Filmmaker/Comedian/Actor - NY TIMES calls me Jon Stewart with a beard. My kids call me Abba. Guest appearances include Leno, Conan & a yeshiva in Brooklyn.
this was hard to watch and informative. I liked that he said that he wants people to be angry at him, in a way he atunes with what he has done through others experience? Interesting. Another good message of this interview is : Therapy is helpful
To me, this interview was extremely enlightening. My only concern is for the victims and that is a big concern. However, this is such a rarity to be able to see inside the mind of an abuser and I do think it has a lot of value. This is one way that he can do good with something truly criminal because sexual abuse can ruin lives or at the very least create incredible difficulty
I think that not only do we need to teach about body boundaries, but we also need to better educate about what is and is not lishon harah. That is a reason it seems quite often used in the frum community NOT to report and inform when someone is known to be dangerous.
He did commit crime. I am personally abused by someone. But I never went public to shame be on his face forever so he wouldnt have chance ever again in his life. I really think you are no one to publicize his guilt in this manner. That he is criminal does not give you permission to disrespect him. This is horrible.
19:00 this is example. This expert is mature enough to draw understanding about the case of Gershon in odrder to prevent from happening to other individuals. But interviewer is merely focused on demonizing the Gershon. It is pure ignorance and impatience and disrespect to Gershon. At least if you requested abd invited him, you cabt disrespect the person even if he committed crime upon others. It is nit your job to bring your own justice. It seems clear that this comedian wanted to embarrass and shame gershon the abuser. In that manner, you can do nothing. You wont be able to see another person committing same around you nor can you protect anyone from being done the same. Overall if this comedian did not invite this expert, interview with gershon is not even worthy to have been made.
14:45 sexual experimentation not abuse. Allowing sexual experment itself is perversion. Sexual abuse is not the cause nowhere appears causing trauma but itself is manifestation resulting from perversion pervading in the west. Not that non western countries dont have that but normaliazation of selfishness lust, money fame driven society with sexual perversion in the US is the cause. If normal folks had puee heart themselves ans eyes on Rabbis and Rosh yeshiva, how could he be working and be unknown by peers? A fresh apple does not get a rotten spot out of nowhere but when it is already being rotten as a whole it gets started at its most sensitive and weak point.
This Dr was fantastic! I appreciate his unbiased opinion and speaking so much about our community and how to teach our children about healthy terminology for anatomy and boundaries with adults around them. He did not keep referring to Gershon he spoke of pedophiles in general. Great tips for parents to put into practice. An alcoholic is always an alcoholic regardless of whether they ever take a drink again. it is the same for these abusers. The one thing I wish we would have touched on in all of these videos is whether he was abused himself and the likelihood of abuse victims as young children abusing others as children and then it carrying on into adulthood. It’s not an excuse but I feel it plays a relevant role.
I am not sympathizing with Gershon but I do feel like her opinions were biased. The man does not need to keep being vilanized and made an example of. He is not the only predator in the world. They walk amongst us daily. Using his coming out publicly and owning his behavior should not be an open season on him. It should be a learning experience for everyone on either sides of it. Victims and predators and parents. It should be a way to have open discussions about the topic ( not him)! As a mother I’m more afraid of those who aren’t on the registry and whom we don’t know about.
What this man did was horrific. Although it is not an excuse at all I fully believe he was abused himself. As disturbing as it was to hear I do appreciate his honesty and essentially putting himself out there as a pedophile. That couldn’t be easy. In doing so I hope that he truly does feel remorse and that his victims can find some kind of healing. If we as parents want to protect our children it’s important to hear how these perpetrators work. I have to commend his wife and children for supporting this video I can’t imagine what they must feel. He says the Shuls have banned him due to his past. I understand the worry but at the same time they need to be more worried about the predators amongst them who haven’t owned it and who are still doing it. They are everywhere, both male and female. Predators are everywhere
This interview infuriatied me! He is acting like he is the victim! All i hear is me me me! "I felt better my mind felt better!" R u kidding me?!! What about the victims they are never going to be better. Their minds will never be better! This will always be in their memory! And im sorry but for your wife to stay with you and let you around your kids is just as bad!
1.) This is a difficult video, but it’s very important, so thank you 2.) I’m not against alternative sentencing such as intensive therapy, restorative justice, etc. But one aspect of this Project Alpha thing that you mention really infuriated me: how you can only attend it if you pay $80,000 out of your own pocket. Our society just seems to totally accept this sort of classism and anti-poor sentiment. No aspect of your punishment should NOT be based on how wealthy you are. Not the sentencing, not bail, not probation or parole. I cannot imagine any justification for basing these sentences on how much money a person has.
Though very much triggered by this, I must acknowledge that this man took a lot of courage talking about his offenses, and him kind of owning his s*** is a step in the way of making amends. And respect to Mendy for conducting this interview with sensitivity and professionalism. Although after this I would love to see you interview a victim with the same elaboration to show everyone the other side..
I can't help wondering if there's some degree of HFA (high functioning Asperger's) at play here. The mechanical way in which Gershon presents... the disconnect from the other's experience...is soo similar to behaviors of addicts that I've met who finally received an official diagnosis. There's no doubt that the behavior is soul killing and traumatizing to the victims and the community needs to develop greater awareness while these people are kept far away from their potential victims. At the same time, identifying and getting to the root of the issues while these men are still boys might prevent some of the destruction.
This man is trying to normalise pedophelia and to have a comedian interviewer is actually disgusting. To be asked not to attend certain places is not enough to protect his own 6 children. The Jewish community have a history of not only protecting offenders but dismissing the victims. This pervert acts as if it’s all good now and he’s a good person again. No! Jail this man! Protect his children! This is a ‘glossing over’ of this predators crimes and I’m shocked this interview has even taken place. He has had multiple victims and is lying through his teeth. He is a pig of a man who is being protected by this so called comedian and the Jewish community. AGAIN! I’m absolutely disgusted. Molesting children is not normal. Stop making out it’s normal.
I hated having to kiss and hug adults when I was a kid. One of my old babysitters would lock me (age 6) and my brother (age 4) in a storage pantry while she worked. I can't remember for how long, but it had a light, and she'd bring us a fruit cup or pudding in the middle of it. But afterward, she'd take us to all the old people, and they'd give us kisses. I thought that was so much worse! I knew she had done this more than once because I dreaded having to go kiss them. I know they were old, lonely people, but back then, they were scary looking to me. The 80s were so much different! When I was 7, I had an older teen male babysitter who watched us almost every evening/night for about 6 months. My mom told me she hired him because he was cheap. 🙄 Years later, I found out my dad thought he was "odd." My parents were teens when they had me and had no idea how to raise us. They divorced during this time and my Dad would get us every other weekend. My mom would always leave me alone when I was 6 and 7 or have this guy watch us. I've blocked a lot of memories from this time, and I can't remember what happened. My mom got with my stepdad when I was 8, and she became a stay-at-home mom for the rest of my childhood. My stepdad was (still is) an awesome dad growing up. But I do remember being sexually inappropriate when I was 8 and 9 and had a lot of behaviors that suggested sexual abuse. My mother didn't see them or wanted to ignore them. Who'd let their child be babysat by a male babysitter? I know there are female abusers, and I know not all male babysitters are abusers. I'm curious.
He's odd, and I'm sure he has more than two victims, especially since he said "many of his victims." I'm tired of people wanting to block out and ignore all the awful, sick stuff that's going on in the world. It's upsetting to listen to, but maybe we can learn how to protect our kids from sex predators a little better. I'm also tired of people wanting to ignore that 90% of molested children know their are molesters! He mentioned how he could touch his victim's genitals in front of people and no one would notice! Why do parents protect their kids and not allow them to go venture out alone and learn independence, but will allow them to be on a device alone with thousands of predators on the internet? I understand kids need privacy, but they also need their phone monitored. I couldn't imagine my kids getting manipulated into sending naked pics, giving out their address, or worse, getting kidnapped, raped, and murdered. Kids are very susceptible and and sexual predators know this. Child sexual exploration is on the rise. Most child sexual predators are never caught, and most believe they aren't doing anything wrong.
How this man has a wife and child still is baffling. He isn’t a good guy, he is a child molester. He will always and forever be a child molester. It isn’t his family’s fault, its his.
I dont agree with sympathizing in this.yes i understand we all have our struggles,but if you practiced a religion like Jewish or Christianity growing up ,you tend to be very aware when sexual immorality faces you,and to be so gullible and continue to lean or just tap into those behaviors just like that, it's turn very intentional & sinister. And another thing you learn in some religion is once evil is done,you seek repentance, you desire to be cleanse from the filth,you dont go seek out people to feel sorry for you,you should understand in your heart that this act dont deserve not 1 ouce of sympathy cuz that what wrongdoing lead to,but here you are trying to convince. now that it has be done they not really trying to changed,they just want a legitimate scapegoat& lessen the blow when they attack.
So, I haven't seen anyone say it, but I'm pretty confident that Gershon is on the autism spectrum. My father-in-law, my wife, and my oldest sign are all on the spectrum, and they just have this very matter of fact way about the world. Being on the spectrum doesn't make anyone an abuser, but I think it would make it much harder for Gershon to understand social cues and what was appropriate and inappropriate. I am NOT excusing any of his actions at all, BUT I am saying that some of the really odd mannerisms and phrases I think (And this is just my anecdotal evidence) he's on the autism spectrum and that's just how he sees the world. His odd mannerisms I don't think are because he's an abuser. That being said, I do think his life would have been dramatically easier if he had a functional outlet for his sexual urges as a kid. He's clearly hypersexual, and you can either put that energy into something, or you can go insane.
this guy is a dangerous manipulator...bragging about how he never had to intimidate his victims and was able to trick them into thinking it was play. minimizing the time period the abuse went on...minimizing the effects. you can tell hes getting off on recounting his offenses. this dude is dangerous.
Wow thank you! This was so much needed! I feel so much better seeing this. I agree that he probably doesn't fully understand the truth of what he's done. Probably because its too much for him to actually own up to. I would also never trust my kids around him in any way. I have personally experienced alot of what he described and wish my abuser would at least start with where gershon is up to. Is it crazy to hope that at some point there is actually healing available for abusers to the point where they will truly apologize to me for what they've done?
.. she was spot on from beginning to end. the interview was amazing and beyond insight although i felt a lot of the answers were rehearsed. i also feel he has the inclination to reoffend again but probably won’t more than likely because he’s getting his needs met inside the home with his own children. 👀 he might not be actually touching them, but there’s other ways.
yes I 100 agree. I believe he had been abusing his own children the whole time in front of his wife. and now that hes under watch, he is keeping it back in the home once again. 6 kids all in their target age range.. he was beyond pleased with himself and thought it was a big joke
