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Thursday, December 07, 2006

Police: Brooklyn Rabbi Charged With Sexual Abuse On Child



A Brooklyn Rabbi has been charged with sex abuse and child endangerment, police said.

Rabbi Joel Kolko, 60, was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of sex abuse and endangering the welfare of a minor, police said.

Police said the alleged victim is a 9-year-old boy who said he was sexually abused during 2002 and 2003.
Click here to find out more!

The arrest comes after a the New York Daily News reported on a $10 million lawsuit that was filed by a child of "early elementary school" age.

Police said they had been investigating Kolko and made the decision to arrest him after the lawsuit was made public.

Kolko is part of Mesivta Torah Temimah on Ocean Parkway, where the lawsuit alleges the abuse took place.

"He's been my principal for years," said one person. "I never knew him like that. He never acted inappropriately."

No one at the school wanted to comment officially, NewsChannel 4 reported, but his former student said he finds the allegations hard to believe.

"As a person, he doesn't fit the criteria," said Abraham Birnbaum. "I've known him for 10 years. My brother was a student, (comma) and he never had that view of him."

Students said Kolko voluntarily left the school a few years ago when the allegations of abuse began to surface.

http://www.wnbc.com/news/10486867/detail.html

Comments:
It's about time! This guy should have been taken off the street years ago. The community should be ashamed of itself for covering this up for so long. Margolin should be forced to step down now.

 

"...left the school a few years ago??"

Birnbaum's comment was not fully reported. He did say that of course one shouldn't take things at face value and Kolko essentially only seems innocent.

 

its a chilul hashem! havai dun lkaf zchus!

 

From canonist .com at http://www.canonist.com/?p=1256

R’ Mark Dratch on Kolko Arrest
The head of JSafe e-mails in response to last night’s news:


I am very pleased with the news of the arrest of Rabbi Yehuda Kolko and look forward to seeing the allegations against him investigated and pursued seriously. Certainly, everyone is entitled to his day in court; Kolko is as well. However, had the community leadership taken the allegations seriously years ago and had they acted in more responsible ways, I beleive that many innocents might have been spared trauma over the years and justice would not have been delayed.

I applaud those who came forward to make the reports and pursue their legal options. I know that this was not easy in the community in which they live and there are all sorts of pressures–social and religious–not to report. As I have said many times in the past, this reticence to
report is not supported by the Halacha.
I applaud those “anonymous bloggers” who brought this issue public and kept it in the public eye. Without them, this arrest would not have happened. They too have been subject to attack recently. I have already written about the problems of anonymous blogging (”Are Blogs Kosher? The Jewish Week 05/25/2006)–”Can these blogs be more responsible? Yes, and they need to exercise much greater care in upholding standards of decency, fairness and justice because they, too, can be responsible for harming innocents. And Web surfers should not necessarily believe what they read on them…But the blogs are here and, for now, supply a valuable service.
In a community that was responsive and accountable the excesses on the blogs would be unnecessary. At the moment, there are those who feel that they have no other choice. Innocents — victims and potential victims of abuse and the values and reputation of a compassionate and valuable community — are being hurt by a community that could and should do better.”) Nevertheless, they have performed an invaluable service and are to be applauded.
I applaud those who brought this issue to New York Magazine (5/22/06). Without that article, Kolko would have still been in his classroom and without that article the public pressure to pursue justice would have been significantly weakened.
As to the attacks by prominent rabbinic leadership on those that challenged the judgment and actions of those that criticized them, I say: I do not believe that many of the bloggers and accusers who they roundly condemn and label as “resha’im” (wicked) or “maskilim” (corruptly modern) were motivated by a disdain for rabbis, their authority or their opinions.
At least not originally. My experience with many victims/survivors of abuse is that they desperately want rabbinic leaders and the community and the Torah and the halachic system—which they were taught to revere and upon which they were raised to depend—to work for them. Many believe that the Torah’s system of laws were just. Many believe that rabbis and
rabbinic judges are advocates for those that were hurt and injured. Many, whose physical and emotional welfare were torn apart, want, at the very least, their faith to sustain them and remain strong. But many of those who speak out in crude and insolent ways have felt betrayed by those very rabbis and communal mores in which they desperately wanted to believe.
Many felt revictimized by those who they believed should have been there to help them. So they lash out with feelings of betrayal, disillusionment, abandonment and resentment. Perhaps no excuse for crude behavior. But perhaps an explanation…and an indictment.
I hope that this is a watershed moment in our community’s history in dealing with issues of abuse. We’ll all be better off for it and the kevod ha-Torah, the honor and dignity of the Torah, its leaders and teachers, and its community will be restored.

 

please remove the pictures have rachmunis on his family they did not do anything!

 

Fascinating -- for over a year, UOJ and his buddies have been promoting this over the net.

On one front, they have been strident and outspoken, making sweeping charges and allegations against anybody and everybody. They've charged Kolko of forty or fifty years of abusing children.

On the other front, they have been begging and pleading the many supposed victims to come forward. When their arguments of protecting other children didn't work, they proceeded to dangle the carrot of a large financial reward.

And what do they have to show for these supposed decades of widespread abuse? Four people making allegations!

They claim the man is a pedophile. He has held positions where he was able to have contact with many thousands of children.

Frankly, I think that to believe the allegations is perposterous.

 

Remove his picture?
why should we remove it?
Did you ask that all other pictures of molesterts be removed too? did you ask that mondrowits and all the other menuvalim should also be removed? Its obvious that you have a double standard.

 

there is no "kaf zchus" in this case

 

I am most saddened to see how some of our G'Dolei Torah have responded very similarly to the way the catholic church has been reacting - protect the predator(s) and continue to victimize the injured innocent victims. The people who worked so tirelessly and in the face of terrible frustration have finally made the progress of getting one of the worst perpetrators (Kolko) brought (so far) to justice. They have done holy and good work and should be celebrated and thanked by all - not, to our collective shame, villified as if they were somehow doing the wrong thing. Kohle HaKavod and a y'yasher koach to each of them.


Many have criticized these tireless people for not identifying themselves. Given the terrible experiences at the hands of the predators and their defenders that those who did come forward had to go through, that in itself, in my opinion, is reason enough to protect their anonymity.
Perhaps more importantly, the second highest form of Tzdakah is when the ba'al tzedakah remains anonymous as does the recipient. Thus, those who have chosen to give up the glory and praise for their exemplary pursuit of Tzedek, should be recognized as following the paths of the truly righteous and it can only be called a perversion to fault them for not giving out their names. They deserve dinners in their honor and all kinds of thanks and recognition from the community that they have been working so hard to protect - and yet, the only benefit they have worked towards is to protect and heal the past and potentially future victims who have little or no one to stand up for them. Surely, a special place in Shamayim is set aside for such Mosrai Nefesh. I am humbled by their very holy and thankless work.

 

many victims stepped forward in the 1980's. They got kolko removed from Stolin. They also got a lot of grief. Now they are smarter. Their lawyer(s) are slowly letting out the cases at strategic times. and remember, it only takes one victim to lock him up for good and destroy Lipa. Why use up all the bullets at once?

 

To the best of my knowledge, there is no picture of Mondrowitz on this or any website. Prior to a conviction, it is inappropriate and assur to post a picture. Let's face it-these pictures are appearing for their sensational news quality-not to protect some unsuspecting kid who wants to be tutored.

As well, the bizayon that spouses, children and relatives suffer from this scandal is incalculable. When the ribbono shel olam judges us, will it be based on the horrible actions of one yid, or on the multitudes who take delight dancing on another yid's head in front of his whole family?

 

YOU go to Hell you flaming dickead. What gives anyone the right to assume this Rabbi's guilt?! Could you blood suckers not even wait till the courts have come to some conclusion before delighting in his shame?! We Yidden are Rachamim bnei Rachamim. How are YOU personifying that? IF he is, nebach, convicted then you can revel in the knowledge that he will be locked away...out of reach of your children. Until then please dont stoke the fire.

 

Senorita said...

YOU go to Hell you flaming dickead. What gives anyone the right to assume this Rabbi's guilt?!

>>> Seeing the type of people(specifclly, ones like you) defending him makes it very difficult to imagine he is innocent.

Could you blood suckers not even wait till the courts have come to some conclusion before delighting in his shame?!

>>> I would try to avoid the word 'sucker' if I were defending Hot Kolko

We Yidden are Rachamim bnei Rachamim. How are YOU personifying that?

>>> By feeling rachmanus for the children who should know better than to complain when he didn't actually penetrate them. When they see the rishus with which the courts handle Kolko they will understand that Lipa, Kolko's enabler and supplier of little children, was correct in feeding his habit and protecting him.

IF he is, nebach, convicted then you can revel in the knowledge that he will be locked away...out of reach of your children. Until then please dont stoke the fire.

>>> Had the system functioned properly Kolko would have been away from children DECADES ago. The sad thing is that only he will pay the price for the misdeeds of many. In reality, he has the best defense. He is SICK. His protectors have no defense (unless 'I was covering up so my school would still make money' and 'there was no penetration' are considered good defenses for sane individuals. Oh, I forgot, this all took place in Brooklyn. Those might pass for defenses there.)

 

How could anyone seek to protect this beast, put his picture back on and everyone see the face of Kolko the Red Beast that molested and ruined the life of so many children over the years..
to all the people that are commenting that you should not talk bad about him, you people are all in LA-LA land this is happening for years in Yeshiva nad Shuls and Mikvas and non of the Rabbonim wanted to do anything about it, well now let the whole world know and see what was and is going on and make a stop to boys being molested by beasts like Kolko...

 

Posting a blog may seem anonymous, however it is not. To all those that are taking delight in this mass chillul hashem, remember, the ribono shel olam knows all and sees all, even anonymous blogs. You all will be judged after a 120 and then you will not be able to hide the true intentions of your comments. While some may be authentic, most are taking delight in seeing a jewish family crucified. Do you really think there is no punishment and that allegations against or wrong doings of another man will pardon your sins? Loshon hora is one of the most serious aveiros, in fact it is worse then eating treif!

 

Anonymous said...
Posting a blog may seem anonymous, however it is not. To all those that are taking delight in this mass chillul hashem, remember, the ribono shel olam knows all and sees all, even anonymous blogs. You all will be judged after a 120 and then you will not be able to hide the true intentions of your comments. While some may be authentic, most are taking delight in seeing a jewish family crucified. Do you really think there is no punishment and that allegations against or wrong doings of another man will pardon your sins? Loshon hora is one of the most serious aveiros, in fact it is worse then eating treif!

December 11, 2006 8:29 PM

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The Ribbono Shel Olam you claim to represent and warn us about - is He the same Ribbono Shel Olam who said tzedek tzedek tirdof? Is He the same one in whose name a 'bais din' spoke twenty years ago and paskened that there is nothing to be done because there was no penetration?

If the cries of these children do not penetrate your hardened heart and the obvious truth of our system's failings do not penetrate your thick skull then go penetrate yourself.

To all those who say nothing happened to these kids and Kolko is a wonderful mechanaich - Please join me in wishing the wonderful Yudi Kolko on your kids. We should both agree that you deserve him, no matter which one of us is right about him.

 

Yeh he looks dangerous lock him up (???) Can u guys all shut up - unless u have proof ur all jus yachernin

 

So anon 12:24 PM - u gona give us the proof that he's guilty? Or maybe u too need locking up? Besides for AL TODIN ES CHAVERCHO

 

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