Meah She’arim – Neighbor of Alleged Child Abuser: Mom Not Mentally Ill

    92

    The mother in court. Photo by Yosi ZilbermanMeah She’arim – A neighbor of a Jerusalem woman accused of withholding food from her child denounces the media attacks against “such a dedicated mother.” In an interview with Voice of Israel government radio, Rabbanit Yocheved Grossman said that the child’s low weight is due to his suffering from cancer for several years and subsequent chemotherapy treatment. She also claimed that it is untrue that the mother is suffering from mental illness. “She doesn’t have any syndrome, they are lies. She’s absolutely normal. She has successfully raised four children. Why should an expectant mother be sent to prison instead of being allowed to feed her son?” Grossman added. In addition, she asked why the mother was jailed instead of being sent to a psychiatric hospital if she really is suffering from mental illness.

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    Hospital officials claim that a hidden hospital camera caught the mother removing a feeding tube from the child. The woman was subsequently arrested for child abuse. Grossman said that it is more likely that the tube fell out of the weak child’s mouth.

    Hadassah Medical Center subsequently responded to Grossman’s account, and stated that the child has never received chemotherapy nor has been treated for a malignant growth.


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    92 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Is there still an honest individual left in the world who has a clean honest track record who can shed light to this horrific story and so many different views on it’s truth. Come and speak up please instead of allowing all the loshon hora.

    Big Masmid
    Big Masmid
    14 years ago

    All of this is showing us that the Zionist hate the Charadi community and this is a way of painting their feelings. A picture is more than a Thousand words. According to many of our leaders the Zionist movement are the Arev Rav of todays times, so what do you expect of them?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Where is the documents? It’s a civilised hospital no? Let them show the medical records to a judge. I don’t see what’s the dispute.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    So someone is terrible wrong here. Let’s verify. There is records involved too.

    Londoner
    Londoner
    14 years ago

    Our thoughts are with the family here in Stamford Hill. Lovely people who have raised a beautiful family.

    Since when do people accused of mental illness go to prison? something stinks real bad. If she is in prison for a mental problem is she expected to sort herself out with a criminal lawyer or a mental lawyer?

    The hospital and police force have screwed up here real bad and the truth hurts.

    Boys keep up the good work!

    yoelyg
    yoelyg
    14 years ago

    where are all the jewish leader of the knasset? why they not trying to help a jewish women? if they can’t do something what the point we vote them to be in knasset go get a other job

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The answer is that………… Israel is NOT a civilized nation!

    Asken in Israel
    Asken in Israel
    14 years ago

    The fact that the demonstrations are continuing in full force proves the mothers innocents, the demonstrators surly know who this women is and they are expressing their deep feelings of pain for her. I have interviewed many of them and they feel that the mother was accused for something she is 100% clean of, so why should she be jailed if she has done “””nothing””” wrong.

    Meir
    Meir
    14 years ago

    Great – a guy who did not go to high school is sharing his psychiatric diagnosis.

    Big Masmid
    Big Masmid
    14 years ago

    could some one please post her name so we can Daven for her?

    olam hafuch
    olam hafuch
    14 years ago

    Bid Masmid .. you are a sick dude.. refuah sheleima

    Please tell us what qualifications does the neighbour posses ?? what clinical training did the neighbour undergo that qualifies her as an expert in mental health ??

    please tell us what rational – what justification exists to riot and cause a massive chilul hashem

    remember .. in china, teheran even chicago 1968 the masses rioted and the police responded with massive FIRE power – killing many

    BH the israeli police have shown restraint

    oy lanu .. we should cry out in pain that charedi yidden behave like chayes

    SD
    SD
    14 years ago

    Oh, my!

    You mean that the story the mother was telling everyone about the two years of chemotherapy isn’t true?

    Does this mean that the stories about her valiantly trying to save her child from the experimental substances are not true either?

    Does this mean that her stories about the feeding tube having fallen out are not true either?

    Does this mean that the Rebbetzin and Chana from Monsey are nothing more than gullible enablers, who believed whatever the mother said and fed into her need for attention and their need to believe all kinds of conspiratorial evils about the Tzionim?

    Does this mean that the stories about the vast cover-up amongst the Tzioni doctors, hospital, police, and courts is not true either?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Doctor has a rare illness. It is called “Cover up Disease”.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Why shouldn’t the Chareidi community be hated? They contribute nothing but avail themselves of all services of the state on other people’s backs. Now they riot, burn, destroy as well. What’s to like?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The Zionist Govt. did this before with the childern of Yemen.

    Interview with Father of Imprisoned Chareidi Mom
    Interview with Father of Imprisoned Chareidi Mom
    14 years ago

    The father of the imprisoned mom accused of suffering from Munchausen Syndrome spoke with Kol Chai Radio on Wednesday night. Following is a synopsis of that interview.

    The text reflects the comments of the father, not direct quotes however.

    We all know this is being done to discredit the community, that for seven months she has not been at home, not yomim tovim or shabbos, doing everything for the child, to calm him and be with him.

    How is it that police and authorities can deny the truth, instead of acknowledging her misirus nefesh on behalf of the child, they now have a libel taking place against my daughter and the chareidi community. A state inquiry must be launched into the incident, beginning with Dr. Acker of Ein Kerem and the director Mickey Weintraub.

    They also stationed a policeman at the bed of the bed of the child and now, no one may visit him.

    srgnmb
    srgnmb
    14 years ago

    if if the mother snamped then why is she in jail? why not a mental hosTapial? i wonder wh o is tHe sick ones/

    Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
    Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy
    14 years ago

    Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSP), a type of factitious disorder, is a mental illness in which a person acts as if an individual he or she is caring for has a physical or mental illness when the person is not really sick.

    MSP most often occurs with mothers—although it can occur with fathers—who intentionally harm or describe non-existent symptoms in their children to get the attention given to the family of someone who is sick. A person with MSP uses the many hospitalizations as a way to earn praise from others for her devotion to the child’s care.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    If it’s true that the child suffers from cancer, Lo Aleinu, and received chemotherapy, which the hospital denies, the parents must have some kind of correspondents from a doctor or the hospital to that avail, why don’t they publicize it for everyone to see?

    Something does not smell right here.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    It’s sweet that this lady is sticking up for her friend, but the line that the feeding tube must have fallen out of the child’s mouth because the child was weak makes no sense. I’ve never heard of a feeding tube that goes in the mouth. Every feeding tube I’ve ever heard of is either a naso-gastric tube (in the nose then down through the esophagus) or directly into the belly. They can be pulled out, but they don’t fall out of someone’s mouth.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    It really doesn’t matter what actually happened with this mother and her child or how she is being treated. The problem is the out of control protests. The damage and Chillul Hashem they are causing is unbelievable. How could someone who claims to believe in Hashem Torah do things like this. There was no bus service in the city today. My whole neighborhood had to walk to the Mir. These people are causing tremendous Bitul Torah. Seder was empty today for the first couple hours. On my walk to the Mir I passed the intersection of Bar-Ilan and Shmuel Hanavi one of the busiest in the city. I have never seen anything like this in my life. There were burning garbage dumpsters blocking every direction. The traffic lights were desroyed as well the electric boxes that control them. The bricks from the sidewalk were taken apart, while the metal barriers were ripped out of the concrete. It looked like a war zone. The people who did this don’t learn the same Torah that I do. There is never an excuse to be Mazik someone else. It doesn’t make a diffrence what your cause is. Their reckless actions are affecting innocent people who have nothing to do with their supposed cause. There is no Kaporah for things that are Bein Adam Lchavero besides for Mechila. For the few of these rioters that do spend some time in jail it is going to be nothing compared to what will happen to them when they are eventually judged in the Bes Din Shel Malah. We must all proclaim as a Tzibur that these people don’t represent us or are Torah.

    SD
    SD
    14 years ago

    Hello, everyone.
    Please read the last paragraph:

    “Hadassah Medical Center subsequently responded to Grossman’s account, and stated that the child has never received chemotherapy nor has been treated for a malignant growth.”

    Kapiche?

    THE CANCER STORY IS NOT TRUE.

    The Rebbetzin and everyone else are relying upon what the mother told them, not upon first-hand knowledge.

    If the mother is innocent
    If the mother is innocent
    14 years ago

    Why burn the garbage bins? Why stone the buses? Why stone the cars?
    Why give the chilonim reason to hate the chareidi even more?

    The Askonim are busy trying to get funding restored to the Yeshivas. Does anyone think this is going to help? This is just going to make it that much harder!

    To the hospital:: Publish the video!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    its becoming more & more clearer that this mother is a true victim of sinas yisroel

    yoelyg
    yoelyg
    14 years ago

    where are all the jewish leader of the knasset? why they not trying to help a jewish women? if they can’t do something what the point we vote them to be in knasset go get a other job

    handbag man
    handbag man
    14 years ago

    the mother should not be sent to prison i dont think she took out the fedding tube it probably fell out of his mouth and she was putting it back in for him.

    (hi eli r good comment)

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    For everyone who keeps asking why the Hospital doesn’t publish the video, if the rules in Israel are anything like the rules in the U.S., the hospital is prohibited from doing so without patient consent or the consent of the guardian. I assume that given the allegations of abuse, the parent’s guardianship is in question. Besides, even if the video were published, I doubt that would end this since then people would just start screaming that the video was doctored as part of a grand zionist conspiracy.

    Aryeh
    Aryeh
    14 years ago

    Not sure how it works in E”Y, but in America, the insurance bills that come every month show that they payed for this or that treatment. I would imagine that even with Kupat Holim, there would be some type of itemization that the defense might present as counter-evidence. The family lawyer has stated that they have such evidence, so dan l’kaf zehut, they likely have some basis on which to rely. Hard to imagine, although not impossible that an ill mother could fool her neighbors and family though, so let’s not lynch the hospital either. Better that we don’t fight until we know the full story.

    HAGTBG
    HAGTBG
    14 years ago

    Londoner,

    What are you talking about? She was arrested for her criminal acts (her abuse of her child) not her mental illness (which led her to commit the abuse). As a legal matter, it must first be resolved that she actually has a mental issue, which is a defense to the accusation of a criminal act. So she was arrested because she was supposed to be arrested. The reports I’ve read is she is resisting receiving a mental evaluation, which may be her right (if she’s deemed competent), but that also means she stays in prison until she receives the evaluation.

    Finally, there is no ‘mental lawyer.’

    The only screw up that is clear so far is the huge overreaction of her supporters. Even if she is ultimately exonerated, the actions on the streets are unjustifiable.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    their was a post on vin yesterday with one version having it that hadassah hospital and dr’s misdiagnosed this child and after the mother figuring something was wrong and not getting answers and hospital decided b4 she goes public they preempted her acct by saying the lady suffers from a mental illness
    with all the history the country has in its relations with charedim and the hospital regarding autopsies etc the previous claim may have merit if it should/could be proven this is a massive twisting and falsefying of facts
    the question is are the courts who are known to be anti charedi to be trusted to a)want to uncover the truth/facts should it be proven as is claimed
    b)if they infact uncover as is claimed will they go public or let her off on a technicality??and whitewash the whole story???

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    As a chareidi who lives here in Yerushalayim, all I can say is I am sick and tired of all of their antics! I don’t believe a word of this “rebbetzin”- I don’t know who she is- I have no reason to believe her. Munchausen syndrome is known to be one that even the closest family members may not be able to detect, so who is a neighbor to tell me whether the woman is sick or not? Hadassah is an extremely reputable hospital,and I speak from my own experiences there, as well. If they say the child never had any malignancy and never received chemotherapy, who is this rebbetzin to dispute it? Does she have a medical degree? Does she know what medications are chemical and which aren’t? I have first-hand experience with chemo and I still can’t tell you which are and which aren’t- except for the specific ones I’ve dealt with. It is absolutely absurb to say that such an institution and its fine doctors would start a “libel” against this family (as the father has stated in an interview). And I heard what the mainstream media says- on my way to work this morning (2 hours late due to all streets being closed and no public transportation as a result of burning garbage bins- here in the “black belt” of the city) – the reporter said he spoke with chareidim at the scene of the protests, who told him that the majority of chareidim are just as fed up with what is going on here as the seculars. It’s a much smaller group of hooligans that are giving us all a bad name. Secular media- for all of us to hear. Chareidim are FED UP. We’re fed up with the bad name they’re giving us, fed up with the stench of burning garbage and melting plastic, fed up with traffic jams and lack of transportation, fed up with the same old juvenile cries “they’re out to get chareidim”, and fed up with the thought of the millions of shekels gone to waste on destroyed public property, deployment of police, loss of business to all the local stores, and loss of work in general to all those who could not get to their places of employment thanks to their shenanigans. What a horrible chilul Hashem. What inconsideration of their own “fellow” chareidim and the general public. Ad mosai??? I’m ashamed to say that my only consolation is that there will be a din v’cheshbon for every one of their actions.
    I heard the loudspeakers the other nite- “the rabbanim are ordering everybody to GO HOME!” So under whose authority were these protests taking place exactly??

    chaim burach
    chaim burach
    14 years ago

    As a resident of Israel I spoke to family members of this woman.

    they clearly told me that the woman had filed complains against three doctors of Hadasa hospital for diagnosing the child with the wrong sickness and that’s when the doctors decided to get back the mother.

    I asked what about the video footage of the mother pulling out the tube, they responded that anyone that knows about IV knows that the tube falls out many times especially on a child, there is no evidence that she was not putting it back in that is because they cut the video

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    I am embarrassed about the chillul H’ of these protests. What high ground can the chareidi community claim here? It appears to the rest of the world that chareidim are more interested in protecting child abusers than protecting the children. The authorities are not treating the woman differently than they would treat any other woman under the circumstances. Guilt or innocence will be determined by a trial. The fact that many of our community protest to protect alleged child abusers is disturbing and makes a terrible statement to the non-frum world.

    Frequent visitor
    Frequent visitor
    14 years ago

    Finally, we are hearing from Charedim who live in Jerusalem and are angry, disappointed, embarrassed and ashamed by the behavior of these hooligans.

    I am planning to visit within the next few weeks and I WILL NOT spend my tourist dollars in unsafe neighborhoods. Think about it, tourists will not go to Arab neighborhoods because it is not safe, and now we will not go to Chareidi neighborhoods because it is not safe? Isn’t that a TERRIBLE comparison.

    We have the Torah, we are supposed to be BETTER than “they” are, BECAUSE we have the guidelines set up for us for proper behavior and demeanor.

    So who is better than whom?
    And STOP WITH THE NAMECALLING !!! That is not the way we are supposed to behave !!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Tawana Brawley 2…because it’s a long hot summer.

    Coming soon to a theatre near you.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    i know this mother personally and her son. i used to visit him in the hospital a couple of times each week and yes the sons tubes, and iv’s used to always fall out. i remember just walking down the hall with him and his tubes would fall out. the mother is completely innocent.

    dovy
    dovy
    14 years ago

    I’m not sure why any sane Jew, with no inside information, would believe this story. We know froim much experience that the Israeli media has an agend to bash all religous Jews (not just chardim, National Religous too, but don’t expect any empathy from them) and constantly makes things up. Why would you automatically believe their version? Only because you have been indoctrinated by the government incitement against religous jews, just like the palestinian children are indoctrinated to hate jews.

    izzy
    izzy
    14 years ago

    You people are sick calling Israel not civilized. there is no cover up that doesn’t happen in Israel.
    She is a sick person she is part of a sick cult call NK. If the chardim hate Israel so much leave them stop taking services from the govt or maybe get a job or serve in the army like normal Israelis.

    Yossi - Manchester, England
    Yossi - Manchester, England
    14 years ago

    Anyone who gets there information from the news & blog sites are not qualified to give an opinion on such a sensitive story, by either knocking the hospital or the family involved. But it is our responsibility & chiyuv to shout out in pain at the way Yiden are acting in the street’s of Yerusholayim!!! Rioting, Gezel, Prikas Oll, does not help the family involved – but rather causes Chilul Hashem on the greatest level, What are my meant to explain to my children, to my Seed partner & even to myself when we see such a level of violence in the street’s of Yerusholayim ???

    goldy rosenberg
    goldy rosenberg
    14 years ago

    something ain’t adding up with the hospital’s account of why the kid is looking this way. i’ve done Bikur Cholim volunteer work. Feedings can be done by nurses. It often is. Are they saying the mother was always in charge of the feedings? And if she was, why? And if she wasn’t, how is it possible the child was losing weight in the hospital? Perhaps the mother’s charge that the child was being used as an experiment is right and the hospital has to counterclaim this? Possibly, folks? Cuz the charges of the hospital make zero sense to anyone who has spent enough days,weeks and months at a hospital bedside.

    e. grossmann
    e. grossmann
    14 years ago

    “Are they saying the mother was always in charge of the feedings?”

    Even the pro-mother camp says that the mother was always with the child, from 8 a.m. the morning to 10 p.m.

    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1100304.html
    “Doctors became suspicious during the child’s most recent hospitalization, in February, when his feeding tube kept being disconnected. Doctors began feeding him at night, when his mother was not there, and the child’s condition began to improve. Police then installed hidden video cameras in his room, and allegedly caught the mother removing the child’s feeding tube.”

    Olam Hafuch
    Olam Hafuch
    14 years ago

    Sadly, many mothers in our community live ONLY for the sake of their children. Although this can be very spiritual, it can also be disastrous.
    Sometimes, a mother-child relationship is toxic.
    For a number of reasons, the mother may use the child to deal with her own neurosis. Depending on how strong the neurosis is, this can be mild or quite serious.

    It is reminiscent of the boy scout who, in order to earn a “stripe” helps a little old lady cross a street.

    The lady is kicking and screaming because she doesn’t want to cross the street!!!
    Is she stam a meshugena or is she in her RIGHTS not to cross??
    The bottom line is, the boy scout certainly has an agenda.

    As does almost everyone in this case.

    The ONLY way to properly diagnose menchausen’s is to 100% separate the child from the possibly dysfunctional attachments that have developed between him and his mother. A healthy mother will be sad, but she would not go insane over this. Especially if her family and her community is supportive. A mother who has developed an unhealthy bond with her child WILL suffer more. She will feel that a part of her was ripped out – literally. And she will do ANYTHING to get her child back, even if it is criminal. By acting like criminals as a group, the community is actually perpetuating an outsiders perception that unhealthy bonds are encouraged by this community!

    If everyone really, really wants to see the mother and the child well, they would not be panicking over this separation. They would be doing their utmost to support both the mother and the father during this difficult time.

    marklevin
    marklevin
    14 years ago

    for those of us who are angry at haddassah let’s voice that anger worldwide let’s show them that klal yisrael truly cares for this mother please email pr1 HADASSAH.org.il

    marklevin
    marklevin
    14 years ago

    also express ur anger to international HADASSAH.org

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    # 74 READ POST #86