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Important Information: How to Contact "Magen": "Magen", the new Child Protection Organization of Bet Shemesh, has established a Hotline for residents of Bet Shemesh. If you are seeking out information concerning child abuse call Magen. By Phone: New Magen "Hotline" Service: 02-9999.678                               After hours: 050 8489001     Less-Urgent Matters: 02-9999.678 By email: davidm@ magenprotects.org Please note: The Magen's confidential hotline service is manned by volunteers trained and supervised by ELI, Israel's Child Protection Organization. Magen operates under Halachik guidance; with the brachos and eitzos of Gedolei Yisrael; and under Israel's Child Protection Legislation. ----- "Magen" - Creating a Safer Community for Kids

Warning from "Magen" It has come to our attention that there is a man driving around Ramat Bet Shemesh who has tried to abduct children, usually girls from the street. He has seen to be driving an old white 1991 year Subaru type car (box like). He is darkish in complexion, has a beard (not short), and was wearing a velvet Kippa. The car seats had lines on them – in a crisscross pattern which creates a pattern of small ‘boxes’ or ‘squares’. His modus operandi seems to be that he drives next to the child, stops and calls to them saying he has sweets/mamtakim, or that he is lost and needs directions on how to go out of the Rama. When the children approached the car he tried to grab them and then attempted to molest them. His last known attempts were on Nahal Arugot. This person may have been seen a few years ago doing similar activities – or at times sitting in a car doing activities not meant for the public domain. Anyon...

  Dr David Pelcovitz at "Magen" Sunday, January 16. 8:15 PM, Genesis Center, Beit Shemesh The newly formed Magen organization has had its first child abuse awareness conference. Magen is filling the need for services in the area of education, prevention and treatment of child abuse; judging from the head-count at the Magen event, there is a large interest in these services. Despite being on a school night, the limited advertising, and that fact that Magen is a new organization, the conference was attended by over two hundred people, the vast majority of whom stayed late into the night to hear all the presentations. The audience consisted of parents, who gathered together to hear the well-rounded program: Rabbi David Spektor, Chief Rabbi of Givat Sharett gave introductory Words of Torah, as well as his personal praise and encouragement for the new Magen initiative. Dr. David Pelcovitz, the renowned psychologist, speaker and author, delivered a powerful and informative...

Dr David Pelcovitz will be talking for "Magen" in Bet Shemesh, on "Protecting Our Children from Abuse - What We All Need to Know". All parents, educators and professionals are warmly invited to Genesis Hall, Reishit Yeshiva, R.Rashi, Bet Shemesh, at 8:00pm on Sunday 16th January. Light Refreshments Separate Seating Available Entrance Free Donations Welcome to "Magen"

Sunday 16th January, 8pm. At Genesis Hall, Reishit Yeshiva, Rehov Rashi, Bet Shemesh. Light refreshments served. Entrance is free. Donations to Magen & Event Sponsorships Welcome. A public awareness evening with Dr. Pelcovitz, world renowned psychologist, speaker and author. With a moving, first hand account, by an abuse-survivor; and an introduction to "Magen", the new Bet Shemesh Child Protection organization. The evening will include a questions & answers session with Dr Pelcovitz. (Please submit your questions in advance to  magenprotects@gmail.com ). Dr Pelcovitz is the Professor of Psychology & Jewish Education at Yeshiva University; Director of Psychology at North Shore University Hospital. Dr Pelcovitz has recently published a ground breaking book "Breaking The Silence - Sexual Abuse in the Jewish Community". For further information: MagenProtects@gmail.com -- --- "Magen" - Creating a S...

While horrified and shocked by the severity of the crimes committed by our ex-President, Moshe Katsav, Magen applauds the justice system which enabled the victims to be heard, represented and prevail, even against the highest ranking official in Israel. In abuse cases, in the eyes of the victim, every abuser is 'presidential': more powerful, higher status, stronger, intimidating and more credible than the victim. That is why the overwhelming majority of abuse victims do not bring official complaints - and indeed do not speak at all of the crimes against them. Magen hopes that the Katsav case will strengthen all abuse victims, and encourage them to voice their pain, and to report the crimes committed against them to the authorities. The Katsav verdict is a powerful victory for the Israeli legal system, and for abuse victims everywhere. Magen    --- "Magen" - Creating a Safer Community for Kids Magen is the new child protection organization of Bet She...

In the third such case in as many months, another anglo-saxon (English speaking) man has been arrested in Ramat Bet Shemesh Aleph under suspicion of child sex abuse. This past Friday night, a 29 year old American tourist was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 15 year old girl, and two teenage boys. According to Walla news-service , the man’s custody was extended in court yesterday (Tuesday), to enable the police to further investigate. Beyond the published information, the man apparently is from Brooklyn , NY , and he was lodging with an anglo family on Nahal Soreq, Ramat Bet Shemesh. The alleged incidents apparently took place in the Ayalon Park and in the host family’s apartment. The man is apparently from a prestigious rabbinical family in NY. This arrest follows the arrest several weeks ago of a 60 yo English speaking man at his home on Nahal Dolev, who allegedly operated also in the area of Nahal Revivim. This man is alleged to have committed sex crimes against min...

A Ramat Bet Shemesh man, approximately 60 years old, from Nachal Dolev, has been arrested, relating to recent allegations of inappropriate behavior with children. Anyone who may have information which can assist the police in their investigation is requested to call the Bet Shemesh police directly 02-9902222. Magen, the Bet Shemesh child protection organization, can be contacted on 02-9997026 or by email magenprotects@gmail.com              

[Introductory Note: There have been several cases in Bet Shemesh/RBS in recent weeks of charismatic men who have a Pied Piper influence over kids, some of whom they allegedly have molested. The kids' parents were aware of the 'specialness' of the relationship, even the peculiarity, but were not aware of the risks. I offer this article as guidance to help parents become more aware of the potential downside of these relationships. I have used males, but whereas most pedophiles are male, their child victims can be equally likely girls or boys.]   ------- If you reminisce back to your school days,   you can probably think of a specific adult who had a profound influence on you and helped you overcome your growing-up challenges.  There are some particularly gifted and wonderful people who are able to bridge an age gap, and thereby positively engage with someone who is even many years their junior. Such people can apply this talent to working with kids and youth in a pro...

The case of Rabbi Motti Elon, the charismatic National Religious rabbi, has now been investigated by the police in Israel , who are apparently recommending prosecuting Rabbi Elon for child abuse and other sex crimes. Meantime, shocking details are emerging from the ultra-orthodox community of Komemiyut , located near Kiryat Gat, regarding a decades long cover-up of a child molester in the community, Shimshon Walzer   – who is reported to have attacked dozens of children. The alleged perpetrator is now in the USA , and is unlikely to return to face his investigators.       Of the 40 cases in which there is suspicion of abuse by Walzer, the police have reportedly collected complaints and testimony from 16 purported victims, who were aged between 7 and 16 when the acts were committed. Two complained against an additional suspect (who was a minor during the time of most of the alleged offenses). Many of the witnesses, now married and living outside the moshav,...

by David Morris (Published this week in Connections Magazine) Child abuse happens in all cultural, ethnic, and income groups. Child abuse is harm to, or neglect of, a child by another person, whether adult or child. Child abuse can be physical, emotional - verbal, sexual or through neglect. Abuse may cause serious injury and may even result in death. The tendency to abuse children is not connected to any other known social category. It is not more prevalent in poor communities than in rich. It is not connected with cultural sophistication or lack thereof and nor is it connected to levels of religiosity. In short, there are no grounds for you to believe “it couldn’t happen here, surely!” Child abuse, unfortunately, happens wherever, in Bet Shemesh, Ramat Bet Shemesh, Modiin, amongst both religious and secular populations. Indeed, 70% of reported child abuse cases in Bet Shemesh, are from within orthodox communities. In a seminar about child abuse, arranged by Lema’an Acha...

This brief video presentation includes much of the information which Helise Pollack MSW presented at the recent "Magen" evening:

This is a brief review of the "Magen" evening, this past Wednesday evening, with Helise Pollack MSW,  "Protecting Your Kids from Abuse" .     80% of abused kids never tell. Kids don't tell, for many reasons, including being scared of being blamed, scared of 'consequences', feelings of guilt, embarrassment, confused moral issues (loshon hora, breaking secrets, etc) In order to encourage kids to tell (hopefully very early into a situation of potential abuse), any information your kids tell you during routine discourse, should be greeted with encouragement, "I'm glad you're telling me this" - rather than responding instantly with criticism. The worse the news your kid tells you, the more we need to fight down our critical response. "I cheated in school today, and I got caught." "I'm glad you're telling me this". If chas veshalom your kid tells you (or even hints - which is more likely) he/she was abuse...

Magen , a new, local organization dedicated to helping children and families who have been affected by abuse, will be providing a series of public information announcements to help educate our community about child sexual abuse. What can parents do to prevent sexual abuse? While not all abuse can be prevented, these are things parents can do to make their children less vulnerable to sexual abuse, and to increase the chances that children will tell their parents if they ARE abused: Teach children that some parts of their body are private.  Tell them that other people should not be touching or looking at their private parts unless it’s you, your spouse or their doctor in order to take help them in some way (to see if they have a rash or injury, take their temperature, or other age-appropriate examples). If a doctor needs to touch them in those private areas, a parent should be there too. Teach children that if someone tries to...

Magen, a new organization in Bet Shemesh/RBS, dedicated to helping children and families who have been affected by abuse, will be providing a series of information announcement to help educate our community about child sexual abuse. By Miriam Friedman, MSW,  "Magen",  Ramat Beit Shemesh Recently, people in our community have started becoming more aware of the issue of sexual abuse in schools. While this is very important, it is also important to know that most sexual abuse comes from a family member (such as a cousin or uncle), or a family friend or acquaintance, (such as a neighbor or a classmate’s father). Because sexual abuse is a crime of manipulation and intimacy, the “Stranger Dangers” we teach our children don’t apply. Pedophiles know their victims. Slowly and methodically, over time, they develop the child’s trust, and the parents’ trust too. This process is called “grooming” the victim, and creates a relationship where the child is more lik...