on the Internet when I get home," said Miguel.

Almost all of Brett's friends were wearing crisp navy blue suits, and many said their parents had recently bought the outfits for them so they would be appropriately dressed for the bar and bat mitzvah events. One girl said her parents had bought seven party dresses for her, spending almost $1,000. Most children attending Brett's bar mitzvah gave him $36; traditionally gifts are given in multiples of 18, the numerical value of the letters that spell "life" in Hebrew.

Another of Brett's friends, Sam Chalsen, listened carefully whenever Rabbi Steven C. Kane of the Briarcliff synagogue spoke in English during the service and particularly when Rabbi Kane explained the Torah portion that Brett would read. The Torah portion is determined by the calendar year; because this service was in January, the passage was from Exodus.

"Moses stretched out his hand over the sea," the rabbi said, his voice resonant in the temple, "and the sea parted."

Sam decided that although it was the same exodus story in both Catholicism and Judaism, the points emphasized were different. For instance, Sam had not remembered that Moses took Joseph's bones with him on the journey.

"In the Catholic church, the story always comes back to focus on Jesus," Sam said. "In the Torah, it revolves around how the Israelites suffered."

Rabbi Kane smiled at Sam's comments. While Sam's observations on the differences between the two religions were to a certain extent valid, he said, the text of the Torah is exactly the same as the first five books of the Old Testament.

Rabbis have become attentive to the presence of those who are unfamiliar with Hebrew, Jewish or not, at the services. Some intermittently offer explanations in English to the congregations; some insert pages of transliterations into the Hebrew prayer books so that nonspeakers can follow along.

Bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies in conservative synagogues usually go on for three hours, with the most of the service conducted in Hebrew. The child undergoing the rite reads a longer portion of the Torah, sometimes lasting as long as 20 minutes. Services in reform synagogues are conducted mostly in English.

"To have non-Jews in our temple is a good way to let people know about our customs," said Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana of Temple Israel in New Rochelle, a Reform synagogue. "It's hard to have prejudices against other people if you know what their customs are."

Parents of the Christian children invited to the ceremonies did not express any discomfort about sending their children to synagogue week after week.

Izzy Archibald, an eighth grader at the Albert Leonard Middle School in New Rochelle, attended more than two dozen bar or bat mitzvah ceremonies last year. Her last one was at Temple Israel in New Rochelle for her classmate (removed) Massover. Although Izzy's parents go to a Presbyterian church every Sunday, she rarely goes.

"My dad says, why don't you convert to Judaism, since you are going to a synagogue every weekend anyway," Izzy said. "My parents just want me to have some faith. To them, believing in a religion is better than believing in no religion at all."

Nancy McCullough, a public school teacher who went to (removed)'s bar mitzvah ceremony with her two sons, is trying to raise her children Catholic.

"I like religion," she said. "It doesn't matter what religion it is. I just want my children to believe in a religion and believe in tradition and family. I don't think we can be as rigid as we used to be."

Most of the children at the ceremonies, Jewish or not, eventually lose patience. A rare few doze or furtively play video games; most simply glance around or "space out," as they say.  But Murray Massover, (removed)'s father, was not offended.

"The kids will be bored," he said before the service, "but then there'll be the party. They'll be with their friends and there'll be a lot of fun."

The McCullough brothers, Robby, 15, and Andrew, 13, tried to be engaged at the service by winking at Joshua when he was on the podium and giving him supportive smiles.

"I felt lonely when they sang and said the prayers," Andrew said after the service. "I didn't know a thing, but I tried to be involved."

Mia Raftery, a 13-year-old Catholic, went to 25 bar and bat mitzvahs last year, and by the time she attended (removed)'s service, she could sing three or four of the Jewish prayers.

"Ein Keloheinu," she sang for her friends after the bar mitzvah, proud and giggling.

"I don't know the meanings of these songs," she said. "I just get the transliteration."

Sometimes, the teenage guests simply skip the service and go only to the parties, often fancy, expensive events held after the services. But most seem to realize the essence of the bar or bat mitzvahs is spiritual, and out of respect for the religious traditions of their friends and the years of Hebrew school and hard work their friends put in to prepare for their rites of passages, sit through what some call "interminable" boredom and confusion.

But William Lombardi, a lanky 13-year-old attending Anne M. Dorner Middle School in Ossining, said sitting through the service for one of his closest friends, Micah Joselow, was not boring at all.

"If it were a stranger up there having the service," William said, "I probably would have been miserable. But I watched him preparing for the bar mitzvah, and I appreciated what went into it."

Micah, who started learning Hebrew in kindergarten, began his four-and-a-half-hour-long weekly preparation for the bar mitzvah service last June. He skipped basketball practice to take his Hebrew classes.

Both the Joselows and the Caesars are part of Congregation Sons of Israel in Briarcliff Manor. Because of the closeness of Micah's and Brett's birthdays, Rabbi Kane decided to initiate the two 13-year-olds into the adult community at the same bar mitzvah service. Both boys wrote essays on their spiritual development and participation in social service.

The ceremony was also among the first bar mitzvahs for many of the parents of Micah's friends.

"I didn't feel strange being there," Donna Lombardi, William's mother, said after the service, "perhaps because I was surrounded by people I know.

"For kids living in a multifaith, multiethnic environment," she continued, "it's important for them to be exposed to other people's religions, particularly if that's the religion of your best friend."

The Lombardis will hold a confirmation service for William this year, but probably only family members will be invited to the service and the party afterward, Mrs. Lombardi said.

There has been some discussion in Jewish intellectual circles about why many non-Jewish children attend bar and bat mitzvahs, but few Jewish children attend the Catholic confirmations, a similar ritual. While some scholars speculate that Jewish parents feel that having their children attending Catholic services threatens their Jewishness, many Jewish families in Westchester dispute that claim.

"Of course I would let Micah go if people invite him," said Alice Joselow, Micah's mother. She reasoned that fewer Jewish children attend confirmations because the Catholic service traditionally includes a narrower circle.

For Protestant teenagers who feel left out -- Jewish children have bar and bat mitzvahs and Catholic children have confirmations -- some Episcopalian churches in Westchester have installed Rite 13, a similar service to the bar and bat mitzvah ceremony where the teenager becomes an adult in the eyes of the church.

"These services give the children a sense of connection with God at an important age," said Graham Gulian, who attended Micah's bar mitzvah with his son, Max, and applauded it as an important religious lesson for Jewish and non-Jewish children alike. The Gulians will hold a Rite 13 service for Max later in the year.

"These services give them a sense of spirituality," he said, "teach them to accept other people's beliefs in God as equally valid, and provide a healthy alternative to video games."

Caption:

Photos: (removed) Massover, left, with a friend, Josh George, at Temple Israel in New Rochelle, where (removed) rehearsed for his bar mitzvah. Left: Christopher Luboja, left, and Jake Lesser, posed for a picture at the party after Brett Caesar's bar mitzvah. Top: The main dining room at the Ridgeway Country Club in White Plains was decorated for Brett's party. Far left: A placard depicting some of Brett's favorite things was placed in the foyer at the club for his party. (Photographs by John W. Wheeler for The New York Times)(pg. 6); Joshua Massover and Rabbi Michael Z. Cahana, left, rehearse for Joshua's bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in New Rochelle. Grouped together at the party after the bar mitzvah ceremony for Brett Caesar, are, from left, Colin O'Rourke, Miguel Barcenas, Mark Cipollina and Sam Chalsen. Far left, Jackie Friedman, Izzy Archibald and Emily Rubenstein attend the party for (removed) Massover. Joshua's cake is displayed on a cart used for the ceremony of the candles. (Photographs by John W. Wheeler for The New York Times)

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Murray Massover Age: 48 Status: Former staff and Member of the Alumni Association

Guest (#208):

Email: Badboy820

Referred by: Word of Mouth

http://www.campyawgoog.org/guestbook/archives/1997_11.shtml

Hi Chris:

Excellent quality I espically like the photo's. Why not consider opening a store and sell some Yawgoog hats, T-shirts, etc...

Best Regards,

Murray Massover

Sat Nov 8 09:26:29 EST 1997

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2 more arrests made in Internet pedophile sting

Journal News, (Westchester County, NY) - April 16, 2002

A marine insurance broker from New Rochelle and a financial analyst from the Bronx were accused of trying to set up a sexual liaison with someone they met online and thought was a 14-year-old child, authorities said yesterday.

The "child" was actually an undercover investigator with the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.

Charles Martin, 24, of 2816 Schurz Ave., the Bronx, and Murray Massover, 53, of 84 Rogers Ave., New Rochelle, became the 52nd and 53rd people arrested in District Attorney Jeanine Pirro's Internet pedophile sting operation.

Martin, who authorities said was accused of having the online chats between March 29 and April 11, and Massover, between April 2 and 11, were arraigned Friday in White Plains City Court on a charge of first-degree attempted dissemination of indecent material to minors, a felony. They face up to four years in state prison if convicted.

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