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The Awareness Center is The Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA)
Case of Rabbi Matis Weinberg
(AKA: Reb Matisse, Rabbi Matisse Weinberg)
Baltimore, MD,
Kerem Yeshiva in Santa Clara, California (1980's)
Derech Etz Chaim in Har Nof, Jerusalem, Israel (2003)
Yeshiva University recently terminated Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim's affiliation with the S. Daniel Abraham Joint Israel Program after discovering "compelling evidence" that a rabbi integrally associated with the yeshiva has a history of allegedly sexually abusing and engaging in cult-like behavior with his students.
Jewish Week - Rabbi Weinberg noted that while he was physically demonstrative to his students, often hugging them, it was never in a sexual way. "I don't get a hard-on" from such encounters," asserted the rabbi, who is married and has a large family.
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Also see:
US Department of Justice: Sex Offender Management - Recidivism of Sex Offenders (2001)
When A Family Member Molests: Reality, Conflict, and The Need For Support
Cases Connected to the Feinstein - Tendler - Weinberg Families, and or Ner Israel Yeshiva of Baltimore
The Case of the Students of Ner Israel Yeshiva in the 1950's
The Case of a List of Abuses at Ner Israel (Toronto, Canada)
Derech Etz
Chaim Severed from YU Israel Program
by Yehoshua Levine
The Commentator (Yeshiva University)
Volume 67, Issue 9
March 6, 2003 - Adar II 5763
http://www.yucommentator.com/v67i9/news/derech.html
Yeshiva officials
recently terminated Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim's affiliation with the S. Daniel
Abraham Joint Israel Program after discovering "compelling evidence" that
a rabbi integrally associated with the yeshiva has a history of allegedly
sexually abusing and engaging in cult-like behavior with his students. The
decision, which took effect on February 13 and was made public in a letter
sent to parents of current Derech Etz Chaim (DEC) students, followed an intensive
international investigation in which the University concluded that maintaining
its association with DEC would be "betraying the trust between Yeshiva University
and its students."
Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim is a small yeshiva in the Har Nof section of Jerusalem that has been a favorite of Yeshiva's Joint Israel Committee since it opened its doors five years ago. It has been a favorite of Yeshiva students as well, boasting more and more students in Yeshiva's Israel Program each year.
Throughout the past four weeks, YU administrators on the Joint Israel Committee have ascertained that the rabbi, under whose influence and tutelage DEC operates, has a longtime record of allegedly exhibiting exceedingly inappropriate behavior with his students. "What he has allegedly done," one close source said, "is inconceivably shocking."
Those involved in the recent decision to terminate the affiliation pointed out that striking parallels to the rabbi's alleged domineering behavior are currently resurfacing in DEC. "We've been finding cases that sound eerily similar to those which allegedly occurred in the past with [the rabbi]," the source said. "And given this situation, we can't wait three months for something to happen."
The Clues
The charges extend back to 1983, when Yeshivat Kerem, a yeshiva in Santa Clara, California, mysteriously shut down. The yeshiva had been thriving until the fall of 1983 when students began to come out with allegations that they had been sexually abused by the said rabbi during their years in the yeshiva. Within a few months – after the rabbi, shunned by the student populace and confirmed as a sexual deviant, left the yeshiva amidst controversy – Yeshivat Kerem shut down. Because many of the allegations had been kept quiet, the yeshiva's closing was perceived as the result of financial difficulty.
The Yeshiva administrators who made the decision to terminate DEC's affiliation with YU point out that this rabbi is the driving force behind everything in DEC – from its teaching approach to its overall hashkafa. To begin with, one of his closest students is DEC Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Aharon Katz, whom he effectively raised since Katz's teenage years. Two of his sons are rabbeim in the yeshiva. And with rare exceptions, DEC students consider him their rebbe. Although they have since been removed in order to downplay his association with DEC, numerous pictures of DEC students with the rabbi had been on the DEC website, www.ondec.net. Even a regular online shiur he gives can be found on a site sponsored by DEC. In the words of a Yeshiva source, "He is not just involved with the yeshiva – he is the yeshiva."
Asked why, according to his understanding, Yeshivat Kerem closed, Katz responded, "I have no idea. I graduated as a student there some time before it closed. My understanding was that the school had financial problems, not uncommon at that time."
Katz also denies the extent of the said rabbi's influence and involvement. "On Thursday evenings we host a public shiur which enjoys the attendance of over 100 people including community members and most DEC students," he said, in reference to the rabbi's weekly class. Katz would not comment further on the rabbi's supposed association with DEC or on any of the specific cases of close interaction with students.
The Evidence
A few weeks ago, a member of the Judaic Studies administration received a call from a woman whose shabbos guest, a DEC alum, had repeated a d'var Torah in the name of the rabbi that had contained what she considered inappropriate and irrelevant sexual references. The woman, an expert on child abuse who had been on the Independent NCSY Special Commission investigating Rabbi Baruch Lanner, was mildly distressed and wished to bring this to the attention of YU, to which DEC was affiliated.
"Her phone call didn't worry me too much at the time," the administrator explained. "But it did prompt me to make a few phone calls, just to make sure. We spoke with the parents of the guy [who had given the d'var Torah], alumni, and others familiar with the yeshiva. We spoke with rabbeim who had heard Derech Etz Chaim alumni claim that they don't go to shiur because only their derech of learning is [the correct one]. And one thing led to another."
At that point, a number of other administrators joined the investigation. They spoke with Rabbi Eliezer Eidlitz, a Los Angeles resident who is currently the principal of Emek Hebrew Academy, an elementary school in the San Fernando Valley, and a former Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Kerem, who offered the names and phone numbers of victims and professionals who had allegedly been involved at many different levels in Kerem. Also explaining that many students had gone through significant therapy after coming out with their allegations, Eidlitz attributed the yeshiva's closure to what had been going on under the rabbi's leadership.
Before contacting anyone else, the investigation narrowed in on Eidlitz and the sources he had supplied to insure that they could be trusted. According to a Yeshiva administrator who had made "a number of calls" to get a sense of Eidlitz's honesty and reliability, "He [Eidlitz] checks people unbelievably well." And in reference to the victims and professionals who later recalled the specifics of what went on in Kerem, the administrator noted that "they were first ascertained to be well-respected members of their [respective] communities, and most importantly, impeccably honest people."
Concurrently, YU confirmed that Rav Elya Svei, Rosh HaYeshiva of the Philadelphia Yeshiva, had written a letter after the Yeshivat Kerem fiasco that was signed by the rabbi. In the letter, the rabbi agreed that he would not become involved with chinuch, Jewish education, neither in the United States nor in Israel, and that in exchange for this agreement, no charges against him would be pressed. Rabbi Pinchas Lipschutz, Editor of Yated Neeman and a close attendant of Rav Svei's, recalled that this letter had indeed been written and signed. Katz, on the other hand, said that he is "not aware of any such document."
The Decision
Roughly ten Yeshiva administrators – including Mashgiach Ruchani Rabbi Yosef Blau, Dean of Admissions Michael Kranzler, Assistant to the Dean of Undergraduate Jewish Studies Rabbi Danni Rapp, Senior University Dean of Students Dr. Efrem Nulman, Stern College for Women Dean Dr. Karen Bacon, Dean of Undergraduate Jewish Studies Rabbi Michael Shmidman, and Director of Enrollment Management Dr. John Fisher, among others – held a meeting on February 12 and decided to sever YU's affiliation with DEC on the grounds that the yeshiva's ideological and spiritual backbone is someone with a history of alleged sexual and psychological abuse of his students. Because YU stamps an implicit seal of approval upon the schools in its Israel Program, it was decided that keeping DEC in the Program would be betraying the trust between YU and its students and their parents.
On February 14, one day before the Israel Program contract deadline, the Office of Admissions sent out a letter to the parents of current DEC students informing them that "[a]fter a review of the educational standards and the learning environment at Derech Etz Chaim, Yeshiva University has decided to end the affiliation of Derech Etz Chaim with our S. Daniel Abraham Program in Israel." While promising to grant academic credit to students who choose to remain in DEC – or, presumably, to learn there on own their own in the future – the missive offered to "help [students] relocate to another school in Israel or to the New York campus" should the student decide to "leave the school now." It was mainly because of this line that curious parents and students have been contacting YU for information regarding the decision.
The Office of Admissions also sent a letter to traditional constituent high schools with a list of the yeshivos in the Israel Program, urging them to notice that DEC is no longer on the list.
A YU insider stressed that these letters contained no legal overtones. "We didn't want to get involved with legal issues," he explained. "The decision [to dissociate from DEC] was our own response to what we had been finding out. Did we want to continue having a conversation with them? No. We don't want to have anything to do with them. When it comes to the issues involved, there's no rehabilitation. There's enough evidence that people don't change. And his influence pervades the yeshiva. We've already found evidence of [that]. Yes, we were willing to dissociate ourselves from a place that [we had formerly] loved."
Kranzler further emphasized YU's confidence in the decision. "This was an extremely serious, painful decision," he said. "We were aware of the fact that from a recruitment perspective, we had everything to lose and nothing to gain. But we are so comfortable, so secure in [what we decided], as painful and as sad as it is."
Since the decision was made and the letters were mailed, Yeshiva sources note that they have found even further evidence bolstering the allegations against the rabbi. "I started speaking with guys that came out of the woodwork only later, and they gave me levels of detail that you wouldn't believe," one source said. An administrator pointed out that just a few days ago, he received a call from a woman whose son went to Tzefat with the rabbi for three days, and the DEC office would not tell her where they went.
DEC itself is attempting to come to terms with what many have called an effective death penalty for the yeshiva. Referring to YU's decision to end their affiliation with DEC, Katz remarked, "We were shocked and saddened. We have a enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Yeshiva University from the beginnings of our institution. We have viewed them as a partner and a destination we were proud to recommend to our alumni. We had been in regular contact with members of the faculty and administration and were given absolutely no indication that they were unhappy with anything at Derech Etz Chaim."
Katz also expressed frustration at the way YU dealt with the investigation and subsequent unilateral decision. "When we were abruptly informed of the decision, no reasons were given to us, and no avenue for appeal was offered," he said. "Frankly, we expected more."
Katz has been in contact with the said officials and hopes to figure out a way of winning back YU's favor. In a DEC yeshiva-wide shmooze on February 27, in fact, he stressed to his students that the said rabbi is in no way connected to DEC. YU is still quite hesitant, however. "There's no way they can look beyond their fundamental connection to [this rabbi]," an administrator noted. "It'll take [a lot] to get us to reverse our decision."
From the Editor's Desk - Yehoshua
Levine
Yeshiva University Commentator - Volume 67, Issue 9
March 6, 2003 - Adar II 5763
http://www.yucommentator.com/v67i9/oped/arkansas.html
A few weeks ago, a senior staff writer with The Arkansas Traveler, the student newspaper at the University of Arkansas, contacted The Commentator to gain a perspective on increased security on New York City college campuses in light of the recent Code Orange government warning. She particularly wanted to know if the security response here was different because we are a Jewish college, "presumably with close ties to Israel," as she put it. This was certainly a perceptive question, and it prompted a factual, no-frills response. But it was the string of friendly follow up questions that really struck a chord.
The writer wrote that she has "always been curious" about Yeshiva University and about other colleges "with outwardly religious identifications." She wondered if and how the religion directly carries over to our classes and our student activities. At one point, she went right to the newspaper. Does our newspaper include "religious sermons or Bible or other Jewish topics"? she wanted to know. Do our religious beliefs influence what we write?
Without thinking too much, I answered in the affirmative. I was more than aware of what she was referring to, I told myself. The notion that The Commentator must answer to a higher authority than other college newspapers has been a central part of the discourse that our newspaper propounds. And I wholeheartedly agree with every defense in the book. Of course we are bound by halacha, and it goes without saying that what we cover and how we cover it must adhere to a certain morality dictated by the spirit of the halachic system. Easy.
The day after I received the last of the e-mails from the Arkansan journalist, a group of Yeshiva administrators decided to terminate Derech Etz Chaim's affiliation with the University, and I set out to discover the reasons behind the decision. As I began to learn more and more about what was going on and what the allegations were – and as I started to consider publishing an article that would no doubt publicize what I had learned – the woman's questions took on a new meaning as I realized that my easily and automatically articulated response to her was translating into a practical nightmare. Effortlessly preaching the ideal may be a universally-accepted custom – as it should be – but everything gets exponentially harder when a practical case comes up, I began to realize. In certain instances, finding common ground between journalistic responsibility and the halachic value system proves extremely difficult, and my first thought was that the case at hand serves as a perfect example of such an instance.
For two weeks, I weighed the benefits and drawbacks of publishing the story. Relevance to YU students, while usually the most important criteria for inclusion in The Commentator, was put on the back burner in favor of more pressing concerns. I recognized that the biggest problem with recounting the allegations against the rabbi and the general background to YU's decision would be potential lashon hara about Derech Etz Chaim and, most directly, about the rabbi himself. Furthermore, a number of students (not only alumni) had suggested that the case is already closed, that the rabbi has been embarrassed enough. Why should I rub salt in the wound and spread undue lashon hara, they pointed out to me, if there's no to'eles, productive purpose, that will come out of it?
Ironically, it was precisely the way this argument was formulated that convinced me that I have every right – and possibly even an obligation – to indeed publish it. The argument is fundamentally flawed. The case is not closed. The rabbi may be publicly shamed, but that was the case twenty years ago as well. Just like then, he may be down, but he's certainly not out. Notifying the public as to what he has allegedly done may very well prevent him from abuse not only in Derech Etz Chaim, but in other yeshivos as well. Since 1983, he has managed to rise up once again and exert his charisma over an entirely new crop of students. If we let the issue slide and refuse to publicize what we have discovered about him (which is what occurred in 1983), what's to stop him from abusing yet another group of students in ten years from now, somewhere else? Of course there's a to'eles here.
And the to'eles extends beyond the specific rabbi as well. This case should serve as a reality check to the potentials of dangerous rebbe-talmid relationships, especially those that may develop in Israel – or anywhere else where the student is far from home or otherwise vulnerable. And indeed, it often takes specific examples to get a point across. To study Locke's assessment of scientific knowledge from a purely theoretical standpoint, for example – without understanding how Locke treats Newtonian mechanics – is useless. Similarly, paying lip service to the risks of abuse or cult-like conduct in religious role models does not come close to providing specific examples in which such behavior has allegedly occurred. People remember information, not abstractions.
I'm not trying to play hero. Far from it. I'm merely relaying the objective facts of the decision-making and investigatory processes to the YU community and hoping that doing this will, in some even remotely indirect way, publicly label the said rabbi as someone who cannot be involved in any form of chinuch and also alert the public as to the potentialities of overly domineering and controlling rabbeim, especially for open-minded, often naïve students away from home for the first time in their lives. Of course, we cannot take advantage of the situation by embarking on a highly detailed and opinionated diatribe against the rabbi based on the results of the investigation. But to assume that there's no purpose in letting people know what's going on with this allegedly pedophilic rabbi and the yeshiva that he has molded is, in my opinion, inane and untenable.
It must be noted that the allegations fueling YU's decision tell us nothing about the Derech Etz Chaim students or alumni, who have been shoved into this whole mess by virtue of the mere fact that they are learning or have learned in the yeshiva. These students are sincere guys who did nothing wrong, and they should not be viewed as members of a cult. To accuse them of such things – and even to think of them in this manner – is groundless stupidity and serves as a perfect example of impetuous, irrational behavior.
To satisfy another of the Chafetz Chaim's conditions for what allows potentially harmful information to be publicly offered even in a case of definite to'eles, I made two modifications to earlier drafts of the article that now appear in the final draft. First, as is clearly evident, I removed the name of the rabbi. Although at least two respected rabbeim advised me that there is just as much of a chiyuv to publicize the rabbi's name as there is a chiyuv to divulge what happened, I felt more comfortable leaving it out. Anyone wishing to find out his name can easily do so. Second, I removed a portion of the article that thoroughly described the allegations themselves, both back then and now in Derech Etz Chaim. I again assumed that this additional information would be superfluous to the point at hand.
YU cuts ties with yeshiva in Jerusalem over
rabbi's conduct
Elli Wohlgelernter
The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition - Mar. 10, 2003
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1047183201270
A prominent rabbi loosely affiliated with a Jerusalem yeshiva was investigated by Yeshiva University and found to have allegedly sexually abused and engaged in cult-like behavior with his students, leading YU to sever ties with the Jerusalem school.
The school, Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim (DEC) located in Har Nof, is "perplexed at the allegations, and angry at the process and the lack of menshlechkeit" on the part of YU.
DEC, one of some 15 yeshivot that are part of YU's Israel Program, was founded five years ago. It is home to some 35 male students all from the US who study in Israel in their post-high school year, and sometimes for a second year.
According to YU's newspaper, The Commentator, which first disclosed the news last week, the school's office of admissions sent a letter on February 14 to parents of current DEC students, informing them: "After a review of the educational standards and the learning environment at Derech Etz Chaim," maintaining its association with DEC would be "betraying the trust between Yeshiva University and its students."
A source within YU said the investigation had more to do with the rabbi's domineering influence on the students which was apparent when the students enrolled at the university upon their return from Israel than the alleged charge of sexual abuse.
The letter of termination was sent two days before YU officials met with the head of DEC, Rabbi Aharon Katz, to inform him of the investigation and the school's decision.
"The YU investigation did not include us," a spokesman for DEC told The Jerusalem Post. "What kind of investigation does not approach, address, or notify the party being investigated? Let them send us a letter telling us about the allegations, and we'll deny it."
The spokesman said the rabbi in question who comes from a prominent rabbinic family in America has no official capacity with the school; has never received any money from it; and has stopped the weekly Torah portion lecture that he used to give on Thursday nights.
Rabbi Yosef Blau, spiritual adviser to YU students who is presently in Israel, said, "The description of the role that the rabbi in question played in the school, in terms of the number of classes he gives, is accurate; but the role he actually plays in terms of the school being run by his pupils, and many students going to him for Friday and Shabbat, is far greater than that which is reflected in the number of classes he gives in the school."
Sexual charges first surfaced over 20 years ago at a yeshiva the rabbi headed in Santa Clara, California, called Yeshivat Kerem. The Commentator writes:
"The yeshiva had been thriving until the fall of 1983, when students began to come out with allegations that they had been sexually abused by the said rabbi during their years in the yeshiva. Within a few months after the rabbi, shunned by the student populace and confirmed as a sexual deviant, left the yeshiva amidst controversy Yeshivat Kerem shut down. Because many of the allegations had been kept quiet, the yeshiva's closing was perceived as the result of financial difficulty."
The spokesman for DEC said, "We had heard rumors of allegations from 20 years ago, but they were vague, they were never proven, and we treated them as such."
Blau, who met with DEC representatives last week, said YU has "an obligation to be 100 percent sure that there is no risk to our students. We are not asserting clear knowledge of anything inappropriate now. Because of the history, and the levels of closeness and involvement that a number of students have with him that seems to be encouraged by the school itself, we felt that we cannot take the responsibility of affiliating our name, which parents take as an indication that we endorse the school."
An Orthodox rabbi in the United States said he had heard about the rumors back then, and that "everyone in the yeshiva world had a suspicion about this. People saw him as a strange character. He was different."
Nevertheless, the rabbi said the alleged offender was a "talmid hacham" (scholar), and a "brilliant thinker, whose sefarim [religious texts] were well received."
The DEC spokesman said YU is being vague in its questioning of the yeshiva's "educational standards and the learning environment," and that by "writing this, they can bring into question almost anything about anything involved in the yeshiva. What specifically are they claiming?"
The spokesman said that next year, "We may not be able to open. It's unfortunate that young rebei'im [teachers] will be out of a job, a fine institution will be shut down, and students who want to come back for a second year will have to find someplace else to go. We have no intention of shutting down, but we'll have to see."
by Julie Gruenbaum Fax, Religion Editor
The Jewish Journal of Orange County - March 28, 2003
http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=10285
A prominent rabbi in Jerusalem's Old City, who was rumored to have sexually abused students at a California yeshiva 20 years ago, is fighting new innuendoes that he wields inappropriate influence over students at a Jerusalem yeshiva with which he is loosely affiliated.
Rabbi Mattis Weinberg, who founded Yeshivat Kerem in Santa Clara in the mid-1970s, counts as some of his strongest supporters — and detractors — former Kerem students and faculty members who now live in Los Angeles.
The Kerem scandal reemerged from a two-decade dormancy last month when Yeshiva University (YU) in New York severed ties with Yeshiva Derech Etz Chaim (DEC) in Jerusalem, a post-high school yeshiva for about 35 American boys founded five years ago by Weinberg's students and where Weinberg taught a class once a week. YU alleged that Weinberg has significant influence among faculty and students and that both past and present inappropriate behavior warrant caution.
Rabbi Yosef Blau, spiritual adviser to students at YU, said that one current DEC student has come forward with allegations of sexual abuse.
He said another five victims from Kerem are willing to go on record. Weinberg and his supporters have embarked on an aggressive campaign to clear his name, calling all the allegations — past and present — ludicrous.
The decades-old scandal has resurfaced in a climate of hypersensitivity to sexual misconduct in an Orthodox community where incidents of abuse and cover-up have been exposed in the last few years. Some question whether Weinberg's case indicates that institutions wary of being accused of complacency have confused caution with overzealousness, while others laud the newfound imperative to clear up past wrongs and prevent future ones.
Weinberg is incensed by the accusations.
"Because of their desire to appear holier-than-thou, they decided to embark on some type of witch hunt or McCarthyism," Weinberg said in a phone interview from Jerusalem. Weinberg and his supporters believe YU's reaction can be traced to the fallout from the scandal involving Rabbi Baruch Lanner, who is free pending an appeal after being sentenced last June to seven years in prison for sexually abusing two girls when he was principal of a New Jersey yeshiva in the 1990s. The Orthodox Union, which employed Lanner as a regional director of the National Council for Synagogue Youth, admitted in an internal report to playing a part in covering up Lanner's offenses in the youth group for 20 years — a notion that Weinberg's supporters say has sent the Modern Orthodox Yeshiva University over the edge in caution.
"We checked the history to our satisfaction and we were concerned that there might be a problem and we are not ready to have a relationship with a school and put our name on an institution where there might be something not healthy for student," Blau said.
Blau said that reports from current students raised some flags of concern, especially when taken in context of the Kerem scandal of 20 years ago.
He is confident that more victims — those who have already spoken with professionals and those who have yet to do so — will come forward soon. But so far, specifics are lacking.
The Commentator, YU's student paper, reported on one case where Weinberg took a student (not from DEC) to Safed for a weekend, and other cases of Weinberg using inappropriate sexual references in Torah lectures.
Weinberg called the accusations ludicrous. He says the student who went to Safed was a 20-year-old man who joined Weinberg — who has 10 children and many grandchildren — on a family trip, splitting the cost of the rental car. As to sexual content in his lectures, Weinberg said that both Bible and Talmud are full of such references, and he includes them where appropriate and necessary when he delivers his many lectures at yeshivot throughout Israel.
The vagueness of the accusations have angered and frustrated the administration at DEC, especially since they say DEC's ties to Weinberg are tenuous, and he holds no special influence over students.
"There is outrage amongst the present student population as well as their parents, alumni and alumni parents about the way YU has conducted itself toward DEC," said Rabbi Aharon Katz, dean of DEC. "YU has stated to us in conversations [as well as to others] that they have no allegations from students who have attended DEC."
DEC learned of the allegations only after the letter went out to parents. As soon as the yeshiva heard the accusations it suspended the weekly lecture Weinberg was delivering, pending an investigation, said Rabbi Sholom Strajcher, Katz's father-in-law and DEC president.
"What we want is to put it out on the table," said Strajcher, educational director of Yeshiva University of Los Angeles Boys High School (YULA). "Let's create a mechanism of impartial professionals to look at it so that we can feel that there has been a fair process," he said.
YU has alleged that Weinberg holds cult-like sway over his students.
Weinberg's supporters, several of whom contacted The Journal, say that kind of accusation stems from jealousy.
"What bothers people most about Rabbi Weinberg is that their Torah is garden variety as compared to his.... He is a brilliant thinker. He will not accept the usual approaches to Torah," said Rabbi Ari Hier, director of the Jewish Studies Institute at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, who attended Kerem for seven years.
"As soon as you are outside of the box, immediately the Orthodox mediocrity has a problem with you," said Hier, son of Wiesenthal dean Rabbi Marvin Hier.
Kerem, which existed for seven years, employed some well-known rabbis in Los Angeles, including Rabbi Shalom Tendler, now rosh yeshiva at YULA; Rabbi Aron Tendler of Shaarei Tzedek Congregation; Rabbi Daniel Lapin, formerly of the Pacific Jewish Center in Venice; and Rabbi Eliezer Eidlitz, now director of development at Emek Hebrew Academy.
It is Eidlitz whom the Commentator quoted as supplying YU with the ammunition to attack Weinberg and DEC. Eidlitz refused to comment for The Jewish Journal.
In 1983, a year after Weinberg moved to Israel and soon before the school closed its doors, major backers of Kerem and faculty were vying for control of the institution, Weinberg said. Amid that atmosphere, rumors emerged that Weinberg had sexually abused some of the students. No charges were ever brought.
Rabbi Ari Guidry, a student at Kerem for seven years, who has taught at several day schools in Los Angeles and now produces Torah CDs, said he was the source of some of those rumors. But he says now he misrepresented appropriate hugs from Weinberg to impress wealthy and powerful backers who did not like Weinberg.
"There was never anything remotely sexually suggestive," Guidry said of his relationship with Weinberg.
But Blau of YU said there are more witnesses who are not speaking publicly about what happened at Kerem.
Also in question is how the original allegations were handled. Blau said that there is a letter signed by Weinberg and Rabbi Elya Svei, a leading rabbinic figure from Philadelphia, stating that Weinberg would not be involved in education.
"That is absolutely categorically insane," Weinberg said. "I would love for somebody to produce this document."
One local rabbi familiar with the situation said that the matter at Kerem was dealt with at a rabbinic assembly involving some of the most elite rabbis in the United States at the time, including the late Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg, Weinberg's father and rosh yeshiva of Ner Israel in Baltimore. Because of Weinberg's lineage — he is the grandson of the highly respected late Rabbi Yaakov Ruderman — Weinberg was quietly confined to a life without direct influence over students so that scandal would not touch this respected Torah family, this rabbi alleged.
"That never happened. It is absolutely, categorically, simply totally untrue," Weinberg said of such an assembly.
Weinberg said that all he is guilty of is possessing the overconfidence of a 29-year-old in charge of a school and loving his students. Kerem took in many students from broken homes, he said.
"I believe that when kids are shown, for the first time in their lives, support and concern and actual love, it makes all the difference to them," he said. "When subsequently these accusations were made and the kids were told that nobody loved you and cared about you and any sign of comfort was because it was giving somebody a sexual charge — that such a devastating thing to them," Weinberg said.
Weinberg said his supporters are in negotiations with YU, but if the situation is not resolved he will take legal action.
"If I had spent the years I spent being productive getting involved in such nonsense, I would not have given thousands of classes or published books. I would have become a bitter, small-minded person who worries about what other people think and about their lashon hara [gossip]," Weinberg said. "But I have been put into a position that if they continue this, it has to be stopped."
Blau said that YU stands by its actions, and that more information will soon emerge. Meanwhile, Blau said, the students must be protected.
"There is some level of suspicion and some level of risk, and that is enough to react," he said.
April 10, 2003 - Nissan 5763
Volume 67, Issue 11
http://www.yucommentator.com/v67i11/oped/DEC%20letters.html
Editors' Note:
The "Derech Etz Chaim" story published in the Commentator's last issue has generated worldwide attention. Immediately after our publication, The Jerusalem Post picked up the story and published a front-page synopsis. The Awareness Center, an organization dedicated to protecting the Jewish Community from sex offenders in leadership positions, has opened a dossier on the accused rabbi. Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim has published a lengthy response to our article at their website (www.ondec.net), and has launched a public relations campaign aiming to convince Yeshiva to reverse its decision.
As a news source, the Commentator is neutral towards both the rabbi in question and towards Derech Etz Chaim. The original article reported the information that was most relevant to the Yeshiva University community. Precisely because we did not wish to sensationalize the story, we omitted the rabbi's name and the most egregious allegations. Ironically, this circumspection has led to the accusation that our reporting was groundless and irresponsible.
Many of the letters below question Yeshiva's judgment in revoking its accreditation and the particular process employed. We respect the sensitive nature of the decision and the time pressure under which it was made. Ultimately, it is not our place in our news reporting to decide whether it was correct.
We invite the reader to read these responses, consider the issues carefully, and contribute to the discussion.
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Note from The Awareness Center
The Awareness Center Strongly supports The YU Commentator for breaking the story regarding Rabbi Matis Weinberg. It took a lot of courage to let this story (that was 20 years in the making) come out of the closet. But there was a mistake in the letter writen by the YU Commentator's editor. The Awareness Center is an international organization dedicated to addressing SEXUAL ABUSE in Jewish Communities around the world. We offer resources and information on all sorts of topics that relate to educating the Jewish community on the ramifications sexual abuse can have on individuals, families, friends, and our society. This includes information on and about sex offenders.
Sincerely,
Vicki Polin, MA, ATR, LCPC
Executive Director - The Awareness Center
http://www.theawarenesscenter.org
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Disappointed by Vendetta
To the Editors:
Having grown up in post-war Holland, I often envied the opportunities provided by YU and its affiliated schools. To me, as to so many Jewish European youth, YU symbolized "Tora Im Derech Eretz" - a high academic level combined with sheer unlimited access to a solid Jewish Education.
I was dismayed, even shocked to read your article on Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim. Shocked because the quality of the article does not behoove an institution that stands for academic and halachic principles. Let me start to mention that I am not a "chassid" of the Rov in question, neither an alumnus of his Yeshiva. I am actually in his age group. I happen to be somewhat familiar with his writings and enjoy listening to his Daf Yomi- and other shiurim on the web. Across the wide range of Jewish society, from left to right, so to say, he is acknowledged as a great Talmid Chochom and, more, an innovative and creative mind. There are, regrettably, very few of his caliber around and we should support those who enrich us.
The article by Mr. Levine (I assume for legal reasons) carefully avoids mentioning the Rov's name but he injects ample ramozim to easily find out who he is writing about. Artful tricks that belong in the sewer press, not in a YU publication. Worse than that, the article is based upon ......"a rabbi associated with the yeshiva".....; ....."a history of alleged sexually abusing"......, and to top it of "a woman" who was not told that her son joined the Rov for 3 days in Tzefat,is presented as a witness a charge. (Was her son the only one that went to Tzefat, were there 100 hundred others joining??) I happen to know that this Rov regularly retires to Tzefat to write. At no time, the article discusses the level of learning in the Yeshiva. The academic level, apparently, does not interest the writer, nor YU. Someone at YU decided to start, what well could be, a vendetta on basis of nothing more than hearsay, "alleged misdoings" and more of this kind of biased attitudes. Whether it is Loshon Hora or Rechilus does not interest me. It's either and equally wrong.
The article admits that YU has taken the decision unilaterally, without discussing it with the Yeshiva's mentors. YU knew very well that its decision equals the kiss of death, not only for the yeshiva, but for all the people that work there and have put their hearts and souls into creating a yeshiva "with a healthy difference".
The interesting fact is that the article actually, indirectly proves that the 'allegations" must have been unfounded. We are talking California in the eighties!! Is there anyone who seriously believes that parents and authorities would just disregard allegations of sexual abuse, only because the Rov promised that he would no longer "become involved in chinuch, neither in the US nor in Israel". (apparently French and Dutch Jewish kids are ok to be tought by him). Does Mr. Levine seriously believes that parents of young men who went "through significant therapy after coming out with their allegations", would just sit back and be satisfied with the Rov's self imposed removal from the Chinuch scene? In the world's most litigious country? Could it be that they went into therapy to get over their lying and thus harming a man and his family?
In our democratic (and halachic) society we look at facts. We listen to both parties in a dispute. We don't base ourselves upon hollow allegations, motes shem ra, rechilus or loshon hora. Not so YU, whose actions on basis of something that may- or most likely has not- happened 20 years (!!) ago. In the process, a valuable thinker and his family become tainted and many families are on the street. YU does not like the Rosh Yeshiva (for those who did not read the article: the Rov in question has no official affiliation with the DEC Yeshiva - he gives a weekly shi'ur attended by some 100 listeners), since they consider him a talmid of the Rov. So, the issue is a toldo detoldo. Frankly, if the rule has become that we start looking at the source of education of teachers in YU affiliated Yeshivot, I can list some more learning institutions that should be taken off the list. I cannot suppress the strong feeling that we have to do with a pure personal issue, blown out of proportions with complete disregard for all those individuals who suffer from it.
M. Wikler
Amsterdam
NA 1970
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An Insider's Appraisal: Pure Motzi Shem Ra
As a woman married to an alumnus of Kerem Yeshiva who has remained a talmid of the accused rabbi, and as a Shabbat host to the Derech Etz Chayim student body I vehemently decry the slander of the aforementioned.
For over 20 years I have been associated with dozens of former Kerem students who continue to be in touch with their Rav and have in no way and for no reason cut ties with him. To make the accusations which you have made based on untrue sources which are politically motivated (yes, I have done my research before writing this letter) to destroy the name of a Talmid Chacham and to besmirch the name of an excellent educational institution is unethical and goes against everything the Torah stands for.
I am shocked that an institution of Yeshiva University's caliber would stoop to such levels to satisfy an individual of power who is out to destroy a fellow Jews reputation.
If there were any truth to the allegations, you are right, it would be a mitzvah to publicize it . But you are well aware that the article to which I am referring is nothing more than "Motzei Shem Rah" of the worst degree.
It is not the Torah approach to skew facts to achieve a political goal.
Shoshanah Hirsch Selavan (wife of Rabbi Barnea Selavan)
Michlalah 1987
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A Grave Injustice
March 16, 2003
13 Adar Hasheni, 5763
To the editors:
I have been a mechanech for 25 years, most recently as Rosh Kollel of the Boca Raton Community Kollel, until illness forced me to retire from active service. I am writing to express my great distress and deep concern over the grave injustice and injury done to Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim (DEC) by Yeshiva University. As a parent of a talmid of DEC for 4 years, as a frequent visitor and observer of the yeshiva - one who observed the yeshiva not only as a parent but as a professional mechanech - I am outraged by the report on the yeshiva that appeared in The Commentator on March 6. The report is filled with spurious claims that paint an utterly false picture of the yeshiva. DEC is an outstanding institution - fresh, vibrant, open, intellectually and spiritually challenging. Torah is alive and exciting at DEC. DEC not only claims to meet the needs of each student individually but actually does. As a former high school principal, I visited many yeshivot affiliated with the S. Daniel Abraham Program in Israel and DEC was and is the equal of any of them. The peremptory and one sided nature of the decision made by Yeshiva University to terminate DEC's affiliation with the Israel program was reckless. Yeshiva University has an unquestionable obligation to right this terrible wrong. Taanit Esther is a most appropriate time for such action.
Rabbi Moshe Miller
Boca Raton, Florida
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A Contemptible Violation of Due Process
I found this article tendentious and irresponsible. More importantly, YU has set itself up as not just the purveyors of unsubstantiated lashon hara and lies, but as judge and jury as well. If there is any serious evidence of abuse, then it is the responsibility of any serious educator to see that police and social welfare professionals are involved. YU has not done that, and after having missed the boat for well over a decade on the Baruch Lanner fiasco, is now pursuing a witch-hunt based on rumor, innuendo, and lies. It is simply contemptible.
If there is any evidence of impropriety, let them bring it forward to the responsible authorities. If there is no such evidence, a public apology is in order, and probably financial compensation due to Derech Etz Chaim for the malicious gossip YU has been spreading. I have personally visited Derech Etz Chaim on numerous occasions and found the yeshiva to be a place where the "kol HaTorah" is pervasive, and the spirit of the bochrim rich with energy and simcha.
David Willner
MA Ed (Marriage Family and Child Counseling)
Loyola 1985
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A Witch Hunt
The article sounds honest enough. But we know better, don't we? You claim that an intensive international investigation resulted in the yeshiva deciding to terminate its affiliation/accreditation with Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim. If that were so, why wasn't the yeshiva in Israel given warning/alert that YU was considering drastic action after discovering "compelling evidence" .....?
Dumping YU's decision on the lap of Rabbi Katz during his recent visit, with NO prior warning or indication that something was amiss; not allowing DEC a chance to defend themselves, make amends or conduct their OWN intensive international investigation reeks of a witch hunt, do nothing of un-menschlichkite behavior.
The fact that both your lead articles deal with sexual issues and cult-like behavior make me think that someone at YU has a real problem! Will these same teachers apologize to the Rabbi integrally associated for richilus, motzei sham ra, to say nothing of hillul hashem?
Dovid Solomon (a longtime student of the accused rabbi)
Lanner Legacy causes damage at DEC
How unfortunate that the collateral damage from the Lanner affair continues.
Publications such as The Jewish Week, and general pressure from liberal Orthodox groups, continue to make the Modern Orthodox rabbinate hyper-defensive. For example, spurred by the outcry that led to his recent apology, Rabbi Yoseph Blau, in his zeal to exonerate himself has now targeted legitimate educational institutions in his self-serving quest to improve his image. To show his credentials as a vigilante in the service of vulnerable youth, Rabbi Blau has set his sights on destroying institutions of torah learning based on the most tenuous of claims.
Without question, the events of the Lanner case constitute a deplorable case of inexcusable behavior and inappropriate response. What is most unfortunate however is that the irresponsibility of some of the main actors in the story continues.
Paul Loni
Signed: UCLA 1987
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R. Blau Responds
The accusations against this Rabbi who clearly is a dominant force in Derech Etz Chaim, as proven by the angry letters, though the Roshei Yeshiva denied it, came from victims, psychologists who treated victims and Rabbis. The investigation of Kerem did not include any person connected with Y.U. Yeshiva's decision was made by a broad committee. Attacking me is irrelevant because I did not initiate the investigation and the same decision would have been reached if I were not involved. Anyone familiar with my actions in dealing with Baruch Lanner knows that I do not have to criticize any other rabbi accused of abusive behavior to cover for my earlier mistakes. What has been learned from the Lanner affair is that no improper behavior should be ignored because of the good that someone does particularly abusive behavior which can cause immeasurable damage.
Sincerely,
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Satisfied DEC Parents
In response to Yeshiva University's decision to disaffiliate the Derech Etz Chaim, and to respond to the article in the Commentator, we felt that YU should hear about our son's experiences at DEC this year.
Our son has been at Derech Etz Chaim (DEC) since August. Based on our weekly phone calls and the various emails it is readily apparent that DEC has had a very positive effect on our son. My nephew is also at DEC and his father went for a visit in November. The report back to us was that both boys were involved in extensive learning, that the overall environment was conducive and encouraging, that the Rebbe's were cognizant of the needs of each student and that most importantly, both students, our sons, were very happy.
Every time we speak with our son, we hear about his learning, about the involvement of the various Rebbe's in his development, how excited he is about learning for 10-12 hours a day, and sometimes longer. He tells us about his involvement in his school and the various activities at DEC. You can hear the intensity about his learning and the maturity in his voice.
During the times of crisis in Israel, DEC has contacted us with emails to tell us that they have contacted all the students and that they are safe. This communication, especially during a bombing or other tragedy in Israel, has saved us countless hours of worry and shown us how deeply concerned Rabbi Katz and DEC is for all of the students and their families. Other families with sons at other yeshivas have not received this instant communication about the safety of their children.
The charge of a "cult like mentality" at DEC is baseless and not true. From the first day our son was there, he told us of the diversity in students and about the diversity of the Rebbes as well. Recently, we attended an alumni shabbaton here in Pittsburgh for DEC. There were approximately 40 young men that had traveled from all over the country; California, Texas, Boston, New York and Baltimore, just to be together and to see their Rosh Yeshiva. At their introduction for the shabbaton, each student informed the group of the number of years that they had attended DEC and their current college and course of study.
Each was mature, articulate and nicer than the next, in their demeanor and in their respect for each other, the parents in attendance and for their Rosh Yeshiva. This is not characteristics of a cult mentality.
In addition, we have constant contact with our son. Daily e-mails and phone calls twice a week. Usually you don't hear of cults with that consistent contact with the outside world. The DEC website is in the public domain with pictures of the students, activities, and Divrei Torah, certainly not evidence of cult like behavior. Other friends of ours whose sons went to DEC and are now in college are very pleased with their son's development, maturity and they are all Ben Torahs. What parent doesn't want that for their son? Our son is having an amazing year of learning and study at a fine institution that is staffed byqualified teachers and administration.
Based on what we have heard and read, YU has done a hatchet job on this institution and done it with third hand knowledge, without actual charges in any legal venue, Jewish or civil. In addition, upon reading the article in the Commentator, one would think that incidents have happened recently. Again, no events have happened since the beginning of DEC, these charges are not true, and there are no facts, no charges, no specifics. This is yellow journalism by the Commentator, and typical of "indictment on the front page with vindication hidden later on the back page." I guess sensationalism sells even the Commentator on the YU campus. As far as the administration at YU, again, over reacting based on heresy evidence at best and not substantiated or supported in any jurisdiction.
Barry Faigen and Debby Eisner
Pittsburgh PA
Signed: Penn State 1976
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Disclose the Name: Protect the Community
To the Editors:
YU, Rabbi Blau, Rabbi Willig, Rabbi Levine, those in the know in California, etc., must learn a lesson from the Lanner case. The obligation to protect must not be misdirected to the suspected (in this case, known), protection must be given to the victims and potential victims. By allowing the offender to go unnamed, you, the Jerusalem Post, the powers that be in California etc., are all paving the way for him to strike again. There are enough victims. There too many scarred young people. You and owe it to the community, especially our youth, to tell the whole truth and name the offender. How many less people would have been effected had Boruch Lanner been exposed at the start? Who will be blamed and who will be forced to publicly apologize if this despicable individual, this disgrace to the Torah world (in spite of his supposed Talmud Chacham standing)is allowed to remain anonymous. We all know, he will certainly strike again.
Just as the YU Rabbis have stated that disclosing those who cheat (a recent Commentator article) is an obligation, even more so is disclosing one who harms our young people.
Debra Cohen
Did not attend YU, 1995
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Disgraceful Cover-up
To the Editors:
One wonders if Rav Svei's son had been molested whether he would have agreed to not press charges. Equal to this criminal behaviour is the cover up, and we talk about the Catholic Church. What a Shanda.
Dr. Warren Gross ( A parent whose son WAS scheduled to attend DEC in the fall. ) Parent '07
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Reasoned and Justified Reporting
To The Editors:
I am writing in response to those who would object to YU's decision to remove Derech Etz Chaim from the Israel Program and the decision of The Commentator to write a substantial article on the subject. Although no one has actually written an article voicing such a protest, seeing as that the issue was only brought up in this week's Commentator, many of my friends have strenuously objected to these decisions and I am sure that several letters have already been submitted on the subject.
Firstly, I would like to point out that I have friends who have attended DEC in the past and who are there today as well, I do not intend my comments to be malicious.
Next, I feel the subject must be broken down into two main issues. First, there is the objection to YU's expulsion of DEC from the Israel Program. Then, there is the decision of The Commentator to write a lead article on the subject. This separation might be obvious to some, but in the arguments I've had, the lines have frequently been blurred.
I completely agree with YU's decision to terminate its connection with DEC. This does not mean that I assume the accused Rabbi to be guilty. YU does not have the responsibility to become involved in litigation, whether secular or Jewish, to determine whether this particular Rav is innocent or guilty. It is beyond doubt that he has been very closely connected with allegations of abuse in the past. It seems likely that significant proof does exist, whether we are privy to its existence or not, based on the fact that such charges weren't staunchly repudiated years ago. He has been connected with abuse, nothing has broken that connection and passage of time can not change that fact. YU can not associate itself with such an individual. Therefore, YU can not associate with institutions that associate with such an individual. Once again, this does not necessarily mean that YU believes that this Rav is guilty, but as a yeshiva and as a university, YU can not risk being associated with those accused of abuse.
The Commentator commits itself to informing the student body of issues and events that affect it. Obviously, as it is part of an institution committed to Orthodox Jewish ideals, it must also factor in laws such as Lashon Hara and Motzei Shem Ra. It answers to a higher authority then just "getting a scoop out." That being said, there are certain issues which must be brought to the attention of the students despite the pain in might cause an individual. Clearly, certain methods must be used to protect the individual that a story names, but not to the extent of suppression of the issue.
With that in mind, I believe The Commentator staff made the correct decision in publishing the article on DEC. As a student of Yeshiva University, I believe that I, along with my peers, have a right to know if our institution is associated with individuals accused of abuse. No less would be demanded by a student at Boston University or a bachur in the Mirrer Yeshiva. Who my college chooses to associate with, by definition plays a part in how my institution is perceived by others and therefore how I am seen as well. Therefore, I have a right to know if my institution is associating with those accused of abuse and if such an association has been terminated. Such things affect me and myfuture.
In terms of Lashon Hara, the article did not mention the Rav's name, and as the author mentions in his explanation of why he wrote the article, also leaves out a significant amount of the allegations. We have a right to know the general issues, the same can not be said for exact details.
Some have said that, in spite of these methods, the article essentially made it easy for anyone to discover who the Rav was by providing the DEC website which has the Rav's name on it. To that I respond that The Commentator staff can not be held responsible for individuals chasing after Lashon Hara. If someone, of their own accord, tries to decipher who the Rav referred to is, that is their problem and not Lashon Hara on the part of the author of the article.
The issues involved in such a case are complex. With Rabbanim, we often want to exonerate those accused to the detriment of the accuser. Even presuming the possibility of innocence of the involved Rav, I believe YU and The Commentator made the proper decisions.
Aaron Gavant
Signed: YC 2005
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A Personal and Professional Evaluation
Dear Mr. Levine:
I wish to discuss this case of Rabbi Matis Weinberg. By coincidence, my husband, myself and two of my three sons as well as their wives when possible, have been attending Rabbi Weinberg's Thursday night Shiur. Before launching into the main topic, some background information is relevant.
My husband practiced psychiatry in Atlanta, Georgia as well as holding board certification in psychiatry, and a position of assistant professor in the Emory University school of medicine department of psychiatry. I hold an undergraduate degree in pharmacy, graduated with a Ph.D. in medical physiology from medical school as well as two years of post-doctoral as an NIH fellow at Emory University school of medicine department of physiology. I was individually tutored by Dr. Lee Hall,head of the psychoanalytic program, for two years. We founded and co-directed the marriage and sex counseling clinic at Emory University school of medicine for 7 years. Our responsibility was to train psychiatric residents to deal with these problems in couple therapy.
My oldest son, Danny, age 30, was the first of our family to begin to attend his shiur on Thursdays. He attended Keren B'Yavne as well as Nir Israel. Jeremy, age 22, is finishing the Hesder program at Yeshivat Otniel. My middle son, Micah, is working in New York at KPMG but graduated YU with honors. He, his wife and baby spend every other Shabbat at Stern where they are the "resident Rabbi and family" for the girls at Stern.
Danny has been reading Rabbi Weinberg's books for a number of years – long before he met him in person. When he learned about the Thursday night Shiur, he went regularly and was so impressed, that he invited Jeremy to go with him. This is probably important: Jeremy went one time and came back so enthusiastic and intellectually stimulated, that he started driving to Jerusalem every Thursday. If you know the drive from Otniel to Jerusalem, you know this is a big deal. I don't think it's possible to be involved in a cult-like experience from one evening.
Because of this enthusiasm, my husband and I decided we should also see exactly what all the excitement is about. I am writing to confirm that, yes, it is possible to be totally engaged by this brilliant, gifted rabbi who is also a charismatic and totally mesmerizing speaker. I can explain something of why he is so unique: In addition to Rabbinic studies, he has a significant mastery of literature, history, chemistry, physics, psychology, poetry, etc. He can weave it all together in such a way as to leave you stunned with his insights. In other words, he is a genius with the additional talent of being a marvelous teacher.
Now we come to these terrible charges against him. My husband and I spent hours observing him with his students. Of course, that was not our intention, but it happened. Neither of us saw the slightest sign of "cult-like" behavior. It's very difficult to imagine that we would not pick up on this immediately. I did not see any difference between their behavior and Jeremy's or that of my husband. It is so exciting to learn from someone who is so brilliant and a teacher with such a unique insight that is probably only possible from someone with such a vast store of information from so many different fields of learning.
I can give you another example: Micah studied under Rabbi Rosensweig at YU. He has his rabbi's photograph prominently displayed in his home, he hangs on his every word and consults him on issues that are important to him. Is that "cult-like" behavior? No. So I must assume it's because of the limited amount of time the students actually spent with Rabbi Matis relative to the tremendous influence that he had on them.
At the moment I simply reject the conclusion of a "cult" or anything remotely resembling this. I understand completely what an amazing experience it is to be taught by such a gifted man.
As you can imagine considering my long years in academics, I am quite at home and comfortable with people who would be classified as "genius." I don't recall a single one that wasn't "different", even peculiar by normal standards. They all marched to their own drummers. They definitely do stand out often as eccentric or odd or on another planet. I personally find their differences to be fascinating and an enrichment in my life. Some people are invariably threatened especially if they enter their field of study. It must feel a bit like being the very best tennis player in your circle and then having Andre Agassi move into your turf. It doesn't necessarily feel good. While I consider the charge of "cult like" behavior to be totally ridiculous, I am shocked at the charges from 20 years ago of sexual misconduct.
While anything is possible, of course, I want to tell you why this seems a bit hysterical. First, I think panic set in as a result of confirmed sexual abuse cases that involved YU staff in the recent past. I don't know the details and only vaguely remember the stories. Second, sexual predators usually do not, can not wait 20 years before striking again. Thirdly, they usually have disturbed relationships in other areas. As best I can determine, this was an isolated charge 20 years ago and nothing after that. I had the pleasure of attending the Thursday shiur with his daughters and, once again, observing them and their interaction with their father. I can tell you that any father would be so pleased so have such love and respect from his teenage daughters.
Since what is being implied by the Commentator as well as splashed on the front page of the JPost can literally ruin this man's life, not to mention the intense suffering of his family, I am appealing to you to consider this letter.
I hope I will hear from you. You seem to have information about whatever happened 20 years ago. Who were the "professionals." Who were the students? Doesn't anyone
accused of such terrible crimes have the right to confront his accusers? Obviously all we know is what we read in the newspaper. It is with relief that the Jewish community is confronting and aggressively advertising sexual offenders within their boundaries. However, God forbid that someone innocent be ruined by inclusion.
Sincerely,
Lynn Gimpel, Ph.D.
Signed: emory 1971
Y.U. cuts ties with Jerusalem
yeshiva
JTA Daily Briefing - March 12, 2003 (Original Author) - http://www.jta.org/brknews.asp?id=57356
Chicago Jewish News - Friday, March 14, 2003 - http://www.chicagojewishnews.org/today.jsp
Yeshiva University cut ties with an Israeli yeshiva amid charges that a rabbi suspected of sexual and psychological abuse is maintaining improper influence over some students. A Y.U. official confirmed reports that the university severed ties with Yeshivat Derech Etz Chaim in Jerusalem after it learned that 10 sophomores who had studied with a certain rabbi during their Year in Israel program continued to attend Jewish studies classes with him instead of attending regular classes upon their return. "The students had a tie to this rabbi, they had a certain allegiance to him and they felt they wanted to continue their relationship with him — and this is what raised questions, in light of the fact that there is a history of allegations," the official said. "The allegations were serious enough that it would not be appropriate for Yeshiva University to have their students in that kind of environment." Y.U. will not take disciplinary action against the students for failing to attend class, and no one charges that they have been abused, the official said. An official at Derech Etz Chaim blasted Y.U., telling the Jerusalem Post that the university probe into the matter "did not include us." Sexual abuse allegations against the rabbi first surfaced 20 years ago at a California yeshiva, the Post reported, though they were never proven. Y.U. is making alternate plans for 11 freshman and four sophomores still at the yeshiva in Jerusalem's Har Nof neighborhood, the official said.
In this first in a series of articles dealing with clergy abuse, Jewsweek's Steven I. Weiss explores the many faceted issue of rabbis in trouble.
by Steven I. Weiss
Jewsweek.com - April 7, 2003
Richard Marcovitz, Matis Weinberg, Baruch Lanner. The names of those rabbis recently accused or convicted of sexually abusing their students are, for some, an obsession, for others, barely worth noting. What rabbinic abuse means for the Jewish community is, at present, largely an open question. In recent years, the explosion of the Catholic clergy scandal alongside a number of well-reported instances of criminally abusive behavior by rabbis has focused a new attention on how the Jewish community should deal with its problem.
Exactly what is driving this period of discovery is hard to say. Whether abuse has actually increased in recent years, whether victims have become less wary of reporting violations, or whether a more concerted investigative effort is responsible, what is very clear is that the issue has become more prominent than at perhaps any other point in history. In a series of articles, this space will discuss all of these and many other possibilities and their consequences. It will introduce some specific cases, the major responses to abuse, a breakdown of how the various movements deal with abuse, and analysis of how the community -- and media in specific -- interact with the problem.
Cases of rabbinic abuse that have surfaced fall into three primary categories: those that have been dealt with exclusively by the community, those that have involved law enforcement in the matter, and those that have involved both. Each case is, in many ways, a test for each method of dealing with the problem, and each offers an understanding of how these situations may pan out in the future.
Jewsweek readers will be familiar with the case of Rabbi Baruch Lanner. Nearly three years ago, a local New York Jewish newspaper detailed accusations made against Baruch Lanner, declaring that he had abused teens throughout his three-decade involvement in the Orthodox youth group, NCSY. What followed was an intense investigation of the cover-ups and failures on the part of the Orthodox Union, NCSY's parent organization, as well as criminal charges that resulted in a seven-year sentence. The failure of the Orthodox Union, as well as the Jewish community generally, to respond to repeated allegations, was a primary focus of those involved with the case.
This summer, following Lanner's conviction, Jewsweek detailed several aspects of the case, including conflicts over how Lanner should be treated, as well as a revealing look at those who have continued to support Lanner even after his conviction. Lanner's case is unique because it involved efforts at enforcement both from the communal side and from law enforcement -- begging the question "Is the Lanner situation over?" This series of articles will find answers to that question.
Another recent case is that of Richard Marcovitz, who pleaded guilty last week to charges that he "groped two female employees of a religious school and two girls who attended classes," according to news reports. Marcovitz, 66, will be serving a twenty-year sentence. Marcovitz is one of a number of rabbis whose abusive behavior was dealt with directly and exclusively by law enforcement. What members of the community think of this approach and its effectiveness will be a part of upcoming articles.
Then there is Matis Weinberg, who is the most prominent case of communal self-enforcement. According to news reports, Weinberg was at Yeshivat Kerem in Santa Clara, California in the early 1980s when he was run out of town by Jewish authority Rabbi Elya Svei, following allegations of abuse. Also according to news reports, Svei ordered Weinberg to sign a letter guaranteeing that he would never again teach children.
Then this winter, a group of rabbis withdrew certification for an Israeli yeshiva where Weinberg had taught, following an investigation into his behavior. But the credibility of that investigation is already being challenged. Some stories about the case have served as little more than rebuttals from leaders at the yeshiva, or those representing Weinberg. Jewsweek has spoken with sources who have challenged outright the veracity of the investigation's findings, as well as some individuals involved with the actual investigation. The next article in this series will reveal the arguments and allegations on both sides, and examine how Weinberg's case affects the communal enforcement option.
At some level, of course, communal enforcement is the only option. Even when Megan's Law is applicable, the community is still responsible for deciding whether and how to let a convicted pedophile rejoin the community and possibly retain a clergy position. And what of rabbinic misconduct generally? Can a convicted embezzler return to a position of authority? What about someone convicted of possessing child pornography, as Rabbi Juda Mintz was last week in New Jersey? Or someone who contracts a murder, like Rabbi Fred Neulander, who was convicted this summer? What about someone against whom there have been serious allegations, but no conviction? All of these choices have to be made by the community, as American law is neutral on the matter.
Moving forward, the possibility that communal self-enforcement can go too far, excluding people for conduct that is not objectively criminal or harmful, but is judged to be so by those empowered to make the decision. This, allege Weinberg's defenders, is what happened to their friend and teacher when he utilized unorthodox methods of teaching. Can a policy of communal enforcement allow, rather ironically, those with the power to make such decision capable of abusing it? What kind of checks can be made to ensure that individuals are not blacklisted for the wrong reasons?
Beyond the questions of who, how, and why in dealing with abusive rabbis, is the question of how the laity can involve itself. Lanner's case, for example, would not even have seen daylight had it not been for the reporting of Gary Rosenblatt in New York's Jewish Week, and it is an absolute fact that almost all of the names of rabbis already mentioned, as well as those names to come, would simply not be part of this article if they hadn't been reported. Media ethics questions necessarily follow if media is going to serve not just to ring the alarm bells, but as enforcers as well. Just as important, though, is for the media to pursue stories aggressively. Later on in this series will come a presentation on how long it usually takes for allegations to surface in the media or elsewhere, and a discussion of whether the media can be more pro-active in these matters.
Just as this series is only in its beginning stages, answers to the questions posed above are still in development. We will visit the Awareness Center, a fledgling organization founded to help answer these problems. As well, some schools, organizations, and movements have their own policies on the books. Over the course of this series, you will be introduced to many of them and, to some degree, by your participation, they will be introduced to you.
Suggestions, comments, and queries can be sent to StevenIWeiss@yahoo.com.
The YU - DEC Controversy: An Initial Response - Past,
Present and Future
Submitted by Rabbi Sholom Strajcher - President, Derech Etz Chaim Institutions, Inc.
http://www.ondec.net/statement.htm
Any article about, or response to, the topics raised in The Commentator piece on the YU-DEC controversy requires a great deal of sensitivity; not only in light of the topics presented, but because of the need for deep concern and compassion for all those who may have been hurt, harmed, or pained by the process of openly discussing such serious, unsubstantiated allegations. As Torah Jews we share an obligation to be guided by the highest values of Bain Adom Lachavayro and Kavod Habriyot even when in the pursuit of truth. We are most worried about the harm to the DEC family of alumni, current Talmidim, rebbeyim and supporters who have been put through an emotional/spiritual wringer as a result of the impact of how this process has been mishandled. The statements about their yeshiva have no doubt been painful. The talmidim are bright, special young men with incredible talent and great potential. We truly pray, therefore, that we will all exhibit care as we approach the issues before us.
It is also not our intent to use the pages of The Commentator as the means of airing our differences and achieving lines of communication to YU's administration. This is best realized face to face, around a table, in an environment of mutual respect.
THE PAST
It is difficult to comment on allegations, going back some 20 years regarding the unnamed rabbi written about in the recent Commentator article because, regardless of "The Clues," it is, as The Commentator reiterates numerous times, "alleged." To our knowledge, whatever took place in the past has never been adjudicated in a fashion that brought any level of clarity and closure. Rabbi Katz's understanding of the closing of Kerem, as being related to financial problems, is in sync with the recollection of many other Kerem graduates of that period. In addition, we can't even discuss the purported letter of agreement between the rabbi and Rabbi Svei, let alone accept it as a support document, when, to this date, no one has brought the actual letter to the table. Not only was Rabbi Katz not aware of it, but also in the loop, high profile educators have not seen it or even heard about it. Such an agreement, of truly significant import, would have, no doubt, established vigilant gatekeepers on both sides of the ocean. The rabbi has been published and has actively given shiurim within Israeli yeshivot and for the general public, in the U.S. and Israel, for over 20 years.
Additionally, we must not take a quantum leap to connect dots between the allegations and rumors of the past and Derech Etz Chaim. To our knowledge, there has been no such connection. Indeed, we were told by a member of the YU administrative panel that the decision was not based on any complaint against DEC. The concern directly presented to us verbally, after the receipt of the February 14 notice of non-renewal, and now being quoted in the press, revolves around the Yeshiva's association with the rabbi and the perception of a number of YU administrators of the possibility of, as The Commentator put it, "cases that sound eerily similar." By the same token, no bridges should be built between a tragic episode in the recent history of the orthodox community and this situation. There has been no 'bet din', no impartial investigation, no alleged cover-up, and no panel of mental-health, educational and legal experts. What we, and now the public, have been presented with is an in-house, YU driven fait accompli filled with allegations, rumors, generalities, discrepancies and falsehoods about DEC, with no venue for redress or even a two-way, balanced discussion.
THE PRESENT
Contrary to the view of the YU administrative team, the "rabbi" is not the "driving force behind everything." He did give an open-to-the-public Chumash shiur at DEC until February 20th. He did this as a volunteer, once a week, for the past four years. Indeed, tens of men and women, unaffiliated with DEC, attended the shiur in Har Nof at DEC. He received no remuneration from DEC. He holds no position on the corporation or faculty. DEC's response was swift and decisive. Literally within hours of being told by Mr. Michael Kranzler and Rabbi Yosef Blau of YU's concern, DEC was in contact with the rabbi to inform him of the concerns. He, having the interests of DEC in mind, offered, and it was immediately agreed to end any and all association and affiliation, current and future, with the yeshiva. Obviously, the once a week shiur at the Yeshiva ceased. YU gave no indication that this action would be sufficient to alleviate the concerns or what other actions needed to be taken to satisfy continued program participation. This approach is incomprehensible. The deletions from the website are not, as The Commentator claims, "in order to downplay his association with DEC." It is an upfront, honest response to the concern expressed. The website is a no-win situation. Had we left the pictures on the site - we would have heard "Ah! You see! He is the Yeshiva!" And now, as we change the page, we are accused of "downplay." The February 27, DEC, yeshiva-wide shmooze by Rabbi Katz "that the said rabbi is in no way connected to DEC" is also not an attempt at "downplay", but an appropriate response by a responsible educator. DEC takes the concerns of its valued partners seriously and is responsive to them. It has been, and will always be, the primary and sole desire of DEC, its leadership and staff, driven by a deep commitment to quality chinuch and professionalism, to have as our number one concern and priority, the needs of each and every talmid. They come first. Part of this pursuit of excellence has been our relationship with Yeshiva University and other quality institutions, which we feel has been mutually beneficial.
One of the challenges literally thrown at us, in what some view as a crusade by certain members of the YU administration against DEC, resides in the realm of ideas, influences, and attitudes, the 'derech' and 'hashkafot' of DEC. While these administrators have yet to clearly define what exactly they mean by these terms, we must assume that none of these influences are related to the allegations against the rabbi. As one administrator put it, "How can DEC claim or demonstrate, even if the rabbi is no longer associated with the Yeshiva, that his ideas do not drive the direction of the Yeshiva?"
DEC has proven itself, during the few years of its existence, as being a positive Torah and educational experience. Overwhelmingly, our talmidim have loved their DEC experience and have been launched into a life of Torah learning. Any complaints about the 'derech' or the 'hashkafa' must be viewed in this context. Our goal and one which we feel should be mutually held by YU, is to create committed Torah Jews who will be excited about learning and will continue to be so after leaving DEC. DEC's track record speaks for itself. The powerful connect that talmidim have to the Yeshiva stems from it being the first place where they found this excitement in Torah study. Something in the DEC formula has made it work. It's no mere coincidence that DEC alumni have been among the favorites at YU. This feeling about DEC talmidim has been the case for many 'batei midrash' programs in the United States that recruit students from Israel.
Essential to this track record of success has been the DEC faculty of full-time rebbeyim and their openness to ongoing program evaluation. Contrary to the image portrayed in The Commentator, the rebbeyim are a diverse group with different teaching styles. Their own post high school, bet medrash and kollel experiences cover the full landscape of Limud Torah. They are not all on the same page. As such, they create a healthy learning environment in which they are willing to listen and to broaden the learning horizon to meet the needs of talmidim and their future chinuch. The same dynamism applies to the 'seder halimud' which encompasses a goal oriented, skills based curriculum of 'gemara b'kiyut'-covering an entire 'mesechta', 'gemara b'iyun', 'chumash', 'navi yomi', 'halacha'-including the development of 'halacha', 'machshava' and 'musar'.
THE DISAGREEMENT
Our disagreement with Yeshiva University's decision centers on the following:
Derech Etz Chaim has faithfully abided by both the letter and spirit of the S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program Agreement Letter of 2002/2003.
Derech Etz Chaim has consistently allowed open access, at all times, to YU representatives and has provided all data in compliance with the agreement. YU rebbeyim and administrators have given shiurim at DEC and have had the opportunity to meet with talmidim and rebbeyim during those visits. In the month of January 2003, the following YU rebbeyim gave shiurim at DEC: January 8th- Rabbi Meir Goldvicht, January 19th- Rabbi Mordechai Willig, and January 21st- Rabbi Herschel Schachter. In addition, Mr. Moshe Kranzler visited us on January 14th. Mark Lehrman and Mordechai Kaplan of YU's Israel office have also been at DEC several times throughout the academic year. This open door policy is not only in keeping with the agreement but is a standard DEC approach in regard to other institutions, the community, DEC parents and alumni.
DEC was not informed of even a hint of concern or issue until receipt of a FedEx letter, signed by John B. Fisher, which arrived in Israel on February 14, 2003, one day prior to the deadline for notification of removal from the program. YU administrators, involved in the decision, were fully aware that Rabbi Katz was not in Israel to receive the communication.
On February 15, Rabbi Danni Rapp asked Rabbi Katz to attend a meeting. Although Rabbi Katz inquired about the agenda, he was not given any information. He had no reason to assume anything but a routine meeting. The meeting took place on February 16th. Present were three YU administrators, Rabbi Rapp, Mr. Kranzler and Dr. Fisher. He was informed of the decision. His recollection is in consonance with what I was told subsequently by Mr. Kranzler, that due to confidentiality they were unable to disclose the names of those who made the decision. It is therefore interesting to see the full list in The Commentator. Also not shared, although requested, were a description of the process utilized to arrive at the decision, the precise substantiated reasons for the action, and the means of redress. The most I could elicit was that this decision was reached "by YU's 'poskim' and that it was related to DEC's association with the 'rabbi'." It would make no difference if the 'rabbi' were no longer associated with the yeshiva. DEC cannot comprehend this position by YU. If the rabbi is no longer associated with DEC, and if an impartial mechanism is established to determine the disassociation, what then are the issues which stand in the way of rejoining the Joint Israel Program?
As noted above, administrators and rebbeyim of YU have visited DEC regularly, have given shiurim and have spoken privately to talmidim. This within the past two and one-half months. I personally discussed DEC with Mr. Kranzler within this time frame. Not a concern was raised. Just the opposite, the comments were most complimentary of the Yeshiva, its program and faculty. If the purpose of these visits has been as the agreement states, "to monitor performance" then, if even the slightest concern arose, anything at all, that might have jeopardized the talmidim in any fashion, we should have been notified immediately. Nothing in our past responses would indicate anything less than full engagement in resolution.
The statement reported in The Commentator of a YU insider that "we didn't want to get involved with legal issues," just doesn't represent what was done, how it was done, and the consequences of the actions taken by Yeshiva University through its administration. Investigations are serious matters, especially international ones. The pursuit of truth through impartial, professionally administered investigations can help victims and even the accused. They can hopefully prevent further wrongdoing. But they can also involve legal issues of privacy, defamation of character, loss of livelihood, to name but a few areas of significant import. We must also not forget Hilchot Lashon Harah V'richelut, the closing of a Yeshiva and possible Chilul HaShem. DEC wants the truth. Experience has taught, however, and it is in keeping with good public policy, that impartial, third parties who have significant expertise in the field being investigated must implement investigations. They must be able to investigate with the broadest non-threatening input possible over a reasonable period of time. In all honesty, has this taken place? To this very moment, YU administrator/investigators are giving interviews to the press, making phone calls to convince other institutions to drop DEC, and are sharing unsubstantiated rumors about DEC with families and schools. If the decision is related to the S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program Agreement, and if the case for non-renewal is so compelling that the decision is final, why is this type of activity still going on? Even Rabbi Eidlitz's charges dealing with the past allegations against the rabbi, which were conveyed to Rabbi Rapp, were unrelated to DEC. The same is true of the alleged remarks by Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz about the existence of an agreement some twenty years ago between the rabbi and Rabbi Svei. We reiterate, the association with the rabbi has ended. Yet, YU administrators have painted both the rabbi and DEC into the same portrait, and continue to do so, through broad stroke allegations and unsubstantiated rumors defying all logic. We must also assume that before the names of alleged victims and their therapists were conveyed to an investigator, that appropriate releases were provided. Does all this bring us to the truth or does it make it impossible for people to clearly separate fact from fiction? We have no reason to question the credentials of the woman expert on child abuse referred to in the article. The Commission and its members are well respected and they provided an important service in a most difficult situation. We would welcome and would value direct input from her so that we can gain through her experience what the D'var Torah said and the full context of her specific concerns. It is disturbing that YU administrators were willing to freely share all this information with The Commentator and other media outlets, but refused to share it with DEC due to confidentiality.
The letter sent to parents and schools by YU, and the comments made by its administrators in follow-up calls, are not in keeping with paragraph 20 of the S. Daniel Abraham Israel Agreement which says that "neither party will disparage the other's institution or academic programs, but will be supportive of each other's efforts." We believe that the ensuing process and statements made by YU administrators have been defaming and have violated this and other sections of the Agreement.
If, as the letters to parents and feeder schools indicate, "a review of the educational standards and the learning environment at DEC" took place before the decision was reached, we would appreciate having a copy of this review. Given that no specific checklist of educational standards or learning environment criteria are listed in the Agreement, and given that no allegations have been presented to us in writing, we believe it essential, and in keeping with the Agreement, to see them so as to allow us to establish the critical benchmark of affiliation.
There is something worrisome about the fact that the letter DEC received on February 14 did not contain any reference to a review, yet the parent and school letters did. Although Mr. Kranzler had assured me on two occasions that I would receive copies of these letters via fax, the commitment was never fulfilled. Why? Parents and schools were surprised that DEC had to call them to get a copy of this critical correspondence. Regardless, the offer by YU to help parents find alternative yeshivot and the wording of the letters, created an atmosphere of alarm and imminent danger. This caused untold worry and damage to DEC parents, talmidim and staff. Again, if there was such heightened concern to necessitate relocation of students without delay, why weren't those concerns shared immediately, not only with parents, but with DEC administrators as well? Why did it wait until February 20th?
In The Commentator article, YU administrators make reference to such terms as the "teaching approach", "overall hashkafa", "ideological" and "spiritual backbone" which speak of the rabbi's influence on DEC. To this very moment, no YU administrator has, however, chosen to give us a definitive statement as to the "rabbi's" specific view of these terms and how they differ from attitudes and methods already out there in today's diverse world of yeshivot. As a matter of fact, no YU administrator has even asked the basic question of, "how did DEC decide on this 'derech halimud'?" Besides, how does this concern about the "teaching approach" interface with the allegations being raised? DEC's style of teaching and learning is a comprehensive one selected to assure that its graduates are provided with the means to transition into either the American or Israel yeshiva system. DEC is in ongoing contact with the institutions to which its alumni enroll. This was the first expression of a concern about DEC's style of teaching, and it was registered by YU after the February 14th, non-renewal notice was sent out. Is there not something wrong with such a lack of process and communication when dealing with issues so vital to the future of students and their yeshiva?
One of the most perplexing aspects of this tragic and destructive episode is the allegation of DEC being cult-like. Actually, Rabbi Blau, while claiming no expertise in cults and after clearly stating to me that he was not representing YU's administration in any of his comments, stated, "it is a cult." The proof being, for example, that "right after Rabbi Katz was informed of the decision of DEC's non-renewal at YU he met with DEC students." So? "That's what cults do." Further proof, "Rabbi Katz is holding a DEC alumni and parent Shabbaton in Pittsburgh." So? "That's what cults do."
Just as international investigations are serious matters and require expertise, determining and labeling whether an institution or group is a cult, is equally as serious a matter requiring expertise. I, too, am not an expert on cults but my 35 years in chinuch and kiruv work have allowed me to become somewhat informed. There are any numbers of accepted models, which identify cult characteristics. Some models can contain anywhere from 7 to 31 cult characteristics. Choose any one or two of the characteristics and you can make a cult out of almost any group. Yeshivot and Jewish youth groups are potentially vulnerable to this misapplication of single characteristics. For example, one characteristic from the Cult Information Center is Dress Codes - removing individuality by demanding conformity to the group dress code. Would we therefore label Day Schools that have dress codes as cults? These models indicate that even the presence of a charismatic or messianic leader alone does not make a cult because you need multiple characteristics in sufficient number followed by an in-depth analysis of behaviors before applying the title of cult to a group.
The statement by unidentified DEC alumni, "that they don't go to shiur because only their derech of learning is the correct one" should not be taken at face value as a sign of a cult. Space does not allow for a full discussion of this attitude but we need the full context, how it was said, who said it, and why, before plugging it into the cult formula. The attitude must also be looked at in the framework of the student's skills, background, shiur, learning style, rebbe's teaching style, and any current student learning frustration. As indicated previously, and we repeat the general concept once again for emphasis; DEC adopted a 'derech' to learning which it felt appropriate for talmidim coming from Torah day school/high school experiences across the country, not from classical Mesivtot. We described it above and a fuller description of this 'derech' is in DEC's brochure. The challenge for the post-high school DEC Israel program, and we believe for other yeshivot as well; is, given the students' previous learning experiences, their high intellectual level, and the one year, maybe two year window at DEC; how do you get the talmidim into an exciting, lifetime connect to Torah learning? Hence, the "derech" that seemed to have worked well. Its application has been diverse because DEC's rebbeyim are all truly different in their teaching styles and there are different levels of shiurim for the talmidim. The DEC family of stakeholders, and others from the community at large, after reading The Commentator article, simply rejects the accusation that DEC is a cult or even cult-like. Actually, the paper's accusation is reckless and libelous. The defaming remarks being made in conversations with parents and schools by YU administrators in this regard, as reported to us, do not reflect the reality on the ground at DEC. These administrators know full well that this cult accusation is ridiculous, and yet, they persist in a campaign of misinformation, sowing the seeds of fear, to prove their point of view regardless of any proof or expertise in the field of cults. One YU administrator has gone as far as making the accusation that I and others, who have stepped forward to help DEC, are under the control of and are being manipulated by the "rabbi". This is beyond the absurd. It is an unwarranted, personal attack with no basis in fact.
Anyone with even superficial knowledge of DEC, knows of its diverse student body, its openness to the public, its facilitation of parent visits to Israel and the Yeshiva, its invitations to a cross-section of rebbeyim and baal habatim to address the talmidim, its encouragement of visits by feeder school principals, its regular widely distributed student driven newsletters, its ongoing contact with alumni and parents, and its consideration of a wide choice of post DEC learning opportunities. These characteristics are simply not associated with cults or cult-like experiences.
The word cult conjures up frightening images of Waco and Jonestown, of arsenic-laced Kool-Aid, mind control, and rejection of family and friends. Having a rebbe does not make people cultists or clones. We all know this. Hopefully, individuals and institutions are judged by their own actions and behaviors. More than caution needs to be exercised before the term cult is used in any discussion, let alone in the making of even a partial allegation against an institution or individual.
12. There are any numbers of statements made in the article, which require clarification. But, just one at this time. Rabbi Katz, was blessed with two wonderful parents, Rabbi Dovid Z"L, who was niftar when Rabbi Aharon Katz was 18 years old, and Mildred Katz 'l'hebadel ben chaim l'chaim', incredible people in their own right who "effectively raised him since his teenage years." The entire Katz family had already made 'aliya' to Israel at the time of Kerem's closing.
THE FUTURE
We continue to value our relationships with the community of post-DEC institutions in which our alumni enroll. We feel that we have been, and will continue to be, loyal and good partners to all of them. Most importantly, we are prepared to work in a spirit of determination and cooperation to set the record straight as part of our responsibility to our constituency. We realize that this will not be an easy task. But DEC feels its commitment to the pursuit of excellence, its devoted alumni, current students, families, faculty and supporters, coupled with a track record of quality education and open communication; clearly makes the case for continued growth and ongoing strategic alliances with partnering institutions that service our graduates.
a) We will be in contact with all the institutions to which our alumni enroll, to gain their valuable input on student transition to their programs. DEC will bring to bear any additional resources necessary within DEC to be cooperative and responsive to our valued partners and constituency.
b) The rabbi's shiur is no longer taking place at DEC and any affiliation and association has ended.
c) We ask that the highest level of leadership at Yeshiva University review the process which led to this decision and reconsider positions being quoted in the media regarding any possibility of discussion between YU and DEC in the present or future.
The Commentator raised the point of "what many have called an effective death penalty for the Yeshiva" as the possible result of this decision by Yeshiva University. Death penalty! We hope not. Perhaps the more appropriate phrase is 'dinay n'fashot'. The decision that has been made by the YU review committee literally speaks to life and death issues. It is not simply whether DEC closes its doors. There are people behind those doors - alumni, current talmidim and their parents, rebbeyim; their wives and children, and supporters who are being affected by this decision at this very moment and may be for years to come. I posed this concern to Rabbi Blau. "I am not sure you will achieve your goal of hurting the rabbi, but I know that what is being done and how it is being done may potentially destroy the DEC rebbeyim and their families, and the Talmidim who are not part of these allegations. These situations take on a life of their own." The response, "I know what I have to do, you do what you have to do." At a subsequent meeting with Rabbi Blau in Israel involving Rabbi Katz and Rabbi Yosef Leibowitz, who is a YU 'musmach', veteran educator, and father of a DEC rebbe; the request was made to submit the questions surrounding DEC to Gedolay Yisroel. As of yet, we have not received a response. Is this not an appropriate venue when dealing with such weighty issues and the need for impartiality? We believe that this meeting with Rabbi Blau did not provide for a fair hearing of DEC's position as any and all positive suggestions for resolution fell on deaf ears. This was also th
