Victim Impact Statement
Manny Waks
12 December 2025
County Court of Victoria
Melbourne, Australia
Convicted paedophile Velvel (Zev) Serebryanski (photo: AAP)
The sexual abuse that I endured as a child by Velvel (Zev) Serebryanski has had a prolonged and profound emotional, physical, financial and social impact on me and my family.
When Velvel sexually abused me, at the age of 11 or 12 years old, I was an ordinary child, the eldest boy in a large, ultra-Orthodox Chabad Jewish family. The concepts of sex, sexuality and sexual abuse were completely foreign to me. I was an innocent young child, and this was my first exposure to anything related to intimate touch.
The first time Velvel sexually abused me was inside one of the most sacred sites in the Jewish community: the synagogue. It is our place of worship and spiritual connection. Our family’s main synagogue was the Yeshivah Shule, which was part of Melbourne Chabad’s Yeshivah Centre.
The abuse directly impacted every aspect of my life. The years from the sexual abuse until my 18th birthday were years full of various forms of turmoil and confusion.
This was the period in which I began rebelling against my religion. My behaviour changed dramatically at home, at school and within my broader community. I went from being a good child and sibling, a reasonable student and an active member of our community, to someone who was constantly getting into trouble.
My parents had no idea what I had endured, nor of its impact. All they saw was a rebellious, troubled child who seemed out of control. In consultation with local rabbis, they decided to send me to Israel for several months to study in a full-time religious institution in one of Israel’s most ultra-Orthodox cities, B’nei B’rak. The hope was that this would help guide me back to the right path. Instead, this backfired. I was a nightmare for my family, my host family and the institution.
When I returned to Australia, I continued full-time religious studies, but my spiral continued.
Eventually, I was kicked out of home, suspended regularly from school and ultimately expelled from two religious institutions, Yeshivah Gedolah in both Melbourne and Sydney.
I believe that Velvel’s abuse, especially in the context of my upbringing and environment, made me more vulnerable to further victimisation, as it normalised this behaviour. It is, therefore, unsurprising that soon after Velvel abused me, another member of our close-knit community also sexually abused me.
Those years also included substance abuse, mainly alcohol, and, to a lesser extent, the use of cannabis.
My struggles intensified after I disclosed Velvel’s sexual abuse to my closest friend at the time, who betrayed me by sharing my disclosure with other schoolmates. This resulted in bullying and further abuse. I was now being called a “poofter,” a “faggot” and other derogatory terms, simply because I had been sexually abused by a man. At the time, and to some extent even today, there was a conflation between homosexuality and paedophilia within the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.
As soon as I turned 18, I left my home, my community and my environment and travelled to Israel to join the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). On reflection, I realise that I wanted to get as far away as possible from the abuse and from my community, to try to forget, or at least leave behind, what had happened. Joining the IDF was probably also a way for me to regain my sense of masculinity after feeling emasculated by the sexual abuse.
Of course, this was pointless. The abuse and its aftermath remained with me.
I was angry, ashamed, confused and alone. I felt guilty, helpless and powerless.
In fact, at that time, I did not understand that what I had endured was child sexual abuse. I had no idea that it was illegal or that I could potentially take action.
I will never forget returning to my parents’ home for what was meant to be a brief, one-month visit in honour of my eldest sister’s wedding. It was 1996, and I was 20 years old. One day, while resting in my parents’ home, I heard on the radio about a police operation dealing with child sexual abuse. Literally as soon as I heard this, I walked into my dad’s home office and disclosed to him for the very first time that I had been sexually abused by both Velvel and David Cyprys. I then asked him to contact the police for me. Although shocked, he asked a few questions and then called the police. That was the beginning of my pursuit of justice.
Initially, the police could do very little, which deepened my anger and sense of helplessness. I had finally come forward, only to have the door shut in my face.
Around that time, I also approached the Chief Rabbi at the Yeshivah Centre, the late Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner. Rabbi Groner indicated that he already knew about at least some of the abuse and told me to leave the matter with him. It was clear to me that Rabbi Groner did not want me to take the matter to the police or to discuss it with anyone else.
This further destabilised my already fragile state. Instead of returning to Israel after one month to rejoin my unit in the IDF, I remained in Melbourne for around another five months, unable to function in any meaningful way and continuing to abuse substances.
After pressure from my parents, I eventually returned to Israel, but I was still not functioning well and could not return to complete my military service. My substance abuse escalated.
Ultimately, I was arrested by the Military Police and jailed for being on absence without leave (AWOL). At my court hearing, I could not bring myself to explain why I had gone AWOL and subsequently received a sentence of incarceration in a military jail for 45 days.
After completing my military service, I returned to Australia and tried to rebuild my life. I got married, started working full-time as an integration aide while catching up on my secular studies, completed a degree in international relations, had three children and was appointed to a senior leadership position within the Jewish community.
Throughout this time, the abuse remained with me. Having received no help from the police or the Yeshivah leadership, I considered going to the media between 2006 and 2008. As part of my new leadership role, I was developing relationships with journalists, which gave me insight into the media. After discussing this option with my now ex-wife, we decided against it in order to protect our three young boys.
In 2011, when I was Vice President of the Jewish community’s peak national body, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, I decided to disclose my personal story publicly. I did so for several reasons, but primarily because I felt it was my duty as a senior community leader. If I could not speak about the issue of child sexual abuse and share what had happened to me, who could?
This decision changed the entire trajectory of my personal and professional life. Ultimately, I quit my executive-level career in the Australian Government’s counter-terrorism field.
Eventually, I became a full-time public advocate addressing child sexual abuse within the Jewish community. This was not by choice but rather because the circumstances imposed it on me. After my public disclosure, I was inundated with enquiries, which I felt required urgent attention. I testified before State and Federal Government Inquiries, supported and advised victims and survivors and their families, and educated Jewish community leaders, parents and students. I did this both individually and as the founder of the support and advocacy organisations Tzedek and VoiCSA (initially called Kol v’Oz), often in a voluntary capacity.
During this period, my family and I came under sustained attacks by some members of the Jewish community and even some of its leadership, primarily from the ultra-Orthodox Chabad community in Australia and abroad, though not exclusively.
This was one of the most difficult periods of our lives. It detrimentally impacted all of us in various ways. As one of 17 siblings, I watched as it tore my family apart. Even my parents eventually got divorced.
Ultimately, after facing ex-communication and even multiple violent attacks from within their own Yeshivah Chabad community, my parents decided to leave Australia and relocate to Israel. Soon after, my then wife, our three boys and I followed suit.
We left Australia reluctantly. My family and I were driven out of the country by a targeted intimidation campaign, led by some of the most influential people in the community, in response to my decision to speak out about the sexual abuse I endured at Yeshivah.
It was during this period that my mental health deteriorated so severely that I now consider myself extremely lucky to be alive. Although I had been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) around 2000, the symptoms became overwhelming around the time of leaving Australia. I suffered practically daily from depression, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares and suicide ideation. I was caught in a downward spiral, in which I was, at times, rendered completely dysfunctional to the point of not being able to get out of bed. I also abused substances.
As a father of three young boys, this was a living hell, not just for me, but also for my then wife and our children.
Two things kept me alive. The first was my three young, beautiful boys. I felt I had to be there for them, in whatever way I could. When my frequent suicide ideation consumed me, I focussed on my children.
The second was my work as a victims’ advocate. Although I was constantly triggered by the traumatic experiences shared by other victims and survivors, which is when I became exposed to the term “vicarious trauma,” the work also became a part of my healing. I saw the critical need for what I was doing and the positive impact it was having, especially in Jewish communities around the world.
Indeed, at times I even feel grateful to be in this position. Not for being sexually abused but for becoming an advocate because of what I endured. It is likely that had I not been sexually abused, I would never have become involved in this work. The community may not have made the progress it has made in addressing this issue in recent years, and many more victims and survivors would still be suffering in silence and deep pain.
It is clear to me that Velvel has never accepted responsibility for his actions. Neither at the time of the sexual abuse nor now. Shockingly, Velvel remained a guest at my parents’ home after the abuse. He was even invited to my Bar-Mitzvah celebration, the coming of age of males at the age of 13 in the Jewish religion. Velvel acted as though nothing had happened and even gave me a unique book as a gift, which I rediscovered among my belongings years later.
Even worse, Velvel still seems to believe that a child may consent to sex. In the video of me confronting him, he claimed that he was merely following my lead and doing what he thought I wanted. I was 11 or 12 years old at the time, Velvel was 23 or 24. This is the definition of victim-blaming. It is also the definition of a paedophile.
In summary, the sexual abuse by Velvel has had a long-lasting and profound detrimental impact on me and my family. Some of the key ways include:
While I have a meaningful life and feel blessed in so many ways, from my children, my relationships and friendships, to my talents and achievements, and the opportunities I have, I will nevertheless continue to live with the impact of Velvel’s sexual abuse for the rest of my life.
I would like to conclude by thanking Victoria Police and the Office of Public Prosecutions for believing in me and for their dedicated work over decades to secure this just outcome. I also thank my family, friends and many members of the public who have supported me throughout this long and difficult journey. It has made this process somewhat bearable.
Although I am completely secular today, one important Jewish text has helped guide me over the years, which I would like to share with the court, and for Velvel to hear: ‘Tzedek, tzedek tirdof’ (Justice, justice you shall pursue).
This is precisely what I have done. The recent guilty verdicts reflect this pursuit of justice. I sincerely hope that the sentence will reflect the gravity of the crimes and their impact, ensuring that justice indeed prevails.
Thank you, Your Honour.
Click here to view and hear Manny Waks reading his Victim Impact Statement.
When Velvel sexually abused me, at the age of 11 or 12 years old, I was an ordinary child, the eldest boy in a large, ultra-Orthodox Chabad Jewish family. The concepts of sex, sexuality and sexual abuse were completely foreign to me. I was an innocent young child, and this was my first exposure to anything related to intimate touch.
The first time Velvel sexually abused me was inside one of the most sacred sites in the Jewish community: the synagogue. It is our place of worship and spiritual connection. Our family’s main synagogue was the Yeshivah Shule, which was part of Melbourne Chabad’s Yeshivah Centre.
The abuse directly impacted every aspect of my life. The years from the sexual abuse until my 18th birthday were years full of various forms of turmoil and confusion.
This was the period in which I began rebelling against my religion. My behaviour changed dramatically at home, at school and within my broader community. I went from being a good child and sibling, a reasonable student and an active member of our community, to someone who was constantly getting into trouble.
My parents had no idea what I had endured, nor of its impact. All they saw was a rebellious, troubled child who seemed out of control. In consultation with local rabbis, they decided to send me to Israel for several months to study in a full-time religious institution in one of Israel’s most ultra-Orthodox cities, B’nei B’rak. The hope was that this would help guide me back to the right path. Instead, this backfired. I was a nightmare for my family, my host family and the institution.
When I returned to Australia, I continued full-time religious studies, but my spiral continued.
Eventually, I was kicked out of home, suspended regularly from school and ultimately expelled from two religious institutions, Yeshivah Gedolah in both Melbourne and Sydney.
I believe that Velvel’s abuse, especially in the context of my upbringing and environment, made me more vulnerable to further victimisation, as it normalised this behaviour. It is, therefore, unsurprising that soon after Velvel abused me, another member of our close-knit community also sexually abused me.
Those years also included substance abuse, mainly alcohol, and, to a lesser extent, the use of cannabis.
My struggles intensified after I disclosed Velvel’s sexual abuse to my closest friend at the time, who betrayed me by sharing my disclosure with other schoolmates. This resulted in bullying and further abuse. I was now being called a “poofter,” a “faggot” and other derogatory terms, simply because I had been sexually abused by a man. At the time, and to some extent even today, there was a conflation between homosexuality and paedophilia within the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community.
As soon as I turned 18, I left my home, my community and my environment and travelled to Israel to join the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). On reflection, I realise that I wanted to get as far away as possible from the abuse and from my community, to try to forget, or at least leave behind, what had happened. Joining the IDF was probably also a way for me to regain my sense of masculinity after feeling emasculated by the sexual abuse.
Of course, this was pointless. The abuse and its aftermath remained with me.
I was angry, ashamed, confused and alone. I felt guilty, helpless and powerless.
In fact, at that time, I did not understand that what I had endured was child sexual abuse. I had no idea that it was illegal or that I could potentially take action.
I will never forget returning to my parents’ home for what was meant to be a brief, one-month visit in honour of my eldest sister’s wedding. It was 1996, and I was 20 years old. One day, while resting in my parents’ home, I heard on the radio about a police operation dealing with child sexual abuse. Literally as soon as I heard this, I walked into my dad’s home office and disclosed to him for the very first time that I had been sexually abused by both Velvel and David Cyprys. I then asked him to contact the police for me. Although shocked, he asked a few questions and then called the police. That was the beginning of my pursuit of justice.
Initially, the police could do very little, which deepened my anger and sense of helplessness. I had finally come forward, only to have the door shut in my face.
Around that time, I also approached the Chief Rabbi at the Yeshivah Centre, the late Rabbi Yitzchok Dovid Groner. Rabbi Groner indicated that he already knew about at least some of the abuse and told me to leave the matter with him. It was clear to me that Rabbi Groner did not want me to take the matter to the police or to discuss it with anyone else.
This further destabilised my already fragile state. Instead of returning to Israel after one month to rejoin my unit in the IDF, I remained in Melbourne for around another five months, unable to function in any meaningful way and continuing to abuse substances.
After pressure from my parents, I eventually returned to Israel, but I was still not functioning well and could not return to complete my military service. My substance abuse escalated.
Ultimately, I was arrested by the Military Police and jailed for being on absence without leave (AWOL). At my court hearing, I could not bring myself to explain why I had gone AWOL and subsequently received a sentence of incarceration in a military jail for 45 days.
After completing my military service, I returned to Australia and tried to rebuild my life. I got married, started working full-time as an integration aide while catching up on my secular studies, completed a degree in international relations, had three children and was appointed to a senior leadership position within the Jewish community.
Throughout this time, the abuse remained with me. Having received no help from the police or the Yeshivah leadership, I considered going to the media between 2006 and 2008. As part of my new leadership role, I was developing relationships with journalists, which gave me insight into the media. After discussing this option with my now ex-wife, we decided against it in order to protect our three young boys.
In 2011, when I was Vice President of the Jewish community’s peak national body, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, I decided to disclose my personal story publicly. I did so for several reasons, but primarily because I felt it was my duty as a senior community leader. If I could not speak about the issue of child sexual abuse and share what had happened to me, who could?
This decision changed the entire trajectory of my personal and professional life. Ultimately, I quit my executive-level career in the Australian Government’s counter-terrorism field.
Eventually, I became a full-time public advocate addressing child sexual abuse within the Jewish community. This was not by choice but rather because the circumstances imposed it on me. After my public disclosure, I was inundated with enquiries, which I felt required urgent attention. I testified before State and Federal Government Inquiries, supported and advised victims and survivors and their families, and educated Jewish community leaders, parents and students. I did this both individually and as the founder of the support and advocacy organisations Tzedek and VoiCSA (initially called Kol v’Oz), often in a voluntary capacity.
During this period, my family and I came under sustained attacks by some members of the Jewish community and even some of its leadership, primarily from the ultra-Orthodox Chabad community in Australia and abroad, though not exclusively.
This was one of the most difficult periods of our lives. It detrimentally impacted all of us in various ways. As one of 17 siblings, I watched as it tore my family apart. Even my parents eventually got divorced.
Ultimately, after facing ex-communication and even multiple violent attacks from within their own Yeshivah Chabad community, my parents decided to leave Australia and relocate to Israel. Soon after, my then wife, our three boys and I followed suit.
We left Australia reluctantly. My family and I were driven out of the country by a targeted intimidation campaign, led by some of the most influential people in the community, in response to my decision to speak out about the sexual abuse I endured at Yeshivah.
It was during this period that my mental health deteriorated so severely that I now consider myself extremely lucky to be alive. Although I had been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) around 2000, the symptoms became overwhelming around the time of leaving Australia. I suffered practically daily from depression, anxiety, flashbacks, nightmares and suicide ideation. I was caught in a downward spiral, in which I was, at times, rendered completely dysfunctional to the point of not being able to get out of bed. I also abused substances.
As a father of three young boys, this was a living hell, not just for me, but also for my then wife and our children.
Two things kept me alive. The first was my three young, beautiful boys. I felt I had to be there for them, in whatever way I could. When my frequent suicide ideation consumed me, I focussed on my children.
The second was my work as a victims’ advocate. Although I was constantly triggered by the traumatic experiences shared by other victims and survivors, which is when I became exposed to the term “vicarious trauma,” the work also became a part of my healing. I saw the critical need for what I was doing and the positive impact it was having, especially in Jewish communities around the world.
Indeed, at times I even feel grateful to be in this position. Not for being sexually abused but for becoming an advocate because of what I endured. It is likely that had I not been sexually abused, I would never have become involved in this work. The community may not have made the progress it has made in addressing this issue in recent years, and many more victims and survivors would still be suffering in silence and deep pain.
It is clear to me that Velvel has never accepted responsibility for his actions. Neither at the time of the sexual abuse nor now. Shockingly, Velvel remained a guest at my parents’ home after the abuse. He was even invited to my Bar-Mitzvah celebration, the coming of age of males at the age of 13 in the Jewish religion. Velvel acted as though nothing had happened and even gave me a unique book as a gift, which I rediscovered among my belongings years later.
Even worse, Velvel still seems to believe that a child may consent to sex. In the video of me confronting him, he claimed that he was merely following my lead and doing what he thought I wanted. I was 11 or 12 years old at the time, Velvel was 23 or 24. This is the definition of victim-blaming. It is also the definition of a paedophile.
In summary, the sexual abuse by Velvel has had a long-lasting and profound detrimental impact on me and my family. Some of the key ways include:
- My PTSD, including frequent anxiety, depression and flashbacks, and to a lesser degree in recent years nightmares and suicide ideation.
- The uprooting of my family from Australia to Israel.
- The breakdown of my family, including my divorce (after 19 years together) and the divorce of my parents (after 45 years of marriage).
- Damaged familial and personal relationships and friendships, and the broader impact on my three boys.
- My very limited ability to work, including my recognised PTSD disability in Israel.
- A deep and lasting impact on my relationship with my religion.
While I have a meaningful life and feel blessed in so many ways, from my children, my relationships and friendships, to my talents and achievements, and the opportunities I have, I will nevertheless continue to live with the impact of Velvel’s sexual abuse for the rest of my life.
I would like to conclude by thanking Victoria Police and the Office of Public Prosecutions for believing in me and for their dedicated work over decades to secure this just outcome. I also thank my family, friends and many members of the public who have supported me throughout this long and difficult journey. It has made this process somewhat bearable.
Although I am completely secular today, one important Jewish text has helped guide me over the years, which I would like to share with the court, and for Velvel to hear: ‘Tzedek, tzedek tirdof’ (Justice, justice you shall pursue).
This is precisely what I have done. The recent guilty verdicts reflect this pursuit of justice. I sincerely hope that the sentence will reflect the gravity of the crimes and their impact, ensuring that justice indeed prevails.
Thank you, Your Honour.
Click here to view and hear Manny Waks reading his Victim Impact Statement.
