Sullivan County, NY – In a continued effort to curb abuse that seems more prevalent in the summer months, the Jewish Board of Advocates for Children has taken out two full size billboards in Sullivan County, urging parents to teach their children what to do if anyone touches them inappropriately. While the billboard located on the northbound side of Route 17 before the Monticello exit is written in English, the second billboard, located on Broadway in Monticello carries the same message in Yiddish, perhaps the first time that this topic has been addressed in Yiddish in such a public forum.
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Both billboards carry the same message, albeit in a slightly different manner. The English billboard features an open Sefer Torah against a black background, the words inside the Sefer Torah urging parents to educate their children about the dangers of sexual abuse and to tell their children to run away, shout for help, call 911, call the police or inform a trusted adult if anyone molests them in any way. The Yiddish billboard features the same message, set against a cheerful, colorful banner featuring illustrations of small children playing outside. Both billboards carry the endorsement of leading poskim.
JBAC was founded in 2008 in an effort to promote the safety and welfare of children in yeshivos and non-public schools. Initially known as the N.Y.S. Yeshiva Parents Association, they successfully advocated for a law, passed in July 2007, authorizing all non public schools to fingerprint and background check their prospective employees so that schools could avoid hiring convicted sex offenders and other dangerous persons.
While some might find public billboards the wrong venue for delivering this important message, JBAC President and co-founder Elliot Pasik disagrees.
“Particularly during the summer, when children are at play, there is less supervision. Unfortunately, there are strange people in the community who want to harm our children. We have to stop them. Child abuse thrives in darkness. The more people talk about it, the greater wall of safety we are creating around them. Child abuse is a sickness. If you have a sickness you go straight to a doctor. These billboards are part of our medicine.”
Rabbi Dr. Asher Lipner, JBAC Vice President and co-founder of JBAC, shared his thoughts on this very serious subject with VIN News.
“Many parents ask me if it is safe to send their children to overnight camp because of the danger of molestation. There are many things that parents can do to protect their children even when they are not watching them. Talking to children openly and calmly about abuse is one of the most important things parents can do. It is also very important for parents to be selective about which camp and which school they send their children to. Nowadays there is no excuse for an institution that watches children not to have published safety guidelines that include the phone numbers of who to call when a crime is committed. With this new approach to child safety, our community can create a safe and healthy environment for our children both in the summer and all year round.”
From across the religious spectrum, rabbis from the Rabbinical Council of America to the Orthodox Union have urged the JBAC to continue in their efforts to raise child abuse awareness.
In an interview with VIN News, Pasik outlined JBAC’s plan to deal with this problem.
“We have to ramp up our advocacy. We have thousands of children in yeshivos in New York State and they are completely unregulated. Our plan is to have new laws passed that require mandatory fingerprinting and background checks in all yeshivos. Every single legal protection that applies to public schools must be required in yeshivos as well.”
Noted activist Mark Meyer Appel who has helped fund several initiative on child abuses issues, and President of the voice of justice said “we will continue with Hashems help to fund all educational banners and seminars that raise the awareness in our community.
Necessary. But NOT in public where the goyim can use it as fodder for more hatred against Yidden. Although the language doesn’t specifically point at Jews, everyone will see the Hebrew and will put 2 and 2 together and get Jews have abuse problems. This should not be on a highway billboard.
KOL HAKAVOD to those sponsoring this. Anyone who has a problem with this IS part of the problem. If this saves even one child from a lifetime of pain, it is worth it. Think about it, that one child could be yours!
I think that the billboard is great maybe a little graphic or maybe not but none the less proves its point “METH IS BAD DANGERIOUS AND PRETTY MUCH PURE EVIL. But I think it should go a step further lets really show the kids what it’s like maybe on the next billboard we should show some one that has over dosed
If parents don’t want to see this billboard because of their kids, they should move to some goody, goody town and live there. Oh wait! there’s no such a town! It’s called REALITY, my friends! Keep the billboard up and running
Satmar rabbi R’ yoel z”l vision how to deal with difficult moments was “do what you need to do, the rest leave to hashem” so this sign is what we need to do and let’s pray to Hashem for help
Hey , When you drive by the billboard put a blind fold on the kids if you are so concern about the message. This is the world today and REALITY. Deal with it. Keep the message up on the billboard.
Sometimes the truth hurts. I support the billboards
This type of “in your face” advertising is long overdue and necessary. It may offend the sensibilities of some in the heimeshse community but if it deters even one case of child abuse or results in the reporting and prosecution of even one offender, it will have been worth the effort. The “sensibilities” of the frum community (assuming these ads offend anyone, which they should not) are irrelevant when it comes to the welfare of our children.
These guys are obbsesed! Besides do they really have to write it in a Sefer Torah? Comon!
someone who grew up in a house, where no such thing happened. where we would play outdoors till night, do our homework some times lol. but were openly speaking to a parent was easy, even till this day! As i watched some of my friend and what they went thru, and hearing some storys i am very surpised that these boards are just being put up now, i have friends that yrs of therapy still havent helped. They have sleepless nights, and i am more than happy to spend those sleepless nights holding there hand.
518-622-8600 is the number to the New York State Police in Catskill, NY. The town of Catskill is in Greene County, NY and 100 miles north of Monticello and the area commonly referred to as the “Jewish Catskills” in Sullivan County.
The nearest state police barracks to Monticello, and the only one in the area commonly referred to as the Jewish Catskills, is in Liberty, NY and their number is 518-622-8600. Calling Liberty from Monticello is a local call. Calling the town of Catskill from Monticello is a long distance call. While the state police in Catskill might be able to figure out that the call should b transferred to Liberty State Police, Many phone lines in the “Jewish Catskills” are set up to only make local phone calls and most young children don’t have access to a cellphone with free long distance.
This mistake should be corrected.
The danger to kids is real, but it is wrong to implant that notion into the Torah.
No-where in Tenaach or in Chazal do we find any mention of this harm that a child will suffer. To the contrary, Rashi, in Avodah Zoroh 15b, Line 40, only points to the Aveiru of being Machshil the Akum with an Aveiru.
Its good. Tjhey should put those billboards up in the camps.
awareness is a good thing. walking around with your eyes and ears closed is not.
every religion, every ethnicity has similar problems and all should be made aware
better the money they spent on this “billboard” should go to kollel families who are struggling…
Kol hakovod parents should speak to their kids my son had a 6 year old try to touch him when he was 3 we found out and thank hashem his parents got him help and found out that someone did it to him thus endilng a vicious cycle
Wishing a Yasher Koach, Kol HaKavod and continued Hatzlacha to everyone at JBAC! May this serve as a stepping stone in the rebuilding of Klal Yisroel, and in the recovery from the Churban!
To all of you heralding this billboard, you are acting like hyper children. Such a public billboard is not an effective deterrent for molestation. Educating children, parents and school/camp staff in targeted meetings, speeches and letters work. Shouting it to every passerby does nothing other than hang our dirty laundry to the outside world and make them think that molestation is even more rampant amongst us than it really is (which is bad enough).
It’s about time we call a spade a spade. This is no more than a PR ploy by this organization to get attention and show that they’re doing “something.” Shame on the chillul Hashem.
Others here have said, it is secrecy and fear of admitting this problem that creates an environment in which the problem festers. Parents need to be educated and to educate their children in an age appropriate way that nobody can abuse them, and if anybody tries, all of us will do everything we can to stop them.
what?! these billboards are encouraging mesira! who ever put these up should be thrown out of shul!
It might be an awareness for the kids but it’s a wake-up call and a reminder to the predators. You will be caught and you will be punished and it will ruin your life more than your victims.
famous question wich rabbanim endorse this
The yiddish sign is more better in my opinion. It says if someone tries to touch you where he shouldnt, and the english one says if someone tries to sexually abuse you. Aside from the fact that most little kids have no idea what that means the more aiydel way to say it would be like the yiddish one.
Elliot Pasik and his fellow members of the JBAC are struggling to prevent future tragedies. Their methods sometimes raise eyebrows but given the danger posed by ignorance and cover-ups, we should applaud their efforts to educate our precious children.
I can”t imagine why anyone would have a problem with these signs.Jbac is trying to help camps and schools do their jobs to ensure our children’s safety.These billboards are not free, and if there weren’t a problem ,they wouldnt be necessary.People just dont want to acknowledge how prevalent abuse is and that it is preventable.
I do not understand why they had to put it on the background of a sefer torah, or specifically direct to yidden. This impacts not just yidden, they should have left it non sectarian, it would have the same impact. In fact, it would help non jewish children as well.
This is probably the dumbest thing I have seen all summer. Maybe tell Eisenman from passaic to habg one in his shul.
These posters are a chilul hashem and a PR move for the unheard organization. Whom are u trying to educate? These molesters will hunt their tavah either way. Besides from emotions there is no hetir to call police. If u wanna do good go around from camp to camp from city to city and educate the parents how to speak to their kids about this. And by not talking they are bringing this upon them selves.
Being molested is not new and nowhere in history have we heard that this causes mental illness or drug addiction. Like some would claim. Its the hand gloved approach to a minor trauma that causes these over blown issues out of nothing. Don’t be so fragile. Most states in the US don’t even have a minimum sentence for child molestation. No where in the. Torah or gemara or shilchon oruch is there such hetir to call authirities. A child molester is not chiyuv misah. A mosur is mechiyuv teliyuh.
To all people who wants to help out in this problem its now erev tisha bav and tomorrow is tisha bav two days for kids playing around and r not going to cheider so just keep good eyes on them
The non-Jews are going to be impressed that we are not like their galachim who cover it up and stop people from going to the police. We will now be seen as the leaders we should have been all along in confronting this problem which knows no specific religion, race or creed. Anti-semitism comes from the fact that the secular media (for those who do not have TV or read goyishe papers) has been getting more and more aware of the problem of Jewish people allowing abuse to occur to their children rather than admit they have a problem like everyone else.
These signs show that unlike others, we do not tolerate our children’s blood being hefker. Mee K’amcha Yisroel!
this should have been done 50 years ago
it is time to punish this animals, i have a son that was molested by a olser relative, you all can not imagine the dammage and suffering he is going thru, i personaly know of teachers that have molested kids, its time to say no more, try them, put them away for ever, dont have pitty on thier families, the emotional scars that this leaves, is beyond belife, so anyone that says keep it quiet, deserves to go to jail first, stop hiding, awarness is important , dosnt matter the cost
Way to go and to all those who are badmouthing these posters you are completely ignorant to a very real problem in the community.
Molestation destroys lives!!! no question about that…. Billboards in Monticello??? i don’t think that’s the way to go. Honestly how many kids do U think have seen & understood this billboard??? Yerachem Hashem!!! We neeed Moshiach NOW!!!
Rply to#1. What are u talking about let the goyim see that if we have a problem we deal with it, not enough that hear about us on the news let them also soo that we deal with it.
Tisha B’Av is a time of mourning for all victims of hatred and violence throughout our history. Perhaps we can give a few moments to the victims of sexual molestation whose lives too have been destroyed by evil people.
Some of you are so worried about a chillul hashem. You are so naive. The chillul hashem is when we cover up abuse and the goyim know that. The biggest kiddush hashem is when we practice zero tolerance. You think no one tried to work it internally? Sorry, we would all wish it would work, but reality proved that it doesn’t. We all would wish to find a better effective way, but there isn’t. Now that we cry for the chorban we should think why the bais hamikdosh was destroyed. One of the reasons is because the rabbonim were silent by the seuda of kamtza and bar kamtza. How do you expect the bais hamikdosh to rebuild when the rabbonim are not only silent, but threaten the victims?! The victims’ cries have reached the heavens! It cannot go on like this anymore! ENOUGH!
The best way to get the message out and to stop these molesters as well as get the Rabbonim on OUR side is to stop being anonymous and publicly show your support. Show up at the rallies and conferences. Make a statement at your own Yeshivas and Camps. Go in groups, meet as parents, sign petitions, send them to your Yeshivas, send them to your Rebbeim, send them to the appropriate organizations, send them to the Agudah. The JBAC can not do it alone nor should they be expected to do it alone.
As you see, people are trying to put them down and belittle them for their efforts. Parents AND grandparents have to take up this cause as well as any truly frum Jew with a yiddishe hartz. On this day of Tisha B’av, let’s take it upon ourselves to protect our children and have one less thing to cry about next year. Let us be mekadesh Hashem and wipe out one of the worst afflictions among us to bring Moshiach sooner.
I was once in a masmidim program in a well known camp I was asked to bunk with a former councelor who was closely associated with this well known orginization which ran this camp I was 14 at the time .He touched me in an inapropriate manor I did not report it . The molester was getting married in a month.However I demanded a diferent sleeping arangement the next day.This happened over 40 years ago.This problem has been around for a long time
It’s a start, but the sponsors need to educate themselves a bit better about this machala. Most of the abuse cases happen not Out There, at Yeshivos, camps, etc. but inside our own homes. Another ugly truth we’d rather not face.
Very necessary to fight molestation. But 1 question I want to ask and please help me with answers can some body explain why all the bums and logos always addressing this issue and we don’t hear too much from erliche yiden there is something to it
The problem of molestation is complex, and the many who need to address it come from many different perspectives – hence different labels. This reminds me of the jingle advertising Kent cigarettes in the ’60’s, each verse concluding “To a smoker it’s a Kent”.
To a Rav, it’s an aveira. To a mental health professional, it’s a psychiatric illness. To a menahel, it’s a reputation sullied. To a victim, it’s a murderer. To a parent, it’s a rodef. To a law enforcement agency, it’s a crime. To a blogger, it’s a gold mine topic.
With all this tongue in cheek, the issue is quite serious, certainly in severity if not in statistics. We are all likely to perceive it differently.