The four Jerusalem-based, post-high school girls seminaries (Pninim, Chedvas, Binas, and Keser Chaya) once controlled by disgraced sex abuser Rabbi (sic) Elimelech Meisels may have their accreditation restored, allowing for US financial aid and transferable college credit. This may end a half-year impasse that started with a July 10th ruling by the Chicago Special Beis Din for sex abuse (aka CBD) ruling that the Meisels seminaries were not safe for students because of Meisels misconduct. That Beis Din consisted of Rabbis Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Shmuel Feurst and Zev Cohen. In a later ruling they also accused other staff of enabling or covering up abuse. On that basis they convinced Touro College and Hebrew Theological College to deny them accreditation. This in turn prevented students from getting US government aid and college credits.
In contrast, the Israeli Beis Din (IBD) of Rabbis Mendel Shafran, Chaim Malinowitz and Tzvi Gartner claimed that with Meisels departure there were no problems and that additional safeguards had been installed.
The Chicago Beis Din insisted they could not clear the seminaries until accused staff agreed to be interrogated. They also reported, that contrary to IBD claims, Meisels retained control.
The impasse between the two battei din was resolved through a joint Beis Din whose members included the dayanim of both battei din and a seventh member, R. Eliyahu Brudny (Rosh Yeshiva of Mirer Yeshiva in Brooklyn). They met in the Manhattan building of Agudath Israel of America on Thursday, November 6th from about 3 p.m. till past midnight and had subsequent interactions culminating in their Dec 1 ruling. However, to date, there is no confirmation that that Touro College and its subsidiary, Hebrew Theological College, have restored accreditation to the seminaries.
The Beis Din made heavy use of video- and tele-conferencing.
Rabbi Meir Kahane, Principal Chedvas Bais Yaakov
Two of the rabbis (Schwartz and Gartner) participated from Chicago and Israel. Witnesses of abuse and enabling participated either in person or by phone. In an incredible breach of judicial procedure, the accused were all in the same room able to hear and echo each others claims. Meisel’s guilt was taken as a given and he was not part of the session. They also did not allow any rabbinic pleaders (toanim). This prevented Mrs. Hindy Ullman from using her father, famous toen, Shmuel Fried. While both of the original battei din had rules allowing witnesses without the presence of the accused (as is now established halacha for sex abuse cases) they forced the witnesses to give testimony in front of the accused staff, who interrupted, screamed and heaped abuse in a desperate attempt to intimidate the witnesses. Some the dayanim conducted a number of other interviews with the staff.
Mrs. Hindy Ullman
A number of the dayanim were convinced that the scandal at these seminaries involved some of the worst staff enabling of abuse they had ever encountered, both in ignoring the obvious signs and in rebuffing reports. Seminary principals Rabbi Meir Kahane and Mrs Hindy Ullman are expected to suffer some consequences such as a demotion or reprimand but this will not be stated officially.
According to some sources, formal control of the organization which was previously in the hands of Elimelech Meisels and Mr Yaakov Yarmush will fully pass to a new party. Though other sources deny this is going to happen. According to the first set of source, the terms for transferring control are settled but the legalities are not completed. New protocols are being installed at the initiative of the Beis Din. A new training was conducted at Peninim by Mrs. Debbie Gross of the Israeli organization, Tahel. Rabbi Moshe Krupka of Touro College was also in Israel to meet with all the seminaries they accredit to advise them on new standards and requirements for avoiding abuse and dealing with it. I also expect to see a shift in seminaries away from male staff and administrators (as advocated by Rabbi Zucker at the recent convention of Agudath Israel of America).
So, now at the end of this process, the seminaries are allowed to live on though they are likely to decline in size. Insiders say five new seminaries are recruiting for the 2015 year both because of growth in this market and the expectation that the seminaries that Meisels used to control will never be as large as they used to be. It does not matter that they have now been proclaimed kosher. The stench of scandalous misdeeds hangs over them. Kosher is not good enough and many parents are not willing to believe they are mehadrin.
I am disappointed that some truly outrageous staff misconduct did not lead to anyone being fired. However, no one should mistake this joint ruling for an innocent verdict on staff. Daniel Eidensohn’s Daas Torah blog leaked the last page of the ruling favoring the restoration of the accreditation and claiming that new controls will make the seminaries safe. He used the misleading headline: “It is official!: Chicago Beis Din and Israeli Beis Din agree 4 seminaries are o.k.
He makes it sound as if there was never a problem. However, he only posted the final page of a longer statement of approximately five pages which I am told is not so rosy. I have heard some of the content and will post it when I get a copy.
The Beis Din is relying on new training. I think the previous conduct of staff suggests they are too indifferent or too stupid to recognize ugly realities being played out in front of them. I for one don’t think these staff should be trusted. Stupidity and indifference cannot be cured by retraining.
It is good that there is a new consciousness about the need to train staff and confront abuse. It is especially good that seminaries realize such scandals can cost them accreditation. But once again the frum world has shown that protecting institutions is more important than protecting victims and punishing culprits. We all know about the problem of financial institutions that can be reckless with our money because they are “too big to fail.” The Haredi world suffers from institutions “too frum to be shut down” because Torah families depend on them for livelihood.
The biggest problem with this resolution is that many staff of the seminaries are still claiming that the allegations against Meisels are either false or grossly exaggerated. Unfortunately, the Beis Din, has done nothing to correct that falsehood. They have not let the public know that they heard clear evidence that Meisels sexually assaulted girls.
FRUM FOLLIES by Yerachmiel Lopin 
Do you have more information about the demotions of the principals? Have any subordinate staff been disciplined in any way? The short BD statement raises many questions and answers few. Was the Chicago BD convinced that letting all the staff keep their jobs is paramount? What changes and protocols were instituted? Who is the new top boss? Etc.
I believe the Chicago Beis Din give into pressure. They failed in their most important obligation as dayanim, “Lo Segooro Mipnei Ish;” “Do not cower before any man.”
I think it is highly important to recognize that the Special Bais Din (aka CBD) worked on this case tirelessly. Unfortunately, it seems they had to settled on important arrangements. This is incredibly disappointing. But much had also been accomplished.
The CBD Rabbanim should be applauded and I think they deserve the utmost respect from everyone.
Yerachmiel and Truthseeker,
G-d Bless you both, you’re both amazing people, but I don’t share truthseeker’s optimism and I tend to side with Yerachmiel on this one. Very disappointing. A very aggressive stance at first from the choshuveh rabbonim (they should all live and be well) from Chicago, but in the end a very disappointing finish. No one fired. No one ruined. And yes, honestly, I wanted many of these creeps to have their lives ruined. There should be a special place in hell for men and yes yes the women who allowed these atrocities to happen. They’re sorry and will be retrained? I, and anyone else with half a brain and decent seichel really don’t care. If we wouldn’t accept that from sex offenders then we shouldn’t accept it here either. But many, and dare I say the majority of the frummer Yidden, the yeshivish, which I am one of, are mindless sheep who just send their kids to the slaughter because “that’s what everyone else does” or “that’s what’s needed for a shidduch.” Bottom line, the special Rabbonim from Chicago failed in that they value too much the avodah zara of parnassah for other rabbonim. Parnassah is an avodah zara in this community. Especially for rabbonim and yeshivah-leit.
Joseph, we share the same outlook, trust me. I wanted them to be dismissed most of all. Hopefully some extra papers on this letter will explain more. Thanks for ur support.
In defense of the CBD, please realize that Chicago worked tirelessly on this. I am very unhappy abt the outcome, but I think it was more due to another party that the teachers couldn’t be fired…not due to Chicago. I’m sure they are unhappy abt this as well. we don’t know the details.
For what it’s worth, I think Yerachmiel and TruthSeeker are both right. Deep-rooted inadequacies of the beth din system (particularly in cases of sex abuse cover-ups) are illustrated by this story. That isn’t a personal attack on the rabbis of the Chicago tribunal. It’s an institutional appraisal.
I devoted a lot of my book to exactly this topic, so I won’t go on at length. Two things do deserve emphasis. First — on the pessimistic side — I’m afraid we mustn’t set much store by either the good intentions or the well-meant remedies of even the best rabbis who operate within the Orthodox world’s institutional structures. If this case represents the best that can be accomplished by the best — and it probably does — it serves to underscore how little victims can really expect from the system. The guilty, even when exposed, suffer little or no punishment; the innocent are slandered with impunity; rotten structures, with a new coat of paint, are left standing; the final ruling can easily be presented as an excuse to forget the whole thing.
But there’s another thing to remember, more encouraging and even more important than the first. This story shows that the system can be shaken. Everything that WAS accomplished — including the unofficial aftermath, which as Yerachmiel says will damage the affected seminaries, whatever anyone may claim officially — was accomplished because honest people came forward, and because a sufficiently large number of affected Orthodox Jews weren’t prepared to accept rabbinic business-as-usual. Having followed these issues as long as I have, I can’t stress too much how significant that is. Not one Orthodox child or family reported Mondrowitz until non-Jews he had abused talked to police in 1984. All levels of NCSY and the OU protected Lanner for more than a decade despite persistent reports of his abuse. The rabbinic tribunal assembled largely to investigate the allegations against Yehuda Kolko ended in whitewash and victim-shaming.
I suggest the lesson we should internalize from this is that we need to keep going — pushing harder and harder against the system until it serves all of us, not just those on top. We have more power in our hands than most of us realize. We must continue to use it, confronting our institutions and traditions in a way that is respectful and radical at the same time.
Yes indeed. In so doing, they have completely undermined the act of courage they had done.
By enabling the continuation of these schools, the Chicago Beis Din have now become equally complicit in the evil and danger created by the seminaries as a whole.
1) The crimes of the teachers looking the other way and stifling the cries of the victims are many. But the single most damning factor is the fact that they feared tarnishing their reputations. Exactly the Lo Saguru Yerachmiel condemns the CBD for.
Even by agreeing to a joint BD on an issue they had already correctly ruled on, aside from aquiescing to their corrupt and callous ruling shows a lack of integrity. What “intense pressure” did the CBD rabbis get? Problems for their grandchildren’s shidduchim?
Rabbi Cohen not being invited to speak at the Aguda convention?
2). This new ruling allows for punishing victims who may want to go to the police, while stopping any punishment for those teachers who violated several Mitzvos D’Oraysa by allowing young innocent girls to be used as Meisels personal Harem.
Jewish history is rife with stories of girls choosing suicide before being treated this way by non-Jews. (The boys and girls who jumped into the sea during Churban bayis rishon, the Bais Yaakov girls being pursued by the Nazis, etc.)
The blood of Jewish girls and boys has been once again made Hefker today by our so called Rabbis and leaders.
Shame on all of us for not protesting! Jewish parents shod be picketing, the way non-Jewish parents in Los Angeles did when a school did not protect their childdren from sexual abuse. This led to the superintendent firing the ENTIRE staff, to start from scratch with educators with no innocent blood on their hands.
Sounds like a report from a fly on the wall.
Or an armchair.
Neither, very good inside sources.
Update: the above article had the following addition:
However, no one should mistake this joint ruling for an innocent verdict on staff. Daniel Eidensohn’s Daas Torah blog leaked the last page of the ruling restoring the accreditation and assuming new controls will make the seminaries safe. He used the misleading headline: “It is official!: Chicago Beis Din and Israeli Beis Din agree 4 seminaries are o.k.
He makes it sound as if there was never a problem. However, he only posted the final page of a longer statement which condemns misconduct in the seminaries by Meisels and other staff. I have heard some of the content and will post it when I get a copy within the next day or two.
I wrote on Eidensohn’s Daas Torah blog:
“Eidensohn, I have a question for you- did you PURPOSELY leave out the other 5 extensive pages on this psak or were they just not given to you?”
He probably won’t let the comment thru. He’s notorious for showing only half the picture. Truly very deceiving.
Incriminating Rebutttal of whitewash job going on at Daas Torah blog.
Bill Clinton also wasnt fired. Not being fired is no way the same as being innocent. Bill Clinton and his infamous intern was also O N L Y (sarcasm font) an isolated case of “negiyah” according to “Honest” ‘s grotesquely perverted “logic”.
Above.comment is In reponse to comments by “”Honesty” and “Daas Torah” cited below.
1) Whitewash reponse from “Honesty” on Daas Torah Blog
Woha!
You can make all the silly decision you wish to make. You can tape up and seal up your windows, wear gas masks and all else in order to defend yourself from a nuclear explosion. That is certainly your right.
#1) Three out of the four seminaries never, ever had any sort of issue, at all.
#2) The one seminary that did have an isolated issue of negiah was not a case of the ball being dropped by the other staff members.
Let’s remember that the offending party completely cooperated some beth din half way around the world.
This was an isolated case. That calls for his removal from being a teacher to girls. It does not call for anything else, as all judges have now publicly admitted.
What’s it like walking around with a hazmat suit to protect yourself from germs, Mr. Dave?
2) Whitewash response from.Eidensohn appearing as “Daas Torah”
@Dave – poor analogy – none of the staff members has been caught “stealing” This is evident from the fact that the Chicago Beis Din now agrees with the Israeli Beis Din that the seminaries are safe – no one was fired
I have read Honesty’s comments which are extremely offensive. No one should waste time on that blog. He is incredibly one-sided and untruthful.
Eidensohn won’t let me post my comments, too!! Talk about someone who has an agenda…
Please save copies of comments when you submit. Then post the unaccepted comment here. I may occasionally use those unaccepted comments in my posts. Each blog owner is entitled to set his own standards but they should not be immune from having others exhibit their choices.
Vera- he’s done it to me a lot as well. Not let my posts thru. I always save and copy to have proof that he’s one-sided. He’s also talented at “psycho-analyzing” you and then putting ppl down. So much for his “PhD”. Yuck.
kudos to you yerachmiel for your exposing the true story and ther dangers of seminaries in israel with sex perverted rabbis
the only problem i see with the verdict from the beis din is that it only demotes the teachrs who covered up and not removed them
also what safegaurds will be present uncer new ownership
Many thanks go out to the witnesses who stood up for justice despite the abuse and extreme difficulties they had to endure to do so. And thanks go out to Yerachmiel Lopin for the extensive and accurate up-to-date reporting while no other frum media outlet would touch this ongoing issue, pretending as though it did not exist.
In light of the fact that the CBD has caved in to pressure and none of the complicit teachers have been fired or named, would it not be necessary for the protection of future students to publicize a list of all Pninim teachers during the past 5-10 years, together with the number of hours per week each worked in the school as well as their roles in the school?
If the CBD or the IBD will not protect the students from these willfully ignorant, negligent or purely self-interested teachers who were willing to look the other way and put girls at risk in order to save their jobs, then unfortunately, all teachers who worked there should be tainted with the brush of “Worked at Pninim and looked away while Meisels sexually abused girls they were obligated to protect.”
Obviously this should not be the first measure of protection, but if there is no bais din in the frum world willing to act responsibly, then collective distrust will have to prevail. If I had a daughter going to ANY seminary in Israel now or in the next 20 years I would want to make sure that none of those teachers were on the staff of my daughter’s seminary. These teachers are known to work at multiple seminaries, or will (or already have) some day move on from Pninim.
Seriously:
Your idea of publicizing the names of.enablers is timely, brilliant, morally compelled and most importantly, essential for both justice amd protection of students in the future.
I agree. I like the logic. Either the haredi battei din properly clean house or we can never trust anyone.
My question is, did the teachers at these seminaries behave any differently than any teachers in any seminary would have behaved under the same circumstances? I’m guessing that these teachers and principals are fairly typical people, neither better nor worse than any others. So I have to wonder if my daughters will be safe in any seminary, anywhere. I mean, I almost sent my daughter to Aviva Feiner’s seminary in Far Rockaway a few years ago. Now I find out that she ignored UOJ’s letter warning her about Weinberger’s track record. This was about two years before Weinberger was kicked out of the area. At the Open House, Feiner crowed about having him on the staff.
You are right. Yeshivas and seminaries these days are as hypocritical as the Catholic Church. As Rabbi Eisenmann in Passaic said publicly: Parents must vote with their feet.
Sending your daughters and sons to these institutions without demanding accountability for their safety is inherently the wrong thing to do to your children. Even if they manage to survive it unscathed, what message does it give them that their parents and teachers play Russian Roulette with their lives? And that the very people they are commanded and demanded to respect are more interested in their own welfare and that of their own (or even others’!) institutions, than in the physical, emotional and spiritual well being of their students?
Why then do we ask why so many children abandon Judaism?
If this is how it is being taught to them, does it not make sense that they would do so?
100% correct. Mr lopin can you publish the names of the staff??
I have no full list. I have already mentioned most of those about whom I have heard serious allegations. If I can find the time I might just compile a full list.
I agree with what you say. However, it is not just Pninim staff who looked the other way.
Altho I’m unsure of what specific info it will contain, there are about 5 more pages to this psak that YL is trying to get his hands on. I suggest everyone hold off on their questions for another few hours until he posts them. Important questions, definitely…
Thorough analysis as usual.
I am very disappointed that staff was not fired. The female teachers/house mothers were grossly negligent and they will be punished by the Almighty.
There was an excellent article in the Baltimore Jewish news about the pitfalls of sending our young daughters away to seminary so far from home. The lesson I learned is don’t trust someone, even a woman, just because she is “bais yaakov” and talks the talk and dresses the part. There should be strict curfews enforced and there should be no rides in cars with rabbis – I don’t care how “frum” or “choshov” the “rabbi” appears to be on the outside. A lot more needs to be done to protect our girls. They need to be taught to be suspicious of “charm” and to trust their own instincts of right and wrong – these instincts are a gift from Hashem. So Disgusting that the female teachers told the girls it was fine to go driving around with Meisels at night. Was it stupidity or just them putting their parnassa first? I would like to know the answer to that question if anyone has further insight.
Being that this blog has, until now, championed the actions of the Chicago Beis Din, I find it disturbing that now that the CBD has signed on a psak that this blog does not approve of, the assumption is that they were pressured into it, and violated the issur of “lo saguru mipnei ish.” If until now you were holding them up as the epitome of rabbinic rectitude, perhaps you should consider the possibility that this is still the case, and that after having conducted the investigation that you speak of, they came to the conclusion that they did. Frankly, Yerachmiel, it sounds to me that as long as the CBD was saying/writing what coincided with your view, you praised them to the skies, but the minute they issued a conclusion that differs from what you would want, you have turned on them and labeled them as cowards.
Extraordinary pressures were applied to the CBD including public criticism signed by five members of the Moetzes. In forming a joint enlarged beis din, they handed over the deciding vote to Rabbi Eliezer Brudny, RY of Mir. I assume he is fine honest man. It can be assumed he shares the widespread Haredi bias to value the protection of jobs, reputations, and institutions.
I believe the CBD made a serious mistake in accepting him as the seventh vote and thus the deciding vote in any tie between the CBD and the IBD. Once that happened, Chicago tied its hands. From the moment I learned about the joint beis din shortly before they met I immediately assumed everything would depend on the 7th dayan. I feared the wrong choice would be forced on them and they would accede. That alas is what happened. I have no reason to suspect that R.Brudny was acting in bad faith or was coerced into his position. But I believe, that unlike the CBD, he lacked the sensitivity and sophistication to properly evaluate what happened at the seminaries.
So, according to you, the original 3 dayanim of the CBD do not personally agree with this pesak to “be metaher” the seminaries, but they were outvoted. Do you have any inside information that this is the case, or is it your conjecture?
You refused to publish my last two posts which were based on what is happening. Check your facts, because you have it all wrong. A 4-3 decision was possible two weeks ago — much more favorable to the seminaries. That would have been a pyrhic victory. You wrote a while ago that unless the seminaries get credits they would have to close down. A 4-3 victory would have resulted in the seminaries closing down. This decision was based on the minimum Chicago would agree to so as to reach a unanimous decision. When all the claims were finally aired and answers were given, there was not much else that Chicago could do.
I know some of the people that were at these sessions, but I emphatically was not there. I have never met Meisels, but I do know several of the staff members of the seminaries. Any person from a certain background who lives in Yerushalyim for years will inevitably know many of them.
From the beginning I wrote that people refuse to see that there are two sides here (you published that one). It certainly is strange to be so stuck in one side that Chicago goes from the fearless beisdin of Talmidei Chachamim to a beis din afraid to stick to its guns! Give them the credit for not continuing the battle rather than admit the truth.
The truth certainly is that the seminaries as they stand now are safer than any seminary was last year.
Funny, you want me to name my sources. Why don’t you name yours and specify the exact terms of the alleged earlier 4-3 ruling. Details please.
Right. The seminaries are safe. That’s why girls who cried abuse and inappropriate behavior and were ignored.
Very trustworthy staff, I must say.
Ish mibeis Levi-they’re waiting for u at Eidensohn’s blog.
That’s it? The pathetic and so apparently corrupt letter not even on Aguda letterhead, signed by Levine who had already recused himself from the case due to conflict of interest? Signed by protecters of child molesters everywhere? The ones who admitted in their opposition to the Markey Bill that they value the money’s of yeshivas more than the safety of Jewish children? Even Pro-molesters Kamenetzky andFienstein were too ashamed to sign it.
Just like in every other case, there is no penalty for covering up to protect institutions.
Look at today’s Forward to see how the are be of Sqver is being held accountable by the media. Hopefully, this charlatan will yet wind up behind bars as will all other Rabbis who sell Jewish children down the river for personal reasons.
From the squealing going on over at the Eidensohn blog, it seems that you have really hit a nerve, Yerachmiel. I wonder how Eidensohn can claim that you’re not telling the truth when he, the king of cherry-picked info and comments, isn’t presenting the whole document. Looking forward to seeing it here.
Take a look at the Eidenson Boys’ new blog about Marriage and Hilchos Gittin and then tell me anyone normal is interested in the opinions of these two freaks.
Mrs. Eidenson sure managed to raise boys with some serious Mommy issues and trailer loads of loathing for the prettier half of the human race.
I wouldn’t bother responding to any opinion either one of these freaks post.
The irony is that Daniel Eidensohn does care about abused boys and girls. But when girls turn into women he runs the other way. I believe he is so off the deep end on the Meisels case because the victims were young adult women, not his preferred victims, younger girls.
I give him credit for doing good work in defending Beth Alexander in her fight for access to and custody of her children. Luckily for her, it was her husband who initiated the get. But Eidensohn usually falls short when it comes to adult women. His bogeyman is the woman who wants a divorce. While many such cases arise from abuse, he goes to great lengths to deny this reality in most cases. He makes it seem that the agunah crisis is a matter of hysterical feminism, and flippant pleasure seeking. I believe he has a capacity for compassion but not when it comes to most adult women. He went after me with a silly psychological diagnosis disguised as a satire. I won’t presume to speak to his mental balance or imbalance. I am not privy to such information about him. But he owes us some explanation especially since he already played that game with me and he does have a Ph.D in psychology and is in private practice.
He likes to hide behind halacha and daas torah even as he lashes out at halachic prenups endorsed by R. Ovadiah Yosef and others that he acknowledges as halachic giants.
Rabbi Dr. Eidensohn, please share your psycho-biography with the interested public.
We await your wisdom, Rabbi Dr. Eidensohn.
Neither of us reads minds, but you’re probably right. If so, the problem is larger than Eidensohn. The book I co-wrote (with Dr. Amy Neustein) on the family court system argues in detail that child sex abuse allegations all too often result in cover-ups when raised by mothers in the court system. In the context of litigation such charges are still seen, much of the time, as weapons wielded by the deceitful and malicious accuser an “angry woman” is presumed to be. Authorities rooted in patriarchal institutions will sometimes protect children, but a woman accusing a man (especially in sexual matters) is always their enemy.
A very prominent Brooklyn lawyer (not Orthodox) once told me flat-out that almost all sex abuse charges in divorce litigation are fabricated — even though all relevant studies have shown the opposite. He also said female child abuse experts had “issues with men,” and criticized New York’s get law on the grounds that, if Orthodox Jews want to have a community where “men are in control,” the state shouldn’t interfere with that — so it’s not hard to see where he was coming from.
The untold side of the Israel Weingarten case (untold, that is, until I told it in the new book) illustrates the same point. Years before one of Weingarten’s daughters, then an adult, had him charged in federal court for his sexual abuse of her between the ages of 10 and 17, the same issue had been placed before a beth din in Rockland County when the victim’s mother demanded a divorce. The beth din awarded sole custody of all the minor children (including the victim) to their father; and this decision was meekly confirmed by a Rockland County family court.
I don’t deny the contributions made by people like Rabbi Eidensohn. And in his case, we may never know the personal motives involved. What’s more to the point, I think, is an examination of the institutional structures that legitimize abuse cover-ups when the facts cross certain red lines, like the empowerment of women or challenges to male dominance within the family. When we focus our inquiry that way, we don’t have to worry too much about the position of this or that rabbi on this or that case. (Which of course doesn’t minimize the hurt one can feel when someone you thought “understood” suddenly swings to the other side.)
P.S.: For those who don’t remember, Weingarten was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Wonder what pressure was put on the CBD any Agudah
It seems obvious that only “l’maan yishmeu v’yiraoo” ie action that sends a strong message to those who enabled these acts and more importantly to the broader community of Moros and rebbes etc will have any hope of protecting our girls. This should have included financial restitution for victims including payment for psychotherapy by specialists in PTSD (from which many will suffer— see the new description of this in the latest DSM-5, as the term includes bring subjected to sexual assault or learning about sexual assault of ones friend).
It’s a shame that yet again business interests appear to have won out over protection for our children from sexual predators.
If the CBD cannot stand up for itself in front of the Frummest of the Frum and politically strong of Rabbinical Pressure, then how would an average frum person/ victim/ claimant ever stand up for themself? This whole thing is a very depressing read on the state of our society. Those with power will win. Always.
Yes, it is discouraging. But I do not think we should confuse a partial loss with a total loss. We saw that even the most powerful can be challenged and they had to fight very hard and publicly to limit their loss of control. They got exposed and embarrassed. Their credibility was damaged which will make it harder for them to repeat this stunt. I am very disappointed but it is a mistake to think this was a total loss.
You people are all seriously deranged. Rabbi Eidensohn is A: a huge Talmid Chochom. Disparage him at your own risk. B: He is fair and honest and unswerving.
He attacks the yeshivish establishment when he feels it is warranted, and defends that establishment when he feels that is the truth.
You people are a collection of sorry, angry losers.
Both Eidensons have serious mental issues.
Eidenson claims to be a talmid of Rav Moshe ztz”l but none of Rav Moshe’s well known talmidim have any use for him or his sick twisting of halachah.
He tries to give the impression that his illness induced hatred of women is the result of his being the only one (now that rav moshe is gone) who cares two cents about halachah.
News flash for you Eidenson boys: Rav Moshe left many well known talmidim, not to mention his two sons, who carry on his true mesorah.
The Eidensons are busy labeling as mamzairim thousands of children born to women remarried after being freed from the type of perverts Eidenson loves to defend. Kol haposel….
Wonderful boys you raised there Mrs. Eidenson. I can’t help wondering what the heck went on in your home to raise mushchosim like your sons. Forget OTD. These guys are OTDE (Off the Deep End).
I don’t know what your definition of a Talmid Chacham is, but for me,,one who causes and spreads hate, embarrassing people, bullying people, never admitting any wrong ,meddling in other peoples business, hurting people, being מבזה תלמידי חכמים, telling people they are to stupid to understand him because they ask logical questions, putting out a blog similar to the national enquirer, spending obviously hours upon hours looking for the next scoop on the internet, going against תלמידי חכמים , who are far far greater then he is or will ever be, backing extortion for men holding back gitin ,twisting Halacha
To fit an agenda ,is not what I would call a Talmid Chacham , but if that’s who you look up to, so be it.
Lol Sam thanks for that “brief” (but not rlly) list. Agreed.
EIdensohn has been regularly allowing, and not refuting a couple of posters who regularly post that 1) the incident was only a one-time thing with one “crazy” girl, and 2) the incident was only a minor breach of negiah only. Please see the following quote just posted in the New York Jewish Week :
“After the whistleblower approached the Chicago Beit Din, its four members, Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst, Rabbi Avrohom Chaim Levin and Rabbi Zeev Cohen, spent months investigating her claims. Thirty alumnae of Rabbi Meisels’ four schools from over the past decade came forward to testify to the beit din against his behavior, which included at least eight allegations of actual assault, sources confirmed.”
In addition, that same article reports that in the U.S.,” two former students of Rabbi Meisels who are residents of New York and New Jersey brought charges against him to a federal court here in October. He is accused of rape, attempted rape and other forms of sexual assault”.
While many people here have known about these allegations for some time, Eidensohn has willingly ignored these serious allegations, and continues to allow people to post blatant lies whitewashing Meisels. That fact alone passels Eidensohn.
Triangle u have a great point. And good quoting. I think u should present this to Eidensohn and let’s see how he chooses to handle it.
I think you are lending credibility to Mrs. Eidenson’s freaky sons. They are potty mouthed perverts with big Mommy issues.
Instead of addressing the garbage on DT, just point everyone over to their new blog on Marriage and Hilchos Gittin. They literally advertise their insanity for all to read.
Someone else did just that. And a couple of the regular Meisels defenders tried to poke holes in the article calling it a “hit piece”. As always, they just continue to lie. For example, the reporter said 30 girls but the Eidenson morons said it’s not true. No logic or proof, but rather questioned the reporter’s account. So there you go. Inconvenient facts are really just ignored, and the truth doesn’t matter. That’s what we’re up against. And that lying weasel who calls himself Kisheyum is either Meisels himself, or a close relative or staff member. Which is quite scary, given that anyone in a Meisels seminary would be likely exposed to an evil liar like that.
how come you have not reported the lawsuit brought by 2 students?
It is now reported in the Jewish Week. I was aware of the forthcoming article and thought it better to come out then together with a lot of background information to which their reporter, Rachel Benaim, had unique access. See As Rabbinic Courts Spar, An Apparent Abuser Remains Free.
I’ve posted more at length on my blog. But basically, why is IBD even involved?? They already said the sems are kosher!!! There is obviously major behind the scenes politics here.
I agree with your analysis. The key questions are how did the vote breakdown. Did the CBD in fact agree with a majority from the IBD and the tie breaking vote of R. Brudny. Of course it is possible that one of the CBD members changed their opinion but I doubt it based on my information from sources close to them. The more important question is why they accepted R. Brudny.
I emailed Touro to ask if they were reinstating the seminaries. Someone sent me this statement:
“Touro and HTC have not reinstated any of the seminaries whose affiliations were recently suspended. Touro and HTC greatly appreciate the expanded beis din’s efforts. We have requested that the expanded beis din provide additional information and materials so that Touro and HTC can make an informed decision regarding reinstatement. Touro and HTC will not take any further action until they have had an opportunity to review this critical information.”
Jon thanks for going out of ur way to get this important piece of info