Levi Aron Pleads Guilty In Murder Of Leiby Kletzky


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The New York Times has an article about the defense team working on the Leiby Kletsky team, preparing to defend Levi Aron. Every person accused of a crime is entitled to a defense. he sure looks guilty, but he is entitled to a fair defense. And there are lawyers who specialize in defending such people no matter how difficult it is, no matter how unpopular it is, no matter how bad it looks.

The New York Times writes:

The death threats and hate mail, she says, have slowed, and she keeps her office door unlocked in defiance. There, Jennifer L. McCann sits behind her desk, wearing leopard print pumps, poised for an argument.


Ms. McCann chose to defend Levi Aron, a hardware clerk from Brooklyn who is accused of a crime that gripped the city this summer: the kidnapping, killing and dismembering of Leiby Kletzky, 8, who got lost walking to meet his parents in July in the Hasidic Jewish enclave of Borough Park.


“People assume I’m O.K. with a young boy being murdered because I represent the defendant,” Ms. McCann, 30, said recently in her office in Garden City, N.Y., which she opened in March after four years of practicing criminal defense law for a local firm. “To me, that’s pretty vicious. They have to understand, I’m not all right with people being murdered or with crime. I’m all right with defending constitutional rights.


“If he’s guilty, he will be convicted. And that’s it. But my God,” she added with gritted teeth, “it’s going to be legally.”


At Mr. Aron’s arraignment on Aug. 4, Ms. McCann insisted to distraught Jewish community members outside a courtroom that her client was no different from anyone accused of murder or drunken driving — he had rights. Her comparison drew gasps and angry retorts.
[...]

The most interesting part of the article is where Ms. McCann says:

In her trial preparations, she has learned about the Hasidic community in Borough Park and has also learned a new word. “Shiska,” Ms. McCann said, mispronouncing the Yiddish word, shiksa, for a non-Jewish woman.

The most troubling part of it is where Ms. McCann says:

Ms. McCann does not apologize for what she does not know. Or the profession she chose.


“This is what I do,” she said. “You kill people, you call me.”

Rabbi Yehuda Levine Explains Why NY Got off Easy From Hurricane Irene



I am sometimes envious of people who always have all the answers. they understand everything that happens and what is the cause of it. They have no questions. Everything is so clear to them. I am envious. I have more questions than answers.

Though everybody who knows the answers all tend to apply their personal bias in supplying the answer. When Leiby Kletsky was killed it was because of the homosexual marriage law that not enough people protested. Now Irene blows away and it is because he protests the homosexual rights. And had Irene destroyed the city he would have had the same explanation for it - because of the homosexual laws and lack of protest. no matter what happens, the answer is ready at hand.

Mordechai Ben David Explaining Murders of Leiby And Baba Elazar

MBD, while giving a concert in Bat Yam, explained that shmiras aynayim, the lack of it actually, is the cause of the murders of Leiby Kletsky and Baba Elazar Abuchatzeira..

Levi Aron Competent To Stand Trial For Murder Of Leiby Kletsky, Pleads Not Guilty

Attorney Compares His Rights To DWI

Somehow, somewhy, despite not having revealed any similar situation with Levi Aron before he murdered Leiby Kletsky, the murder of Leiby has created serious waves in the frum world, specifically in how it deals with accusations of child abuse and molestation.

In the wake, many rabbonim have spoken out reiterating their positions on the issue, the Agudah has re-released and reclarified it's official position on reporting abuse, the RCA has reaffirmed it's position on reporting abuse (below), and more.

The RCA official position on reporting abuse is:

The Rabbinical Council of America has today reaffirmed its position that those with reasonable suspicion or first hand knowledge of abuse or endangerment have a religious obligation to report that abuse to the secular legal authorities without delay. One of the unique features of Jewish law is that it imposes upon every member of the community an obligation to help others avoid danger. The biblical verse “do not stand by while your neighbor’s blood is shed" is understood by Jewish Law to mandate that one must do all in one’s power to prevent harm to others - even if monetary harm, but certainly physical harm.


Consistent with that Torah obligation, if one becomes aware of an instance of child abuse or endangerment, one is obligated to refer the matter to the secular authorities immediately, as the prohibition of mesirah (i.e., referring an allegation against a fellow Jew to government authority) does not apply in such a case.


As always where the facts are uncertain one should use common sense and consultations with experts, both lay and rabbinic, to determine how and when to report such matters to the authorities. False accusations are harmful to those falsely accused – but unreported abuse or endangerment can be life-threatening, as we have recently been tragically reminded.


In addition and as a separate matter, those within the Jewish community whom secular law deem to be “mandated reporters,” must certainly obey the particular reporting requirements, which vary from state to state in the US. A person covered by mandatory reporter laws must comply with those laws, even in a case in which Jewish law might otherwise not require a person to report such child abuse or endangerment.

This position of the RCA is different than that of Agudas Yisrael, differentiating between "mandated reporters" (not an issue in Israel, as in Israel everyone is a mandated reporter), and that if abuse is certain one must report immediately. only when uncertain should one consult with experts, be it a rav or a lay person (they say "and" but I understand the "and" as simply an explanation of who would be considered an expert - that can be an expert who is a rav and it could be an expert who is a lay person), along with using your common sense.

Since then, Kikar is reporting, the beis din in Montreal has come out with a call that people should stop hiding and covering up accusations of abuse. While not going as far as saying that accusations should be reported to the police, they did say parents, and others, should stop sweeping these issues under the carpet, but should make the children aware, instruct them how to be as safe as possible, and if they are attacked or know of someone who has been attacked they should tell someone, their parents or a rav, immediately.

Change is slow, but it is happening.

Leiby Kletzky: Yosef Hatzadik in Our Times



Singer: Yisroel Amar
Video: CJ Studios 718.781.6405
Lyrics Esty Shemtov, Dina Amar
Concept & Ideas Rabbi Chay Amar
Studio engineering Ron BenHaim
Consultant Mendel Amar
Original melody of Vehoo Keili "Rabbi Baruch Levine"

Lyrics
Glowing with pride
Learning side by side
Torah's flame burning inside
Together as one
In an eternal bond
Yaakov and yosef his son

My son you must leave
You brothers you will see
And beshalom come back to me
His first journey alone
Away from his home
Leaving, his future is unknown

As the day passes on, he awaits his return
For my son oh my son I cannot mourn
Feeling a loss so strong
He desperately does long
For an answer, for a reason
Oh Father I seem far, my journey just began
To help my brothers from where I am
Hashem's plan you can't see
But for you I will be
In a foreign land, awaiting...

Tragically, in our times,
A sweet boy of nine,
Decides to leave his mother's side.
His first journey alone
Away from his home
Leaving, his future is unknown

As the day passes on, they await his return
For leiby, oh my son I cannot mourn!
Feeling a loss so strong
Desperately we long
For an answer, for a reason
Yidden I may be far, my soul up on high
To beseech our father in heaven
Hashem's plan you can't see,
But with you I will be,
The geula, demanding!

Rabbi Yakov Horowitz has another crucial piece regarding learning from the Leiby Kletsky murder. His latest is a piece in the Jewish Press:

A surefire way to gauge the generation in which a person was raised is to have him or her fill in the following sentence: Where were you when ?"


Baby Boomers would ask, "When President Kennedy was shot?" Thirtysomethings would respond, "When the space shuttle exploded?" Today's teenagers would reply, "On 9/11?"


These were shocking, transformational moments that are etched in our mind's eye forever. We remember where we were standing when we heard the news and recall the sinking feeling in the pits of our stomachs as we thought this just can't be happening.


Members of our community had our 9/11 moment last week when we heard that Leiby Kletzky, a"h, was allegedly murdered by one of our own. As was the case on 9/11, people of all stripes banded together to search and later to mourn for that precious neshamah.


In the aftermath of 9/11, a paradigm shift occurred in our thinking about security. No longer would people saunter onto an airplane or enter a New York City tunnel without passing through the watchful eye of law enforcement personnel and fellow citizens alike. The ubiquitous "If you see something, say something," ads have been extraordinarily effective in training people to be more vigilant and to report suspicious activity to the authorities.


It is of utmost importance that members of our community engage in a similar shift in thinking - and acting - in the aftermath of our 9/11, in the arena of the safety and security of our children.


The two areas that demand our urgent attention are (1) the education of our children regarding their personal space and safety and (2) the critical need to immediately report all predators to the authorities.


Education is extraordinarily effective in training children and preventing abuse. Research shows conclusively that children who are spoken to about their personal space are more than six times as likely to take defensive action when approached by a predator. And all of these messages can be delivered in a perfectly modest manner appropriate for haredi homes.


As of this moment, Leiby's abduction seems to have been random in nature, and many parents in our community are limiting their discussions with their children to not taking rides from strangers. This is a grave and dangerous error. We ought to use this opportunity to provide each of our children, from the youngest ages on up, with a comprehensive, research-based model of child safety training.


Why? Because even if Leiby's case was indeed random, it would be an exception to the rule. The vast majority of predators are well known to the victims and are often relatives or friends of the family.


Comprehensive child safety education includes the following components:


● The notion of private space. Your body belongs to you. Worded differently, get children to think of their own bodies like they would a favorite snack - something that is exclusively theirs.
● Good touching/bad touching. One way of expressing this is to tell children that no one is allowed to touch them in a spot covered by a bathing suit.
● No one may tell children keep secrets from their parents; predators naturally want to drive a wedge between the child and his/her parents.
● If someone is making a child uncomfortable, the child has the right to say no. Many victims of abuse felt they had no choice but to listen to the adult or older predator.


(Please note that these few lines do not do justice to a complex subject. Project YES conducted a series of workshops in the month of June to train parents in speaking to kids about personal space and abuse prevention. You can view the 33-minute video of one such presentation at http://vimeo.com/25322132).


On a communal level, we urgently need to adopt and publicize a firm policy that predators will be reported to the authorities.


Contacting someone like me when your child has been molested is analogous to informing me you saw someone carrying a suicide vest and you suspect an imminent terror attack. I have no training in the counter-terrorism field, zero enforcement capability and a day job that precludes me from devoting the 24/7 level of attention to the case it deserves and needs.


A predator is a rodef and every bit as dangerous as the guy with the suicide vest. Worse, in fact, because he can keep exploding young lives again and again until he is arrested and locked up.


Finally, there is one more similarity between the Kletzky tragedy and that of 9/11 - there had been similar incidents, albeit on a smaller scale, that were not given the attention they deserved.


Many members of our community had been lulled into a false sense of security and were not preparing our children with the kind of safety training that perhaps could have helped Leiby refuse to enter a car with a stranger.


We cannot turn the clock back, and all the justifiable recriminations in the world will not return Leiby to us. However, the many abuse survivors in our community who have been misunderstood and even shunned are watching carefully for signs that this terrible tragedy will provide us with the resolve and steely determination to provide our children with a safe and secure future.


Lma'an Hashem, please let's finally make it happen.

Rabbi Yehuda Levin Knows the Reason For The Tragic Murder of Leiby Keletsky



Highlights:

• Borough Park is the kodshei kodshim
• it is the fault of the homosexuals. now they have wanted marriage and we didnt come out against the marriage.
• the abortions in New York City, and the lack of protest
• even without the Torah we would know gay marriage is wrong (RG: I thought all true morality comes from the Torah?)

Introducing Leiby's Law..


I am not sure what is stopping one of these sick individuals from registering to be a safe haven where they then have easy targets as kids think they are safe. Even
would have passed the background check, as police said he had no previous record.

The indictment against Levi Aron for murdering Leiby Kletsky is coming down...


8 day mourning period called "shiva"? "Shiva" means "seven"