Hypocrisy of Our Rabbunim - The Games They All Play
Over the last few years The Awareness Center (the Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault) has been under attack for past association with Luke Ford, author of Yesterday's News Tomorrow.
I've been told by a few reliable sources that a past rabbinic advisory board member (of The Awareness Center), who has connections with Aish HaTorah; was the individual who made the introduction between Luke and The Awareness Center. I was also told that the rabbi was totally aware of Mr. Ford's connection with porn industry at the time.
Luke Ford has been extremely instrumental in publishing a few cases where no one else was willing to. The problem is that Mr. Ford makes a living writing about the porn industry and also by linking porn sites to his.
The majorty of individuals in the porn industry have histories of childhood abuse. I have no idea if Luke is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, yet he does describe himself as having a troubled childhood.
I've recently been made aware that many of the same rabbunim who have been publicly denouncing The Awareness Center, have been leaking information to Luke Ford on various cases.
The reasoning behind the leaks has to do with the fact that NO Jewish papers are willing to publish the stories.
I definitely understand their desire to leak the information, yet strongly feel the denouncing of The Awareness Center NEEDS to stop. I personally feel that each of the rabbis who have been leaking the information, needs to make a public apology to The Awareness Center for these attacks.
posted by Jewish Survivors at Monday, February 27, 2006
7 Comments:
This saddens me a great deal. Is the rabbi who introduced The Awareness Center to Luke Ford still doing kiruv work with the man?
I've read Luke's story. He does have some serious problems that he needs to over come. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that he's also a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, given the number of different homes he grew up in.
Was The Awareness Center aware of his connections with porn from the beginning? Did they offer their services to him?
Is he getting help for his sex addiction?
Luke's porn connection is only one part of the problem. The main issue is that he is not a journalist, but rather someone who will post any story anyone tells him, without the slightest attempt to verify what the truth really is
He has been sued many times for libel, and information he's posted has been proven wrong again and again and again. But because people know he will post verbatim whatever they tell him, he's who they go to. (And then Vicki posts it verbatim on the Awareness Center site, which doesn't say much for her standards).
What this does is cast doubt on EVERYTHING he's written, even though some of it is indeed true. But I automatically question everything he posts, because I've been on the inside of some of the cases he's described and know without a doubt that his information has been dead wrong.
This is all besides the fact he's a scummy porn industry gossip columnist and mentally and emotionally disturbed (his own family is convinced he's possessed by the devil).
A rabbi who was on the board referred them to a pornographer?
Is this rabbi still on their board? I hope not.
I would definately question his judgement.
anony #2
I strongly disagree with you on Vicki and The Awareness Center. I know for a fact on my case, she posted the truth. I haven't heard on survivor for which she advocated complain. I think it's only the child molesters and rapists who complain (or those who are still under their influence).
We all know Luke has his issues that he talks about on his blog, and also states he's addressing in therapy. I could name a few people who should be doing the same.
I think that's the key to Luke is that he admits to having a problem. Hopefully he will be successful in making the necessary changes in his life. It does take time.
I wish that individuals who attack the work that Luke Ford, Vicki Polin, The Awareness Center and JWB, would also go into therapy, even if they don't want to admit they have a problem. It's more then obvious they need it.
Luke Ford at least he has enough balls to tell the truth when he writes. My guess is he has honorable individuals giving him leads.
We all know that Jewish newspapers very seldom have the courage to speak out against rape and incest in the Jewish world. The truth of the matter is that it is even more seldom that I hear about rabbis doing that. There's a few handful that do it all the time, but considering how many rabbis there are in the world, statistically it's pretty disgusting how few do.
At the age of 19, I was forced into the porn industry.
Pictures were taken of me. If I didn't smile I was beaten.
This was rape and abuse.
Finally, with the help of a Catholic priest (I'm a Jewess), I escaped.
Why do sexual abuse survivors want to support someone in the porn industry?
If you haven't been there, don't say anything.
No one is doing it because they want to.
Most of the girls were drugged or threatened.
They would burn the soles of our feet if we didn't do what they said.
I say, chuck the pornographers out.
I think Luke is getting help for his sex addiction by not having sex. It may not be voluntary, but I think it is working.
Sex addiction, give me a break. The guy is horny and likes porn. Welcome to america, you think that no-one is buying porn? Sex addiction, puleese.
Look, make note that Luke is no longer in the porn industry and hasn't been for awhile.
It may seem like strange bedfellows for survivors to go to him with their stories, but; with me has been nothing but honorable, respectful, honest, and decent. Believe it or not he does have genuine empathy for survivors no matter how objective he strives to appear.
I know with my story he made sure to get verification from other sources as well, and this also helped me be comfortable with him.
Lukes' a decent guy, no matter how hard he portrays himself as otherwise in his own blog.
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