Reining in Abuse Inside the Eruv: Are Some Orthodox Discreet Or Closing Their Eyes?

Reining in abuse Inside the eruv: Are some Orthodox discreet or closing their eyes? By EUGENE L. MEYER and RICHARD GREENBERG Shafran, who accused the online detractors of making glib and sweeping generalizations without corroborating EW YORK (JTA) — Within Jewish circles, much evidence, termed the comments “abhorrent.” of the focus on sexual predators has centered on Other communities were criticized as well on one Web Nthe Orthodox community, particularly its more fer- site. vently religious precincts, where some contend that clergy “Denial, secrecy, and sweeping under the carpet are not sex abuse is more hidden — and possibly more widespread unique to charedi, Orthodox, or Jewish institutions,” wrote — than elsewhere. Nachum Klafter, a self-described “frum psychiatrist,” in a Whether or not those contentions are true, the problem Nov. 26 posting on the Web site haloscan.com. “They are typi- in that community was spotlighted by two recent episodes. cal reactions of well-intentioned, scandalized human beings They are among several incidents, emanating from across the to the horrible shock of childhood sexual abuse.” denominational spectrum, that JTA examined in this six-part Eleven days after those remarks were posted, a haredi investigation of the Jewish community’s response to clergy rabbi, Yehuda Kolko, was arrested and charged in connection sex abuse. with the alleged molestation of The first of two episodes a 9-year-old boy and a 31-year- that JTA tracked in the fervent- ‘ hey are typical reactions of well- old man, both former students ly Orthodox, or haredi, com- T of his during different eras at munity involved a fierce debate intentioned, scandalized human Brooklyn’s Yeshiva-Mesivta over remarks by a haredi rabbi beings to the horrible shock of Torah Temimah. Kolko, 60, who reportedly suggested that had long served the yeshiva his community sweeps the is- childhood sexual abuse.’ as a teacher and an assistant sue “under the carpet.” The Nachum Klafter principal. second involved the arrest of Self-described ‘frum psychiatrist’ Kolko, meanwhile, is named a haredi rabbi and teacher, who in at least four civil suits filed was charged with sexual abuse over the past eight months by and endangering the welfare of his alleged victims, including a minor. the 9-year-old boy. The most recent litigation, which seeks $10 On Thanksgiving, at the annual national convention of million in damages from Torah Temimah, was filed in New Agudath Israel of America, a haredi advocacy organization, York state court the day before Kolko was arrested. It alleges Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon, a featured speaker, ignited a con- not only that Kolko molested the 9-year-old during the 2003-04 troversy with his discussion of the haredi response to clergy school year, but that the school administration covered up the sex abuse. rabbi’s pedophilia for 25 years. Salomon, a dean of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, The suit charges that Rabbi Lipa Margulies, identified N.J., one of the world’s largest yeshivas, said, according to an as the leader of Torah Temimah, knew of many “credible Agudath Israel spokesman, that haredim are indeed guilty of allegations of sexual abuse and pedophilia against Kolko,” “sweeping things under the carpet.” yet continued to employ him as an elementary school teacher What he meant was open to interpretation. Salomon de- “and give him unfettered access to young children.” clined comment, but according to the Agudath Israel spokes- Avi Moskowitz, the attorney representing Torah Temi- man, Rabbi Avi Shafran, Salomon meant that rather than mah, said: “The yeshiva adamantly denies the allegations in ignoring or covering up sexual misconduct, as detractors the complaints and is sure that when the cases are over, the maintain, haredi officials deal with it discreetly to protect yeshiva will be vindicated.” the dignity of the families of perpetrators and victims. Another one of the lawsuits brought against Torah Temi- The response to Salomon’s remarks was swift and often mah was filed in May by David Framowitz, now 49 and living heated, with several Web site and blog contributors arguing in Israel. In that $10 million federal litigation Framowitz, that the rabbi’s comments should be taken literally — that who was joined by a co-plaintiff also seeking $10 million, al- is, haredi officials often look the other way when clergy sex leged that he was victimized by Kolko while he was a seventh- abuse takes place in their midst. and eighth-grader at Torah Temimah. 10 WWW.JTA.ORG Reining in abuse Although the lawsuit, which named Kolko as a co-defen- anecdotal evidence that abuse often goes unreported there. dant, referred to Framowitz only as “John Doe No. 1,” he has The reason, they said, is that many individuals in those since dropped his anonymity and gone public with his story. communities, which are noted for their insularity, resistance “That’s the only way that people would believe that there’s to modernity and reverence for religious leaders, are loath to actually a problem, if they knew that there’s a real person confront rabbis for fear of being publicly shunned. out there who was molested,” Framowitz told JTA in a recent Shafran said he doubts that clergy sex abuse is more prev- telephone interview. “There are many other victims out alent in the fervently Orthodox world than elsewhere. Asked there, and I want people to know that this really exists.” whether victims there are afraid to report abuse, he said, “I Framowitz grew up in part in fervently Orthodox com- hope it’s not true. But it’s easy to see how someone would be munities in Brooklyn where rabbinic sex abuse, he said, is reluctant to publicly report such an issue.” rarely reported. And when it is reported, he added, rabbinic He said modesty, which is prized by many haredim, might courts seldom have the expertise or the inclination to deal preclude the open discussion of matters “that are part of the with it effectively. average radio talk show agenda.” After his own reports of abuse were met with disbelief In fact, Shafran acknowledged that “for a person whose and inaction, Framowitz said he chose to “deeply bury” his whole life revolves around the community,” the ostracism painful memories of the al- that results from publicly leged incidents. confronting a leader of that “I never really got over it,” ‘It’s a relief knowing that the story community “can be worse than he said, “but I was able to get death.” on with my life.” is finally out there, and that maybe Others believe that under- An accountant by trade, Kolko will be prevented from being reporting of clergy sexual mis- Framowitz made aliyah several conduct may in fact facilitate years ago, and now lives in the around other kids.’ abuse. West Bank community of Kar- David Framowitz “Offenders have learned to nei Shomron with his wife and Alleged abuse victim hide behind” the reluctance of four adult children. They have victims to speak out, said Brian one grandson. Leggiere, an Orthodox Jew and Framowitz said he decided a psychiatrist in Manhattan to speak out publicly about his experience after he learned who has treated both perpetrators and victims of sexual through the Internet in the fall of 2005 that Kolko was still abuse. He added, though, “The situation is changing for the teaching young boys. He said he is relieved that Kolko has better, but very slowly. Each community is different, so it’s been arrested and charged, although in connection with re- hard to generalize.” ported incidents unrelated to his alleged victimization. In some neighborhoods, Leggiere pointed out, public safe- “It’s a relief knowing that the story is finally out there,” ty is beginning to gain traction as an ideal worth defending, Framowitz said, “and that maybe Kolko will be prevented as is the notion that professional therapy or other forms of from being around other kids.” treatment for sex abuse victims, as well as for perpetrators, JTA tried unsuccessfully to reach Kolko, who along with should not be stigmatized. Framowitz was the focus of a May 15 New York magazine story that said “rabbi-on-child molestation,” according to sev- Judging the judges eral sources, “is a widespread problem in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community and one that has been long covered up.” Among many Orthodox Jews, the preferred forum for ad- Attorney Jeffrey Herman, who is representing the plain- judicating communal disputes is a beit din, a rabbinic court. tiffs in the lawsuits stemming from Kolko’s alleged miscon- But critics say such panels often try to dissuade sex abuse duct, was quoted in the New York magazine piece saying that victims from pursuing their complaints, a charge vigorously the clergy abuse situation in the haredi community “reminds denied by Shafran. But, he added, “In cases where there is me of where the Catholic church was 15 or 20 years ago. What some degree of doubt, the beit din has a responsibility to I see are some members of the community turning a blind counsel against going to authorities until there is proven eye to what’s going on in their backyards.” criminal activity.” Mark Dratch, a modern Orthodox rabbi who chairs the Sifting the evidence Rabbinical Council of America’s Task Force on Rabbinic Improprieties, said that if the beit din “is used to make the Hard numbers are not available to determine if clergy community safer, that’s appropriate. If that relationship is sex abuse is more widespread in haredi communities than in used to bypass the justice system, I think that’s wrong, par- other Jewish locales. However, several insiders said there is ticularly in cases of suspected criminal activity.

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