Jewish newspaper ‘sacks’ whistleblower

By Katherine Towers
Australian
March 1, 2015

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/jewish-newspaper-sacks-whistleblower/story-e6frg996-1227243785102

A SENIOR journalist has been made redundant from The Australian Jewish News after passing on information that helped a royal commission and led to the resignation of Australia’s most senior Rabbi.

Adam Kamien, who had worked for the paper since 2006, became the only person in the newsroom to be made redundant following an internal investigation into how text messages ended up being used by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The text message, sent from the Rabbi Meir Kluwgant to the editor of the AJN, Zeddy Lawrence, and read out at the royal commission, described the father of an abuse victim as a “lunatic” who neglected his children.

“Zephaniah is killing us. Zephaniah is attacking Chabad. He is a lunatic on the fringe, guilting of neglect of his own children. Where was he when all this was happening?”

Under intense cross examination, Rabbi Kluwgant was forced to admit he sent the message to Mr Lawrence during the commission evidence of Zephaniah Waks, father of victim and whistleblower Manny Waks.