Pressure grows on Rabbi Glick to step down
ABC
Rachael Brown
13 February 2015
Transcript
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: The spiritual head of Melbourne's Yeshiva Centre, Rabbi Abraham Glick, is facing increasing pressure to step down.
His testimony at yesterday's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse, and apology to victims, has only strengthened his critics' resolve.
Many members of the Jewish community say he must go for any cultural change to be possible.
Rachael Brown reports.
RACHAEL BROWN: Sydney's Rabbi Yosef Feldman outraged many in the Jewish community this week, calling for leniency for child abusers, then being allowed to stay on as a spiritual teacher at Sydney's Yeshiva Centre.
The spiritual head of Melbourne's Yeshiva Centre, Rabbi Abraham Glick, wants to do the same.
He's conceded he failed to document reports of child sexual abuse.
ABRAHAM GLICK: I have been pained in the knowledge that during my time as the principal, this occurred. I would like to apologise to the students. I see that many mistakes were made.
RACHAEL BROWN: But he says he can serve his community better remaining chair of Yeshiva's Spiritual Council.
ABRAHAM GLICK: Any recommendations that come from the commission towards improving the safety of children, I will definitely implement.
RACHAEL BROWN: His detractors say all those who were leaders at the time of the offences must go.
COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL (voiced over): He's unquestionably the most senior figure within the Chabad commuity. Rabbi Glick is in the unfortunate habit of playing down the roles that he has.
RACHAEL BROWN: AM has voiced over the comments of this man, who wants only to be known as 'Michael', as he's been the target of death threats.
He's a signatory to a petition calling for Rabbi Glick's resignation. It began in September but signatures have doubled in the past week to 800, with the Commission proving a catalyst for many, previously scared members of Melbourne's small Jewish community to speak up.
COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL (voiced over): That intimidation and harassment has not just been limited to victims, it's been extended to their families and their supporters - and indeed anybody who sought to speak out against what the whole country has now seen to be horrific things that've taken place. That includes death threats, anonymous letters and phone calls. It includes postings on blogs.
RACHAEL BROWN: 'Michael' says Rabbi Glick's apology is empty unless it's delivered to individual victims and he says the Rabbi's assertion he must continue in his calling, is a joke
COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL (voiced over): That is selfishly denying the community the opportunity to say that they've moved on, and have learnt from the past. If he is suffering, he only has himself to blame, unlike victims. And his suggestion that victims should work with him to move forwards demonstrates that he has absolutely no insight into his conduct and the severity of his failures.
He cannot be part of the solution going forward, he is the problem.
RACHAEL BROWN: Zeddy Lawrence is the National Editor of The Australian Jewish News.
He says it's a terrible mistake Rabbi Yosef Feldman is still teaching, and Rabbi Glick, despite his apology, should not be retained in a spiritual leadership capacity either.
ZEDDY LAWRENCE: There were so many revelations on the stand of failings that happened in the institution, and even though he was principal, he seemed to have no idea what was actually going on there. Simply for that reason alone, I think, yes he has to go.
RACHAEL BROWN: He's used to his editorials, calling for the rabbinate to own up to its past and demand change, attracting vitriol.
ZEDDY LAWRENCE: Slagging us off and saying how terrible we were. I think in one instance we were referred to "as anti-Semitic pigs". I'm used to hearing that kind of abuse.
RACHAEL BROWN: But Mr Lawrence says, had the rabbinate embraced the spirit of the message and been more forthright a few years ago, it might have been spared some of the embarrassment of the past few days.
ZEDDY LAWRENCE: And now the warnings that we were trying to give them have come true because everything has come out in public, it's made the rabbinate look horrific, like (inaudible), like a bunch of rotten apples who really didn't know what was going on.
So I think what has to happen now, rather than issuing these glib statements about "Yes, we cooperate with the police", and "Yes, victims have to come forward", I think they need to be pro-active in actually saying 'This is where we went wrong and there is going to be a cultural shift and those rabbis who do not subscribe to what we are saying, we are going to name and shame them".
RACHAEL BROWN: The Royal Commission hearings into Yeshiva Melbourne and Sydney are due to finish today.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Rachael Brown reporting
Originally published at ABC.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: The spiritual head of Melbourne's Yeshiva Centre, Rabbi Abraham Glick, is facing increasing pressure to step down.
His testimony at yesterday's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse, and apology to victims, has only strengthened his critics' resolve.
Many members of the Jewish community say he must go for any cultural change to be possible.
Rachael Brown reports.
RACHAEL BROWN: Sydney's Rabbi Yosef Feldman outraged many in the Jewish community this week, calling for leniency for child abusers, then being allowed to stay on as a spiritual teacher at Sydney's Yeshiva Centre.
The spiritual head of Melbourne's Yeshiva Centre, Rabbi Abraham Glick, wants to do the same.
He's conceded he failed to document reports of child sexual abuse.
ABRAHAM GLICK: I have been pained in the knowledge that during my time as the principal, this occurred. I would like to apologise to the students. I see that many mistakes were made.
RACHAEL BROWN: But he says he can serve his community better remaining chair of Yeshiva's Spiritual Council.
ABRAHAM GLICK: Any recommendations that come from the commission towards improving the safety of children, I will definitely implement.
RACHAEL BROWN: His detractors say all those who were leaders at the time of the offences must go.
COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL (voiced over): He's unquestionably the most senior figure within the Chabad commuity. Rabbi Glick is in the unfortunate habit of playing down the roles that he has.
RACHAEL BROWN: AM has voiced over the comments of this man, who wants only to be known as 'Michael', as he's been the target of death threats.
He's a signatory to a petition calling for Rabbi Glick's resignation. It began in September but signatures have doubled in the past week to 800, with the Commission proving a catalyst for many, previously scared members of Melbourne's small Jewish community to speak up.
COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL (voiced over): That intimidation and harassment has not just been limited to victims, it's been extended to their families and their supporters - and indeed anybody who sought to speak out against what the whole country has now seen to be horrific things that've taken place. That includes death threats, anonymous letters and phone calls. It includes postings on blogs.
RACHAEL BROWN: 'Michael' says Rabbi Glick's apology is empty unless it's delivered to individual victims and he says the Rabbi's assertion he must continue in his calling, is a joke
COMMENTS FROM MICHAEL (voiced over): That is selfishly denying the community the opportunity to say that they've moved on, and have learnt from the past. If he is suffering, he only has himself to blame, unlike victims. And his suggestion that victims should work with him to move forwards demonstrates that he has absolutely no insight into his conduct and the severity of his failures.
He cannot be part of the solution going forward, he is the problem.
RACHAEL BROWN: Zeddy Lawrence is the National Editor of The Australian Jewish News.
He says it's a terrible mistake Rabbi Yosef Feldman is still teaching, and Rabbi Glick, despite his apology, should not be retained in a spiritual leadership capacity either.
ZEDDY LAWRENCE: There were so many revelations on the stand of failings that happened in the institution, and even though he was principal, he seemed to have no idea what was actually going on there. Simply for that reason alone, I think, yes he has to go.
RACHAEL BROWN: He's used to his editorials, calling for the rabbinate to own up to its past and demand change, attracting vitriol.
ZEDDY LAWRENCE: Slagging us off and saying how terrible we were. I think in one instance we were referred to "as anti-Semitic pigs". I'm used to hearing that kind of abuse.
RACHAEL BROWN: But Mr Lawrence says, had the rabbinate embraced the spirit of the message and been more forthright a few years ago, it might have been spared some of the embarrassment of the past few days.
ZEDDY LAWRENCE: And now the warnings that we were trying to give them have come true because everything has come out in public, it's made the rabbinate look horrific, like (inaudible), like a bunch of rotten apples who really didn't know what was going on.
So I think what has to happen now, rather than issuing these glib statements about "Yes, we cooperate with the police", and "Yes, victims have to come forward", I think they need to be pro-active in actually saying 'This is where we went wrong and there is going to be a cultural shift and those rabbis who do not subscribe to what we are saying, we are going to name and shame them".
RACHAEL BROWN: The Royal Commission hearings into Yeshiva Melbourne and Sydney are due to finish today.
MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Rachael Brown reporting
Originally published at ABC.