Convicted Sex Offender - Rabbi Michael Ozair Living in Thailand

Sex-Offenders' Haven? Convicted Sex Offender Rabbi Michael Ozair Residing in Thailand, A Mecca of Pedophiles.
© (2008) Vicki Polin, MA, LCPC, NCC


Photo from Sex Offender Registry / Facebook Account Photo

Towards the end of May, a member of The Awareness Center happened to stumble upon convicted sex offender, Rabbi Michael Ezra Ozair’s Facebook account.

When I was informed I immediately looked at Ozair’s site. I was stunned to see that most of his “friends” appeared to be teenage girls from Thailand, China, Israel and a few from Los Angeles. Rabbi Ozair did have a few adult friends listed (mostly male), several of whom were individuals in which The Awareness Center had been watching, due to worrisome information about them.

Considering Michael Ozair is a convicted sex offender and it appeared that he might be using his Facebook account to groom teenage girls, a report was made to the IC3 (The Internet Crime Complaint Center).

The fact that removing an account from Facebook is not the answer to the real problem, because Ozair -- like many other convicted sex offenders can easily create another account using another name within in minutes of an account being terminated. Nonetheless, it was hoped that his account closing would send a message that his behavior was being monitored.

Over the last few months several newspaper articles stated that Facebook had a policy that convicted sex offenders were not allowed to have an account with them. A note was sent to facebook with all the necessary information. At the time I thought the problem would be solved easily. I was wrong.

The next day I received a note back from Facebook asking for more information regarding Michael Ozair and was asked for a direct link to the sex offender registry in which he was listed. I went to both the California and National sex offender registry -- Michael Ozair was not listed. I had no idea what was going on and started to dig. After several phone calls and e-mails to law enforcement in Los Angeles, I learned that Ozair was no longer listed in a way in which he was easily found. Each state has its own protocols in how their registry works. Unfortunately, since Michael Ozair is currently registered as living outside the United States -- in Thailand, his profile is not easily accessed.

My contact at the LAPD forward Michael Ozair’s most updated registration to both the contact at Facebook and to me. I thought this would be all that was needed and Ozair’s account would be closed.

I didn’t hear anything for a few days and kept checking to see if Ozair’s account was removed. The entry was still there. I recontacted Facebook and they stated there was some technical difficulties with the police officer’s e-mail and that the officer would need to send the information to a different e-mail address and was asking for more information besides a copy of the sex offender registration.

On July 3, 2008, I finally received a note stating “After reviewing the reported abuse, we have removed all offending content based on our Terms of Use.”

If it weren't for the many hours communicating with Facebook and the LAPD, Michael Ozair’s account would have remained open -- Meaning this convicted sex offender would have maintained full access to teenage girls on Facebook.

I’m still bewildered with the reality that a convicted sex offender would be allowed to move to Thailand, especially considering it is known to be a haven for sexual predators. It’s also known as one of the worst countries when it came to the human sex slave trade.

Rabbi Michael Ozair’s case shines a light on a deeply worrisome phenomenon -- several American convicted sex offenders are moving to places like Thailand, China, India, Israel, etc. -- all known Mecca's for child predators to most likely continue creating more victims. As Americans we need to be concerned with not just the safety of our children, but the children of the world. Without a federal policy in place, American sex offenders will continue with this trend.


Click here: for more information on the case of Rabbi Michael Ozair

Vicki Polin, MA, LCPC, NCC is the Founder and CEO of The Awareness Center, the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault.

A Cry For Help - Update on the Case of David Kramer

© (2008) The Awareness Center
July 14, 2008

(St. Louis) June 26, 2008 -- David Kramer pled guilty to 2 counts of sexual molestation of a minor and was sentenced to 7 years in prison.

Below is a portion of the remarks made by the victim's father as part of the Impact Statement that was stated before the judge. The father felt that these remarks were worthy for the broader Jewish community to hear.

...this sentence sends an important and much needed message to the Jewish community, and society at large: namely; there shall be zero tolerance of sexual abuse and molestation of children. We the parents, leaders and clergy have to stand up for our children, and put our children first. Certain rabbis can't continue to shield predators. Parents have to report predators who assault their children. People in the Orthodox community must know: molestation is wrong and evil. Instead of the focus being on raising money for high priced attorneys to defend the predators --- let's support our children and put them first.

As a reaction to the case of David Kramer, Rabbi Ze’ev Smason was involved in the creation o of 'Our Precious Children' -- a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Jewish survivors of child sexual abuse in the St. Louis area.

Rabbi Smason shared:

I was stunned both by the community resources and money that were gathered and collected for David Kramer and his defense fund AND the deafening silence when it came to verbal and monetary support for the child survivor, his family, and Our Precious Children. The family told me that every morsel of support that they did receive, though, was greatly appreciated. Now that the sentence has been handed down, we're all hopeful that there's a degree of closure and the child survivor and family can move on.

There are other cases of sexual abuse and sex offenders here in our community. The obstinance of parents and clergy is stunning. For example, I warned one family who often hosts a certain “alleged” sex offender who was kicked out of his home by his wife. The husband of this host family said, 'we'll continue to keep having him over as a guest. I watch him carefully, and he doesn't show any interest in my children.' In another case, a family I know whose daughter was molested didn't report the abuse because ''our rabbi told us not to report it."

The needs of the survivor and family require support both for rape crisis counseling, as well as encouragement from the community to let the survivors know that they are not alone.

The Awareness Center often hears similar stories shared by Rabbi Smason in Jewish communities throughout the world.

Both The Awareness Center and Our Precious Children need your help so that we can continue to do the work we do.

New York Bill To Help Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Markey's Bill Extends Time For Child Sex Assault Victims To File Suit
BY JOHN TOSCANO

Queens Gazzette

June 25, 2008

Enactment of Markey's legislation would mean that a child victim would have until the age of 28 to seek prosecution.

The state Assembly has passed a bill introduced by Assemblymember Margaret Markey which grants victims of child sexual assault a longer period of time to press charges by extending the statute of limitations for criminal and civil actions for these offenses.

Explaining the purpose of the legislation, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver stated: "Child sexual assault is a horrific, painful crime that leaves a lifetime of scars. The goal of this legislation is to ensure that victims who have been forever traumatized must have every available opportunity to seek justice."

Markey said that the cornerstone of the legislation is a provision that would give persons for whom the right to bring a civil action has been foreclosed under the current civil statute of limitations a one-year window from the date of enactment of her bill, regardless of the victim's age, in which to seek damages for any past instance of child sexual abuse.

Markey (D- Maspeth) explained that under current law, the criminal statute of limitations in child sexual abuse cases in which a victim does not report the crime to law enforcement or the statewide central register of child abuse is not applied until the victim reaches age 18.

Under the provisions of her legislation, Bill #4560-B, five years would be added to the statute, of limitations which is the period of time allowed to file charges for a given crime. By adding five years to the statute of limitations in child sexual assault cases, Markey emphasized, these cases would not begin to run until the victim turned age 23.

Enactment of her legislation, she said, would mean that a child victim would have until the age of 28 to seek prosecution.

Markey's bill covers both criminal and civil cases.

Pointing to the inability of many child victims to come forward before the current statute of limitations expires, Markey and Assemblymember Joseph Lentol, chairman of the Codes Committee, said her bill was a "critical means of giving victims a voice, particularly those who are assaulted by people with authority over them".

Markey noted, "When it comes to sexual assault, no person is above the law. As children, many of these victims are fearful of coming forward. This bill will provide a remedy for those whose lives have been shattered by the tragedy of childhood sexual abuse. Victims of these horrific crimes will get their day in court and be able to seek the justice they have been denied for too long."

She added, "The pain and suffering caused by child sexual assault is an issue which has left many victims struggling to recover. We must make their lives whole again. Victims must have the pain and suffering inflicted upon them acknowledged and the perpetrators must be held accountable for their acts. Only when these basic rights are accepted and addressed can victims find closure and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. We owe them the opportunity to have their voice heard."

Markey's bill now goes to the state senate for consideration.

Bill Summary

C-SPAN Showing of Marci Hamilton: Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect Its Children

Justice Denied: What America Must Do to Protect Its Children

To watch video click on the WATCH button on the upper right hand side!

Author: Marci Hamilton

About the Program: In "Justice Denied," author Marci Hamilton discusses the current legal ramifications of child abuse and the statutes that are currently in place making it difficult for victims of childhood abuse to recieve justice. Mrs. Hamilton uses the current clergy sexual abuse scandal as an example. David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), introduced Marci Hamilton. This event was held at Princeton University.

About the Author: Marci Hamilton is a visiting professor at Princeton University. She was a former clerk to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and specializes in constitutional law and church/state relations.

UPDATE: Case of Rabbi Mordecai Tendler - New York State’s top appellate court's recent decision

In Sex-Abuse Case, Court Issues Watershed Ruling on Rabbinical Duty
By Anthony Weiss
The Forward
July 10, 2008


What is a rabbi to a congregant? A therapist? A friend? A conduit to God?

These questions were taken up by New York State’s top appellate court in a recent decision that pivoted on the issue of what rabbis can and cannot do in the eyes of the law. The answers the judges gave were not definitive, but the 10-page decision does give insight into a probing debate about the role that rabbis play in society.

The debate arose in the context of the already controversial case of Rabbi Mordecai Tendler, who lost his pulpit job in upstate New York after allegedly having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a congregant.

In a unanimous decision, handed down June 25, the New York State Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Tendler had abused his position to manipulate his former congregant. The court did not say that the relationship did not exist. Instead, the judges determined that Tendler had not been established to have a “fiduciary duty” to (Name Removed), the congregant in question, that would have prohibited him from such behavior.

“Fiduciary duty” is a term used to describe professional relationships that involve disparities of power and authority, such as therapist-patient, attorney-client and professor-student.

Most professions forbid sexual relationships between professionals and their clients, particularly in situations where vulnerability is an issue. For example, divorce lawyers are forbidden to have sex with clients, and a sexual relationship between a therapist and a patient is automatically considered abusive by the law. This arises out of an assumption that in each case, the professional holds a position of power over the emotionally vulnerable client.

The same might be thought to be true of rabbis, but the judges decided that it is not so clear-cut.

According to the decision, the relationship between rabbis and congregants, even one that includes “aspects of counseling,” does not automatically create a power differential of the sort that characterizes a fiduciary duty. To prove that duty, a congregant has to demonstrate that he or she became “uniquely vulnerable and incapable of self-protection regarding the matter at issue.”

Tendler has been the focus of allegations of sexual misconduct for several years. Complaints that he allegedly had sexually harassed a number of women surfaced in 2003 and were taken up for investigation in 2004 by the Rabbinical Council of America, the main organization of Orthodox rabbis. In March 2005, the RCA barred Tendler from the organization as a result of the investigation. In December 2005, (NAME REMOVED) filed a civil suit against Tendler on a number of causes, including fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and infliction of emotional distress for coercing her into a sexual relationship. The recent Court of Appeals decision dismissed the last of those complaints.

Tendler was suspended from the pulpit of Kehillat New Hempstead in February 2006. A New York State appellate court ruled on June 3 that Tendler’s dismissal from his pulpit was in violation of his contract.

(NAME REMOVED) alleged that she had gone to Tendler, who was then her rabbi, for counseling about her frustration at failing to find a husband. She claimed that Tendler had proposed a course of “sexual therapy” to manipulate her into having a sexual relationship with him, thus abusing his position as a “counselor, adviser and therapist.” (NAME REMOVED) was seeking damages from both Tendler and Kehillat New Hempstead.

The court ruled that she had not established that Tendler’s position amounted to a fiduciary relationship.

Lawyers familiar with clergy related legal issues say that in cases where clergy have abused children, such as the priest sex abuse scandal that shook the Catholic world, the legal strictures are relatively clear. But they say that the boundaries between clergy and adults are less clear, as courts try to balance the rights of consenting adults against the unique power and prestige of the clergy.

“The mere status one has as a member of the clergy and as a member of a congregation doesn’t automatically establish a fiduciary relationship,” said Mark Chopko, former general counsel for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

One reason that the law on this front is not fully settled is that these lawsuits against clergy are a relatively recent phenomenon.

“People never sued churches, synagogues or their religious leaders; it was part of the social contract at the time,” Chopko said. “You may find a handful of historical examples that go back 50 or 100 years, but for the most part, the body of law has grown up over the last 15 to 20 years.”

In recent cases, some lawyers have argued the line that the judges took in the Tendler case, namely that clergy-congregant relationships are not automatically ones with a power differential.

But other legal experts have said that the courts should recognize a clergy member’s special status, because of his or her spiritual position.

“The clergy-congregant relationship has a higher dimension of trust, because clergy have what they call ‘reverential deference.’ Because they are revered and make a claim to divinity in various forms, they enjoy a particular position of special trust,” said Jeffrey Anderson, a St. Paul, Minn., attorney who specializes in cases of clerical abuse.

In the Tendler case, (NAME REMOVED) hinted at the spiritual status of Tendler when she claimed that he told her he “talks to God all the time” and was “the messiah.” Her suit, however, steered clear of delving into the religious entanglements — territory, the judges noted, that is fraught with constitutional complications about the separation of church and state. Instead, her case focused on the counseling relationship.

The judges, however, ruled that (NAME REMOVED) had simply participated in “an extended voluntary sexual affair between consenting adults.”

Rabbis unrelated to the case said that the legal ambiguities surrounding the clergy-congregant relationship reflect the ambiguities inherent in the relations. Rabbi David Ackerman, a longtime pulpit rabbi who now works at the Jewish Theological Seminary, said he knew of several instances where rabbis married congregants. But, he said, it can be dangerous territory to tread.

“That risk is ever-present,” Ackerman said. “The rabbi has an obligation to keep a close eye on the… power balance, because there’s tremendous potential for abuse.”

Rabbi Gershon Winkler added to The Awareness Center's web page

From The Awareness Center's web page

Case Rabbi Gershon Winkler

Thousand Oak, CA

Walking Stick Foundation - Cuba, New Mexico

The Awareness Center wants to stress -- to the best of our knowledge there have never been any allegations made against Rabbi Gershon Winkler of molesting children or sexually abusing or assaulting any adult women. Rabbi Gershon Winkler is being posted on our web page under the category of "Other".

July 8, 2008 -- JTA published the article " Rabbi fights sexual allegations", which is about "defrocked" rabbi, Mordechai Gafni's most recent attempt at becoming a "spiritual leader". In the article Gershon Winkler "acknowledged that he fathered a child with a student, carried on several "intimate relationships" with students over the years and said he is currently in a relationship with two women."

Winkler went on to tell "JTA that he believes it is wrong to insist on an "across-the-board" ban on sexual relationships involving rabbis and followers, teachers and students, and counselors and patients."

According to the ethical codes of every rabbinical organization and also clergy of all major religions, it is considered unethical to have sexual relations with an individual in which there is an imbalance of power. The same can be said about the eithical codes of teachers, medical and mental health professionals.

Rabbi Gershon Winkler has been accused of cult like practices.

For a list of attorney's that have experience with cases of child sexual abuse, clergy sexual abuse and or professional sexual misconduct: click here

Ramblings of "Rabbi" Mordechai Gafni in Dialogue with Luke Ford

Below is a series of audio recordings of Luke Ford interviewing Marc Gafni.

FYI: "Rabbi" Mordechai Gafni confessed to having "sexual relations" with a thirteen-year-old girl back in the 1980's. In 2006 he confessed to clergy sexual abuse of adult women in Israel. After his confession he came back to the United States and has been hiding out in Salt Lake City, UT ever since.


#1 Agreement of the Interview - "Circle of Integrity"


#2 The Will of G-d and Working on Ourselves


#3 Gafni and Luke on Relationships and Sex Crimes


#4 Gafni: "On My Name"


#5 Gafni "When News Becomes Ratings"


#6 Gafni Analyzing Luke's Motives


#7 Gafni's Book - "Spiritually Incorrect"


#8 Gafni on Men and Women



#9 Great Loves - PAG ("Parents Against Gafni")


#10 Women and Sex


#11 Gary Rosenblatt and an Unnamed Rabbi - Gafni: "Not A Part of the good old boys Network (the YU Crowd)". . . "These guys want to take me down". . . "never had relations with 13-year-old girl".


#12 Gafni Describes "Love Relationships", Both minor females described as sexual abuse.

#13 Rape According to Gafni: Sexual McCarthyism v. Sexual Mistakes. Perhaps Marc Gafni can tell us where he gets the funds to hire the best attorneys?


#14 Gafni on Blogs and the Internet

What Does The Dalli Lama and Luke Ford Have In Common?

What Does The Dalli Lama and Luke Ford Have In Common?
Answer: Photo opts with Rabbi Mordechai Gafni (AKA: Marc Gafni)

Luke Ford on Rabbis Saul Berman and Marc Gafni

Dear Rabbis Saul Berman, Joseph Telushkin and the rest of your gang. . .

Don't you think it's about time you apologized to all of the women who have been sexually victimized by Rabbi Marc Gafni? They have been waiting a very long time for a phone call and a written statement from you. While you're at it you should also apologize to Rabbi Yosef Blau, Jewish Whistleblower Luke Ford and Vicki Polin.

Bush Believes An Israeli Convicted Sex Offender Has Been Rehabilitated - Yitzhak Mordechai

Former Defense Minister Mordechai allowed entry to US
By Itamar Eichner
YNet News
May 23, 2008

Visa granted after Olmert tells US officials Mordechai rehabilitated, does not pose threat to American public despite sex offenses

Former Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai was granted a visa by the US embassy in Tel Aviv at Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's request, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday.

Mordechai's initial request for a visa, which was filed some four months ago, was rejected by the Americans due to his past conviction for sexual misconduct.

However, during President George W. Bush's first visit to Israel Olmert asked a number of senior US officials intervene in the matter while taking into account that Mordechai had been rehabilitated and does not pose a threat to the American public.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak's office also turned to the Americans on Mordechai's behalf.

Meanwhile, Mordechai also filed an appeal with the American embassy, which was reportedly debated among some of the highest-ranking officials in Washington. The appeal was eventually accepted and Mordechai flew to US a few days ago for a 10-day private visit.

During his tenure as defense minister between 1996 and 1999 under then-prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mordechai was considered the darling of the US administration and was a welcome guest at the White House and the Pentagon.

Rockland Cop Accused alont with Zalman Silber - Fake Gynecologist Case

The Awareness Center says:
Please note that the police officer who is an alleged perpetrator is NOT Jewish.

Police: Accused of Fake Gynecologist Had Cop's Help
CBS News
June 18, 2008

NEW YORK (CBS) — A prominent Hasidic businessman from Rockland County was arrested and charged with impersonating a gynecologist to allegedly sexually assault women.

To make matters worse, the already stunning allegation grew even more shocking when CBS 2 learned that a Rockland County police officer is accused of helping him.

The alleged incidents took place inside a building on Park Avenue between 34th and 35th streets, where women told detectives they'd been molested during what they thought was a gynecological examination.

When Manhattan sex crime detectives who work out of the same building investigated, the man they arrested turned out to be Zalman Silber, a Hasidic businessman and philanthropist who moved to Rockland County from Boro Park in Brooklyn about a year ago.

Silber's lawyer is the former Rockland County District Attorney, Kenneth Gribetz, who claims that two of the four women did not pick Silber out of a lineup.

"It was a lineup conducted with numerous Hasidic people. Mr. Silber was not identified by two of the victims. Two of the victims did do it," Gribetz said.

The Ramapo Police Department is now also buzzing because a ten-year veteran has been suspended without pay after one of the women told investigators the officer pretended to be a doctor conducting an exam while Silber allegedly watched.

Though no one would talk about this story on the record, there are hearings underway at the Ramapo Town Hall that will determine the future of the police officer.

Gribetz said there is more going on than meets the eye.

"I think the facts will come out that this was an offshoot of a very upsetting divorce that transpired in Mr. Silber's life. And what is taking place is really a disgrace, and society and law enforcement owes him an apology when all the facts come out," he said.

Postponements have caused the hearing involving the Ramapo police officer accused of posing as a fake doctor to drag on for at least four weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.

Regarding Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch's Guidelines for Calling the Police

Regarding Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch's Guidelines for Calling the Police
© (2008) Vicki Polin - CEO, The Awareness Center, Inc.

It saddens me a great deal to read the posting on Daas Torah's blog. With all the information and education that is available to our rabbonim it appears that they are still refusing to learn from their past mistakes. I'll admit that I have never heard of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch until I received an e-mail with the link to this blog. (Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, shlita, senior member of the Jerusalem Beit Din Tzedek (Jewish Religious Court)

My hope by providing the following information will help to prevent one more child from being harmed and that those who are already victims of sex crimes, the will be able to receive the proper help.

It's obvious that Rabbi Sternbuch is lacking basic knowledge about sex offenders and the needs of those who have been sexually violated as children. The most important message that needs to get out is that each of us should consider ourselves mandated reporters. This basically means if you SUSPECT a child is in danger you have to call your local hotline, rape crisis center or police. You don't go to a rabbi to get permission or have them make the call. The key word here is "SUSPECT." We need to leave all the investigating and fact finding/gathering to law enforcement and not our rabbonim.

Most children don't come out and say "I'm being raped at home, school, camp and or in shul." If we suspect a child is being harmed or at risk of harm it's vitally important that we don't ask the child leading questions. It's best to have a highly trained mental health professional and or child protection worker who works with law enforcement to talk to the child to get information.

How many times do I have to remind everyone that our rabbis DO NOT have specialized training in collecting forensic evidence nor do they have the education, training or skills to do a victim sensitive interview. Going to a rav "with concerns" just doesn't work. It's much better for the individual who suspects a child is at risk of harm to call their local child abuse hotlines directly.

The concern Rabbi Sternbuch has regarding child protection workers, rape victim advocates and the police not being "sensitive to the needs and nature of the charedi community" is not true in most cases. Most professionals want to do what they can to help and understand the cultural differences. I'm sure that Rabbi Sternbuch knows this and I'm afraid to say I think that he is trying to sell a bag of goods, with his fear tactics of saying the police will not work with or understand the cultural differences.

If you live in Israel and suspect a child is being abused call:
Israel Association for Child Protection (ELI)
English: http://www.eliusa.org/home.htm
Hebrew: http://www.eli.org.il/Content/index.asp

In the US call:
ChildHelp USA
1-800-4-A-CHILD
http://www.childhelp.org/get_help/local-phone-numbers

Rabbi Baruch Lanner - WARNING TO PARENTS IN ELIZABETH, NJ (From The Awareness Center)

The Awareness Center, Inc.

(the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault)
P.O. Box 65273, Baltimore, MD 21209
www.theawarenesscenter.org
443-857-5560

Rabbi Baruch Lanner
WARNING TO PARENTS IN ELIZABETH, NJ

The goal of this warning is to protect any more children from becoming the next victim of a convicted sex offender.

Rabbi Baruch Lanner was released from prison back in January of this year. He is currently residing in Elizabeth, NJ. There has been some concerns from community members who keep spotting Lanner hanging out at a local Dunkin Donuts "with several the kids from the local school". Please warn your children to stay away from this man (see photograph below). If you spot any children or teenagers near him call 911 immediately!

Allegations surrounded Rabbi Baruch Lanner for years. The allegations include kissing and fondling scores of teenage girls in the 1970s and '80s, repeatedly kicking boys in the groin, and reports of taking a knife to a young man in 1987, and propositioning girls in 1997 at the yeshiva high school where he was principal for 15 years. He was convicted back in 2002.

For more information on Rabbi Baruch Lanner go to: http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/Lanner_Baruch.html

For more information on sex offenders go to:
http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/offenders.html

Zalman Silber Arrested - charged with third-degree sexual abuse

The Awareness Center says:

Zalman Silber, a well-known philanthropist was charged with pretending to be a doctor so he could give unsuspecting women "gynecological exams," police and prosecutors said. Silber was charged with third-degree sexual abuse and unauthorized practice and professions for impersonating a doctor. He allegedly molested two women, ages 18 and 20. But police sources told the News that investigators believe he may have begun his activities in 2003.

He hired as his defense lawyer disgraced former Rockland County prosecutor Kenneth Gribetz, who stepped down after his proclivities for wearing women's clothing and a dog collar were exposed by the Daily News more than a decade ago.

Silber allegedly fooled his victims by saying the exams were part of a medical survey, prosecutors said. Investigators in the NYPD's Manhattan special victims unit believe Silber's "exams" may have started in 2003 and were checking into the possibility that there are more victims.

He was released on $10,000 bail after a court appearance in Manhattan. Gribetz told the judge his client earned more than $1 million a year.

Zalman Silber made millions in the 1990s offering tourists simulated helicopter rides around the city through the New York Skyride at the Empire State Building.

Silber moved to the Rockland County community from Borough Park, Brooklyn, a year ago, neighbors said.

Rabbi Howard Steven Axelman, MSW (AKA: Rabbi Tzvi Axelman, Rabbi Steven Axelman, Rabbi Howard Axelman)

This was originally posted back on October 18, 2006. I was just made aware that the link to my e-mail address was not working correctly. They link has been fixed.

Looking for more information about Rabbi Howard Steven Axelman, MSW (AKA: Rabbi Tzvi Axelman, Rabbi Steven Axelman, Rabbi Howard Axelman)

Tzvi Axelman (2002) / Steven Axelman (2004)

Rabbi Howard Steven Axelman is a man who grew up in Baltimore, MD. He used to daven (pray) in both Rabbis Yaakov Hopfer and Moshe Heinemann's Shuls. He is an alumni of Ohr Somayach.

There have been rumors floating around in both Baltimore and Neve Yaakov (Jerusalem, Israel) that those connected with the Vaad HaRabbonim (Jewish religious court) chased Tzvi Axelman out of town due to allegations of both domestic violence and child sexual abuse. Others say Rabbi Axelman was set up by powerful and influential individuals connected to his ex-wife's family. Rabbi Axelman's ex-wife is a member of a very powerful rabbinic family.

Prior to leaving Baltimore, Howard Tsvi Axelman worked as a social worker at a local hospital and also as a scribe.

Upon arriving in Israel, Howard Axelman started going by the name of Tzvi Axelman (his Hebrew name). He lived in Neve Yaakov, which is a suburb of Jerusalem. He worked as a sofer stam (scribe) during his time in Israel.

According to several sources, prior to his death -- Rabbi Nachman Bulman stated that Rabbi Axelman was accused of molesting boys in the yeshiva. There were also eye-witness accounts of Axelman beating his ex-wife on the streets prior to their divorce.

During an ugly child custody battle, Rabbi Howard Steven Axelman relocated to Lakewood, NJ. This marks the time he began to use the name "Steven Axelman". He secured a clinical position as a social worker at a local hospital. He also began a private practice.

Today Rabbi Steven Axelman serves as rabbi at the Whitestone Hebrew Centre, Whitestone, NY (conservative synagogue). He no longer considers himself frum.

If you have any more information regarding Rabbi Howard Steven Axelman, please post it or send me an e-mail.

Rabbi Steven Axelman (2008)

Israel Hasbara Committee on the "Modesty Patrol"

de-nial is more then just a river in Egypt

Israel Hasbara Committee -- "There is no official ‘modesty patrol’ and if there was it would not do things this way; the Rabbis would never condone such actions."

IHC Follow-Up
By Michelle Marcello
Israel Hasbara Committee

Subsequent to the report concerning a 14-year-old girl from the town of Beitar Illit in Israel who had acid thrown on her, the IHC checked out the story with the Beitar Illit authorities to clarify the facts. A 14-year-old girl was in fact burned by acid being thrown on her. However the police have not named a suspect. According to Moshe Friedman, Media Advisor for Beitar Illit, this was apparently a teenage brawl or attack, where youngsters (juvenile delinquents) took the law into their own hands. There is no official ‘modesty patrol’ and if there was it would not do things this way; the Rabbis would never condone such actions. There are fringe groups in every city and Beitar Illit is no exception. The municipality attempts to work with these youngsters in various settings and 90% of them are actively participating in various programs. The municipality assists them in a professional capacity, both culturally, socially and educationally. The city is not ‘partially religious and partially secular’ as reported, but predominantly religious, with quite a few ‘newly returned-to-Judaism’ families whose children are not ‘there’ yet and hence the trouble makers. 75% of these children are dealt with in specific frameworks. Approximately 100 boys and girls do not participate in these specialized settings. It is a very small percentage and should not be blown out of proportion. But this in no way justifies throwing acid in someone’s face which is a criminal act. The victim was 3 days in hospital and was said to be doing well, according to an IHC source in the town.

Canadian Prime minister apologizes to native Canadians

Prime minister apologizes to native Canadians
By ROB GILLIESAssociated Press
June 11, 2008

OTTAWA (AP) — Prime Minister Stephen Harper is publicly apologizing to native Canadians who were taken from their families and forced to attend state-funded schools aimed at assimilating them.

Harper says the treatment of children at the schools is a sad chapter in Canadian history.

From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 aboriginal children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools as part of a program to assimilate them into Canadian society.

Many suffered physical and sexual abuse.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

OTTAWA (AP) — Michael Cachagee was 4 years old when he was taken from his parents and forced to attend a state-funded school aimed at stripping him of his aboriginal culture.

"The intent was to destroy the Indian," Cachagee said of the decades-long government policy.

On Wednesday, Cachagee and more than 80,000 surviving students will receive a public apology delivered in Parliament by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

At least 200 former students have been invited to Ottawa to witness what native leaders call a pivotal moment for Canada's more than 1 million aboriginals, who today remain the country's poorest and most disadvantaged group.

From the 19th century until the 1970s, more than 150,000 aboriginal children were required to attend state-funded Christian schools, where many suffered physical and sexual abuse, as part of a program to integrate them into Canadian society.

"Aboriginal Canadians have been waiting for a very long time to hear an apology from the Parliament of Canada," Harper told lawmakers a day before the apology.

Canada's Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said it would be a respectful and sincere recognition of widespread cultural devastation, as well as the physical trauma and sexual abuse, that continues to plague generations to this day.

The aboriginals say they are hoping it will be heartfelt.

"If it's just a hollow and shallow apology he might as well get one of the pages to do it," said Cachagee, who will have a seat on the floor of the House of Commons to hear it.

Phil Fontaine, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, agreed that if the apology is sincere and complete it would go a long way toward repairing the relationship between aboriginals and the rest of Canada.

"The fact that we are going to be there on the floor to witness this first hand, it's quite a moment," Fontaine told The Associated Press. "This is not just about survivors, this is about Canada coming to terms with its past and maturing as a nation."

The apology comes just months after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a similar gesture to the so-called Stolen Generations — thousands of the continent's Aborigines who were forcibly taken from their families as children under assimilation policies that lasted from 1910 to 1970.

But Canada has gone a step farther, offering those who were taken from their families compensation for the years they attended the residential schools. The offer was part of a lawsuit settlement.

Cachagee spent 12 1/2 years at three different schools in Canada beginning in 1944.

"I was beaten. I was put in tubs of hot water. I suffered great pains of hunger. I was force fed rotten food. They called me all kinds of names," he said.

The federal government admitted 10 years ago that physical and sexual abuse in the schools was rampant. Many students recall being beaten for speaking their native languages and losing touch with their parents and customs.

That legacy of abuse and isolation has been cited by Indian leaders as the root cause of epidemic rates of alcoholism and drug addiction on reservations.

Fontaine was one of the first to go public with his past experiences of physical and sexual abuse.

"All kinds of abuse was inflicted on innocent children," Fontaine said. "There are thousands of these stories, all of them true. I think it's important to acknowledge that."

Fontaine said the prime minister's apology should mention all of the injustices done to Canadian aboriginals, who didn't have the right to vote until 1960.

Fontaine said he's been told the apology will incorporate much of what they requested and said framed copies of the apology will be handed out.

In 1998, Canada's former Indian affairs minister Jane Stewart expressed "profound regret" for the establishment of residential schools, but aboriginals didn't consider it sufficient in detail or substance.

Aboriginals set a sacred fire and conducted a ceremony at sunrise near Parliament to mark Harper's apology. More than 100 people gathered for a ceremony at the site of a former residential school in Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, on Canada's east coast.

Television screens are being set up at locations across Canada so the event can be watched live. The House of Commons plans to put aside all other business for the apology.

In addition to the apology, a truth and reconciliation commission will examine government policy and take testimony from survivors.

The commission was created as part of a $4.9 billion class action settlement in 2006 — the largest in Canadian history — between the government and churches and the surviving students. About $59 million will fund the commission.

Also under the settlement, students who attended residential schools are eligible to receive $9,800 for their first they attended one of the schools and $2,900 for every year after. Victims of physical and sexual abuse are eligible for additional funds.

Aboriginal Judge Harry LaForme will oversee the commission and will eventually travel across the country to hear stories from former students, teachers and others. The goal is to give survivors a forum to tell their stories and educate Canadians about a grim period in the country's history.

On the Net:

• Assembly of First Nations: http://www.afn.ca
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada: http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca
• Truth and Reconciliation Commission: http://www.trc-cvr.ca

Sex Offenders: Patient release - an unreachable goal?

Patient release - an unreachable goal?
By LARRY OAKES
Star Tribune
June 9, 2008

ST. PETER, MINN. - Mike Meyer says that in his 13 years locked inside Minnesota Sex Offender Program facilities, he's gained insight into why he molested 36 children and young adults, and how to stop himself from doing it again.

One technique psychologists taught him is privately repeating a deviant thought over and over until it loses its allure. Another is telling on himself -- confessing to a counselor or support group when he feels a taboo attraction. Both are supposed to break the cycle of thoughts and behaviors that led to his crimes.

"When I was offending I felt like I was a freak -- like I couldn't talk to anybody," said Meyer, 38. Now he recognizes secrecy as "a big red flag."

Meyer completed all the required phases of treatment in the Minnesota Sex Offender Program four years ago and has an 18-page Predischarge Plan listing his strategies for not reoffending. But he remains locked up.

Of similar programs in 19 states, only the 14-year-old MSOP and three others that are much newer have released no patients. While most states leave release decisions to the courts, Minnesota is one of only two states that until this year put that authority in the hands of a political appointee, the human services commissioner, and a paid review board he or she appoints. Their decisions could go to a court only on appeal.

This year, the Legislature removed the commissioner from reduction-of-custody decisions, but left that authority with the appointed review board.

Because no one can guarantee an offender won't rape or molest again, the safest course for political appointees has been to keep offenders locked up regardless of how their treatment has progressed. The result has been a ballooning MSOP population, with each resident costing taxpayers about $130,000 a year, three times what it costs to treat them in a conventional prison.

In the MSOP's history, a commissioner has approved only one provisional release, which was revoked in 2003 for rule violations. That same year a sex offender released from prison murdered 22-year-old Dru Sjodin of Pequot Lakes, and Gov. Tim Pawlenty prohibited releases from the MSOP unless required by law or ordered by a court. Pawlenty's order remains in effect.

The situation has prompted several of the experts who designed and ran the MSOP to become disillusioned and leave. Many patients also have given up -- currently about 20 percent don't participate in treatment -- while dozens who have completed the requirements for release wait in limbo, struggling to hold onto the hope that it wasn't all pointless.

"This place is morbidly hopeless and morbidly depressing," Meyer said recently. "I really have to believe there's going to be something better than this. Because if I don't, I'm going to die here."
Dealing with deviance

Dr. Michael Farnsworth was the forensic psychiatrist at the St. Peter Security Hospital in the early 1990s, when a series of shocking sex crimes prompted Minnesota to become the second state, after Washington, to start committing its most disordered and dangerous offenders to mental hospitals after their prison sentences.

Farnsworth said the hospital opposed the move.

"We said it would be a money pit, that there'd be no end to it, and that there's no proven technology to treat them," Farnsworth said. "Most of the literature said don't even treat these people."

When state leaders pushed ahead with the plan, Farnsworth was assigned to design the treatment regimen. The model he and his colleagues chose -- a cognitive-behavioral approach stressing relapse prevention -- is still in use today, in Minnesota and most other states with similar programs.

It requires offenders to own up to their histories, recognize their "high risk factors'' -- the thoughts, feelings and situations that preceded their crimes -- and learn to interrupt their "offense cycle" when faced with those factors again. Much of this work is done in groups of eight to 10 patients.

One of the "internal high risk factors'' identified in Meyer's case was low self-esteem, which used to cause him to avoid peers and seek out children, with whom he felt in control. Like many offenders, he struggles with his own issues of abuse, having been sexually abused by a farmer for whom he worked when he was young. Psychologists say offenders who were themselves abused may often have difficulty feeling empathy for others and sometimes must learn to recognize and label their own feelings.

Meyer says treatment taught him to recognize when his self-worth is low, through "cues" such as catching himself engaging in "inappropriate attention-seeking," such as horseplay. His planned coping responses include exercise and committing "random acts of kindness."

He also plans to avoid his "external high risk factors," including TV shows and movies featuring the type of children who fueled his fantasies. MSOP's clinicians also challenge patients to revise core beliefs that have led to offending, such as the idea that some women want to be raped or that laws against pedophilia are wrong. Such changeable attitudes or behaviors are labeled "dynamic risk factors," which patients must discard in order to advance in treatment.

Patients aroused by rape or abuse fantasies are taught to avert them by taking whiffs from vials of ammonia or rotten meat. The technique, called "olfactory aversion," is commonly used in sex offender programs, and some studies say it is effective in reducing deviant thoughts.

The MSOP also treats other problems that can interfere with patients' treatment and may have contributed to their crimes, such as chemical addictions, clinical depression and mental illnesses or retardation. Patients must keep journals to improve their self-awareness and insight, and to hold themselves accountable.

"When I was out offending I was extremely immature," said Meyer. "I wasn't clear about what my sexuality was, and I felt sexually inadequate. In treatment, I've been able to deal with those issues."

Realizing he was gay was helpful but also raised other issues, he said. For example, he thinks it's unfair that the program penalizes consensual sex between two gay patients who are in what they consider a healthy relationship.

Department of Human Services spokeswoman Patrice Vick confirmed that the program requires patients to be celibate. She said those caught having consensual sex can be placed in "protective isolation," restricted to their rooms, or otherwise disciplined.

Such sexual activity "is not in keeping with a treatment environment that is attempting to address patients' deep-seated sexual issues and dysfunction," Vick wrote in an e-mail.

Benefits unclear
A report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service in July said that of 2,694 civilly committed sex offenders nationwide in the fall of 2006, only 252 had been discharged, most within the past few years. Experts say it's impossible to tell whether treatment works based on such a small number of mostly recent releases.

As to non-committed sex offenders, a 2002 study found that 12.3 percent of a group of treated offenders committed a new sex crime, compared with 16.8 percent of untreated offenders. The congressional report concluded that "research indicates that there is not enough evidence to definitively prove that treatment for sex offenders works."

Farnsworth said that in the years since he helped set up the MSOP, "there's not been a huge explosion in the knowledge or the evaluation of the efficacy of treatment. And so most of the offenders across the country who have been committed remain committed. So it's very difficult to determine whether this very expensive treatment option, versus simple containment in prison on extended sentences, is really any more effective than doing nothing."

The director of Wisconsin's civilly committed offender program, which is being eyed as a possible model for Minnesota, says treatment does appear to reduce a patient's risk of reoffense.

Since Wisconsin's program began in 1994, it has fully discharged 14 offenders after what was deemed successful treatment, said Steve Watters, director of the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center in Mauston. Wisconsin courts released another 19 patients after legal challenges or because of reassessment of their risk. Two committed new sex offenses after their release.

Wisconsin's program has a mix of treatment techniques similar to Minnesota's, with the greatest emphasis on changing disordered thinking and core beliefs.

"Relapse prevention was at one point very mechanistic -- 'If x happens, then do y,' '' Watters said. "But you can't [envision] every possible dynamic they'll encounter. It's better to make them understand their errors in thinking, and change their behavior."

Unlike the MSOP, which has no patients in non-secure settings, Sand Ridge is overseeing 16 offenders who completed treatment and have returned to their home communities, to demonstrate their worthiness for discharge.

Agents stop by at random and track their movements with GPS bracelets. If they obey a stringent set of rules for several years, Watters said, the courts typically remove them from supervised status and grant a full discharge.

Watters cites Wisconsin's reliance on the courts for release decisions as one reason for that state's success. In Minnesota, release authority rests with a review board appointed by the Human Services commissioner.

"Obviously there are no guarantees," Watters said. "If you wait until they're 'cured,' you'll never release any sex offender. But I think the evidence would support that well-designed and -implemented treatment does produce a significant reduction in risk."

Slow on purpose
Meyer maintains that his treatment has worked. Last year he petitioned the MSOP's Special Review Board for a transfer to the program's Community Preparation Services unit, an unlocked facility with less supervision, which would put him a step closer to discharge.

MSOP clinicians opposed his petition, saying he needs to pass polygraph and other examinations to prove his deviant thoughts are at bay. A test called the Abel Assessment, which measures how patients respond to various photographs, found in 2005 that he was no longer attracted to deviant themes.

Clinicians said they also want Meyer to prove he can move about the treatment center campus unaccompanied, without creating any problems, before they'll support his transfer.

Despite the program's objections, the review board recommended that Meyer's petition be granted -- a rarity. But Human Services Commissioner Cal Ludeman denied the petition, calling the board's recommendation "premature." Meyer appealed to a Minnesota Supreme Court three-judge panel, which has yet to issue a decision.

Assistant Human Services Commissioner Wes Kooistra, designated by Ludeman to speak for the department, said the process leading to discharge is deliberately slow. "The only way they're going to be even considered for discharge is if they show a pattern over time of changing," he said.

Psychologist Paul Reitman, who has treated and assessed sex offenders for 18 years, examined Meyer for the three-judge panel. "I urge the court to grant Mr. Meyer's request," he wrote. "In my opinion, [he] has made real transformations to become a law-abiding citizen and to control himself sexually."

Minnesota, Reitman wrote, has "committed vast financial resources to rehabilitate sex offenders. ... Either we are committed to rehabilitation, or we are going to keep sex offenders locked up indeterminately."

Also see: Sex Offenders: Problems Our Parents Wouldn't Speak

Update: Case of Rabbi Mordecai Tendler vs. Kehillat New Hempstead

Appellate Court Unanimously Rules in Favor of Rabbi Mordecai Tendler
PR Web
June 8, 2008

A New York appellate court unanimously reversed a lower court and ruled that a New Hempstead, NY synagogue breached its contract with its rabbi (Mordecai Tendler) when it fired him without adhering to the terms of the contract and attempted to justify its action by later obtaining a unilateral ruling from a purported "rabbinical court."

New York (PRWEB) June 8, 2008 -- In the long awaited decision, The Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court ruled in a decision dated June 3, 2008 that the Kehillat New Hempstead breached the contract of Rabbi Mordecai Tendler when they terminated him in February, 2006.

The court stated: (http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2008/2008_05067.htm)
"In May 1992 the plaintiff entered into a contract with the defendant...The Parties' contract expressly provided that the Congregation could not terminate the plaintiff's employment as its rabbi "unless" it had obtained prior authorization from a rabbinical court...While implicitly conceding that it terminated the plaintiff as its Rabbi sometime before February 27, 2006, the Congregation contends that it obtained the required rabbinical court ruling authorizing such action. However, the rabbinical court ruling upon the Congregation relies is dated March 21, 2006...Accordingly, the plaintiff established, as a matter of law, that the Congregation breached the contract."

Rabbi Tendler argued that reliance upon a document purporting to be a Rabbinical Court decision authored by Benzion Wosner, of Monsey, New York was untenable inasmuch as it was dated after his termination. Rabbi Tendler was not involved in any such proceeding at any time. In fact, he was never advised of the existence of Wosner's so called "rabbinical court" action until it surfaced in the litigation as an apparent pretext for his termination.

Wosner, an Israeli immigrant, living in Monsey, New York, has been involved in several controversial actions regarding the Eruvs in Flatbush and Washington Heights, New York. (http://www.flatbusheruv.org/hech_page.htm) He also provides Kashrus certification in Monsey New York (http://www.kashrusmagazine.com/ksg/nyc/nyc_metro.htm).

Modesty Patrol spills acid on teenage girl / News Broadcast on the Ultra Religious in Israel

Modesty patrol' suspected of spilling acid on teenage girl
Religious tensions at boiling point in Beitar Illite as 14-year-old girl attacked by member of town's 'modesty guard'
By Neta Sela
YNET NEWS
June 5, 2008

A 14-year-old girl from Beitar Illite (also known as Meah Shearim 2) was taken to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem after an unknown person spilled acid on her face, legs and stomach, causing light burn wounds.

The act has been attributed to a representative of the so-called 'modesty guard' in this town where religious and secular residents are increasingly at bitter odds.

MDA received the call just before midnight on Wednesday and paramedic Dror Eini who arrived on the scene to treat the girl also managed to calm her down enough so she could explain what had happened.

Eini told Ynet that “the modesty guards have been threatening her for quite some time.” According to the paramedic the focus of the threats has largely been the victim's 18-year-old sister and some suspect the attacker mistook the younger girl's identity for that of her older sister's.

Eini said the teenager was in a difficult emotional state: “She cried the whole way to the hospital, partly because she was in pain but mostly because she was terrified.” According to Eini at the time of her attack the girl had been wearing loose-fitting long pants and a short-sleeved shirt.

“If she would have been wearing the same thing in Jerusalem or in Tel Aviv, she would not have stuck out in any way,” he added.

An ultra-Orthodox teen from Beitar Illite who is in contact with the girl’s family spoke with her sister who described the incident. According to the boy, the attacker stopped the girl and first asked her for directions. Then, after confirming her surname, he spilled a bottle of acid on her.
The girl was released from the hospital on Thursday and the police sent samples of the liquid she was attacked with for analysis.

According to the young man, her family is under severe pressure. “What makes the treatment of this case so problematic is the feeling that there is no one to talk to in this city and no one wants to find a solution to this problem.” Fingers are being pointed towards the municipality for failing to treat troubled youths.

I thought you might also be interested in this story put together by Dateline's George Negus (Australia). "Israel's Ultra Orthodox" (Part 1 and 2).