Here is an email Camp Shoresh sent out to parents, below that you will see a number of important questions JCW has for Shoresh Here is JCW’s response to the special message from Shoresh: Camp Shoresh of Baltimore recently sent out a “special message” regarding reports of child sexual abuse this past summer to all […]
Monthly Archives: March 2016
Sydney Beth Din: Mesirah not applicable in Australia
Published on J-Wire Sydney’s Beth Din has stated that the practice of banning Jews from informing on a fellow Jew is not applicable in matters relating to criminal law in Western democracies. Rabbi Moshe Gutnick, The Sydney’s Beth Din statement issued by Rabbo Moshe Gutnick states: “In response to recent media reports suggesting otherwise, and in […]
Seeing You In An Orange Jumpsuit
Seeing you in orange is the last image in my head Replacing the ones where you control my life instead Keeping me silent for over a decade and then some Holding me hostage to the fear, all numb Well I’m not a bad person for outing you You are cruel for having done what you […]
Focusing A Light On Abuse
By: Dr. Michael J. Salamon. Published in the Jewish Press. March 3 marked a turning point. On that day, Newsweek magazine published an article titled Child Abuse Allegations Plague the Hasidic community. (True, there have been other articles in major media outlets about abuse in Orthodox communities but this is the first time the problem […]
An Open Letter From Eli Nash To Rabbi Herschel Lustig
Rabbi Lustig, it’s been over a year since JCW publicly demanded that you step down from your position as Principal of Ohelei Torah. You have not stepped down nor have you responded to their accusations. It’s time you do one or the other. I know that there are many students who love and respect you. […]
‘Everyone’s complicit’: Why sexual abuse survivors need your support
By Chloe Booker for THE AGE. Warning – this story contains material which may distress some readers Most school mornings Di Elderton spent in dread as she waited for her father, Alfred Zammit, to knock on the wall between their bedrooms. Rat-a-tat-tat. Time to come in. But when she finally worked up the courage to […]
15 Unmeasurably Painful Things Said To Me and Other Victims Of Abuse
“I don’t believe you” “Just get over it” “i don’t know why you are so caught up with this. It happened so many years ago” “Let it go. The past is in the past” “He/she was too young to have abused you” “Do you even know what abuse is?” “Shhhh… It’s Loshon Hara” “That isn’t […]
How to respond to abuse in Jewish schools
By Guila Benchimol, published in the Canadian Jewish News In the last few weeks, two men currently and formerly living in Toronto’s Jewish community have been arrested and charged with crimes of a sexual nature. Stephen Joseph Schacter, who taught at Eitz Chaim Schools between 1986 and 2004 as well as at United Synagogue Day […]
A survivor Writes To Her Therapist
Over and over you ask me what I’m feeling. I want to scream in frustration, “I don’t know!” I don’t know how to describe what’s going on inside. There is turbulence, my stomach rolls, everything shakes. My head is full of things that I want to say, but I can’t seem to get my mouth […]
Boro Park Alert: Mendy (Shmuel) Israel arrested for child sexual abuse.
Boro Park resident Mendy Israel was arrested yesterday, March 2nd, on numerous charges related to sexual abuse, including two counts of Course Sex Conduct against a child in the first degree. Under New York State law, a person is guilty of Course of Sexual Conduct against a child in the first degree when, over a […]
Eitz Chaim didn’t report teacher sexual assault allegations, say police
Staff at a group of Jewish private schools in Toronto did not notify authorities of allegations of sexual assaults dating back to the 80s, police say after an investigation that has now led to sexual assault charges being laid against a 55-year-old former Toronto elementary school teacher . Stephen Schacter is now facing gross indecency, sexual assault and exploitation charges that […]