Silence Encourages the Oppressor, Never the Victim
I hate writing about this subject so much but unfortunately it will not go away. Child sex abuse continues to plague us.
Last May, Meir Dascalowitz was arrested and charged with ten counts of child molestation. He is a Pupa Chasid. Pupa Chasdius is very similar to Satmar and they have similar attitudes about turning child molesters in to the authorities.
Dascalowitz made a court appearance today. According to Yerachmiel Lopin he did not have too much support - only 3 people versus the 14 that were there to support the victim’s family.
But if past is prologue, this community will fight very hard to keep him out of prison. As Yerachmiel points out - when this goes to trial he may very well have a hundred supporters there. It is with this in mind that I present the following post written by Rabbi Yakov Horowitz at his website. I urge all of my readers to follow this link and show support for the victim by adding your real names in his comments section. I am cross-posting Rabbi Horowitz’s words - and they follow:
I plan on attending the next court appearance of Meir Dascalowitz, who was arrested in May, 2010 and is now standing trial on ten felony charges of child abuse (tentatively scheduled for March 25th).
I am doing so to stand with and support the victims he allegedly abused and to let them know that they are valued members of our community.
I am doing so to send a loud and clear message to the predators that molest our precious kinderlach that our children are not hefker!
I am doing so to support the rule of law. Time and experience have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that well-meaning, untrained people (like this writer) are powerless to protect children. Our chazal (sages, Avos 3:4) wisely stated that we must pray for the stability of our government for, “If not for the fear it holds over its citizens (who commit crimes), a person would swallow his neighbor.”
I ask all members of our community who feel like I do to please take a moment and post a comment below this article or send an email to: yhprojectyes@gmail.com supporting the victims. Let them know that we love them, that we are terribly sorry that they had to suffer this way, and that we will do everything in our power to see that those who abuse our children will be reported and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
I respectfully ask that you kindly sign your real name and the city where you live. We should be proud to do what the Torah instructs us to do – 36 times, no less, far more than any other mitzvah (commandment) – to give comfort to the gerim (strangers) among us as they lack the support structure so vital to one’s well-being. I can think of no greater “stranger” than the innocent children who have been ravaged by pedophiles.
I also respectfully ask, that at least for this post, we not get sidetracked with the many issues related to abuse and molestation, and that those who post comments on this article limit their remarks to words of support and comfort for these and other victims of abuse.
I hope to collect several hundred signatures on this thread, and I look forward to presenting the printed papers with your messages of support to the victims, so we can let them know that they have our backing and chizuk.
Elie Wiesel, in his remarks upon accepting the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize, eloquently stated as follows: “… And that is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”
My dear friends, it is time to stand up and be counted. With the victims and with those who are oppressed.
