Rabbi Belsky says that Yosef Kolko is innocent, while Kolko himself says he is guily of child sex abuse!

Read this e-mail exchange from a fellow blogger!  I am writing to you in light of the recent trial of Yosef Kolko, who was found guilty last week of aggravated sexual assault of a minor in Lakewood. One of Kolko's chief defenders was and continues to be Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Vodaas, who wrote a public letter to Lakewood defending the molestor and vilifying the family of the abused child. Following is the text of Rabbi Belsky's letter:  RABBI YISROEL BELSKY'S LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF LAKEWOOD      My ears should have been spared hearing the horrific news that one of your fellow residents in town informed upon a fellow Jew to the hands of the secular authorities, may god spare us, for which the [Jewish] law is undisputed that one who commits such an act has no share in the world to come. (see: Choshen Mishpat 388:4)       After conducting a thorough investigation I am absolutely certain that R' Y.K. [Yosef Kolko], may his light shine, is perfectly innocent of any wrongdoing of any nature whatsoever. And not only is he innocent but it is also as clear to me that all these allegations are fabrications made by [REDACTED].       Further, all the reports made to the secular authorities were only for the express purpose of casting blame for their [the victim's family] own shameful and cursed existence on others. And the truth is that the allegations they make against others are crimes they themselves are in fact guilty of and they seek to cleanse their reputation by blaming an innocent man for their own deeds.       Accordingly, as it is a great mitzvah to rescue the pursued from the hands of the pursuer and to make it known that the righteous man is right and the evil man is evil‐to rescue a pure and righteous soul. Therefore, anyone who has the ability to rescue the righteous and does not do so is considered as if he is himself the pursuer. (See: Rambam ‐ laws regarding informing 1: 14)  Thus, all who have the ability to influence the informers that they should retract their terrible deeds should do so.  Despite the fact that Yosef Kolko admitted his guilt of long term sexual assault of a child, Rabbi Belsky has neither retracted his letter or his vilification of the victim and his family. His letter is unfortunately a tragic example of the widespread, grotesque, evil phenomenon of rabbinic coverup of child molesters and persecution of their victims throughout the frum world.   Rabbi Belsky is a Senior Posek at the OU, an organization which prides itself on its educated leadership, its integrity and its protection of children. I am writing to you to join and be a signator in a letter writing campaign to all the administrators of the OU leadership, asking that they require that Rabbi Belsky publicly retract his letter if he is to continue to be affiliated with the OU. If the OU does not do so, it is giving credibility and publicly honoring a senior employee who advocates protecting sexual child molestors and persecuting their victims, even when the molestor admits his guilt. This is hardly a message befitting the OU and its admirable mission in the Jewish world.   Please join an email letter writing campaign to voice your opinion about this matter to the OU administration. Following are their names and email addresses. Please include Rabbi Belsky's letter to Lakewood in your letter to the OU. You may just copy the above letter and email it to the following:   Executive Vice President Rabbi Steven Weil rabbiweil@ou.org  Executive Vice President, Emeritus Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb execthw@ou.org Chief Financial Officer Shlomo Schwartz shlomoschwartz@ou.org Chief Communications Officer Mayer Fertig fertig@ou.org Rabbinic Administrator/Chief Executive Officer Rabbi Menachem Genack genackm@ou.org Executive Rabbinic Coordinator/Chief Operating Officer Rabbi Moshe Elefant elefantm@ou.org Executive Rabbinic Coordinator Rabbi Yaakov Luban lubany@ou.org Executive Rabbinic Coordinator / Director of Operations Rabbi Moshe Zywica zywicam@ou.org Senior Rabbinic Coordinator/Vice President, Communications and Marketing Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran safrane@ou.org Senior Rabbinic Coordinator Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz rabinowitzn@ou.org Senior Educational Rabbinic Coordinator / Director of Kashrus Education Rabbi Yosef Grossman grossman@ou.org  Senior Director of Institutional Advancement Paul Glasser pglasser@ou.org Chief Human Resources Officer Lenny Bessler besslerl@ou.org Senior Information Officer Sam Davidovics, Ph.D. davidovics@ou.org Public Relations Director Stephen Steiner steiners@ou.org Alumni Connections Rabbi Yehoshua Marchuck marchuck@ou.org Community Engagement Rabbi Judah Isaacs isaacsj@ou.org Community Services Frank Buchweitz frank@ou.org Heshe & Harriet Seif Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus Rabbi Ilan Haber college@ou.org Institute for Public Affairs/IPA Nathan Diament ipadc@ou.org  Jewish Action Nechama Carmel carmeln@ou.org Job Board Michael Srulie Rosner rosnerm@ou.org NCSY Rabbi Micha Greenland mgreenland@ou.org NextGen Rabbi David Felsenthal rabbidave@ou.org OU Press Rabbi Simon Posner posners@ou.org Pepa & Rabbi Joseph Karasick Department of Synagogue Services Rabbi Judah Isaacs isaacsj@ou.org Yachad/Our Way/NJCD Dr. Jeffrey Lichtman lichtmanj@ou.org  Dear Tiferes, Thank you for your letter.  I agree that the OU should sever its relationship with Rabbi Belsky as soon as possible.  The question is what is the most effective manner in which to accomplish this. I think that what is needed, rather than writing to the OU staff (other than Rabbis Weil, Genack, and maybe selected others) is to reach out to the volunteer leadership.  So far, the only email address I have been able to track down is for Martin Nachimson, President of the OU: martin.nachimson@macquarie.com.  Here are links to what the OU website shows for their lay leadership, in case you want to try: Officers - http://www.ou.org/contact/C393#listing Board of Governors - http://www.ou.org/contact/C394#listing Board of Directors (appears out of date but that's what is on the website) - http://www.ou.org/contact/C392#listing Please let me know what you think. P.S.  Please let me know if you are using a real name or an assumed name.  I work with a number of people who choose not to use their real names.  That does not bother me, but I need to know when that is the case