Monday, April 23, 2007

A Letter to Rabbi Heinemann From A Survivor Of Incest

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The following letter was sent to me by a survivor of incest who wishes her identity be kept confidential:

Dear Rabbi Heinemann,

I do not feel comfortable calling you on the phone or mailing my letter directly to you. I am hoping someone reading this will print out my letter and hand it directly to you.

I read the note you put up in your synagogue and have been reading on the various blogs that you do not feel that Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro's name should have been mentioned in the Baltimore Jewish Times article, because Rabbi Ephraim Shapiro is no longer alive and can't defend himself and also because we should be protecting the family members of sex offenders.

I want to let you know that I am a family member of a sex offender. I am also an incest survivor. I tried many times growing up to get help and no one would listen. When I approached various rabbis asking for help, they seemed more concerned about protecting my father's good name then they were in stopping the insanity that was going on in my home. I was told over and over again that my father was a good person. That I should just try to get along with my family better.

No one cared that I was suicidal. No one cared that I often slept in a park as a way to prevent my father from raping me at night.

Rabbi Heinemann, I went to you twice trying to ask you for help and you told me you didn't believe me. The first time I was twelve. The second time I was over eighteen. Why is it that you care more about my father then you did about me?

Please remember every incest survivor is a family member of a sex offender. We also deserve to have a voice!

Sincerely,
Sara Rivka Rachel Leah

7 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Its time you did an expose on Ohel Family Services

April 23, 2007 2:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm a catholic survivor of a priest. If I was Jewish and lived nearby I would bring your letter to this rabbi. I think it would be much more powerful if someone Jewish hand delievered it for you. I can tell you that there are a few priests who should also receive a letter like this.

This rabbi sounds like defense attorney and MD Delgate Joseph Vallario's lame brain excuse for not helping survivors. . . "I don't think we should sue dead priests"...

No one ever seems to get it, do they?

April 23, 2007 5:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is absurd - you are putting words into rabbi heineman's mouth.

April 23, 2007 11:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

and rabbi Heinemann and his goons have been trying to force feed many survivors in Baltimore a line of crap for years.

April 23, 2007 11:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

R.E.M.
It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)


That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane - Lenny Bruce is not afraid. Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn - world serves its own needs, regardless of your own needs. Feed it up a knock, speed, grunt no, strength no. Ladder structure clatter with fear of height, down height. Wire in a fire, represent the seven games in a government for hire and a combat site. Left her, wasn't coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck. Team by team reporters baffled, trump, tethered
crop. Look at that low plane! Fine then. Uh oh, overflow, population,
common group, but it'll do. Save yourself, serve yourself. World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed. Tell me with the rapture and the reverent in the right - right. You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright
light, feeling pretty psyched.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign tower. Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn. Lock him in uniform and book burning, blood letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate. Light a candle, light a motive. Step down, step down. Watch a heel crush, crush. Uh oh, this means no fear - cavalier. Renegade and steer clear! A tournament,
a tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

The other night I tripped a nice continental drift divide. Mount St. Edelite.

Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Breshnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic, slam, but neck, right? Right.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine...fine...

April 24, 2007 3:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Um, why not mail him a printed letter too? He's listed in the phone book y'know.

April 24, 2007 12:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm sure the survivor has reasons why she doesn't feel comfortable mailing the letter herself. I think it's important to honor her request.

April 26, 2007 1:38 PM  

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