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Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-skirts

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs and mini-skirts.

From the South African Independent Scientology blog, Scientologists getting back in comm:

Rena Weinberg - the untold story
http://backincomm.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/rena-weinberg-the-untold-story/
Every now and then a South African becomes a star in Scientology’s firmament.

There was the illustrious John McMaster announced by LRH to be the first real Clear. Seen and heard all over the world. John turned out to be a great and moving ambassador for the movement. Unfortunately he came to an untimely end by being declared a suppressive person and thus disappeared from view.

John McMaster was a product if you can call it that of the Sea Organisation launched in the sixties and run by Hubbard himself.

It ‘ran aground’ so to speak in the seventies when it returned to the United States and set up a land base that became known as Flag.


Little was heard from Hubbard after that and a decade later he died and the ensuing power struggle between the disgraced Guardian Office and the Sea Org resulted in the triumph of the latter.

In 1984 in an effort to recover from the bad press and non existent public relations of the Church of Scientology an organization known as the International Association of Scientologists was born at Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead. Its prime purpose: to create a war chest to fight off legal battles that were looming.

Ever since then the IAS has bestowed a series of Freedom Medal awards on individual Scientologists. Among these have been no less than six South Africans.

These were Joan Lonstein, Rena Weinberg, Greg Capazorio, Lawrence Anthony and Kevin Jones.


Joan Lonstein was conspicuous by her absence from the 2004 Freedom Medal winner Summit held at Saint Hill in 2004. Lawrence Anthony passed away several years ago; Kevin Jones tried to pawn or sell his medal only to find out that all that glitters is not gold thus it was valueless (he was was financially struggling at the time and is now a staff member in Johannesburg).

But of all the South African medal winners we would like to focus on one.

Rena Weinberg.

Who is Rena Weinberg? When the Pretoria Org was about to open, first rumours were rife that David Miscavige himself was to do the ribbon cutting. Then it was rumoured that Rena Weinberg was going in his stead. But at the end of the day it was merely Kerry Ibert (daughter of Geoff Murray) who got the honours.

Back to Rena Weinberg. According to Wikipedia she is the President of the Association for Better Living and Education. So, one can ask, how did she reach that elevated position?

Rena Weinberg is mentioned by Marc Hedley in his book Blown for Good. During Marc’s gradual absorption into the Sea Organisation he was posted for a while at the International headquarters of ABLE (Association for Better Living and Education) and he tells how this South African lady was the Executive Director. He said that he was told she had joined the Sea Org at the age of 16 and finally found herself in a key position.

Well there is no way that Rena Weinberg joined the Sea Org at the age of 16. Rena was born Rena Rosy. A nice Jewish girl but she turned out to be a nasty junvenile delinquent. Into sex and drugs (mostly marijuana) in her home town of Durban, Natal. She was enrolled in University studying Engineering at the time (circa 1973). Her father was only too pleased to give permission for Rena to join staff whereupon she dropped out of University and was then rapidly recruited into the Guardian Office.

Stationed in the Johannesburg head office of the GO (known as GOAF), it was not long before Rena became Mrs Theo Hill. Her husband (and John McMaster incidentally) were both featured in news items in Auditor 35 which appeared recently on Mike Rinder’s blog. A very youthful Theo (Toff) Hill was shown on the shoulders of his father at Saint Hill, being lauded as the youngest Clear. Years later, when he met and wanted to marry Rena, he had to get circumcised to comply with Jewish lore.

Well in the African Guardian Office young Mrs Hill was posted into the notorious Bl (Bureau of Information, formerly Intelligence) and soon became the number one under cover black ops person ever known throughout the entire network for Africa.

One would bump into Rena in odd places; shopping malls; newspaper offices; all over the place. Sometimes she would be wearing a blonde wig; other times a black one – she was always dressed in a tight mini skirt, and was obviously using her sex appeal to further her subterfuge activities. Sometimes one would hear she was known by one name; on other occasions by another.


Aided by a young Austrian by the name of Hans Lehner (father of JBG Org Staff member Diane Cook) who was later deported, and a young South African by the name of Richard Beghin, this trio repeated the actions of their counterparts in the USA by breaking not only into the Department of Health but also offices of the Dutch Reformed Church who was vehemently opposed to Scientology. Operation Snow White was alive and well in South Africa. Daily coded telexes reporting their shenanigans were being sent back and forth between GOAF and GOWW (situated at Saint Hill).

When things began to heat up and the Bureau of State Security (BOSS) began taking an interest in the activities of the South African Guardian Office, Rena hopped on a plane and hid out with the UK branch housed at Saint Hill Manor. When the heat died down she received a cable “Dear …..(her code name)….all clear; fly home fast”.

Soon, as a result of its vigorous recruit programme, GOAF was able to secure the services of a nice young Jewish dentist from a wealthy Johannesburg family by the name of Brian Weinberg. It was not long before Mrs Rena Hill divorced Theo and became Mrs Rena Weinberg. No circumcision was needed this time.

Then the house came tumbling down and the GO was disbanded. One of its six bureaux was known as Social Co-ordination (SOCO) and this was the bureau that housed all the “social reform” activities engaged in by the Guardian Office. Major juggling occurred. Many GO staff simply walked away and the rest joined the Sea Org; spent some time on a “deck project force” (forerunner of the Rehabilitation Project Force) for their sins and were then posted to a variety of Sea Org posts. Gordon Cook, the head of GO AFRICA went to the USA and took over Mary Sue Hubbard’s post of Controller. Jane Kember whom Hubbard had appointed “Guardian for Life” was extradited from the UK and went to prison in the US.

Gordon Cook was present during the Miscavige-run Mission Massacre and Finance Police era. He found the conditions so appalling under the new regime that he and his wife Yvonne together with their two small children blew under the pretext of visiting their family in South Africa. They were both declared suppressive for not returning to the US. Apart from attending LRH’s memorial service in Johannesburg in 1986, Cook never put his foot near Scientology again.

The Social Co-ordination Bureau became the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) and Rena Weinberg was soon sailing under this bright new flag. She and Brian packed up and headed for the U.S. They had access to Brian’s family funds and could pretty well dance to their own tune. Needless to say they were now Sea Org and Rena, for sure, needed a ‘shore story’. The one dreamed up for her was that she had been “under age” when she carried out all her dark deeds for the GO and therefore she could not be held culpable!! Tell that to the Marines!

Where is Rena now? Her ‘message’ as President of ABLE INT still shows on the ABLE website but rumour had it not long ago that she was languishing in the notorious Hole at Hemet.

Who knows? Perhaps that is where she should be. Narconon, one of the programmes headed by ABLE is in deep trouble; Criminon and the education/literacy arm Applied Scholastics are also struggling.

So Quo Vadis ABLE INT.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

Back around 1987 or 88 I was at Social Coordination International (now called ABLE) for about a year and had spoken to Rena dozens of times on the phone. I believe at the time she was the CO for SOCO Africa. I never did meet her in person as I was already gone by the time she arrived here in the U.S.

I did see her name on a list of those being in The Hole some years ago. No idea where she's at now. Here's another thread from several years ago about her and Brian as well:
http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthread.php?16483-Rena-and-Brian-Weinberg/page2
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

Who ever wrote this did it with a spiteful flair. I don't like that. No one should languish in "The Hole". No one.

"Sex and drugs"... so judgmental. How many didn't do drugs an go along with a bit of free love in those times. However, the comment on this part is about her activities as a juvenile, which is despicable. She was a kid for heavens sake! We don't need to know these things, which were probaby confessed in session or in a OW write up. Give the vengance a break.
 

uncover

Gold Meritorious Patron
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

"Sex and drugs"... so judgmental. ...... She was a kid for heavens sake! .....
Did you read the article ?:
Rena Weinberg is mentioned by Marc Hedley........ He said that he was told she had joined the Sea Org at the age of 16 and finally found herself in a key position.

Well there is no way that Rena Weinberg joined the Sea Org at the age of 16. ..... She was enrolled in University studying Engineering at the time (circa 1973). .....

..... She and Brian packed up and headed for the U.S. They had access to Brian’s family funds and could pretty well dance to their own tune. Needless to say they were now Sea Org and Rena, for sure, needed a ‘shore story’. The one dreamed up for her was that she had been “under age” when she carried out all her dark deeds for the GO and therefore she could not be held culpable!! .....
 

This is NOT OK !!!!

Gold Meritorious Patron
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

Mary is right.

The article is very judgemental, written by someone who's own Scientology onion is not yet well peeled.

There was some Jew baiting in there too, refering to Brian.

There was no secret washing of her resume either.

Rena had been the ED of ABLE (known in South Africa as Education Alive) for many years and was a large contributor to student comp points internationally for Scientology. When she came to the US, she became a darling of DM and was celebrated and received the medal and all. But it was on the heels of actual outreach and actual production in the difficult townships and rural homelands areas.

Rena is (was?) in the hole at Int along with Lauri Zurn and possibly Simon Hogarth too - that's 3 out of the last 4 heads of ABLE - stuck altogether in a prison. WTF does that even mean? The one not in the hole blew - Aloise Eisenring (sp?) - a Swiss German that blew LA in the middle of the night and managed to stay out.
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

Did you read the article ?:

Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs and mini-skirts.

Rena Weinberg is mentioned by Marc Hedley in his book Blown for Good. During Marc’s gradual absorption into the Sea Organisation he was posted for a while at the International headquarters of ABLE (Association for Better Living and Education) and he tells how this South African lady was the Executive Director. He said that he was told she had joined the Sea Org at the age of 16 and finally found herself in a key position.

Well there is no way that Rena Weinberg joined the Sea Org at the age of 16. Rena was born Rena Rosy. A nice Jewish girl but she turned out to be a nasty junvenile delinquent. Into sex and drugs (mostly marijuana) in her home town of Durban, Natal. She was enrolled in University studying Engineering at the time (circa 1973). Her father was only too pleased to give permission for Rena to join staff whereupon she dropped out of University and was then rapidly recruited into the Guardian Office.

From the South African Independent Scientology blog, Scientologists getting back in comm:

Rena Weinberg - the untold story
http://backincomm.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/rena-weinberg-the-untold-story/

I read all of what was posted in the OP and in my sentences about her being a kid and what was written being despicable, I was referring to the bolded comment above.

Perhaps you missed that since it was not posted in red.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

Mike Rinder makes a comment about Rena being in the Hole:

http://backincomm.wordpress.com/201...the-untold-story/comment-page-1/#comment-8674
michaeljrinder on May 30, 2014 at 9:32 pm said:

Rena and Laurie Zurn, formerly DG US and head of ABLE Int (Rena was the President) were both in the Hole when I left in 2007. Both had been there for approximately a year. I don’t think they have been seen in public since.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Will Smith (almost) makes a Scientology appearance.

Will Smith (almost) makes a Scientology appearance.

http://backincomm.wordpress.com/201...the-untold-story/comment-page-1/#comment-8686
Gaye Corbett on May 31, 2014 at 5:18 am said:

Interesting story, thanks. We knew Rena when she was working in Education Alive in SA and were actually on the ship with her when she received her Freedom medal. It was such a surprise as she was one of the first to get it and we didn’t even really know what it was… She even borrowed a dress to receive the award as she came very unprepared. Anyway unfortunately for her she attracted the ” Powers that Be” and she landed up in the States. Looking back at that time Rena’s stats were highly exaggerated and when I compare her stats to what was later achieved it was a joke– not that I want to invalidate what she did do. She certainly pioneered the idea of getting a good education into our very bad education system in SA. Anyway after that we used to see her from time to time at flag but she became quite manic and always had a huge agenda for pushing stats and getting money – she and Charmaine who left SA at more or less the same time.

The next time we had anything to do with her was when she suddenly appeared on our doorstep, she was putting on one of her “capers” and was bringing out a very secret person to SA. We were all sworn to secrecy, it was none other than the great Will Smith. Oh my gosh what a fuss! We were required to empty out our Safari lodge of all other guests, we arranged a graduation in Bushbuckridge( local village where we were delivering basic study Manual to hundreds of local teachers and students) to show him our “good work” we had to hire a helicopter, grade our airstrip and hire in a plane to transport him to the lodge in the kruger. It was manic and crazy and alllllll for our expense of course. Well the day before he decided to hell with this woman who was trying to control him totally (as the arrogant Church tends to do) and he cancelled the trip. Of course we were left holding the financial baby and she just disappeared off the radar. We were absolutely furious but being good church members we just took it all smiling. My gosh when I look back on all these little incidents I cannot believe we were so stupid and gullible for so long.

After that we only saw Rena a few times more at flag, I think the failure of this caper was the beginning of the end for her and she just looked more and more haggard. Then of course we heard the rumors that she was in the Hole trying to make up the damage to the grand master….. Poor woman, what a waste of a very able woman. Don’t get me wrong she was very cold and calculating and got what she wanted even if she left dead bodies behind.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

http://backincomm.wordpress.com/201...the-untold-story/comment-page-1/#comment-8709
Shelley

on May 31, 2014 at 2:39 pm said:

Meja Deja, I disagree that the article lacks dates, stats and facts.

Firstly, the dates of these occurrences are all pretty well-known by now, the period of Operation Snow White, when the GO was disbanded, the year/s in which the Missions Massacre and Finance Police events occurred, and when the Sea Org took over what was once the GO. – Why is it necessary to repeat these dates?

I am not sure what stats you wanted? How many covert-ops were run? How many telexes were sent back and forth? How many “enemies” were quelled? How many illegal acts occurred? I don’t know why you would want or need these stats.

Thirdly, as to the facts, I can attest to this article being utterly factual. I should know, as I was working in the GO with Rena and everyone else mentioned in the article at the time. My post was that of Dir Comm GOAF. All communication into and out of the GO went via me. I was privy to every single activity going on within the GO, the orders coming down from up-lines, compliance and progress reports going back etc – it all came through me.

I do not believe the author made any inference as to the character of the people mentioned – these are things that happened, and consequent results that occurred as a result of these actions. The fact that Gordon Cook walked away after he witnessed Miscavige in action IMO makes him a man amongst men, and it was a sad day in Scientology to lose his shoulder against the wheel. The fact that Rena stayed on and rose to greater heights AFTER she had been involved in illegal black-ops and other Snow White activities (which were crimes for which she could have gone to jail for) goes to show the very criminal organisation that SCN has become today. Sad, but true.

I hope this data gives some credence as to the accuracy and facts contained in the article.
 

This is NOT OK !!!!

Gold Meritorious Patron
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

Was this posted in response to Mary & I carping about the article?
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

Was this posted in response to Mary & I carping about the article?
No, it was posted in response to someone on the Scientologists getting back in comm blog carping about the article in the comments. Someone complained that the article contained generalities, etc., and Shelley responded.
 

AnonyMary

Formerly Fooled - Finally Free
Re: Scientology: Rena Weinberg - the untold story. The GO, BI, blonde wigs & mini-ski

That same day I posted a my May 31st comment from this thread over there in a reply to Meja Deja's comment and it's still sitting in moderation cue while others are being approved and posted. Shelly can't take criticism much, eh?

Mary McConnell on June 1, 2014 at 1:41 am said:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
http://backincomm.wordpress.com/2014/05/30/rena-weinberg-the-untold-story/

Some of these people have a ways to go to get out of the scientology mindf*ck
 
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