Imminent Deadline to File Claims on Abuse re Dr. Reginald Archibald

By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

Over the past year, more than 100 individuals have come forward regarding alleged abuse that they have endured decades ago under the care of Dr. Reginald Archibald.  And there is an imminent deadline approaching.

Issues of child sexual abuse cause life-long struggles and repercussions.  Those who engage in such abuse and the institutions that allow it to happen should be held responsible to the extent that halacha permits.  The case described below is also applicable to, in this author’s estimation, hundreds if not thousands of frum individuals.  However, there is a deadline involved in filing. It is unclear, however, as to whether the deadline is August 10th, or a few days later.

Regardless, anyone who was r”l affected by the doctor or by the neglect of Rockefeller University Hospital who allegedly knew about the abuse and did nothing, should contact an attorney as soon as possible.  There are five major law firms handling such cases, according to this author’s very preliminary research – the one frum law firm handling a number of cases is Ribowsky ( they can be contacted at [email protected] 718 659-5333).

Dr. Reginald Archibald, was an expert endocrinologist who was a senior physician at RUH – Rockefeller University Hospital in Manhattan right off the FDR.  He died in 2007 and saw patients there from the 1940’s up until the early 1980’s.

He primarily treated children who had stunted growth or were particularly short.  Allegedly, he also abused many of his patients.  Many of these patients never spoke about it for decades.

A few years ago, New York State had passed a statute of limitations law (which was eventually overturned – and given some sort of extension).

In October of 2018, the hospital reached out to many of the former patients of Dr. Archibald and asked if any of them had any further information regarding possible abuse.  It seems that hundreds of patients did reach out.

It seems that Dr. Archibald had allegedly engaged in very wide-range abusive and inappropriate behaviors.  At the time, RU was called the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.

Patients were referred to him by the thousands, as he had the most sterling reputation in the field.  Thousands of frum patients were also referred to him, but for a number of reasons – most of these patients have not sought legal remedy.

The hospital may be responsible to pay for the fact that they may have allowed this to continue.  There is, as mentioned earlier, a deadline.

It is this author’s view that there is a Torah obligation to spread the information contained here that comes from an obligation to be chas al mammon yisroel.

THE MENACHOS GEMORAH

The Gemorah (Menachos 76a) tells us that Hashem commanded Moshe to also feed the nation’s livestock from the water that He had caused to emanate from the rock at Mei Merivah. Also, Rashi (Rosh Hashanah 27a) points out that the kohain first removes the vessels from the house before declaring a house impure. The Torah is thus concerned with the financial well-being of the Jewish nation.

THE ORIGIN OF PLAIN TACHRICHIM

The Gemorah in Moed Katan 27b tells us that when Jews were burying their dead in the finest clothing, Rabban Gamliel HaZakain arose and declared that enough was enough. The rising pressures, the “keeping up with the Joneses” in how to dress the deceased was causing enormous economic pressure on the living. “It must stop,” declared the rabbi, and the tachrichim, burial shrouds, we now use became the norm.

BOYCOTTING FISH

The great Tzemach Tzedek (of 17th century Poland), cited by the Mogain Avrohom in the beginning of hilchos Shabbos, once ruled (responsa #28) that when local fishermen collude and lift up the price the fish excessively, a prohibition can be levied upon the consumption of fish on Shabbos. It may take a week or two or even three, but eventually the collective buying power of ordinary people would force the price back down.

OBLIGATION UPON EVERYONE

We will see, however, that it is not just great Torah leaders who have saved and are concerned for the financial well-being of their fellow Jews. It seems that this is what is expected by the Torah of everyone.

FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS

The difference between the two cases is that the former is for the entire nation, while the latter demonstrates that the Torah is concerned even for the individual’s finances.

SOCIAL NORM AND TORAH OBLIGATION

The Chasam Sofer on Bava Basra (54b) states that, generally speaking, one can make the assumption that fellow Jews are concerned with the monetary well-being of their fellow man, and that this assumption has legal ramifications. So we see that it is the normal behavior expected of all Jews.

Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher, author of the Tur, discusses (in the Choshen Mishpat section of Shulchan Aruch, chapter 35) a person who does not care about Jewish money, and he writes that such a person will, in the future, surely answer for it. The Minchas Chinuch writes that one who is concerned about the preservation of his fellow Jew’s money fulfills the Biblical commandment of v’ahavta l’rei’acha kamocha (see his commentary on that mitzvah).

The clear indication from all these sources is that demonstrating concern for the financial well-being of others is not just a mitzvah, it is an expected social norm with reward for those who do it and punishment for those who do not.

If you know anyone that might have suffered from this horrific situation, please urge them to contact a law firm that can handle such a suit.

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This seminary has a remarkable track record in their alumni.  They come back to America and join the frum community.  I am personally familiar with this program and some of the staff members.    Rabbi Yair Hoffman ********

The author can be reached at [email protected]