Royal Commission gets underway
J-Wire
2 February 2015
Manny Waks makes his statement
The Royal Commission started today into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse at the Yeshiva Centre and Yeshiva College Melbourne and Yeshiva Centre and Yeshiva College, Bondi.
A short summary of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement was outlined to give some background to the circumstances leading to the establishment of Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi and to provide a context for some understanding of the communities being examined.
The Royal Commission is sitting in Melbourne.
Cultural, historical and religious issues will be highlighted. The Commission intends examining the concept of mesira – a practice it acknowledged was developed in past times of persecution. The Jewish communities in post war Europe would not approach secular authorities in order to keep problems within their community and not attract trouble.
The offences committed by David Cyprys, ‘Rabbi’ David Kramer and Daniel Hayman were committed in connection with Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi, and it will be necessary to understand the nature of those religious institutions and their place within the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in order to examine the responses of the institutions to these acts of abuse.
Witness AVA gave his testimony and the effect it had on him and his family.
Menachem (Manny) Waks read his statements and said he hoped that speaking publicly would help other victims of abuse.
He said it had been cathartic and empowering to speak publicly but the experience had torn his family. He detailed his parents experiences within the Yeshiva community and how his parents had been ostracised.
Waks now lives overseas.
Originally published at J-Wire.
A short summary of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement was outlined to give some background to the circumstances leading to the establishment of Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi and to provide a context for some understanding of the communities being examined.
The Royal Commission is sitting in Melbourne.
Cultural, historical and religious issues will be highlighted. The Commission intends examining the concept of mesira – a practice it acknowledged was developed in past times of persecution. The Jewish communities in post war Europe would not approach secular authorities in order to keep problems within their community and not attract trouble.
The offences committed by David Cyprys, ‘Rabbi’ David Kramer and Daniel Hayman were committed in connection with Yeshivah Melbourne and Yeshiva Bondi, and it will be necessary to understand the nature of those religious institutions and their place within the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in order to examine the responses of the institutions to these acts of abuse.
Witness AVA gave his testimony and the effect it had on him and his family.
Menachem (Manny) Waks read his statements and said he hoped that speaking publicly would help other victims of abuse.
He said it had been cathartic and empowering to speak publicly but the experience had torn his family. He detailed his parents experiences within the Yeshiva community and how his parents had been ostracised.
Waks now lives overseas.
Originally published at J-Wire.