Sexual misconduct in the Reform sect, and another member of Malka Leifer's family turns out to be just as horrific
First, it seems even the Reform sect's got some reckoning to do with sexual abuse occurring in their ranks:
Next, it would also seem that what the Haredi sex offender Malka Leifer did years before, was also similarly committed by a member of her extended family and clan:
See also this item about a woman who worked with Leifer's victims to seek justice.
The last of three investigations into sexual misconduct in the Reform movement concluded Thursday with the release of a report focused on failures in programs serving youth. Four leaders or former leaders in the movement were named, including its longtime youth director.More at the link. This is definitely atrocious, and doesn't reflect well on a sect that's considered anti-Israel in its own way. And "sincere" beliefs? Let's be clear. Serious felonies like those are exactly why such offenders can't be allowed to work in such jobs at the expense of kids. This reeks of poor management and judgement of character, for which the Reform movement should be ashamed.
Investigators hired by the Union for Reform Judaism, which represents 831 congregations belonging to the largest denomination of American Jews, learned of dozens of incidents of sexual misconduct, including 17 involving inappropriate behavior of adults toward minors, that took place over the past 50 years.
Over this period more than 500,000 minors participated in Reform programs such as overnight summer camps, conferences, Israel trips, and NFTY, the Reform youth movement.
Allegations shared with investigators ranged from verbal sexual harassment and unwelcome sexual advances to sexual touching and sexual assault.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, the law firm hired by the URJ to carry out the investigation, found that past misconduct was enabled by various cultural factors, including “an old boys club” atmosphere among the prior generations of camp directors; fear that officials would retaliate against those who complained; and a “hook-up” culture within the NFTY youth movement and at some camps.
The report also found that the movement had knowingly hired clergy who had been fired from congregations for sexual misconduct, but not out of a desire to shield rabbis from accountability. “Rather, these employment decisions resulted from sincerely held beliefs in redemption and the process of teshuvah,” the report says, referring to a Jewish concept akin to restorative justice.
Next, it would also seem that what the Haredi sex offender Malka Leifer did years before, was also similarly committed by a member of her extended family and clan:
Rabbi Baruch Liefer, the father-in-law of Malka Leifer, was arrested for alleged sexual abuse at the end of January in Israel. The gag order on his identity was lifted on Monday.In addition to a case of male-vs-female rape, there's also another example discovered of an offender from an ultra-Orthodox clan who committed homosexual rape. Is it any wonder you could wind up wondering if insular religious cults have led to more than a considerable amount of spawning homosexuality from within their ranks, mainly due to any extreme gender segregation customs they uphold? This discovery also says quite a bit in some ways about what kind of cult Leifer came from that could cause such terrible situations. The clan Leifer leads should be broken up.
The arrest was made after two people came forward to accuse Leifer of assault. The first was a family member who accused him of sexually assaulting her several times when she was 12. The second was a man who said Leifer sexually assaulted him in Israel when he was 18.
See also this item about a woman who worked with Leifer's victims to seek justice.
Labels: haredi corruption, Israel, Judaism, misogyny, Moonbattery, sexual violence
