I Am David
I have spent the past few days reading all of the comments that have been posted to this blog and would like to comment.
It was not easy for me to finally open up and put in writing and post on this blog some of the things that Yidi Kolko did to me so many years ago at Yeshiva Torah Vodaas of Flatbush and at camp Agudah.
Yes, I've been carrying it for all of these years and no matter how hard I tried to forget about it, it always seems to be there. Always there. And with every case of child abuse or molestation that gets publicized, it's always there. Even today, even when I'm happily married with 4 wonderful children.
I recommend that each one of you look at your sons, or brothers and ask: can they possibly be a victim of sexual molestation by a rebbe, a teacher, a camp counselor, etc?
And if he/they were, would he be strong enough to tell you about it?
And then the question I ask is: Would you at all believe him?
For you would ask: how could it be that such an outstanding rebbe, teacher, counselor, etc., who everyone loves and raves about, how could he do something like this?
And your immediate response would automatically be: No, my son, for some reason, isn't telling the truth, he must be lying...
As I said before, I've lived with this for a very long time and it is time for Yidi Kolko to pay the price for what he did to me and to others.
What this price is I'll let others decide.
They say that time has a way of healing - from my own experience, it doesn't ever go away.
In order to survive and remain normal, one must be strong... and always and continuously believe in Hashem.
Another TT Alumnus writes.............
I also learned in TT many years ago when it was on Church Ave and called Torah Vadas. I remember Kolko pulling down kids pants in front of the whole class and smacking their tush among other things. Come on this is a mechanach, the man is a monster. If your son came home and told you the rebbi pulled down his pants in front of the whole class what would you do?! Thinking back when I was in Bais Hamedresh there was a bocher who used to start up with other boys by fondling them, now he is a rebbi in some yeshiva does anyone think that monster was cured? Everyone who went through the yeshiva system should think back wasn't there always some boys who couldn't keep their hands to themselves? Why is it so unbelivable that Kolko is a molester, did anyone ever stop those kids? OUJ I for one am saying tehlimm for your hatzloche, personally I don't care why you are doing this just "alay vahatzliach"
Posted by another angry alunnus to Un-Orthodox Jews at 2/16/2006 07:07:35 PM
Posted By "I Know UOJ"
Torah Temimah parents, listen very carefully to me.
I am on the inside, and I know what I'm talking about it. Yidi Kolko is a serious child molestor, many times over. He has multiple victims. He victimized them over lengthy periods of time. The yeshiva, and the rabbis, did nothing.
But one does not even have to be "on the inside" to understand this. If you have a brain, which you all do, you would read all of the posts on this blog, and simply understand that the allegations are all true. Factual details have been given. There are multiple reports. The victims are frum Jews not likely to make up a preposterous story.
I have read the professional literature. A child molestor should never work near children. This is nothing to argue about. Pedophilia is incurable. The urge is always there. Therapy is always required, and the pedophile should never be allowed to work near children. This is nothing to argue about, no debate, no discussion, that's all there is to say. Any person who tells you otherwise, be that person a rosh yeshiva, rabbi, menahel, or otherwise, is either a fool, or has another agenda.
Do not listen to them.
You must demand over and over and over again that Yidi Kolko be removed from Torah Temimah, now and forever. Do not quibble whether he gets paid or not. Just get him out, and get him out now.
UOJ is not joking around. He has already made media contacts and is meeting with the FBI tomorrow. He can, just maybe, stop the story now, if you get Kolko out of the school. Or, at a minimum, you will make the school and yourselves look a little better in the media if Kolko is taken out of the school, now, immediately, and forever.
He swears that if Kolko is not removed immediately, he will expose Margulies for massive financial fraud, harboring a molester for thirty years, and defrauding the IRS out of millions, all criminal offenses. The board of directors have liabilty as well. Ignorance is no excuse.
UOJ has megabucks, he is out to make an example of these two criminals, HE WILL!!
He swears that Lipa Margulies will be removed from the school by you, the FBI, and the state board of education and the child protective services.
And if Kolko is not taken out of the school, there are other avenues. There are all kinds of government agencies that have a legitimate concern that child molesters should not be working in a school, and don't think that it matters that Yeshiva Torah Temimah is a private school, because the government regulates private schools too.
I implore all parents in the strongest terms possible. ACT NOW! TAKE CHARGE OF THIS SITUATION! GET KOLKO OUT NOW!
I am telling you, as one frum Jew to another, as G-d is watching over every word I write on this blog, that every word I've said is emes. This is pikuach nefesh for our children's bodies and souls, and this is not a matter that can be ignored. Lo sa'amod al dam ra'echa, Do not stand upon the blood of your brothers, is a positive commandment, and we are all required to obey this mitzvah to the fullest degree. Just stop whatever you're doing, organize yourselves, and demand from the yeshiva board that Kolko be terminated, now and forever.
Hashem yerachim.
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26 comments:
David, In as much as your story is very sincere, in order for you to post this on the site, UOJ must have given you access, if thats the case then he should know who you are. Somehow i dont think you would reveal yourself to anyone, people in your position: Married with kids and had some sort of sexual abuse as a teenager would would never tell just anyone, Especially not a stranger like UOJ, (which by the way, we still dont clearly know his agenda).
you would be embarresed to tell anyone and risk your wife or worse, your children finding out. they would never look at you the same ever again. In summary: you definitly have some relationship with UOJ or you are UOJ just looking to stir up the soup.
dont get me wrong, im not judging Kolko, it may very well be that he's guilty, but you are NOT a victim.BTW being that UOJ reads all comments before they are posted this may not get posted at all, which only tells that UOJ is not sincere at all.
Why is "david" a nameless and faceless "blogger?
Why would anyone believe "David", simply because it is written on a blog?
Maybe UOJ is David?
tt parent, you know, denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
TT Parent,
The evil criminal minuvel Margulies and the sick pedophile Kolko know who David is; if you are a concerned parent, why don't you demand to see the student list and the other relevant information that David volunteered circa 1970?
Why don't you ask Nosson Sherman and Simcha Kaufman to get involved?
I will not speak for David, but he is making great strides...for all I know he may voluntarily wind up one day real soon on the steps of the yeshiva with the FBI and the media.
UOJ;
I read your blog a few days ago and was truly appalled and shocked. Appalled by the fact that such a thing can exist in our community and shocked that he may be my child’s Rebbe. Yet I can’t help but feel from your writings and comments that you’re out for "blood" and that you wouldn’t have it any other way. Though you may say that our “leaders” aren’t doing anything, I believe if you truly sought to rectify the situation you could have set up a meeting with say, R’ Shmuel Kamenetzky and told him all the “evidence” that you have and see what happens.
In our day we know all too well the power of the terrorist. It makes no difference how great the cause, a man can plant a bomb in the name of AIDS Awareness, he’s still a terrorist. And thogh a terrorist may win a battle or two, ultimately his war will be lost.
(bogus) TT Parent:
post if you like but please think up your own screen name. Do not use mine. i had it first.
Thanks.
TT,
You know that the story is fabricated!Where do you get off,after this david clearly states that abuse victims are not believed or challenged you go ahead and stick it to him because YOU KNOW! and why? Because of some twisted logic that he would have to reveal himself to uoj.Do you think that it is at all possible that it was emailed anonymously to uoj.Just continue to stick your head in the sand and ignore the horrid truth!You should be ashamed of yourself!!!
Julie Oelbaum can verify the story as true.
The starting point in analyzing this situation from a Torahdike point of view is the well known psak that a child molester has a Din Rodef.
“Viailoo Shematzilin Oisum Binafshum Harodef Achar Hazochor.”
The Din Rodef is not a Din in Bais Din but a Mitzvah Al Kol Yisroel to be Matzil the Nirduf Bnafshi Shel Rodef. Obviously this Psak only applies to someone who is actively molesting children. The Kolko defenders argue that notwithstanding his past conduct, to their knowledge he hasn’t molested anybody recently. However, the question as to whether he constitutes a danger to children is clearly not resolved. Kolko has clearly lost his Chezkas Kashrus by virtue of his past conduct and based on medical knowledge of recidivist behavior among child molesters he poses a present danger to children.
Some talk about Teshuvah. However, when it comes to Bain Odom Lechaveiro there is no Teshuvah, Ad Sheyaratzeh Es Chaveiro. There can be no talk of Mechilah until Kolko compensates all of his victims in full. He’s never even tried. And for good reason. “Hachovel Bechaveiru Chayiv Bechameesha Devarim: Nezek, Tzaar, Reepoi, Sheves and Boishes.”
Do the math.
As Esther hamalka said “Ein Hatzar Shoiveh Binaizek Hamelech.”
Kolko's defenders cry Loshon Horoh. The issur of Loshon Horoh has no application here whatsoever since Loshon Horoh is clearly Muttar Litoyeles. There is no greater Toeles then saving Jewish children from abuse. Not only is it Muttar, it is an absolute Chiyuv Al Kol Yisroel, Lhatzil Es Hanirdofim – our defenseless Jewish children.
In fact, anybody who does not do everything in their power in this situation to save our children is over a Lav Doraysa of Lo Saamod Al Dam Reyacha. This includes spending your own resources to save another jew.
They who sit idly by are also being Mivatel the Mitzvah of Ubearta Hara Mikirbecha which is the absolute Chiyuv Al Kol Yisroel to remove evil from our midst.
There can be no greater evil than a man who has been Mazik the Goofim and, Rachmana Litzlan, the Neshomos of hundreds of Yiddeshe Kinderlech; Hashem Yishmireinu.
As the Posuk says by Shimon and Levi’s killing of Shechem, “Ki Nevulu Usisa Biyosroel Vichain Lo Yaoseh.” Those who would keep Kolko in a position to be further Mazik children are being Machzik Yidei Ovrei Aveirah and are Oiver the Lav of Lifnei Eevair Lo Seetain Michshol.
They are also Oiver the Lav of Lo Sosim Domim Bivaisecha, which applies to any Davar Shel Sakana. There is no greater Sakana then keeping a child molester around children.
The claim that this matter has not been well known is utter nonesense. The accusations against this man are the biggest Kolo Diloi Posik for over thirty years and there are Kamah Eidim to his Nevulos.
The people who are trying to save our children from this evil should be lauded like the true Kanoim in the Torah who took action while everybody else cried. They cried because Nisalmoh Meiham Halachoh.
When it comes to the problem of molestation it appears that we suffer from a collective Nisalmoh Mee Menu Halacha.
How can Torah be learned Kitzurosoh in a Mossad that harbors such a Menuval.
The true Roshei Yeshivah, Rabbeim and Bnai Torah in Yeshivah Torah Temimah should stand up as one and say Tzai Tumai, go out from among us unclean one, so we can learn Torah Al Taharas Hakodesh and not be compared Chas Visholom to one who is Toivel Visheretz Biyodo.
browneyed girl - i think you hit the nail on the head. well said.
UOJ:
The conclusion is inescapable. Short of outside intervention, nothing will be done.
Asking the parent body to take the initiative is unrealistic.
Additional posts and comments on this and other blogs may prove interesting, but ineffective.
If Torah Temimah has so little respect for its parent body as to not respond in any way, even to issue a strongly worded denial, to the anonymous letter that received such widespread circulation, there is no hope that they will undertake any internal action.
Therefore there is really no point to additional threats,deadlines,"makos" proposals or whatever label you wish to put on it.
The reality is plain. Either make good on your threat to go to the media and/or the authorities wit your evidence,or move on. The yeshiva world, Rabbonim, organizations etc.. have neither the will nor the track record to investigate reprimand or discipline their own no matter how serious the alleged offense.
UOJ: do what you feel you must, but just do or move on, stop talking about it.
The threats have no meaning and will not be taken seriously by others unless and until there is action taken by someone in authority in this case.
tt parent -- You are right on target I am afraid. Good points.
TT Parent,
I agree with you. I am meeting with the FBI tomorrow, and the media is waiting for the green light from me.
There will be a major announcement motzei Shabbos.
I've been reading the posts on this blog now for months. I don't know if Kolko is guilty or not, but I do know there has got to be something wrong with the people who are more concerned with outing UOJ than dealing with a possible child molester, not to mention protecting their children. If I had a child in TT, I would not be ruminating about Loshon Harah,or Yom Hadin. I would have been in R. Margulies' office months ago, demanding verifiable information, instead of howling about UOJ. Then,if I were not given the proper assurances, I would have immediately taken my child out of that Yeshiva and advised everyone I know to do the same. Period.
Ouj, Please clarify are you David.
I know someone who wants to email you his story, what is your email?
I also learned in TT many years ago when it was on Church Ave and called Torah Vadas. I remember Kolko pulling down kids pants in front of the whole class and smacking their tush among other things. Come on this is a mechanach, the man is a monster. If your son came home and told you the rebbi pulled down his pants in front of the whole class what would you do?! Thinking back when I was in Bais Hamedresh there was a bocher who used to start up with other boys by fondling them, now he is a rebbi in some yeshiva does anyone think that monster was cured? Everyone who went through the yeshiva system should think back wasn't there always some boys who couldn't keep their hands to themselves? Why is it so unbelivable that Kolko is a molester, did anyone ever stop those kids? OUJ I for one am saying tehlimm for your hatzloche, personally I don't care why you are doing this just "alay vahatzliach"
My e-mail address is:
a_unorthodoxjew@yahoo.com
There have been 1300 new comments that I did not get to. I will be posting ONLY the ones that are relevant and add to this conversation.
February 16, 2006
Dear Chaverim,
Because I am an attorney who has long been involved in advocating a program for protecting our children from sex abuse, I feel the need to publicly comment in the forum of this blog (unorthodoxjews.blogspot.com/) on the allegations being made against a rebbe at Yeshiva Torah Temimah.
Over the past several weeks, I have read various posts of alleged victim accounts which have given dates, places, type of sex abuse, and other factual detail.
In addition, the blog administrator ("UOJ"), a frum Jew and a musmach, has mailed thousands of letters to frum Jews in Flatbush and Borough Park. He has demanded that this rebbe's employment at the yeshiva be terminated.
I have also spoken to several adult individuals who confided in me their stories of childhood sex abuse committed against them by this man.
The allegations are serious, but there are solutions, and I will present them in this letter. In addition, concerned community members have been in contact with the yeshiva, and I hope and pray, b'ezras Hashem, that a resolution will be reached, along the lines to be outlined here.
For a fair amount of time, I have been advocating a two-part approach for eradicating the problem of child sex abuse in our yeshivas, day schools, camps, and other youth settings.
First, we need to perform fingerprint-based criminal background checks on all of our employees and volunteers, and in this way, we will avoid hiring convicted sex offenders, drug offenders, violent criminals, and other dangerous predators.
I have previously written in my letters to Torah U'Mesorah, Agudath Israel, the Rabbinic Council of America, the Orthodox Union, and the National Council of Young Israel that 42 out of 50 states now require their public schools to perform fingerprint based criminal background checks on their employees (including New York State); 10 states require their nonpublic schools to perform such checks (not New York). In addition, after too-numerous child sex abuse incidents, every major youth group in the U.S. is performing background checks: the Boy and Girl Scouts, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Little League of America, the American Youth Soccer Organization, Pop Warner Football, the Civil Air Patrol.
In the wake of the Catholic priest sex abuse scandal, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has required employee and volunteer background checks for all Catholic schools and youth groups since April 2003, whether required by law or not.
Even private corporations whose employees do not have regular access to children are voluntarily performing criminal background checks. An August 26, 2004 Wall Street Journal article reported that 80% of America's 400 largest corporations are performing background checks on their employees. Wal Mart, the nation's largest employer, joined this group after two convicted sex offenders working in their South Carolina stores were alleged to have molested children on store premises.
All of these background checks have weeded out thousands of convicted sex offenders and other dangerous criminals who would otherwise constitute a grave danger to children.
How great is the danger? The U.S. Congress and the U.S. Department of Education most recently addressed the school sexual abuse problem in a lengthy June 2004 report entitled, "Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature", authored by Hofstra University Prof. Charole Shakeshaft, a leading expert. This report informs us that nearly 10% of U.S. students are targets of contact and noncontact sexual misconduct during their K-12 years. Among the security recommendations are that all public and private schools perform fingerprint based criminal background checks. This report is available on the U.S. Department of Education website.
Another good resource for people who want to educate themselves about the problem is a book called, "Predators" (2004), authored by Dr. Anna Salter, a Harvard College, Harvard Medical School-educated psychiatrist, who presents a mountain of evidence that establishes the great danger that child sex abuse presents. Dr. Salter has also written the two leading textbooks in use in our country on the treatment of sex offenders. Dr. Salter proves through her evidence that sex offenders should never work near children. Pedophiles are actually never cured, and they are in need of lifetime therapy.
In addition, there is also a mounting body of medical evidence which proves what we already intuitively know: that childhood sex abuse has long-term consequences. Medical studies have established that people who have suffered childhood sex abuse are at a greater risk for depression, substance abuse, and suicide.
Our own community has not ignored the child sex abuse problem. In May 2003, for example, both Torah U'Mesorah and the RCA, at their respective conventions, addressed the issue. I have listened to the audiotapes. A psychologist prominent in our community for specializing in this problem spoke at each convention, and described an incident in a yeshiva where a janitor with a criminal record for sex abuse attacked our children. In addition, the psychologist stated that we have suffered an unconscionable number of suicides of children who have been sex abuse victims.
Hashem yerachim.
I have made some progress on achieving my goal of having every yeshiva and Hebrew day school in New York State perform fingerprint-based employee background checks. The New York State Senate is drafting a bill, which I hope to have in my hands shortly. State Assembly sponsors will then be needed, and hopefully the Governor will support the bill, and it will pass.
But background checks are only one part of the overall solution. What do we do about the vast majority of sex offenders who never see the inside of a courtroom? Most child sex abuse victims never report the crimes done to their bodies, and unfortunately, even when they do, they are often not believed. More unfortunate, even when they are believed, successful criminal prosecutions are difficult, particularly where there is an absence of physical evidence.
Clearly, our yeshivas and day schools need to unite to form our own internal disciplinary system and registry, which will record the names of those individuals, who after a hearing conducted under careful rabbinic auspices, are found guilty of either violence or sex abuse, and will then be forever barred from employment in our mosdos.
Such a disciplinary system and registry would be neither novel, nor difficult to establish. Every public educational system in our country has such a program in place, as does the Catholic Church. We Jews therefore have numerous models to follow, and we should quickly establish our own disciplinary system and registry. In fact, the registry concept was specifically discussed and spoken of very approvingly at the May 2003 Torah U'Mesorah Convention.
In addition, I approaced the Rabbinical Council of America, an organization of approximately 1,000 rabbis, and proposed and drafted for them a Resolution endorsing background checks, and a disciplinary system and registry for all of our 700 yeshivas and Hebrew day schools that teach 200,00 Jewish children in the United States, including 100,000 in New York State. The Resolution passed at their May 2005 Convention, you can read it on rabbis.org, and I credit this Resolution for the great progress I am making in the New York State Senate for achieving a law that will allow fingerprint based criminal background checks to be conducted in our schools.
Our yeshivas and day schools do need to be concerned about laws that protect our children, and performing background checks, and having an internal disciplinary system and registry, will accomplish that goal.
Some New York laws that come into play are: Education Law section 3204, which provides that a nonpublic school teacher must be "competent". It is highly questionable, to say the least, as to whether a teacher who is a child sex abuser is "competent".
New York State Education Law section 549(1) provides that "the state has a primary responsibility to ensure the health, welfare and safety of children attending both public and nonpublic schools."
New York State Penal Law section 2601.10 is entitled, "Endangering the Welfare of a Child", and provides that it is a misdemeanor for a person legally charged with the custody of a child to fail to exercise reasonable diligence in preventing such child from becoming "abused". Statutes like these have been used in prosecutions of cases against the Catholic Church.
New York State Social Service Law section 413 makes it a misdemeanor for a school official not to report sex abuse to the New York central registry of childhood sex abuse.
In addition, New York courts have, on multiple occasions, declared the duty that a school owes to a child, sometimes referred to by the ancient Latin phrase, "in loco parentis", in place of the parent. When a parent transfers physical custody of his child to a school, the school stands in place of the parent, and assumes the same duty. Thus, just as parent would never hire a sex offender as a babysitter, so too should a school never employ a sex offender as teacher. See, e.g., Pratt v. Robinson, 39 NY2d 554 (1976).
The Torah has much to say about this situation, which time and space do not allow here, but suffice it to say that the Torah commands, Lo sa'amod al dam ra'echa, Do not stand upon the blood of your brother. This is a positive mitzvah that requires one Jew to save the life of another. In addition, the Torah tells us, V'shmartem nafshosachem me'od, You will guard your lives exceedingly. The Torah also tells us, Tsedek, tsedek tirdof, l'maan tichyeh. Justice justice shall you pursue, in order that you may live.
Certainly, if the individual accused of sex abuse at Torah Temima declines to resign, or if the yeshiva declines to terminate his employment, an evidentiary-type hearing, in my opinion, should be held. The alleged victims should testify, the accused abuser can also testify, and a decision should then be rendered by the professional panel of judges - unbiased rabbis and lawyers from our community.
Barring resignation or termination, the hearing may be the solution to our current
problem. This hearing can be the first step taken towards establishing our own internal disciplinary system and registry. Gam zu l'tovah.
This process and verdict can also be a refuah for the alleged victims who have suffered in silence for so long, at cost to their physical and mental health. They are entitled to some small measure of justice.
The establishment of our own disciplinary system and registry can also be a first step in teshuvah and recovery for the accused individual.
In the future, cases like these need not be addressed through anonymous mass mailings, blogs, and public letters from a lawyer such as myself. Our own genuine justice system, which will itself act as a deterrent, can properly handle such problems.
Together with our own hishtadlus, may the ribono shel olam endow all of us with the kochus and chochma that we will need to resolve our current situation.
Very truly yours,
Elliot B. Pasik
Attorney at Law
145 West Olive Street
Long Beach, New York 11561
efpasik@aol.com
WE ARE WAITING WITH BAITED VREATH FOR THE NEXT MOVE CANT SLEEP ALL NITE
WE WERE HACKED, GO TO :
THEUNORTHODOXJEW.BLOGSPOT.COM
he's been removed!
now well see if the intentions of the accusers are for real.
will they stop the campaign against ytt or will they continue to hurt our community.
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