AUSTRALIA
J-Wire
The president of the Yeshiva Centre has told Daniel “Gug” Hayman he is not welcome at the syngagogue following confirmed reports that he lead prayers on the same day he was granted bail on charges of indecent assault against two young boys in the 1980s.
Tzedek, an advocacy group focusing on child sex abuse, issued the following statement:
“This morning Tzedek received an anonymous phone call from a concerned member of the Sydney Yeshiva community stating that last night Daniel “Gug” Hayman, soon after his release on bail, went to Sydney’s Yeshiva Centre and led the evening services (as a cantor) in their main synagogue. We have now been able to confirm this with a Yeshiva congregant who was present during these services. Apparently Mr Hayman led the second, smaller service.
It should be noted that Mr Hayman recently lost his mother and there is a special prayer (Kaddish) that mourners are required to say during services for one year (and on other special occasions). However, there is no obligation to lead the services – this is only a custom within mainly the ultra-Orthodox community. There is also no obligation for these prayers to be conducted in a synagogue – they may be conducted anywhere where there are ten Jews (a Minyan).
We believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to adhere to their religious beliefs and practices, but questions must be asked. Importantly, how is it that Mr Hayman was given this honour on the day he was released from prison – and within the same institution that the offences were alleged to have been committed and in light of the allegations that the leadership were themselves involved in a cover-up? It is also astounding that so many members of this congregation felt that it was befitting Mr Hayman to be their conduit to God through this prayer service.
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