Manny Waks details impact of sexual abuse by a church member

A prominent victims’ rights advocate who was sexually abused by two members of Melbourne’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has given a powerful statement on how it affected him.

A prominent victims’ rights advocate who was sexually abused as a child by a prominent member of Melbourne’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has detailed how the offending tore his family apart and forced them out of Australia.

Manny Waks delivered a moving victim impact statement at County Court on Friday when Velvel “Zev” Serebryanski appeared for a plea hearing after a jury last week found him guilty on three charges of indecent assault and one of sexual penetration of a child in the 1980s.

A former member of the Yeshivah Centre in Melbourne, Serebryanski was extradited from New York where he’d been living since 1994, to stand trial.

Another member, David Cyprys, was jailed for eight years in 2013 for abusing Mr Waks and eight other boys at the St Kilda East college between 1983 and 1991.

Velvel “Zev” Serebryanski is awaiting sentence for historical sexual abuse of a boy in the 1980s.

In court on Friday, Mr Waks said the concepts of sex, sexuality and sexual abuse were completely foreign to him as a child aged 11 or 12 when Serebryanski sexually abused him.

“The first time Velvel sexually abused me was inside one of the most sacred sites in the Jewish community: the synagogue,” Mr Waks said.

“It is clear to me that Velvel has never accepted responsibility for his actions. Shockingly, he remained a guest at my parents’ home after the abuse.

“He was even invited to my Bar-Mitzvah celebration, the coming of age of males at the age of 13 in the Jewish religion.

“Even worse, Velvel still seems to believe that a child may consent.”

As an advocate for Jewish abuse victims, Mr Waks supported two girls who were abused by former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer.

Leifer was later jailed for a maximum of 15 years.

Mr Waks said he began rebelling against his religion to the point his parents sent him to Israel to study in a religious institution but that didn’t work and he returned to Australia.

Manny Waks has spoken about the impact Velvel “Zev” Serebryanski’s offending has had on him and his family over the years.

Mr Waks disclosed Serebryanski’s offending to his father after hearing on the radio about a police operation on child sexual abuse.

Mr Waks said he followed his parents to live in Israel after attacks from within the Jewish community over his decision to speak out about the abuse.

Serebryanski was remanded on bail for sentencing on March 16, 2026.