The head rabbi of Melbourne's Yeshivah Centre has told the royal commission into child sexual abuse he believes a gay person can be "cured" by therapy, like a paedophile.

Rabbi Zvi Telsner told the commission he believed there was a possibility paedophiles could be cured by counselling and spiritual guidance.

When asked if therapy could do the same for someone who is gay, he replied: "I would say the same thing can happen to someone who is gay, I would suspect. There is a possibility, I'm not discounting that".

Rabbi Telsner said therapy could help paedophiles change their behaviour.

"There's a certain belief that if someone for example after 20 or 25 years has not committed any offences, and all of this time has gone to therapy, there would be a good possibility that person may have been able to change his way of life," he said.

"If you see that over the last 20-odd years the person has been able to control themselves being amongst children, there would be a possibility that he is in control of himself."

Rabbi denies besmirching child abuse victims

The Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse is examining how Jewish schools in Melbourne and Sydney have handled allegations of child sexual abuse since the 1980s.

Last week, the inquiry heard Melbourne's Yeshivah Centre tried to "cure" serial sex offender David Cyprys and continued to employ him more than 20 years after victims reported he had sexually abused them.

Rabbi Telsner denied besmirching victims of child sexual abuse in two sermons he delivered in 2011.

The sermons were allegedly directed at a victim who gave evidence to the inquiry under the alias, AVB, and whistleblower Manny Waks.

Both said they and their families had been shunned and subjected to ongoing bullying and intimidation for speaking out.

Rabbi Telsner accepted he could have corrected misconceptions about his preaching four years ago, after being accused of standing by and letting them fester.

"I don't believe it was in the wake of my sermons, and if any of my sermons caused them to believe that, I apologise profusely and regret that anyone took that message that I was meaning them," he said.

The Rabbi denied starting a community campaign to shun those who spoke out, but accepted he was complicit because he did not preach against it.

AVB was sexually assaulted at the age of 10 by convicted child abusers Daniel Hayman and David Cyprys in the 1980s, but he remained silent for 20 years.

Manny Waks went public in 2011 with allegations he was repeatedly sexual abused as a boy at Yeshivah College and accusations of a cover-up.

Maybe he should pass that on to the Catholics.

"I would say the same thing can happen to someone who is gay, I would suspect. There is a possibility, I'm not discounting that".

Did he really say anything that bad?

yes .

Care to explain? He was asked asked a question and gave his opinion which he admitted had no weight behind it. He simply said he suspected it was possible.

Read things properly.

At least they aren't throwing them off buildings like some 'religious' nuts.

you cant be fucking serious. you're white knighting this too? Fuck me he was asked a question at a royal commison into secualxual abuse and you whiteknight . I knew you want to be scandalous and go against the norms but your a pathetic piece of shit

I read what he said and have followed this the entire time. even the former head of the rabbilah distanced themselves to what he has said . But if course you know better .

Poor interpretation? No he said something really fucked up and is getting his right wack. And he didnt distanced himself the former head rabbi of the rabbilah has said what the head of yishiva said was wrong and that the ultra orthodox jews need to realise that by shunning the victims it makes thrm look bad.What he said about being gay and be cured is sick . Noone chose to be gay and for him to say both gays and pedos can be cured is wrong on so many accounts. You're not trying to sound like a dick but ffs you are coming across like one

Of course he distanced himself, the guy is getting bad press over a poor interpretation if what he said.

To my original point though (legitimately, without trying to be a dick), what is wrong with what he ACTUALLY said? He said he presumes it's possible, he didn't say that all gay people are just sick and can be cured through a rigid process.

Poor interpretation? No he said something really fucked up and is getting his right wack. And he didnt distanced himself the former head rabbi of the rabbilah has said what the head of yishiva said was wrong and that the ultra orthodox jews need to realise that by shunning the victims it makes thrm look bad.What he said about being gay and be cured is sick . Noone chose to be gay and for him to say both gays and pedos can be cured is wrong on so many accounts. You're not trying to sound like a dick but ffs you are coming across like one

He said they can be cured. He has a serioud case if foot in mouth or is just a plain simpleton.

Im reading it as we speak. Extended therapy and time coule cure paedophiles. I would say the same thing could happen to sosomeone who was gay, I would suspect . There is a certain belief that if someone , for example after 20 to 25 years , has not commited any offences , and all of this time has gone to therapy,there would be a good possiblity that the person may be been able to change his way of life .

Just touching kids instead.

As opposed to Muslim clerics wanting them beheaded or summat, loool gotta laugh at leftard hypocrisy