RBS - Problems? | Imamother

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 2:59 pm

I have researched this community as a perspective place to settle my family when making Aliyah. Part of my research led me to some disturbing articles about children in the Anglo community molested by teachers in their chareidi schools, including a seven year old boy abused by his Rebbe and a three year old abused by a female assistant in gan. These articles were from as late as 2016. According to the research, Project Magen was launched in RBS around 2012 to educate parents about pedophiles, but the community is very closed and reluctant to punish abusers. It also sounds like the police in Eretz Yisrael does not have a good system for dealing with perpetrators of s*xual abuse. Can anyone living in RBS comment on the current attitude towards such issues? Thank you.

amother

Gray

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 3:10 pm

I don't think RBS is worse or better than any other city or place.

I know of pedophiles in Jerusalem and Beitar as well still working and walking around. It's a problem everywhere in the world and you need to teach your child safety and to run away and tell you about these things.

You can't save/shelter your children from everything.

I remember hearing about a molester on our street and he lost his job and it was public everyone knew about him and we were warned. This was 3 years ago. Haven't heard anything since.

tree of life

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 3:12 pm

I live in RBS yes we hear these things from time to time .we need to talk to our kids to be aware and not to go of with anyone who they don't no people think that Just because Israel is safe they should not send there 7year old to school by then self
If you need any advice about the area please message me

Last edited by tree of life on Tue, Feb 16 2021, 3:36 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 3:33 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

Do you live in RBS?

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 3:37 pm

Happy birthday wrote:

Thank you, I may do so. Are you comfortable telling me which schools your kids attend? I am concerned that I read that it is unsafe for children to be in the parks in RBS at certain times because of "incidents," and that teachers do not seem be screened, which means that schools themselves may not be safe ...I would like to hear from parents of schools I am considering.

Rappel

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 4:25 pm

I have no idea about RBS.

But due to politics and beaurocracy, Israel is chronically short of justices. Because of that, cases get backed up for years -- and the worst of those criminals waiting for trial are abusers. Once they actually make it to their court date, Israeli courts take abuse very seriously. But it can be years until these people ever stand trial. And meanwhile, they're walking around free.

In response to this horrifying breach of justice, many communities have founded their own watchdog groups. I used to be part of a Facebook group which published the name, details, and known whereabouts of pedophiles. There are WhatsApp groups by community, where you will receive a text describing a known or suspected pedophile if he moves into your community. Etc. Israelis will not ignore a threat to our children.

As for teachers: legally, any man whom may be in professional contact with children, whether he be a teacher, a tour guide, or an EMT has to pass a police background check (women are exempt). However, if a school is hiring teachers whom aren't certified teachers, I imagine someone can slip through. So that would be an easy way to avoid such an issue - ask the school if all the teachers are certified.

amother

Gray

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 4:32 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Do you live in RBS?

Yes. I've been here for 9 years.

Also RBS is many different people and there's no community structures for an entire neighborhood or city. There's no RBS Rav or something. It's a very mixed area. So if there was a pedophile you would need to literally hang signs in shuls I guess... Like idk. Theres no one to make community decisions to out someone.

Lots of people don't have a Rav here.

amother

Gray

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 4:36 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Teachers aren't screened ANYWHERE in Israel.

Don't allow preteens to be in parks alone at night. Don't allow kids under 10 to go to the park alone.

I would say these rules anywhere. Creeps go to parks everywhere.

amother

Smokey

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 4:43 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Do you mind sharing in which communities this has taken place so that we can be better informed/ protected?

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 5:37 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

What do you mean that teachers are not screened anywhere? That seems to be in conflict wwith what Rapppel wrote above about teachers needing to be certified.

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 5:41 pm

amother [ Smokey ] wrote:

Do you mind sharing in which communities this has taken place so that we can be better informed/ protected?

I am commenting on online articles I read about Ramat Beit Shemesh, specifically Aleph. I don't have community specific information because I don't live in RBS. The latest article was from 2016, so I am trying to find out if things have improved.

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 5:45 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

I find it very disturbing that there is no Rav for the city to oversee such matters. In well organized large frum communities in the United States the most prominent Rav in the community will do just that - have signs hung in shuls to alert others of dangerous people living in the community. Also, the comment that lots of people dont have a Rav in RBS is also not good...with such a large city so full of shuls, why would lots of families be without a Rav?

amother

Gray

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 6:08 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

It's just how it is. RBS was built by people who didn't like the Israeli system and said we are going to make a place like the USA and didn't do it with any daas Torah.

Lots of people do have rabbanim but lots of people Israelis and Americans comes to RBS to be more modern and escape the rules of chareidi society and to ignore daas Torah.

There's a few rabbanim that came here after the fact and try to run it and help the community but there really is no community hadracha at all. It's diverse with many modern orthodox people, many types of chassidim etc.

But RBS wasn't built with any daas Torah. There wasn't anyone rabbanim who helped found the neighborhoods at all

amother

Gray

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 6:10 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Women don't get screened. Only men. And it might not be so makpid is some chareidi part of society. And yes I know of female predators as well. Theres one teacher in Beitar who is a female predator and still is a teacher and I know of two others in Jerusalem.

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 6:16 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

Wow, that is very important information. What American city would you compare RBS to most closely? It sounds like an easy place for people to hide under the radar.

Does RBS have a similar culture to other Israeli cities, where children under 10 walk to the makolet and shop for their mothers, and ten year old boys expect to stay out all night on Lag B'omer? I am wondering how American vs Israeli the culture is?

amother

Gray

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 6:37 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

There's nothing like RBS. Because Americans are looked down in chareidi culture as being modern and not frum enough and you have to prove yourself.

What exactly are you looking for in a place to live? Do you want to learn Hebrew? What community do you want to be a part of? Do you want to integrate into Israeli society?

People were sick of it.
It's a mix. Yes it's still got the Israeli culture because we are influenced by our surroundings. RBS functions as an Israeli city and yes little kids go to the makolet and school and stay up all night.

amother

Papaya

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 6:47 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

I thought RBS was Chareidi?

amother

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 6:49 pm

amother [ Gray ] wrote:

People were sick of "it"...you mean being looked down upon by Chareidi society?

I want to live in Eretz Yisrael with American culture and English speakers in my neighborhood and in my kid's schools. I want a wholesome place where my children won't rebel if I want to watch over them and don't want them staying out all night. We are very frum, ffb, what is called oot yeshivish on this site.

amother

Mustard

Tue, Feb 16 2021, 7:39 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Isn't there an American English speaking community in Har Nof and Givaat Ze'ev? Many American English speakers live in center of Jerusalem in Shamgar area.