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Evan Zauder
Rabbi Chaim Hagler met with all of the children at Yeshivat Noam yesterday, then later sent an email to parents and guardians with a special section titled “What You Can Say to Your Children” (see below).
The principal said he also spoke with his staff about the arrest of Evan Zauder.
Talk of the high-profile case has reverberated throughout Jewish communities in New Jersey as well as in New York, where Zauder once taught and is a rabbinical student.
Zauder, 26, was due for a bail hearing today after the FBI raided his Manhattan apartment Monday night and reported finding pornographic images of boys as young as 7.
Evan Charles Aryeh Klonimus Zauder was into his first year of teaching at Yeshivat Noam, Hagler said. He also was once a youth director at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, records show.
Hagler said he met Thursday with pupils, teachers and staff and alerted parents in writing because he wanted all of them “to hear the actual facts from us directly, so that they understand and are informed as to what is going on,” rather than relying on media accounts.
Zauder “is not being accused of doing anything illegal at Yeshivat Noam and we have no reason to believe that any of our students are involved or affected in any way,” the rabbi noted.
“The students as a whole were very attentive during the discussion and they asked very appropriate questions,” he wrote. “The questions ranged from details about the case, practical questions like who will cover his classes and some deeper philosophical questions, like why would someone do this.
“For those questions that we had answers, we answered, and when we did not have an answer, we said we did not know. We are monitoring how the students are reacting and stand ready to provide support to individual or groups of students, as needed.”
The principal also said he “informed the students that it is now illegal for Evan Zauder to have any type of communication with them at all. He cannot come to the school, call, e-mail, text, etc…. I further stressed the importance of discussing this with their parents, and used this as an opportunity to remind students how important it is to talk to their parents when something is bothering them.
“For young children, we would suggest that you carefully listen to their questions and monitor their conversations so that you can respond with accurate information if the need arises. Or, knowing your child, you may feel that it is important to initiate a conversation about this situation,” he advised parents.
Hagler included a helpful guide prepared by Project S.A.R.A.H., which he said would conduct next week’s parents meeting.
It’s called “What You Can Say to Your Children“:
Today’s news has shocked all of us. It is always a painful experience to find that someone we trusted turns out not to be trustworthy at all. When our trust is broken, we feel angry, scared, and vulnerable. These are normal reactions to a betrayal. How do we as parents communicate to our children something about what has happened without passing on to them the emotional burden we ourselves are struggling with? How do we sensitize our children without leaving them in fear?
Here are some suggestions we would like to share with you:
Ask your children what they may have heard so far. Whatever they have heard, they do not need to know more than the fact that a teacher was asked to leave school because of bad things he did.
For older children you might share that he was involved in inappropriate things on the internet. Keep it age-appropriate, factual, and share less rather than more. You will find that children will often be satisfied by simple answers.
For children who are aware of the nature of the charges, you can explain that this person took pictures of children with their clothes off, and that this is against the law.
Many children will not understand why someone would do such a thing; they may giggle or yell “gross!” They may ask why someone would do that. The best response is probably also the truth: “I don’t know but this was against the law and it was wrong, and that’s why he is in trouble.” Do not feel you need to have the answer, but do not dismiss the question either.
Children will have different reactions. Some may be sad, scared, angry, or none of the above. They may not seem to show any emotions at first, only to react strongly a day or a week later. Ask your children how they are feeling after you explain the situation to them. You can share with them how you are feeling. “I feel nervous.” Let them know that people feel different things when they hear things like this, and any way they feel is normal and okay with you.
Assure them that this is an unusual situation: most people in the world are good people and do not want to hurt children. Assure them that you are there to help and protect them.
Younger children may hear a lot of rumors from friends and siblings. You may not want to wait to have this conversation with your children. They will be best off if you have framed the issue for them before they hear about it from someone else. Ask them if they have any other thoughts or questions.
Be alert to any signs that your child is having a particularly strong reaction and feel free to contact Project S.A.R.A.H. or any trusted professional.
This situation is painful and frightening for all of us. Please do not hesitate to contact us at Project S.A.R.A.H. (973-777-7638) if you feel you need any counseling for yourself or your children.
Based in Clifton, Project S.A.R.A.H. is a domestic abuse program funded by the N.J. Department of Law and Public Safety, the Passaic County Women’s Center and other public and private sponsors.
The organization’s web site says it “works to overcome the cultural, religious, and legal barriers confronting victims of abuse,” and that “while our focus is on the Orthodox Jewish community, no one seeking help is ever turned away.”
Records show Zauder is a dual Masters student and Jim Joseph Fellow in Education and Jewish Studies at NYU. He was graduated from CHAT High School in Toronto, Canada, and is a student at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Eichanan Theological Seminary in Washington Heights. He also worked with Bnei Akiva of North America, most recently directing a post-tenth grade summer program in Israel, records show.
“As a teacher, Evan Zauder was supposed to help children not, as alleged, contribute to their exploitation,” said Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he is being prosecuted.
A criminal complaint filed there says Zauder’s home computer had “hundreds of images and videos of minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.”
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