A COMMUNITY UNITED IN SUPPORT OF VICTIMS OF ABUSE

(L to R: Rabbi Nuchem Rosenberg, Rabbi Yanky Horowitz, Mark Meyer Appel, Zvi Gluck, Dr.Asher Lipner)

On Friday March 25, 2011, over 100 people and advocates joined together in one voice to show their support for the two families that were victims of alleged sexual   crimes by Meir Dascalowitz and Nechemia Weberman.
The courtrooms of Judge Dimango and Judge Cyrulnik  were packed with supporters and advocates  in a voice of unity  as we watched  and heard the charges of the crimes of the defendants being read by the clerk.
The tension in the packed courtroom was evident to all of as we sat in silence and prayed that justice will prevail and for the healing process to begin for the victims and their families.  Many in the courtrooms openly wept and cried out loud for justice to prevail.
Looking around the room were advocates and friends who came from various communities and groups with different ideologies but were here as one voice declaring that enough is enough and we as a people will no longer sit in silence a our children are being abused in our own backyards.
The volunteers from Yeshiva University, Dr. Asher Lipner, Mark Meyer Appel, Mrs. Pearl Engelman,Mr.  Zvi Gluck, Ms. Beth Kaplan, Mark Weiss, Pinny Taub, Rabbi Yakov Horowitz of Project YES- Agudas Israel, Haim Dweck representing the Syrian Jewish community as well as representatives of various social justice groups from other diverse ethnic groups that sat together with prayers and unity to support the call for justice.


It is our hope and prayer that this united and strong showing in court will mark a a new turning point in our community’s reaction to abuse survivors and provide a new approach in providing comfort to survivors who were abused in their childhood — who lacked the support structure that current and future survivors will hopefully have. Throughout much of our struggle victims were often ignored and looked at with shame and suspicion  in a cultural phenomenon that has greatly contributed to the under reporting of child abusers in our community.
It is our hope and prayer, though, that all members of our newly united community will develop the comfort level in this justice system to view the authorities who police and prosecute pedophiles to be our allies in our sacred obligation to keep our children safe and secure.
  A special thanks to Sara Porter and Yerachniel Lopin  for all the information provided on how to show your support  to the victims   at  www.SupportTheSurvivors.org

JOIN RABBI YOSEF BLAU,RABBI GERSHON TANNENBAUM,RABBI YAKOV HOROWITZ,ZVI GLUCK,BETH KAPLAN.DR ASHER LIPPNER.MARK MEYER APPEL in court FRIDAY 900AM to support to the victims

http://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/47600

OP-ED LETTER FROM RABBI YAKOV HOROWITZ FROM PROJECT YES- AGUDATH ISRAEAL OF AMERICA WHY WE MUST BE THERE TO SUPPORT THE VICTIMS

 A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE STUDENTS OF YESHIVA UNIVERSITY AND OTHER YESHIVAS THAT ARE ATTENDING THIS DAY OF UNITY FOR THE VICTIMS

JOIN US IN BROOKLYN SUPREME COURT MARCH 25,2011 9:00 AM TO SHOW OUR SUPPORT FOR THE VICTIMS OF DASCHALOWIZ AND WEBERMAN

There are  two cases on Friday march 25 2011 in Brooklyn Supreme Court  320 JAY STREET (FREE TRANSPORTATION)   1- Nechemya Weberman who allegedly sexually assaulted a twelve-year-old girl  and continued doing it till she was fifteen and 2- Meir Dascalowitz who allegedly raped a disabled boy in a mikvah (ritual bath) over a dozen times.  The victims and their families are subjected to all sorts of pressures to drop their cases. .
Both defendants are out on bail facing serious jailtime of decades in prison.

 It is now ten months since Dascalowitz was arraigned on ten Felony D charges of criminal sexual activity-2^nd degree with a victim under fifteen years of age (PL 130.45 01). There are many additional felony and misdemeanor charges. Approximately once a month he goes in for a court appearance. For almost a half a year his lawyer, Israel Fried has successfully gotten postponements by dickering with the District Attorney about how to determine if Dascalowitz is mentally competent to assist in his defense. As of a month ago, Dascalowitz had still not gone in for an inpatient evaluation of his mental status.

Weberman was arrested on February 23, 2010, on a small set of charges, which only included one D Felony. On March 8 a Grand Jury indictment was entered into the court record. He was charged with 150 felonies all involving sexual crimes with a child including one B felony in the first degree, 145 D felonies and 4 E felonies. Among other things he was specifically charged with the B felony in the 1^st degree, of “a course of sexual conduct” with his victim Trials and sentencing sessions are dramatic. The court appearances preceding a trial are short and quick. A morning in court can include many defendants and very little time for each. The usual outcome is some very small development followed by the scheduling of the next date and the continuation of bail and the order of protection.

phone calls and letters, jeers on the street, and scurrilous rumors about the parents and the kids including charges of promiscuity, other irreligious behavior, theft, and child abuse. They suffer social death in a world where community is everything.
The point of going to court for the sporadic appearances is to show support for the victims, to let the miscreants know that we are fighting them, and to publicize the case during the doldrums between arrests and convictions.

PLEASE JOIN US AS A UNITED COMMUNITY TO GIVE CHIZUK TO THE FAMILIES

FREE TRANSPORTATION WILL BE PROVIDED TO BROOKLYN RESIDENTS
     PLEASE   CALL  FOR INFORMATION           1  800  621  8551