The senior Posek and senior Pediatrician of Lakewood have once again partnered together to warn parents about the dangers of sexual abuse for children – over the Yom Tov season.
Yom Tov is a time when families get together, school is out, and parents tend to be lax in knowing the exact whereabouts of their children AT ALL TIMES. Multiple professionals and therapists have told YWN that predators specifically prey on young and vulnerable children during Yomim Tovim – specifically on Yom Kippur.
“Parents are busy Davening with intense Kavanah, and they have no idea that their children are being abused in the most horrible ways possible”, a therapist told YWN. “One extra long Shemona Esrei with a predator in the area, and the child will need years of therapy. Please don’t leave your children alone on Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah and Simchas Torah – days when parents are busy and the children are playing”.
As YWN reported, just before the summer, a hotline with recorded messages from both of them – as well as other professionals – was publicized. The messages warned parents about the obligation that a parent has to speak with their children before camp about abuse.
Now, as Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkos are approaching, they have once again taken the commendable and bold action, and released new messages to the community. These messages are a must listen for parents.
The attached poster has been hung in all Shuls around Lakewood including BMG, as well as in Dr Shaniks office.
To listen to these important messages, call 641-715-3800 and enter code 811504#.
This is the third time that the Lakewood community has publicly addressed the dangers of sexual abuse and protecting children.
The first event was organized two years ago by Amudim, and was attended by well over 1000 people, including noted askanim, roshei kehillah, the poskim of Beis Medrash Govoha and with the hishtatfus and brocha of the roshei yeshiva, and roshei mosdos.
It is now clear, that thanks to the Amudim event, this topic is now being dealt with head on, as opposed to the way it was addressed for decades. The awareness that the Amudim event generated went a long way in providing the necessary information and resources to prevent these problems from occurring, and if Chas V’shalom they do, how to properly deal with it al pi Da’as Torah.
(Yossi Taub – YWN)
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20 Responses
How many times have kids been molested in a Shul on Yom Kippur? Seems over the top.
I was. In a prominent Lakewood bais medrash. And that is one to many. A life of hell I have had because of it. Suicidal thoughts. Sex and drug addiction. It started on yom kippur, and continued for 3 years.
Take a real subhuman like yourself, to write such a vile hateful comment. If only ONE CHILD is saved because of this, then it was well worth it. Hatzolah buys tons of equipment just in case they need to save one life. This isn’t any different.
You are a real evil person.
I didn’t write a hateful comment. I asked a question. I apologize if you got the wrong idea.
to number 1
the problem is that there are hundreds if not more idiots like you running around
you think rabonim and an esteemed doctor that has abolutley no time
will spend time on this topic because its “over the top”?
are you crazy
@lakewood human
I’m sorry about what happened to you but that in no way gives you a right to call another yid an evil person.
Lakewood Human thank you for speaking up. Wishing you a ksiva vchasima tova.
Lakewood human,
Did you speak up afterwards?
I’m just wondering I understand if you didn’t it was probably embarrassing and you probably were scared
hey lakewood human. i’ve got so much to say to you, but in this context, i’ll be savagely brief. forgive me please if what i’m about to say causes you any distress or discomfort whatsoever – i know not everyone likes compliments.
you, and those who have similarly endured, are the pinnacle of jewish heroism in our generation. i can say that with 100% certainty despite knowing about you except your words here, above. anyone who doesn’t get that is just not even worth spitting on.
i wish there was a way to DM/PM here on YWN, i’d like to talk. email me? not sure i’m allowed to post my address, but it should be easy enough to figure out from my username here.
With all due deference and sympathy to those who have been victims of sexual abuse. I think #1 raises a valid point. It is fair to ask how rampant this problem really is and how we could even know how rampant it really is. It is also fair to ask if the approach being recommended by Dr Shanik is the best solution to the problem. I think a far more effective solution to the problem would be for Rabbonim to make an unequivocal statement to the effect that abusers should be turned into law enforcement without asking shailos and without hesitation just like one should not hesitate to call Hatzolah on Shabbos for a medical emergency. Another solution is to toughen up our children, make them more independent, and stop coddling them, so that they will have the ability to stand up to an adult or older person who is trying to molest or harm them. How about teaching self defense as part of Phys ED in yeshivos and girls schools instead of sex ed which is being snuck in through the back door in order to make children “safe” from molesters.
Let’s be a little fair.
The Kol Koreh was about the entire Yom Tov season which lasts about 3 weeks.
1 asked about Yom Kippur which apparently shocked him.
Indeed, it’s shocking to think that on this day molestations happen and it’s quite hard to believe, though apparently it’s naïve to think not.
I believe you completely misunderstood 1’s comment.
Yossies I was going after the doctor more than the rabbi. And again, it was a question.
This is RAMPANT. There are pedophiles and perverts who prey on both young boys and girls and it is the doctor and some special Rabbis who hear about it. In the Frum community people are so terrified of Shidduch problems that they don’t tell, And in the past Many Rabbis Have Attacked The victims in order to keep them quiet. Finally some are speaking up, but the problem is horrifically large. Children must be supervised at all times. Also now In UMAN It is scary to see photos of kids running around unsupervised- they are at Severe risk!
There are tons of confirmed cases of abuse that have taken place on kids in shuls and yeshivos during davening when kids are outside in the halls or in the bathroom and Dad and everyone else is praying. It therefore follows that on Rosh Hashanah and yom Kippur when the davening is long, it is open season r”l for preditors. Another reason for you Dad’s out there not to bring kids to Shul or Yeshiva unless they will sit next to you. If your child needs to go out for more than 2 minutes, go with him no matter what part of the davening you are missing. It beats what ch”v could be the alternative. I speak from first hand knowledge r”l.
Zion “apparently” was something you just realized
specifically on Yom Kippur Chazal in their infinite wisdom, already addressed and tackled this issue thousands of years ago, by being “Mesaken Kerias haTorah” of “Parshas ho’Arayos” @yom-Kippur Mincho, so we don’t need further Takonos over and above that of Chazal’s Takono.
I don’t think anything is “over the top” anymore in the time we live in. Yes, it happens in all the places you wouldn’t dream. There are countless stories where it happened between relatives housed closely together over yom tov. Don’t fool yourself, your not the one who hears the tzaros later on, it’s the rabbonim and the doctors. Trust them and stop always being cynical.
well ,147, given the numbers of molestations over the decades/centuries, that takana hasn’t worked so well.
Besides do you know the actual reason for that laining? in the time of Bais Hamikdosh, single women would go out to the vineyards after mincha. single men would then follow , observe the women and select a mate. The laining was a warning as to how to behave
Dr Shanik and Rabbi Forcheimer are BOTH very very respected individuals. If they such things happen we better believe them before our own children get hurt!!!
For those that say we never heard of such things? For years this was covered up so you never heard anything!! Now finally someone with a very respected name had the guts and strength to warn everyone using their names!!
i have studied this sugya extensively; where i am stumped is that the majority of frum boys that were touched in some way seem to go on and feel fine yet others who were inappropriately touched ( on the same level of duration….etc) are shattered deeply. next time you sit in a mens circle in the bungalow colony ask the group is there anyone who wasnt bothered by somebody somewhere …. at some level . additionally in other countries where this kind of touch is almost common place they dont seem to suffer the adverse effects to this degree i am not chas vesholom implying anything deragetory about the victims
as far as chodesh tishrei men have been in shul for decades and kids doing all kind of stuff outside of shul did you play & fight outside on yomtov are you OK!!!
meir g, you expect us to believe you? “have studied this sugya extensively” please explain?? “…majority of frum boys….”
The only kind of person who can write such garbage like you wrote is an abuser or someone who protects an abuser (which I think is worse then the abuser since that the abuser can continue his/her bad things on others without having to worry) You are a very sick person.