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Case of Rabbi Baruch Lanner
The Awareness Center would like to thank Gary Rosenblatt (editor and publisher of the New York Jewish Times) for researcing and printing the original story about Baruch Lanner. He is definately a hero for NOT keeping the silence.

Table of Contents


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If you are a survivor of Baruch Lanner, or interested in more details about this case, contact Murray L. Sragow.

The e-mail group is for people interested in the reform of OU/NCSY in the wake of the Lanner scandal. They are victims, parents, Rabbis, and lay community leaders.

murray.sragow@verizon.net



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Background of the Baruch Lanner case
On June 21, 2000, an article in the New York Jewish Week reported allegations that Rabbi Baruch Lanner, then Director of Regions of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), the youth movement of the Orthodox Union, engaged in physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse of teenage girls and boys over the course of his 30-year career with the organization. Other allegations were also raised against top Orthodox Union professionals for an apparent cover up and, subsequently, for financial improprieties. Rabbi Lanner resigned the day after the article was published.

The OU took immediate action, convening an NCSY Special Commission to thoroughly and independently investigate all of the allegations. The blue ribbon Commission was comprised of 10 prominent, professional men and women from such fields as law, education, medicine, and mental health. The Commission retained the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton to serve as its legal counsel.

Anyone who felt he or she had information for the Commission was invited to contact the Commission and provide it, in complete confidentiality. The Orthodox Union also set up a confidential, toll-free hotline for any past or present NCSY members who wished to speak with a mental health professional or religious counselor.

In the course of its investigation, the Commission interviewed more than 175 people. The Commission was charged to perform a thorough job and its mandate was to take the investigation in whatever direction its members deemed appropriate. The Commission issued its findings and recommendations in a 331- page report that was presented to Orthodox Union President Mandell I. Ganchrow, M.D. on December 7, 2000. A 54-page summary of the report was released to the public, directly by the Commission, on December 26, 2000. Since the allegations were reported, NCSY also established and implemented a comprehensive anti-sexual harassment policy with specific guidelines. All NCSY advisors must read and agree to abide by these stringent guidelines. In addition, stricter hiring policies were established for all NCSY advisors.

Timeline of key events:

* June 23, 2000 - New York Jewish Week publishes special report entitled "Stolen Innocence," detailing allegations against Rabbi Baruch Lanner and Orthodox Union officials.

* July 3, 2000 - Orthodox Union creates NCSY Special Commission to investigate the Orthodox Union with regard to Rabbi Lanner. Toll-free hotline set up for former and present NCSY members who need or want mental health or religious guidance.

* July 13, 2000 - NCSY Special Commission retains the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton as its legal counsel and begins its investigation.

* November 21, 2000 - NCSY Special Commission announces that it has completed its investigation.

* December 7, 2000 - NCSY Special Commission delivers its full report and recommendations to Orthodox Union President Mandell I. Ganchrow, M.D.

* December 26, 2000 - NCSY Special Commission releases the summary of its report and recommendations directly to the public.

* June 28, 2002 - Rabbi Baruch Lanner was found Guilty of sexually abusing two teenage girls while they were his students in the mid-1990s.



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Table of Contents: Statement of New Jersey Orthodox Synagogues Youth Chairs and Concerned Parents
(07/18/2000)
We, chairpersons of youth committees of New Jersey Orthodox synagogues and concerned parents, have assembled at Congregation Israel in Springfield, New Jersey, on Tuesday July 18, 2000. Our purpose is to recommend a course of action following reports of abuse and other improprieties by Rabbi Baruch Lanner. Lanner, a former Regional Director of the Etz Chaim New Jersey region of the National Council of Synagogue Youth and thereafter an administrator of National NCSY, has been reported to have victimized a large but unknown number of children from our communities over the span of more than twenty years.
Lanner Out On Bail Pending Appeal
(10/10/2002)
A New Jersey appellate court Thursday granted Rabbi Baruch Lanner's emergency request to be free on bail pending the appeal of his conviction of sexually abusing two teenaged girls while he was their principal in a New Jersey yeshiva high school.
Lanner Gets 7-Year Prison Term `I brought this upon myself,' disgraced Orthodox teen leader tells court
(10/10/2002)
Declaring that he is "not a monster" and acknowledging errors in judgment —but stopping short of apologizing to the girls he sexually abused — Rabbi Baruch Lanner was sentenced last week to seven years in a New Jersey state prison.
Judge is told: Rabbi's not safe in jail
(10/09/02)
Rabbi Baruch Lanner, jailed for sexually abusing children in his religious school, now fears he may become a victim of sexual abuse by fellow inmates, his lawyers say.
The lawyers are working to free their client, who is in the Monmouth County Jail, Freehold Township, awaiting transfer to a state facility.

The defense team has filed an emergency appeal of state Superior Court Judge Paul F. Chaiet's refusal Friday to allow Lanner to remain free on bail while he appeals his conviction of endangering the welfare of two teen-age girls and sexually touching one of them while he was principal of the Hillel School in Ocean Township.

Looking for Lanner Herut Lapid, the kibbutznik who has spearheaded the rehabilitation of hundreds of prisoners, is traveling to New York in an attempt to bring Rabbi Baruch Lanner, who has been accused of sexual abuse of teenagers under his care, to Israel.
Sexual Abuse Scandal Hits Orthodox Jews
( 06/29/2002)
The Jewish scandal came to a head Thursday, when a jury of six men and six women here in central New Jersey found Rabbi Baruch Lanner, 52, guilty of abusing two teenage girls. Once a rising star among Jewish educators, Lanner had been principal of a private religious high school as well as a full-time, high-ranking official in the youth movement of the Orthodox Union, an association of more than 1,000 synagogues.
Rabbi Lanner Guilty
(06/28/2002)
Freehold, N.J. - Rabbi Baruch Lanner, once a prominent national Orthodox youth group leader and New Jersey yeshiva high school principal, was convicted late Thursday of sexually abusing two teenage girls while they were his students in the mid-1990s.
Vigorous Defense In Lanner Case
(06/28/2002)
Attorney insists abuse could not have happened in `fishbowl' office.
Freehold, N.J. — Were the Venetian blinds open or closed? After nearly three weeks of court testimony, the question about the level of privacy in a yeshiva high school principal's office was at the crux of the defense's case in the trial here of Rabbi Baruch Lanner, the disgraced former national Orthodox youth group leader.

Lanner Protégé Under Scrutiny - Testimony from Rabbi Matt Tropp conflicts with N.J. law on reporting cases of possible abuse.
(06/28/2002)
It is no secret that Rabbi Matt Tropp's job as director of the largest region in the country of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) was on the line following allegations of teen abuse by Rabbi Baruch Lanner two years ago. Not only had Rabbi Tropp long called Rabbi Lanner his rebbe and mentor, but he was considered his "hatchet man," according to several former NCSY members.
Women Detail Abuse By Lanner Former students testify rabbi molested them in school.
(06/21/2002)
Freehold, N.J. — She was 14 and an incoming freshman at a yeshiva high school in New Jersey. He was 45, a married rabbi with three children, and the principal of the yeshiva at the shore. He was also one of the most prominent Orthodox Jewish youth leaders in America.
Rabbi Baruch Lanner trial update - Day 1
(06/13/2002)
Testimony to begin in trial of rabbi accused of molestation
Rabbi Baruch Lanner trial update
(06/11/2002)
FREEHOLD, N.J. -- Jury selection got under way Tuesday in the sex abuse trial of a Bergen County rabbi.
Baruch Lanner, 52, of Fair Lawn, faces two counts each of aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal sexual contact and child endangerment. The alleged assaults occurred while he was a principal at Hillel High School in Ocean Township.

The charges were filed last year after two former female students claimed Lanner had assaulted them when they were younger than 16. He claims they fabricated the charges because they had conflicts with him while he ran the school in Monmouth County.

OU Standing By Lanner Report
(05/31/2002)
Whether or not Rabbi Baruch Lanner is convicted of sexually assaulting two former female students, leaders of the Orthodox Union — his employer for three decades — assert the rabbi has a long history as an abuser of teens and is not qualified to work with young people.
Pressure Builds on O.U. Ahead of Rabbi's Sex Abuse Trial
(04/26/2002)
With the sex abuse trial of former Orthodox Union youth group leader Rabbi Baruch Lanner set to start June 3, alleged victims are claiming that the organization has not done enough to address the scandal.
Several of Lanner's alleged victims say the O.U. has yet to apologize officially or accept blame for failing to remove Lanner, who allegedly abused dozens of young people over a 30-year period as the director of regions of the union's National Conference of Synagogue Youth.

Lanner Case on CNN - Cardinals Meet to Remedy Sex Scandal in U.S. Catholic Church
(Aired April 23, 2002 - 20:00 ET)
SAVIDGE: But the suspect in no priest. Rabbi Baruk Lanner, by just about all accounts, was an extremely charismatic and effective teacher/motivator credited with drawing teens to Judaism like no one else could. For over 30 years, he was a national youth group leader for the Orthodox Union.
GARY ROSENBLATT, EDITOR, JEWISH WEEK: But the alleged darker side was that he was a very controlling person and abusive in many ways.

Head of the Class - New head aims to heal embattled Orthodox Union
(2001)
It would be an understatement to say that Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is coming into his new job at a difficult time.
Since July 2000, the O.U. has been reeling from accusations that Rabbi Baruch Lanner, the top professional in its youth group, sexually abused and molested scores of teen-agers over a period of 30 years, and that the group ignored complaints about his behavior.

Lanner, who resigned immediately after the allegations became public, was indicted earlier this year in New Jersey and is expected to stand trial in the coming months.

Lanner charged with sex abuse
(03/30/2001)
NEW YORK - Nine months after The Jewish Week reported on allegations that Rabbi Baruch Lanner had abused teenagers in his charge for three decades, a Monmouth County, N.J., grand jury indicted him last week on six criminal charges.
The rabbi faces two counts each of aggravated criminal sexual conduct, criminal sexual conduct and endangering the welfare of a child. The crimes are second-, third- and fourth-degree offenses. A second-degree offense carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Youth groups react to sex-abuse report
(06/06/2000)
NEW YORK - A newspaper recently reported on allegations that a high-ranking Orthodox youth professional sexually molested and harassed scores of teenagers.
Orthodox Rabbi Issues Warning on Sexual Abuse - Says Community Needs To Learn From Catholic Church Scandal
(05/03/2002)
The rabbi of a prominent Manhattan synagogue is using the occasion of the Catholic Church's sex scandal to warn that Orthodox institutions are often "dismissive" of abuse complaints.
Pressure Builds on O.U. Ahead of Rabbi's Sex Abuse Trial
(04/26/2002)
With the sex abuse trial of former Orthodox Union youth group leader Rabbi Baruch Lanner set to start June 3, alleged victims are claiming that the organization has not done enough to address the scandal.
Grappling with Sexual abuse in the Orthodox Community No Longer Taboo - -For years, the Orthodox community has hidden it. Now, a confluence of factors is making their sexual abuse problem come out of the closet.
Lanner Indicted On Sex Abuse Charges
( 03/16/2001)
Two former students at Deal, N.J., yeshiva provided key testimony. Nine months after The Jewish Week reported on allegations that Rabbi Baruch Lanner had abused teenagers in his charge for three decades, a Monmouth County, N.J., grand jury indicted him Wednesday on six criminal charges.
Report Slams O.U.'s 'Failure' in Lanner Abuse Scandal
(12/2000)
A scathing, 54-page document released this week confirmed many of the allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse made public in June against Rabbi Baruch Lanner, the former director of regions at the Orthodox Union's National Council of Synagogue Youth. (Forward)
NCSY Special Commission Cites Rabbi Lanner's "Abusive" Behavior Toward Teens & Calls For Change In OU Governance And Operations
(12/26/2000)
NEW YORK – The NCSY Special Commission, comprised of prominent members of the Orthodox Jewish community that was convened by the Orthodox Union (OU) several months ago, has found that Rabbi Baruch Lanner, who recently resigned as an executive of its youth division, engaged in "abusive" behavior with teenagers during his years with the organization.
Rabbi Lanner Article Wins National Award
(09/29/2000)
Gary Rosenblatt's article, "Stolen Innocence" (June 23), on the alleged long-term abuse of teens by Rabbi Baruch Lanner of the National Conference of Synagogue Youth, has been named first-place winner of the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism, which honors distinguished coverage of disadvantaged and at-risk children and families in the United States.
Message from Rabbi David Kaminetsky - National Director of NCSY
07/31/2000
As I am sure you all know, NCSY is going through a period of soul searching at this time. The circumstances and the publicity surrounding the resignation of Rabbi Baruch Lanner from his position of Director of Regions have been the topic of conversations on everybody's tongue, in newspapers and on Internet chat rooms, etc. While I will not go into any of the details of this matter, I do want to address the issue.
Letters - On Rabbi Lanner And The OU
(07/21/2000)
We commend Gary Rosenblatt for his research and the time he took to hear our stories and publish them in his article "Stolen Innocence" (June 23) about Baruch Lanner.
Journalistic Integrity: Jewish journalists grapple with 'doing the write thing'
(2000)
Gary Rosenblatt, editor and publisher of the New York Jewish Week, consulted a high-profile rabbi before publishing his investigative report about Rabbi Baruch Lanner's abuse of teenagers last year. His concern was whether the publicity of it would be considered lashon harah, slander according to Hebrew law.
Students accuse New Jersey rabbi of abuse over 20 years
07/14/2000
But in recent months, more than 25 former students have come forward to say that Lanner, a leader in the Orthodox Union's National Conference of Synagogue Youth, sexually, physically and verbally abused them for decades.
The students, now in their 30s and 40s, said Lanner kissed, fondled and hit teen-age girls and kneed some boys in the groin. His accusers also say he attacked a man with a knife.

Letters - The Lanner Episode
(07/14/2000)
Your story about Rabbi Lanner's alleged misdeeds in working with children ("Stolen Innocence," June 23) important and courageous. It is also discouraging. How many times will this story have to be told before those in positions of authority in Jewish institutions start to take responsibility for stopping religious leaders who violate ethical and legal boundaries and who hurt their followers?
Stolen Innocence
(06/23/2000)
The Article that broke the story.
Rabbi Baruch Lanner, the charismatic magnet of NCSY, was revered in the Orthodox Union youth group, despite longtime reports of abuse of teens.






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