Jewish Community Watch

The Jewish Community Watch is a Jewish organization dedicated to the prevention of child sexual abuse (CSA) within the Orthodox Jewish community. Originally based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the organization has been noted for publicizing the names of people it considers suspected abusers by posting their names and alleged activities on the organization's website. The organization briefly shut down in 2014,^[3] though it has since been restarted with a new board of directors as well as an advisory board.^[1] Jewish Community Watch focuses on abuse prevention through education and awareness as well as locating individuals thought to have abused children and warning the local community of their presence.^[4] The organization's founders are two residents of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Meyer Seewald,^[5] and his brother Schneur Seewald.^[1]

Founding

The founder of JCW, Meyer Seewald, is a Crown Heights resident who, along with his brother Schneur Seewald, started the Jewish Community Watch in Crown Heights as one of the first Jewish community watchdog groups to investigate and exposes claimed child sexual abuse (CSA) predators in the Orthodox Jewish Community.^[1]

Seewald's work has been covered in an article in Tablet Magazine. The article reported Seewald's supportive stance towards former victims and what that support meant to them personally.^[6]

Awards and recognition

On December 12, 2012, the Brooklyn District Attorney, Charles Hynes, presented an award of excellence to Seewald for "tireless service and dedication to the community".^[5][7][8]

Personal life

Meyer Seewald was born in Crown Heights to Tzvi and Fayge Seewald, who belong to the Chabad-Lubavitch community in Crown Heights.

Seewald first became involved in anti-abuse work following two of his friends confiding to him that they were abused by a local man who had organized youth program's in the community.^[6] Seewald later published his own recollections of being victimized at an overnight summer camp.^[6][9]

Activities and initiatives

"Wall of Shame"

One key activity Jewish Community Watch is noted for is their locating individuals thought to have abused children and warning the local community of their presence.^[4] JCW in the past accomplished this goal by posting the predator's name and photo on its "Wall Of Shame" on its website, though this confrontational tactic received mixed support from the Orthodox Jewish community.^[6]

In August, 2013, the Los Angeles Jewish Journal published an article detailing alleged abuse inflicted by a non-convicted individual who had appeared on JCW's Wall of Shame. The newspaper reported that JCW's review process included "personal interviews with multiple alleged victims and what appears to be a thorough investigation process" and that "JCW will only post a suspect if its board unanimously agrees that the person is a child predator". It reported that JCW had a database of about 200 suspected predators that the organization was still investigating, and that "neither Seewald nor JCW has ever been sued for libel or defamation regarding its publicizing of accused abusers".^[10]

Project E.M.E.S.

In the spring of 2013, JCW created a comprehensive camp sexual abuse policy, designed to advise and warn overnight staff regarding issues pertaining to CSA.^[11] This policy was endorsed by a wide range of community professionals: The Rabbonim of Crown Heights, The Crown Heights Jewish Community Council, Yossi Paltiel, Abba Paltiel, YY Jacobson, Elchonon Tauber, Levi Kaplan, Yosef Blau, Avraham Zajac,^[12] Yoseph Geisinsky, Benny Forer, Chaim Drizin, Norman Goldwasser, Asher Lipner, Michael Salamon.^[11] Each staff member at participating camps was required to sign an agreement detailing their understanding of the issues and advising them of their responsibilities.^[13]

The JCW stated that they had initially received little cooperation from community summer camps on the subject of child safety.^[14] The JCW subsequently distributed a handout to numerous overnight camp staff members .^[15] JCW also produced a video urging staff members to maintain child safety and warning them against the harm of children abuse.^[16] In two days, the YouTube video had approximately 12,000 hits. Within a month, the video had 22,000 hits.^[17]

The project was covered by the Jewish Daily Forward. The paper noted that the JCW video did not mention that the summer camps must report abuse incidents to the police; the article quoted Seewald saying that the lack of mention was an oversight on their part, occurring due to time constraints in releasing the video.^[18]

Public events

The JCW has organized a number of public events dedicated toward addressing the issues of sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community. At one event in Crown Heights, speakers included community rabbis, activists, therapists, former victims, and Brooklyn's District Attorney.^{[19][20][21][22]} Another event took place in Los Angeles, California.^[23] The organization also published a compilation video of event talks shortly thereafter.^[24]

Endorsements

The JCW has received a number of endorsements from local community members.^[25] Yossi Jacobson, a rabbi, teacher, speaker and author, strongly endorsed JCW.^[26] And comedian and local Chabad celebrity Mendy Pellin, published a letter supporting JCW.^[27] Mendy stated that "Where many of our community leaders have shied away from addressing this issue head-on, Meyer has devoted himself to doing the dirty work that needs to be done to keep our children safe."

Other endorsements include Rabbi Blau (Rabbi of Yeshiva University), Asher Lipner (a child sexual psychiatrist), Benny Forer (orthodox Jewish Deputy District Attorney) and others.^[28]

Criticisms

Community response

Members of the Chabad community, posting on local news blogs, have criticized the JCW website for not providing enough information on how investigations are performed, and for not detailing the evidence behind accusations of wrongdoing. The site has also been criticized for posting incriminatory information prior individuals being arrested or charged, and later refusing to change or remove information found false, as well as demonizing the accused and discouraging them from seeking help voluntarily for fear of reprisal.^[29] The site has further been accused of false allegations of wrongdoing, which in turn severely impacted the life of the accused.^[30][31]

Supporters of JCW counter, among other points, that certain Chabad community news sites and blogs have engaged in similar conduct. Subsequent to a recent arrest, community news sites exposed the arrestee and the pending charges, prior to conviction. ^[32] Additionally, local institutions notified the communal body regarding the pending arrest and advising that the accused (an independent contractor) would no longer be contracted for any services. ^[33][34]

JCW's response to criticism

JCW officially responded to inquiries regarding how individuals are selected for inclusion on the "Wall of Shame" in a letter to "Daniel G.". JCW commented that "[individuals] who have been arrested and charged with crimes relating to child sexual abuse [will be exposed]. When an individual is charged, the charges and arrest are available on the public record and the community should be notified... Considering Jewish Community Watch was not involved with the investigation, he was immediately removed from the site and further an update was published regarding the charges being dropped. There is no obligation for Jewish Community Watch to apologize. If he truly is innocent, his accuser should apologize, the investigating officer should apologize, the D.A. should apologize. JCW simply reported news that was in the public domain."^[35]

In response to claims of wrongful accusations against innocent people, JCW proponents have indicated that an individual who suffered from a factually incorrect JCW post later endorsed the concept behind the website.^[36]

See also

• Child sexual abuse
  • Anti-pedophile activism
• Manny Waks, founder of Tzedek

References

External links

• JCW website
• JCW Facebook page
• Speech by Meyer Seewald on the founding of the JCW