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OutcryEpisode 40 - The Trial of Judah Karkowsky: Part 1Judah Karkowsky is perhaps the dumbest criminal we've ever covered on this podcast. After getting off on a technicality for the alleged sexual assault of a child while responding to an EMS call at the Young Israel of Woodmere, Judah Karkowsky decided to test his luck even further. Karkowsky used a forged copy of the transcript of the hearing where his charges were dismissed to try and scam his way back into the Young Israel of Woodmere, and also tried using the same transcript to try and scam the Woodmere Fire Department out of $15,000,000 for firing him and reporting...2025-04-161h 43OutcryEpisode 39 - Mile High Monster: The Case Against Rabbi Gavriel BidanyIn March of 2011, Rabbi Gavriel Bidany was arrested for groping an IDF soldier on a plane to the United States. While sitting next to her he reached his hand under her blanket to touch her without her consent. In this episode we discuss what he did, the details of his case, his trial and conviction, and the many people who came to his defense and wrote sentencing recommendations on his behalf. Many of those letters mentioned his particular interest in the young girls and women in the author's families, and the surprising twist of what one of h...2025-03-1950 minOutcryEpisode 38 - The Brothers Tendler Part 2: Rabbi Mordechai TendlerIn our last episode we discussed Rabbi Aron Baruch Tendler and his alleged abuse of students at YULA High School. We began discussing his brother Mordechai as well. In this episode we dive into the details of Rabbi Mordechai Tendler's alleged abuses against women and his firing as rabbi of Kehillat New Hempstead. This episode discusses the specific dynamics of when Rabbis abuse their congregants, how it happens, why it's so damaging, and why it's hard to get justice for this kind of abuse. Strongly recommended reading as a companion to this episode, once again, is When R...2025-02-1258 minOutcryEpisode 37 - The Brothers Tendler Part 1: It Runs in the FamilyIn this episode we discuss two brothers, Rabbi Aron Baruch Tendler, and Rabbi Mordechai Tendler, both rabbis in an illustrious family who were accused of using their positions to abuse people. In the case of Rabbi Aron Baruch Tendler, he was accused of abusing girls at YULA High School in Los Angeles. Mordechai was accused of coercing women in his congregation into sex under the pretext of rabbinic counseling. This episode covers the story of Aron Baruch and begins the story of Mordechai. In the next episode we will cover the extensive process undertaken by the RCA...2025-01-0856 min
Orthodox ConundrumDownplaying Sexual Abuse, and Writing to a Judge to Request Leniency: When Good Intentions Go Very, Very Wrong (232)This episode of the Orthodox Conundrum discusses sexual abuse and child sexual abuse material. Listener discretion is advised. Sexual abuse is a problem everywhere, and the Orthodox community is no exception. While there unquestionably is more awareness of the problem today than there was in the past, there is still a long way to go before we can be proud of our record. One of the ongoing and very upsetting issues is when people in power cover up and downplay sexual abuse perpetrated by people whom they know. While there are those who do this...2025-01-061h 29OutcryEpisode 36 - The One Where Baltimore's Rabbonim Endanger Everyone's Kids - The Case Against Zev Steen Part 2In our last episode we discussed Zev Steen's arrest for the possession and distribution of CSAM as well as the rape and recording of a girl from age 2 to 8. We discussed the letter written by Rabbi Shraga Neuberger on behalf of Steen for his appeal to be granted bond after his second arrest, as well as the roles played by Neuberger, unlicensed therapist Yehuda Bergman, and CHANA clinical coordinator, Laura Greer, in covering up for Steen and then allowing him to become a teacher in Bnos Yisroel. We also discussed the statements made by Rabbi Mordechai Shuchatowitz and Rabbi...2024-11-132h 08OutcryEpisode 35 - The One Where Baltimore's Rabbonim Endanger Everyone's Kids - The Case Against Zev Steen Part 1Zev Steen was arrested in late 2022 for possession and distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). Authorities quickly realized that he had produced some of it during the course of sexually abusing a 2 year old girl for the next 6 years of her life. The charges were upgraded and the case was moved to federal court. That's when the insanity really started. In this episode we discuss how a high-up in Ner Israel, the Baltimore Av Beis Din, rabbonim, teachers, and therapists, both licensed and unlicensed, help protect Zev Steen from facing justice even after he admitted to...2024-10-301h 40OutcryEpisode 34 - Why Do Rabbis Love Protecting Convicted Predator Akiva Roth?Akiva Roth, son of Conservative bigwig Joel Roth, was accused in 1996 of sexually abusing a number of boys at one of their homes during a Bar Mitzvah lesson. He later pleaded to a lesser charge and managed to avoid jail time or sex offender registry. According to a report by the Forward, Rabbi Chaim Rogoff, a friend of Akiva's father and rabbi of the East Brunswick Jewish Center where Roth worked, made sure that the community knew as little as possible about Roth's arrest and conviction. The article describes Rogoff threatening a child, who himself alleges that Roth was...2024-08-282h 16OutcryEpisode 33 - Penner Penned a Letter (For an Alleged Abuser)in 2021, Judah Karkowsky was accused of sexually abusing a child at the Young Israel of Woodmere, and despite the case being dismissed for procedural reasons, Karkowsky was nonetheless suspended from the shul. Following the dismissal of that case, Karkowsky, in an effort to regain his position in shul, forged a transcript of the dismissal hearing to make it look like the judge had dismissed the case on merit grounds. He then used that transcript to try and trick the shul into allowing him back in, in addition to filing a notice of claim against his employer, the W...2024-07-241h 25OutcryEpisode 32 - Conversion Therapy is Abusive (with Shlomo Rozenek)As pride month comes to a close, we tackle the issue of conversion therapy, sometimes referred to as reparative therapy. Conversion therapy is a phony, bigoted process by which a "therapist" (many of whom are not actually licensed mental health professionals) attempts to "convert" their client from some kind of LGBTQ+ identity to cis/straight. There is absolutely no research that shows that such therapy is effective, let alone possible.Aside from just being quackery, conversion therapy is often deeply abusive, involving practices that amount to sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, especially when minors are subjected to...2024-06-262h 05OutcryEpisode 32 - Conversion Therapy is Abusive (with Shlomo Rozenek)As pride month comes to a close, we tackle the issue of conversion therapy, sometimes referred to as reparative therapy. Conversion therapy is a phony, bigoted process by which a "therapist" (many of whom are not actually licensed mental health professionals) attempts to "convert" their client from some kind of LGBTQ+ identity to cis/straight. There is absolutely no research that shows that such therapy is effective, let alone possible. Aside from just being quackery, conversion therapy is often deeply abusive, involving practices that amount to sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, especially when minors are subjected to...2024-06-2600 minOutcryEpisode 31 - The Case Against Avigdor Kupferstein & Belz (With Yehudis Fletcher) Part 2In our last episode covering the Gender Motivated Violence Act case against Belz and Avigdor Kupferstein, we left off with the allegations about Victor having sexually abused his and Dr. Henny Kupferstein's children. In this episode we finish discussing the complaint against him, including his call to ACS against Dr. Kupferstein for the "crime" of going to a postpartum convalescent home, Belz's role in forcing her back into her marriage with Avigdor despite knowing that he was allegedly raping her, and her disturbing experience with the Brooklyn DA's office and Henna and Asher White in particular. We...2024-06-191h 02OutcryEpisode 30 - The Case Against Avigdor Kupferstein & Belz (With Yehudis Fletcher)In November of 2023, Dr Henny Kupferstein filed a lawsuit against her ex-husband, Avigdor Kupferstein, and Kehillas Belz in Boro Park, for rape, physical, and sexual assault she allegedly experienced in her marriage at the hands of her husband, condoned and encouraged, she alleges, by Dayan Cheskel Akiva Gross. What's unique about this lawsuit is how it describes, in great detail, not only the abuse allegedly experienced by Dr Kupferstein, but also the particulars of the chassidish shidduch system and how it directly contributed to the circumstances of this lawsuit. We are joined this episode by Yehudis Fletcher, f...2024-05-151h 26OutcryEpisode 29 - In The Aftermath of Malka Leifer (With Nicole Meyer)Malka Leifer is perhaps the most notorious child sexual abusers in the Jewish world. After abusing three sisters, Nicole Meyer, Elly Sapper, and Dassi Erlich, Malka Leifer fled Australia to Israel to escape justice. While Israel has an extradition treaty with Australia, they also have an accepted policy of protecting Jews from prosecution in other countries. While living as a free woman in Emmanuel, Leifer evaded extradition for nearly a decade by pretending to be mentally incompetent to stand trial. Aided by government officials in the Knesset, including health minister Yaakov Litzman, she was allowed to remain free while...2024-04-0358 minOutcryEpisode 28 - Sex Trafficking in the Jewish Community: The Case of Zwi MigdalIn this episode Ariella and Sara Rosenberg (of Jewish Survivors United) discuss the history of the infamous Jewish sex-trafficking organization, Zwi Migdal, which operated globally from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, trafficking women and girls from eastern European Shtetls to brothels they maintained around the world. Women and girls abducted by these traffickers would be sent around the world, cut off from their families, and forced into prostitution by the men in Zwi Migdal. This episode discusses the beginnings of Zwi Migdal, the methods they used to get their victims, and the response of the...2024-03-1352 minOutcryEpisode 27 - Sleepaway Camp: Threat or Menace - The Case Against Ella Fohs with Stephen MillsIn this next installment of our series on sleepaway camp and its inherent risks, we are joined by the incredible Stephen Mills, author of Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood to discuss his experiences at Camp Ella Fohs. Stephen is a survivor of sexual abuse by the former director of Camp Ella Fohs, Dan Farinella, a social worker. In Chosen Stephen describes in vivid detail the process of how Farinella groomed him, abused him, and the devastating fallout that followed. Stephen and Ariella discuss the specific risks at Camp Ella Fohs that led to Stephen's abuse, the...2024-01-241h 28OutcryEpisode 26 - Sleepaway Camp: Threat or Menace - The Case Against Camp Dora Golding (w. David Cheifetz)In our previous episode we began to discuss the unique conditions at sleepaway camps that make them particular risks to children, In particular the sexualized atmosphere of co-ed Jewish sleepaway camps in the Conservative movement. Between the overemphasis on Jewish continuity through sex, and the isolation imposed on children as part of the experience, we discussed how Eddie Ward was able to abuse so many for so long and get away with it. This week we are joined by survivor/advocate David Cheifetz to continue our series on sleepaway camp with a deep dive on Camp Dora...2023-12-281h 31OutcryEpisode 25 - Sleepaway Camp: Threat or Menace - The Case of Eddie Ward & Surprise LakeUnfortunately there is no shortage of sexual abuse allegations at sleepaway camps: Camp Agudah, Dora Golding, Sternberg, Oorah Girl Zone, Magen Av, Romimu, and so many more. Whether we like to admit it or not, sleepaway camp often creates an environment where abusers can more easily prey on children and get away with it. In this episode we do a deep dive on the case against Eddie Ward at Surprise Lake Camp. Established over a century ago by the Conservative movement, and associated with USY, Surprise Lake currently faces three Child Victims Act lawsuits involving children who...2023-12-061h 22OutcryEpisode 24 - Bobov's Chillul Hashem: A Deep Dive on Daskal's SentencingThis week we are honored to be joined by Shulim Leifer. Shulim is a community activist on behalf of survivors, who has helped numerous survivors seek justice against their abusers. He joins us this week to discuss the sentencing of former Shomrim head, Yanky Daskal. In 2017, Daskal was arrested on charges connected to his rape of a 15 year old girl placed in his care. Originally brought up on state charges, the case was soon taken over by the feds when it became known that he transported his survivor over state lines to rape her. The case dragged...2023-11-151h 52OutcryEpisode 23 - Shlomo Carlebach - Serial Sexual Abuser (And Some Updates on Daskal & Dresdner)While Shlomo Carlebach was considered by many to be a beloved if unconventional saint for mid to late 20th century Jewery, he had, as was described by Lilith Magazine in 1998, a Shadow Side to him. Many prefer to ignore this part of his life, minimizing it or pretending it never happened, but Shlomo Carlebach sexually abused and harassed an innumerable amount of women over the 30 years he was active. Accounts of his abuse were only rumor during his life, whispered especially feverishly among the women in his following, but 4 years after his death, the allegations were made...2023-10-181h 39OutcryEpisode 21: The One Where We React to the Gershon Selinger Interview (With Chaim Levin, Rahel Bayar, and Shana Aaronson)Mendy Pellin's interview with registered sex offender, Gershon Selinger, took the internet by a storm. Was it just the thing the community needed to shake it out of its denial? Was it a harmful platforming of a manipulative abuser? Is there anything to be learned from what Gershon said? As with most things, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Asher Lovy, director of ZA'AKAH, is joined by noted anti-abuse advocate, Chaim Levin, director of Magen-Israel, Shana Aaronson, and founder of The Bayar Group, Rahel Bayar to discuss the interview, its impact, pros and cons, and...2023-08-101h 37OutcryEpisode 20 - Shomrim Head Yanky Daskal Pleads Guilty & Weberman is Still a HeroThe Weberman trial ended 10 years ago with a conviction and sentence to over 100 years in prison, but within the Satmar community, Nechemya Weberman is still considered not only innocent, but a sainted martyr. He has had articles published in local Satmar newspaper, the community still fundraises for him, and the Satmar Rebbe himself even visited him last year in Riker's Island. Recently the husband of the survivor who put Weberman in prison, Boorey Deutsch, went on a tweet storm about the community's attitudes toward Weberman, the lengths to which they've been going to free him and convince...2023-08-022h 06OutcryEpisode 20 - The Case Against Rabbi Shmuel Krawatsky Part 3In our last episode we covered how Camp Shoresh, Beth Tfiloh, and Suburban Orthodox responded to the allegations of sexual abuse against Rabbi Shmuel Krawatsky. Rabbi Krawatsky was allegedly strongly supported by the leadership at all 3 institutions, including by alleged financial contributions and fundraising toward his legal fees. In this episode we wrap up our coverage of this case. Obviously this is an ongoing case, and as there's more news we'll revisit it in future episodes. In this episode we cover some of the details we missed in previous episodes, as well as details of how Rabbi...2023-07-0542 minOutcryEpisode 19 - The Case Against Rabbi Shmuel Krawatsky Part 2In our last episode we discussed the allegations of sexual abuse against Rabbi Shmuel Krawatsky, a former director at Camp Shoresh in Baltimore. We discussed the three children who came forward with allegations and the particulars of their claims. This week we get into the Child Protective Services investigations, the appeals of those decisions, and what Shoresh, Beth Tfiloh, and Suburban Orthodox did in response to these allegations, from allegedly telling Krawatsky that they supported him essentially unconditionally, to even allegedly helping him fundraise for his CPS appeals and defamation case against the alleged victims' parents through...2023-06-141h 04OutcryEpisode 18: The Case Against Rabbi Shmuel KrawatskyWe've discussed the Orthodox community in Baltimore many times on this podcast. We've detailed the various ways in which that community is uniquely dangerous to survivors of sexual abuse and children in general. From the numerous coverups that have happened over the years, to the numerous accused and convicted pedophiles who are allowed to attend community shuls, to general attitudes toward sexual abuse, Baltimore is a less than ideal place for child safety. In this episode we get into one of the most contentious cases the community has faced in recent years: the case against Rabbi Shmuel...2023-06-051h 07OutcryEpisode 17: The Case Against Yeshiva University - George FinkelsteinIn our previous episodes about the Child Victims Act case against Yeshiva University for decades of sexual abuse allegedly committed during the 1960s 70s and 80s by Macy Gordon, Richard Andron, George Finkelstein, Elan Adler, Richard Ehrlich, and Marc Gafni, we discussed the history of the case, how the cases evolved over the years, the passage of the Child Victims Act, and the filing of the latest case. In this episode we complete this series by detailing the mechanics of the coverup of the abuse allegedly committed by George Finkelstein, not only at Yeshiva University, but also...2023-05-171h 17OutcryEpisode 16: Abuse and Coverup at Yeshiva University - Macy Gordon Yemach ShemoIn our previous episode we covered the case against Richard Andron, the martial arts teacher at YUHS who allegedly molested a number of his students and was covered up for by the administration and his alleged child molester colleague George Finkelstein. In this episode of Outcry we cover the case against Macy Gordon, described by some as the most sadistic of the child sexual abusers at YUHS during this period, and the sexual abuse he committed against his students, including one alleged incident which took place in front of a class full of children. Macy Gordon died...2023-05-031h 12OutcryEpisode 15: Abuse and Coverup at Yeshiva University - Richard AndronIn our last episode about the child sexual abuse allegations against Yeshiva University, we covered the filing of the 2019 Child Victims Act lawsuit against Yeshiva University outlining allegations against all the named defendants, and the people involved in covering it up. In this episode we start our series of deep dives into the individual alleged abusers starting with Richard Andron. Andron was a martial arts teacher at Yeshiva University who was friends with George Finkelstein and allegedly sexually abused multiple children during his time there. We follow the course of the allegations against him, his eventual departure...2023-04-1958 minOutcryEpisode 14: Abuse and Coverup at Yeshiva University - The 2019 CVA SuitIn our last episode about the prolific sexual abuse committed and covered up at Yeshiva University we laid out the history of the case, previously filed lawsuits, Yeshiva University's sham investigation into these historical allegations of sexual abuse, and why the previous cases were unsuccessful. With the passage of the Child Victims Act in 2019, however, the alleged victims of Macy Gordon, George Finkelstein, Richard Andron, and others, were finally able to file their cases against Yeshiva University for knowingly enabling their abuse. In this episode we get into a little more detail about all the people named...2023-03-291h 18OutcryEpisode 13: We Were on a Break!!! - Some Updates to Highly Requested CasesDue to incredibly selfish reasons by Asher for bring unprepared for today's episode (namely, being busy in the process of getting engaged), the Yeshiva University case is temporarily out on hold while we instead provide some updates to 5 cases we've been getting a lot of questions about. In this episode we cover updates about the cases against former TABC principal Rabbi Shlomo Adelman, Mesivta of Long Beach, Michelle Masliansky of West Hempstead, Hayim Nissim Cohen of Our Unique Family, and Chevi Garfinkel. These cases tend to take a long time, but we want to make sure y'all...2023-03-0146 minOutcryEpisode 12: Coverup at Yeshiva University - The Pre-Child Victims Act YearsIn this episode we begin our series on the decades of sexual abuse committed and covered up at Yeshiva University. Over the course of this series we'll be covering the many the abusers named in the currently active Child Victims Act lawsuits, of which there are over a dozen, and the many people who were responsible for covering it all up. Among the people named as enablers, we'll be discussing Norman Lamm, Herschel Schachter, Michael Broyde, and other higher-ups in Yeshiva University administration. In discussing this case we'll be focusing not only on the abuse and the M...2023-02-1556 minOutcryEpisode 11: Detective Rory Forrestal Talks CSAM (Child Pornography)After taking a break to allow this episode's guest to recover from COVID, and for us to discuss the dangers of letting abuse enablers like Leslie Wexner and others off the hook too easy, we're finally please to invite Detective Rory Forrestal on the podcast to discuss the law-enforcement side of CSAM cases. Detective Forrestal has decades of experience in the field, both working within and running departments across New York State focused on bringing people who produce, possess, and distribute Child Sexual Abuse Materials to justice. In this episode we do a deep dive with Detective F...2023-02-011h 35