TEARS OF JOY AT CHANUKAH CELEBRATION FOR SURVIVORS AND ADVOCATES OF DOMESTIC AND SEX ABUSE



RABBI YOEF BLAU MINGLING WITH GUESTS

                                                                                                                             

The candles flicker at the window casting a warm glow of light that reaches out into the darkness of the night.

Inside, the room is filled with people who have come together to share the warmth and light of Chanukah. This is no ordinary Chanukah party- many of the people who are in attendance are survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence within the Orthodox Jewish community. 

                                                             

This is the first time a gathering of this sort has been allowed to happen. The Voice Of Justice an organization whose goal is to reach out and help victims of sexual abuse in the community sponsored this event. Sexual abuse is a taboo subject within the Jewish community and many are afraid to speak out and share their experiences.  It is unfortunate that victims of abuse go unrecognized and sometimes are even ostracized within their own  community. 

Chanukah parties are held all over the United States sponsored by many different organizations,

There has been no such offer of support  from any major organizations like AGUDAH AND OHEL  towards  victims of sexual abuse. The pain and emotional suffering a victim of  rape or molestation experiences, often continues throughout their lives. Their suffering is exacerbated by the secrecy and deafening silence surrounding abuse in the religious community. 

The gathering of survivors this Chanukah of 2011 has broken this silence. The party took  place in Brooklyn on the 7th night of Chanukah. The atmosphere was one of warmth and closeness. With everyone present understanding the pain of his fellow Jew.  RABBI YOSEF BLAU Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University was in attendance and in his calm and reassuring manner delivered powerful  words of inspiration. MARK MEYER APPEL spoke about the struggles survivors face and then led the service of the lighting of the Menorah. RABBI KAGANOFF from Passaic also attended the party as did other advocates for victims of abuse.

DR ASHER LIPNER SINGING

                              A SPECIAL THANKS TO RIVKY , DR ASHER  LIPNER \                   AND HOST     ABIGAEL    FOR MAKING THIS EVENT SO SPECIAL

The Voice Of Justice will continue promoting awareness and supporting victims and survivors alike. This is only the beginning as we  plan to sponsor many more events in the future. We all hope that our community leaders will begin to understand the enormity of the liability that they as Rabbis of the largest Jewish community in the world own. They need to step up to the plate, own up to their mistakes and allow the voices of the abused to be heard. 

THE VOICE OF JUSTICE INVITES YOU TO OUR 5TH GALA NEW YEARS PARTY IN MIAMI 2012 HONORING SARA SHULEVITZ ESQ AS WOMAN OF THE YEAR

                                                                             

                                           

                                                           

                                                           THE PARTY OF THE YEAR 
                                                          2012
                                HONORING  SARA SHULEVITZ ESQ

                                                                                            


                                                                                                                                                                               


                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                  

COME JOIN US AT OUR ANNUAL NEW YEARS GALA PARTY WHICH WE DEDICATE TO OUR CONTINUED STRUGGLE AND FIGHT FOR JUSTICE.                                             HELP MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER  PLACE                                                                   The PARTY You've ALL been asking for!! A PARTY NOT TO BE MISSED!!                                               A FUN NITE FILLED WITH MUSIC, GOURMET  FOOD , DANCING                                                                                                                                             SATURDAY    DECEMBER 31,2011                                                                     9:30 PM-TILL DAWN...........................                                                                     9451 EAST BROADVIEW DRIVE                                                                     BAY HARBOUR,FLORIDA 33154                                                                 A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO                                                           SARA SHULEVITZ ESQ                                                         ANGEL OF HOPE AWARD                                                                         WITH JOY,LOVE AND HAPPINESS MARK MEYER APPEL   FOR MORE INFO AND DIRECTIONS CALL 917 804 3942

About the Voice of Justice

The Voice of Justice is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit social justice organization which advocates for social justice in health care, mental health, immigration, child protection, domestic violence issues, and global issues

CHANUKAH PARTY FOR SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO WERE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC AND CHILD ABUSE MONDAY JAN 2,2012

A NIGHT WITH GREAT MUSIC FOOD AND  FUN

FOR PUBLIC RELEASE:            
 CHANUKAH  5722                                    PLEASE CALL
                                                                      1 800 621 8551    

                                                             FOR TIME AND  CONFIDENTIAL BROOKLYN LOCATION


THE VOICE OF JUSTICE  is  proud to announce that we will sponsor a CHANUKAH PARTY for victims,advocates and their families who are survivors of sex abuse and  domestic abuse.

The holiday of CHANUKAH is one we in which we celebrate  our victory  against the evil empires that wanted to eradicate our existence as a people and remove all of our pride and heritage as a civilized nation.

CHANUKAH inspires us to rededicate ourselves to the sacred partnership we each share with God. CHANUKAH teaches us that to be men and women of faith, we must become impatient believers — partners in bringing God’s miracles to be.

It is this miracle of human faith and action which sanctifies the holiday. This holiday reminds us of our sacred task for people of all faiths, that we should dedicate our lives to bring warmth and light to the cold and dark places of our world. 

CHANUKAH is our holiday of re dedication, teaching each of us that every miracle in God’s world, big or small, depends upon our taking that first crucial step.

                                                  

      WE LOOK FORWARD TO A GREAT CELEBRATION OF FAITH FOR ALL WHO SUFFERED TO BEGIN THE HEALING PROCESS FOR A MORE AND BETTER LIFE

DISTRICT ATTORNEY CHARLES HYNES OF KINGS COUNTY DENIES MAKING A SPECIAL DEAL WITH AGUDAS ISRAEL OF AMERICA

                                                     http://www.youtube.com/user/gifterphotos
                                                        WATCH THIS VIDEO

                                             DINA DIMALCHISA DIN                  

AGUDATH ISRAEL OF AMERICA has in the past year held two conferences, one a public educational conference at the Marriot of Brooklyn in July of this year, as well as a private closed door meeting Rabbis at the Agudath Israel convention in New Jersey.  At both of these events Agudath leaders proclaimed their position that child abuse claims must first be reported to Rabbis and only if the Rabbi approved is one permitted to go to the Attorney.  Rabbi Zweibel and his Chief Counsel of the Agudath Israel of America Mordechai Biser Esq. reiterated their position at a private meeting with Rabbis this past month at a Agudath Convention.

                                     

At the private meeting, the Chief Counsel of Agudath Israel of America stated that this arrangement was approved specifically by District Attorney Charles Hynes of Kings County.  The Office of the District Attorney has privately and publicly denied that any such arrangement was made by the District Attorney's Office and that the policy of the District Attorney of Brooklyn is if a crime is committed against a child the only recourse is to contact the District Attorney's Office to initiate an investigation. For Rabbi David Zweibel and his Chief Counsel to twist and manipulate the words of the District Attorney's Office of Brooklyn is outrageous and simply a totally fabricated lie.  As attorneys they should  know better than to try and deceive the public in such a shameful way by twisting the words of law enforcement agencies as well as twisting the Halachik rule from the great spiritual leader Rabbi Elyashiev shlita which is wrong and shameful.

The future of our children and the future of our communities are at stake now.  Their blatant lies and deceit of the laws of the land can not and will not be tolerated.  Last night at an event in Brooklyn, New York District Attorney Charles Hynes personally articulated the position of the D.A.'s Office which clearly states that any interference by Rabbis in a  criminal case against children will not be tolerated.  We again appeal to the leaders of Agudath of America to heed the laws of he land and not the obstruction band.

Only through the pursuit of justice against those of murders of our children can we return our communities into a safe zone for our children and their families and our children's futures.

ASSEMBLYWOMAN MARGARET MARKEY SPONSORS BILL BILL TO GIVE SEX ABUSE VICTIMS MORE TIME TO FIGHT

Assemblywoman Margaret Markey sponsors bill to give sex-abuse victims more time to fight

Bill would start clock on five-year statue of limitations on criminal and civil cases when victims turn 23

http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-sex-abuse-statute-limitations-congress,0,4179937.story?track=rss

BY Michael O’keeffe
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Saturday, December 10 2011, 8:35 PM

Skip Dickstein/Albany Times Union

Assemblywoman Margaret Markey fights to extend the statute of limitation on child molestation cases, like one in Syracuse.

A New York assemblywoman says outrage over sex-abuse scandals at Poly Prep and Syracuse University should convince lawmakers that it is time to extend the statute of limitations on the state’s sex-abuse laws.
Assemblywoman Margaret Markey, a Democrat from Queens, is the sponsor of a bill that would start the clock on the five-year statute of limitations on criminal and civil cases when victims turn 23 years old. Under current law, the clock starts ticking when the victim turns 18. Markey’s bill would also create a one-year window for victims to file civil lawsuits against abusers who are now shielded from litigation because the statute of limitations has expired.
“It is the only way for people at Syracuse and Poly Prep to get justice,” Markey told the Daily News.
Markey first introduced the bill seven years ago and it cleared the Assembly several times but has faced stiff opposition from the Republican-controlled Senate and the Catholic Church. Markey said she needs to find a lawmaker to sponsor her bill in the Senate.
“I’m going to do what I can to get Gov. Cuomo and the Senate on board,” Markey said. “I think we have a fair chance with the governor. This bill is not about the Catholic Church. It is about pedophiles. But some of my colleagues are intimidated by the Catholic Church.”
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said last week that two men who accused Bernie Fine, Syracuse basketball coach Jim Boeheim’s longtime assistant, of sexual abuse are credible, but that Fine cannot be prosecuted under state law because of statute of limitations issues.
A Poly Prep graduate, Jay Paggioli, sued the private Brooklyn school in 2005, claiming he had been sexually abused by longtime football coach Phil Foglietta. The suit was dismissed because of statute of limitations issues. Paggioli is now a plaintiff, with eight other men, in a federal RICO suit that claims Poly Prep officials knew for decades that Foglietta was a serial child molester but failed to stop his abuse. Foglietta died in 1998.
  

Michael Dowd, a New York attorney who represents hundreds of victims in sex-abuse related cases, said the current statute of limitations on sex abuse cases fails to recognize that many victims are not willing to step forward until years or even decades after they are abused. Sexual predators, he said, threaten to harm the children they molest if they report it to an adult. Pedophiles convince their victims that they, too, are responsible for the abuse. Some victims fear they will be labeled as homosexuals.
“They are told by their abusers, ‘Nobody will believe you,’ ” he said.
Dowd said the provision in Markey’s bill that creates a one-year window for civil litigation is important because it will give victims an opportunity to demonstrate how institutions, worried about public-relations and fund-raising nightmares that come with reports of sexual abuse, protect child molesters. It would also encourage other victims to step forward.
Bob Oliva, the longtime coach at Christ the King High School, boasted to a friend that he would not face criminal charges after a longtime family friend accused him of sex abuse because of statute of limitations issues. A Boston grand jury, however, indicted Oliva on sex-abuse charges. Prosecutor Leora Joseph was able to pursue charges against Oliva for abusing the victim during a 1976 trip to Fenway park because the clock on the statute of limitations stopped ticking when Oliva left the state.
In 2002, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office investigated Ernest Lorch, the founder of the once-prestigious Riverside Church basketball program, but the investigation was dropped because of statute of limitations issues. Lorch was indicted on a sexual-abuse charge by a grand jury in Massachusetts last year for allegedly molesting a teen during a trip to Amherst in the 1970s. A Westchester judge ruled last month that Lorch was not competent to be extradited, a decision that will be reviewed early next year.