A letter to the Jewish community

I FIRST and foremost wish to state for the record that I unreservedly and emphatically condemn all forms of abuse, particularly child abuse.
Perpetrators must be brought to justice in the Australian legal system, and I condemn the suggestion that paedophiles deserve protection from that legal system.
I believe, as asserted by the major Australian beth dins and reported in The AJN, that all credible allegations of abuse should immediately be reported to, and dealt with, by the appropriate government authorities.
I believe that I was seriously misrepresented in material that was recently published by The AJN, although I do acknowledge that things I wrote in emails to rabbinic colleagues could have been taken out of context and indeed misunderstood.
The Jewish community as a whole has been affected by this
controversy.
Although my words in the emails were halachic conjecture as part of a broader discussion and were never written in a manner suitable to be understood by the public, I nevertheless would like to apologise to my esteemed rabbinic colleagues, as well as to the Jewish community as a whole for any embarrassment caused to them as a result of the publication of material based on my emails.
I would also like to express my profound sympathy and support for the victims of abuse.
I would like to thank my colleagues on the RCNSW executive, as well as many rabbis in NSW and across Australia for their unstinting support in recent times.
I would like to particularly commend the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia’s vice-president Rabbi Meir Shlomo Kluwgant for his efforts in helping to facilitate this reconciliation with The AJN.
I am hopeful that we can all move forward in unity for the benefit of our community, and wish The AJN and the entire Jewish community a Shanah Tovah Umetukah – a happy and healthy sweet new year.
Rabbi Yosef Feldman is president of the Rabbinical Council of NSW.