One-hundred-and-seven rabbanim and dayanim have contributed their signatures to a kol koreh (public pronouncement) affirming the halachic obligation of all Jews to immediately report and notify secular law enforcement when they know of an instance of child abuse. The kol koreh is a historic watershed, due to its unprecedented, broad-based support from a large number of haredi rabbanim.
Some of the signers include Rabbi Nota Greenblatt, dayan, posek, and rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Gedola in Memphis; Dovid Goldwasser, rav of Bnei Yitzchok in Brooklyn; Rabbi Dov Aharon Brisman, rosh beis din of B’datz Philadephia; Rabbi Peretz Steinberg, co-chairman of Bais Din Agudath Yisroel in Kew Garden Hills; Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Chaim; Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum, rav of Nachlas Yitzchok in Kew Gardens Hills; Rabbi Kalman Epstein, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Shaar HaTorah in Queens; and Rabbi Shmuel Fuerst, dayan of Agudas Israel of Illinois, who was heavily involved in putting the kol koreh together.
The Kol Koreh Reads:
“We, the undersigned, affirm that any individual with firsthand knowledge or reasonable basis to suspect child abuse has a religious obligation to promptly notify the secular law enforcement of that information. These individuals have the experience, expertise and training to thoroughly and responsibly investigate the matter. Furthermore, those deemed “mandated reporters” under secular law must obey their State’s reporting requirements.
Lives can be ruined or ended by unreported child abuse, as we are too often tragically reminded. The Torah’s statement in Leviticus 19:16, “Do not stand by while your neighbor’s blood is shed,” obligates every member of the community to do all in one’s power to prevent harm to others. In conclusion, every individual with firsthand knowledge or reasonable cause for suspicion of child abuse has a Torah obligation to promptly notify the proper civil authorities.”
You can view the complete Kol Koreh with signatures here:http://issuu.com/jewishpress.com/docs/kol_koreh/1
1. Not all of these rabbis are chareidi.
ReplyDelete2. It's more interesting to see who did NOT sign the document. I don't see roshei yeshivaos of the major American yeshivas; I see only a few major admorim. A major Rav from Baltimore is not on the document.
I don't think it's nearly as exciting and people are saying it is.
3:04
ReplyDeleteIt's a start!
What about all the two face hypocrites signing here who are the most vicious molester supporters & victim bashers?
ReplyDeleteSchiffenbauer is a groupie of Margulies and Belsky & was up to his ears in all the dreck of protecting Kolko.
ReplyDeleteMany did not sign because the language of "reasonable basis" is too vague. Although we must protect the victims, it is also important to realize how easy it is to ruin somebody's life by falsely accusing them.
ReplyDeleteThe people who did not sign wanted them to add something like "beyond doubt" or "has evidence".
Reasonable evidence to s too open. There have been too many stories where innocent people were accused as payback. (Monsey)
But the "askanim" refused to modify the language. Hence the missing signatures.
"Reasonable basis" is NOT too vague
ReplyDeleteThe corrupt Agudah wants you to think so so they can cover everything up.
Rav Elyashev's teshuva in Kovetz Yeshurun says raglayim ledavar is enough so the Agudah twists themselves in knots to translate that as something practically impossible to achieve. Too bad for the Agudah that after they pulled that stunt an older teshuva from Rav Elyashev was published in a new sefer explaining that raglayim ledavar is just that the story of the victim is plausible.
The Agudah covers up because one of their big name baal habatim was a molester himself as an MIT scientist who grew up in Agudah Williamsburg writes about in his book. The molester askan made sure that Sherer & Bloom would carry on the tradition he put in place of protecting molesters. These baal habatim don't listen to gedolim unless it suits them. Rav Pam ztl was once red in the face being moyche that they are not allowed to protect Kolko.