Thursday, August 31, 2006

Where In The World Is Dr. Roger M. Levin Today? What's he been up to lately?

Police Comb Internet For Suspect's Porn Source
By Bill Workman
The San Francisco Chronicle
September 10, 1996

Police are hoping to track down the Internet sources of hundreds of images of child pornography allegedly downloaded from a Palo Alto doctor's personal computers following his arrest on sex and drug charges, investigators said yesterday.

Dr. Roger M. Levin, 51, an internist and surgeon, was arrested late last week and is free in lieu of $ 250,000 bail, pending his arraignment on September 20 in Palo Alto Municipal Court.

He is charged with eight felony and misdemeanor charges, including possession of obscene material depicting children under 14, providing drugs to an addict, prescribing drugs before an examination, obtaining narcotics by fraud and falsifying drug prescriptions.

Levin's license to practice medicine in California has been temporarily suspended by the state medical board, pending an administrative hearing by the board.

Levin was taken into custody after a seven-month investigation by Palo Alto police, prompted by an armed robbery of the doctor's office in February that raised suspicions Levin might be involved in illegal activities.

The gunman, according to a police affidavit, asked for Levin by name and seemed more interested in talking clandestinely with the doctor in a back room than in taking money from the office.

In a search of Levin's Menlo Park home last week, Palo Alto police turned up hundreds of photographs of children and nude women, some of which appeared to have been downloaded and others that appeared to have been taken in his home, according to court documents.

''We want to talk to more people to determine how and where the images were transmitted from,'' said Palo Alto Detective Sergeant Dennis Burns. He noted that downloading pornography is a crime.

The material allegedly included pictures of two young boys orally copulating each other and a male having sex with a young girl.

Burns said police were aided by a Department of Motor Vehicles computer expert and two retired Silicon Valley executives in cracking a computer code in one of Levin's home computers, which investigators say he had encrypted to prevent access to the alleged pornographic images. The two former computer firm executives are continuing to help authorities in the investigation.

Court documents include allegations that Levin drugged women, including at least a few who came to him as patients, so that he could have sex with them.

Levin could not be reached for comment yesterday, but his attorney, Michael Gaines of Larkspur, noted that the ''more sensational'' pornography charge is a misdemeanor and does not involve sale or distribution of the pictures.

Gaines added that some of his client's troubles with the law may stem from a ''long, acrimonious'' divorce dispute with his former wife, Rene Bollo. The couple was divorced several years ago, but court records show she has assisted police in pursuing the current investigation.

In 1987, Levin was accused of sexual molestation by his two sons, ages 9 and 11 at the time, but later pleaded no contest in San Mateo County Superior Court to a reduced charge of willful cruelty. He was sentenced to three years probation and served a 90-day work furlough sentence.

Later, Levin's former wife filed a civil suit in behalf of the couple's sons alleging sexual battery. After a series of mistrials, a judge ordered Levin to pay his sons $ 180,000 for negligent emotional distress.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Journalistic Code of Ethics - Guidelines by the US Department of Justice

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Steven I. Weiss / Ami Eden / Phil Jacobs / Gary Rosenblatt

As we all know Jewish communities have not been kind to rape victims. When survivors have made disclosures they are often met with denial; and are often shamed and blamed.

All one needs to do is watch this video tape of Rabbi Abraham Twerski talking about the threats made against him when he first started advocating for battered women. Can you imagine what happens when someone starts talking about being a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault or clergy abuse (professional sexual misconduct)?

According to statistics in the secular world, less then 16% of all rape victims never report what happened to them to law enforcement.

Gary Rosenblatt, Phil Jacobs, Ami Eden, Blogger - Steven I. Weiss and other editors of Jewish papers have set up a protocol that are just not realistic. I've been told that they will not write stories of sex crimes (sexual abuse/assault) unless they have 3 victims of the same offender willing to come forward and allow the papers to use their full names in articles.

As we all know that the only way to change the way our communities handled cases is by education and also by exposing individuals who are dangerous to our children, family members and friends.

We need to demand that Ami Eden, Gary Rosenblatt, Phil Jacobs, Steven I. Weiss and other Jewish news media groups change their policies. According to the US Dept. of Justice a journalist should NEVER demand that a victim of a sex crime be identified by name.

When discussing these issue with a friend, she reminded me that in the case of Watergate the sources name was not made public until recently, and that was only with the permission of the individual.

Why is it that an individual who was sexually violated would have to be named in order to protect our communties from sexual preditors?

Please write to the following people and demand they change their policies.
Gary Rosenblatt - New York Jewish Week
Phil Jacobs - Baltimore Jewish Times
Steven I. Weiss - Canonist
Ami Eden - Forward
***************
A MEDIA CODE OF ETHICS


The news media should--

  • Present details about a crime in a fair, objective, and balanced manner.
  • Recognize the importance of publishing or broadcasting information that can contribute to public safety and, at the same time, balance this need with the victim's need for privacy.
  • Respect the privacy of individuals who choose to refrain from dealing with the media or who choose to address the media through a spokesperson of their choice.
  • Provide a balanced perspective relevant to a criminal act that reflects the concerns of the victim and offender.
  • Never report rumors or innuendoes about the victim, the offender, or the crime unless such information has been verified by reliable sources.
  • In crimes other than homicide, identify the victim by age and area where the crime occurs, omitting street addresses and block numbers.
  • Refrain from using information gained from private conversations of victims or their relatives who are in shock or distraught.
  • Identify witnesses only when they volunteer to be named, and when there is clearly no danger that can be predicted through their identification by the media.
  • Never publish the identity of a sexual assault victim without his or her prior consent, regardless of whether the case is in the criminal or civil courts.
  • Never publish the identity of a child victim.
  • Never identify alleged or convicted incest offenders when such actions could lead to the identification of the victim.
  • In cases of kidnapping where it is determined that the victim has been sexually assaulted, stop identifying the victim by name once a sexual assault has been alleged.
  • Never identify the names of victims of scams or other crimes that tend to humiliate or degrade the victim without the victim's prior consent.
  • Refrain from photographing or broadcasting images that portray personal grief and/or shock resulting from a criminal act.
  • Never publish photographs or broadcast images that could place the subject in danger.
  • Refrain from showing photographs or broadcast images of deceased victims, body bags, or seriously wounded victims.
  • Never publish photographs or broadcast images of funerals without the surviving family members' prior consent.
  • Refer to drunk driving incidents as "crashes" or "crimes," not accidents, regardless of whether or not the use of alcohol has been determined as a factor.
  • Approach the coverage of all stories related to crime and victimization in a manner that is not lurid, sensational, or intrusive to the victim and his or her family.

Rabbi Moshe Eiseman - Is He Still At Ner Israel?


There have been allegations against Rabbi Moshe Eiseman molesting boys at Ner Israel for years.

Over the last few months several Eiseman survivors have come forward to disclosed their abuse and demand that Eiseman be relieved of his duties at the Yeshiva. Those in power at Ner Israel passed the information on to Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, who decided that Eiseman needed to leave.

Moshe Eiseman will be relieved of his duties any day now. I was told that his leaving will be done very quietly in hopes that it will not be disruptive to the new school year. I am curious if he's also been asked to move off of the Ner Israel campus?

Do you think any Jewish newspaper will pick up the story?

We all need to be asking where in the world will Rabbi Moshe Eiseman be going next? The odds are there will be no warning made to the new community where Eiseman goes.

The fear is that he will go back working with unsuspecting Soviet Jews. Remember, this is a man who has been a danger to our children for years!

Will Uncle Moshe be joining efforts with Rabbi Ephraim Byrks who also works with Russian Jews (Bryks is an alumni of Ner Israel)? Or will Eiseman be moving on to be near Rabbi Matis Weinberg?

For more information, download and watch the Bryks video

Rumor or Fact: Is Gary Rosenblatt Being Influenced By Ner Israel, Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer and Rabbi Moshe Heinemann?

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Gary Rosenblatt / Shmuel Juravel

As we all know there has been a controversy regarding the New York Week's covering of the case of Rabbi Mordechai Gafni. As it turned out Gary Rosenblatt (editor of the New York Jewish Week) and Rabbi Saul Berman have been good friends for over 30 years.

The rumor going around is that Gary Rosenblatt (who is an alumni of Ner Israel of Baltimore), is being influenced NOT to write about many cases in the Baltimore community. This includes the case of Shmuel Juravel who was recently convicted of a sex crime and was given a 22 year sentence in a federal prison.

Shmuel is the son of Rabbi Moshe and Shulamis Juravel of Baltimore, MD. Rabbi Juravel is employeed as a teacher at the Torah Institute of Baltimore. Shmuel Juravel is also the nephew of Rabbi Dovid Juravel and Rebbitzen Chana Juravel.

What's even more interesting is that the Baltimore Jewish Times never covered the story. Gary Rosenblatt is a past editor of the paper.

I guess they believe that the Jewish community in Maryland would not be interested in a case that involves one of their own?


Tuesday, August 29, 2006

JWB and Luke Ford on Rabbi Lipa Brenner, Rabbi Paysach Krohn and Rabbi Ephraim Bryks

A source of material in Rabbi Paysach Krohn's Magid series is a convicted pedophile rabbi

Jewish Whistleblower writes the Failed Messiah blog:

Unfortunately, there are elements of the Rabbanute committed to white-washing the humanity and flaws of our leadership and creating a false mythology.

This is nothing new. It is unfortunate, in my humble opinion, as clearly we have a Torah filled with characters who were human with flaws.

Compilers of our version of the Talmud removed from earlier manuscripts storys that placed the personalities of the Talmud in a negative light. The clearest example of this is Bruriah. The story of how she was seduced by a student of her husband, Rabbi Meir, which led to her suicide and her husband flight to Babylonia is now only in Talmudic commentaries to Tractate Avodah Zarah but clearly these commentators had access to earlier versions of our Talmud which still retained this story.

A modern example of this comes from the false story of Rabbi (Yom Tov) Lipa Brenner HaCohen written by Rabbi Paysach Krohn (brother-in-law of Rabbi Ephraim Boruch Bryks Halevi who is married to Brenner's daughter) in Around the Maggid's Table, R. Paysach Krohn, p.98. Rabbi Brenner has provided information to Krohn regarding the historical background of many selections in Krohn's books (p.15, The Maggid Speaks: Favorite Stories and Parables of Rabbi Sholom Schwadron, Shlita By Paysach J Krohn).

[JWB emails Luke: "Rabbi Brenner has provided information to Krohn regarding the historical background of many selections in Krohn's books. This raises further questions as to the credibility of Krohn's body of work. Proof of Brenner's collaboration can be found in Krohn's writings in his Magid books by searching Google books."]

I present to you a retelling of the false story found on a website for a Bukharian youth group that has received funds and sponsorship from at least one mortgage broker company related to Rabbi Brenner with long quotes from Krohn's book. I will follow the lie by the actual truth:

1) THE LIE:
The following amazing true story illustrates the importance of correcting others in the nicest way possible:
Being a Rabbi in a small town, far from any city with a large Jewish population is often a lonely and thankless job. True, there is much to accomplish, but the challenges that need to be overcome on the way to solidifying a minyan of shomrei Shabbos (Sabbath observers), building a day school, or convincing people to uphold and maintain standards of kashrus and family purity always seem to be uphill struggles. More often than not, a Rabbi in an area with a limited number of Jewish inhabitants gets the feeling that the Jews in the community are simply not on the same wave length as he is.
One such rav was Rav Lipa Brenner, who had been inspired to enter the rabbinate by his mentor in Yeshiva Torah V'daas, Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz (1886-1948) of blessed memory. After a few years of serving as a rabbi and principal in a small town in New Jersey, Reb Lipa was becoming exasperated. The local baalei battim (laymen) were not cooperating with him in his endeavors and Reb Lipa's accomplishments seemed to dim with every passing year. Meanwhile, to add to his dilemma, business opportunities beckoned from New York. Aside from the potential financial security that was so alluring, New York offered a variety of boys' and girls' yeshivos in which Reb Lipa might finally have the opportunity to provide his children with the chinuch (education) that he felt was proper and essential.
In a quandary as to whether or not to leave the rabbinate, he decided to travel to Eretz Yisrael and seek the advice of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Reb Chaim Mayer Hager, of blessed memory. (1888-1972). Reb Lipa obtained his tickets and a passport, and made the trip. However, upon his arrival he was informed that the Rebbe was preparing to leave for Lugano, Switzerland, and would receive no more visitors before his departure. So Reb Lipa followed him to Switzerland.
In Lugano, Reb Lipa made his way to where the Rebbe was staying. He waited his turn to see the Rebbe and, when he was finally ushered in, the Rebbe asked Reb Lipa to sit beside him at his table. Seated across the table was another rav from Tel Aviv. After a few moments the rebbetzin (Rebbe's wife) came in with a glass of hot tea for her husband. Before she could even put the tea on the table, the Rebbe gently admonished her and said, "Please bring two more glasses of tea. We are three rabbanim (rabbis) here about to have a discussion."
Reb Lipa was astounded. The Rebbe had referred to him as a rav, and talked of him as though he were a peer. Reb Lipa trembled as he realized the significance of the title the Vizhnitzer Rebbe had inadvertently bestowed on him. But perhaps it wasn't inadvertent? Did the Rebbe know that he was thinking of leaving the rabbinate? Reb Lipa never bothered to find out. Then and there he resolved his own conflict. He would retain his position as rav.
Reb Lipa went on to teach and influence hundreds of under-affiliated Jews. For example, more than two decades later, Reb Lipa was visiting in the Mattersdorf section of Jerusalem. It was Shabbos afternoon and dozens of children were playing in the streets, which are cordoned off until nightfall. Suddenly a bearded young man came over to Reb Lipa, yelling, "Rebbe!" Reb Lipa turned around, but he did not recognize anyone. "Rebbe," the young man said, smiling, "you are Reb Brenner, aren't you? You probably don't recognize me anymore. I went to your school back in New Jersey more than twenty years ago. Come with me," the young man said warmly. "I want to introduce you to your grandchildren."
The young man took Reb Lipa by the hand and brought him to where his wife was watching their children play. The Sages tell us "Anyone who teaches Torah to a child of his friend, is as though he gave birth to [the child,]" said the young man, citing the Talmud (Sanhedrin 19b). "Thus, if I am your child, these are your grandchildren."
The young man was indeed one of the five from a foster home in New Jersey whom Reb Lipa had dedicated himself to teach Torah so many years previous. Reb Lipa had seen to it that he attend the Mirrer Yeshiva in New York, and from there, the young man went on to become an outstanding talmid chacham (Torah Scholar). Reb Lipa had all but forgotten him, but the young man had remembered. The face of his mentor had been etched in the child's memory forever. (Around the Maggid's Table R. Paysach Krohn, p.98)
We see the power of correcting others in a kind way. The Torah and mitzvahs of the young man and his family were only possible because Reb Lipa decided to stay a Rabbi. Thus, the kind words of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe had a tremendous effect on several generations. In our story, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe merely treated Reb Lipa with respect, by referring to him with the title of "Rav." There are plenty of businessmen but precious few talented Rabbis who can teach authentic Torah to the masses. Thus, Reb Lipa was much more needed in the rabbinate than in business. The Vizhnitzer Rebbe, who was endowed with enhanced spiritual powers of perception was able to see into Reb Lipa's soul and know what issue was on his mind. Therefore, when it came time to give Reb Lipa his opinion, the Rebbe did so in the sweetest way possible.


2) THE TRUTH

Rabbi "Lewis" (Yom Tov) Lipa Hacohen is a vile pedophile. He was convicted in 1996 of child molestation. The original charges included 14 counts of sodomy, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. He agreed to plead guilty to one count of sodomy in the third degree, a Class E felony, in exchange for a sentence of five years' probation.

Prosecutors said Brenner had sexual contact with a youth he met in the bathroom of the synagogue they attended. The molestations allegedly took place over a three-year period that ended in 1995 when the victim was 15 years old.

Yes, that is why the local baalei battim were not "cooperating" with him in his endeavors. They wanted him out of chinuch and out of their communities and institutions.

Instead, Rabbi Brenner moved from one community to the next through numerous synagogues and institutions in NJ and NY state. Brenner was a former Vice President of the Rabbinical Alliance of America and has held numerous pulpit positions in NY and NJ over the past 50 years.

See UOJ's discussion.

As to the assertion "Reb Lipa was much more needed in the rabbinate than in business". He was a complete and total fraud in both. His involvment in both is a complete chilul Hashem [desecration of God's name].

As to his business dealings, see my post about Rabbi Brenner's financial dealings and their possible impact on the child molestation criminal charges at:
Former Rabbinical Alliance of America VP & confessed/convicted child-molester: no jail time. Did his role in $57 million government fraud save him?

[JWB emails Luke: Rabbi Lewis Brenner hired the same lawyer to represent him as Rabbi Baruch Lanner, Marvin E. Schechter, former president of the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. It seems that Orthodox Rabbis know who to go to when they are charged with child molestation.]

Yes folks, the truth, not the lie told by Rav Krohn in his Maggid's Table Artsroll myths and his stated questionable historical background source of the many other stories that Krohn has written. His source? To repeat: A convicted/confessed child molester involved in $57 million of government fraud.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Rabbi Yosef Blau's Comment on Un-Orthodox Jew

Rabbi Yosef Blau
Unorthodox Jew

There is a correlation between the problem of growing economic criminal behavior in the Orthodox community and the scandal of sexual abuse. It is the same hiding behind a halakhic formalism that justifies laundering money since the Shulchan Aruch does not mention it as prohibited, that fails to comprehend why it is horrendous for adults to abuse children. In modern societies dishonesty and moral depravity are often expressed in different terms from those mentioned in traditional sources but the ethical and moral principles of halakha remain valid. Unfortunately we lack the rabbinic leadership prepared to make the necessary applications.

Rabbi Yisrael Salanter started a Mussar movement primarily concerned with character development and ethical sensitivity but when was the last time one heard a Mussar shmuze that mentioned either.

As a child I was brought up with the model of my grandfather trying to pay back his creditors during the depression because an ehrlicher yid should not rely on the technical use of bankruptcy to avoid his responsibilities.

Yosef Blau

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Study on sexuality in the Orthodox Jewish community

This is a recent article on a study on sexuality in the Orthodox Jewish community. (pdf file)

Excerpt from article below
4) SEXUAL ABUSE IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
• Sadly, we found the same statistics for sexual molestation and abuse of girls and teens as in the secular population. One quarter of our respondents reported sexual molestation as girls or teens.

While patterns of molestation varied somewhat from secular studies, we must face up to the fact that, contrary to popular belief, traditional religious life does not guarantee protection for girls and teens in this arena.

Beloved Words-Milin Havivin
A Student Journal Devoted to
Torah, Society and the Rabbinate
Published by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School
Volume Two Sivan 5766 – June 2006
Page 185

ON INTIMACY, LOVE, KEDUSHAH AND SEXUALITY:
REFLECTIONS ON THE 5TH ANNUAL
YCT RABBINICAL SCHOOL/COMMUNITY YOM IYYUN
IN CONJUNCTION WITH
CONGREGATION OHAB ZEDEK*
Michelle Friedman, M.D.

INTRODUCTION
This unique yom iyyun was created in partnership between YCT Rabbinical
School and Congregation Ohab Zedek. The title itself conveys a great deal
about the ambitious agenda—we chose very specific words, and we encourage
you, the reader, just as we encouraged the participants on December 26, to
think about them, to pause and reflect on what they mean to you: “Intimacy,
Love, Kedushah and Sexuality.”

For me, these are words for powerful and different states of feeling and experience
that may or may not be experienced at the same time. However the
words resonate for each individual, the operative word for the yom iyyun and this
summary is kedushah, translated as “sanctity” and which should be accompanied
by respect and modesty. In that spirit, we understand that it is not only possible,
but necessary, to discuss these feelings and experiences associated with intimacy,
love and sexuality using clear and direct language.

OVERVIEW
We understand that attitudes, values and behaviors are fundamentally rooted in
the home. Children who come from loving homes where physicality is discussed
* This event took place at Congregation Ohab Zedek in New York City on December
26, 2005.

185
MillinHavivinEng06 7/19/06 11:08 AM Page 185
have the best chance of themselves constructing emotionally and sexually
healthy relationships in marriage. At the same time, no matter the home, education
in schools and in other vehicles, such as hatan/kallah preparation classes,
plays a crucial role.

The yom iyyun takes a closer look at these opportunities. Rabbi Allen
Schwartz framed our inquiry in a Torah context. Our two panels of experts considered
the broad topics of education and intimacy in marriage. For the first
panel, Dr. Chaya Gorsetman, Professor of Education at Stern College, addressed
the development of trust—the necessary precursor to intimacy—and sexuality in
young children. She was followed by Rabbi Mark Gottlieb, Head of School at
Yeshiva University High School for Boys and Dr. Jerry Zeitchik, Director of
Guidance at the Ramaz Upper School, who explored issues of sexuality and education
in the yeshiva high school setting. In the second panel, Rabbi Yosef Blau,
Mashgiah Ruhani at Yeshiva University drew from his many years of experience
in framing his remarks about contemporary challenges in sexuality and marriage.
Shuli Sandler, an instructor at Drisha Institute for Jewish Education, and,
together with her husband Ben, a hatan/kallah educator, presented an overview
of their unique co-ed marriage preparation class. My own presentation was an
overview of points drawn from a recent data study I did with several colleagues
on the sexual life of observant Jewish women.

OBSERVATIONS DRAWN FROM
“SEXUAL LIFE AND OBSERVANT WOMEN” STUDY
Besides chairing the department of pastoral counseling at YCT Rabbinical
School, I also practice psychiatry on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Clinical
involvement with observant Jews over the past 25 years in conjunction with a
1999 national secular report on sexual behavior led several colleagues and me to
conduct a questionnaire based study that explored emotional and sexual experience
of religiously observant Jewish women. We collected data from over 400
women in the United States and Israel and analyzed this material using statistical
methodology. We also encouraged respondents to write narrative accounts that
further enriched our research. The material in our study came from women who
scrupulously adhered to niddah laws. We look forward to publishing a full
description of our findings in the near future. Here are a few key observations
relevant to the yom iyyun inquiry:

1) EDUCATION
• Women are not in the main learning about the basics of sex
from their mothers or other family members. More than 70%
of our respondents learned about sex from friends their own age,
186 Milin Havivin

MillinHavivinEng06 7/19/06 11:08 AM Page 186
not generally the best source of accurate or appropriate information.
• While 90% of the women in our study took a kallah class prior to
marriage, most felt that this instruction did not adequately prepare
them for marital sexual life. They describe that their teachers’
emphasis was to insure that students not commit halakhic
errors, Teachers in general did not offer basic instruction that
women felt would have been very helpful. Topics that the women
repeatedly mentioned in which they wished they had instruction
were the differences between male and female sexuality, couple
communication, and basics of sexual practice.

• Women also described difficulty making the transition from niddah
to non-niddah (i.e. sexually available) times. We found that
when they do have sexual difficulties after marriage, they almost
never ask their kallah teachers for help.

2) IMPACT OF NIDDAH ON SEXUAL AND EMOTIONAL LIFE.
• Our respondents strongly advocated for the positive impact of a
two week separation period in terms of reducing sexual boredom
and increasing desire. However, only a minority felt that niddah
observance improved their emotional relationship. Many women
described feeling estranged from their husbands when physical
touch was not available.

3) COMMUNICATION
• We found that one of the most significant predictors of sexual
satisfaction in marriage was evenness of communication about
sex. Responses of women who felt that they could initiate sex or
express their preference for and response to specific activity was
highly correlated with positive ratings about their intimate marital
life.

• Husbands’ sexual dysfunction also significantly contributes to
marital sexual dissatisfaction. Here, as well, communication
between the couple figures importantly. People are more likely to
get help if they can first acknowledge that they have a problem.

4) SEXUAL ABUSE IN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE
• Sadly, we found the same statistics for sexual molestation and
abuse of girls and teens as in the secular population. One quarter
of our respondents reported sexual molestation as girls or teens.
While patterns of molestation varied somewhat from secular stud-
Michelle Friedman 187

MillinHavivinEng06 7/19/06 11:08 AM Page 187
ies, we must face up to the fact that, contrary to popular belief,
traditional religious life does not guarantee protection for girls
and teens in this arena.

5) DENOMINATIONAL AFFILIATION
• Whether a woman affiliates as Hassidic, Yeshivish/Agudah or
Modern Orthodox turned out to be statistically unimportant in
terms of marital sexual satisfaction. However, whether she is a
ba’alat teshuvah vs. being raised religious (frum from birth) is
significant.

• Women who became religious reported better marital sexual satisfaction.
Likely explanations for this are multi-faceted and will be
explored in our longer paper, but we suspect that less inhibited
attitudes towards sexuality among women who were not raised
religious play a major role.

6) RELIGIOUS GUIDANCE IN SEXUAL LIFE
• We found that while over 90% of our respondents ask rabbis
questions about Kashrut and Shabbat, a much smaller percentage
ask questions about sexual practice. This was not for lack of
curiosity—half of our respondents had such questions, but very
few ask for rabbinic guidance. Similarly, while the majority of
women answering the questionnaire used birth control at some
point, less than half reported asking for rabbinic guidance in
making those contraceptive decisions.

These findings leave the observant community with much to think about. Since
we are committed to the principle of kedushah guiding all major realms of life,
we must wonder why significant areas of sexual life seem to be hovering on the
outskirts of religious consciousness. We need to re-evaluate the place of relationship,
intimacy and sexuality education in the yeshiva day school system as well as
the curriculum and format of pre-marital preparation programs. Lastly, we must
educate our future rabbis and religious teachers so that they are knowledgeable
in and comfortable with this basic area of life. Only when these leaders model
appropriately modest yet clear familiarity with issues of sexual life, will the community
move forward in this regard.

188 Milin Havivin
MillinHavivinEng06 7/19/06 11:08 AM Page 188
William Friedman is a second-year student
at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah.
A RESPONSE TO DEBBY KOREN*
William Friedman
I thank Dr. Koren for her response, and I am flattered that my modest article
merited such a learned study. She may rest assured that the limited scope of my
original piece was a conscious decision, motivated by a desire to use a relatively
uncontroversial example to open the conversation in this area (with the full
awareness that something truly comprehensive was needed, which I promised in
footnote 4 of my original piece). I also wished to demonstrate, implicitly, the
underlying assumptions of sifrei halakhah directed towards women that control
their readings of the sources, even when those readings are presented impartially.
Dr. Koren has anticipated a principal line of argumentation that I intended to
present in that fuller article1—barukh she-kivant, and as for me, mitzvah she-ba
le-yado al yahmitzenah. I wish to add a few notes and to fend off some potential
challenges to Dr. Koren’s analysis, but ultimately I am in full agreement with
her conclusion.

Dr. Koren is correct to point out that one limitation of the approach I presented2
is that there are disputed opinions regarding women’s obligations on
several of the days on which Hallel is recited, and that the mainstream pesak
regarding women’s obligations on Sukkot, Shavuot, and the first day of Pesah is
that they are exempt.3 However, the need to then explain the difference could
* See the Hebrew section of this volume of Milin Havivin.

1 And for which I intended to thank Michael Rosenberg and Josh Greenfield for pointing
out its cogency and utility.

2 Namely, examining the relative weight of the halakhic obligation of men and women
to recite Hallel on various occasions, and to claim that on those occasions when the
obligatory statuses are equal, women can and ought to serve as shelihot tzibur on an
equal basis with men.

3 See, however, Ra’avyah, Hilkhot Lulav, 2:685, who holds that women are obligated
to recite Hallel on these days. He quotes the opinion that they are exempt because it is a
mitzvat aseh she-ha-zeman gerama in the name of his teacher R. Yitzhak ben R. Asher
Ha-Levi (see Aptowitzer, Mavo le-Sefer ha-Ra’avyah, pp. 23, 369), and disagrees, holding
that the point of the Mishnahh is to tell us the lowliness (geri’uta) of the unlearned
man who needs to rely on these people (slaves, women, and children) to recite Hallel.
Aptowitzer (Sefer Ra’avyah, pub. Hevrat Mekitzei Nirdamim, p. 391, n. 12) suggests
that Ra’avyah’s pesak is based on his version of the Mishnah (attested to in manuscripts
and other Rishonim), and adduces an additional proof from Rava’s statement on Sukah
189

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be seen as an advantage (minimally, as a chance for Talmud Torah; maximally, as
a chance to overcome the sociological barriers to women’s participation by
pointing out the opportunities for participation that are well-supported by standard
halakhic reasoning). Even granting its limitations, I would still contend
that this approach is useful for those congregations who will either end up disagreeing
with Koren’s argument, who will find the sociological or halakhic
implications troublesome, or who will not wish to change their minhag of
recitation to conform with her conclusions. In addition, my analysis is still necessary
for those who follow the custom of the Gr”a (to recite Psalm 118:1-4
responsively on days on which Hallel is minhag) cited by Dr. Koren (p. 9, and
nn. 21 and 28). (On a different note, it is also important to clarify this issue for
women themselves in order that they become aware of their obligations.)
Dr. Koren’s argument proceeds as follows: In order for someone to fulfill his or
her obligation to say Hallel through another (the makreh of Mishnah Sukah 3:10,
who would need to be identically mehuyav), one needs to respond “Haleluyah” to
each phrase read by the makreh. Already by the time of Rava, this had fallen out
of practice,4 and the customary recitation of Hallel was not in the manner of the
makreh of the Mishnah but had taken on a new form that consisted of a remembrance
of various earlier practices. Rashi, Tosafot, and Ritva all interpret Rava as
belonging to an era in which everyone was already expert (beki’in) in saying
Hallel and therefore were not relying on the shaliah tzibur, but rather only recalling
an earlier practice.5 Tosafot and Arukh La-Ner testify that in their communi-
38b which mentions only children but not women, suggesting that there is a distinction
between women and children’s reciting Hallel for adult men. Unfortunately, I have yet
to locate a single Rishon, even among the students of Ra’avyah, who decide in accordance
with, or even reference, his pesak. It was to this source that I was referring in my
somewhat cryptic footnote 4 when I wrote: “. . . nor will I dispute the underlying
assumption . . . that reciting Hallel on certain occasions is undisputably a mitzvah she-hazeman
gerama from which women are exempt . . . is the correct explanation of the
Mishnah.” The possibility remains that a posek, under appropriate conditions, could
decide like Ra’avyah or use him as part of a larger halakhic argument.
4 This is already noted, and the development from Tannaitic times traced, by Rabbi
Yosef Tzvi Ha-Levi Dünner, chief rabbi of Amsterdam from 1874-1914. See Hidushei
ha-Ritzad, Sukah 38a, s.v. sham be-dibbur hamathil mi shehayah eved ve-khulei, p. 281,
pub. Mossad haRav Kook.

5 One might note that the custom described by Rava on Sukah 38b does not lead
directly to the conclusion that in Rava’s time the sha”tz was not relied upon at all. The
GemaraGemara there says: “He says barukh ha-ba and they say be-shem Hashem. From
here [one learns that] hearing is like responding (shomei’a ke-oneh).” The Yerushalmi
(Sukah 3:10, Megilah 1:8) makes the same point: “They asked before Rabbi Hiyya bar
Ba: whence [do we learn that] if one heard but did not respond he has fulfilled his obligation?
He said to them: From that which we observed: great rabbis were standing in a
congregation and these were saying barukh ha-ba and these were saying be-shem Hashem.
And both were fulfilling their obligations.” In addition to revealing a split between the
custom of Eretz Yisrael (where the congregation was engaging in a responsive communal
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ties all were experts and did not rely on the shaliah tzibur. In addition, Dr. Koren
cites Meiri that a baki may only rely on the principle of shomei’a ke-oneh after the
fact (bedei’avad) and not le-khathilah as evidence that it is preferable for a baki
not to rely on the shaliah tzibur at all.6 Finally, Dr. Koren contends that nowadays,
in an era of ubiquitous siddurim with translations and with halakhic permission
to say Hallel in any language, we are all considered experts.

Dr. Koren then considers whether current practices of saying Hallel require
one to rely on the shaliah tzibur to fulfill one’s obligation. She points out the
widespread practice of reciting the first four verses of psalm 118 responsively
with the sha”tz, with the congregation reciting only the first verse in response.
Tosafot hold that one has nonetheless fulfilled his obligation because of shomei’a
ke-oneh, a principle that only applies if the mashmi’a is obligated to the same
level as (or a higher level than) the shomei’a. Instead of responding directly to
this point7, Dr. Koren cites Magen Avraham, the Gr”a, Mishnah Berurah, and
Rabbi Yekutiel Yehuda Halberstam, all of whom recommend that one not rely
on the sha”tz, but rather say the entirety of Hallel him or herself. She concludes
that in those places that follow the custom of reciting all of Hallel, including
Psalm 118:1-4, as individuals with the sha”tz, a non-obligated person may
“lead” a congregation of obligated people.

recitation) and the custom of Babylonia, it indicates that at least in Rava’s community the
congregation was relying on the sha”tz himself. Of those who claim that in Rava’s generation
the sha”tz was no longer fulfilling anyone’s obligation, none respond to this point.
The most obvious suggestion is to say that the language of the Rishonim when they said
that “no one is relying on the sha”tz at all” was imprecise. Nevertheless, Dr. Koren still
has the clear statements of the Rishonim and Aharonim she cites to support her contention
that at various times, according to various minhagim, the sha”tz’s role when reciting
Hallel was not to fulfill the obligation of the individuals in the congregation.
6 The Yerushalmi, cited above in note 5, reveals an important point about shomei’a keoneh:
that one can fulfill one’s obligation through an agent even if that agent is not the
formal shaliah tzibur and even (at least regarding Hallel) if one hears it from a group of
people. This responds to a potential criticism of Dr. Koren’s argument: Even if Dr. Koren
is technically correct, perhaps one ought to worry about the minority who would need to
rely on the sha”tz? (Such a situation would itself be extremely rare—the sha”tz would have
to be reciting exactly the words that such a person is unable to recite himself, and the person
must be able to understand them). Based on the Yerushalmi, in those congregations
in which people sing Hallel together, such an obligated person could rely on hearing the
recitation of the congregation, provided it included at least one other obligated person.
7 It would be extremely tempting, based on the silence of the Rishonim to the point I
raised in note 5, to say that somehow, for some reason, in such a limited case of call and
response, one is not “relying” on the sha”tz. Without a plausible conceptual or explanatory
framework, however, one would be hard-pressed to do so. (One extremely farfetched
explanation: perhaps both the sha”tz and the congregation said the words being
recited by the other silently, so that it merely sounded like a responsive recitation.
Neither this explanation nor the one I offer in the aforementioned footnote would support
the aforementioned tempting claim.)

William Friedman 191
MillinHavivinEng06 7/19/06 11:08 AM Page 191
Two points, I believe, deserve further discussion. In her footnote 28, Dr.
Koren says that no one objects to the suggestion of saying each verse by itself, as
opposed to repeating “hodu” in addition to each verse.8 R. Moshe Sternbuch, in
Teshuvot ve-Hanhagot (Orah Hayim 119), does seem to object to this suggestion,
after quoting the custom of the Gr”a: “But [it is] from the essence of the
law of Hallel (me-ikar din Hallel) to hear from the shaliah tzibur and to fulfill
[one’s obligation] from him when he says each time ‘yomeru na’ and one
responds ‘hodu,’ and it is appropriate on yamim tovim and Hanukkah that the
shaliah tzibbur alone should say ‘yomar na’ and the congregation should only
sing [in reponse] to this ‘hodu.’”9 Although R. Sternbuch’s point is well-taken,
it is surprising that he would prioritize what is at best a minhag (acting as a
zekher) over the negative consequences of maintaining the current practice
(potentially not fulfilling one’s obligation by missing the words of the sha”tz).
This is particularly strange given the elegance with which the solution of the
Gr”a and Mishnah Berurah mitigates against that consequence.
This question opens the door to a more sweeping practical criticism of Dr.
Koren’s argument: Why should a congregation choose a practice (appointing a
non-obligated “sha”tz”) that leaves open the possibility of anyone not fulfilling
his obligation? The response to this, I believe, is three-fold. First, we are already
in such a situation, according to the Gr”a—in fact, retaining our current custom
of recitation is the halakhically dubious option, and once we have remedied that
situation, appointing a non-obligated sha”tz is a non-issue! Second, Be’ur
Halakhah (Shulhan Arukh Orah Hayim 422 s.v. Hallel) records a mahloket over
8 One of these is the Nezirut Shimshon (R. Samson [the Hasid] ben Moses Bloch,
Hamburg, d. 1737), who comments on Magen Avraham 422:8: “And it is better that
they should say them [the verses of Psalm 118:1-4] to themselves—This does not appear right
to me, for if so, how will one [be able to] say hodu three times, for this is not part of the
decree (takanah) and is considered an interruption.” While Dr. Koren is right that this
only applies in the latter case, I would imagine, as a practical issue, that many congregations
would want to retain their current practice as much as possible, and therefore
deserves addressing. This argument was clearly not accepted by the Gr”a or Mishnah
Berurah. Assuming they were aware of it, two possible legal explanations present themselves:
1) Unlike Nezirut Shimshon, who describes the Hallel practices as a takanah (and
one wonders when such a takanah was established, given the changes and flexibility of
recitation practices of Hallel, as articluated by Tosafot), these authorities might view it in
the realm of minhag (in line with the simple sense of the Mishnah), with that category’s
attendant flexibility; 2) they might take a more flexible view of repeating words in tefilot
and disagree that it would constitute a hefsek. There is no practical difference between
these two explanations for our issue.

9 Similarly, Peri Hadash (R. Hezekiah di Silva, 1659-1697, Jerusalem) Hilkhot Rosh
Hodesh 422:3 (towards the end), claims that for those whose custom is not to recite
barukh ha-ba be-shem Hashem responsively, the responsive repetition of Psalm 118:1-4
teaches shomei’a ke-oneh in its stead. Unlike R. Sternbuch, Peri Hadash offers this not as
halakhah le-ma’aseh but rather as a theoretical solution to solve a problem in Rambam.
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whether a baki may fulfill his obligation, even bedei’avad, through an agent. This
could be formulated as a safek de-oraita, according to those who hold that Hallel
is an obligation with Biblical force. Again, once this problem is remedied, there is
no problem with a non-obligated sha”tz. Finally, and this is a practical response,
implementing this change would actually force congregations to face the issues
raised by their current repetitions.10 As a practical suggestion, it might make
sense, on those holidays on which there is significant doubt whether women have
any obligation at all, for the shelihei tzibur to be male for the first year when
introducing this change in custom (such as, e.g., creating new melodies to sing
all four verses without repetition), to avoid any potential confusion.

The second point concerns Dr. Koren’s dismissal of the question of the curse
(me’eira) as applicable only when the sha”tz is in the role of makrei, which she
denies is the role of the sha”tz in her model. That role, based on Magen Avraham,
is as a guide for the congregation in singing, a person who either cannot fulfill the
obligation of the individuals in the tzibur since they are beki’in or will not because
all are reciting every word together—is this not extremely close to, if not identical
with, the role being fulfilled by those in the first clause of the Mishnah? Therefore,
I think, it might be useful to examine the various reasons attributed to the curse
and whether they might serve as impediments or cautions for our case.

Rashi gives a two-pronged explanation. First, he claims that one who is unlearned
is cursed for his ignorance. This is clearly inapplicable to us since we
have the status of beki’in. Rashi’s reason for why learned men are cursed is that
they disgrace their Creator by appointing agents such as these (sometimes quoted
as “lowly” agents)—which is inapplicable in a social circumstance in which
such people are not considered disgraceful. Tosafot disagree that the Mishnah
can be referring to a learned person at all; they read the curse as applicable only
to the unlearned person, and attribute the curse not to his ignorance, but rather
to his disgracing his Creator by appointing an non-obligated person. Since this
is entirely within the context of the unlearned person, it is similarly inapplicable
in our all-baki situation.

Meromei Sadeh (R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, 1817-1893, Volozhin)
attempts to reconcile Tosafot and Rashi by claiming the former are discussing a
person in the home and the latter a person in the synagogue. That is to say, in
the home only an unlearned person would appoint a makrei; in the synagogue,
even a learned person would appoint a sha”tz—and in that case, appointing a
non-obligated person out of his own laziness is a disgrace. This would be inapplicable
when the decision to appoint an non-obligated sha”tz comes out of
motivations other than laziness (such as, e.g., choosing a sha”tz with the best
voice). Tiferet Yisrael (R. Israel Lipschitz, 1782-1860, Danzig) on Sukah 3:61
attributes the reason for the curse to the person’s need for the learning of these
10 There is, of course, a fourth argument, based on principles of kavod ha-beriyot and
merutzeh le-kahal—but such arguments would do little to convince nay-sayers, and so I
have presented technical responses which all would have to admit have compelling force.
William Friedman 193

MillinHavivinEng06 7/19/06 11:08 AM Page 193
people and not going to beit ha-keneset. Since the very context of our discussion
is the synagogue, this reason similarly falls away. All of the reasons proffered for
the curse are therefore inapplicable to our situation, even without resorting to
Dr. Koren’s entirely defensible dismissal.

I will close with a few general comments. It seems absolutely clear to me that
in a congregation that follows the custom of reciting all of Hallel with the
sha”tz, in line with the posekim that recommend this practice,11 Dr. Koren’s
approach is a readily acceptable way to allow women to lead the recitation.12 It
should also be noted that the line of argumentation advanced by Dr. Koren has
potentially vast ramifications for women leading all parts of the service.13 The
halakha she cites (p.10) in the name of Magen Avraham (Shulhan Arukh Orah
Hayim 53:20) is brought in the general context of describing an appropriate
shaliah tzibur, minimally for the Amidah, and probably for keri’at shema u-virkhoteha
as well. This is not a criticism; however, even if all halakhic problems were
to be overcome, many women (and men) would still feel cheated being allowed
to lead because of a devaluing of the position of shaliah tzibur.14
Finally, while I appreciate Dr. Koren’s concern that my approach requires
making fine distinctions between different occasions on which Hallel is recited,
her approach also requires making distinctions, this time between different customs
of reciting Hallel. I can’t say for sure which distinction is harder for congregations
to make, although I suspect that changing a widespread practice, particularly
when it is, as she points out, beloved, will be at least as challenging.
The ideal solution, I fear, has yet to be formulated.

11 This is also the practice recorded in the widespread Artscroll siddur. See R. Nosson
Scherman and R. Meir Zlotowitz (ed.), The Complete Artscroll Siddur (Brooklyn, NY,
1987), p. 638-9: “Each of the following four verses [of Psalm 118] is recited aloud by the
chazzan. After each verse, the congregation responds, ‘Give thanks to Hashem for He is
good; His kindness endures forever,’ and then recites the succeeding verse [emphasis added].”
12 Presuming the issues to which I alluded in the introductory footnote to my original
article have been addressed.

13 A short analysis was already offered by R. Mayer Rabinowitz in a paper written in support
of ordaining women as rabbis in the Conservative movement. See Simon
Greenberg, ed., On the Ordination of Women as Rabbis, pp. 115-117. See also the critical
response of R. Joel Roth, ibid., p. 179, n. 69.

14 I wish to thank Jenny Labendz for pointing this out (in a different context); it has
also been suggested by R. Roth, ad. loc. and in personal communication. I do not think
this is a reasonable criticism to level at one using this reasoning to justify women leading
Hallel, since already Rishonim were aware that the sha”tz for Hallel was no longer serving
in the role of fulfilling the obligations of the individuals in the community; nevertheless,
the position has remained respected, no doubt in part because of the havivut of
Hallel and the need for a highly competent sha”tz to lead it in a beautiful and pleasing
way. Certainly Magen Avraham could not have meant to debase the role of sha”tz!

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Rabbi David Kaye Video from NBC 4 - DC

<>Prosecution Rests In Rabbi Internet Sex Sting Case
Suspect Charged After 'Dateline NBC' Sting

NBC News
August 21, 2006

Video Link: Rabbi On Trial In Sex-Sting Case

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

(NY) Sexual Abuse Survivors Show

The image “http://www.healthy.net/CreativeJournal/images/CreativeJournal.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.
The Sexual Abuse Survivors Show (SASS) is a multi-dimensional project featuring the art, music, poetry etc. of sexual abuse survivors. It offers a safe space for survivors to exhibit the creative works they have done to heal from their abuse, and provides a culturally and socially enriching experience for the public.

The primary goals of S.A.S.S. are to facilitate a cathartic healing experience in the artists/survivors who submit their works of art for the show, to raise public awareness about the prevalence and devastating effects of sexual abuse, and to educate professionals about the use of art in healing. S.A.S.S. is held at Dowling College in Oakdale, L.I., and N.Y. The 2006 S.A.S.S. will be in October on the 14th and 15th from 11:00am to 5:00pm with set- up on the 13th after 6pm.

SASS is attended by child and adult survivors of sexual abuse who submit works of art to the event as well as those who choose only to attend; loved ones of survivors; professionals working in the fields of mental health, family violence and child abuse, drug and alcohol treatment, art and art therapy, education; and the general community, particularly those interested in art and/or healing.

Please feel free to copy the enclosed "Save the Date and Call for Art" and share it with others. All artists must complete a "Call for Art" in order to participate in the show.

If you need any further information, please contact:
Holly Beck, Coordinator
F.E.G.S.; L.I.F.E. Program
445 Oak Street
Copiague, NY 11726.
631-26402915 x 302
hbeck@fegs.org (e-mail)

There are no fees charged for either displaying art or attending the show. The only requirements are applicants be survivors of sexual abuse and wish to display their artwork. All applicants who fulfill this requirement are accepted.

Rabbi David Kaye Denies Interest In Teenage Boys

Rabbi caught in sex sting denies interest in teenage boys
AP (The Advocate)
August 23, 2006

A Maryland rabbi caught in an Internet watchdog group's nationally televised sex sting took the stand in his own defense Wednesday and denied that he intended to have sex with a 13-year-old boy. David A. Kaye, 55, of Rockville, Maryland, was charged in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, with coercing and enticing a minor as well as traveling across state lines for illegal sexual contact.

The charges came after a November episode of Dateline NBC in which Kaye was one of 19 men who showed up at a Herndon, Virginia, home after engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with adults from a watchdog group called Perverted Justice who were pretending to be minors. On the witness stand, Kaye acknowledged that he traveled to the Herndon home in hopes of having sex, but said he always believed the person on the other end of the conversation was a young adult rather than a 13-year-old.

During the online chats, Kaye makes several references to the chatter's youth and once tells him, "You are so, so young. I've never been with a young man like you, but I'd like to."

Kaye said he was only going along with what he assumed to be role playing by an adult male. "I was never there to meet a 13-year-old," Kaye said.

Kaye acknowledged that he frequently had homosexual encounters with people he met in online chat rooms, but said none were minors. Even though this chatter said in his online profile that he was 13, Kaye said many chatters fabricate their online profiles for various reasons. Kaye's lawyer, Peter Greenspun, said during closing arguments that "lies on the Internet in this area are the norm, not the exception."

Prosecutor Edmund Power said Kaye's story doesn't make sense when his denials are compared to his actions. Power pointed out that Kaye admitted he was doing "something not good" when a Dateline correspondent confronted Kaye with cameras rolling inside the Herndon home.

But Power said the clearest evidence of Kaye's guilt were his own words during the chat sessions, in which he asks the chatter about his age and hesitates to send sexually explicit pictures of himself to someone so young.

Kaye, who had previously been a rabbi for a Potomac, Maryland, congregation, resigned from his job as vice president of Rockville-based Jewish youth organization called PANIM: the Institute for Jewish Leaders and Values, in the wake of the sting. He said Wednesday that he hid his homosexual activity over many decades from his wife of 30 years and from his congregants.

Kaye is one of several individuals who were prosecuted by federal and local authorities after being caught in the Dateline sting. A former Army sergeant at Fort Belvoir, Joseph J. Wunderler, was sentenced last month to five years in prison on similar charges. Perverted Justice says its efforts have led to more than 60 convictions.

U.S. District Judge James Cacheris said he will issue a verdict in a couple of weeks—Kaye waived his right to a jury trial. Cacheris told the lawyers that the case "turns on the credibility" of Kaye's testimony.

Update: Case of Rabbi David Kaye - Denies Interest In Teenage Boys

Rabbi caught in sex sting denies interest in teenage boys
AP (The Advocate)
August 23, 2006

A Maryland rabbi caught in an Internet watchdog group's nationally televised sex sting took the stand in his own defense Wednesday and denied that he intended to have sex with a 13-year-old boy. David A. Kaye, 55, of Rockville, Maryland, was charged in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, with coercing and enticing a minor as well as traveling across state lines for illegal sexual contact.

The charges came after a November episode of Dateline NBC in which Kaye was one of 19 men who showed up at a Herndon, Virginia, home after engaging in sexually explicit online conversations with adults from a watchdog group called Perverted Justice who were pretending to be minors. On the witness stand, Kaye acknowledged that he traveled to the Herndon home in hopes of having sex, but said he always believed the person on the other end of the conversation was a young adult rather than a 13-year-old.

During the online chats, Kaye makes several references to the chatter's youth and once tells him, "You are so, so young. I've never been with a young man like you, but I'd like to."

Kaye said he was only going along with what he assumed to be role playing by an adult male. "I was never there to meet a 13-year-old," Kaye said.

Kaye acknowledged that he frequently had homosexual encounters with people he met in online chat rooms, but said none were minors. Even though this chatter said in his online profile that he was 13, Kaye said many chatters fabricate their online profiles for various reasons. Kaye's lawyer, Peter Greenspun, said during closing arguments that "lies on the Internet in this area are the norm, not the exception."

Prosecutor Edmund Power said Kaye's story doesn't make sense when his denials are compared to his actions. Power pointed out that Kaye admitted he was doing "something not good" when a Dateline correspondent confronted Kaye with cameras rolling inside the Herndon home.

But Power said the clearest evidence of Kaye's guilt were his own words during the chat sessions, in which he asks the chatter about his age and hesitates to send sexually explicit pictures of himself to someone so young.

Kaye, who had previously been a rabbi for a Potomac, Maryland, congregation, resigned from his job as vice president of Rockville-based Jewish youth organization called PANIM: the Institute for Jewish Leaders and Values, in the wake of the sting. He said Wednesday that he hid his homosexual activity over many decades from his wife of 30 years and from his congregants.

Kaye is one of several individuals who were prosecuted by federal and local authorities after being caught in the Dateline sting. A former Army sergeant at Fort Belvoir, Joseph J. Wunderler, was sentenced last month to five years in prison on similar charges. Perverted Justice says its efforts have led to more than 60 convictions.

U.S. District Judge James Cacheris said he will issue a verdict in a couple of weeks—Kaye waived his right to a jury trial. Cacheris told the lawyers that the case "turns on the credibility" of Kaye's testimony.

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