NY Post Does What Defenders Did Not: Speaks To Gafni’s Victims
The NY Post reports,
Judy, whose last name is being withheld by The Post, said she was 16 and suffering in a “tumultuous” home environment, including ailing parents, when Gafni invited her to stay at his Flatbush home, where he lived with his second wife, to “escape.”One night 20 years ago this month, Judy said Gafni came into her room, told her he knew what she wanted and took off her clothes. He climbed on top of her as if preparing for intercourse, then asked her when she last had her period.
Then, deciding she could get pregnant, “Mordechai took my hand and forced me to help him climax,” she said. “I had never done anything like that before. I had never even seen a man naked. He ejaculated all over me. I felt horrible.”
He then threatened that he would “destroy” her if she told anyone, she said.
With the support of her JPSY advisers, she decided to tell her story anyway – and he “ruined” her life for two years.
Another woman said was only 13 when Gafni came into her room and molested her. The abuse went on for a year.
“He believed it was a mutually consensual relationship,” she said. “Which was really horrifying because it was sexual violence, it was physical domination.”
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Whoa. And they did not investigate this? From what I remember the midrash has it that the Temple was destroyed starting with the Elders, because they should have known better and acted to stop the impending destruction.
If this is how Renewal Judaism dealt with an essential moral issue–by not taking seriously his previous history, regardless of whether or not it was proven in a court of law–I think the current thrashing could be good to inject integrity into the future leadership of the movement.
The Renewal movement might think of actually learning something from the Roman Catholic Church in their recent handling of a molestation scandal: Ask Gafni to lead “a life restricted to prayer and penitence, renouncing any public ministry.”
—Ariel Beery · May 21st, 2006 at 12:00 pm
I am acquainted with one of his former wives and so I consider myself as one who has “investigated” and, in addition, a very close friend is well-acquainted with his first wife. Besides proving how small the Jewish world really is, I am convinced that most people involved had no true idea how to properly put a stop to Gafni earlier, and that includes myself, because the first issue that gets “in the way” is the concern for the immediate family or any other close injured party and by the time that is arranged, he’s off and go prove anything without doing further damge to the injured unless they temselves want to fight it out and expose themselves to further pain.
—Yisrael Medad · May 21st, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Does anyone get the Fortward? I read that Gafni put an ad in there this week apologizing. I’d like to see it Could someone scan it and post it online?
www.canonist.com/?p=804
—Sophie · May 21st, 2006 at 8:59 pm
I’m sorry, but did the Renewal community just get schooled on investigating by the MUTHAFUCKIN’ NEW YORK POST?!
The “ain’t worth the paper it’s printed on; founded in 1801 by alexander hamiltion, that’s 190 years of continuous fucked up news” New York Post?! The Rupert Murdoch New York Post? The Kerry picks Gephardt New York Post?!
woooooooooooooooow.
—Ruby K · May 22nd, 2006 at 10:14 pm