Jooish

HaGaon Rav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron and a member of Degel HaTorah’s Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah, has spoken out directly and publicly for the first time about the phenomenon of abuse in the Chareidi community.

Rav Cohen made the remarks during a meeting with Rabbanim from the Mafteach Le’Asid organization, headed by Yedida Goldberg, which works to promote safeguarding in Chareidi society. The organization, under the leadership of Raav Yehoshua Eichenstein, has implemented the “Safe Environment” safeguarding program of the Social Platform nonprofit in dozens of Litvish chedarim in Jerusalem, after HaGaon Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch gave the initiative the green light.

“There have been many cases of abuse that I have become aware of over the years, and I have presumably encountered only a small portion of them,” HaRav Cohen said. “Every person who was abused — it is as though they were murdered.”

“By my estimate, every single year there are dozens, and perhaps more than dozens, who are abused, and they are destroyed spiritually and emotionally. We cannot tolerate this anymore. We cannot tolerate it. Unfortunately, there were periods when abusers were protected — including educators.”

The following are selected excerpts from the Chevron Rosh Yeshivah’s remarks, as quoted by Chareidim10.

“I have been in the yeshivah world for many years. There have been many cases of abuse that I have become aware of over the years, and presumably I have encountered only a small portion of them. When someone is abused, the reality is that they have been murdered,” the Rosh Yeshiva emphasized.

“In recent years, I have encountered quite a few people who were abused as children and were unable to form a marital relationship. Either it ended in divorce or in misery and an extremely difficult life. This happens to both boys and girls, and it all stems from abuse during childhood.”

Addressing the argument that abusers should be regarded as mentally ill, Rav Cohen said:

“These people [the abusers] are people who do not control the desires of their hearts. Regarding these perversions, in many cases people say that it is a psychological problem, but I heard from HaRav Yitzchak Hutner, z’tl, that if a person is not mentally ill, then the Torah provides the tools to deal with these problems as well.

“You cannot say that we have no claim against these people. They commit both gilui arayos and shefichus damim, and in some cases they perpetrate abuse that leads to further abuse. It is literally murder. By my estimate, every single year there are dozens, and perhaps more than dozens, who are abused, and they are destroyed, spiritually and emotionally. We cannot tolerate this anymore.”

The Rosh Yeshivah also sharply criticized the phenomenon of silencing and covering up abuse:

“To my great sorrow, it happens less recently, but there were periods when people were protected and their cases were not dealt with. There were Rebbeim who abused children, educators who abused children, and it was covered up. The consequences are horrific. Awareness of this issue must be increased. This is about saving the lives of the younger generation.”

He explained that in addition to educating children, parents also need training on the issue:

“Parents also do not always understand the significance. Just this week, I had a case involving a therapist who was abusing a child. They spoke to the parents, who were somewhat naive and did not want to listen. The parents said, ‘He’s perfectly fine; he helps the child and shows him affection.’ And he regularly abuses children.”

Rav Cohen told the organization’s Rabbanim: ““You are engaged here in the greatest form of saving lives there is. There is no greater zechus than this. Whoever saves one Jewish life is considered as though he saved an entire world — and this is not one life, but many lives. It is an unparalleled zechus.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)