As a former Jewish member of the Ohev Shalom community of Dallas, I feel compelled to share an experience that has stayed with me for decades.
When I was a child, I was repeatedly bullied by other kids in the field behind this Shul. I was pushed, shoved, and verbally abused and sweared at over several instances. When my father brought the matter to the Rabbi who was already aware of the kids current and past actions, he refused to speak to the parents of the children involved. This was because many of their families were major donors to the synagogue.
This is a direct violation of Jewish values against greed, and the Shul severally hurt the lives of myself and others affected by failing in its responsibility to protect people on the property. The Shul also has a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of all people, especially children, on its premises, and failed to act accordingly, which is unacceptable. Although the time to take action is long past, I pray that if this has occurred or ever occurs again, that someone does take legal action and teaches the important lesson that Rabbi Rodin and the community never learned. Because I was a child and was not able to articulate well enough, I never had the chance to speak my voice, but now I am here to speak: the Shul should be ashamed and should take more responsibility for its actions. I hope the congregation can learn from my comments. read more
