Accusations of abuse at Australian Jewish school

New South Wales police are investigating accusations of abuse from dating from the 1970s and 1980s, allegedly committed by two people who are affiliated a local Jewish school, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Thursday.

This story broke down under just as local papers reported that Israel's mysterious prisoner-X was himself a member of the local Jewish community.

According to the Australian Jewish News, while there have been cases of abuse investigated in Melbourne, this is the first time that such an investigation has occurred in Sydney.

The Jewish newspaper noted that while in previous years Jewish leaders had covered up abuse, in one case sending a Rabbi to Israel when accused, Australian Jewish leaders have now come forward in “unequivocally condemning abuse.”

The Sydney Yeshiva Center issued a statement saying that "Australian rabbinical bodies, including the Sydney and Melbourne Beth Din (rabbinical courts), have ruled that incidents of child abuse should be reported to law enforcement authorities and Yeshiva stands firmly by those rulings. Yeshiva stands ready to work together with the relevant law enforcement authorities and professional support services."

In a statement to the Jerusalem Post on Thursday, Manny Waks, who heads the Australian abuse victim advocacy Tzedek, said that he was "delighted at the courage displayed by a number of victims/survivors in stepping out of their comfort zone by confronting their past experiences." "While this development is a very positive step for the Jewish community in addressing the rampant abuse and cover-ups that seems to have taken place over many years and in various locations, we still have a long way to go," Waks said in response to the Yeshiva's statement.

"Tzedek looks forward to working with the Sydney Yeshiva Centre and other stakeholders in order to obtain justice for past wrongs and to ensure the safety of our children.”