WASHINGTON (DC)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, davidgclohessy@gmail.com )
A prominent Orthodox Rabbi from Washington DC has been arrested after allegedly video tapping women bathing in a ritual bathhouse. We applaud the brave woman who alerted officials to her suspicions.
Prior to his arrest, Rabbi Barry Freundel has been the rabbi at Kesher Israel in Georgetown since the late 1980s. He allegedly was filming women as they bathed at the synagogue’s mikvah, which is a traditional bathhouse. We are disappointed that a trusted official allegedly abused his position of authority to violate the privacy of maybe countless women.
We hope officials at Kesher Israel reach out to anyone who may have been violated. And we urge law enforcement officials to vigorously investigate and pursue the allegations and we urge synagogue officials to contact former synagogue members and staff who may have information about these allegations.
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