What I Should Have Done

Me- Your honor, may I question the witness?

Judge- Well it is not, well I suppose so, but make it brief.

Ma- Thank you your honor. You said you are a rabbi in Baltimore and have been for 25 years. Is that correct?

Rabbi- Yes.

Me- Would you say that your community has over the years and still does, have a problem, with pedophiles? Child molesters.

Rabbi- A problem?

Me- Yes.

Rabbi- I wouldn't say the problem is any different then it is with other communities.

Me- Really? Where I live, we don't have that problem.

Rabbi- I don't know your community.

Me- But you would have to admit that there is a problem in your community?

Rabbi- As I said, not any different then other communities.

Me- In the 25 years you have been a rabbi in Baltimore, did you ever know a pedophile personally?

Rabbi- Personally?

Me- Yes.

Rabbi- I can't say that I have.

Me- Really? In the 25 years you've been a rabbi in a community that is, as you say no different then others when it comes to child molesters, you can honestly say you have never known one personally?

Lawyer- Objection your honor. The rabbi is not on trial.

Judge- Objection sustained.

Me- Your honor. I know the rabbi is not on trial. I am just attempting to illustrate that my granddaughter would be in harms way if she were to live in the rabbi's community. Please your honor, let the rabbi's answer be on the record.

Judge- Objection over ruled. Proceed.

Me- Thank you your honor. Rabbi, have you ever known a pedophile in the 25 years you have been a rabbi in Baltimore? I am not suggesting you are a pedophile rabbi. And I am not suggesting your friends were pedophiles. I just want to know if you ever knew the identity of one?

Rabbi- I can't say that I have.

Me- Didn't a member of your congregation make a documentary about being the victim of a pedophile when he was a student at a yeshiva?

Rabbi- Yes.

Me- And you have been a rabbi for the past 25 years, and during the time this member, excuse me, future member, was being molested in his yeshiva by a fellow rabbi of yours, and you are saying, under oath, that you were not aware that there was some kind of problem with anyone in your community?

Rabbi- There have been rumors over the years, but I was not aware who the pedophiles were.

Me- Were you ever curious? I mean, after all, this was and still is your community.

Lawyer- Objection your honor. The rabbi is being questioned as though he was on trial. This is not warranted.

Judge- Objection over ruled.

Me- Thank you your honor. Were you ever curious rabbi?

Rabbi- In our community, these issues were taken care of from within.

Me- From within? What does that mean?

Rabbi- We have always made sure that members, especially children of the community, were not in any way put in danger.

Me- How would you do that?

Rabbi- I was not a part of that process.

Me- Then how did you know?

Rabbi- I just did. In fact today, we have an organization that monitors the very problem.

Me- What problem rabbi?

Rabbi- What problem?

Me- Yes, what problem?

Rabbi- Pedophiles.

Me- Thank you. I just wanted you to say it. Tell me about this organization.

Rabbi- It teaches rabbis , as well as lay people, on how to recognize a pedophile. In fact as far as I know, we are one of the few communities that has such a plan in place. I guess you can say it is a "watch dog" type of organization.

Me- Why do you think it was so important for your community to have this "watch dog" type of organization, as you put it, in place? Do you think it's because your community has always had a monumental problem with child molesters and still does?

Rabbi- Whatever the case is, it is better to have them then not.

Me- Over the past 25 years, has anyone ever come forward to you and say that they were molested by someone they trusted, such as a rabbi?

Rabbi-  You mentioned the gentleman from my shul. He did.

Me- Let me rephrase the question. Prior to Mr. Doe, did anyone come forward and say they were molested by a rabbi in your community?

Rabbi- Not to my knowledge.

Me- What if they did? What would be the ramifications for that person?

Lawyer- Objection your honor. The question is irrelevant and hypothetical.

Judge- Objection over ruled.

Me- Thank you your honor. What would the ramifications be for that person?

Rabbi- It would be handled from within the community, as I previously stated.

Me- Within? Meaning what rabbi?

Rabbi- A beis din, a group of rabbis would listen to the testimony of the accuser and that of the accused and make a determination.

Me- Sounds kind of biased. Does it to you rabbi?

Rabbi- We take care of many issues within our community without involving others.

Me- Others? You mean non Jewish authorities?

Rabbi- Correct.

Me- What if a Jew went to non Jewish authorities and reported to them that he or she was molested by a rabbi?

Rabbi- We now encourage them to do so.

Me- Was that always the case, encouraging them to go to the non Jewish authorities?

Rabbi- No.

Me- Why?

Rabbi- It is a violation of Jewish law for one Jew to turn in another Jew to non Jewish authorities.

Me- Why?

Rabbi- Because historically, whenever that would happen, the non Jewish authorities would deal very harshly with the one that was turned over.

Me- But you said before that victims of molestation are encouraged to inform non Jewish authorities about such cases.

Rabbi-  In the case of molestation, or abuse yes.

Me- That was not always the case. You know that rabbi. What changed that?

Rabbi- Times have changed. Abuse is not tolerated in Judaism.

Me- Times have not changed Rabbi. The molesters that your community dealt from "within" got caught, and as a result you and many of your colleagues are considered as accomplices. That is the only reason why your "watch dog" organization exists. Not for the protection of the innocent, but as a deflection of the crimes committed. The molesters identities were protected by the ones the innocent trusted the most.

Rabbi- Ahem ( throat clearing)

Me- What was the status of those Jews that did turn a child molester over to non Jewish authorities before the "change"?

Rabbi- They did not have a place in the world to come.

Me- So now that times have changed, did God knock on the door of the ones that did not have a place in the world to come, and say to them, "you can come in now, the rabbis said so". Or did God know you were wrong all along?

Lawyer- Objection you honor!!!!

Judge- WOW!!!!!! Proceed. 
Me- How many synagogues are in you community?

Lawyer- Your honor, I just want to remind you that you told him to be brief, and not only that, my client has a plane to catch in a few hours.

Judge- Counsel, I don't need you to tell me what and who I reminded.

Me- Thank you your honor. Rabbi, how many synagogues are in your community?

Rabbi- I would say approximately 12 to 15.

Me- And on a typical Saturday morning, the Sabbath, what time does services start?

Rabbi- In my shul, 9:00.

Me- Would you say that is probably the time these 12 to 15 other shuls, I mean synagogues, give or take a half hour, start Sabbath, Saturday morning services?

Rabbi- Yes.

Me- What time are these services over?

Rabbi- 11:30-12:00.

Me- After services, would you tell the judge what then happens.

Rabbi- Well, we have something to eat.

Me- Your honor, after services, as the rabbi said, food is served. It is usually sponsored by some member of the synagogue in honor of a life cycle event, such as a birth, bar mitzvah, wedding, etc.....

Judge- Go on.

Me- This usually takes place not in the sanctuary, but in a separate room.

Lawyer- Your honor!

Judge- Proceed.

Me- Rabbi, would you say that people from these other 12-15 synagogues go to other shuls such as yours, after their services are over, just to say hello and wish there friends a good sabbath during this time when food is being served?

Rabbi- Yes

Me- And would you say that these 12 to 15 other shuls also serve food, lets call it lunch, as well. Some more elaborate then others?

Rabbi-Yes.

Me- And would you say the rooms where lunch is being served, in your shul and the other ones as well, is more crowded then the sanctuary where the services were held ?

Rabbi- I don't understand your question.

Me- Well, in the sanctuary, typically, you honor, rabbi, as you know, there are mostly men. Would you agree with that rabbi?

Rabbi- Yes.

Me- And so after services, your Honor, the wives and the children, typically will meet their husbands. So the room where lunch is being served, well lets just say, it can get noisy, crowded, all in a good way. Would you agree with that rabbi?

Rabbi- Yes.

Me- Rabbi, do you know everyone who walks into your shul when lunch is being served?

Rabbi- Most people I recognize.

Me- Does that mean everyone?

Rabbi- No, not everyone, but most people.

Me- Did anyone ever walk into your shul, for lunch, that roused any suspicion on your part?

Rabbi- Suspicion? I really can't say.

Me- Would you say that if a pedophile walked in, considering the noise and crowd, he or she would be able to touch an innocent child in an inappropriate way?

Rabbi- My community, as I stated earlier, watches for this problem.

Me- So you think it's impossible for that to happen?

Rabbi- Impossible? No. Highly unlikely though.

Me- But possible?

Rabbi- Highly unlikely, but possible.

Me- I was just wondering. What is the fate of those who knew the identity of a pedophile and never turned them in. Do they go straight to hell?

Lawyer- Objection your honor!!!!

Judge- Objection over...., objection sustained.

Me- Thank you. No more further questions you Honor.


The above questioning, unfortunately, never took place. Perhaps if it did, the outcome would have been different.