Meisels Israeli Seminaries give a new meaning to Loshon Harah!

Dear loyal readers, 

I was really hoping that before the Yomim Noraim, I wouldn't have to write or report bad tidings. I'ts a time of reflection and a time of Teshuvah, and I really wanted to take a break. Well, the "Samach Mem" won't let me rest. 

Yesterday in response to an article that I posted on July 23, 2014, titled, "R' Kahane's letter to Chedvas Seminary telling them to "shut up" about Meisels,  I got an email, that made me blow my stack. 

But first  let me briefly update you on what's happening. 

The truth is that the story is now so complicated, that I lost track myself of the present situation. Suffice it to say, that some innocent teenage girls flew 5,665 miles  to Israel to Seminary, to reinforce their spirituality, and lo and behold, Mr. Meisels, owner of three Seminaries took advantage of them, sexually. 

Then R. Kahane, a mechanech at Chedvas Seminary, a Meisels Seminary,trying hard to contain the damage, sent an email to the girls that they are in effect prohibited to speak "loshon hara" and cannot disclose to anyone that Meisels is an admitted sexual predator. Better to let him roam around and contaminate innocent souls than tell the world that there is a sexual predator on the loose. 

If you want to read the story in detail read Frumfollies '

Now read the email and then my thoughts:

Anonymous said...

If people actually knew what the Chafetz Chaim said, they would know that Rabbi Kahane was NOT wrong when he wrote in this private email to a few Chedvas alumni that “…And even l’toeles the halacha is that it’s assur to believe it.”

If you have ever learned Hilchos Lashon Hara, you know that they are vast and complicated. The Chafetz Chaim makes a clear differentiation between acting on lashon hara to protect oneself (and no further) and believing and accepting it wholeheartedly to be true. The latter is what Rabbi Kahane was referring to in his letter.

If you want to twist this to claim that Rabbi Kahane was telling girls not to report abuse to authorities (although his letter was written after the whole Meisels scandal had gone public) that is your choice. But please do not do so on a public forum.

September 14, 2014 at 4:29 PM

DIN:

First of all Mr "anonymous" I think that you are R' Kahane himself. Having said that, I doubt that the Chofetz Chayim would have sent an email to the girls to keep a lid on the sexual shenanigans of Mr. Meisels. Hilchos Loshon Hara is not "complicated" at all. The Chofetz Chayim writes explicitly, that in a case like this, where a guy can't keep his zipper closed, it's a "mitzvah l'farseim" ..

The Chofetz Chayim is rolling in his grave and crying that guys like Kahane are cowering behind his sefer, telling innocent teenage girls not to disclose that someone who was supposed to be a mentor took advantage of them and sexually exploited them for his own sexual desires!

Second of all: Meisels admitted to the Chicago Bais Din that he molested the girls, he signed a statement to that effect. To say what  Kahane wrote, that "even l'toeles, the halacha is that it's assur to believe it" makes no sense, since Meisels himself says it's true. So you want the girls not to believe that Meisels molested the girls when he says he did it? How crazy???

I don't believe for a minute that Meisels is not involved in the three Seminaries, but I have another question: 
Why are men  teaching teenage girls 5,000 miles away from the student's homes? 
Why are these young guys teaching girls??? 
Don't tell me that this Kahane guy doesn't have illicit thoughts while he's teaching. 
There aren't enough women around? 
The gemarrah says clearly, "ein apatropos l'aryis"  "there are no guardians when it comes to sexual matters.

This Anti Loshon Hara campaign is going too far.... if a guy is a predator his name should be revealed to the world, so we can keep our children and teenagers away!  "Toeles! Shmoeles! 
The Toeles is that he won't molest my children, Mr. anonymous!

This Kahane knew all about Meisels' infractions, and kept his mouth shut, now he wants the victims to shut up too.

Chicage Bais Din Stands by their Psak, No Girl Should attend any of Meisels Seminaries!

From Emes Ve_Emunah Blog

It is rare for a Beis Din in America to reject the psak of a respected Beis Din in Beni Brak. But that is exactly what they have done. 

Remember that the Special Beis Din consisted of some of the most respected Rabbonim/Dayanim in all of Chicago. Their Hashkafos run from Centrist to Charedi. An Agudah Dayan, the Av Beis Din of the RCA, and the Rosh Kolllel of the Choshen Mishpat Kollel here in Chicago were the 3 Dayanim on this case. And they all rejected the conclusions of the Bnei Brak Beis Din in a published letter. 

Mr. Meisels

From Yerachmiel Lopin’s blog, here is what they said: 

We stand by our July 10 statement that we do not recommend prospective students attend these seminaries, and also note, based on evidence including testimony by victims and staff and admissions by Elimelech Meisels, our conclusion that certain senior staff members failed in their responsibilities toward students. 

This statement was not written by some hot-headed blogger with an anti Charedi agenda. It was written by some of the most respected Rabbonim in America.

The Bnei Brak Beis Din has said not to listen to the ‘naysayers’ since they do not know all of the facts. The problem is that the Chicago ‘naysayers’ not only know the facts, but spent an enormously greater amount of time studying them. I think we must all conclude that the Bnei Brak Beis Din has grievously erred here. Here is a point by point refutation of their ‘Psak’:

1) It is unclear as to whether these seminaries are safe even now after Meisels has sold them to one of his friends.

2) The staff may be incredible but despite their many legitimate successes with vast numbers of students, they nonetheless failed some of them miserably. They can no longer be trusted with the safety of their students.

3) Touro (and HTC) should not restore their relationship with these seminaries.

4) Since these schools are no longer recommended, other schools have a right, and perhaps a responsibility to recruit students from those schools. The claim by the Bnei Brak Beis Din that it is forbidden by Halacha to do so is based on their erroneous conclusions.

5) Slander and defamation is normally prohibited, unless there is a Toeles… a purpose that will protect people from harm. In the case of these seminaries, it is fair to say that the teachers who allowed this kind of thing to go on by looking the other way even though they suspected something are not the kind of teachers you want teaching your daughters anything!

6) Those that have intervened – specifically the Special Beis Din - should most definitely NOT be ignored. They not only have the facts, but they know them better than the Bnei Brak Beis Din does.

I realize that the Bnei Brak Beis Din wants to protect the livelihoods and reputations of those teachers. I’m sure those teachers are all fine people who otherwise deserve the accolades they have gotten in the past from students, parents, and now the Bnei Brak Beis Din. But the judgment of these teachers on this issue was at best foolish and at worst self centered.

By saying that these teachers failed in their responsibilities to their students - the Special Beis Din determined that these teachers did not do or say anything about their suspicions. Why? Who knows... but it is not a stretch to believe that they were quiet because they did not want to rock any boats.  Whistle blowers tend to get fired very quickly. Losing their jobs by reporting suspicions about their boss was certainly something to worry about. So they ignored the suspicious scenarios they saw.  Ignoring suspected sexual abuse because of the fear of losing one’s job does not deserve to be rewarded.

This is a very significant development. The 3 Chicago Rabbonim have decided to speak truth to power. They have stood on principle and sided against the conventional wisdom of sympathy for the institution and protecting the reputations of their staff.  Yes those teachers will be hurt. Sadly so will their families who are innocent of any wrong doing. But they will all survive. These 3 Rabbonim have instead sided with justice for the victims and the protection of our daughters. God bless them.