I got a nice tip that once-jailed con artist and Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH) co-founder Arthur Abba Godberg was scheduled to speak at the American Psychotherapy Association’s Executive Summit Meeting. I called to inform them of Goldberg’s shady past and urge them to drop the scoundrel — but it was already too late.

I was informed that Goldberg had been unceremoniously dumped and that his membership had been temporarily suspended. I’m not sure if it was because of his bizarre and bigoted theories about homosexuality, the harm he has caused his clients, or his disgraceful criminal past. Whatever their reasons, we think the American Psychotherapy Association should be commended for making a wise decision.

Abba Goldberg likes to pretend he is an expert on all-things-gay. The truth is, he is an amateur and a fraud who has no business discussing this topic in any forum. He is simply unqualified and filled with too much anti-gay bias to be taken seriously by the medical and mental health profession.

The recently disgraced Arthur Abba Goldberg will take his first stab at rehabilitating his image tonight after a South Florida Gay News and Truth Wins Out investigation revealed that he was a convicted Wall Street con artist. Upon leaving prison and completing parole, Abba Goldberg reinvented himself as an ex-gay activist – concealing his sordid past.

Goldberg and his apologists say that he should now be forgiven because his crimes and sins occurred two decades ago. But that ignores the central fact that his larger moral failing was that he concealed his past from colleagues and the media during his entire tenure with Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH). He never came clean about his sordid identity and would have continued lying and deceiving if not for the expose in February revealing that he is a fraud. As a result of his deception, he was forced exit his position as an officer with the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH)

Over the past couple of months, Goldberg has understandably kept a low profile. But, now he appears to be reemerging with a full-fledged public relations campaign. His efforts begin tonight with an “enlightening panel discussion” in Tallahassee allegedly sponsored by Pride and Seminole Christian Life. The event is presenting speakers both for and against the so-called “ex-gay” industry.

According to a Face Book page, the panelists will include:
- Frank Carrasco, Exodus
- Rev. Mark Byrd, Gentle Shepherd MCC
- Arthur Goldberg, JONAH
- Cantor Tanya Greenblatt, Temple Israel
- Christine Sneeringe, Exodus

The Face Book page also says:

Keep in mind, this is a panel, not a debate. We are looking to engage one another in a meaningful dialogue about the others opinions in a safe space. Both sides will be represented in order to present an unbiased view so that we all can reach our own conclusions about the topic in question.

Huh?

By definition the ex-gay industry is biased and pumps out unadulterated propaganda. It is has not one iota of science on its side. Its central thesis is a fraud: That LGBT people are the way they are as a result of poor parenting or sexual abuse. They say the “cure” is a combination of prayer and making straight friends that the gay person does not have sex with.

Not only is this bizarre reasoning false, but it is deliberate pseudo-scientific misinformation designed to undermine LGBT attempts to gain equality under the law. Indeed, the entire “ex-gay” “movement” isn’t even a real movement. It is political construction by religious fundamentalists intent on manipulating science to bolster a discriminatory worldview and justify anti-gay legislation. It allows the Religious Right to smile and pretend they love us, even as they persecute us.

It is disappointing that Pride is so gullible to promote this as a “safe space” when by definition “ex-gay” rhetoric demeans, diminishes and dehumanizes LGBT people. Does Pride believe that calling LGBT people sexually broken, demonic and perverse, as ex-gay activists routinely do is meaningful dialogue? Is having ex-gay activists whitewash their failure rate and lack of professional oversight, which can lead to abuse, sound like a “safe space”?

Furthermore, did they ever stop to question why the fundamentalists have recruited Goldberg, a convicted con artist, to represent their side? Maybe because their intention is to con students into believing they are just a good bunch of wholesome, loving people who only want to “help” those who want to change. Not the double talking, hate mongering, intellectually bankrupt, extremist ideologues they truly are.

By all means, have a panel discussion, I support such dialogue and free speech. But it is disappointing that Goldberg, a proven miscreant with no credibility, zero moral authority or genuine expertise on this subject is given a platform with the willing consent of an LGBT organization. That’s just plain stupid and allowing yourself to be punked.

As for the Christian organization I only have two questions: If your side is so moral, just and correct, why must you elevate a convicted felon who lied to his colleagues as recently as February to make your case – unless you have no case? Is this really, the best your side can do?

I hope the panelists and students who come to this event are well-informed, armed with the facts and ask tough questions. They should not shy away from combating such propaganda – even if it means making Goldberg and others uncomfortable. This con artist should not get a pass. I’d like to see a student ask this question:

Mr. Abba Goldberg. You bilked your clients – including poor communities – for millions of dollars. You emerged from prison and lied about your identity. What gives you the moral authority and integrity to talk about this issue, given your propensity for decades of deception? Why should we believe you now?

The Goldberg rehab train continues in New York City with a “special evening with JONAH”, Sunday, April 25, 2010 from 5:30 – 8:30 pm on West 70th St., NYC. According to the invitation:

This evening will be an opportunity to ask questions of our counselors and directors about JONAH’s new programs and plans for the future. We would also like your input and help in creating programs that will suit your needs.

We look forward to seeing you. We have lots of good information to share.

*Kosher Dietary Laws Observed

Well, at least its good to know there are still some laws observed by Goldberg. I may just have to attend this meeting. I can think of a few important questions to ask.

By now, the world knows that Arthur Abba Goldberg was a big-time crook. After he left prison and his parole was up, he founded Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality (JONAH). He also became a major player in the National Association for Research and Therapy for Homosexuality (NARTH) During his decade-long tenure he never revealed his sordid past.

He hid by slyly dropping the “Abba” from his soiled name. For 10 years, he has posed as a moral paragon and paraded himself around the nation as an “expert” on homosexuality. The truth is, he is just an ex-con up to his same old tricks. Except this time, his con game is “curing” LGBT people.

Today, I went into the bowels of a musty New Jersey library to retrieve old copies of The Record (Bergen) from 1989. I had to use microfiche, giving me flashbacks of my high school investigative reporting classes. Below is a crook photo of Goldberg from the July 18, 1989 issue of The Record under the headline, “SWINDLE: Bond Whiz Admits Guilt in $2B Fraud.”

The sub-headline is “Abracadabra is No Houdini.”

Sadly, Goldberg and his apologists are already spinning his criminality and moral turpitude. They are saying that his appalling past is being distorted by gay activists. And, they are claiming that his crimes are minor…..because we ALL know someone who tried to steal $2 billion dollars. More on that another time. For now just enjoy the newspaper clips.

(Arthur Abba Goldberg’s original article is HERE)

By: Erez Harari

“If you want to be gay, gey gezunta heit (you should live and be well)”

This catchphrase, coined by Arthur Goldberg of JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality) is used to illustrate that his “reparative therapy” organization believes that individuals who “choose” to be gay have every right to do so, just as an individual has a right to choose to “change”.

However, a recent article written by Arthur Goldberg on Arutz Sheva (a national Israeli news station) belies the disingenuousness of this message when Arthur lambasted a recent Yeshiva University event entitled “Being Gay in the Orthodox World”. This event was intended to illustrate some of the struggles, both internal and external, that Orthodox Jews have when trying to negotiate their religious and sexual identities (videos of the event are on vimeo.com, search: “YU gay panel”).

The purpose of the event was solely to raise awareness and tolerance, and it was explicitly stated that the event would not address halachah (Jewish law), reparative therapy, or the biological vs. social nature of sexual orientation. It was merely a chance for people to share their personal, often heart wrenching, stories about growing up gay in the Orthodox Jewish community.

This message was completely lost on Arthur Goldberg, who works with individuals “struggling with unwanted same-sex attractions” on a daily basis.

He begins his article by stating that the program “illustrates a classic strategy designed to manipulate Jews”. He clearly twists a simple plea for awareness and sensitivity into some sort of nefarious plot concocted by individuals with sinister ulterior motives. He then suggests that the panelists, a group of four Yeshiva University alums in their 20s, some of whom only came out within the past year or two, were “clever purveyors of a propaganda effort to alter attitudes within the Orthodox community”.

It’ surprising that raising awareness of the fact that homosexuality exists in the Orthodox community and encouraging sensitivity towards homosexuals is turned into a bad thing. No one violates Torah law by being nice to people.

Arthur claims that members of the “ex-gay” community were denied an opportunity to speak on the panel. This is blatantly false. The panel was comprised exclusively of Yeshiva University students and alumni and Arthur was denied a spot on the panel because he is not an alumnus. (Read More)

Ex-Gay Watch reports that convicted con artist Arthur Abba Goldberg, who dropped the “Abba” in his name and co-founded JONAH in 1999, is trying to create yet another false identity by manipulating the wikipedia website. His latest assumed name is Arthur “Avrum” Goldberg.” Here is what Ex-Gay Watch had to say:

However, in what seems too coincidental to be such, the longstanding “Arthur A. Goldberg” in the Wikipedia article about JONAH was changed to “Arthur Avrum Goldberg” on February 8th. The editor goes by the name of Ann Jonah.

Avrum is Yiddish for Abraham, which in turn means “father of nations” or father in general to the Jews. Abba also means father and so we think Goldberg is being cleverly deceptive here. We also think we know why this edit was made several days before the current story hit. This post will be updated once confirmed.

Apparently, a con artist just can’t stop conning, even when the jig is up. It is almost amusing to watch Goldberg’s useless machinations on his wiki page, even as the story of his true identity goes viral on the Internet. Arthur Abba Goldberg is clearly the “father” of falsehoods.

There is still no public statement from Goldberg. He is still manipulating and maneuvering behind the scenes like a trapped wet rat. I suggest he come out of the convict closet and admit he is a snake oil salesman. No matter how hard he tries, he will not be able to rewrite history.