On a regular basis, I have been sending emails to various people in the Feldenkrais Guild community trying to get them to go on the record about the abuse allegations that have been leveled against several Feldenkrais Trainers, Assistant trainers, and others.
You can get a sense of the scope of the allegations by reading a #metoo "manifesto" that was presented to the International Feldenkrais Federation Assembly in 2018. I uploaded it here.
I first published a blog post on the topic in December of 2020, called Abuse Allegations in Feldenkrais Guild Training Community.
My blog post was based, in part, on the manifesto above presented to the IFF and also several in-depth zoom and email conversations with people who were direct witnesses to or experienced alleged abusive episodes by several Guild Certified Feldenkrais trainers, including Frank Wildman and Ned Dwelle.
The people that I have contacted have refused to answer my questions nor even acknowledge that they have received them, until today. Just a few hours ago, I sent an email addressed to David Zemach-Bersin, Jerry Karzen, Roger Russell, Elinor Silverstein, and Lesley McLennan
In the email, I offered the above-named people a chance to speak with me directly about the abuse allegations. I wrote, in part:
...as you can likely imagine, I will have many questions for you. Let's talk about the 40 years of allegations of rape, sex contests, and bullying toward your own students, assistant trainers, and others. We could have some fascinating conversations in the public realm. Again, whenever you are ready, please do not hesitate to contact me.
To be honest, my email was aggressive. I have had well-over a year of having my emails being ignored and I wanted to provoke a response. It worked and Feldenkrais "trainer," Jerry (Jerome) Karzen replied.
And I quote:
"All the things you are saying about everyone else is your idiotic drivel as usual. Go see a psychiatrist and have him/her put you in an institution…you need help." Jerry Karzen
Wow! That is quite a response.
I am asking Jerry to speak about allegations that have been put forth by dozens of people worldwide. They are not my allegations. Rather, they have been published and spoken about by many people as you can see if you read the document above submitted to the IFF. But rather than speaking about the allegations he engages in ad hominem attacks against me as a person.
I sent him a very simple response, telling him that:
I have over 100 pages of allegations that have been put forth against Frank Wildman and Ned Dwell. And also documents that were submitted to the IFF about dozens of other allegations against your friends and colleagues. The allegations go back to the Amherst training. When would you like to have a Zoom call to discuss them?
This is Jerry Karzen's response, unedited:
Jerry Karzen: Alas, in all branches and societies there are sometimes a few people who break the bonds of civility…..that does not mean that the majority are also not good and honorable beings. You are excessive in your anger and unpleasantness…probably because someone did not care for you enough as a lover/child/friend???? Or think or act as if you were some fantastic example of whatever.
I suggest that you realize that most people are good human beings, trustworthy, and honest and wellbeing, and well meaning, in their life’s endeavors…..It will at least make you less angry, and will stop you from acting like an asshole in most of your communications with others.
Acting/ranting as you do, will only make YOU to be the ostracized person…
Karzen seems to think that wanting an accounting of abuse allegations makes me angry and an "asshole."
I want to remind everyone that what I am doing here is documentation.
I want to get public recognition from Jerry Karzen and his colleagues for the abuse allegations against a number of Guild Certified Feldenkrais trainers, many of whom are Jerry's longtime friends and colleagues. And I want people to know that the allegations cover events spanning a nearly 40-year period. As you can see from Jerry's response he is deflecting any knowledge or culpability and attacking me for bringing up the topic.
Jerry's response is the classic response of an abuser: deflect, deny, and blame someone else. It is the response of someone who refuses to take responsibility for his own actions.
I am still here if Jerry Karzen or any other Feldenkrais Trainer or Guild Officer wants to have a recorded Zoom conversation about the allegations and what the Guild and individual training organizations are doing to keep students and the public safe.
It is also time to speak about these allegations in terms of Moshe's ideas about maturity awareness. It seems not mature to bully and harass someone. And even less so to hide it from public view. Let's expand the field of awareness and create an open community.
If learning more about these ideas resonate with you, I invite you to take the next step and join The Matrix Of Awareness on Substack, where you can begin to learn the hidden keys to awareness and freedom:
https://mindflex.substack.com/
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