MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – PART 3

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – PART 3 - Bayit Chadash

Location: Monterey Bay and San Francisco, CA
AKA (Personal): Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Gafni
AKA (Business): The Center For World Spirituality, The Center For Integral Wisdom
Websites: www.Marcgafni.com, www.centerforintegralwisdom.org
EIN: 46-1051882


On May 9, 2006, three young women filed complaints of abuse with the Israeli police against Rabbi Gafni, who was then head of Bayit Chadash (The New Home), a Jewish spiritual community in Israel. The women were his students and each had suffered through periods of abuse and trauma, thinking she was the only one, and after finally speaking out, became aware there were others who had also been harmed in similar ways. From the article written in Haaretz, "The women's complaints say that the Rabbi exploited them sexually by abusing his authority over them." Less then 24 hours after being told about the complaints filed with the police, Gafni fled Israel never to return. Soon after the head of the foundation decided to fire Gafni from all his positions. According to the head of the foundation, as written in the article, "We have no doubt that these women are speaking the truth." The article also states that Gafni does not deny the allegations. In a public letter sent May 15, 2006, Gafni took responsibility for his actions, apologized, and acknowledged that he was sick. He also said he would stop teaching, and made a commitment to get serious treatment at an in-house facility immediately. He has since expressed regret for his public apology, has revoked any claims of sickness, and, rather than taking responsibility, has been trying to portray himself as an innocent victim.

Gafni's letter to Aleph (Alliance for Jewish Renewal) and his public statement can both be found here: http://nhne-pulse.org/rabbi-marc-gafni-sexual-improprieties/

From his letter to Aleph: "I must act now to discover what led to me to make these damaging choices that hurt people I care about, hurt my community, and hurt the people who have supported me for years in building Bayit Chadash. In light of all that has happened I am leaving all of my rabbinic teaching capacities."

According to the Gafni victim coalition, since May 2006, dozens of women and men have come forward and shared their till-then undisclosed stories of manipulation, exploitation, and emotional and sexual abuse at his hands over the years. In addition, he has been removed from at least nine organizations where he was a teacher and/or leader, every time due to abuses in the areas of power and sexuality. These are the places they are aware of; there may be others as well:

o JPSY (Jewish Public School Youth), New York
o Boca Raton Synagogue, Florida
o Tzufim settlement, West Bank, Israel
o Kfar Saba settlement, West Bank, Israel
o Isralight, Jerusalem
o Livnot U'Lehibanot, Jerusalem
o Melitz: Center for Jewish Education, Jerusalem
o Milah: The Jerusalem Institute for Education
o Bayit Chadash, Tel Aviv/Jaffa


One of his earliest victims who has been outspoken against Gafni states, “Every time a story comes up about him he just moves on to another community. He just keeps moving.”

PART 4: Tomorrow's focus is on the co-founder of Whole Foods, John Mackey, who maintains his support for Gafni in the face of the numerous allegations and our effort to reach out to him.


Sources:
http://nhne-pulse.org/rabbi-marc-gafni-sexual-improprieties/
http://jewschool.com/2006/05/10587/gafnis-letter-to-aleph/
http://jewishsurvivors.blogspot.com/2006/05/call-to-all-survivors-of-rabbi-marc.html
http://www.timesofisrael.com/controversial-ex-rabbi-gafni-and-an-alleged-victim-square-off/
Haaretz article (not online)
Maariv article (not online)

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – PART 2

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – PART 2

AKA (Personal): Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Gafni
AKA (Business): The Center For World Spirituality, The Center For Integral Wisdom Location: Monterey Bay and San Francisco, CA
Websites: www.Marcgafni.com, www.centerforintegralwisdom.org EIN: 46-1051882

For ex-rabbi turned guru Marc Gafni, the last 30 years of his life have been filled with scandal and controversy. Complaint after complaint has been filed against him, especially regarding sexual abuse (including with minors as young as ages 13 and 16).

The allegations started when Gafni was 19, where he had repeated sexual encounters over a nine-month period with a 13 (and then 14) year old girl. Mr. Gafni was quoted as saying that they had been in love and that “she was 14 going on 35, and I never forced her.” In a recent interview, the victim, who asked not to be identified, said that the encounters were not at all consensual. She publicly testified that he repeatedly and forcibly molested her, while Gafni stated that he was physically intimate with her but claimed that the relationship was based on consensual puppy love. “He believed it was a mutually consensual relationship,” she said. "Which was really horrifying because it was sexual violence, it was physical."

Later, when Gafni was 26 and married, he was accused of molesting a 16-year-old girl. When she spoke up at the time about what happened, he discredited her calling her a liar, and then persuaded prominent leaders to sign documents saying he was innocent. He said that it was “a one-time event” and that she, who was “highly initiatory,” came on to him. “I never initiated anything with him,” she said. It started with compliments and extra attention, eventually leading to the night when the rabbi appeared in her basement bedroom. “You look like you need a hug,” he told her. Gafni wound up on top of the stunned 16-year-old, his hands wandering under her nightgown, despite her repeated protestations, she said. Their second encounter went further, with Gafni removing their clothes before he “took my hand and forced me to help him climax. I had never even seen a man naked before.”
She said the abuse left her suicidal. “I was a victim of this horrible man’s sexual, emotional, psychological and spiritual abuse,” she stated in a recent petition started against Gafni. “The reason nobody else talks about it is because they are petrified of him. He’s a sociopath, there’s this fear of him.”

For these poor victims there is no closure and no chance for true justice (statute of limitations). They must live with the horrors inflicted upon them for the rest of their lives. We certainly applaud their courage to stand up against Gafni in an effort to educate and warn potential victims. So few victims do, allowing their perpetrators to continue exploiting and abusing others.

PART THREE COMING TOMORROW on the “Bayit Chadash” scandal. Stay tuned…


Sources:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3253650,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/26/us/marc-gafni-center-for-integral-wisdom.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/marc-gafni-denies-sexual-misconduct-allegations-article-1.2483567

Guy Miller Ministries CBS Expose Airing Tonight!

GUY MILLER MINISTRIES EXPOSE on CBS News Airing Tonight at 6pm EST.

Check out the preview here: http://ow.ly/YZSPR

Once it airs, it will be available on their website for viewing in a few days (supposedly).

MARC GAFNI EXPOSE – INTRODUCTION

EXPOSE on MARC GAFNI – PART 1 - INTRODUCTION

AKA (Personal): Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Gafni
AKA (Business): The Center For World Spirituality, The Center For Integral Wisdom Location: Monterey Bay and San Francisco, CA
Websites: www.Marcgafni.com, www.centerforintegralwisdom.org EIN: 46-1051882

Exactly who Marc Gafni is varies depending on who is answering the question. To his supporters he’s a spiritual visionary; to his critics and alleged victims, he’s a sexual predator. For those unfamiliar with him, he is a self-proclaimed spiritual leader and teacher of concepts such as “Outrageous Love” for humanity and the world and “Conscious Evolution”. Unfortunately however, there is a great hypocrisy between what he teaches vs. what his actions are in the real world.
Recently our organization received an influx of complaints about him from victims, which prompted us at FACT to get involved. In an effort to prevent any more people falling victim to his manipulations, exploitations and abuse, we have put together this five-part expose.

According to religion journalist Mark Oppenheimer, the victim allegations include “assault, statutory rape, emotional abuse, and exploitation of the counselor-student power dynamic.” There are also sexual abuse allegations from female victims as young as 13 and 16 years of age.

Many new age spiritual leaders, such as Deepak Chopra, have renounced their support, as well as over 100 rabbis including Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, who ordained Gafni, but later rescinded the ordination.
Despite the dozens of allegations against Gafni, he still retains some major supporters. One of his strongest proponents is John Mackey, the founder and co-CEO of Whole Foods. FACT personally contacted Mr. Mackey concerning his support for Gafni. We asked him to reevaluate his position and instead to support the dozens of alleged victims of Gafni. We have yet to hear a reply.

“Having first-hand experience of Gafni’s dangerous proclivities, as well as being very familiar with the strategies he uses to convince others he is harmless, we feel a moral obligation to break our silence, in order to help insure that no one else is exploited and abused due to lack of information.” - from the Marc Gafni victim coalition

Tomorrow we’ll dig into his dark past, shedding light onto who Marc Gafni really is. Stay tuned…

BREAKING NEWS: Grand Jury Finds Widespread Child Sex Abuse By Almost 50 Priests For Over 40 Years

"Hundreds of children in western Pennsylvania were sexually assaulted by about 50 Roman Catholic priests over four decades while bishops covered up their actions, according to a state grand jury report released on Tuesday."

"The heinous crimes these children endured are absolutely unconscionable," Kane told reporters in unveiling the report, based on a two-year investigation. "These predators desecrated a sacred trust and preyed upon their victims in the very places where they should have felt most safe."

"The report found that former Altoona-Johnstown Diocese Bishop James Hogan, who died in 2005, and his successor, Joseph Adamec, who retired in 2011, worked to cover pedophile priests' tracks and that some local law enforcement agencies also avoided investigating abuse allegations, said state Attorney General Kathleen Kane."