Don't give the schnorrer Uriel Goldman a cent, He is collecting for the Lev Tahor Kidnappers

 

Throughout Charedi communities in the United States as well as on social media, warnings have been posted regarding one Uriel Goldman who is allegedly engaged in collecting funds for the Lev Tahor community, widely viewed as a cult.

“Warning: Uriel Goldman, head of Lev Tahor, is collecting funds in Brooklyn,” reads one such posting. Another reads, “Uriel Goldman is now in Brooklyn, presenting himself as someone who is collecting funds for needy families abroad. In fact, the money is used by the Lev Tahor cult in Guatemala.” Some of the ads are written in Yiddish; several allege that the money collectors raise will be used in order to “kidnap children.”

According to community activists who are engaged in trying to prevent the cult from moving to Iran, Lev Tahor’s members are endeavoring to raise money to fund lawyers, buses, hotel rooms, and additional expenditures, in order to reach that country. The activists are determined to prevent them from doing so, as it will be impossible to monitor the group’s activities if they succeed in settling in the Islamic state.

Activists, as well as those who have left Lev Tahor, say that the group also uses part of its funds for its legal battles against those seeking to extricate their loved ones from Lev Tahor. One former member told Behadrey Haredim, “The children appear malnourished and actually hungry. Their clothes are ragged and torn. Their money is used for their wars against the whole world – if they cared about their children, they would provide them with their needs. They wouldn’t wander from one place to the next; they would settle somewhere normal, like the Skver or Tosh communities have, for instance.”

Behadrey Haredim contacted Uriel Goldman, who told them, “These people just hate us and they are doing things like this all the time. I don’t take people’s money in order to fund trips to Switzerland and not to fund terrorism either. Now they want to stop us from having money to buy food too. If someone thinks that we don’t deserve to have food to eat, I’ll take him to a din Torah with the Ribbono Shel Olam [to the Heavenly Court]. We trust in G-d and He will provide for us. These people are persecuting us for no good reason.”

Goldman added that, “No one asked us if the allegations have any basis to them. They just write what they want. G-d will help us. I’m not going to get stressed out about people who have always persecuted us.”

Rav Yitzchak Berkovits on Chaim Walder: ‘Narcissist and a Sociopath'

 

Rav Yitchak Berkovits, one of the preeminent and most respected American poskim in Israel, conducted a Zoom video call with therapists and mental health professionals in the aftermath of the Chaim Walder matter.

He discussed multiple lessons and takeaways from this challenging episode, and clarified the position of the Gedolim in this complex matter.

Rav Berkovits essentially said that any doubts that one may have had about the allegations were erased by Walder himself.

He said, “What made things very clear was the suicide note. This was not a depressed person writing a note. This was narcissism at its best, this was manipulative, this was a person preparing to commit a violent crime, murder, and the victims…all of us, [he intended that] we should all feel guilty for his death. I think to any level headed human being who has any sensitivity to human beings and a bit of nuance–it’s obvious.”

He added, “We are dealing with a sociopath, who knows how many victims we don’t know about, who knows how many lives were destroyed.”

The Rav said that he does not know why this was not handled by the conventional Bais Din protocol. He was not critical of anyone involved, however he said that victims generally do not need to face perpetrators in Bais Din, and that many Batei Din have dealt with these issues extremely effectively.

He also said that while not every complaint is substantiated, that is usually the exception and not the rule.

In addition, the Rav said that he highly doubts the claim that “nobody wanted to touch this case”, because many cases like this have been properly handled in Bais Din and predators have been punished and prevented from acting further.

He said that “Rav Shmuel Eliyahu has a heart of gold, and when he heard from victims, that was certainly not something that he could live with.”

Rav Berkovits was adamant that males should never counsel females. He told the professionals that “the number one takeaway is that there is no heter for a male to counsel a female, whether as a therapist, counselor, or coach…seminaries where young charismatic good looking men teach women, we have had too many problems, there is something sick with that.”

The Rav said there “are plenty of competent professional women and there is no reason or justification for a woman to ever visit a man.”

He said “in theory it should all be professional, however l’maaseh it is not that way.”

Rav Berkovits is Rosh Kollel in the renowned Jerusalem Kollel. He is recognized world-wide as a prominent posek and ba’al eitzah. Through his varied roles in the kiruv world, he has become a sought after speaker and his advice on complex community matters is valued by Rabbonim and leaders across the globe.

An Open Letter from an Abuse Survivor

 

Dear random anonymous person on the internet,

What if it were your daughter? Your sister? Your brother? Your best friend?

Would you still be out here screaming Lashon Hora? Innocent until proven guilty?

If you answered in the affirmative, you can stop reading now. You’re not my target audience. I’m looking for those who can actually stop defending for a second and just…..listen.

Because we really really need you to listen to us.

Rebbetzin Riki's Dvar Torah in Yiddish

 

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In a Stunning Reversal Walder’s Own Lawyer Backtracks and Apologizes to Haaretz Reporter

 

In a stunning turnaround, Dovi Weinroth, Chaim Walder’s lawyer and personal confidant, appears to have backtracked from his role as an apologist of Walder’s.

In addition, Mr. Weinroth apologized to the Haaretz reporter who first broke the story, after calling him a murderer at Walder’s hesped.

On Thursday Mr. Weinroth published an emotional and candid Facebook post, in which he discussed the importance of focusing on the unspeakable pain and torture that the victims suffered. He also expressed remorse for his own words at Walder’s levaya.

He wrote, “I write post-trauma. Like everyone else, I have been going through a very difficult personal upheaval since Chaim Walder’s suicide. This story is a kind of horror film. It is never too late to hear the sound of those who were shattered.”

He also addressed his apology to the reporter, saying, “I picked up the phone and called Aharon Rabinovitch. Truthfully this was the first time, and for a simple reason. To apologize. At the end of the day I never spoke with him. [Yet] I got up at the levaya and demeaned him.”

He wrote about Mr. Rabinovitch’s gracious and forgiving response. “Dovi I’m not upset at you. You were eulogizing a friend. I can understand that. Of course I disagree with you and think you did not convey the right message. You missed the most important point, but I did not take it as an attack. Do not worry one bit.” .

Mr. Weinroth went further, saying that the extreme concern to avoid lashon hara may have led to a lack of concern about the victims.

He wrote, “I understand that the most dangerous part of this has been the lectures against lashon hara, for one simple reason: The Charedi community has not offered any alternative. To frighten people about speaking lashon hara about a matter like this only worsens the situation.

“I missed [the point], and I missed it in a huge way. At the hesped, I spoke about lashon hara, and I now realize that only exacerbates the problem, if certain other prerequisites are not first met. Likewise, everyone must ask themselves, what is their motivation for their comments or publication–to repair or to gossip?”

Bais Yaakov Boro Park Sends Letter to Parents..."Talking about the Rapist Walder is Loshon Hara"

 

Let's take a break and listen to one of R' Ben-Zion Shenker's beautiful compositions

 

 

Yonassan Schvartz "Chizuk from the Parsha" Is Only Concerned About "Walder's family" not the ones he murdered and raped

 

 His "chizuk" didn't work on Walder, who he says he was in contact with every day before his cowardly act of suicide! Schwartz is upset that people are burning Walder's books... guess why?

Schwartz distributes Kids Speak books in Yiddish..

Rabbi Shraga Feivel Zimmerman Answers the "Loshon Hara-nikers" ,,, "Walder's Act Was a Staged act of Narcissism"

 

Response To Rabbi Edelstein's Fatwa that "These Matters Must Be Dealt With Confidentially"

 Rabanim had the field to themselves for 60 years, they told us NOT to go to the police, to come to them, to deal with it in secret, under the radar. The result is Yehuda Meshi Zahav, Chaim Walder, Eliezer Berland, Malka Leifer and too many others to count. all were prolific serial rapists, who were well known to Aaskanim and Rabanim.

We trusted our Rabonim and they shattered that trust, they allowed child rape to go on for years! in fact there was a vaad/ committee set up in Bnei-Barak by Rabanim where people were told to log complaints of abuse and guess whom they selected as head of this committee, none other than Chaim Walder!! Some cruel joke.

Then comes along Aaron Rabinovitch and puts an abrubt end to this Retzicha almost single handedly, he did in 2 month what all Rabonim were unable or unwilling to do for 30 years, and what do these same Rabonim say?? No no this is not the right way to do it!! come to us we will handle it in secret, under the radar…. let us handle this

This is the very definition of insanity, doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results! we have tried that for 60 years, and if we continue doing this we will unfortunately get the same results.

Sadly, going to the press is  the only option. For decades and way too often, Rabbonim have covered-up abuse and been complicit in allowing abusers to change locations. To claim that “all those” who go to the media are simply trying to cause harm is simplistic. Why is it not possible to be dan l’kaph zechus and say that many of them are trying to help by publicizing the matter in order to save the community from harm? It’s disappointing to see such a weak, ad hominem, attack being used.

The attitude of “we shouldn’t talk about such things” only works to shield the abusers and allow Rabbonim to avoid responsibility.

a) Is Rabbi Edelstein telling us it is halacha that I will have olam haba if I have an affair? Please answer yes or no
b) Is the Rov saying that a TRUSTED public CHAREIDI figure who is claimed by multiple people over many years to have violated d’oraisos that harm other chareidi yidden.should not be outed among the community ?
and most importantly,
c) Who is going to protect us in the chareidi olam from the crime, the abuse, the sham leaders and the false tzidkus that is out there if our gedolim are not going to??