Jersey City, NJ – Four gay men accused a New Jersey organization of fraud Tuesday for selling “conversion therapy” with false promises to make them straight.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
They said during a Manhattan news conference that they were subjected to humiliations that included stripping naked and taking a baseball bat to effigies of their mothers.
The four attended sessions at the Jersey City, N.J.-based Jews Offering New Alternatives to Healing, or JONAH. The nonprofit advertises in Jewish publications and claims to rid men of same-sex attractions.
Three of the men are Jewish — Chaim Levin, Benjamin Unger, and Sheldon Bruck. The fourth, Michael Ferguson, is a Mormon now living in Salt Lake City who was a college student in New York when he signed up for the services.
The men say in a lawsuit that the methods do not work and should not be marketed under New Jersey’s consumer protection laws. They say the suit was filed Tuesday in New Jersey, but officials there could not confirm receiving it.
The men say in the suit that JONAH’s practices included telling them “that gay sexual orientation is a mental disorder and gay people must change to straight in order to lead satisfying and happy lives” and “that when conversion therapy does not produce the promised results, the clients themselves are to blame for not sufficiently investing in and surrendering to Defendants’ services.”
JONAH did not return calls requesting comment.
The group’s mission statement on its website says JONAH is “dedicated to educating the world-wide Jewish community about the social, cultural and emotional factors which lead to same-sex attractions.”
Its claim that being gay is a mental disorder that can be reversed has been rejected by the American Psychiatric Association.
Speaking for the men at Tuesday’s news conference were attorneys from the Southern Poverty Law Center, a Montgomery, Ala.-based civil rights organization.
“JONAH profits off of shameful and dangerous attempts to fix something that isn’t broken,” said Christine P. Sun, the center’s deputy legal director. “Despite the consensus of mainstream professional organizations that conversion therapy doesn’t work, this racket continues to scam vulnerable gay men and lesbians out of thousands of dollars and inflicts significant harm on them.”
California has taken action against providers of conversion therapy.
Last month, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill that prohibits licensed mental health professionals from using so-called reparative or conversion therapies with clients under age 18. Brown called the therapies “quackery” that “have no basis in science or medicine.”
Two New Jersey lawmakers are drafting similar legislation.
Whatever you think about gay marriage, these “conversion” groups are just as much a fraud as the yidden for yushka or other scam organizations and should simply be ignored.
So sad that these men are so persecuted they were driven to these desperate attempts to change the core of who they are.
sad.
Many in the frum community have a very hard time accepting anyone who’s “different.” That includes gays, Ethiopian Jews, kids with learning issues, people from different ethnic backgrounds, people who are single past a certain age, people with developmental challenges, etc., etc.
They will judge you. They will ostracize you. They will treat you shabbily. They will try to make you into carbon copies of themselves. Just because you’re different. And it makes them very, very uncomfortable to accept the fact that YOU are YOU, and you are perfect just the way you are.
DO NOT LET THEM INTO YOUR HEAD! Never allow yourself to look at the world through THEIR eyes. Use your own lens to view others and yourself. Celebrate your differences. Teach THEM tolerance. Maybe even teach them acceptance. Ahavas Yisroel is something they preach. But do they practice it?
Hashem yirachaim! Its no wonder we have sandy and Hamas to deal with,!
(reply to 4)Lets leave the “frum community” out of the picture, what about the torah? Do you know that in the days of the beis Hamikdosh, if someone had sex with a guy he has to be killed with “Skilah” . Maybe you think the torah is fanatic, not enough liberal.Then you could decide to leave the torah (or chose whatever you like from the torah) so then you’re not believing in toras moshe then i understand you’re point of view. but for someone who is a mamin in toras moshe i dont see any way that Gay could be Acceptable.
The Torah Hakdosha does not say “clear” that Gays are NO good. The Torah says a certain act between two men is no good. It does not say that homosexuality is a disease or an abnormality that can be cured. If anything, it’s the opposite. The fact that it’s listed just like a lot of other arayos shows that the Torah considers it a normal ta’avah, and one that should be withstood. No more, no less.
How much a person withstands his or her own taavos is between that person and Hashem. It is not for quack organizations to make money off the misery of those who are made to feel like sick people for having ta’avos that Hashem gave them but they harm nobody but themselves.
i’m not an expert. But if you learn alot of torah. you’ll get a cure!
I have known at least 20 Frum kids who have committed suicide because they were not accepted. Is the death of our kinder worth it? I think not! You’d be surprised how many of our youth are in the closet for fear of being kicked out. Instead, they turn to drugs, alcohol or worse, they marry a nice girl and then both are miserable.
Chaim is not a Chillul Hashem. Quite to the contrary, he is a Kiddush Hashem. May we all have the zchus to be as brave as him and report abuse whenever we experience it. The violence of your rhetoric creates the very conditions for the violence he and far too many other gay and lesbian people encounter on a daily basis.
The TORAH hakdosha will never change. the torah is clear velo sasuru…..zonim achrehem
…..
if you do these things you are to be killed and that goes for today the gemara says we dont have capitol punishment but Hkbh has his ways to kill evul doers. now if we see such things or hear these things we have an obligation to object and state the torah way they shoyld be killed. guess what the torah says vayehargo ish es achiv you shall kill even rachml your brother…..
bow you number 4 you are an influence of our times with a twisted liberal mind set everythig goes everything is ok and there is even a term for it .so it must be ok. start learning torah and getting close to hkbh cry bitter tears for your thought process cause its faulty .
Bli ayin hara! 12 comments, 75% positive so far and pro-inclusion of everyone in k’lal Yisra’el. baruch Hashem!
The concept of some Gadol Hador who has so much power in Jewish life is dangerous. The gadols don’t know how to deal with complex social challenges and seek all answers from ancient Halahic cookbooks. The result is that many people are psychologically and physically abused at all costs because of bad advice given to them by “gedolim” who in this case were forcing many men like these to undergo dangerous therapies that only did more psychological harm and pushed them away from Torah and God. It’s time our community leaders accept science and modern understandings of society and stop playing doctor with people’s lives.
some of the comment here are disgusting, and against everything the torah stands for, besides for being outright wrong it is hateful and falls into sinas chinam, the torah is not against BEING gay, since it is not a choice to begin with, as for acting on it, that is an entire different discussion, stop hating innocent people that had no choice in being gay, and show some warmth and support and maybe it will help counteract some of your own sins….
Chaim (Kevin) Levin its nice to see when you have a photo op you put on a yarmulka why don’t you show your true colors and get on with your life stop making believe you’re a Frum yid when you know you’re far from it!
We need to have compassion for ALL people and not make value judgments.
At the end of the day, Hashem will decide if a person has lived a good life. Does anyone believe that Hashem wants anyone to make nasty, insulting, condescending, or demeaning comments about other people?
It’s not that Gay people are no good, as people.
It’s the performance of the homosexual act that is no good and forbidden, according to the Torah. Following the Torah is not bigotry.
From Sefer Birayshis: “A man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife, and they shall be as one flesh. . . Be fruitful and multiply.”
From Sefer Vayikra: “If a man lies with a man, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”
Hey, people, chill! Having a propensity for being gay is not assur, it’s succumbing to the temptations that is. If they sought help because they’d rather be straight, they should be commended for it, not ostracized. As for Jonah, we’ll no doubt soon hear from people who were helped by the organization.
#10 There is no credible proof, scientific or otherwise, that there is a ‘gay gene’. One cannot say they are ‘born that way’. The Torah does not have a term for a ‘gay’ person, only for the act. And the act is clearly condemned. Since I believe the Torah is an expression of G-d’s love and compassion, I believe that a homosexual act is destructive at a physical, spiritual and emotional level for the perpetrator and for the world.
Though the methods used for this particular therapy may be questionable, even harmful, there is much to be said about undergoing therapy for SSA. For those interested, there is an excellent article in aish.com called “David” about a young man recovering from SSA, his struggles and triumphs and journey towards a meaningful and authentic relationship with G-d.
The term toevah occurs over 100 times in the Torah. Why aren’t people all worked up over every toevah. Also there are many instances that would require the death penalty. I ask the same question. Treat people with love and compassion and the world will be a better place.
I think we should sue the gays for hurricane sandy. They are causing so much suffering because of gay marriage. Bloomberg gave five million dollars to support gay marriage in other states right before sandy and not a dime for NYC victims. G-d is watching.
(Reply to 44)
I am not talking about people that didn’t have chinuch and they don’t know about Torah,they are Jewish and they are called “tinoikes shenishbee” regarding ahavas Yisruel ,you gota look into the gemura about “Beoisa masseh amchu”if someone is not beleiving in the torah I’m not so sure there is a mitsva of ahaves yisruel.
About the belev echoid,I don’t want to have heart of someone eating “neveiles itriefes”
General my problem is if you have lust to other man that a challenge you have lust on something that is prohibited,so if you are a believer in toras moshe you gota deal with that,giving you’re self a name I’m guy and with this label you’re basically want to justify you’re lustful prohibited act this is agains Torah
As the wife of a man who was helped by JONAH, I wish that the world would realize that there are two sides to every story, & that personal perception plays a key role in how we view things. I’m not doubting the truth of Chaim Levin’s account, nor the account of any man who feels that “conversion” therapy harmed him. I am only pointing out that for every man who empathizes with their claims, there is another man mourning the possible loss of such a critical resource of change for those who seek it & succeed at it. I wish our voices weren’t silenced out of fear of “exposure”. I eagerly await the day when we can all just live and let live, without needing to tear down anyone else’s way of life. Am I endorsing acting out on homosexual inclinations? No. I am espousing that we should learn to not be so hateful of people who do, but to recognize that they have nisyonos in life, just like the rest of us. And I would hope that, in turn, men like my husband (& there are many of them, I’ve met them!) can be afforded the right they deserve: to be able to have organizations like JONAH to turn to- to aid them in abating homosexual attractions & achieving a fulfilling heterosexual relationship.
Homosexuality is a disease. If people would only recognize it as such, there would be a real treatment for it rather than this quackery.
Nowhere in Breishis do I see that HaBoreh created “Adam and Steve” or “Madam and Eve”. We are being deceived by gay marketing groups. Don’t fall for it. Next will be polygamy and then marriage to monkeys.
#61 I commend your support of your husband. Yes, we are commanded to love every jew. I agree with the writer who wrote that we are being sold out by the huge and powerful gay lobby who would have us believe that people who experience a propensity towards SSA–and I would warrant all of us do at times; we were created as sexual creatures–have no choice but to act upon it. The liberal/gay agenda arouses our compassion for those who must suffer in silence and encourages these men (and now women) to ‘come out’ proudly. The problem with this, is that this ‘coming out’ does not bring the happiness the
‘gay’ agendists would have us believe. The liberal media, and television shows do a great disservice to those suffering from SSA and to all of people by depicting the ‘gay’ lifestyle as normal.
I wrote previously, and those that disagree with me–I challenge you to bring proof–there is no proven ‘gay’ gene. Yes, there are those that will struggle with their desires–if they believe in G-d and His torah and want a relationship with him–but so do we all struggle with our individual challenges and temptations. I have compassion for all Jews, and all people, that struggle to transcen.
Were they forced into this? Did they pay for it and are not happy with the result so they want their money back? So why sue for 3 mill? They were embarassed? didnt Jonah make them sign a waiver and disclose they may be subject to humiliation , etc.? I just dont understand the lawsuit at all. More headline grabbing by activist gays and shyster attorneys. Give them back their money and let the consumer beware. If someone else wants to try it, let them. It has helped some.
(What is it about the gay mentality that they have to always fight and be in the news? They should suffer their condition quietly and leave the rest of the world alone.)
nobody forced them to take the therapy
in the time of the beis hamikdash when there was a bes-din hagudal of 70 dayunim, these 4 ppl wouldve been hung in middle of the street for being over an isur of “mishkav zuchar”
this is the worst of the aroyis, and they have come now to such a low that they have no problem going out to cameras grab attention and ofcourse ultimatley file a lawsuit to get rich off these isurim
shame on them!!
Being gay is an abomination. The Torah says so, so it’s true. However, these men were trying to get out of that abominable lifestyle, so why is everyone condemning them? The problem is they went to a fraudulent place for help. Perhaps seeing a Torah oriented psychologist would have been a better venue or trying a holistic approach such as EFT could have helped.
This is an extremely complex topic with numerous different forces acting on each other. First off, some people have an attraction to men. This is the same as any other ta’veh. Some people like to steal, others like to eat non-kosher. I don’t think this can be argued. However, the Torah clearly states that acting upon these feelings is completely assur. Not only that it is called an abomination. (unlike almost any other issurim). The Torah views these actions extremely negatively. Therefore, if someone has these urges, they must work on themselves to try to counteract these feelings. Same way as someone who is a drug addict goes to rehab, or a food addict can go to various organizations for help (OA, weight watchers) someone with this problem must try to help themselves. I don’t know JONAH or their methods, but conversion therapy in general, contrary to the mainstream view, has been proven to work. If you read about the work of Masters and Johnson you will see that it can be successful. (to the tune of 71.6% success rate in six weeks). Obviously now (despite the fact that their other work is all accepted) this study has been questioned and is no longer considered valid. I wonder why
My heart goes out to these people who, in their desperation to fit into the heterosexist paradigm of orthodoxy, subjected themselves to the awful abuse of a charlatan. Who knows why G-d makes some people gay? Everyone has his or her metaphorical “cross to bear,” that being said, there is no room in Judaism for visceral hatred of our fellow Jew. These people, like many others, with many different issues are struggling. It is our obligation to give our bretheren support and encouragement to live a Torah life to the extent they are able/willing. There is no room for judgement, G-d will judge, not us. In addition, some specific sexual acts are d’oriata ussur, not thoughts, feelings or “orientations,” and unless you plan on specifically asking people what they do in their bedroom, give them the benefit of the doubt that they are halachically observant Jews.
i think we should all take a step back. We live in a world where the gay scne is so prevalent that it triggers a response perhaps where none may have been years or centuries ago. Yes the torah assurs the act of homosexuality and indeed it is a toeivah. I belive our job is to love the homosexal as any other jew as we do any other individual who does not observe a halacha. Let the KBHU deal with the individual with his rachamim or midas hadin a she chooses. We must nly deal with rachamim in our lives.