On March 26, 2018, an email circulated around the Los Angeles Orthodox community from “Torah Truth”:
Dear Leaders:
As many of you are aware, Menachem Weiss of Nessah Synagogue was
arrested and indicted over the weekend. He is being charged with two
counts of aggravated sexual assault of a minor boy, which New Jersey
specifically requires an allegation of rape through penetration.As concerning as this particular allegation is, it has come to our
attention that this behavior is far from isolated. There likely are
other victims, including in Los Angeles, who are ashamed or afraid of
coming out.Here is what we know and what we believe would be prudent at this time:
1) Weiss comes from a family of individuals that historically have
been involved in molestation issues.2) His brother is a convicted child molester and many other family members have also been put under similar suspicion.
3) Weiss was fired by NJ Chabad for similar conduct and, at a minimum, Nessah should have conducted due diligence and contacted them.
4)…[deleted]
5) There are various organizations out there that have been familiar
with Weiss’s actions, but they have been hampered in the past from
doing anything. Weiss’s reputation is well known in the Lubavitcher
community6) Perhaps they should conduct due diligence and reach out to Jewish
Community Watch (JCW).
I wouldn’t speculate on such serious matters if the known facts weren’t so disturbing and pointing to a pattern. Here are some of my questions: Is R. Menachem Weiss’s case just the tip of a major abuse scandal involving his family and relatives? Was he a victim of bad behavior and did that predispose him to bad choices? Does he have siblings who were not just victims of molestation but perpetrators of bad behavior? Did their Orthodox Jewish community repeatedly look away from the abuse and enable it?
A source tells me: “I saw your video on Rabbi Weiss. I have a bit more insight [on rabbinic sex abuse]… Sexual abuse is considered a “rite of passage”… Rabbi [Menachem] Weiss suffered horrible abuse…. The worst abuser now lives in …[and he is still] abusing children…. This has been going on and on… One of his brothers is dead. He was so abused…”
“It goes on and on. It’s not just that family. Its what happens when you ask people to defy nature… A woman [has many] kids she didn’t care for and she beat them and no locks on doors so they would go into the rooms of the sisters and younger brothers and rape them and act like nothing happened…”
“It was reported in school in Miami Beach. They molested so many kids. They had dead beat self entitled abusive parents that would put them to work and take all the money. That included baby sitting. There is a lot more to the story than you know. It’s unreal that more people have not come forward. This is huge problem in the ortho community. Until you stop the abuse it will go on and on generation after generation. And the abuse never ended. Meanwhile the brothers are all on positions that involve young boys. The goal should be to end that.”
