Joel E. is once again suing the rabbi he says sexually abused him as a child. Joel says the Orthodox Jewish Community convinced him to put off his original lawsuit long enough for the statute of limitations on his case to expire in 2008, but now he hopes to draw attention to the lookback window established by the New York Child Victims Act. However, Joel has little hope that other members of his community who were victims of childhood abuse by religious authorities will come forward.

Orthodox Jewish Community Lawsuit Allegations

Joel has accused Abraham Reichman, former principal at United Talmudical Academy in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, of sexually assaulting him in 1993. At the time of the two month period during which Joel alleges Reichman abused him, Engleman was eight-years-old. 

Joel’s sexual abuse lawsuit also targets members of the Orthodox Jewish Community including community leader Rabbi David Niederman and the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg who he is accusing of “fraudulent inducement”. According to Joel, Niederman and organization officials “tricked and pressured” him into putting off his suit against Reichman until his timeline to do so had ended.

“There is not a scintilla of truth in any of the allegations,” a spokesperson for Niederman told Forward, a Jewish publication. “In fact, it is a shame that Rabbi Niederman and UJO are even a party here. But, facts are facts and therefore we look forward to the opportunity to tell the real story (or lack thereof) in a court of law.”

In his lawsuit, Joel is also accusing the religious school of negligence. Joel’s parents first tried to address the issue by petitioning leaders at the school to remove Reichman from his position. 

Joel is now suing under the lookback window established by the New York Child Victims Act (CVA). He hopes his lawsuit will draw attention to the options available to other members of the Orthodox Jewish community who may have been abused as children.

New York Child Victims Act

The CVA was signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in early 2019. The law makes it easier for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits against their abusers for years of emotional distress. The statute of limitations for filing criminal charges has been extended until a person reaches age 28, and civil cases can be filed until a person is 55. 

Most importantly for Joel’s case, the law establishes a look back window during which victims of childhood abuse who missed their opportunity to file against their abuser under the old laws may now file civil suits. Due to coronavirus, that window has been extended until Aug. 14, 2021.

Orthodox Jewish Community Response to the CVA

According to Forward, Orthodox Jewish community representatives expressed concerns about the impact that the CVA would have on their organizations. Forward reports that a Haredi lobbying and advocacy group known as Agudath Israel of America issued a statement claiming that the law “could literally destroy schools, houses of worship that sponsor youth programs, summer camps and other institutions that are the very lifeblood of our community.”

So far, no such destruction has come to pass. Marci Hamilton, founder of child protection think tank Child USA, told Forward that few lawsuits had been filed under the CVA by members of the Orthodox Jewish community. This is unlike the torrent of lawsuits the Catholic Church faces.

“I never thought we’d have an avalanche of lawsuits,” Hamilton told Forward. “We haven’t, and we aren’t going to. There are so many cultural structural barriers of someone suing in their faith, particularly if they want to stay in their faith, or if they want to stay in contact with their parents.”

While it’s true that the CVA is unlikely to do enough to stem the tide of childhood sexual abuse in religious communities, Hamilton says it was never meant to. Rather, the law shows the “patterns” and the “systems that put children at risk” in our communities.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.