This book--the first of its kind--analyzes how and why cases of child sexual abuse have been systematically concealed in Orthodox Jewish communities. The book examines many such cover-ups in detail, showing how denial, backlash against victims, and the manipulation of the secular justice system have placed Orthodox Jewish community leaders in the position of defending or even enabling child abusers. The book also examines the generally disappointing treatment of this issue in popular media, while dissecting the institutions that contribute to the cover-ups, including two--rabbinic courts and local Orthodox "patrols"--that are more or less unique to Orthodox Jewish communities. Finally, the book explores the cultural factors that have contributed to this tragedy, and concludes with hopes and proposals for future reform.

The prevalence of sexual predation in the Orthodox Jewish community has traditionally been to not report to secular authorities. The pejorative term applied to one who violates this norm and informs authorities of pedophilia and criminally aberrant activity is 'mosur.' This term is applied with harsh denigration. From a Jewish legal point of view, the mosur is subject to the death penalty by any Jew, anywhere Jews reside and applies in an extra-judicial manner, without prior review by any Jewish authority, and is applicable today. Rabbinic legal authorities determine that the life of the predator, and by extension, of the community, takes precedence over the victim regardless of the cost to the victim. In such a setting, the victim has no recourse. If s/he goes forward to report the abuse, the mosur charge will apply. Maintaining silence means not being able to access health professionals to ameliorate the violations that occurred, and the predator is thereby free to abuse others and to do so with impunity. The origins of this legal framework stem from Jews living in the Diaspora and is not mandated Biblically. This framework, I contend, is based on considerations of survival so the predator is protected and the community remains safe from anti-Semitic governments. Survival was deemed the highest priority regardless of the individual costs present. The flashpoint of this scandal took place in Australia with the establishment of the Australian Royal Commission to receive testimony on abuse of institutionalized children. Initially, aberrant acts against minors by Roman Catholic Church prelates, both Diocesan and Order were examined. The Commission also heard of Chabad rabbis who implemented the mosur mindset, to not report crimes of sexual abuse in their schools, while minimizing the effect such abuse had on the victims. Two specific cases are discussed, one in the United States and the second in Australia. In both instances, the accused escaped justice by going to Israel. The Australian case became an international cause célèbre when the Melbourne Jewish school that had employed her paid for and arranged details of the flight. It was only after years of delay and legal maneuvering, including charges of interference by a senior cabinet member, that the accused was finally extradited to Australia, now awaiting her criminal trial. The case in the United States reflects a similar escape, with the accused now residing in Israel. How did the mosur phenomenon come about? The book proposes a theory of the Doctrine of Temporary Residence as the basis for the law. Based on a Diaspora mindset, that framework no longer applies since justice in the free world is fair, impartial, and not anti-Semitic. The prohibition of not turning over a Jewish predator for criminal prosecution therefore no longer has validity. The new and recent phenomenon where communal leaders seem to advocate greater care and concern for the victim of these crimes is a refreshing development.

This revised and updated volume includes twenty-two essays on timely topics. The volume begins with topics on Judaism and Jewish Ideology, the book reviews the multiplicity of languages Jewish people used throughout their history. At last count, these number 55, an amazing way to create a localized language for daily interaction, rather than use Hebrew, the sacred language reserved for prayer and study. The brief review of Lurianic Kabbalah follows, together with a discussion of human suffering. The mystery of Ashkenazic Jewry follows, offering a serious question to this dilemma. What follows is an exposition on the Jewish law of 'mosur' the informer, and the many issues affecting sexual predation in ultra-Orthodox Judaism, both in the United States and Australia as in Israel. The Cairo Genizah reviews how two Scottish sisters brought the Book of Ecclesiasticus to Cambridge and the vast treasure of Cairo brought to Cambridge and other universities to examine this ancient repository. The issue of Apostate Rabbis follows discussing several rabbis who converted to Christianity. I then discuss the Radhanites, the mysterious group of super-merchants who traveled from France to China and back for about 500 years, centuries before Marco Polo. I then discuss Chabad Messianism, a topic of interest as Chabad expands its message across the globe. Several topics follow: Medieval Blood Libel, the mystery of Jews in Sri Lanka, today a minimal number but in earlier centuries numbering several thousand. I then discuss several topics on the human condition, essays designed to reflect on Man's ethical dilemma of life in the post-World War Two era. I then discuss the two original ideas regarding religion. One of these is attributed to the Patriarch Abraham, whose reflection on Deity and how to relate to spirituality predominates in the three great Western religions. The other original thought is found in Hinduism, reflecting an entirely different way to relate to Deity. Because Hinduism is a Far Eastern phenomenon, not readily accessible in the West, I’ve included an overview of Hinduism, so that the Western and Jewish views can be appreciated. A new topic reflect on the Atrocity Soul and its counterpart, reflecting of the Son of Darkness and the Son of Light, each bringing messages, one of despair and darkness and the other of hope and redemption. While these persons may be religious, it is not a primary matter to the Son of Light, but their message of hope predominates. I conclude the book with a discussion on Calculating Zero, an advancement only made twice in human history: in the New World by the Maya and by the ancient Mesopotamians. Each of the essays and reviews reflects my understanding of these, and other, diverse topics. Each essay provides grist for discussion and reflection.

Michael Lesher's Surfaces is a celebration of what might be called the central paradox of poetry: that every attempt to plumb the depths of lived experience must begin, and end, in the impenetrable surface world of words printed on paper. Somehow, the shape of a collection of letters placed on a page, and the sounds they produce when pronounced, have to convey a sense of the most inward levels of experience. This would appear impossible, and the collection's introductory quotation from Ralph Waldo Emerson -- "Give me truths;/for I am weary of the surfaces, /and die of inanition" -- only underscores the difficulty. Yet the goal of these poems is precisely to find those "truths" not by fleeing the surface of poetry -- line, rhythm, diction, and so on -- but by embracing it. And in doing so, of course, to reveal beauty as well.

Howard Tumber is Professor in the Department of Journalism at City, University of London, UK. He is a founder and co-editor of Journalism: Theory, Practice and Criticism. He has published widely in the field of the sociology of media and journalism. Silvio Waisbord is Professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, USA. He was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Communication, and he has published widely about news, politics and social change.

In today's "post-truth" world, we are becoming inundated with fantasy fictions, "alternate news," and grossly oversimplified (and wildly exaggerated) conspiracy theories that identify cryptocratic power structures ruling our fates. But suppose the truth is both stranger than any fiction and more nuanced and disturbing than any theory? Suppose it is not conspiracy but complicity that creates our world?Beginning as an investigation into the author's childhood inside a closet aristocracy of "progressive" British entrepreneurs, The Vice of Kings uncovers a history both disturbingly personal and shockingly universal. By juxtaposing disc jockey Jimmy Savile's secret cultural, criminal, and political affiliations in the second half of the 20th century with the life and teachings of Aleister Crowley in the first, it uncovers an alarming body of evidence that organized child abuse is not only the dark side of occultism, but the shadowy secret at the heart of culture, both ancient and modern.

Women in Fundamentalism examines the striking similarities in three extreme fundamentalist religious communities in their views about and treatment of women. Whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim, the fundamentalist offshoots of these religions subject women to myriad restrictions in their daily lives. All three seek to maintain male control over women’s bodies, women’s activities, and the people with whom women associate. The three also share common ideologies about women's “true nature" and proper place. The specific cases covered in this text are (1) Mormon polygamists, specifically the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), who live in Utah, Arizona, Texas, and isolated enclaves in Canada and Mexico; (2) the Satmar Hasidim of Williamsburg, Brooklyn; Kiryas Joel, a town in Rockland County, New York, and several settlements in Israel; and, (3) an extreme brand of Islam practiced by the Pashtun ethnic group of Afghanistan and neighboring areas of Pakistan. This book effectively bridges the disciplines of women’s studies, religion, and anthropology, making it a valuable resource for professors and students seeking new qualitative and quantitative material on women’s positions in various religious traditions.

This Year Book, now in its 115th year, provides insight into major trends in the North American Jewish communities and is the Annual Record of the North American Jewish Communities. The first two chapters of Part I examine Jewish immigrant groups to the US and Jewish life on campus. Chapters on “National Affairs” and “Jewish Communal Affairs” analyze the year’s events. Three chapters analyze the demography and geography of the US, Canada, and world Jewish populations. Part II provides Jewish Federations, Jewish Community Centers, social service agencies, national organizations, overnight camps, museums, and Israeli consulates. The final chapters present national and local Jewish periodicals and broadcast media; academic resources, including Jewish Studies Programs, books, articles websites, and research libraries; and lists of major events in the past year, Jewish honorees, and obituaries. For those interested in the North American Jewish community—scholars, service providers, volunteers—this volume undoubtedly provides the single best source of information on the structure, dynamics, and ongoing religious, political, and social challenges confronting the community. It should be on the bookshelf of everyone interested in monitoring the dynamics of change in the Jewish communities of North America. Sidney Goldstein, Founder and Director, Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, and Alice Goldstein, Population Studies and Traini ng Center, Brown University The American Jewish Year Book is a unique and valuable resource for Jewish community professionals. It is part almanac, directory, encyclopedia and all together a volume to have within easy reach. It is the best, concise diary of trends, events, and personalities of interest for the past year. We should all welcome the Year Book’s publication as a sign of vitality for the Jewish community. Brenda Gevertz, Executive Director, JPRO Network, the Jewish Professional Resource Organization

A powerful expose of the family court system's prejudice against mothers trying to protect their sexually abused children.

Healing the Unimaginable: Treating Ritual Abuse and Mind Control is a practical, task-oriented, instructional manual designed to help therapists provide effective treatment for survivors of these most extreme forms of child abuse and mental manipulation.