Daas Torah Blog: Child abuse: Michael Schlesinger refuses to let Beth's twins spend Shabbos with her and must instead spend it with a non-Jewish nanny

As published on the Daas Torah blog http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2016/09/child-abuse-michael-schlesinger-refuses.html

Thursday, September 15, 2016 

Guest Blog Post by Adrian Alexander, brother to Beth Alexander, the mother of the Schlesinger twins in Vienna. Since 2011, following a series of bizarre court rulings, Beth has been denied custody of the twins. Access to her children and her rights are severely restricted.

At the beginning of last week's parsha, which is usually read during the month of Ellul, the Torah teaches us how scrupulous judges must be when it comes to upholding laws. “Righteousness, righteousness you shall pursue so that you will live and take possession of the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you.” [Devorim 16:20]. All the commentaries are bothered by the redundancy of “Tzedek Tzedek tirdof”.

Rav Elya Meir Bloch interprets that “the pursuit OF righteousness must also be pursued WITH righteousness”. We are not merely being taught to run AFTER justice. We are told to run AFTER justice WITH justice.

Currently, reports are surfacing that Chareidim in Stamford Hill, London, have set up a £1m fund for child custody cases with the aim being to support the ‘frum’ parent against the ‘modern one’ who intends to take the children outside of their community. These funds are to pay for the legal fees to ensure the parent who wishes to keep the children inside wins custody. You can see those reports here helpbeth.blogspot.co.il/2016/09/chareidim-raise-1m-for-child-custody.html

It is not an issue specific to the Stamford Hill community. The Jewish community of Vienna has demonstrated how far a community will go to protect one of their own. It is not only an unlimited supply of funds that can be brought to a custody battle. Communal shunning, false rumour peddling ( http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2014/04/schlesinger-twins-beths-friend.html ) , influence over Jewish organisations (like ESRA http://www.esra.at/ ), links to the  judiciary ( http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2014/12/schlesinger-twins-who-is-judge.html ) are just some of the tools that were weaponised in the determination to remove the Schlesinger twins from their mother.

This was noted by Rabbi Guttentag back in 2012. helpbeth.blogspot.co.il/p/rabbinic-emails-that-have-been-ignored.html

“From what it appears in this situation, however, and for whatever reason, there is an unfairness and an injustice being perpetrated against Beth, a single woman in a foreign country, without proper support – pitted against a family, in a community with all the connections naturally available to them.”

Child abuse survivors face similar treatment from the moment they first voice allegations. http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2015/07/gateshead-rav-on-child-abuse-it-is-time.html

Rav Zimmerman: “We have to wonder, how is it that there are those who err so much as to provide unlimited support to child molesters and won't instead help the victims.”

It is widely agreed that in a custody case, every effort should be made to find an outcome that is in the best interests of the children. There are many factors that are taken into account when judging a custody case, including the community in which the children live, but that is not the only factor. The reason why courts exist, is because each situation needs to be judged on its own merit, on a case-by-case basis. If such hard-and-fast rules existed, there wouldn't be any need for a court. In a hypothetical situation where one parent is a violent, abusive, criminal, narcissistic sex abuser, but lives inside the Chareidi community, whilst the other parent wishes to live in the “modern orthodox” world, would anyone really claim that it is better for the children to be in the custody of the violent parent? What is the likelihood of a child who grows up in an abusive family environment remaining in that community anyway?

Has anyone in these cases wondered who makes the decision as to which side of a custody battle the community takes? On what basis do they make these decisions? Do they meet with both parents and mediate? Beth grew up in a respected Jewish home, attended only Jewish schools and lived her married life as an active and participating member of the Jewish community in Vienna. At no point had she expressed any interest in living any differently. Myself, Beth and our older brother, all had a strong Jewish upbringing and want the same for our children.

Mr Schlesinger works at a local mental hospital http://www.wienkav.at/kav/ows/ZeigeAnsprech.asp?ID=23618 and regularly works on Shabbos. During those times, the twins are with a Filipino nanny. It is cruel that Mr Schlesinger doesn’t allow the children to spend Shabbos with their mother. On the few occasions that Beth has had the children for a Shabbos (approximately 5 times in the last 5 years), Beth has taken them to Shul (Chazan Barzilai encouraged the twins to join the children’s choir on the Bhimah) and given them a Shabbos or yom tov experience in her home.

A community is a powerful entity. When its capabilities are directed for the good, they can make enormous positive change to people's lives: Hatzalah, Bikur Cholim, Hachnasat Orchim, gemachs, countless tzedaka funds to ensure children don't go hungry, the list goes on. However, when used in the wrong way, a community can become a tyrannical force of destruction causing untold damage to innocent people's lives, men, women and children alike. It is nothing more than a bully throwing its weight behind abusers, child molesters and criminals to re-victimise the vulnerable. When communities descend into a hoarde of savages, they leave the door wide open to anti-Semitism, and no doubt they will be the first to complain about it. http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Austrian-Jewish-leader-Anti-Semitic-attacks-on-rise

Rabbi Arie Folger has recently started his role as the new Chief Rabbi of Vienna following a large media fanfare. Many people will be looking at him to draw on support from the international Rabbinic community and right the wrongs that have disgusted the Jewish world for too long.

“Tzedek Tzedek tirdof”? It is a pertinent and timely lesson for all our communities.

Chareidim Raise £1m for Child Custody War Chest

Chareidim Raise £1m for Child Custody War Chest

 

 Full broadcast can be downloaded from here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07tqppt

http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/162094/charedim-raise-%C2%A31m-child-custody-war-chest

Charedim raise £1m for child custody war chest

By Daniel Sugarman, August 18, 2016

A Charedi wedding in Israel

Stamford Hill Charedim have raised £1 million to fight legal cases where they think children are at risk of being removed from the community by one of their parents.
Over 1,500 people attended a meeting last week to establish a fund to help "rescue the holy children from descending into ruin" in cases where parents are fighting a custody battle and one wants to leave the strictly Orthodox community.
The JC understands that there are four or five ongoing cases involving these children.
Rabbi Ephraim Padwa, the spiritual head of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, published a letter in support of the cause. He referred to "17 of our pure and holy children, where one of the parents has chased after a wicked culture and want to drag their children after them."

A representative of Gesher EU, an organisation that helps those who wish to leave the Charedi community, said the move would engender fear.
The spokesperson added that it was one of "the tactics used by the Charedim to try to prevent people leaving the community by denying them access to their children.
"Knowing that the community can draw on unlimited funds to support an ongoing legal battle over custody can be daunting, to say the least."
However, a spokesperson for the Stamford Hill community said the issue was "very serious and sensitive".
He added: "People usually wouldn't give this money for just anything, but this is unique case. We can't dilute Yiddishkeit - we have to keep ourselves strong together."
Over £600,000 was raised at the meeting at the Bobov synagogue, where the crowd was addressed both by local rabbis and the grand rabbis of three Chasidic sects - Vizhnitz, Slonim and Rachmastrivka - who had flown in for the occasion.
Earlier in the day the grand rabbis had met affluent members of the community. It is understood that following the meeting, the £1 million target was reached. Posters advertising the event urged participants to give at least £500, with the option of paying in instalments.

Those who gave £5,000 or more were promised a "certificate of partnership", signed by the visiting dignitaries. Rabbi Padwa's letter also referenced shmad, which is the Hebrew word for "apostasy".
Divorce is frowned upon within the strictly Orthodox community, and custody battles in court are comparatively rare.



Further links on this topic

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ultra-orthodox-jews-launch-million-pound-fundraising-campaign-to-fight-converts-child-custody-cases-a7190281.html

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jews-raise-1m-child-custody-fund-wz5v7xnb2

http://forward.com/news/world/347772/orthodox-jews-are-raising-1-million-to-keep-pure-and-holy-children/

https://www.rt.com/uk/358327-orthodox-jews-custody-fund/

http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2016/08/26/strictly-orthodox-jews-stamford-hill-million-pound-fund-child-custody-battles/

Vienna - Dayan Menachem Gelley Elected Chairman of CER Standing Committee

Vienna - Dayan Menachem Gelley Elected Chairman of CER Standing Committee

From the Hamodia newspaper

The Conference of European Rabbis (CER) has elected Dayan Menachem Galley, Rosh Beis Din of the London Beth Din, as chairman of the Standing Committee, the supreme governing body of the CER.

The three-day Standing Committee meeting took place in Vienna last week and looked at many of the issues facing European Jewry. Worryingly, just the previous week, 49% of the Austrian public had voted for a far-right candidate to be president of the country.

During their visit, the Standing Committee met with leading government ministers. Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz at the Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs hosted breakfast at the Foreign Office, where Secretary Kurz expressed his intention to work with CER to support the Jewish community of Vienna.

The schedule also included a meeting with community leaders hosted by Agudas Israel of Vienna, where issues pertaining to the rise of anti-Semitism and the threat against Jewish practices such as shechitah and bris milah were discussed. There was also a visit to the Jewish Community Campus and amongst other events, a dinner hosted by the World Congress of Georgian Jews in honour of the inauguration of a new Viennese chapter.

The Standing Committee wound up their meeting with a tour of the medieval Vienna Synagogue and Holocaust Memorial site.

During a speech at the Standing Committee, Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt, President of the CER, said, "Europeans are deeply worried about their own security, the security of their children and their future economic prosperity.

"Europeans are worried about the secular democratic space, about their religious freedoms, about losing Europe to extremists. It is for these reasons that Europeans are increasingly giving their votes to far right party candidates, who promise to recreate both a sense of security and a renewed sense of national patriotism by closing the borders and by promising to rein in terrorists.

"We at CER will do everything possible to maintain and strengthen the Jewish communities of Europe. Jewish communities do not have the means to totally secure their institutions without the help of their governments, and governments have the responsibility and obligation to help their various communities. We will help smaller communities garner their resources to sustain Jewish life, even as their numbers dwindle and their resources become more scarce."

Jewish Chronicle 9th Oct 2015 Austrian Scandal Summary

As published in the Jewish Chronicle online and in print.

The case of the Schlesinger Twins was highlighted as an example of the broken, corrupt Austrian system.

See a higher resolution of the print edition here.

Writer jailed for trying to reclaim Nazi-stolen loot

By Toby Axelrod, October 8, 2015

 Outrage is mounting following the jailing of an Austrian Jewish writer who tried to claim compensation from the Austrian state over the theft of his ancestors' home by the Nazis in 1938.
Stephan Templ, who in 2001 published a critical book about restitution in Austria, was incarcerated this week and is to remain in jail for one year, convicted of having defrauded the state.

Mr Templ, 54, was accused of deliberately failing to inform the state about his aunt - a potential claimant - when he initiated his restitution case.

A state prosecutor accused Mr Templ of defrauding Austria on the grounds that had his aunt chosen not to claim her share of the restitution money, it could have gone to the state.

In a statement published on their website, Mr Templ's London-based lawyers, Amsterdam & Partners, said: "[The court claimed that] by not naming his aunt in the application for restitution - something there was no obligation to do and the results of which he could not have foreseen - Templ had aimed to deceive the restitution panel. This argument runs contrary to both the restitution and criminal laws of Austria, as well as universal legal principles."

Efraim Zuroff, chief Nazi hunter for the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, called the jailing "absolutely outrageous". He was one of 75 historians from around the world who signed a letter protesting against the sentence. The letter was sent to Hans Peter Manz, Austrian ambassador to the US, on September 21. As yet there has been no response.

Ahead of his imprisonment, Mr Templ told Haaretz his case was "Kafkaesque" and "completely absurd".

Mr Templ's crime was "his omission of the name of an estranged relative from his application for the return of his family's seized property", the 75 historians wrote. "This matter could have been resolved by the Templ family in civil court."

The ADL has become involved, with its new national director, Jonathan Greenblatt, appealing to Austrian President Heinz Fischer for a pardon.

According to the BBC, Austrian journalist Karl Pfeifer has said he believed Mr Templ was prosecuted and jailed because "he touched a nerve with his book, which reminded the Austrians of how they stole Jewish property".

The case dates to 2005, when, on behalf of his Shoah-survivor mother, Mr Templ applied for the restitution of a former sanatorium in Vienna that the Nazis had confiscated from their ancestor, Lothar Fürth

Mr Templ's mother, who received €1.1 million, was one of 40 heirs to receive compensation for their part-ownership of the building, which was sold in 2010.

However, in April 2013, the court found Mr Templ guilty of failing to mention another possible heir - his 84-year-old aunt, who was reportedly estranged from his mother.

A regional court in Vienna had sentenced Mr Templ to three years in jail for serious fraud, with the Austrian state as victim. An appeal was rejected, but a regional court reduced the sentence to one year in jail with two years' probation.

●Mother’s Vienna court hell
British mother Beth Alexander first hit the headlines four years ago, after a Viennese court awarded sole custody of her then three-year-old twin sons to her Austrian ex-husband, Dr Michael Schlesinger – in a case that has been labelled "tragic" and "Kafkaesque". 

In 2013, an appeal to overturn the court's decision was rejected. Ms Alexander was granted extremely limited visitation rights with her sons – every Tuesday for six hours and every other Sunday. This was despite the court admitting that a previous judgment denying her custody because she suffered from mental illness was wrong. 

Ms Alexander applied to take the case to Austria's Supreme Court, but was turned down.
Manchester-born Ms Alexander has repeatedly claimed she is facing "corruption" inside the Austrian judicial system. Her case gained international attention and support, with a website set up that charted her struggle to see her sons, and leading figures in the community, including Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, pledging their support.

But last year, Ms Alexander faced a fresh setback. An injunction issued by an Austrian court ordered her to remove all photos of her sons from her campaign website, as well as any pictures posted on social media accounts. She was also forbidden from publicising details of the case. 

Charlotte Oliver


This was the response from the Austrian Embassy the following week (17th October 2015)

STEPHAN TEMPL’S SERIOUS FRAUD CONVICTION WAS PROPER, NOT ANTISEMITIC

I would like to make the following clarifications to Toby Axelrod’s article Writer jailed for trying to reclaim Nazi-stolen loot, ( JC, Oct 9) concerning the Austrian court case of Mr Stephan Templ, and the piece by Simone Dinah Hartmann, The hate that forced my grandfather to flee Vienna is alive and well in Austria today.

Stephan Templ was convicted by the Vienna Criminal Court for serious fraud, committed during restitution proceedings.

This case has nothing to do with antisemitism or retaliation for having written a book on restitution issues. It is an ordinary criminal case of serious fraud decided by the independent Austrian judiciary. Nothing more, nothing less.

According to the courts, Mr Templ was not convicted for simply omitting the name of an estranged relative in a restitution application. On the contrary, he not only “conveniently forgot” to mention his own aunt (who lives, just like his mother, in Vienna) but he intentionally made a series of false allegations to the restitution panel, as was proven by documents and witnesses in the criminal proceedings, concealing the existence of his aunt in order to increase his mother’s share of property to be restituted.

As a result of Mr Templ’s fraud, his mother was awarded a share worth around € 1.1 million in the restituted property ( ie double the share that she would have received without the fraud).

His aunt, a Holocaust survivor herself who was unaware of her rights, missed the application deadline and thus received nothing. Mr Templ was indicted by the public prosecutor after his aunt had reported the fraudulent conduct of her nephew to the authorities.

Mr Templ was consequently convicted and sentenced to one year of prison and a probation period of two years. He began this prison term on 5th October.

As for National Socialist activities, I would like to stress that, in 1947, Austria introduced a Constitutional Law providing for sanctions for the denying, the trivialisation, the approval or the justification of National Socialist activities and National Socialist crimes against humanity, with imprisonment up to 20 years.

It goes without saying that the Republic of Austria unequivocally rejects all forms of racism, antisemitism, intolerance and other human-rights infringements.

Ridiculing the commemorations of the Holocaust which are carried out in Austria annually as an “obsession in the successor states of the National Socialist empire” is something that a journalist is free to do. We, however, do take these commemorations seriously and will continue to do so.

Martin Eichtinger,
Ambassador Austrian Embassy,
18 Belgrave Mews, SW1

Australian rabbis support letter for Beth: The world wide protest against Michael Schlesinger grows stronger

As published on the Daas Torah blog.

8 September 2015

To whom it may concern,

I have read through the various pieces of information regarding Beth Alexander’s case and stand with Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, and my colleagues in Australia;

Rabbi James Kennard, Principal - Mount Scopus Memorial College
Rabbi Ralph Genende, Rabbi - Caufield Hebrew Congregation
Rabbi Daniel Rabin, Rabbi - North Eastern Jewish Centre
Rabbi Shmuel Karnowsky, Rabbi - Elwood Shule
Rabbi Yaakov Glassman, Rabbi - St Kilda Hebrew Congregation
Rabbi Ian Goodhardt, Rabbi - Blake Street Hebrew Congregation

I join numerous colleagues worldwide, and hope that we see a positive resolution to this conflict as speedily as possible,

May Beth, her family, and all of her supporters have a kesiva v’chasima tova, be written and sealed for good,

And may all the Jewish people know only besorot tovot,

Shanah tova,


Rabbi Alon Meltzer
ACT Jewish Community Inc.

Rabbi Alon Meltzer with Chief Rabbi Mirvis at the bottom right

Chabad Rabbi Daniel Rabin

Rabbi Ilan Goodhardt

Rabbi James Kennard

Rabbi Ralph Genende

Chabad Rabbi Shmuel Karnowsky standing with Chief Rabbi Mirvis

Chabad Rabbi Yaakov Glassman

Where is the response from Austria?

As published on the Daas Torah blog.

Guest Post

There are probably not many people in the online Jewish world who have not yet heard about the tragic custody case of the Schlesinger twins in Vienna. Anyone still unfamiliar with the details of this case who is interested in finding out more, should watch this frank discussion in British parliament http://helpbeth.blogspot.co.il/p/british-parliament-14th-january-2014.html

In the last few weeks an extraordinary letter has been published, signed by an increasing number of senior and well-respected Rabbis, in protest at the treatment of the twins and their mother in Vienna (full letter is included at the end of this post). The letter openly criticizes the courts as much as the Austrian Jewish community and their leaders. It is very rare for a community to be called out so publicly by the rest of the Jewish world in this way, and has no doubt only happened following the exhaustion of all diplomatic efforts to engage the local Rabbinate in any constructive dialogue.

Furthermore, this letter follows many other independent letters including from a Beth Din, The office of the Chief Rabbi in the UK, and the British Board of Deputies, and the CEO of Chabad in the UK. (Full list here http://helpbeth.blogspot.co.il/p/endorsements.html )

So far, there has been no (public) response from anyone in Austria despite every opportunity afforded to them. Anyone who tries to contact a friend or family member in Vienna is told they have no knowledge of the case or the people involved. (Try it yourself Austria - Vienna Synagogues )

Jewish leadership in Vienna rests firmly on the shoulders of these men. They may think ignoring this international scandal absolves them of any wrong-doing, but clearly public opinion thinks otherwise. The longer this goes unresolved, the more distance will be created between the Jews of Austria and the rest of the globe. Rabbinic reputations built up over entire careers are being frittered away because they are choosing to ignore what has now become an International scandal within the Jewish world and beyond.

Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg

Chief Rabbi Paul Chaim Eisenberg is the current Chief Rabbi of the body that represents Vienna’s Orthodox Jewish community, known as the IKG. He succeeded his father, Rabbi Akiba Eisenberg, in 1983.

Rabbi Avrohom Yona Schwartz

Rabbi Avrohom Yona Schwartz is the Rabbi of the Khal Chassidim on 

Grosse Schiffgasse, and carries a recognized Kashrut authority in Vienna. He was one of the closest students of the late Rabbi Chanoch Dov Padwa (Stamford Hill, London) and wrote the book Halichos Chanoch which entails a collection of his halachic rulings, lessons and anecdotes.

He is regarded by many as the leading figurehead for the Chareidi community in Vienna.

Rabbi Josef Pardes

Rabbi Josef Pardes is the Rabbi of the Misrachi Synagogue on Rabensteig in Vienna and is the son of the disgraced late Dayan Chaim Pardes, former President of the Tel Aviv Rabbinical Court (Israel).

Many people in Vienna view him as a close mentor of Mr Schlesinger. Rabbi Pardes has to date ignored many invitations to comment on the subject.

Chabad Rabbi Jacob Biderman

Chabad Rabbi Jacob Biderman is the head Chabad emissary to Austria and is the principal of the Chabad kindergarten attended by the Schlesinger Twins. He also serves as the Rabbi of the Chabad Synagogue "Heichal Menachem" on Rabbiner Schneerson Platz.

Biderman holds a position on the Executive Board of the RCE and is vice president of the "Lauder Foundation" for educational affairs.

Former IKG Present Ariel Muzicant

Ariel Muzicant was president of the IKG until February 2012. Although Dr Muzicant is no longer the IKG president, many still regard him as one of the most influential men in the Austrian Jewish community today. He is a Vice President of World Jewish Congress (headed by Ronald Lauder) and also a Vice President of European Jewish Congress in charge of security and crisis management.

Current IKG President Oskar Deutsch

Oskar Deutsch has been the president of the IKG since 2012 and has used his position to speak out against anti-Semitism.

Full text of the letter below.
 

Re. Beth Alexander
 
We have followed the case of Beth Alexander for some time and have had the opportunity to hear from her about the dreadful and unnecessary pain that she has suffered following her divorce. In the initial stages of Beth’s separation, her husband was evicted by the police after allegations that he had been violent. The Austrian court only allowed him restricted and supervised access to his children.

Yet many of us have followed the Kafkaesque decisions made by subsequent courts which have granted full custody to Beth’s ex-husband with only limited visiting rights. Beth is naturally distraught over the lack of care being given to her children. They are looked after by paid help who speak little German or English.

Beth is also concerned for the health of her children, especially after dental procedures were performed without her knowledge to remove teeth from both of the boys. What is more perverse is that on top of the injustice in denying Beth’s children proper access to their mother, Beth has had to pay up to 50EUR for each 2-minute handover, failing which, she would have been unable to see her children. This is in addition to the child maintenance she must pay as mandated by the court.

To add insult to injury, Beth finds that the Austrian Jewish community and certain members of the Austrian rabbinate have largely shunned her. She has been told by individuals in the community to keep quiet or go back to England and forget about her children. While we recognise that the court’s decisions must be respected, we are profoundly disappointed that the Austrian Jewish community and leadership have not adequately supported a vulnerable and defenceless young woman, who has been thrust into this intolerable situation against her will.

We are also deeply concerned that Dr. Schlesinger has been given opportunities to make life easier for Beth and the children, and yet appears to have deliberately ignored them. This gives the impression that his children are merely pawns in a spiteful game to make life for Beth a living hell. We therefore request that Dr. Schlesinger takes the following steps to alleviate Beth’s situation for the sake of Sammy and Benji.

• To accept the offer of a simple and inexpensive handover of the children, coordinated by the Chief Rabbi of Austria or others within the community.

• To comply with the Court’s access orders in full.

• To stop cancelling access visits to Beth in defiance of the courts.

• To accept the generous offer of Rabbi Hofmeister to host Beth and the boys for one Shabbat meal a month with immediate effect.

We wish to send the strongest message possible to Dr. Schlesinger that his behaviour is a disgrace and our patience has run out.

Beth Alexander is a warm, kind-natured and generous person who deserves to play a full and active role in bringing up her children. We hope and pray that the natural maternal love that she has for them will ultimately break through the effects of this disgraceful injustice that she and her children have been forced to endure.

We therefore join the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis and our other colleagues who are working to help address the best interests of Beth and her children, and call upon other rabbonim and communal leaders to join us in our endeavours.

Rabbi Danny Bergson, London
Rabbi Boruch Boudilovsky, London
Rabbi Alex Chapper, London
Rabbi Zvi Cohen, London
Rabbi Boruch Davis, London
Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, London
Rabbi Yisroel Fine, London
Rabbi Dr. Moshe Freedman, London
Rabbi Pinchas Hackenbroch, London
Rabbi Chaim Kanterovitz, London
Rabbi Dov Kaplan, London
Rabbi James Kennard, Melbourne, Australia
Rabbi Anthony Knopf, Cape Town, South Africa
Rabbi Marc Levene, London
Rabbi David Mason, London
Rabbi Alon Meltzer, Canberra, Australia
Rabbi Joel Portnoy, Manchester
Rabbi Yosef Richards, London
Rabbi Shaul Robinson, New York, USA
Rabbi Daniel Roselaar, London
Rabbi Meir Salasnik, London
Rabbi Arnold Saunders, Manchester
Rabbi Zvi Solomons, Reading
Rabbi Gary Wayland, London
Rabbi Nissan Wilson, London
Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg, Liverpool

Rabbi Saunders has previously spoken out regarding the Schlesinger Twins

One of the signatories on the most recent Rabbinic letter was Rabbi Arnold Saunders of the Higher Crumpsall and Higher Broughton Synagogue. Rabbi Saunders is regarded as one of Manchester's most established and well-respected Rabbis with a reputation that stretches much further afield.

It has come to light that Rabbi Saunders has been publicly voicing his concern for the case of the Schlesinger twins for some time, as can be seen in this article from the Jewish Telegraph.

THIS week’s sedra is named after Moses’ father-in-law,
Yitro (Jethro). He comes to meet Moses in the
wilderness, together with Moses’ estranged wife and
family (Austrian judges, please note – even Moses did
not have “custody” of his children!).
The events surrounding the Exodus converted
Jethro to monotheism.
He feels that Moses is shouldering too much
responsibility with regard to his role as leader of the
people. Not only was Moses educating them, he was
also resolving disputes and ruling on matters of law.
Jethro, with an objective view, acts as a “business
management consultant” and counsels Moses to
appoint judges to assist him with his judicial role.
Jethro’s advice is accepted. The Children of Israel
are told to prepare for the Divine Revelation on Mount
Sinai. For three days Mount Sinai was encircled with a
fence (not an eruv!). The people were not to encroach.
When the great day dawns, there is a storm
overhead. A shofar can be heard. Smoke emanated
from the mountain. The people start to get cold feet
(metaphorically, not literally!). They start to move away
from the mountain. However, Moses coaxes them back.
Eventually, they hear the voice of the Almighty
Himself. The people hear the 10 Commandments – a
mixture of mitzvot that concern man and his
relationship with God, such as not worshipping idols
and observing Shabbat, and mitzvot concerning the
relationship between man and man, such as the
prohibitions against murder and adultery.
Not only have they been made “into a film” but have
become accepted as the blueprint for a “decent
society” the world over!
Actually, the strict translation of the Hebrew Aseret
Hadibrot is the “10 Utterances”. There are, in fact, 613
commandments in the Torah.
Many rabbis frowned upon giving the 10
Commandments too much prominence – in order not
to denigrate the other 603. However, it is customary in
many synagogues to stand during the reading of the 10
Commandments.
In many synagogues, the rabbi or synagogue elder
is honoured with the aliya.

Beth's case taken up by new president of the board of deputies

As published on the Daas Torah blog.

 

Beth's case taken up by new president of the board of deputies

The following appeared in the Jewish Telegraph Friday July 17, 2015 page 26

Arkush: I will be robust for Beth

JONATHAN Arkush has promised to “robustly”take-up the case of Beth Alexander with the leaders of the Austrian Jewish community.

Last week, we revealed how 18 rabbis from Britain had signed an open letter criticising their Austrian counterparts and the community there over the treatment of the Mancunian mother. Beth, formerly married to Dr Michael Schlesinger, of Vienna, lost custody of her twin sons, now aged six. She has access to them for only six overnight stays each month and has fought a bitter battle through the courts with her ex-husband.

Mr Arkush told the Jewish Telegraph: “It is a matter of deep concern. This is something I am personally committed to. “It is a painful case and also one which is deeply regrettable. I will do my best to move things along.”

He also said he, together with Board senior vice president Richard Verber, last week met with Martin Eichtinger, the Austrian ambassador to the UK. “I am also planning to meet Jewish leaders in Austria and be robust in dealing with the matter with them,” Mr Arkush added. [...]

 

 

 

Jewish News: UK rabbis slam Austrian peers for ‘shunning’ orthodox woman in custody battle

July 6, 2015

As published here.

 
Some of London’s leading rabbis have slammed their peers in Austria for “shunning” an Orthodox woman after a Viennese court deprived a British Jewish mother of her children.

The group of 17 rabbis, from London, Liverpool, Reading and Manchester, as well as one from Australia, called on other rabbis to get involved, saying Beth Alexander had been through “dreadful and unnecessary pain”.

In a series of legal rulings following her divorce from Michael Schlesinger in 2009, Alexander lost custody of her children, Sammy and Benji, and is now limited to six nights a month, no weekends, having to pay handover fees and child maintenance.

Last year, British lawmakers said the case was “Kafkaesque,” and rabbis last week mirrored the language, calling the rulings which all but barred Beth from seeing her two boys “perverse” and “an injustice”.

The rabbis’ letter blasts the “Austrian Jewish community and certain members of the Austrian rabbinate [who] have largely shunned her,” and takes aim at “Austrian Jewish communal leaders [who] have not adequately supported a vulnerable and defenceless young woman”.

Among the signatories are Rabbi Danny Bergson of Pinner, Rabbi Boruch Boudilovsky of Borehamwood and Elstree, Rabbi Boruch Davis of Chigwell and Hainault, Rabbi Elchonon Feldman at Belmont, and Rabbi Yisroel Fine, formerly at Cockfosters.

Others include Rabbi Moshe Freedman from New West End shul, Rabbis Pinchas Hackenbroch and Gary Wayland of Woodside Park, Rabbis Dov Kaplan and Marc Levene of Hampstead Garden Suburb, Rabbi Daniel Roselaar of Alei Tzion, Rabbi Meir Salasnik from Bushey and Rabbi Nissan Wilson from Redbridge.

JTA: British rabbis criticize Austrian counterparts for shunning divorcee

July 7, 2015 2:49pm

As published here.

(JTA) — Leading British rabbis criticized their Austrian counterparts for shunning an Orthodox British woman living in Vienna who lost custody of her children.

The rabbis from London, Liverpool, Reading and Manchester called on the Austrian Jewish community and its leaders to show support for Beth Alexander, who lost custody of her twin sons in 2013 by order of a court in Vienna following her divorce from Dr. Michael Schlesinger.
She can see her sons six nights a month, no weekends, and is required to pay maintenance, the British Jewish News reported.

“Beth Alexander is a warm, kind-natured and generous person who deserves to play a full and active role in bringing up her children,” the rabbis wrote. “We hope and pray that the natural maternal love that she has for them will ultimately break through the effects of this disgraceful injustice that she and her children have been forced to endure.”

The letter criticizes the Jewish community for having “not adequately supported a vulnerable and defenseless young woman.”

The rabbis state that “Schlesinger has been given opportunities to make life easier for Beth and the children, and yet appears to have deliberately ignored them. This gives the impression that his children are merely pawns in a spiteful game to make life for Beth a living hell.”

Jewish Chronicle: UK rabbis urge support for Beth Alexander in custody battle

By Tal Fox, July 7, 2015

As published here.

Beth Alexander and her sons

A group of leading British rabbis have criticised the Austrian Jewish community for its treatment of a British woman involved in a custody battle with her Austrian ex-husband.

The 18 rabbis have signed a petition in support of Beth Alexander, saying that she had suffered “dreadful and unnecessary pain” since her divorce and that the Austrian Jewish community and rabbinate have “largely shunned her”.

The rabbis said they were disappointed over the lack of support from the community and its leaders.
In 2013, a court in Vienna granted full custody of Ms Alexander’s twin boys to their father, Dr Michael Schlesinger.

A subsequent appeal against the decision was rejected.

The rabbi’s called for the access rights granted by the courts to be observed by Dr Schlesinger
They wrote: ‘Beth Alexander is a warm, kind-natured and generous person who deserves to play a full and active role in bringing up her children. We hope and pray that the natural maternal love that she has for them will ultimately break through the effects of this disgraceful injustice that she and her children have been forced to endure.’

Signatories to the petition included London rabbis Elchonon Feldman and Meir Salasnik, Rabbi Arnold Saunders of Manchester and Liverpool’s Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg.

Rabbis protest Michael's spiteful mistreatment of Beth and Twins

As published on Daas Torah.

 

בס״ד

Re. Beth Alexander

We have followed the case of Beth Alexander for some time and have had the opportunity to hear from her about the dreadful and unnecessary pain that she has suffered following her divorce. In the initial stages of Beth’s separation, her husband was evicted by the police after allegations that he had been violent. The Austrian court only allowed him restricted and supervised access to his children.

Yet many of us have followed the Kafkaesque decisions made by subsequent courts which have granted full custody to Beth’s ex-husband with only limited visiting rights. Beth is naturally distraught over the lack of care being given to her children. They are looked after by paid help who speak little German or English.

Beth is also concerned for the health of her children, especially after dental procedures were performed without her knowledge to remove teeth from both of the boys. What is more perverse is that on top of the injustice in denying Beth’s children proper access to their mother, Beth has had to pay up to 50EUR for each 2-minute handover, failing which, she would have been unable to see her children. This is in addition to the child maintenance she must pay as mandated by the court.

To add insult to injury, Beth finds that the Austrian Jewish community and certain members of the Austrian rabbinate have largely shunned her. She has been told by individuals in the community to keep quiet or go back to England and forget about her children. While we recognise that the court’s decisions must be respected, we are profoundly disappointed that the Austrian Jewish community and leadership have not adequately supported a vulnerable and defenceless young woman, who has been thrust into this intolerable situation against her will.

We are also deeply concerned that Dr. Schlesinger has been given opportunities to make life easier for Beth and the children, and yet appears to have deliberately ignored them. This gives the impression that his children are merely pawns in a spiteful game to make life for Beth a living hell. We therefore request that Dr. Schlesinger takes the following steps to alleviate Beth’s situation for the sake of Sammy and Benji.

• To accept the offer of a simple and inexpensive handover of the children, coordinated by the Chief Rabbi of Austria or others within the community.

• To comply with the Court’s access orders in full.

• To stop cancelling access visits to Beth in defiance of the courts.

• To accept the generous offer of Rabbi Hofmeister to host Beth and the boys for one Shabbat meal a month with immediate effect.

We wish to send the strongest message possible to Dr. Schlesinger that his behaviour is a disgrace and our patience has run out.

Beth Alexander is a warm, kind-natured and generous person who deserves to play a full and active role in bringing up her children. We hope and pray that the natural maternal love that she has for them will ultimately break through the effects of this disgraceful injustice that she and her children have been forced to endure.

We therefore join the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis and our other colleagues who are working to help address the best interests of Beth and her children, and call upon other rabbonim and communal leaders to join us in our endeavours.

Rabbi Danny Bergson, London
Rabbi Boruch Boudilovsky, London
Rabbi Alex Chapper, London
Rabbi Zvi Cohen, London
Rabbi Boruch Davis, London
Rabbi Elchonon Feldman, London
Rabbi Yisroel Fine, London
Rabbi Dr. Moshe Freedman, London
Rabbi Pinchas Hackenbroch, London
Rabbi Chaim Kanterovitz, London
Rabbi Dov Kaplan, London
Rabbi James Kennard, Melbourne, Australia
Rabbi Anthony Knopf, Cape Town, South Africa
Rabbi Marc Levene, London
Rabbi David Mason, London
Rabbi Alon Meltzer, Canberra, Australia
Rabbi Joel Portnoy, Manchester
Rabbi Yosef Richards, London
Rabbi Shaul Robinson, New York, USA
Rabbi Daniel Roselaar, London
Rabbi Meir Salasnik, London
Rabbi Arnold Saunders, Manchester
Rabbi Zvi Solomons, Reading
Rabbi Gary Wayland, London
Rabbi Nissan Wilson, London
Rabbi Mordechai Wollenberg, Liverpool

 

Rabbi my rock as I battled to win back my sons

As published in the Jewish Telegraph newspaper.

Jewish Telegraph 5th June 2015

MY five-year battle with the Austrian courts to win custody of my sons Sammy and Benji from my ex-husband has brought me into contact with so many rabbis around the world.

But I have been shocked and dismayed to discover that, contrary to the picture-book image I was fed as a child, not all those with the title "rabbi" are worthy of veneration.

Rabbi Yehuda Brodie was a rare exception.

It takes more than a title to make a rabbi and Rabbi Brodie, the registrar of Manchester Beth Din who died on Tuesday, personified everything a true rabbi should be.

He knew of me growing up in Manchester and knew my family well.

However, there are others who were closer who chose "not to get involved" as I battled the Austrian judicial system to try to get my boys back.

They distanced themselves from our crisis and made it clear they were not even willing to listen.

The very first person to call me when the news of my plight broke back in 2010 was Rabbi Brodie.

Without a moment's hesitation, he offered to take the next flight out to Vienna to try to mediate and help in my hour of need.

At the time, I didn't yet realise just how far things would escalate and told him there was no need. But looking back, I will never forget such a spontaneous act of courage and kindness.

Since then, he never deserted me.

His steadfast support, encouragement and belief in me got me through many a dark day when I thought nothing could break the spell of disconsolate misery.

Rabbi Brodie had a unique sense of humour and even at my lowest points, he knew just the way to cheer me up and make me see that there is always light ahead.

For every occasion, he had the perfect words, delivered with an inimitable wit that could slice through a stone.

Rabbi Brodie was indeed my rock and I will miss him terribly.

He always offered the sincerest advice and non-judgemental opinions.

A modest man, he shied away from lofty praise. And for his self-deprecation alone, a trait so exceptional in a public figure, I admired him more than perhaps he was even aware.

In every email and meeting we had, he called me a heroine. But for me, he was the real hero.

A natural leader, he didn't need to command respect.

His actions and unassuming manner unquestionably earned him the highest esteem.

I always wished my boys Sammy and Benji could meet the man who unconditionally fought so much for them and learn of his greatness first-hand.

Unfortunately, that isn't to be. But if I can instil in them even a fraction of the values and lessons Rabbi Brodie exemplified, I will be profoundly proud.

The giant who made a massive imprint on our lives leaves a towering legacy which will always be remembered.

Beth Schlesinger (Alexander),
(formerly of Manchester),
Vienna,
Austria.

E-MAIL: letters@jewishtelegraph.com
Full names and addresses must accompany letters and will be published unless correspondents specify otherwise.


[Rabbi Brodie's open letter can be read here.]

Support letter from Rabbi Dovid Eisenberg of Manchester

 

As published on the Daas Torah blog:

Rabbi Dovid Eisenberg from Prestwich Synagogue in Manchester

18th May 2015

To whom it may concern

I have heard many reports about the sad custody case between Beth Schlesinger and her former Husband Dr. Michael and the effects it is having on their twins Benjamin and Samuel. Her visitation rights are very curtailed as well and she is clearly a woman in great distress.

I would urge anyone who is able to offer real assistance to try and help those involved bring this terrible conflict to an end.

With prayers for a speedy and honest resolution to this case.

Rabbi Dovid Eisenberg

Rabbi Jacobs of Birmingham supports Beth

As published on the Daas Torah blog.

Thursday, April 30, 2015

 

Rabbi and Rebbetzin Jacobs

Rabbi Yossi Jacobs is the Chabad Shliach in Birmingham and Chief Minister of Birmingham Singers Hill Hebrew Congregation. Click here to read more about their work. 

 

28th April 2015

To whom it may concern

I would like to join the Chief Rabbi and other colleagues in my prayers for Beth Alexander to be reunited with her children.

I am unaware of all the details relating to this case but do understand the importance children being raised by their own healthy mother.

I would ask all those involved to do what they can for the sake of Samuel and Benjamin.

Best wishes

Rabbi Yossi Jacobs BA (BHL)
Chief Minister
Birmingham Hebrew Congregation