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Senior rabbi who stepped down following royal commission appointed school principal

By Helen Davidson
Guardian
July 4, 2017

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jul/04/senior-rabbi-who-stepped-down-following-royal-commission-appointed-school-principal

Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant, who stepped down from his position as president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia following his appearance at the royal commission into the institutional responses to child sexual abuse in February 2015.

The former most senior rabbi in Australia, who resigned after appearing at the royal commission, has been appointed principal of a Melbourne school at the centre of abuse allegations in 2008.

Abuse survivors and their advocates are outraged at the announcement of Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant as the new head of the Adass Israel school, and have called for the school to reconsider.

The Victorian education minister, James Merlino, also weighed in, telling Guardian Australia: “I understand the concern of many in the community about this appointment and it’s incumbent on the school to fully explain this decision.”

In a letter to staff, the secretary of the Adass board, Abe Weiszberger, said Kluwgant would “work collaboratively” with the current principal, Dr Israel Herszberg, before taking over next year.

It said Kluwgant was appointed after a global recruitment process, and came to the school with a “wealth of experience in leadership and education”.

Kluwgant resigned from his position as president of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia after his appearance at the royal commission into the institutional responses to child sexual abuse in February 2015.

The hearing was examining the failures of Jewish Yeshivah centres in New South Wales and Victoria to adequately respond to allegations of child sexual abuse.

During the hearing it was revealed Kluwgant had a sent a message to the editor of the Australian Jewish News while watching Zephaniah Waks – the father of abuse victim Manny Waks – testify that his family was ostracised and targeted by religious leaders after they went public with allegations.

“Zephaniah is killing us,” he said in the message. “Zephaniah is attacking Chabad. He is a lunatic on the fringe, guilty of neglect of his own children. Where was he when all this was happening?”

Three days later Kluwgant resigned.

He also stepped down from other roles including Victoria police chaplain, and member of the Victoria police multifaith council.

A former principal of the school, Malka Leifer, fled to Israel in 2008 and is avoiding extradition. Leifer was wanted by Victorian police on more than 70 child sex charges.

In 2015 a judge awarded $1.27m to a woman for sexual abuse she suffered at the school. The court heard the woman was abused at the school, at a camp, and at her home by Leifer. It also heard the school arranged for Leifer to be flown out of the country within hours of learning the woman and a number of others had made allegations against her, the ABC reported at the time.

In response to Kluwgant’s new role, Manny Waks said, “It reinforces the perception that Adass does not take the issue of child sexual abuse seriously.”

Waks said he would be taking the matter to the Department of Education, Department of Human Services and the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority.

The appointment of principals at independent schools such as Adass is a matter for the school and its board.

Rabbi Avrohom Zvi Beck, the head of Adass Israel, has reportedly stepped in and called for more consultation with the ultra-orthodox community.

In a letter to members, Beck called for a general meeting to be arranged to discuss the appointment, Fairfax reported.

The Rabbinical Council of Australia and New Zealand referred questions to its Victorian counterpart.

The Rabbinical Council of Victoria told Guardian Australia it understood “appropriate bodies are working on this matter with the Adass school and if requested we are ready to offer any assistance we might be able to provide”.

The Adass Israel school has been contacted for comment.




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