The Awareness Center is The Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA)
Case of Cantor Stanley Rosenfeld
Temple Am David - Warwick, Rhode Island
Stanely Rosenfeld, a former cantor and spiritual leader at Temple Am David received a 10-year suspended sentence after pleading no contest to molesting a 12-year-old boy he was tutoring.
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Former spiritual leader sentenced in child
molestation
The Associated Press -June 8, 2001, Friday
SECTION: State and Regional
WARWICK, R.I. A former cantor and spiritual leader at Temple Am David received a 10-year suspended sentence after pleading no contest to molesting a 12-year-old boy he was tutoring.
Stanley Rosenfeld, 67, also was ordered to have no contact with the boy and is not allowed to work with minors unless he is supervised, The Providence Journal reported Friday.
The sentence agreement was reached after a number of conversations with the boy's mother and the family's lawyer, said Jim Martin, spokesman for the Attorney General's office.
Police said they began investigating Rosenfeld last July, after the boy told his family that Rosenfeld touched him improperly.
The boy told police Rosenfeld that the touching began in 1999 and continued at the temple on numerous occasions during tutoring sessions, police said.
The boy was preparing for his bah mitzvah.
Herbert Singer, president of Temple Am David, said he asked Rosenfeld to resign following his August arrest.
Former cantor sentenced for sexually assaulting boy
Providence Journal-Bulletin (Rhode Island) - June 8, 2001, Friday, All EDITIONS, Pg. 1B
By Mark Arssenault
WARWICK - Under a plea bargain with the state, the former cantor and spiritual leader at Temple Am David received a 10-year suspended prison sentence for molesting a 12-year-old boy he was tutoring in preparation for the boy's bar mitzvah.
Stanley Rosenfeld, 67, whose address was listed by the police as 1445 Warwick Ave., Warwick, pleaded no contest May 21 to two counts of second-degree sexual assault on a person under age 14. Judge Edwin J. Gale sentenced Rosenfeld to 10 years in prison, suspended with probation, according to the court record. Gale ordered Rosenfeld to have no contact with the boy, and ruled he cannot work with minors without supervision, said Jim Martin, a spokesman for Atty. Gen. Sheldon Whitehouse.
The sentence agreement was reached after a number of conversations with the boy's mother and the family's lawyer, Martin said. The victim's family agreed with the disposition, he said.
The Warwick police began investigating Rosenfeld last July, after the boy complained to his family that Rosenfeld had touched him improperly, according to the police report.
The boy told the police that Rosenfeld began hugging him and slapping his rear end in 1999. Then, in September 1999, during a private tutoring session at the temple, Rosenfeld touched the boy's genitals through his pants, the police said.
The boy told the police that the touching continued at the temple on numerous occasions during tutoring sessions at the temple, the police said.
Rosenfeld, who married for the first time within the past two years, has no children, he told the police. He grew up in New York City and worked in the New York public school system for about 20 years, and worked about 10 years at a private Jewish academy in New York, according to the police.
He moved to Rhode Island about four years ago, and became the cantor at Temple Am David. As a self-taught cantor, he led religious instruction, hymns and prayers.
Temple Am David, 40 Gardiner St., is a conservative temple of about 225 families, said Herbert Singer, the temple's president.
Singer said Rosenfeld was also principal of the temple's Hebrew school, which provides religious education two days a week. And Rosenfeld filled in as the congregation's spiritual leader when the temple was without a rabbi, he said.
The police informed Singer last August that Rosenfeld had been arrested. Singer asked Rosenfeld for his resignation the next day, he said.
"The congregation was shocked at first," Singer said. "But we held together and we survived."
The police interviewed other children who had received private tutoring from Rosenfeld, and their parents, and found no other victims, the police said.
BY EDWARD FITZPATRICK, Journal Staff Writer
Providence Journal - May 17, 2006
http://www.projo.com/westbay/content/projo_20060517_suit17.17c926a9.html
The suit alleges that a man hired as a cantor at Temple Am David had previously sexually assaulted boys "by using positions of trust, including positions at other temples."
PROVIDENCE -- A lawyer who has handled priest abuse cases in Rhode Island filed a lawsuit yesterday against a Jewish congregation in Warwick, claiming a former religion instructor victimized other children before molesting a 12-year-old boy who was preparing for his bar mitzvah at Temple Am David.
Stanley Rosenfeld, 72, of Hillside Avenue, pleaded no contest in 2001 to two counts of second-degree child molestation and was given a 10-year suspended sentence. After violating probation, he was sent to prison for 18 months, court records show.
Yesterday, Providence lawyer Timothy J. Conlon filed a lawsuit in Superior Court on behalf of the victim and his mother, who are identified in court papers as John and Jane Doe.
The complaint claims that Temple Am David knew, or should have known, that Rosenfeld had previously sexually assaulted boys "by using positions of trust, including positions at other temples."
The suit mentions no other cases in which Rosenfeld was convicted of molestation, but it cites a probation report that says: "When asked if he had molested children while teaching in New York, [Rosenfeld] stated, 'There have been other incidents, but I was never charged.' "
While not naming any other synagogues, the suit targets as-yet-unnamed "individuals and entities that engaged Rosenfeld as a teacher or other person in a position of trust as to children, and failed to appropriately report his misconduct."
"At the heart of the claims against the temple is the allegation that other Jewish synagogues had problems with Rosenfeld, but he was allowed to move from one to another and offend again," Conlon said in a statement.
Conlon, who in 2002 handled nearly 40 priest abuse cases against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, said, "We are familiar with the problem religious institutions have had controlling child molesters who want to use a position of trust to abuse children. The Jewish community needs to understand that this problem is more widespread than anyone might like to think."
An official at Temple Am David said he could not comment because he had not seen the lawsuit as of yesterday afternoon.
When asked to comment on the suit, Rosenfeld said, "This was settled in court, and I am still serving probation. I am in counseling therapy, and I have no contact with children -- no one-on-one contact with children." He said he is no longer an instructor at Temple Am David.
The temple, at 40 Gardiner St. in Warwick, employed Rosenfeld's wife, Ann Lea Adler, as a religion school instructor in 1998, and, based on her recommendation, hired Rosenfeld as a "cantor, Jewish religious clergyman and religious instructor," according to the suit, which names Rosenfeld's wife as a defendant.
The suit claims the temple hired Rosenfeld without a formal interview, screening or review process, and without a background check.
As the alleged victim's bar mitzvah was approaching, the temple referred the boy to Rosenfeld as his instructor, and Rosenfeld molested the boy over about six months during "private, closed-door 'tutoring' sessions at the temple," the suit states.
The suit claims Rosenfeld "has acknowledged other victims within this state as well as victims in different states, demonstrating his clear propensity to commit these crimes against minors."
To support that claim, the suit cites the probation report, which was written by probation officer Sharon Turner of the sex offender unit on Nov. 14, 2001.
The report says that in August 2001, Rosenfeld "admitted to constantly having to 'fight his desire for boys.' He said he often looks at children when driving and had 'considered what it would be like to pursue a child' but that he has never acted on this desire."
The report says that, "When asked if he had molested both male and female children, [Rosenfeld] responded that his 'preferred prey' is adolescent boys."
The suit says Rosenfeld completed the Rhode Island assessment of sex offender risk form and scored in the "high re-offense" category. "He is one of only 22 'high risk offenders' in Rhode Island listed on the Rhode Island Parole Board's Web site," the suit states.
The Web site, www.paroleboard.ri.gov, contains a photo of Rosenfeld, who is described as being 5-foot-9, 240 pounds, with gray hair and hazel eyes. It says Rosenfeld is under probation supervision until May 2011.
In a 2001 Journal story, the police said Rosenfeld grew up in New York City, worked in the New York public school system for about 20 years and worked for about 10 years at a private Jewish academy in New York.
efitzpat@projo.com / (401) 277-7368
Associated Press - May 17, 2006
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2006/05/17/synagogue_sued_for_molestation_in_1999/
http://ww2.wpri.com/Global/story.asp?S=4915560
PROVIDENCE, R.I. --A boy molested at a Warwick synagogue is suing, alleging Temple Am David knew or should have known the molester had assaulted boys before.
Stanley Rosenfeld, 72, pleaded no contest in 2001 to molesting the 12-year-old boy starting in 1999. Rosenfeld was a religion instructor at the temple, and was supposed to be tutoring the boy as he prepared for his bah mitzvah.
The boy's lawyer, Timothy J. Conlon, said other synagogues had problems with Rosenfeld, but he was allowed to move from one to another and offend again. The suit was brought by the boy and his mother, who were identified only as John and Jane Doe in papers filed with the court.
An official at Temple Am David said he had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.
The lawsuit says Rosenfeld told a probation officer for a 2001 probation report that he had molested boys when he was in New York, but he was never charged. The suit said Temple Am David hired Rosenfeld on the recommendation of his wife, an instructor there, without a formal interview, screening or background check.
Conlon, who handled dozens of priest abuse cases against the Roman Catholic church, said the Jewish community should be aware that sex abuse in religious institutions is more widespread than people would like to think.
Rhode Island Temple sued for abuse by its
Cantor
Law Office of Timothy J. Conlon - May 18, 2006
http://www.tjcesq.com/CM/Articles/Rhode-Island-temple-sued-for-abuse.asp
Today, we filed a 22 page complaint in Providence Superior Court against Temple Am David and convicted child molester and Jewish clergyman Cantor Stanley Rosenfeld. The lawsuit seeks damages for a boy Rosenfeld confessed to molesting during the course of his religious education at Temple.
Rosenfeld was hired to train the boy for bar mitzvah, but used closed-door sessions at the Temple as an opportunity to abuse him. Rosenfeld pleaded no contest to 2 counts of child molestation, and later was incarcerated for violating his probation with having contact with two other young boys. He acknowledged other incidents of molestation in his past and that he has "to constantly fight his desire for boys."
At the heart of the claims against the Temple is the allegation that other Jewish synagogues had problems with Rosenfeld, but he was allowed to move from one to another and offend again.
Rhode Island's Parole Board website lists Rosenfeld as one of only 22 "high risk offenders" in the state –
http://www.paroleboard.ri.gov/L3_offenders/listings.htm.
"We are familiar with the problem religious institutions have had controlling child molesters who want to use a position of trust to abuse children. The Jewish community needs to understand that this problem is more widespread than anyone might like to think." said attorney Tim Conlon, representing the family."
In 2002 this office handled nearly 40 cases against the Diocese of Providence. A complete copy of the complaint and supporting documents can be obtained by calling 272-6757.
State of Rhode Island
Parole Board & Sex Offender Community Notification Unit
December 11, 2006
http://www.paroleboard.ri.gov/L3_offenders/rosenfeld_s.htm
Level III Offenders
Pursuant to Rhode Island General Laws 11-37, the individual who appears below has been designated a Level III Sex Offender by the Sex Offender Board of Review and/or the Superior Court. The Board and/or the Court have determined that this individual is at a high risk to re-offend and that the degree of dangerousness posed to the public is such that a public safety interest is served by the providing information below to the public availability of notification information.
THIS INDIVIDUAL IS NOT WANTED BY POLICE
Name:
STANLEY ROSENFELD
Date of Birth: 10/15/1933
Approximate Address: North Main Street Area of East Side
Sex: Male
Race: White
Height: 5'9
Weight: 240 lbs
Eye Color: Hazel Eyes
Hair Color: Gray Hair
Offenses Committed: Second Degree Child Molestation
Probation: Subject is under probation supervision until May 20, 2011
The Providence Police Department is available to help you by providing you with useful information on personal safety. The Providence Police Department may be reached at (401) 272-3121. If you have information regarding current criminal activity of these or any other offender, please call 911.
Report authored by the Sex Offender Community Notification Unit
Varley Building, 40 Howard Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920
Telephone: 401-462-0905
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Last Updated: 12/11/2006
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