Telshe Today

What does a Yeshiva do when one of their staff is caught downloading porn, chatting online, meeting other women and then finally getting divorced ? After years of being rattled by fighting for the leadership of the Yeshiva, it finally was somewhat worked out and things seemed as they were getting quiet. Now the Telshe Yeshiva of Wickliffe Ohio is once again being thrown into turmoil but this time with a sex scandal. Rabbi Tzvi Belsky (son of Rabbi Yisroel Belsky of the OU) and married to the granddaughter of the late Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Stein was hired as the executive director of the Yeshiva. With the urging of his uncle Rabbi Moshe Ruven Barkin, Belsky was ushered in as the savior for the withering Telshe Yeshiva. A promising future was the slogan of this new administration. In the beginning things looked good as they did a lot of PR and put the Yeshiva back on the minds of people. A dinner in the memory of Reb Chaim Stein was held with the attendance of about 600 people, much more than the Yeshiva ever had before. From there things didn't continue as planned. As the promising future was not materializing people once again were keeping their money from the Yeshiva, and the Yeshiva suddenly began falling behind in checks. One check a month the Yeshiva is always able to give thanks to the generosity of the Klein family who promised the late Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Stein that they would do that. In the last six months that is the only check the faculty has been receiving.
Last summer many of us heard that Tzvi Belsky the fundraiser/executive director of the Yeshiva was having marital problems. At that time he was also teaching in the Yeshiva Camp Kol Torah as he did for the last few years. The problems at that time were involving porn addiction, sex chatting, strip clubs, and he was sent to therapy. If anything went on between Belsky and boys in Camp Kol Torah isn't known yet, but we do know that they refused to rehire him this year. Do they have more information that we don't have as of now?? Well Belsky went to N.Y. for therapy and at the same time was able to enjoy his freedom of traveling to visit his online friends and the N.Y./N.J. strip clubs. Finally, he was busted in those places, online girls were chatting him on public computers and porn movies were found hidden on his computer. His wife realizing that she was married to a pervert that even therapy couldn't help went for divorce. As the stories of all Belsky's action began spreading more people suddenly had what to add, never davening, Chillul Shabbos, prostitutes and much more. Belsky, realizing he was in trouble began trying to win over the faculty of the Yeshiva. Being behind in checks, which in essence means not doing a good fundraising job he immediately contacted his brother in law Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz to give the Yeshiva 50k so he can give a check and then hopefully everyone will look away from all his other actions. When he gave out the check and that still didn't happen he began threatening the Yeshiva that the land adjacent to the Yeshiva that is owned by his brother in law will be used against the interests of the Yeshiva. Getting another 50k for a second check and hopefully with that threat he is hoping his job will be secured.

 What will the faculty of Telshe Yeshiva do now? Will they sell themselves out to this pervert, spouse cheating, porn addict etc. and let him stay as the name and face of their Yeshiva or will they do the correct thing and have him replaced with a more qualified individual that will not be a disgrace for a upstanding Orthodox Yeshiva ? Time and public opinion will be the deciding factor.