PNN – A Hebrew-language media outlet has revealed new details regarding the abuse of teenagers by rabbis under the guise of religious ceremonies.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; Israel Hayom reported in its Monday edition that it has opened “Pandora’s box” on this scandal, exposing instances of abuse committed by Haredi rabbis against teenage boys and girls under the pretext of conducting religious ceremonies.
The report continues: Following the publication of an investigative report by the Israel Hayom newspaper—which exposed systematic, silent sexual abuse of Orthodox Jewish children and adolescents in traditional ritual baths (mikvaot)—a wave of reactions and a flood of new testimonies ensued.
These testimonies, shared via social media and candid posts, demonstrate that the phenomenon is far more widespread than attempts to downplay it would suggest.
According to this Hebrew-language media outlet, a user wrote in a post on the social network X: I wanted to get angry at the way the story was told, but unfortunately, it is true. I know of hundreds of stories like this. I will never forget how a friend of mine innocently told me: ‘There is a man who gives my younger brothers a shekel to let him touch them.’ And when I asked her why she didn’t do anything about it, she replied: ‘Because he is a very poor man.’
Another online testimony describes a recurring pattern of becoming locked into the event and experiencing intense guilt.
One user wrote: At the age of 15, after entering a traditional bathhouse (mikveh) at the request of an older man, I was molested by him. I couldn’t speak; I was frozen in place and trembling. I warned him with a shaking finger and fled. Sometime later, he was waiting for me in a recess, and I ran away again. Of course, I was too ashamed to tell anyone and felt guilty. For years, I didn’t recall the incident—until quite recently.
In addition to online posts, Israel Hayom has received firsthand accounts. One victim described an incident that occurred at a mikveh in the Zichron Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem: About seven years ago, I went there to bathe; the facilities consisted of a large room and a small room. I entered the small room and began washing. Someone came in and asked for soap; I handed it to him, and at that moment, I felt an urge to flee but froze in place. It turned out he was engaging in indecent acts while looking at me. I still feel distressed about this, and I believe that installing cameras at the mikveh’s entrance and exit could have stopped him or helped lead to his arrest.
Many users have acknowledged the growing discussion surrounding this issue, which had previously been overlooked. One message read: I am aware of this phenomenon. It is like a Pandora’s Box that no one had dared to open. In the neighborhood where I grew up—heaven forbid those days ever return—all sorts of things used to happen.
According to the media outlet, new testimonies regarding the matter continue to reach the newspaper as time passes, and various institutions have stepped in to determine the full extent of the scandal.