Pedophile Paradise

Pedophile Paradise

This morning, when I walked by my neighbor, the pedophile, he muttered, “There is no peace for the wicked!”

This kind of low-level harassment has become a regular part of my life since I took a public stand in my community and on the internet against the Nachlaot pedophile ring. The pedophiles know that if they attack me verbally or physically, the police will soon be knocking on their doors. So they harass me in ways that stay underneath the police’s radar: throwing me dirty looks, spreading lies about me, and muttering threatening Biblical verses, like my neighbor.

I have always been a people-pleaser, a person who absolutely could not stand the thought that anybody was angry at me for any reason. And before the discovery of the Nachlaot Pedophile Crisis in the summer of 2011, I would have been hard-pressed to think of even one person in this entire neighborhood who disliked me. And now? There’s quite a few people who don’t only dislike me—they HATE me.

Getting used to this new tense reality has been one of the toughest experiences of my life. But it’s also been one of the most profoundly rewarding.

Because I know that I am fighting for our children’s safety. And I know that Hashem wants me to get stronger, and that every single time I get harassed, I am.

So this morning when I walked by my neighbor, the pedophile, after the initial pinch of people-pleaser discomfort, I felt the sweet thrill of victory. “Two years! “Two years!” I whispered to myself out loud. And I am still in Nachlaot. And we are protecting Jerusalem’s kids from these predators. And we are spreading the word to JewishMOMs around the world so that not one more child will have to suffer the trauma that so many of Nachlaot’s children have, IY”H.
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After Yoel, our first son after 4 girls, was born, people kept on asking me, “So, do you notice any difference between Yoel and your girls?” And I would smugly answer, “Nope, I don’t notice any difference at all…” But when Yoel turned three and started cheider, the difference between my long-awaited boy and his older sisters hit me over the head. Yoel was climbing and running and biking and tearing around our house, and I had no idea how to handle him. I even signed up for an intensive year-long parenting class, because while I had raised 4 girls, I had no idea how to raise my Yoel.

Yoel has calmed down a lot over the years, but when my husband takes Yoel to shul on Friday nights, and I am left at home with my 5 daughters (and Yoel’s infant brother) a rare tranquility settles over the house. Which makes me realize that my one boyish boy takes as much mothering energy as my SIX other children!

At this moment Yoel is with his cheider class receiving a blessing from Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, and this afternoon he will be receiving his first prayer book.

I have always gotten emotional at my daughters’ siddur parties, but with Yoel, for days now I’ve been feeling worked up with emotion. Six years! Six years! I have been raising my boyish boy, and now he’s getting his first prayer book…

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The Derech Hashem teaches us something so bizarre: enduring life’s most painful tests is the key to achieving ecstasy.

My teacher Rabbi Nivin pointed out that if somebody asked you if you would like to turn back the clock twenty years or ten years or even six months, few people would agree. Because month by month and year by year and challenge after challenge we become wiser and stronger and better. And Hashem doesn’t just wave his magic wand and make that growth happen, we earn that growth—making the pleasure we feel even greater.

And when we choose to do Hashem’s will at difficult times, even though we might feel terrible, we become one with G-d. The Nefesh HaChaim teaches that when we do a mitzvah, our spirit is encased in holiness, and we are surrounded by the air of the Garden of Eden.

In other words, even if we feel like we’re in Hell, we’re really in paradise.

I know. When life is difficult, is feels….difficult!

But just wait, just wait, JewishMOM, the pleasure, the spiritual ecstasy you’re awaiting is right around the corner, IY”H…

10 comments

  1. Chana Jenny, I thought your neighbour was sentenced?? He’s still out loose?

    • JewishMom

      unfortunately there were a bunch of people here molesting many, many kids. One has been convicted, two are awaiting trial, and there are still a bunch walking free. FYI, only 3% of child molesters in the US are ever even arrested! sad but true.

  2. Yeah I thought the same! I was really surprised to read this.

    On another note, I wanted to write this in response to an earlier blog post about how to protect your little ones – I really want to thank you for standing up and being vocal the way that you are being. It takes a lot of courage. May you have peace in knowing that integrity is a virtue whereas people pleasing is not! Please continue to help us arm our children against these disgusting predators. I really feel more empowered because of the knowledge you’ve shared on this blog about the issue. So thank you;)

    As a side note I have three boys and can’t imagine raising a girl! Oh well, B”H I’ll have a girl some day.

    • boys are not immune to being molested! or used by pedophiles so don’t let down your guard. It is one of the common reasons that boys drop their frumkeit.

  3. I admire you for taking a strong stand, even though it’s difficult at times. It’s inspiring to know that people like you exist.

  4. it’s disconcerting to say the least to find oneself embroiled in controversy and finding oneself the object of others’ hostility.

    but it’s also one of the best learning experiences one can have.

    over the 32 yrs that I’m with the N’shei Chabad Newsletter I have taken unpopular stands many times on many issues. of course most of the time most people respond with respect and tolerance even if they don’t agree with the stand I’ve taken.

    but then there are always the hostile responses; the responses that blame me for things I didn’t do or even say; the responses that make me wonder why I bother.

    that is when I try to remember why I’m doing this altogether.

    I also made it a policy that when someone comes up to me on the street or at a simcha and makes a challenging statement, “How could you publish XXX?” to avoid sound-bite debates. I try to remember to reply, “I would love to reply to you over a cup of tea at my kitchen table. When is a good time for you to come over?”

    of course the hostile ones do not wish to engage in that kind of experience (their minds are made up and they don’t want to be confused by the facts) and certainly not on my turf. so the moment passes and we both retain some dignity.

    Stay strong, Chana Jenny. there’s an Eye… and an Ear… and a Book… your family supports you…. and all your JewishMoms do… but of course you know all this!

  5. Chana Jenny, if you notice someone new moving into the neighborhood with young kids, how do you approach them regarding the pedophiles? Do you give out pictures of them? How do people who don’t know about this find out? We have friends living there with two babies who didn’t know about what was going on, Israelis.

    I have a friend with five girls who popped over yesterday, I have five boys and a girl. She couldn’t stop saying “shh” or “woah!” Or ” how do you do it” between head spins….and she couldn’t understand why I allow myself to have sofas…. It’s times like those I realize that even though its so, so hard sometimes, I must have been given the goods to deliver, somehow. And I was given an invaluable gift by Hashem that for many years I loathed: I have a hearing problem!!!!

    🙂

    • JewishMom

      it’s complicated to warn others regarding the pedophiles, since it’s illegal to publicly name a pedophile who has not been indicted (and as I’ve mentioned before, according to the American statistic only THREE PERCENT of child molesters are ever even arrested. So that means a whole lot of predators are living relatively peacefully and being protected by the law). It’s scary to me that after everything that has happened that a couple could move here and not be aware of the situation. On the other hand, our hands are tied by the law from publicly exposing the pedophiles. And warning people on an individual basis has its limits and leaves many parents uninformed and their children ,G-d forbid, at risk.

      • So what about general notices announcing that nachlaot is currently under investigation for a spate of attacks against children therefore not to allow children to walk unaccompanied… The police should provide these notices.

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