Baruch Lanner and the Story That Finally Exposed Him

It’s hard to believe, but exactly 25 years have passed since the publication of “Stolen Innocence.” Researched and written by Gary Rosenblatt, then editor and publisher of The Jewish Week, this explosive article outlined years of sexual abuse of teenagers by Rabbi Baruch Lanner while he was employed by the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY) and the Hillel Yeshiva in Deal, NJ – and the attempt by various individuals to minimize or cover up his misdeeds.

The expose changed the way our community has handled sexual abuse and was instrumental in finally putting an end to a very horrible chapter in NCSY’s otherwise illustrious history.

Rabbi Lanner was convicted in 2002 of sexually abusing two teenage girls who attended the New Jersey school where he had been principal, and was sentenced to seven years in prison.  He was released on parole in January 2008.

I believe it’s extremely important that our community not forget about this terrible story. There is now a whole generation of NCSYers who have likely never heard of Baruch Lanner. And although we have made significant progress in this area, it’s critical that we all realize that without safeguards in place, this could easily happen again.

Rabbi Yosef Blau, who was quoted in the original article (https://www.bjpa.org/search-results/publication/9089)  and for decades has been a voice of conscience and support for victims of sexual abuse, agreed to answer about a dozen questions about the story — its impact… what we have learned from it… journalism’s role in exposing illegal and questionable behavior… and the ethical and halachic issues involved.

Below is a transcript of our interview:

Looking back, what do you remember most vividly about the story in the Jewish Week?

The story was so powerful and the number of victims so numerous … and yet the abuse had been allowed to continue for more than 25 years.

How many years before the story broke did you first hear of allegations of abuse by Rabbi Lanner?

I learned about the abuse at the meeting of the Beis Din in 1989. In 1997, I learned that Lanner hadn’t changed his behavior and I helped convince the high school in Deal to force him to resign.

How many different individuals did you speak to and counsel who were victims of his abuse before the story went public?

I was in some kind of contact with almost everyone mentioned in the article and had written statements from most of them.

Did you anticipate the kind of backlash and resistance the story received from parts of the Orthodox community?

I understood that the article would make the leadership of NCSY and the OU look bad, but I thought that the article was so well researched that it would be accepted as true.  The attack on Gary Rosenblatt and partially on me where we were accused of trying to destroy Orthodoxy was shocking.

How did the experience of having this piece published and being quoted affect you personally and professionally at the time?

I was contacted by many victims of other abusers in the Orthodox community, and trying to help them became a permanent part of my life.  At the same time, there were those who had been friends who saw me as a troublemaker.

What do you feel were the biggest ethical, halachic, and editorial challenges in Gary Rosenblatt’s decision to publish the story?

Gary had to balance the negative impression on the Orthodox community with the need to bring it into the open as essentially the only action that would force the leadership to acknowledge the problem and to change. He told me that he had consulted a known talmid chacham regarding the issue of lashon hara, who explained that the key element is to prevent further abuse. He said that if Gary believed further abuse could be prevented without publishing the piece, he should not publish it. But if Gary concluded that the only way further abuse could be prevented was to publish the piece, he was not only permitted but obligated to publish the story. And that’s what Gary did.

Were there moments when you feared the consequences of exposing Rabbi Lanner’s abuse to the public?

No, I knew that private complaints hadn’t worked.

What role do you think Jewish journalism should play in holding religious institutions accountable for their sins?

Until the religious institutions set up proper procedures for responding to accusations and stop protecting institutional image over victims, exposure by the media is necessary.

In your view, what were the most significant outcomes of the story in terms of institutional change within the Orthodox Union, NCSY, and other organizations within the Jewish community?

The OU set up the Joel commission and made changes in the policies of NCSY.

Have you been surprised by how the community has—or hasn’t—evolved in terms of how it handles abuse allegations since the story was published?

The community no longer denies that abuse is a problem.  It still often fails when the accused abuser is a person they know.

Do you believe there has been a true cultural shift in the Jewish community’s willingness to confront abuse?

Yes, but not enough.

If you were reporting this story today, in the age of social media and heightened sensitivity to abuse, what would be different?

I think that abusive behavior in such a scale could not be kept secret.  Though with the tendency of social media to promote conspiracies and the reduced trust in the media, it might be harder for an article to have any impact.

Have any additional victims or their families reached out to you in the years since the story was first published?

Many other victims and their families of Lanner and other abusers have contacted me.

Have any of those conversations shaped your perspective?

I learned that when abuse is covered up initially it becomes increasingly difficult for religious and other institutions to acknowledge failure and to act.

What lessons did you take away from this story about courage, both in journalism and in confronting wrongdoing in tight-knit groups like the Orthodox community?

It is as hard to have moral courage as to have physical courage.  In the end, the basic decency of the Orthodox community will lead to appreciation of those who speak up.  At the same time, being quiet remains the accepted norm.

What advice would you give to younger Jewish journalists today about pursuing difficult stories that might challenge communal norms?

One should be careful about details and protect yourself by getting approval from someone recognized in the community.

How do you hope this story will be remembered by the next generation of Jewish leaders?

Gary Rosenblatt’s article broke a pattern of silence and covering up which has changed the dynamic of the community.