Decided I needed a break from all the toxicity related to the 3rd major SAR Child Sex Abuse Scandal at this yeshiva,
This beautiful Japanese garden is way better to look at then the lies, denials, and cover-up that SAR and their public relations cronies are posting.
Anyway, tired of their bullsh*t and you should be too.
Enjoy the beautiful Japanese Garden.
Compliments of one of the prior child victims of SAR Academy.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
What a NON-surprise from SAR in Riverdale.
The Judaic Studies principal (grades 6-8), Rabbi Jonathan Skolnick has been arrested for “production of child pornography.”
This after numerous child sexual abuse scandals in the Jewish community in Riverdale, and at SAR in particular!
Clearly there is a PATTERN OF BAD BEHAVIOR AND NEGLIGENCE here (i.e. like a repeat offender) and at a certain point, the patience and excuses completely runs out!
This latest sexual abuse debacle with Rabbi Skolnick (where was the vetting process on hiring him?) occurring AT THE VERY SAME TIME that SAR was conducting and publishing the results of it’s earlier sex scandal with convicted sexual offender Stanley Rosenfeld and SAR’s statement in their October 5, 2018 message releasing their report that:
Continuing our conversations with our students and faculty on preventing and addressing sexual abuse. In 2014, SAR implemented an Anti-Harassment Policy:www.saracademy.org/antiharassmentpolicy. Training is done annually for all staff as well as appropriate training for high school and middle school students as part of their advisory program. Emphasis of the training is on awareness and reporting of any potential abuse as well as setting appropriate parameters for student-staff interactions. We are fully committed to the safety of our students and to continuing to implement best practices in these areas.
As anyone can see that the words by SAR are nothing but cheap and empty as demonstrated by the facts of their now THREE TIMES REPEATED sexual scandals as reported!
How SAR could be “shocked” after three times the same types of sexual abuse occurring under their watch should be a complete mystery to any reasonable, thinking human being with a soul.
Where is the outrage by the Riverdale community and by the current board of directors of SAR? And where is the REAL action by them to correct their now half century HISTORY of abuse against the children in their completely negligent care?
Of course, let us also not forget the other sexual scandal allegations in the same community at the Riverdale Jewish Center and the chorus of denials and lack of accountability that went on with their prior “Sauna Rabbi” of thirty years who finally stepped down in 2016.
Would the Riverdale community and SAR in particular like to offer up any new denials today and provide any more cheap words about their Anti-Harassment policy and phony “commitment to the safety of our students”?
Less than two-weeks before the Jewish New Year 5780, will SAR finally take RESPONSIBILITY for the abuse to their past students and REALLY do what it takes to protect its current and future children.
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called “Children’s Voices and Scars.”
Unfortunately, we are living in a time when many people are “destroyed” from various forms of abuse: physical, verbal, and emotional. This frequently occurs to those that are more vulnerable in society (e.g. exploited children). It is especially tragic that children–those that are still innocent and defenseless–are made to suffer at the hands of those that are bigger, stronger, and authority figures in their lives (teachers, clergy, etc.).
At the most basic level, we need to:
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Please click the photo to enlarge or you can go straight to the link at the SAR website.
The summary findings from the investigation on the child sex abuse at SAR Academy found the following regarding Stanley Rosenfeld and “Rabbi” Sheldon Schwartz:
T&M uncovered the following regarding Rosenfeld’s tenure and behavior while at SAR:
- Rosenfeld was an administrator at SAR from 1974 to 1977 and he was also employed as a teacher by the school during the 1986-87 school year. The precise circumstances of his departure and rehire remain unknown.
- Twelve former SAR students and one non-SAR student reported that Rosenfeld sexually abused them during his time as an SAR Academy faculty member.
- According to two victims, Rosenfeld’s misconduct was reported to at least one member of SAR’s administration at the time of these abuses.
- The investigation could not conclusively determine whether the administrators involved in the rehiring of Rosenfeld were aware of the nature of the allegations at the time of his rehire.
T&M uncovered the following regarding Rabbi Schwartz’s behavior while at SAR:
- According to multiple victims, details of Rosenfeld’s behavior were, at the time, raised directly to Rabbi Schwartz, who not only failed to act on the information appropriately, but was also alleged to have been present at and/or to have brought students to Rosenfeld’s home for Shabbat visits during which abuse took place.
- Separately, through the course of this investigative effort, several students came forward alleging Rabbi Schwartz had acted inappropriately with them.
Rabbi Schwartz served as a Judaic studies teacher until he was suspended in January 2018, once allegations concerning his knowledge of Rosenfeld’s behavior were brought to the attention of SAR. His employment has since been terminated. Current members of the SAR administration were not aware of the allegations regarding Rabbi Schwartz until the commencement of the investigation.
T&M’s findings and the fact that Rosenfeld appears to have worked at and abused children at multiple schools and camps in the New York area gives all of us reason to pause and consider whether we are truly doing enough to protect our children.
For those of you who sincerely listened and believed the cries of the many victims, thank you.
For those of you who were complicit and even continued in the denials, I will just say to you that G-d sees all!
We will never be a “civilized society ” or a true “country of laws” as long as we don’t repeal the statute of limitations on child sexual offenses.
Recently, South Africa and the state of Illinois repealed this outrageous law.
Children can’t be held accountable for coming forward on things they don’t understand, are told didn’t actually happen, they feel too ashamed of and have repressed, or haven’t come to terms with.
It is a travesty of justice that the animals who commit sexual crimes against children are given a get out of jail free card.
Not only that but by allowing these predators of children to escape justice, we are actually enabling and encouraging their violence against innocent children.
A child cannot consent!
A child cannot fight off the grown-up!
A child is the absolute victim of the adults who traffick, abuse, molest, rape, and pimp them out.
Often the children are unaware and from disadvantaged families or communities–they are sold or taken, used, abused, and often murdered and thrown in a ditch or some river.
And why is there a statute of limitations on these crimes???
So I’ll tell you one reason is that the people who are in power are often the same sick abusers, pedophiles, and sexual deviants.
They carry child porn on their computers, they sext compromising images of their genitals, they visit the dark web to lure children to their lairs, and they buddy up with other creeps to move and f*ck up these poor kids.
Sex is one of those areas where people are able to make every excuse in the book for what they do–it’s an urge; it’s a fetish; it’s biological; it’s a preference; maybe they’re mad at their mommies or women in general–but never that they are sick f*cks who are abusing little children who cannot defend themselves!
Any politician that isn’t standing up and working to immediately repeal the statute of limitation on sexual abuse against children–please ask them uncompromisingly why!
Remember, you were once a child, you likely have children, and if you are a moral and upright person you have a duty to protect the innocent children who cannot protect themselves.
G-d is watching and hearing them–are you? 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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