Thursday, August 28, 2003

Case of Raymond Michael Pietrowski

Case of Raymond Michael Pietrowski


AKA: Dirty Al Capone, Raymond Pietrowski, Raymond Pietrowski, Raymond D. Pietrowski, Raymond M. Pietrowski

Chicago, IL
Naples, FL
Jerusalem, Israel


Raymond Michael Pietrowski, 45, of Chicago, pleaded no contest to reduced charges — two counts of attempted sexual battery on an 11-year-old boy in Naples, Florida in July 2001. With the consent of the victim, his family and the victim's court-appointed representative, Pietrowski will serve 10 years' probation in Israel.  

There is a report that Raymond Pietrowski died on May 1, 2005, yet many believe this is a false report and that he was able to change his identity and is currently residing somewhere in Israel.


CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER MISSING 
 
U.S. court sent convicted sex offender to Jerusalem, Israel.

Israeli law enforcement agencies and courts where not notified of decision by Florida court to send Raymond Pietrowski to Northern Jerusalem.  He was convicted of attempting to rape minors and has vanished.  His last known address was:

NOAM EZRA
70 PHTAL ST
JERUSALEM, ZZ 96905

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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:

2003
  1. Judge OKs man's probation in Israel - Treatment conditions spelled out in plea deal  (08/28/2003)
  2. Sex offender to spend 10 years on probation in Israel (08/29/2003)
  3. The Florida Department of Corrections  (10/16/2003)

2005
  1. Florida Department of Corrections (11/27/2005)
  2. U.S. court sent convicted pedophile to Israel (11/30/2005)
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Judge OKs man's probation in Israel - Treatment conditions spelled out in plea deal
By Denes Hurty III 
Published by news-press.com - August 28, 2003

A Chicago man who pleaded no contest to sex charges will get to start his life over in Israel, a judge in Collier County ruled Wednesday.

This rather unusual outcome happened after Raymond Michael Pietrowski, 45, of Chicago, pleaded no contest to reduced charges — two counts of attempted sexual battery on an 11-year-old boy in Naples in July 2001.

Pietrowski, who also goes by the alias of Dirty Al Capone, entered the plea to avoid the risk of serving life sentences had he been convicted on his two original charges of sexual battery on the boy.

It just so happens that Pietrowski, an unemployed mechanic from Chicago, knows people in Israel and may be a citizen of that country as well as the United States, his attorney, Jerry Berry said.

With the consent of the victim, his family and the victim's court-appointed representative, Pietrowski will serve 10 years' probation in Israel, Berry said.

Pietrowski will stay at an Israeli version of a halfway house, where he will receive sex offender counseling, according to the terms of his plea agreement.

The deal must include an affidavit by Rabbi Moshe Tzur that Pietrowski arrived in Israel.
Reports about Pietrowski's treatment must be mailed to state probation officers, the agreement states.

If Pietrowski violates his probation, he is subject to deportation from Israel to the United States to serve a 15-year prison sentence, Assistant State Attorney Steve Maresca said.

Circuit Judge Lauren Miller suspended that prison sentence Wednesday as part of Pietrowski's plea agreement. He was given credit for the 656 days he's already spent either in jail or in a state mental hospital.

Pietrowski has a month from the date of his release to get to Israel.

But first, he will be transported to jail in Dade County where he has a pending purse-snatching charge, Berry said. The attorney said he believes that charge can be resolved so that his client can be released to go to Israel.

Regarding the Collier County case, Pietrowski, who has a history of mental problems, was visiting friends in Naples when he was accused of molesting the boy, whom he knows.

The police were contacted, but by the time police had enough evidence to arrest Pietrowski, he'd left Naples and was back at home in Chicago.

He was arrested there on a Collier County warrant and returned to Naples.

Last October, Miller ruled that Pietrowski was mentally incompetent to stand trial. He was then treated at the North Florida Evaluation Center in Gainesville.

Following treatment there, Pietrowski was found competent by Miller in a May hearing.

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Sex offender to spend 10 years on probation in Israel
Friday, August 29, 2003
By CHRIS W. COLBY

A man who pleaded no contest to the attempted rape of an 11-year-old boy will serve no prison time but instead will spend 10 years on probation in Israel.

Raymond M. Pietrowski, 45, will live in an Israeli halfway house in Jerusalem, where he will undergo sex offender treatment from a doctor there with a background in clinical psychology.

Pietrowski is from Chicago and committed the offense in July 2001 while visiting the child's guardian, a friend in Naples. He'll receive credit for the nearly two years he has spent in Collier County jail and in a state mental hospital after the court declared he was incompetent to stand trial.

Originally charged with two counts of capital sexual battery, both punishable by automatic life sentences, Pietrowski instead was formally convicted in a hearing Wednesday of two counts of attempted rape. Those are punishable by up to 30 years in prison.

In order for the judge to approve the plea agreement to shift the probation to a foreign country, Collier Circuit Judge Lauren Miller held a hearing Monday for the court and both lawyers to interview by phone the doctor, Gerald Yehuda Oppenheim. They were satisfied he is a legitimate doctor who can treat Pietrowski.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Pietrowski must have no unsupervised contact with children younger than 18, may not return to the United States during his probationary period, and must provide copies of plane tickets and affidavits proving he arrived in Israel.

"(The plea) resolves the case, he had spent almost two years in jail, it spares the child from having to testify, and he'll be monitored to make sure he takes his medication," said Assistant State Attorney Steve Maresca, the prosecutor who handled the case.

Attorneys for both sides said the shifting of Pietrowski to a different country is a bit unusual but not unheard of. Pietrowski has ties to people in Israel and may have dual citizenship there and in the United States. Maresca said the agreement is a fair resolution that satisfies the victim's guardian while ensuring Pietrowski receives treatment for his mental illness.

Pietrowski's attorney, Jerry Berry, said he doesn't think Israeli officials would have any say in whether a convicted sex offender moves there, even though Pietrowski would have to register as a sexual predator in most states in the United States. A person convicted of a crime in one country doesn't lose citizenship rights or status in his home country, Berry said. It'd have no jurisdiction.

Pietrowski was arrested in December 2001 on a warrant. He was charged with having oral sex with the boy, whose name is not being published because of the nature of the case.

Pietrowski also received a 15-year suspended prison sentence. That means if he violates his probation in Israel, he can be brought back to the United States and sentenced to that term.

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The Florida Department of Corrections

1) http://www.dc.state.fl.us/AppCommon/searchall.asp?Action=Find
2) type "Pietrowski" in last name field and press "submit request" button
3) "Supervised Population Search Results [Open in New Window]" will appear above the search form, click on it
4) click on his name

Corrections Offender Network -Supervised Population Information Detail  
(This information was current as of 10/16/03)

DC Number:  Y18747

Name:  PIETROWSKI, RAYMOND

Race:  WHITE

Sex:  MALE

Hair Color:  RED OR AUBURN

Eye Color:  HAZEL

Height:  5'06''

Weight:  170

Birth Date:  08/03/1958

Supervision Begin Date:  08/27/2003

Current Location: FT. MYERS

Current Status:  ACTIVE

Supervision Type:  PROBATION FELONY

Scheduled Termination Date:  08/26/2013

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Current Verified Address: 1321 NW 13TH ST, MIAMI, FL 33125

Aliases: RAYMOND PIETROWSKI,   RAYMOND D PIETROWSKI, RAYMOND MICHAEL PIETROWSKI  

Identifiers: DRIVER'S LICENSE - P362733582830 FINGERPRINT CLASS - 18PI13PM14171114PI13

Note: The offense descriptions are truncated and do not necessarily reflect the crime for which the offender is on supervision. Please refer to the court documents or the Florida Statutes for further information or definition.

Current Community Supervision History:

Offense Date Offense Sentence Date County Case No. Community Supervision Length
07/11/2001 SEX BAT BY ADULT/VCTM UNDER 12(ATTEMPTED) 08/27/2003 COLLIER 0102793 10Y 0M 0D (PROBATION)
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Florida Department of Corrections
November 27, 2005
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/ActiveOffenders/detail.asp?Bookmark=1&From=list&SessionID=834549118
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/ActiveOffenders/detail.asp?Bookmark=1&From=list&SessionID=834546343

DC Number: Y18747

Name: PIETROWSKI, RAYMOND

Race: WHITE

Sex: MALE

Hair Color: RED OR AUBURN

Eye Color: HAZEL

Height: 5'06''

Weight: 170 lbs.

Birth Date: 08/03/1958

Supervision Begin Date: 08/27/2003

Current Location: FT. MYERS

Current Status: ACTIVE

Supervision Type: PROBATION FELONY

Scheduled Termination Date: 08/26/2013

Current Verified Address:  NOAM EZRA, 70 PHTAL ST, JERUSALEM, ZZ 96905

Identifiers: FINGERPRINT CLASS - 18PI13PM14171114PI13

Current Community Supervision History:

Offense Date: 07/11/2001          

Offense: SEX BAT BY ADULT/VCTM UNDER 12(ATTEMPTED)

Sentence Date: 08/27/2003

County: COLLIER

Case No:  0102793

Community Supervision Length: 10Y 0M 0D

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U.S. court sent convicted pedophile to Israel
by Assaf Yaari
Ynet News - November 30, 2005

Israeli law enforcement agencies, courts, not notified of decision by Florida court to send Raymond Pietrowski, convicted of attempting to rape minors, to north Jerusalem; offender has vanished

Raymond Michael Pietrowski (47) tops a Florida sex offender's list, and has been convicted of two attempts to rape a 10 year-old child. He has been classed as a dangerous pedophile by the United States. Worryingly, Pietrowski has been recently seen in north Jerusalem.

In 2003, a Florida district court gave a strange ruling, after Pietrowski, a Chicago resident, was convicted of attacking his acquaintance's young son while visiting them. Instead of being sent to a long prison sentence, as U.S. law dictates, Pietrowski was sent for a "period of examination" to Israel.

As far as is known, Israel's law enforcement agencies and courts have not received any information about a convicted sex offender arriving in Israel. No one warned the residents of Jerusalem about the presence of a dangerous sex offender.

At the start of his trial, Pietrowski was accused of raping a minor, an offence which carries a life imprisonment sentence, but his lawyer managed to convince the prosecutor and the judge to agree to a deal with could serve U.S. interests.

The indictment was reduced to attempted rape alone, and Judge Loren Miller agreed to change a sentence of serving time in an American prison to a period of exile in Israel. Pietrowski was sent to Jerusalem two years ago with a clear warning: "Don't come back to the United States for at least 10 years."

Conditions
The judge added a few further conditions to the deal: "The offender will undergo psychiatric treatment, and is forbidden from having any relations with a child under the age of 18 without supervision."

And so, without any warning to Israel, a dangerous pedophile landed at Ben-Gurion Airport, where a family friend, Moshe Tzur, waited for him. The U.S. court ruled that Tzur is to "take care of Pietrowski during his stay in Israel."

For at least a year, Pietrowski has been living in north Jerusalem, and has worked at a yeshiva. He was sent for psychiatric treatment with Jerusalem based Doctor Jerald (Yehuda) Oppenheim, who has prescribed him psychiatric drugs over the course of the past year.

He was under supervision until the start of 2005, but in the past year he has stopped arriving at meetings with the doctor, and has also disappeared from the radar of American authorities.

Two weeks ago, a list of wanted offenders was published in Florida, which included Pietrowski. His last known address is listed as "Israel."

Florida police say they have no idea about where Pietrowski is located, and Oppenheim has told Yedioth Ahronoth that he hadn't seen the patient for many months.

"I'm sorry for ever getting involved with this," he added.

Pietrowski's lawyer, Jerry Berry, said that he did not think that Israeli authorities could have interfered with a decision to send a convicted sex offender to Israel.

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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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Wednesday, August 27, 2003

Confronting Abuse In The Orthodox Community

© (2003) by Rabbi Yosef Blau
- Reprinted by Permission - Originally Printed in Nefesh News, 7:9, July 2003

Rabbi Yosef Blau
It is no longer possible to ignore the tragic reality that sexual, physical and emotional abuse exists within the Orthodox community. Recent revelations about rabbis and teachers abusing adolescents, often continuing to abuse for decades, dramatically remind us that our existing mechanisms are failing to deal with the problem. I am not aware of any statistics which clarify whether the numbers of offenders is substantial, but even a small number can traumatize hundreds of victims.

The full measure of the horrendous nature of abuse is not always apparent from a technical halakhic perspective. Two teenagers touching each other inappropriately are guilty of the same sin as a forty-year old rabbi touching a thirteen-year old female student. We intuitively recognize that the rabbi has used his position as an authority figure to manipulate a vulnerable child, though she is an adult according to halakha. A pedophile who abuses minors, even if he gets their approval, is halakhically a rapist, but not if he does the same with an adolescent boy or girl.

It is even more difficult to pinpoint the sin when dealing with emotional abuse and manipulation. While one can make similar technical arguments in other areas of halakha, its significance in this context is its use as cover for the many who do not want to deal with the full implications of confronting rabbinical abuse. Not wanting to see themselves as lacking sympathy for victims, people can claim to be concerned about preserving halakhic standards. How rare it is to have two witnesses who saw the abuse.

Even when the pattern of abuse is clear, the question remains how to effectively deal with the abuser in a way that at least limits his ability to move elsewhere and continue to abuse new people. Schools fire abusive teachers, who then move to another community and start teaching (and abusing) in the new yeshiva. Going public is seen as causing a hilul Hashem and going to secular authorities as mesira.
Virtually all poskim agree that if there is danger to future victims then there is no halakhic issue of mesira, but practically the taboo of mesira remains. Victims are discouraged from coming forward on other grounds as well; it will potential hurt shiddukhim , not only for the victim for members of his family as well. Compassion is expressed for the reputations of members of the abuser's family as well. The probability that family members may have suffered abuse themselves and continue to suffer from being in ongoing contact with the abuser, is not understood.

Taking the accusation to a Beis Din, unfortunately, is rarely effective. Few rabbis have any training in recognizing abuse and rabbinical courts have no investigative arm. Some abusers are charismatic leaders and have followers who will say whatever they ask them to say. Perjury to a Beis Din is not punished and in many cases the witness, in support of his mentor, has no difficulty with distorting what occurred. The cultic element in the guru's leadership is hard for us acknowledge. A rabbi promoting Judaism is seen as incapable of being a cult leader.

Newspapers, particularly Jewish newspapers are assumed to be anti-Orthodox. Speaking to them is almost the act of a traitor. Yet at the present time the media have played a primary role in the increased awareness of this problem; an abuser whose name has appeared in the newspaper is unlikely to be hired by a new school or youth movement.

Two recent cases point to differing approaches now being used. In one story from Israel, a commission including a rabbi, psychologist and a judge evaluated allegations and the accused was fired from his teaching position. He hired a lawyer and is fighting for reinstatement. The Israeli media have picked up the story. A recent article in Maariv broadened the discussion to quote varying views about rabbis counseling married women.

The other case involved allegations that been investigated twenty years ago and a resulting agreement that an individual would leave Jewish education, which was not effectively enforced. After two decades it became difficult to reconstruct what had occurred. Supporters of the accused spoke freely to the media while victims used pseudonyms. New allegations surfaced and a major expose appeared in the papers and a new Beis Din was formed to decide how to deal with the accusations. While no formal announcement has been made, their apparent decision was to send the case to a religious court in Israel that will deal with the charges.

Despite growing awareness and concern, no consensus has yet emerged. Rabbis are not trained to recognize abuse nor given an approach to aid them in responding when they realize that it is occurring. Principals are not equipped to respond to accusations against teachers in their schools. Rabbinical organizations do not have rules of appropriate conduct. Accused abusers retain membership in these organizations without any process to remove their names.

Our community has not been educated to recognize abuse nor to appreciate the ongoing trauma of victims. Headlines in newspapers are not effective educational tools. Often the response is to express anger at the paper and then ignore the abuse. Until the mentality of the community changes little progress will be made.

Even if a method will be developed to get rabbinical approval for victims to go to the police, much of the problem will remain. Not every manifestation of abuse involves criminal behavior. "Rabbis" who seduce women as a part of outreach or marital therapy are not guilty of a punishable offence. Proper utilization of secular authorities is a necessary step but clearly not a total solution.

In Chicago after there were a number of serious incidents, a special Beis Din whose members are respected across the Orthodox spectrum was established to deal with accusations of abuse. Similar rabbinical courts in other major cities, whose judges would be trained to recognize abuse and would have appropriate mental health professionals as consultants, should be introduced. Creating special rabbinical courts is a powerful statement that a serious problem needs to be addressed.

Nefesh professionals have a critical role to play in educating the Orthodox community, in treating and supporting victims and in serving as consultants for schools and organizations. Only people who are trained can lead a systematic campaign explaining the nature of abuse and the need to confront it openly. Stigma has to be removed from victims. When the identity of an abuser is revealed the response of far too many is "We have known that for years." Enabling abusers to continue, covering their crimes to protect the image of the community, contributes to innocents being traumatized. Judith Herman in her book on trauma points out that both the abuser and the victims turn to others for support. The victim needs action while the abuser only asks for our silence.

It is time to stop the silence. The true hilul Hashem is that we allow victims to continue to suffer in order to preserve our community's image.


Rabbi Yosef Blau is Mashgiach Ruchani of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and a past executive board member of The Awareness Center, Inc.

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

Case of the Unnamed Soviet Father Committing Incest

Case of the Unnamed Soviet Father Committing Incest
Rishon Letzion, Israel

Accused of sexually and physically assaulting his 17 year old daughter.
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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: 

  1. Man held for allegedly raping his daughter (08/19/2003)
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Man held for allegedly raping his daughterc

A 58-year-old man who allegedly raped his teenage daughter repeatedly was remanded yesterday by the Rishon Letzion Magistrate's Court for five days.

Although the sexual abuse allegedly took place over the course of three years, the girl, 17, only lodged a complaint on Sunday in an Ayalon district police station. Police arrested the man, who then confessed to the crimes attributed to him.

The teenager told police investigators about ongoing abuse that began shortly after she emigrated from the former Soviet Union with her father, more than three years ago. The father beat the girl whenever she refused his demands for sexual relations, she said. Sometimes, the victim told police, the father would threaten to throw her out of their home, should she refuse to sleep with him.

The last time he made this threat was a week ago, after the daughter refused his demands for sex. With the encouragement of a friend, the girl fled from her home a few days before submitting her complaint to the police.
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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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Saturday, August 16, 2003

The Case of the Unnamed Students of Ner Israel Yeshiva in the 1950's

The Case of the Unnamed Students of Ner Israel Yeshiva in the 1950's
Baltimore, Maryland

This page is dedicated to the memory of Israel Fishman


Israel Fishman discloses his abuse by several alleged sex offenders who were students while he attended high school at Ner Israel Rabbinical College and High School in the 1950s.

If you or anyone you know were sexually victimized by anyone connected to Ner Israel and are looking for resources, please feel free to contact The Awareness Center and or your local rape crisis center.
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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: 
  1. My Savior, My Hero - Memories of 1953  (08/16/2003)
  2. Trembling Before God

Also see: 
  1. The Family of Rabbi Matis Weinberg

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My Savior, My Hero
by Israel Fishman
August 16, 2003

Israel Fishman was interviewed in the movie "Trembling Before God", in which he comes out as an incest survivor.

Please note the following is graphic. The article below tells of the experiences of an incest survivor that occurred over 50 years ago.
The following took place in 1953.  I am not quite 15 years old and the youngest student at the Ner Israel Rabbinical Academy in Baltimore Maryland, which was then located at 4411 Garrison Boulevard.

When I arrived a few months earlier I had been the second youngest student, but the boy who was then the youngest was caught in flagrant delicto with another boy and was tossed out. The boy's father, a rabbi from Richmond, Virginia was the mashgiakh (kosher supervisor) for the large FFV Baking Company there. He must have come in to stay for that particular Sabbath, as traveling on that day is strictly forbidden.

So on that sacred day he approached the head of the Yeshiva, Rabbi Jacob L. Ruderman, who was sitting at the front of the large bais medrash (study hall) pleading with him to give his son a second chance. In front of all the students and teachers, Rabbi Ruderman screamed at the boy's father that he could not talk with him because the matter was absolutely closed, and that the boy must leave immediately. Meanwhile I am living in constant fear that either somebody in the yeshiva will find out all my dark secrets, or that God will surely punish me most severely for my unmentionable, abominable sins.

All the time, however I can't stop thinking of the beautifully gorgeous, angelic looking, red-haired and freckled boy, Hochberg from Hartford, and what might have been. I still shudder when I recall the

recent Friday night when a whole bunch of fellow students came to visit me in my dorm room when I was sick. It was a Friday night there were no lights on in the room and all sat or stood around in total darkness. Hochberg, though, sat on my bed, and put his hand under the blanket and groped me. I was so scared, because I was worried that it was an entrapment, and I remained absolutely soft. This is the yeshiva environment in which the following event is taking place.

I have just shut the lights leaving my room for the study hall's evening session. It is a weekday and therefore we have study sessions every evening. Before I actually leave the room I feel somebody's hand on my shoulder who gently but firmly leads me back into my room. The lights remain turned off. His name is NTL. He is an older bokhur, that is, one of the senior students who took responsibility for the moral training of the younger students on a one-to-one basis.

He leads me to the bed where he sits very closely besides me and holds me very tightly around the waist. He is stronger and more powerful than I am. He is also an older bokhur that you have to respect and listen to. I was immobile and frozen.

He tells me that he could tell from the lines under my eyes that I was masturbating (which I already knew was a grave sin, that is the masturbation and not the lines under the eyes per se!), Before long I am confessing to him all the other evil things that I had been doing, including the sex that I had had for many years with my older brother, Calmin. I tell him that it had gone on for nearly six years and had only ended when we separated a few months earlier, with him going to seminary in Cleveland and I, as I said earlier, coming to Baltimore. I feel so relieved in unburdening myself to someone who is so interested in me.

Through the whole long evening (and it feels that it it a very long evening) I am so scared and afraid, feeling that I dare not make a single move, let alone excuse myself to take a pee, which is getting more and more urgent.

I continue to remain in NTL's close embrace, although by now we are standing against a closet door with one of my hands squeezed against the doorknob. By now I don't know what is hurting more, my hand against the doorknob, or having to pee so urgently. But still I dare not move. I am trapped.

NTL makes me promise that I will never, ever, urinate standing up (because doing that I would be touching myself and that might very well lead to masturbation). I must also immediately train myself to sleep only on my side, and not on my belly or back (in order to avoid having a nocturnal emission, which, of course, is also sinful). I am to tell him every time that I transgressed, even if it was just a matter of having a wet dream. Finally, he tells me that I am so indebted to him for what he is doing for me that, even if I had a million dollars, I would have to give it all to him.

I have no awareness of how long I am with NTL; only that my hand is hurting and that I need to pee so badly. I am so afraid of him and I am so overwhelmed by this evening. No one has ever talked to me at such length and especially helping me to overcome my sinful desires.

I have no idea or comprehension where this evening's experience and my relationship with NTL will undeniably and inescapably take me, and what tragic and painful consequences I will have to endure down the road. But all that is in the future (or at least four or so months away.).

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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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Thursday, August 14, 2003

The Orthodox Caucus - Plenum Members

The Orthodox Caucus - Plenum Members
August 15, 2003
http://www.orthodoxcaucus.org/plenummember.html

Plenum Members

  1. Mr. Steven Adelsberg
  2. Rabbi Yosef Adler
  3. Rabbi Marc Angel
  4. Rabbi Kenneth Auman
  5. Mr. Shael Bellows
  6. Mr. Jack Bendheim
  7. Dr. Giti Bendheim
  8. Dr. David Berger
  9. Dr. Elena Berkowitz
  10. Rabbi Ari Berman
  11. Rabbi Saul Berman
  12. Rabbi Heshie Billet
  13. Mr. David Birnaum
  14. Ms. Evelyn Blachor
  15. Rabbi Yosef Blau
  16. Mr. Ludwig Bravmann
  17. Rabbi Reuven Bulka
  18. Mr. David Butler
  19. Rabbi Zevulum Charlop
  20. Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen
  21. Mr. Nathan Diament
  22. Rabbi Mark Dratch
  23. Rabbi Steven Dworken
  24. Ms. Betty Ehrenberg
  25. Mr. Fred Ehrman
  26. Mr. Allen Fagin
  27. Mrs. Judith Fagin
  28. Mrs. Judith Feder
  29. Mrs. Rella Feldman
  30. Mrs. Sondra Fisch
  31. Mr. Mandell Ganchrow
  32. Rabbi Gershon Gewirtz
  33. Mrs. Lili Goldberg
  34. Mr. William Goldberg
  35. Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
  36. Mrs. Shulamith Goldstein
  37. Mr. Mark Goldstein
  38. Mr. Sidney Gottesman
  39. Rabbi Raphael Grossman
  40. Mr. Andrew Groveman
  41. Rabbi Joseph Grunblatt
  42. Mr. Charles Guttman
  43. Rabbi Kenneth Hain
  44. Rabbi Naftali Harkstark
  45. Rabbi Nathaniel Helfogt
  46. Rabbi Robert Hirt
  47. Mrs. Norma Holzer
  48. Mr. Mark Honigsfeld
  49. Rabbi David Israel
  50. Rabbi Howard Jachter
  51. Rabbi David Jacobowitz
  52. Mr. Kenneth Jacobson
  53. Mrs. Michael Jessleson
  54. Dr. Dov Kahane
  55. Mr. Henry Katz
  56. Mr. Ilan Kaufthal
  57. Mrs. Ilana Kelman
  58. Rabbi Jay Kelman
  59. Dr. Jerry Kesenbaum
  60. Mr. Lawrence A. Kobrin
  61. Dr. Eugene Korn
  62. Mr. Saul Koschitzky
  63. Dr. Marion Getzler Kramer
  64. Ms. Fran Kritz
  65. Dr. Norman Lamm
  66. Mr. Moron Landowne
  67. Mr. Reuben Leibowitz
  68. Mr. Nathan Lewin
  69. Rabbi Aharon Lictenstein
  70. Mr. Marcel Lindenbaum
  71. Mr. Nathan Linden baum
  72. Rabbi Haskel Loostein
  73. Rabbi Chaim Marder
  74. Mr. Matthew Maryles
  75. Mr. Aaron Menche
  76. Mr. Ezra Merkin
  77. Rabbi Michael Miller
  78. Rabbi Adam Mintz
  79. Mrs. Sharon Mintz
  80. Mr. Avery Neumark
  81. Rabbi Joseph S. Ozrowski
  82. Mr. Jeffrey Parker
  83. Rabbi Dale Polakoff
  84. Mr. Jay Pmrenze
  85. Dr. Heschel Raskas
  86. Dr. Rosalie Reich
  87. Mr. Joel Rich
  88. Rabbi Shlomo Riskin
  89. Mr. Philip Rosen
  90. Rabbi Jonathan I. Rosenblatt
  91. Mr. Gary Rosenblatt
  92. Rabbi Michael Rosenweig
  93. Rabbi Sol Roth 
  94. Mrs. Gold Rothman
  95. Mr. Daniel Rothner
  96. Mr. Kurt Rothschild
  97. Rabbi Jacob Rubenstein
  98. RabbiEliezer Rubin
  99. Mr. Sheldon Rudoff
  100. Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
  101. Mr. Steven Savitsky
  102. Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter
  103. Dr. Alvin Schiff
  104. Mr. Ed Schlussel
  105. Dr. Sylvia Schonfeld
  106. Mrs. Jordana Schoor
  107. Mr Robert Schwalbe
  108. Mr. Carmi Schwartz
  109. Rabbi Gedalia Schwartz
  110. Rabbi Allen Schwartz
  111. Ms. marilyn Selber
  112. Mr. Joseph Septimus
  113. Dr. David Shatz
  114. Rabbi Michael Shmidman
  115. Rabbi Moshe Shulman
  116. Professor Daniel Sperber
  117. Mr. Steve Spira
  118. Dr. Helene Stark
  119. Mr. Peter Steinlauf
  120. Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz
  121. Professor Richard Stone
  122. Mr. Moshael Straus
  123. Mrs. Malka Susswein
  124. Rabbi Solomon Trau
  125. Mrs. Ina Tropper
  126. Dr. Daniel Tropper
  127. Dr. Chaim Waxman
  128. Mr. Marcel Weber
  129. Rabbi Steven Wel
  130. Dr. Lina Weiner
  131. Rabbi Tzvi H. Weinreb
  132. Mr. Morry Weiss
  133. Mr. Jerry Williams
  134. Rabbi Mordechai Willig
  135. Mr. Michael Wimpfheimer
  136. Rabbi Jeffrey Woolf
  137. Rabbi Walter Wurzburger
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Orthodox Caucus to be Hosted by Yeshiva University's Center for the Jewish Future
YU News - August 1, 2005

Aug 1, 2005 — The Orthodox Caucus, a leadership group whose mission is to address challenges facing the Orthodox community and the Jewish community at large, will relocate to Yeshiva University’s Wilf Campus and be hosted by the Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) of Yeshiva University (YU).

The Orthodox Caucus brings together prominent rabbis, roshei yeshiva (professors of Talmud), educators, and lay leaders in common cause. “Bringing the Orthodox Caucus into the YU sphere of influence will allow top-tier Jewish leaders to draw upon the intellectual, spiritual, and educational resources of YU and strengthen their contribution to the Jewish community,” President Richard M. Joel said.

The Orthodox Caucus offers programs in approximately 10 communities in the New York metropolitan area and beyond, as well as initiatives that serve the community at large.

Fred Ehrman, chairman of the Orthodox Caucus, viewed the move to YU as an important opportunity for the organization and the Jewish community. “Our goal is to catalyze the Jewish community and its organizations in practical and meaningful ways,” he said. “Over the past 13 years, we have succeeded in spurring communities to action by raising awareness and finding creative solutions to sensitive and pressing issues. By partnering with YU, we hope to broaden the scope of our efforts to strengthen Jewish life.”

The issues the Caucus has focused on include assisting parents with developmentally disabled children; formulating policies for schools regarding substance abuse; development of prenuptial agreements in cooperation with the Beth Din of America and the Rabbinical Council of America easing the plight of agunot (chained women); educating communities about issues concerning the singles phenomenon; and guiding parents and students in selecting yeshivot and seminaries in Israel for post-high school studies.

The Orthodox Caucus has always challenged the Jewish community to improve itself; creating initiatives that have helped strengthen our moral constitution and commitment to the values articulated in our mesorah (tradition),” said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, inaugural dean of the Center for the Jewish Future (CJF). “The synergy created between the Caucus and YU through CJF will enable us to deliver a more effective message of leadership to our student community and at the same time enhance the Center’s ability to serve the Jewish people.”

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Orthodox Caucus
Ethical and Religious Guidelines for Orthodoxy Task Force
Just Tzedakah
http://www.just-tzedakah.org/Taskforce.html



Rabbi Saul Berman
Mr. Fred Ehrman
Rabbi Daniel Feldman
Rabbi Kenneth Hain
Rabbi Robert Hirt
Dr. Ira Kaminow
Mr. Lawrence Kobrin
Dr. Norman Lamm
Mr. Morton Landowne

                Mr. Marcel Lindenbaum
          
     Mr. Matthew Maryles
          
     Mr. Sheldon Rudoff
          
     Mr. Bruce Shoulson
           
     Mr. William Spier
          
     Professor Suzanne Last Stone
          
     Mr. Moshael Straus
          
     Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Weinreb
          
     Rabbi Walter Wurzburger
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