Meir Shlomo Kluwgant, Australia’s top rabbi, resigned earlier this month, as the president of Organization of Rabbis of Australia, after being pulled up in the witness box at the Royal Commission over a sex abuse scandal. Kluwgant gave evidence on February 13 after which he was compelled to confess that he had sent a text message to the editor of a newspaper, referring to the father of a sex-abuse victim as a lunatic who failed to protect his children.

The message was concerning Zephaniah Waks, father of Manny Waks, who emerged as a whistleblower of the Yeshivah community after divulging details of the abuse he underwent. The rabbi’s confession came after Waks’ lawyer confronted him in the witness box. Initially, Kluwgant denied having sent the text message, saying he could not recall if he had done so, but later he admitted to sending the text message to Zeddy Lawrence, editor of Australian Jewish News on February 3.

Waks, whose son Manny had been molested by a convicted pedophile named David Cyprys, told the commission that he renounced the overly orthodox Chabad movement after his family was humiliated for going public about their son’s suffering.

Reportedly, the text message sent by Kluwgant to Lawrence, read, “Zephaniah Waks is killing us. Zephaniah is attacking Chabad. He is a lunatic on the fringe, guilty of neglecting his own children. Where was he when all this happened?”

As soon as Kluwgant confessed to having sent the text message, Manny demanded he resign from his post, accusing the rabbi of being involved for a long time in intimidating and harassing his family as well as himself. While Waks recently moved to Europe along with his wife and son due to persisting problems in his community in Melbourne, his parents moved back to Israel.

“Obviously his position as a leader within the community was untenable,” Waks wrote in a statement. “My thoughts are with him and his family at this difficult time for them. Hopefully he will take the time to educate himself about this issue... Hopefully this will assist in the healing for victims/survivors and their families, as well as the broader community.”

Waks also clarified that Kluwgant sent him an email, apologizing for humiliating his family, after Friday’s hearing.

Photo Credits: News.com.au