Letter of apology from the children of the late Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner
20 April 2015
L-R: Rebbetzin Miriam Telsner, Rebbetzin Rivkah Yurkowicz, Rabbi Mendy Groner, Manny Waks, Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Groner and Rabbi Yossi Groner
To the victims of sexual abuse at the Yeshivah Centre Melbourne
We, the family of Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner OBM, are very sorry for what has occurred to those who were the victims of sexual abuse while they attended the Yeshivah Centre Melbourne when our father was the senior Rabbi.
Rabbi Groner is no longer alive to speak for himself and we cannot speak on his behalf. However, knowing him as we do, we believe that it would have broken his heart to the core to listen to the victims’ testimonies and hear their cries of the wrong done to them while he was the senior Rabbi at the Centre. We feel that he would have sincerely and remorsefully asked for forgiveness from the victims.
Therefore, we his children wish to reach out to you and offer a genuine, heartfelt and unreserved apology for the harm caused to you while you were children attending the Yeshivah Centre. We deeply regret the failure to protect you from sexual abuse while our father was the senior Rabbi at the Yeshivah Centre.
We acknowledge and admire the strength of those who came forward to speak about their experience. We, the children of Rabbi Groner, now have a much deeper understanding about the impact of sexual abuse on the victims and we are committed to doing what we can to prevent a repeat of the wrongs of the past.
May G-d bless all of you and grant you much healing and peace.
Yours Sincerely,
The children of Rabbi Groner residing in Australia
Miriam Telsner, Yossi Groner, Chaim Tzvi Groner, Rivkah Yurkowicz & Mendy Groner
We, the family of Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner OBM, are very sorry for what has occurred to those who were the victims of sexual abuse while they attended the Yeshivah Centre Melbourne when our father was the senior Rabbi.
Rabbi Groner is no longer alive to speak for himself and we cannot speak on his behalf. However, knowing him as we do, we believe that it would have broken his heart to the core to listen to the victims’ testimonies and hear their cries of the wrong done to them while he was the senior Rabbi at the Centre. We feel that he would have sincerely and remorsefully asked for forgiveness from the victims.
Therefore, we his children wish to reach out to you and offer a genuine, heartfelt and unreserved apology for the harm caused to you while you were children attending the Yeshivah Centre. We deeply regret the failure to protect you from sexual abuse while our father was the senior Rabbi at the Yeshivah Centre.
We acknowledge and admire the strength of those who came forward to speak about their experience. We, the children of Rabbi Groner, now have a much deeper understanding about the impact of sexual abuse on the victims and we are committed to doing what we can to prevent a repeat of the wrongs of the past.
May G-d bless all of you and grant you much healing and peace.
Yours Sincerely,
The children of Rabbi Groner residing in Australia
Miriam Telsner, Yossi Groner, Chaim Tzvi Groner, Rivkah Yurkowicz & Mendy Groner
