jspinner@lauderfoundation.com
info@worldjewishcongress.org
wjc@wjc.co.il
[I feel responsible as someone brought up and part of the Chabad community, and does not condone Biderman's role on the case.]
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Dear Ronald Lauder,
I have recently become aware of the plight of two vulnerable young children. Sammy and Benjy Schlesinger are 12 year old twin brothers who attend the Lauder Chabad Campus in Vienna, Austria. At the age of 2, they were taken from their mother (Beth Alexander) by armed police and have been separated from her ever since. As a graduate of a Chabad school and a member of the community, I am reaching out to you for help.
This story first came to my attention 10 years ago, and I assumed it would be resolved by the court. I was confident that the court would have the children’s best interest and awarding custody with the father (Michael Schlesinger) would mean that Beth was deemed unsafe to care for the boys. I naively had faith in the Austrian court, which you - a World Jewish Congress President and former United States ambassador to Austria - would know more about.
It was only recently that the story reached my attention again. I was shocked discover that Beth - a British citizen who now resides in London after being driven away by members of the Viennese Jewish community - has had zero direct contact with the boys for 5 years. It was then when I learned more about Beth and the plight of the boys. I discovered that Beth was a respectful, dignified woman who hates being in the limelight. This meant, her voice has not been heard all these years. However, friends and supporters who have watched her anguish have had enough and are now bringing attention to the case here in the UK. This is when I was made aware of the corruption in this case from the court caused by the Jewish community. This corruption has punished two pupils that attend a school you share a name with and support, leaving them in a vulnerable state.
Michael Schlesinger not only mistreated and physically abused Beth in their short marriage, but he continued that abuse by withholding a Gett, and depriving his sons from having contact with their mother. He was able to do so, with the assistance of the school and Jewish community. Schlesinger began his plot by first convincing a friend of Beth’s that she was mentally unstable, encouraging the friend to accompany Beth to a psychologist under false pretences to prove this. This friend managed to do so by persuading Beth to see a parenting expert on weaning advice. Unfortunately for Michael, the psychologist could prove no such thing. Yet the seed was planted, and this friend spread a rumour of Beth’s mental-health issues, which years later she admitted was a lie. I feel it is important to add here, that having Post-Partum Depression (which Beth didn't!) would require support from a community, not having babies taken away from their mother by armed police. This mistreatment from the community caused two vulnerable pupils in your institution to begin a life of trauma. The corruption then continued as Judge Göttlicher, the judge in this case controlled by the IKG in the past 10 years.
This story is a sad one, as it's not just about an abusive evil ex-husband, which unfortunately can occur anywhere. This is about a community who stood by the abuse and didn't step in. Beth was made unwelcome, living in a foreign country with a different language, having everyone against her. I am not sure if you are aware, but the Chabad Lauder Campus participated in this mistreatment to Beth. Rabbi Biderman testified in court against Beth, and Beth was refused to attend events in school, which only causes damaged to the children. This is the antithesis to Chabad ideology, which practices love and inclusion to all Jews. You may not be actively involved in the school, but I don’t think you would be happy to know that your institution is associated with the mistreatment of vulnerable children. The Viennese hate outsiders and Beth was a victim to that. This is something you may relate to, when you recall the time the community banned you from the board elections. In your case, it was resolved between you and Oskar Deutch in 2013, likely due to your money and powers, something Beth does not possess.
Beth is an incredibly strong woman who has been through unimaginable torture and has been very quiet over the years as she's not a vindictive person. However, as a community, the Viennese need to support Beth and encourage Schlesinger to allow the boys to have contact with their mother. Not doing so will cause the community to pay dearly when these boys become future adults in the community. Michael Schlesinger's own father was given the same treatment when he was 3 years old, and he has had no contact since. He is repeating the same traumatic patterns he experienced, which the boys will continue if this isn’t stopped. Any foreigner who has heard Beth’s story are now refusing to marry or move into the community in fear of similar treatment. This means, that the boys play an important role in the future to the community and allowing them to grow up in a traumatic home will have a detrimental effect on the community.
You may reply that you cannot help as this is a court issue. However, this is actually about the community, and you have the powers to influence them. They forced the courts to make this decision (social workers and non-Jewish Austrian professionals always sided with Beth). As you know, Vienna has a dark history with the Holocaust, and they are afraid to go against the community in fear of being anti-Semitic. Siding with Beth, means they risk their relationship with Jewish community that's they've tried so hard to repair, which you have played an admirable part in.
You, Ronald, have done so much good for the worldwide Jewish community. You have supported many of my Chabad friends and relatives with funds to establish their institutions. You hold an incredible amount of power in the Viennese Jewish community and beyond. You know that if you called out the Viennese community on this, they would listen. Please use your power to help Sammy, Benjy and the future of the Viennese Jewish community.
Fraidy Beenstock
Manchester, UK
#openletterstolauder #reunitingbethwithhersons
http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2015/03/president-of-world-jewish-congress.html
http://helpbeth.blogspot.com/p/email-to-mr-ronald-lauder-chair-of.html
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