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	Thy Neighbor’s Strife By Phil Jacobs Baltimore Jewish Times January 31, 2009 http://www.jewishtimes.com/index.php/jewishtimes/article/thy_neighbors_strife/ Compliant in this case means that the Upper Park Heights resident is on the State of Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services sex offender registry. In a Sunday Baltimore Examiner article, it was reported that the Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse, in connection with the Awareness Center, has made his presence known within the Jewish community. The Examiner reported that Mr. Friedman, a cantor, came to Baltimore in May of 2007 after serving a 15-month sentence in federal prison for sending pornography through the mail to an undercover FBI agent in California. Before that arrest and conviction, Mr. Friedman was picked up and arrested in Nova Scotia, Canada, where he worked for the Beth Israel Synagogue. He was, according to the Examiner and Internet accounts, apprehended with child pornography images and videos. He pleaded guilty and paid a $2,000 fine before being deported to the U.S. So here he is, a resident, according to the State, of Clover Road. He has been, according to the story, known to worship at the nearby Glen Avenue Synagogue. Rabbi Yaakov Hopfer, president of the Vaad HaRabanim, and spiritual leader of the Glen Avenue Synagogue, confirmed that he has informed his shul membership of Mr. Friedman’s status, and that the safety and security of Glen Avenue Synagogue’s children and membership is being given the highest priority especially as it pertains to Mr. Friedman’s presence in shul. Rabbi Hopfer and his shul members should be given a tremendous amount of credit for dealing with a particularly sensitive situation such as this one. Also sex offenders aren’t going to stop in any particular neighborhood. So here we have Mr. Friedman living in a neighborhood where Jewish children, African American children, Hispanic children, all kinds of children live and play. We should understand that the example of vigilance given over by Rabbi Hopfer should extend beyond shul to the neighborhood, and also to adjacent neighborhoods as well. Rabbis at Temple Oheb Shalom or Baltimore Hebrew or Beth Israel or Chizuk Amuno or Beth El or Beth Tfiloh should also understand that this man is in the community. It’s not just a Jewish community. It’s a community of many different faiths and peoples. Years ago, my synagogue posted a photo of a man living in a nearby apartment who was on this very same registry. The man wasn’t Jewish. We knew he wasn’t going to be coaching Yiddle League or lighting Chanukah candles. We still felt it was important to let the families in the community know this man was ... well ... “there.” If one were to go ahead and Google the Maryland Sex Offender Registry Search, you’d find all sorts of people registered. This is an opportunity for our religious leaders to work out a way that permits Mr. Friedman a way to worship, and perhaps find a path of healing for his tormented soul, and, first and foremost, protect our children. Taney, Jonquil, Winner, Simmonds, Gist, Fords, Fallstaff, Bland, Midheights, Fairlawn, Glen and Labyrinth are streets that fall within the eruv in the 21215 zip code along with registered sex offenders living among us. Check out 21208; you’ll see a couple of offenders, who, for what it’s worth, have Jewish-sounding last names. Rabbi Hopfer importantly is keeping an eye on the welfare of his shul’s children. The rav told the Jewish Times that he is also concerned that Mr. Friedman be given appropriate behavioral help. Though it’s a sad part of life, we need to know of these registered offenders living among us. We need to know from rabbis and police and social workers: What is the proper protocol of a synagogue? What is the proper protocol of a parent? What do we tell our children? How do we let him pray to God, perhaps the only one who will truly listen and help without revulsion?
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