By: Zvi Gluck. This past year has been the most difficult year that I can remember. Like everyone else, my life has always had its ups and downs, but this year has been exceptionally trying. My mentor, my friend, a person who served as a father figure and taught me so much about life and family, left us suddenly. Unexpectedly. And tragically.
Five years ago, a giant of a man named Mendy Klein z’l came into my life. With his boundless compassion, support and encouragement for the work that I had been doing as a lone soldier, Mendy gave me wings to fly. He was the heartbeat of Amudim, challenging me beyond my limits, forcing me to aim higher and do more and with him pushing us all ever further, Amudim has the ability to do more than anyone could have ever imagined.
The list of things that Mendy taught me, and the way my life has changed since our first meeting, is limitless.
Here I stand, facing Mendy’s first yahrtzeit.
Naturally, on this day, I am overwhelmed by sadness and grief, I know in my heart of hearts that Mendy would insist that I use his yahrtzeit as an opportunity to do something meaningful. In addition to his generous contributions to Amudim, Mendy’s main priority was getting out in the trenches and championing the cause without mincing any words. I can’t even begin to count the number of times I heard him say, “We need to end this mageifa” and “This problem is everywhere.”
In tribute to a man who bridged the gap between all segments of the Jewish community, a person who dedicated his life to creating lasting peace and working relationships and an individual who cared more deeply than anyone I know, Amudim is releasing its newest PSA (Public Service Announcement) video titled This is Not Us. This video personifies but one of Mendy’s missions and it seemed fitting to release this PSA both on his yahrtzeit and Lag B’Omer, a day that marks the end of a period of mourning for 24,000 of Rabbi Akiva’s students who died prematurely because they lacked respect for their fellow man. There can be no greater lack of respect than ignoring the cries of those who are in pain, and the notion that someone could turn their back on someone who is suffering ran counter to everything that Mendy believed in.
May the neshama of Menachem Moshe ben Naftali Herzka have an aliyah.
Miss you my friend,
Zvi Gluck
If you would like to make a donation to Amudim in memory of Mendy Z”L, please click here.
Really sounds like it could be a great resource for people. Personally I tried reaching out more than once and didn’t get to square one…
R Tzvi
please respond did you help him?
are people being helped?
A person who is required to report child abuse and who does not is committing a crime with jail time and / or any fine imposed.
Mandatory reporter laws require people who work closely with children in their profession to alert police or the appropriate authorities as to suspected abuse. Mandated reporters include teachers, healthcare personnel, mental health professionals, employees in youth serving organizations, law enforcement, and other professions as required by law.
All adults are considered mandated reporters.
This video is truly chilling and the message has to get out. Thank you Amudim.
A real concern is the absolute need to be sure the accusation is credible and true. If not, then the innocent accused is ruined forever for something they never did.
How in the world do we be sensitive, caring and there for the victims yet at the same time be very sure the claim is true is paramount to getting to the bottom of this and correcting the wrong. True accusations need to be dealt with in the strongest of terms. False accusations ruin everything for everyone and then the ones who truly need our help will not get it.
Thats Correct, the only way to know if the accusation is credible is to go to the police they are professionals at this, rabannim are not law enforcement gets special training to determine these facts. Law enforcement will not make the accusation public unless they determine it to be real and they put the person under arrest
But none of this happens in Lakewood……
Oops.
Wow – very powerful!
This video literally brings tears to me eyes!!!!!! So true!!!!!!
lets not get to paranoid, most classes are safe, no reason to go crazy, just be aware its a possibility
Nice Purim costume, I like how the couple changes clothing from frame to frame.
Aside from that , this is a pathetic fear mongering and scare tactic video. Maybe this would have been a good message in 1984 , but today no one is so naive . So cut it out.
Abe
I agree. Not to put down the importance of this awareness, but making sensationilistic creepy videos (that incidentally are not terribly tzniusdig to boot) does not seem to be the way to accomplish much. Very little helpful info. And I feel for commentor #1. Pros, let’s get real about these sensitive issues, not just create hype.
Bravo to the scoop for posting im sure there are others who wouldnt have the guts to. hopefully the hush hush sweep it under the rug will end
POWERFUL!!!!!!!!
These types of reactions are unrealistic in today’s Reality. If this is the most that you can do with government grants find a different business to go into. Use that money to help victims. Nobody reacts like this anymore, however not everyone know how to help the victims. How about a PSA with the numbers of how many youth you helped and what the budget was and what your yearly salary including perks and bonuses was. Then we can all evaluate whether this is real help that is helping those in need or a scam…
I know Rabbi Tzvi Gluck and have seen him and his father Rabbi Edgar Gluck selflessly help thousands of fellow Jews and non-Jews for FREE over the years; never asking for money and always there to help any human day or night. What they have accomplished and continue to accomplish for humanity would blow your mind; If you were to be made aware of 1/10 of Tzvi’s accomplishments you would come crawling on your hands and knees begging for forgiveness for slandering Tzvi and Amudim.
You seem to be uneducated and pathetic to think that a CEO of Tzvi’s caliber and credentials should work for free. He would get paid a lot more in the private sector whatever his salary is.
They helped me pay for therapy. Amazing organization that can help with a problem that is being kept quiet. They also help make sure the culprit is being watched very carefully. Thank you!!
How sad amudim was not there 20 years ago. This happens in Lakewood too. The victim is victimized and shamed. Years of therapy to heal. Loads of hashkoffo to stay independently frum despite the rejection from the community we belong to.
Thanks for bringing this to the fore.
Now do one for all the people’s lives ruined by false accusations as well
“wow” stop being such a kitty cat. No one brought up Lakewood.
I don’t know about you, maybe you weren’t hugged enough as a child
I too am a survivor of sexual abuse. In lakewood! And as much as on a community level we have come a long way, the denial is very very strong. It is crucial to expose the truth that abuse does happen and for that I am deeply grateful to Amudim. As far as actually helping victims, they have not helped me or any of the other victims whom I know reached out to them for financial assistance. The cost to heal from abuse is astronomic. And as a community we must step up to help those who are couragrous enough to move beyond the horrors that occurred to them.
Amudim claims to be helping them but as mentioned in a previous comment, they don’t post figures of their budget or what they are spending it on. They are creating a lot of hype but the awareness is good. However, the victims who I know are not getting a dime from them. If anyone out there would like to help put please know that we can use an organizations to help victims with the costs of healing.
I was sexually abused throughout my childhood. I have dealt with severe depression, anxiety, and ptsd.
After years of therapy and intense work, I have reached a place of healing and recovery that I never dreamed was possible.
Dear victims, healing is possible! There is a part of you that was never touched by anyone no matter how awful the abuse was. You are so much stronger than you think! You can get through this!
I can be contacted at
[email protected]
My son is victim of a abuse and I’ve spent tens of thousands on therapy which has been successful b”H. However I have been given the run around by organizations that claim to help with this issue and have never seen a red cent from anyone. Also, as was mentioned before, this video is so out of place in today’s world where great awareness is out there. I would love to know what the employees of this organization get paid.
Rabbi Gluck
Please Respond
I have been the one to deny. It’s instinctive. When our relative was arrested, our natural instinct was “it can’t be” . We denied. We supported. After all we were raised in one home and knew each other since birth if I didn’t know about it…who would?!
when it became more obvious that this was the truth….there were recordings that were horrific…I collapsed. I hated myself for having doubted thIs and in therapy we explored that it is instinctively what we do.
Yes denial happens in 2019. Yes this video uses actors but I think the respect in highlighting every kind of community is so respectful and helps with real change.
In our case, two of the victims had their therapy paid for by Amudim to the tune of tens of thousands. An Amudim staffer also guided and supported throughout the trial which is horrible time for victims…
Amudim can’t and won’t be able to help everyone every time. The more awareness there is, the more cases they deal with and the more staff they need ….which boils down to money.
I sure hope he makes a decent salary. He has picked up phones at unearthly hours and done all that he can to make these comments like “everyone is aware” a reality .
Ironically he is responsible for so many of the “this is not needed cuz everyone knows” kind of comment.
Everyone knows because Amudim won’t stop telling the tale.
I’ve personally seen both sides of the accusations, and a child being ignored is much more harmful than an adult being questioned.
A family member was abused by her uncle- a “good man” who often helped her parents with groceries. She started acting out and dated many random men, until years later when her cousins admitted that the uncle abused all of them.
And the other side? Imagine my shock when DCPP (children’s protective services) knocked on my door because they had a report of (non sexual) abuse. The social worker interviewed myself, my husband, and my children separately, and contacted my child’s doctors to see the history of health concerns that could resemble abuse. He followed up a few times, offered to help me as necessary, and closed the case.
My first thoughts were shock and shame. How could anyone think my children were in danger?! But then I became grateful. Because I know that someone cared about my children enough to make sure that they were safe. And I know the social workers and therapists have the training to spot abuse, instead of a someone listening to both sides and risking destroying a child’s neshama by trusting an abuser.
If you know a child may have been hurt, and you stay quiet to support the adult, you are guilty of allowing the abuse to continue.