WASHINGTON (DC)
Washington Post
Handling of misconduct complaints against rabbi raises calls for more transparency
By Michelle Boorstein October 25
The case of a prominent Georgetown rabbi accused of voyeurism has offered a rare glimpse into the secretive way in which the liberal wing of Orthodox Judaism often handles rabbi misconduct, triggering calls by critics for more transparency and accountability.
A few days after Rabbi Barry Freundel’s Oct. 14 arrest on charges alleging that he put a secret camera in a ritual bathhouse, the 1,000-member Rabbinical Council of America said it had investigated two prior unrelated complaints of misconduct against Freundel — one in 2012, the other in 2013 — but never informed his synagogue.
The 2012 case accused Freundel of abusing his power over female conversion candidates, coercing them to do clerical work and donate to his projects. In 2013, he was accused of traveling in a sleeper train with a woman who wasn’t his wife. To some, the secrecy surrounding the complaints echoed that in previous cases handled by Modern Orthodox leaders.
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