Chicago Beis Din Allows Accreditation on Meisels Seminaries

POSTED by FRUMFOLLIES

The four Jerusalem-based, post-high school girls seminaries (Pninim, Chedvas, Binas, and Keser Chaya) once controlled by disgraced sex abuser Rabbi (sic) Elimelech Meisels are finally having their accreditation restored, allowing for US financial aid and transferable college credit. This ends a half-year impasse that started with a July 10th ruling by the Chicago Special Beis Din for sex abuse (aka CBD) ruling that the Meisels seminaries were not safe for students because of Meisels misconduct. That Beis Din consisted of Rabbis Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Shmuel Feurst and Zev Cohen. In a later ruling they also accused other staff of enabling or covering up abuse. On that basis they convinced Touro College and Hebrew Theological College to deny them accreditation. This in turn prevented students from getting US government aid and college credits.

In contrast, the Israeli Beis Din (IBD) of Rabbis Mendel Shafran, Chaim Malinowitz and Tzvi Gartner claimed that with Meisels departure there were no problems and that additional safeguards had been installed.

The Chicago Beis Din insisted they could not clear the seminaries until accused staff agreed to be interrogated. They also reported, that contrary to IBD claims, Meisels retained control.

The impasse was resolved through a joint Beis Din whose members included the dayanim of both battei din and a seventh member, R. Eliyahu Brudny (Rosh Yeshiva of Mirer Yeshiva in Brooklyn). They met in the Manhattan building of Agudath Israel of America on Thursday, November 6th from about 3 p.m. till past midnight and had subsequent interactions culminating in their Dec 1 ruling.

The Beis Din made heavy use of video- and tele-conferencing.

Rabbi Meir Kahane, Principal Chedvas Bais Yaakov

Two of the rabbis (Schwartz and Gartner) participated from Chicago and Israel. Witnesses of abuse and enabling participated either in person or by phone. In an incredible breach of judicial procedure, the accused were all in the same room able to hear and echo each others claims. Meisel’s guilt was taken as a given and he was not part of the session. They also did not allow any rabbinic pleaders (toanim). This prevented Mrs. Hindy Ullman from using her father, famous toen, Shmuel Fried. While both of the original battei dinhad rules allowing witnesses without the presence of the accused (as is now established halacha for sex abuse cases) they forced the witnesses to give testimony in front of the accused staff, who interrupted, screamed and heaped abuse in a desperate attempt to intimidate the witnesses. Some the dayanim conducted a number of other interviews with the staff.

Mrs. Hindy Ullman

A number of the dayanim were convinced that the scandal at these seminaries involved some of the worst staff enabling of abuse they had ever encountered, both in ignoring the obvious signs and in rebuffing reports. Seminary principals Rabbi Meir Kahane and Mrs Hindy Ullman are being demoted but this will not be stated officially. Formal control of the organization which was previously in the hands of Elimelech Meisels and Mr Yaakov Yarmush will fully pass to a new party. Mr Yarmush is now convinced of the severity of Meisels misconduct and wishes no part of an arrangement that still involves Meisels. Supposedly, the terms for transferring control are settled but the legalities are not completed. New protocols are being installed at the initiative of the Beis Din. A new training was conducted at Peninim by Mrs. Debbie Gross of the Israeli organization, Tahel. Rabbi Moshe Krupka of Touro College was also in Israel to meet with all the seminaries they accredit to advise them on new standards and requirements for avoiding abuse and dealing with it. I also expect to see a shift in seminaries away from male staff and administrators (as advocated by Rabbi Zucker at the recent convention of Agudath Israel of America).

So, now at the end of this process, the seminaries are allowed to live on though they are likely to decline in size. Insiders say five new seminaries are recruiting for the 2015 year both because of growth in this market and the expectation that the seminaries that Meisels used to control will never be as large as they used to be. It does not matter that they have now been proclaimed kosher. The stench of scandalous misdeeds hangs over them. Kosher is not good enough and many parents are not willing to believe they are mehadrin.

I am disappointed that some truly outrageous staff misconduct did not lead to anyone being fired. However, no one should mistake this joint ruling for an innocent verdict on staff. Daniel Eidensohn’s Daas Torah blog leaked the last page of the ruling restoring the accreditation and assuming new controls will make the seminaries safe. He used the misleading headline: “It is official!: Chicago Beis Din and Israeli Beis Din agree 4 seminaries are o.k.

He makes it sound as if there was never a problem. However, he only posted the final page of a longer statement which condemns misconduct in the seminaries by Meisels and other staff. I have heard some of the content and will post it when I get a copy within the next day or two.

The Beis Din is relying on new training. I think the previous conduct of staff suggests they are too indifferent or too stupid to recognize ugly realities being played out in front of them. I for one don’t think these staff should be trusted. Stupidity and indifference cannot be cured by retraining.

It is good that there is a new consciousness about the need to train staff and confront abuse. It is especially good that seminaries realize such scandals can cost them accreditation. But once again the frum world has shown that protecting institutions is more important than protecting victims and punishing culprits. We all know about the problem of financial institutions that can be reckless with our money because they are “too big to fail.” The Haredi world suffers from institutions “too frum to be shut down.”

The biggest problem with this resolution is that many staff of the seminaries are still claiming that the allegations against Meisels are either false or grossly exaggerated. Unfortunately, the Beis Din, has done nothing to correct that falsehood. They have not let the public know that they heard clear evidence that Meisels sexually assaulted girls.

However, no one should mistake this joint ruling for an innocent verdict on staff. Daniel Eidensohn’s Daas Torah blog leaked the last page of the ruling restoring the accreditation and assuming new controls will make the seminaries safe. He used the misleading headline: “It is official!: Chicago Beis Din and Israeli Beis Din agree 4 seminaries are o.k.

He makes it sound as if there was never a problem. However, he only posted the final page of a longer statement which condemns misconduct in the seminaries by Meisels and other staff. I have heard some of the content and will post it when I get a copy within the next day or two.

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.