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	Claims Female Jewish School Principal Molested Students, Fled Herald Sun March 14, 2008 http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23373236-661,00.html THE former principal of an exclusive Melbourne private Jewish girls' school was sacked this week and has left Australia amid accusations she molested students. Fairfax media reported today that mother-of-eight Malka Leifer was dismissed as principal of the Adass Israel Girls' School in Elsternwick last Tuesday week, and returned to her native Israel a day later. The Adass community is described as a small, ultra-orthodox and reclusive group of about 150 families based in Elsternwick and Ripponlea who have little contact with the wider Jewish community. The complaints are believed to involve girls aged 15 and 16, the report said. The president of the Adass Israel synagogue, Benjamin Koppel, said in a statement to the Australian Jewish News newspaper that the school acted after receiving a call suggesting inappropriate behaviour may have have occurred with one or more present or former students. The statement said a "relevant authority" had been informed of the allegations, but did not confirm if the authority was police, a religious court or an independent schools board. A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the force was aware of the claims but could not confirm there was an investigation because any alleged victims may be underage. A counsellor with Gateway Family Counselling Centre in Caulfield, Raphael Aron, said his agency had referred some families with students at Adass to specialists. "This has hit the community like a ton of bricks, it's absolutely out of character with the nature of the school, staff and faculty," he said. Parents of present and past students told Fairfax Mrs Leifer had molested students at school, at her home and possibly at school camps. One girl had attempted suicide. There are claims that Mrs Leifer left Australia with up to $100,000 borrowed from a family in the community two days before she flew to Israel. She was also alleged to have taken about $20,000 from a pool she managed of money earned by students in part-time jobs to loan to people in need.
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