AUSTRALIA
J-Wire
Rabbi Pinchus Feldman, spiritual head of the Sydney Yeshiva and leader of Chabad NSW has apologised to those who suffered child sexual abuse when attending the Yeshiva.
The apology was made at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse hearing in Melbourne at the end of the fourth day. The Commission has heard evidence from two prominent rabbis that the Jewish practice of mesura which prohibits Jews from advising secular authorities of the misdemeanors of fellow Jews does not apply halachically in cases of child sexual abuse. In fact, Rabbi Moshe Gutnick and Rabbi Pincus Feldman both told the Commission that Jews are obliged to advise the authorities if they become aware of complaints of child sex abuse.
In his closing statement to the Commission, Rabbi Feldman said: “As Head of Chabad in NSW and on behalf of the entire movement I would like to say to the victims: we are sorry that you suffered; it breaks my heart personally and it breaks all of our hearts. We are sorry that you continue to suffer from the ramifications of how those experiences have affected your life, and we give you our solemn commitment that absolutely everything in our power is being done and will continue to be done to ensure that others don’t ever go through t he same suffering.”
His full statement:
“I would like to start by thanking G-d Almighty for the blessing of living in this great country of Australia, which is investing large amount of resources, including this Royal Commission, in ensuring the safety of our society as a place where the dignity of every human being is upheld, including the most vulnerable such as children.
Although I have been unable to be here in the courtroom for the entire proceedings due to circumstances beyond my control, I have been closely following the broadcast.
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