David, Bathsheba, and the Torah That Abuse Victims Deserve

Over the past few weeks, the Haredi Jewish world, especially in Israel, has been publicly litigating accusations of abuse from more than 20 people against Jewish educator and children's author Chaim Walder. Though he was found guilty by a Jewish court of sexually abusing children and women and subsequently committed suicide, Walder insisted on his innocence in his suicide note and was eulogized by the mayor of Bnei Brak. And while there were leaders who condemned Walder and forbade people to read his books, there were many who continued to support him and even to blame the media and accusers for his death. Witnessing this wave of support, a survivor of his abuse, Shifra Horowitz, took her own life at the young age of 24. In the aftermath of Shifra's death, more Haredi leaders and institutions have been vocal in condemning sexual abuse publicly, but the tragedy here runs deep.