Leading Zionist Orthodox Rabbi Asks Convicted Sex Abuser to Continue Teaching in Yeshiva

By Shmarya Rosenberg
Failed Messiah
August 14, 2013

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2013/08/leading-zionist-orthodox-rabbi-asks-convicted-pedophile-to-continue-teaching-in-yeshiva-456.html

Rabbi Haim Druckman

Leading Zionist Orthodox Rabbi Asks Convicted Sex Abuser To Continue Teaching In Yeshiva

Less a week after politically connected Rabbi Mordechai Elon was found guilty of indecent assault by force on a minor, a leading Zionist Orthodox rabbi – perhaps the leading Zionist Orthodox rabbi – Haim Druckman has asked Elon to keep teaching his weekly class in Druckman’s yeshiva, Ynet reported.

Druckman previously made statements in favor of Elon and against Elon’s victims. He also previously publicly supported Ze'ev Kopolevitch, the former head of Jerusalem's Zionist orthodox Netiv Meir Yeshiva, who was convicted of sexually abusing his students, and failed to report allegations that Kopolevitch was abusing students to police.

Now Druckman has responded to Elon’s conviction by inviting him to go on teaching at the Or Etzion Yeshiva Druckman heads, as Elon has been doing for the past three years.

And so, on Sunday the convicted child sex abuser returned to his normal teaching duties with Druckman’s full blessing.

Elon's victims were about the same age as Druckman's yeshiva students.

Elon's weekly class at Or Etzion started three years ago, six months after the Zionist Orthodox Takana Forum, which deals with clergy abuse in the Zionist Orthodox community, found that Elon had committed serious sex offenses against minors. Police had already recommended that Elon be indicted, as well.

Nonetheless, Druckman brought Elon into his yeshiva and allowed him to teach there as an expression of his support for Elon.

And now, after Elon has been convicted Druckman is continuing his policy of supporting Elon.

Despite his failures in the Kopolevitch case and his public demonization of Elon’s victims, Druckman is still the head of the Center for Bnei Akiva Yeshivot and the Association of Hesder Yeshivot. He also won the Israel Prize in 2012 – after he had protected Kopolevitch and demonized Elon’s victims.

"Rabbi Druckman has been questioned in the past by the attorney general for failing to handle and report sexual offenses committed by Rabbi Kopolevitch at the Netiv Meir Yeshiva. Unfortunately, he is pursuing a policy of covering for assaulters, [while] throwing the students to the dogs. This act includes defamation of God and trampling on the victims' dignity,” a disgusted Ayelet Vider-Cohen, a former member of the Takana Forum, told Ynet.