New York – New York – Noted Jewish community activist Meir (Mark) Appel made a passionate appeal to the frum community to rally behind a controversial new sexual abuse bill to be proposed in Albany.
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The bill, if passed, would extend the “statute of limitations,” or the time legally allowed for sexual abuse victims to press charges, to 10 years after reaching the age of 18, as opposed to the 5 years currently allowed—effectively allowing victims to sue to the age of 28, not 23.
Most significantly, the bill would create a temporary one-year “window” in New York State in the near future during which any victim could come forward to press charges for any alleged past crime, regardless of when it occurred or how old the victim is.
Appel made the appeal live this past motzoei Shabbos radio show of Jewish radio talk show host Zev Brenner.
“People should call their organizations… to get this bill passed,” said Appel. “We don’t need any more conferences.”
Addressing those who felt the issue of frum-community sexual abuse is being disproportionately emphasized, Appel praised the Jewish community to put the relatively small but critical problem in context. “There is no community like us in the world… there is no greater nation in the world than Am Yisroel.”
Most significantly, however, Mr. Appel directly addressed prominent Agudath Israel official Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, whose organization has yet to take a public stand on the issue. “Please… I ask you like a father to a son. Ich bet dir… get on board.”
Appel also inexplicably wondered aloud why outspoken activist Dov Hikind did not mention the bill at his recent abuse-victims chizuk event, when he did just that several times.
The interview wrapped up with Appel defending his position against several frum and irate anti-bill callers and reiterating his call for the frum grassroots to call upon their organizations to support the bill. Appel also exhorted listeners to “flood the lines” of State Assemblyman Joe Lentol (D-50th Dist.), who as the Assembly Chairman on the Committee of Codes decides which criminal justice bills even make it to the floor for voting.
In an e-mail to VIN News, Orthodox Union Executive Director Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Weinreb insisted that the OU supports the intent of this bill. “The Orthodox Union generally supports the expansion of the statute of limitations to enable victims of sexual abuse to pursue legal claims, and we are not opposed to this legislation,” Rabbi Weinreb wrote.
Also today, the Am Echad organization will hold a news conference in Borough Park in front of Amnon’s Pizza at 13th Ave. and 48th St. to rally support for the Markey bill.
VIN NEWS ALERT: Assemblyman Lentol’s office has asked that when you call, please know which bill you’re calling about—there are TWO! The main bill, the one being pushed by Appel, is Bill A2596/S2568, a.k.a. the Markey Bill. The alternative bill, A5708, is known as the Lopez bill. (It contains no “window” and only extends the statute of limitations to age 25, not 23—for full details on both, click here.)
For audio of the full interview on the Zev Brenner show, click below.
We all understand that the Church is fearful and with good reason. The Church has acknowledged that they had a systematic problem and has taken steps to address it.
Do we have the same reasons to be fearful? I believe that we don’t and that abuse in our kehilos is not systematic.
On the other hand, if we do have a systematic problem that is being hidden, then a grass roots effort is needed to ensure that this bill passes.
Any organization that takes a position opposing this bill is declaring publicly that they have something to hide.
Hashem should help that all those out there helping victims should never need to know of such suffering!!
Kol Hakvod to Meir Appel and his Am Echad institute for fighting for us.
I think this bill should be passed and even enacted on a federal level. Here in Florida agroup of us have gotten together, and before we send our kids to any day-school/yeshiva we want to know whether they have a Sexual Predator check in place, do they fingerprint the workers, teachers, rabbies, etc. Do they have training for staff that are in contact with kids, and what action do they take if obuse alegations surface.
If this is not in place WE TAKE OUR KIDS OUT OF THE SCHOOL! I can tell you that I know of several cases during the past few months where kids were taken out of such schools.
Where is hikind stand I see he is a cospansor at both bils bill A02596 from markey has him as a cosponsr and bill A05708 from lopoz has him to as a co sppnsor is he dancing at both and now we know why he is quite…
Why is there no endorsment from any Gedolim? The Agudas Yisroel is not endorsing it. The only endorsments they have is Noach Dear and Zev Brenner. I listened to the show and there are opposing veiws too. So find out from your local Rov or local Kehila that you belong to what you should do.
meyer youre a good guy but i disagree!
mark this bill will do very little for 2 reasons (its hype w/o substance)
a.it is very difficult to prosecute very old stories under cross examination where much of the details are sketchy
b. the damage this does for many of the victims is far greater than potential good of possible closure.
c. these “shpritzes” with the best of intentions hurt the cause the public needs to see “yishuv hadaas & constructive measures”
mark hatzlacha
This bill has the potential to bankrupt many yeshivas. That is why it it is being opposed by the Aguda,and why the Gedolim are not supporting it. It is unfortunate that money is more important to them then enacting protections for victims. Also they will now have to incur added expense and effort towards prevention instead of relying on Hashem to save them.
I reviewed both bill, the lopez bill makes more sence overall, but needs a little more strength.
Mark: The Catholic Chuch is not lying to Mr. Lentol.
We Orthodox Jews don’t want this bill passed. It will allow every phony opportunist to fabricate claims against our holy Yeshivos, which will take years to adjudicate and bankrupt our institutions.
Please note that Rabbi Zwiebel, who is in touch with Gedolei Torah and Roshei Yeshivos, is not supporting this bill.
“Binyan NeoRim, SeTiRoh!”
This bill will accomplish nothing for the victims, and less for the community.
This is a brazen attempt by the trial lawyers to rake it in some more.
People, don’t be naive. Don’t be fooled.
אידן, לאזט אייך נישט נערן, אין לאזט איייך נישט מאכן צי נער.
Nice try Meir!
Anything that will turn a big giant spotlight on any child rapist is worthwhile to me. We may not be able to get them all, but we’ll get some and that’s a start. I don’t care how black your hat is, or how long your beard is, or prominent your family name is. If you are destroying the lives of children, pushing them toward depression, pushing them toward suicide, pushing them toward a life without Torah at all, you may as well have killed them. No bill is going to be perfect. But if it stops even one pig in our community from destroying the lives of children in their care, its a step in the right direction.
This issue has been a hot topic here for a while. The fact is that none of us. From the newest BT to the Gedolim know what to do. We’ve never really taken this issue on before. You’ll hear a p’sak this way or that way, but we have no idea how far the problem goes. Partially, because we shun every accuser. We threaten their families. We threaten to throw their siblings or other family members out of our yeshivos. Why? Because we believe that Rav So-And-So could never have done such a thing and unless 2 people saw him actually doing “it” the accuser is a rasha who should be shunned from the community and neither his kin or decendents should ever be allowed into a mainstream yeshiva or marry anyone, anywhere. The reality is that it happens. The longer we pretend it doesn’t, the more children will be forced to live unspeakable pain… the more children will die of their own hand.
i dont think that ny will br a better place to live after this bill most probly worse
response to esther
1.this hurts the cause because it gives the public the impression that this campaign ( so delicate in nature) is handled by nice people w/o the clinical or forensic or torah expertise
2.the physchiatric times had an amazing 2 part series on “interviewing victims of molestation” techniques & flaws -read it & youll better understand how easily a case can be botched.
3.yes an adult can decide but since they are emotionaly in it for theyre own sake it should be discussed with a top person in the field -the drills & scars of trial lawyers …can take a 100 sessions to undo many of these victims have moved on to continue theyre lives & may not truly realize the ramifications
4 WE MUST DO
How about putting a list online of all accused in the last 5 years?
The Catholic church would accept the Lopez bill which would include prosecution of molesters at public institutions as well as religious institutions. The Markey bill gave an exemption to public schools and institutions. Therefore, the Markey bill is aimed at religious schools, clinics, etc., while giving a pass to public school teachers, etc.