Outcry Asher Lovy, Ariella Goldberg-Kay

Malka Leifer is perhaps the most notorious child sexual abusers in the Jewish world. After abusing three sisters, Nicole Meyer, Elly Sapper, and Dassi Erlich, Malka Leifer fled Australia to Israel to escape justice. While Israel has an extradition treaty with Australia, they also have an accepted policy of protecting Jews from prosecution in other countries. While living as a free woman in Emmanuel, Leifer evaded extradition for nearly a decade by pretending to be mentally incompetent to stand trial. Aided by government officials in the Knesset, including health minister Yaakov Litzman, she was allowed to remain free while her victims spent years, and 74 court hearings trying desperately to have her extradited to face justice.

While Leifer was ultimately extradited and convicted in Australia and sentenced to 15 years in prison, Nicole Meyer was ultimately robbed of the justice she deserved. The jury in the case found that Leifer was guilty on the charges related to the sexual abuse of her sisters, but not guilty on the charges of Nicole's sexual abuse.

In this episode Ariella sits down with Nicole to discuss the case, her feelings about the verdict, her life as a survivor before and after the case, and what she's been up to following the verdict. They also discuss what parenting is like as a survivor.

To learn more about ZA'AKAH or to donate, visit our website at https://zaakah.org

To get in touch with questions, comments, or any other concerns related to Outcry, email us at podcast@zaakah.org

Follow us on our socials to stay informed:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/zaakah
Twitter: @zaakahny
Instagram: @zaakahig
TikTok: @zaakahny

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/a-haven-for-paedophiles-the-ultra-orthodox-settlement-where-malka-leifer-hides-20180612-p4zkx4.html

https://www.timesofisrael.com/malka-leifers-accuser-takes-solace-in-collective-win-after-partial-guilty-verdict/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/litzman-gets-minor-fine-no-jail-for-shielding-alleged-pedophile-leifer-from-justice/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/malka-leifer-sentenced-to-15-years-for-sexual-abuse-of-two-students/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/31/malka-leifer-how-a-long-running-child-sexual-abuse-case-tested-australias-relationship-with-israel

https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Faith-Inside-ultra-Orthodox-betrayal-ebook/dp/B0CH33KW8F

https://www.instagram.com/breakingthesilencenow

https://www.tiktok.com/@nicoleymeyer

In this episode Ariella and Sara Rosenberg (of Jewish Survivors United) discuss the history of the infamous Jewish sex-trafficking organization, Zwi Migdal, which operated globally from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, trafficking women and girls from eastern European Shtetls to brothels they maintained around the world. Women and girls abducted by these traffickers would be sent around the world, cut off from their families, and forced into prostitution by the men in Zwi Migdal.

This episode discusses the beginnings of Zwi Migdal, the methods they used to get their victims, and the response of the Jewish community to the threat they posed. Over the course of this discussion, parts of the response of the Jewish community today to modern issues of sexual violence may seem similar to the way the community responded then, and in some ways the community then acted more responsibly than the community does today. It's important to know this history so we can recognize and combat the modern threats of sexual violence in our community.

To learn more about ZA'AKAH or to donate, visit our website at https://zaakah.org

To get in touch with questions, comments, or any other concerns related to Outcry, email us at podcast@zaakah.org

Follow us on our socials to stay informed:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/zaakah
Twitter: @zaakahny
Instagram: @zaakahig
TikTok: @zaakahny

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.abebooks.com/9780679311638/Bodies-Souls-Tragic-Plight-Three-0679311637/plp

https://www.abebooks.com/9780805238662/Prostitution-Prejudice-Jewish-Fight-Against-0805238662/plp

The following two books were not used in making this episode but are nonetheless excellent resources on this subject: 

https://www.amazon.com/Tmeiin-jud%C3%ADos-impuros-Historia-Spanish-ebook/dp/B07CYZMXDD

https://www.abebooks.com/9789500727105/Infierno-Prometido-Promise-Prostituta-Zwi-9500727102/plp

In this next installment of our series on sleepaway camp and its inherent risks, we are joined by the incredible Stephen Mills, author of Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood to discuss his experiences at Camp Ella Fohs. Stephen is a survivor of sexual abuse by the former director of Camp Ella Fohs, Dan Farinella, a social worker. In Chosen Stephen describes in vivid detail the process of how Farinella groomed him, abused him, and the devastating fallout that followed.

Stephen and Ariella discuss the specific risks at Camp Ella Fohs that led to Stephen's abuse, the subsequent coverup by the camp, the decades of trauma caused by the abuse, and the process of finally beginning to heal. They also discuss the nature of trauma in general, how it forms in the body, and what it takes to heal from such a fundamental violation.

To learn more about ZA'AKAH or to donate, visit our website at https://zaakah.org

To get in touch with questions, comments, or any other concerns related to Outcry, email us at podcast@zaakah.org

Follow us on our socials to stay informed:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/zaakah
Twitter: @zaakahny
Instagram: @zaakahig
TikTok: @zaakahny

SHOW NOTES:

https://stephenmillsauthor.com
https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/a-survivors-disclosure/

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/26/books/review/chosen-stephen-mills.html

https://bookshop.org/p/books/chosen-a-memoir-of-stolen-boyhood-stephen-mills/18391685?ean=9781250871152

In our previous episode we began to discuss the unique conditions at sleepaway camps that make them particular risks to children, In particular the sexualized atmosphere of co-ed Jewish sleepaway camps in the Conservative movement. Between the overemphasis on Jewish continuity through sex, and the isolation imposed on children as part of the experience, we discussed how Eddie Ward was able to abuse so many for so long and get away with it.

This week we are joined by survivor/advocate David Cheifetz to continue our series on sleepaway camp with a deep dive on Camp Dora Golding. David discusses his own experiences at Camp Dora Golding, and we discuss two cases in particular, including the case of Chisdai Ben-Porat, a former CDG counselor who was convicted of sexually abusing children in 2014. We discuss the camp's response in the immediate aftermath, how the parents of the survivors reacted (and what we all can learn from them), and what considerations parents should make when/if selecting a summer camp for their own children.

To learn more about ZA'AKAH or to donate, visit our website at https://zaakah.org

To get in touch with questions, comments, or any other concerns related to Outcry, email us at podcast@zaakah.org

Follow us on our socials to stay informed:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/zaakah
Twitter: @zaakahny
Instagram: @zaakahig
TikTok: @zaakahny

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.jta.org/2013/03/28/ny/sharing-the-secret-thats-haunted-my-soul

https://frumfollies.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/text-of-rca-speech-by-david-cheifetz-on-sex-abuse/

https://www.wfmz.com/news/camp-counselor-accused-of-inappropriately-touching-boy/article_4d4700ac-ef91-5186-b033-ba2d12fe8ecd.html

https://www.poconorecord.com/story/news/2014/02/25/former-camp-counselor-sentenced-in/38646322007/

https://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2013/09/camp-dora-golding-molestation-case-continues-as-camp-backs-alleged-molester-not-his-victims-567.html

Unfortunately there is no shortage of sexual abuse allegations at sleepaway camps: Camp Agudah, Dora Golding, Sternberg, Oorah Girl Zone, Magen Av, Romimu, and so many more. Whether we like to admit it or not, sleepaway camp often creates an environment where abusers can more easily prey on children and get away with it.

In this episode we do a deep dive on the case against Eddie Ward at Surprise Lake Camp. Established over a century ago by the Conservative movement, and associated with USY, Surprise Lake currently faces three Child Victims Act lawsuits involving children who were allegedly abused at the camp by Eddie Ward while the camp took no actions to stop or prevent it. A significant part of the issue at this camp and many others is the hypersexualization of the camp experience by the organizers of the camp and leaders at USY.

To learn more about ZA'AKAH or to donate, visit our website at https://zaakah.org

To get in touch with questions, comments, or any other concerns related to Outcry, email us at podcast@zaakah.org

Follow us on our socials to stay informed:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/zaakah
Twitter: @zaakahny
Instagram: @zaakahig
TikTok: @zaakahny

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.jta.org/2023/03/09/united-states/investigation-into-conservative-movements-youth-programs-identifies-hypersexualized-culture

https://www.timesofisrael.com/more-victims-lawsuits-and-mounting-anger-at-usy-after-toi-report-alleging-abuse/

https://jewishjournal.org/2021/08/26/sharon-rabbi-hundreds-may-have-been-abused-by-usy-adviser/

This week we are honored to be joined by Shulim Leifer. Shulim is a community activist on behalf of survivors, who has helped numerous survivors seek justice against their abusers. He joins us this week to discuss the sentencing of former Shomrim head, Yanky Daskal.

In 2017, Daskal was arrested on charges connected to his rape of a 15 year old girl placed in his care. Originally brought up on state charges, the case was soon taken over by the feds when it became known that he transported his survivor over state lines to rape her. The case dragged on for 5 years, eventually culminating in his pleading guilty to one charge of transporting a minor for the purpose of sexual abuse.

In this episode, Shulim and Asher discuss their experience attending Daskal's sentencing, and do a deep dive on what led up to it, a play by play of what happened in court, and what the community's response was to Daskal's plea and sentencing.

To learn more about ZA'AKAH or to donate, visit our website at https://zaakah.org

To get in touch with questions, comments, or any other concerns related to Outcry, email us at podcast@zaakah.org

Follow us on our socials to stay informed:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/zaakah
Twitter: @zaakahny
Instagram: @zaakahig
TikTok: @zaakahny