Justice
Now, finally, 15 years after she was spirited out of Australia under the cover of night, Leifer has been brought to justice.
As we sit down at our Pesach seders this year to recount the story of the Exodus from Egypt, we hope that feeling of liberation tastes a little sweeter for sisters Dassi Erlich, Elly Sapper and Nicole Meyer.
Ever since they came out in public with their recollections of what happened to them at the hands of former Adass Israel School principal Malka Leifer (she was found not guilty in relation to Meyer), they have borne a burden few could fathom.
They bore that burden for many years more than they should have as bureaucracy, feigned mental illness on Leifer’s part and corrupt meddling by former Israeli health minister Yaakov Litzman drew out the process of extraditing Leifer from Israel.
Now, finally, 15 years after she was spirited out of Australia under the cover of night, Leifer has been brought to justice.
We laud the Victorian court system for its professionalism in dealing with this matter thoroughly, fairly and in a timely fashion. It shows that as Australians we can place our faith and confidence in our national institutions to do the right thing.
But this could not have been possible without Erlich, Sapper and Meyer. They are an inspiration to us all. They showed unwavering bravery to relive their experiences over and over and to face Leifer in court – a woman in whom they had placed their trust, only for it to be horrifically betrayed.
Their resolute belief in the importance of their stand means children and their families in our community can today feel that little bit safer.
And while we have to wait a little longer for her sentencing, we are confident that whatever the judge announces will be commensurate with Leifer’s crimes.
Importantly however, though this battle is won, the war against child predators is ongoing. We must remain ever vigilant and alert to potential perpetrators in our midst. It is up to all of us in our community to look after one another and to speak up when something is not right.
The fight ahead of us remains a long one, but if there is one thing we can take from this week’s judgements, it is well worth the effort, because we can make a difference.
We wish all our readers a happy and kosher Pesach.
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