Evan Zauder
Pelcovitz and Leading Orthodox Rabbis Line Up Behind Sex Offender Evan Zauder (From the archives- 3/31/14)
Update (9/20/19) Dr. David Pelcovitz spoke to SAR parents in the aftermath of the arrest of their teacher, Rabbi Jonathan Skolnick, for child porn production involving a student. He is scheduled to speak at other schools. That is a terrible choice. Parents, after you read this post, please contact your school’s administrators and urge them not to invite Pelcovitz as a speaker. Follow the pattern of a number of other schools who disinvited him. — Yerachmiel Lopin
Guest Post by David Cheifetz
David Cheifetz
David Cheifetz is a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey. He is also the founder of a new non-profit organization, Mi Li – Who Is For Me, designed to educate the Jewish community about sexual abuse of children and provide support to victims and their families.
About a year ago I came forward in the pages of The Jewish Week and shared my experience as a victim of sexual abuse by a senior member of the staff at Camp Dora Golding in 1979. I also had the opportunity to address the annual conference of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) on the topic. In both instances and in other articles and venues, I spoke about the challenge that we face in the Orthodox community regarding a pervasive tolerance of sexual abuse of children.
This is not limited to any corner of the Orthodox community – It exists in the Modern Orthodox world just as it exists in the Ultra-Orthodox world. And while there is a growing recognition of this scourge, there has been little progress in addressing the underlying culture that tolerates abuse and excuses Orthodox pedophiles. Indeed, when someone is accused of abuse, and even found guilty of committing heinous acts of sexual abuse against minors, many communal leaders continue to bend over backwards to show Rachmunus (mercy and empathy) to the perpetrators, and little regard to the victims.
Evan Zauder
The terrible phenomenon has been highlighted once again this past week, coinciding with the scheduled sentencing of Evan Zauder. Evan Zauder, was a teacher at the Modern Orthodox day school Yeshivat Noam located in Paramus, New Jersey. Zauder also had a long history of working with Jewish youth, including as a synagogue youth director and participant in numerous youth related programs. In 2012, Zauder was arrested for possessing child pornography, and was subsequently found by the US Government to have distributed child pornography as well. He was also found to have engaged in illicit sexual relationships with underage males that involved graphic discussion, mutual masturbation Continue reading
Pelcovitz and Leading Orthodox Rabbis Line Up Behind Sex Offender Evan Zauder (from the Archives of 3/31/14)
Dr. David Pelcovitz remains YU’s resident expert on child sex abuse. Just this evening (5/7/19) he was part of an event for students at YU’s Washington Heights campus.
Guest Post by David Cheifetz
David Cheifetz
David Cheifetz is a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey. He is also the founder of a new non-profit organization, Mi Li – Who Is For Me, designed to educate the Jewish community about sexual abuse of children and provide support to victims and their families.
About a year ago I came forward in the pages of The Jewish Week and shared my experience as a victim of sexual abuse by a senior member of the staff at Camp Dora Golding in 1979. I also had the opportunity to address the annual conference of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) on the topic. In both instances and in other articles and venues, I spoke about the challenge that we face in the Orthodox community regarding a pervasive tolerance of sexual abuse of children.
This is not limited to any corner of the Orthodox community – It exists in the Modern Orthodox world just as it exists in the Ultra-Orthodox world. And while there is a growing recognition of this scourge, there has been little progress in addressing the underlying culture that tolerates abuse and excuses Orthodox pedophiles. Indeed, when someone is accused of abuse, and even found guilty of committing heinous acts of sexual abuse against minors, many communal leaders continue to bend over backwards to show Rachmunus (mercy and empathy) to the perpetrators, and little regard to the victims.
Evan Zauder
The terrible phenomenon has been highlighted once again this past week, coinciding with the scheduled sentencing of Evan Zauder. Evan Zauder, was a teacher at the Modern Orthodox Day School Yeshivat Noam located in Paramus New Jersey. Zauder also had a long history of working with Jewish youth, including as a synagogue youth director and participant in numerous youth related programs. In 2012, Zauder was arrested for possessing child pornography, and was subsequently found by the US Government to have distributed child pornography as well. He was also found to have engaged in illicit sexual relationships with underage males that involved graphic discussion, mutual masturbation Continue reading
Why Philadelphia’s MO Kohelet Yeshiva Should Cancel the Pelcovitz Talk
Update 3-7-18: The school emailed at at 1:19 pm that the talk was cancelled: “Due to today’s snow storm, tonight’s conversation with Dr. David Pelcovitz has been cancelled. Stay safe and warm.”
The Philadelphia-area, Modern-orthodox Kohelet Yeshiva prides itself on “Understanding that our responsibilities extend not only to our immediate community, but to broader society as well.” One has to assume that includes a responsible approach to confronting child sex abuse. Kohelet has Dr. David Pelcovitz scheduled give “Tips to Parents… of Teens” on March 7, 2018 (see flyer below). But David Pelcovitz has a terrible record on child sex abuse.
He followed orders from Lakewood not to mention police reporting of abuse, when speaking there. Don’t believe me. Listen to this recording.
Even more outrageous was his defense of Evan Zauder, a modern orthodox yeshiva teacher. According to the FBI:
Evan Zauder, a former sixth-grade teacher at a private school in New Jersey, pled guilty in Manhattan federal court to charges of using the Internet to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and to receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography.
Come sentencing, Pelcovitz rode to his rescue with an incredible letter to the court: Continue reading
Steven Pruzansky’s Letter on Behalf of Child Molester, Evan Zauder
Evan served as our Youth Director with great distinction. He was beloved by our children and parents alike……
I cannot help believe that the charges herein reflect aberrational conduct on Evan’s part…..
Having worked together with Evan for two years, seeing his sensitivity, thoughtfulness and acts of kindness first hand, and knowing of his good character that render the charges herein atypical of his true nature, I would respectfully urge the Court to… sentence Evan to [the] statutory minimum.
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky
Above are some excerpts from a letter written by Rabbi Steven Pruzansky to help a convicted child molester, Evan Zauder. But first some context.
Steven Pruzansky is the rabbi of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun, an 800-member, modern orthodox synagogue in Teaneck, New Jersey. In two successive postings on his blog (here and here) he derided the claim that there is a serious problem of rape on college campuses. Instead, he insists it is a byproduct of a promiscuous culture where women who are disappointed with their relationships proceed to contrive rape charges.
In a long essay decrying the claim that there is a “rape culture” which rationalizes rape, he has very few words for decrying rape. But just to seem like he is on side of angels he does write, “Certainly, one is too many, but few of these claims involve the old-fashioned and execrable assault by a stranger in some dark alley.” Continue reading
FRUM FOLLIES by Yerachmiel Lopin 