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| Convicted child sex offender, Nechemya Weberman (Jerusalem Post) |
A monster named Nechemya Weberman began sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl in 2007 and continued the abuse until
2010. He was convicted on 59 counts, including sexual misconduct against a
child, criminal sexual acts, sexual abuse, and endangering the welfare of a
child.
Weberman’s image was that of a knowledgeable rabbinic figure
who had somehow developed a reputation for treating troubled young people in his
Chasidic community. The idea of a Chasidic family going to a trained
mental-health professional outside their community - someone who ‘does not
understand their needs’ is in many cases anathema to them. They will always
choose the heimishe therapist. Someone from within their religious community
they can identify with. Weberman fit that bill. The fact that he had no
professional training didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that he Frum - he was
‘one of them’.
Weberman had somehow gained the confidence of his community as
someone who could successfully treat troubled youth. The idea that a man like
that would ever abuse one of his ‘clients’ seemed impossible. So when he was
accused, no one believed it. Because of the piety he otherwise displayed, they
automatically believed in his innocence. That belief was reinforced during the
trial, where he sat at the defense table reciting Tehillim while his
attorney presented his case.
But the evidence supported the survivor. The jury believed
her and found him guilty. The Chasidic leaders of his community nonetheless
maintain his innocence to this day. I’m sure they ‘reasoned’ as follows: How is
it possible that a man like that could do the things he was accused of?! A man
whose reputation was pristine until a young girl—who is no longer
observant—lied and accused him of the unthinkable! They surely still believe
that this girl, whom he tried to help, turned on him out of some vendetta
against her former community.
Things had gotten better in recent years. There are good
people and organizations in the Orthodox world who have made a difference. Zvi
Gluck and his organization, Amudim, have done a great deal to turn the tide.
Although there is still plenty of abuse in the Orthodox world, there is now a
recognition that accusers of sexual abuse rarely lie. They should be believed
and deserve our compassion and goodwill. There is greater communal awareness
that some people who act like tzadikim - the most righteous among us - are
nonetheless evil to the core.
Yet it seems there are still rabbis who can be convinced
that a convicted sex abuser like Weberman somehow deserves clemency. One of
them, however, withdrew his request after learning the details of the case. As
reported by Arutz Sheva:
A prominent rabbinic figure at Yeshiva University has publicly withdrawn his support for a clemency request submitted to the Governor of New York on behalf of a convicted child abuser from a hasidic community, stating he was not fully informed when he signed the original letter… “I retract my signature,” he stated firmly, adding that after learning the specifics of the crimes involved, he believes the individual should remain incarcerated.
The retraction followed a statement by Zvi Gluck, CEO of Amudim, who wrote last week:
“When I saw that a group of respected rabbonim had sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul asking for clemency for a convicted child abuser who has never shown one ounce of remorse, something inside me broke. It was not only disappointment or frustration. It was heartbreak, anger, disbelief, and a deep sadness that words barely touch.
“For years, survivors have fought simply to be heard. Families have carried wounds that do not fade. I have sat with children who grew into adults still trembling as they describe what was done to them. So reading a letter filled with compassion for the man who caused such devastation, and absolutely none for the girl he abused, felt like a betrayal of every survivor who has ever found the courage to come forward.
“The letter speaks only of the abuser’s age, his health, his comfort, and his dignity—without once speaking about hers. Not one mention of her pain. Not one word about her suffering. Yet there is a plea for mercy for the man who stole her childhood. What about her life? What about her future?
“The irony is painful. Many who signed this letter come from communities torn apart by infighting for years. Yet for this—for a convicted abuser with no remorse—they unite fully. If only they showed this unity when it came to protecting children.”
Indeed. I don’t know who the other rabbis are. But what will
it take for them to show compassion for survivors instead of a convicted
abuser? As if Weberman’s age, health, comfort, and dignity matter here? Really?!
Did they simply see a pious Chasidic man languishing in
prison saying Tehillim all day and conclude, No way should a man like
this be suffering like that!?
Whoever these rabbis are - if they don’t retract their request for clemency as did Rav Schachter - I have to seriously question their sense of yashrus, their
basic sense of right and wrong.
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