The Melbourne’s Yeshivah Centre circulated the following update to its members and parents:

“The Yeshivah Centre welcomes the opportunity to present its current policies and procedures in relation to child protection and child-safe standards and the steps it has taken following the Royal Commission hearing.

Since the Royal Commission in February 2015, the Yeshivah Centre has taken several significant steps to ensure a safer environment for Children in its care and to provide redress to past victims. These include:

•  Establishment of a Governance Review Panel and implementation of the Panel’s findings
•  Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah Colleges received the ‘Safeguarding Children’ accreditation from the

  Australian Childhood Foundation. Yeshivah – Beth Rivkah Colleges is the first school in Australia to receive such accreditation. This includes training every staff member (teachers and administration) in all policies and procedures relating to child safety.

•  Prior to the Royal Commission, Chabad Youth was the first Jewish Organisation to receive the ‘Safeguarding Children’ Accreditation, and continue to implement best practice in child protection.
•  Establishment of an independently operated Redress Scheme to offer support and redress to Victims of child sexual abuse at the Yeshivah Centre. Financial redress has been made to applicants, as well as counselling and apologies.
•  Multiple information sessions were held where Child Sexual Abuse survivors addressed the community in both large scale and smaller settings.

  The Yeshivah Centre condemns all forms of child abuse and acknowledges the serious harm it causes. We remain committed to provide a safe environment for all children in our care.

In Sydney, a spokesman for the Yeshiva said: “Yeshiva welcomes the announcement of a review by the Royal Commission and will continue to cooperate with its activities.”