Case of Rabbi Chaim Halpern
London, England
Golders Green
Stamford Hill
Nearly 30 women have come forward with complaints against a Rabbi Chaim Halpern, who was a well known leader of London's Haredi community. This is a case of clergy sexual abuse against adult women.
The Awareness Center needs your help! If new articles or other information is known about this case, please it to: VickiPolin at aol.com We are also looking for more photographs of Rabbi Chaim Halpern.
This case is very similar to that of Rabbi Mordecai Tendler. Not only because of the alleged offending behavior of the rabbi, but also the tactics being utilized in attempts to silence those who were sexually harmed by this man along with those advocating for them.
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Table of Contents
2012
Rabbi Chaim Halpern supports the ban on the internet
Prominent London rabbi resigns in growing Haredi sex scandal
(11/20/2012)
- Rabbi stands down in the face of allegations (11/23/2012)
- London rabbinical judge resigns due to sexual misconduct charges (11/23/2012)
- Beth Din trying Rabbi Chaim Halpern is ‘planning a whitewash’ (12/06/2012)
- Senior London rabbis break ranks to demand colleague in sex case step down (12/07/2012)
- North-West London rabbis issue statement against Halpern (12/07/2012)
- Rabbis desecrate God’s name in London (12/23/2012)
UK Orthodox organization expels synagogue led by rabbi mired in sex scandal
(12/24/2012)
Police called over rabbi row (12/24/2012)
- British synagogue led by alleged sexual predator readmitted to UK Orthodox org (12/25/2012)
- London synagogue considers pulling out of Orthodox body (12/27/2012)
2013
Charedi crisis over sex abuse claims (01/03/2013)
London Jews at war over sex abuse claims (01/09/2013)
- Conduct of Rabbi Chaim Halpern affair is ‘a farce’ (01/10/2013)
Court orders Google to identify anti-Halpern bloggers (01/10/2013)
Also see:
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Rabbi Chaim Halpern supports the ban on the internet
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Prominent London rabbi resigns in growing Haredi sex scandal
Chaim Halpern yields to mounting pressure from other rabbis, and may yet be the subject of a criminal investigation
By Miriam Shaviv
Times of Israel - November 20, 2012
LONDON — A leading British rabbi accused of
sexual misconduct stepped down from most of his public positions Monday
night, following extensive attempts to oust him, The Times of Israel has
learned.
Rabbi Chaim Halpern, who is considered one of
London’s most senior Haredi leaders, has left Kedassia, the Union of
Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, where he was a religious judge. He is
still the head of his Golders Green synagogue, Beis Hamedrash Divrei
Chaim, in the heart of Jewish London, but will no longer act as the
rabbinic adviser to Beis Yaacov Primary School, the Hatzolah emergency
medical service or Chana, an infertility charity.'
Accusations that he had engaged in
“inappropriate” contact with at least one woman surfaced during the high
holidays, in October, when a local rabbi confronted him and tried to
drive him from the neighborhood. Since then, sources say that about 30
women, most of whom had gone to Halpern for counseling, have also made
allegations, and several have apparently given statements to a solicitor
at Teacher Stern,
a top London legal firm. The London Metropolitan Police are still
assessing whether the claims warrant a criminal investigation.
Halpern could not be reached for comment, and the precise nature of his contact with the women is unclear.
In the past two weeks, The Times of Israel has
learned, a group of rabbis, primarily from Halpern’s neighborhood,
stepped up efforts to have him fired from Kedassia after hearing new
claims from a woman in her 20s who allegedly approached a judge from the
London Beth Din, or religious court, which is affiliated with the
Orthodox United Synagogue and rivals Kedassia.
Late last week, according to sources close to
the events, a group of local rabbis approached a senior figure from
Kedassia to demand that Halpern be terminated. But this was followed by a
visit from Halpern himself, together with his father, Rabbi Elchonon
Halpern — who, known as Reb Chuna, is also one of London Jewry’s
best-known Haredi rabbis. Tthe proposal was not adopted.
Halpern’s colleagues allegedly gave him an ultimatum: Step down or be condemned publicly
On Sunday, The Times of Israel has discovered,
a group of rabbis consisting of several dayanim, or religious judges,
and several Golders Green leaders met at the home of Dayan Chanoch
Ehrentreu, a former head of the London Beth Din, together with the
younger Halpern and two accusers.
The meeting did not result in Halpern’s
dismissal, but the rabbis allegedly gave him an ultimatum: that he step
down or the rabbis would publish a letter condemning him publicly.
He resigned late Monday afternoon, apparently
proclaiming his innocence but saying that his position had become
untenable because he seemed to have lost the support of his colleagues.
One source told The Times of Israel, “People
are shocked. The community will take time to come to terms with this.
This is going to be very traumatic for people.”
The source emphasized the belief that there remains no suggestion of criminal behavior.
Other sources said the case showed that
London’s Haredi community takes allegations of sexual impropriety
seriously, but that it also underscored differences between rabbis from
Golders Green and Stamford Hill, a more Hassidic area of London where
the majority of the women making accusations come from, and where
Kedassia is based.
“In Golders Green, the rabbis are connected to
the outside world, to the blogs and the papers, and don’t want to look
like they’re ignoring what everyone is saying. In Stamford Hill, they
couldn’t care less,” a source said.
Prayer services and classes took place as normal at Halpern’s synagogue on Monday evening.
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Rabbi stands down in the face of allegations
By Simon Rocker
Jewish Chronicle - November 23, 2012
A
leading member of London’s strictly Orthodox rabbinate this week
resigned as a dayan after being confronted over allegations of
inappropriate conduct with a number of women.
Rabbi Chaim Halpern, who runs a shtibl (house synagogue) in Golders
Green, announced that he was stepping down from “public positions”,
which include his seat on the presiding rabbinate of the Union of
Orthodox Hebrew Congregations.
The storm, which has been gathering around him for weeks, broke on
Sunday after he attended a meeting at the home of former London Beth Din
head Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, where six local rabbis examined the
allegations.
The rabbis issued no public statement but a copy of Rabbi Halpern’s
resignation letter, handwritten in Hebrew, surfaced on the internet on
Tuesday.
I have decided to withdraw from public positions
In
it, he said: “Since several complaints have arisen against me relating
to marriage counselling, I have decided in my interest to withdraw from
public positions beyond my beis hamedrash (synagogue).”
He hoped to continue teaching Torah.
Rabbi Halpern was unavailable for comment. But an associate of his
said on Wednesday: “He strongly denies the allegations. He was left with
no choice other than to resign following the meeting.”
Rabbi Halpern is the scion of one of the most influential rabbinic
families in London’s strictly Orthodox community. His father, Rabbi
Elchonon Halpern, is a long-standing president of the Union.
Apart from his official Union role, Rabbi Chaim Halpern held other
communal positions. A newsletter to parents from Beis Yaakov Primary
School, which had previously listed him on the letterhead as an
education adviser, appeared on Tuesday without his name.
The Union had come under mounting pressure from several rabbis in
Golders Green to take action over the allegations, which related to
Rabbi Halpern’s counselling work.
A few days before Rosh Hashanah, an unsigned letter on behalf of a
group calling itself “the committee of North-West London rabbis” was
sent to the Union’s rabbinic head, Rabbi Ephraim Padwa.
It stated that one of the dayanim was “engaged in inappropriate conduct” with women.
The letter alleged that, several years ago, he had been warned about his activities by three senior rabbis from the community.
It warned: “The women say that if the rabbis don’t do anything… they
will go to the police and there is no doubt the police will look into
it.”
Rabbi Padwa was urged to ask “this person to remove himself from town without further delay”.
One of the rabbis, who approved the letter, said that “more than one rabbi agreed to it being sent”.
In the event, the initiative was finally taken by Dayan Ehrentreu,
who convened a group of local rabbis on Sunday to hear evidence and
question Rabbi Halpern.
No one was available from the Stamford Hill-based Union to comment.
But one member of the strictly Orthodox community in Golders Green
predicted that there would be broader fallout from the episode.
“There is a complete split within Golders Green,” he said. “People
no longer respect the Union rabbinate at all, they have lost credibility
in north-west London. Things are going to have to change.”
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London rabbinical judge resigns due to sexual misconduct charges
JTA - November 23, 2012
(JTA) -- A British rabbi reportedly resigned his posts because of sexual misconduct allegations.
Rabbi Chaim Halpern, who resigned Monday, was a rabbinical judge at
Kedassia, the kosher supervision arm of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew
Congregations, according to the Times of Israel.
Reports that Halpern had “inappropriate” contact with at least one
woman first surfaced in October. Since then, more women have come
forward with allegations against Halpern, who also held posts at the
Beis Yaacov Primary School and the Hatzolah emergency medical service.
While proclaiming his innocence, Halpern said his position had become
untenable because he seemed to have lost the support of his colleagues.
Halpern opted to resign after fellow judges threatened to condemn him
in a public manner.
Halpern remains the head of his synagogue, Beis Hamedrash Divrei Chaim, in the Golders Green section of London.
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Beth Din trying Rabbi Chaim Halpern is ‘planning a whitewash’
By Simon Rocker
Jewish Chronicle - December 6, 2012
.JPG) |
| Dayan Lichtenstein: says Rabbi Halpern ‘unfit to serve |
After weeks of silence, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations has announced that it will convene a special rabbinic court to hear claims against one of its rabbis of inappropriate behaviour with women.
Rabbi Chaim Halpern resigned as a Union dayan and from other communal roles two weeks ago, after complaints about his counselling sessions for women, but continues to lead the synagogue he runs in his Golders Green home.
The Union — which has been under mounting criticism over its handling over the episode — issued a public notice on Tuesday.
It stated that the head of its rabbinate, Dayan Ephraim Padwa, was “in the process of setting up an independent Beis Din, consisting of prominent and renowned dayonim, to thoroughly investigate the allegations affecting one of our rabbonim”.
The Beth Din — which is likely to consist of three rabbis from Israel — will “hear testimony and examine evidence”, according to the notice. Its ruling would be binding on the Union’s rabbinate.
Until it delivered its verdict, Rabbi Padwa expressed the wish that “no further action nor declaration be made”.
But one north-west London rabbi, who is aware of the complaints, questioned the credibility of the Beth Din and whether any of the women involved would be willing to attend. “It is worth nothing,” he said. “It is going to be one-sided because no one will come to give evidence.”
Rabbis who have previously urged the Union to act “would not co-operate”, he predicted, because “they feel it is just a plan to whitewash”.
Rabbi Halpern relinquished his communal roles after attending a meeting at the home of former London Beth Din head Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, when a group of six rabbis questioned him over the complaints and heard testimony directly from one young woman.
An associate of Rabbi Halpern — who is the son of Union president Rabbi Elchonon Halpern — has said that the rabbi denied the allegations.
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| Rabbi Chaim Halpern - Alleged Sex Offender |
Amid increasing strain between the Stamford Hill-based Union and some of its Golders Green members, it is understood that a wider group of north-west London rabbis is considering making public their concerns about Rabbi Halpern. So far they have held back pending efforts to get the backing of some Union rabbis.
But one rabbi has spoken out. Dayan Yisroel Lichtenstein, head of the Federation of Synagogues Beth Din, said that Rabbi Halpern had “crossed the red lines of accepted rabbinic behaviour” and was “unfit to serve as a rabbi”.
In a bizarre twist, Union leaders this week received an email purporting to come from an American psychologist, “Ahron Hersh Fried”, which cast doubt on the allegations against Rabbi Halpern and suggested that he would probably be cleared .
A senior Union figure suggested that the email be circulated to “relevant parties… maybe even to whoever can get it into the JC”.
But it appears that the email may be a hoax. Rabbi Aharon Hersh Fried is the name of a psychologist at Yeshiva University in New York and he has made it clear that he is not the author of the email sent to the Union.
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Senior London rabbis break ranks to demand colleague in sex case step down
By Miriam Shaviv
The Times of Israel - December 7, 2012
‘The
grave allegations warrant the immediate withdrawal’ of Rabbi Chaim
Halpern ‘from all rabbinic and counseling functions,’ letter says
LONDON — Five senior London rabbis issued a public statement Thursday night declaring that one of their colleagues “is not fit and proper to act in any rabbinic capacity”.
Although the rabbi is not named, it is a reference to Rabbi Chaim Halpern, a leading haredi rabbi who has been accused of sexual misdemeanors with around 30 women who come to him for counselling and rabbinic guidance. Rabbi Halpern resigned as a religious judge and as a rabbinic adviser to several London institutions last month, but has remained in charge of his own synagogue.
Some 30 rabbis originally said they would sign a statement against Halpern after hearing the evidence against Halpern two weeks ago. However, rabbis belonging to the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, with which Halpern was affiliated, were forbidden to sign it, delaying its publication and prompting widespread criticism from members of London’s haredi community who bemoaned the lack of rabbinic leadership.
The five rabbis who put their name to the letter Thursday night were the former head of the London Beth Din, Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu; London Beth Din dayanim Menachem Gelley and Yonatan Abraham; and two rabbis from Halpern’s neighborhood of Golders Green, Shimon Weingarten and Berel Knopfler. The latter two are widely regarded as having spearheaded the efforts to call Rabbi Halpern to account.
According to the letter, the rabbis conducted “painstaking and extensive investigations, including interviews with alleged victims,” which left them “in no doubt as to the veracity of our own conclusion that the grave allegations warrant the immediate withdrawal of the [rabbi] from all rabbinic and counseling functions.” They warned the public “about the risks involved in allowing the alleged perpetrator to resume his activities.”
Earlier this week the Union announced that it was appointing religious judges to a court that would investigate the allegations against Rabbi Halpern. Thursday’s letter seemed to question whether the religious court was being established in good faith and can be objective, with the rabbis saying that they stand by their own verdict against Rabbi Halpern “whatever the motivation of the proposed beth din and whatever it may conclude.”
Because three of the signatories are members of the London Beth Din, which is a rival to the Union’s own beth din, they denied allegations that their actions against Rabbi Halpern stemmed from “a battle between different organizations. We would like nothing better than to see total [unity]… we are confident that reasonable, thinking people will appreciate that we have only become involved in order to safeguard vulnerable members of the [community].”
They asked that any person who feels they have been abused take “immediate steps to be debriefed by recognised professionals” and said that they were establishing a body of Orthodox professionals for this purpose.
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North-West London rabbis issue statement against Halpern
By Simon Rocker
Jewish Chronicle - December 7, 2012
The controversy over the Golders Green rabbi accused of inappropriate
behaviour with women deepened yesterday as five rabbis released a
statement against him.
Rabbi Chaim Halpern resigned two weeks ago as a dayan of the Union of
the Orthodox Hebrew Congregations over complaints about his counselling
sessions with women but remains as head of a congregation he runs in
his home.
But the former head of the London Beth Din Dayan Chanoch Ehtrentreu
and four other North-West London rabbis have declared that Rabbi Chaim
Halpern should withdraw from all rabbinic functions.
The Stamford Hill-based Union announced this week that its head Rabbi
Ephraim Padwa was convening a special Beth Din to investigate the
complaints against Rabbi Halpern.
But in their statement, Dayan Ehrentreu and the other rabbis said:
“We are confident of our conclusion that the Rov concerned is not fit
and proper to act in any rabbinic capacity. This unequivocal decision
was taken after painstaking and extensive investigations, including
interviews with alleged victims.”
The four other rabbis who signed the statement are Dayan Menachem
Gelley, the senior dayan of the London Beth Din; Dayan Yonason Abraham
of the London Beth Din: Rabbi Shimon Winegarten of the Union-affiliated
Bridge Lane Beth Hamedrash: and Rabbi Yissochor Knopfler, of a local
Federation synagogue.
They said: “Whatever the motivation of the proposed Beth Din and
whatever it may conclude, we are in no doubt as to the veracity of our
own conclusion that the grave allegaions warrant the immediate
withdrawal of the Rov from all rabbinic and counselling functions and
warn the congregation about the risks involved in allowing the alleged
perpetrator to resume his activities.”
They also stated that any person who believes they have been abused
in any way should “take immediate steps to be debriefed by recognised
professionals. The community in North-West London is establishing a body
of frum professionals for this purpose. Anonymity and confidentiality
are assured.”
They added that they “would like nothing better than to see total
unity and the merging of all the shuls in north-west London into one
united body for the benefit of our families, institutions and communal
infrastructure”.
An associate of Rabbi Halpern has previously said that the rabbi has denied the allegations.
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UK Rabbi Declared 'Not Fit' After Harassment Accusation
Forward - December 7, 2012
Five London rabbis have declared Rabbi Chaim Halpern from Golders
Green “not fit” to act as rabbi because of accusations that he had
behaved “inappropriately” with women.
The five rabbis demanded in a statement published on
Thursday that Halpern cease to act as rabbi at his home synagogue in
northwest London because of the accusations, which surfaced last month.
“We are confident of our conclusion that the Rov
concerned is not fit and proper to act in any rabbinic capacity. This
unequivocal decision was taken after painstaking and extensive
investigations, including interviews with alleged victims,” the
statement read.
The authors – Chanoch Ehtrentreu, Menachem Gelley,
Yonason Abraham, Shimon Winegarten and Yissochor Knopfler – did not name
Chaim Halpern in their letter.
On Dec. 6, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations
announced that it would convene a special rabbinic court to hear claims
against Halpern, The Jewish Chronicle reported.
Rabbi Chaim Halpern resigned as a union rabbinic judge
and from other communal roles two weeks ago, after complaints about his
counselling sessions for women, but he continues to lead the synagogue
he runs in his Golders Green home.
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Rabbis desecrate God’s name in London
YNET NEWS - December 23, 2012
Religious leaders
are held to higher standards, must be completely and permanently removed
from religious positions based on sexual abuse rumors.
Multiple women have
accused an extremely prominent London haredi rabbi, Chaim Halpern, of
sexually abusing them during their marriage counseling sessions with
him.
A number of rabbinic judges in London had the courage to
investigate the claims and subsequently found Halpern unfit to serve in
any religious capacity. In response, Halpern stepped down from many of
his religious positions.
Yet the saga continues
because Halpern still maintains his position as a rabbi in his own
community. In addition his father, another prominent and venerable
rabbi, Chanoch Halpern, together with numerous other rabbis, have
dismissed the allegations and maintain that Chaim Halpern is a righteous
man who has been caught up in a conspiracy.
The proverb says that “there is no man on the earth who is
(completely) righteous, who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes
7:20). We are all human and, thus, none of us are perfect. Yet the
abuses allegedly committed by Halpern are in a different league – they
are especially heinous.
There is the famous story, found in the Book of Samuel, where
sons of Eli the High Priest used their priestly positions to gain sexual
favors from women who came to the Temple to offer sacrifices. The
venerable Eli the High Priest confronted his sons telling them, “No, my
sons, for the rumor which I hear the Lord's people spreading is not
good.”
Eli the High Priest did not need hard evidence in order to
confront his sons. He relied upon and believed the rumors that were
spreading. Eli then tried to convince his sons to repent. But, they
didn’t listen to their father, nor does it say that they admitted their
sins. The surprise, however, is the last part of this narrative, which
explains that the sons of Eli would not repent because God wanted to
kill them (Samuel 1, Chapter 2:22-25).
This is taken to mean that God hardened their heart to
repentances and they were therefore killed. All the commentators are
puzzled. Did God really want them to die as sinners rather than
remaining alive and returning to a path of righteousness?
The answer is clear: There are some sins one cannot be rehabilitated
from. One who abuses one's religious office in order to gain sexual
favors cannot repent and then continue to serve. Such people need to be
permanently and completely removed from ever serving in a religious
capacity. In corrupting their positions as spiritual leaders they are in
essence making a mockery out of God.
In terms of the sins allegedly committed, the case of Halpern is
not dissimilar to that of the sons of Eli the High Priest. In how it
was dealt with, however, the two cases differ considerably. In the Book
of Samuel, Eli took the rumors seriously and confronted his sons. In the
case of Halpern, his father, the venerable Chanoch Halpern, has
dismissed the allegations and insists that his son is a Tzadik
(righteous).
With regard to the sons of Eli, the entire Jewish community was
united in their outrage. With Halpern, there are multiple religious
leaders in the London Jewish community who have signed a letter
defending him and his continued right to serve in a religious capacity.
The story of the sons of Eli teaches us that religious leaders
are held to higher standards and must be completely and permanently
removed from their religious positions based on rumors of sexual abuse
alone.
It is clear that the allegations against Halpern are more than rumors,
even if they have not been proven in a court of law. The fact that
Halpern is still serving as a rabbi, and that his father and other
rabbis are still defending him, is not only a disgrace to the community,
it is a disgrace to the Torah and a huge desecration of God’s name.
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Charedi crisis over sex abuse claims
By Simon Rocker
The Jewish Chronicle - January 3, 2013
Allegations
of inappropriate behaviour with women by a senior strictly Orthodox
rabbi have this week led to a schism within the Charedi community.
The community has been convulsed for months following complaints made
by women about marriage counselling sessions run by Rabbi Chaim Halpern
of the Divrei Chaim Synagogue in Golders Green.
One group believes that Rabbi Halpern has been maligned, while
another is angry at what it argues is a failure by an umbrella body, the
Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations — whose president is Rabbi
Halpern’s father — to investigate his behaviour.
On Tuesday, the North Hendon Adath Yisroel synagogue in north-west
London pulled out of the Union after the shul’s rabbi, Dovid Cohn, said
the Union’s “lack of willingness or ability” to deal with the issue was
“a matter of great embarrassment”.
The fallout from the allegations against Rabbi Halpern has divided
rabbis, highlighting tensions between the more professional and
prosperous congregations in north-west London and conservative factions
in Stamford Hill.
Feelings are so highly charged that police are investigating
complaints of harassment lodged by one of the rabbis who has opposed
Rabbi Halpern.
A police spokesman said on Wednesday that they were investigating
allegations that “a man in his mid-60s” had received more than 50 phone
calls which included “profanities in Hebrew”.
Henry Ehreich, secretary of North Hendon Adath Yisroel, which has
around 180 members, explained that its decision to leave the Union and
go independent was because “of the way the Union has been dealing, or
not dealing, with the problem. We were faced with a situation where
members of our shul were voting with their feet.”
If the synagogue had remained affiliated, he said, it would have
appeared to have been in agreement with the Union’s perceived
“inaction”.
He added: “We think this may be a catalyst for other shuls to do the same.”
Last Monday, the Union’s religious head, Rabbi Ephraim Padwa,
appeared to have taken firm action against Rabbi Halpern by authorising
the expulsion of his synagogue from the Union.
But only a few hours later, Rabbi Padwa let it be known that an
announcement of the move had been a “misunderstanding”. Union officials
confirmed that Divrei Chaim remained within the Union.
The rethink followed a meeting at the home of Rabbi Halpern’s father,
Rabbi Elchonon Halpern, the elderly president of the Union. Police were
called when witnesses in the street reported hearing heated exchanges
with supporters of Rabbi Chaim Halpern inside. No arrests were made.
Several Golders Green rabbis, including former London Beth Din Dayan
Chanoch Ehrentreu, who have examined some of the evidence against Rabbi
Chaim Halpern, have previously declared him unfit to serve as a rabbi.
Rabbi Halpern maintains his innocence, saying that his counselling sessions have been conducted in accordance with Jewish law.
Although he resigned his position as a Union dayan and other communal
roles, he continues to lead Divrei Chaim and teach Torah classes in the
area.
A senior Orthodox activist from north-west London said: “The rabbonim
of north-west London, along with the entire community, have completely
lost confidence in the UOHC. They, or their leader, are utterly
incompetent and should be replaced; either scenario calls into question
the reliability of their communal activities, including kashrut.”
Rabbi Chaim Halpern, he said, “has disgraced his position as rav. The
sooner he leaves north-west London, the sooner the community can begin
to heal itself”.
In December, the Union announced plans to set up a special Beth Din
convened by a leading rabbi from Israel to examine the allegations. But
the lack of any further detail has fuelled accusations of impotence.
Rabbi Halpern, meanwhile, continues to enjoy support within the
Charedi rank-and-file. One Stamford Hill supporter said: “I have heard a
lot about him, that he’s always got time for people who have got
problems. I don’t believe the rumours.”
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UK Orthodox organization expels synagogue led by rabbi mired in sex scandal
By Miriam Shaviv
Times of Israel - December 24, 2012
To avoid a schism, the leadership of London’s Haredi community has ousted the shul run by Rabbi Chaim Halpern
LONDON — In an unprecedented and potentially
explosive move, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, the umbrella
organization for Britain’s Orthodox institutions, has expelled a
synagogue led by a rabbi accused of sexual misconduct.
Beth Hamedrash Divrei Chaim, in the London
neighborhood of Golders Green, is headed by Rabbi Chaim Halpern, a
former religious judge in the Union and one of the city’s most senior
Haredi rabbis. He was forced to resign all of his public positions in
November following allegations that he had engaged in “inappropriate”
conduct with about 30 women coming to him for counseling, but retained
leadership of his shul, which is located in his house.
Since then, a group of local rabbis and
religious judges have called on him to resign from his pulpit as well,
to no avail. In response to intense pressure from the Haredi public, the
Union agreed to set up a beth din, or religious court, to try the case,
but it has yet to convene.
According to one source, the expulsion of
Divrei Chaim means that the beth din is now unlikely to go ahead, as
Halpern is no longer affiliated with the Union.
It will also remove the issue of Halpern’s
conduct from the agenda of the local rabbis, as he has effectively
become a private individual.
The rebellion of the shuls in Golders Green has exposed deep divisions between two centers of London’s Haredi community
“As far as we are concerned, the job is now
done,” said one rabbi involved in efforts to persuade Halpern to step
down. “The Union doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore.”
When several senior Golders Green rabbis
issued a statement calling on Halpern to resign,”the Union fought it, as
it it was completely invalid,” the rabbi said. “Now they have seen
there is no way out.”
The decision to remove Divrei Chaim from the
Union was apparently made by Rabbi Ephraim Padwa, the head of the
organization, to counter a growing threat that other synagogues
affiliated with the Union in Golders Green were going to leave the group
to protest the handling of the case. The Union, according to these
rabbis, was too slow to act — partially out of deference to Halpern’s
father, Rabbi Elchnonon Halpern, another leading London figure — and had
blocked efforts to censure him.
Last Tuesday, one of the largest
Union-affiliated shuls in Golders Green, Beth Yisochor Dov (known as
Hager’s), discussed leaving the union, without reaching a final
decision. Another, North Hendon Adass, is reported to be considering a
similar move.
The threat that may have prompted the Union to
take decisive action was the prospect that Golders Green shuls that
left the Union would form a new, competing Haredi organization. That
body could have created its own kosher-certification body to rival
Kedassia, the Union’s powerful, respected and income-generating food
division. The new group, which would initially cover only chickens, has
apparently been in the works for some months; it would be run by a
Stamford Hill rabbi who already produces kosher milk.
The rebellion of the shuls in Golders Green
has exposed deep divisions between Haredim in that neighborhood and in
Stamford Hill, the North London community where the Union is based, and
where Halpern’s alleged victims came from. Golders Green is considered
far more modern, with the majority of the men working, widespread access
to the Internet and overseas vacations, for example, not uncommon.
Stamford Hill, by contrast, has in the past 20 to 30 years become
dominated by Hasidim, who avoid secular education and the professional
world.
Of the more than 100 congregations in the Union, about 20 are in the Golders Green area.
When the Halpern scandal broke, rabbis in that
neighborhood led efforts to remove him immediately from all positions
of authority, while many of their Stamford Hill peers wanted to wait
until the case had been judged by a religious court.
The Halpern saga, said one rabbinic source,
merely “lifted the lid on what was already going on” between the two
communities. “It had been simmering for a long time. [Halpern] brought
it all to a head.”
‘As far as we are concerned, the job is now done. The Union doesn’t want anything to do with him anymore’
He called the gap between the two areas “a huge chasm.”
Should the two communities split, it could
have far-reaching implications for religious life in London. Residents
can expect the differences between the areas to become more pronounced,
with the Hasidic influence on Golders Green and its environs — until now
mostly promoted by the Halpern family — diminishing.
Meanwhile, more moderate elements in Stamford
Hill could find themselves isolated, and may choose to band together
with the Golders Green congregations, or even to move there. Should
Kedassia’s meat business be harmed — it currently claims about 15
percent of London’s kosher meat market, sources said — it would
significantly impact the Union’s own budget. The organization’s
financial resources would also be deeply reduced, of course, if a large
number of communities seceded from its control.
Another potential casualty could be Padwa
himself, who has allegedly struggled over decisions that might hurt his
friend, Elchonon Halpern. Padwa is said to have tried to quit as head of
the Union at least once recently.
The effects of his belated effort to address the Halpern scandal and limit damage to the Union remain unclear.
“There is no question that had Divrei Chaim
been part of the Union, we couldn’t have carried on,” said a member of
Hager’s. “But it’s very late in the day. A lot of damage has been
caused.”
____________________________________________________________________________________
Police called over rabbi row
Simon Rocker
Jewish Chronicle - December 24, 2012
Police were called on Monday night to the home of a Golders Green
rabbi in the latest twist to the controversy that has engulfed the Union
of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations in recent weeks.
Earlier that day the Union had appeared to have taken action to expel
the synagogue whose rabbi, Chaim Halpern, has been accused of
inappropriate conduct with women.
In the evening, the Stamford-Hill based head of the Union’s
rabbinate, Rabbi Ephraim Padwa, went to Golders Green to explain his
position to Rabbi Elchonon Halpern, the elderly president of the union
and father of Rabbi Chaim Halpern.
But police were summoned after observers in the street reported
heated exchanges inside involving supporters of Rabbi Chaim Halpern.
Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers went to Golders Green
Road after “reports of an altercation” on the night of Christmas eve but
said that “no criminal incident was recorded”.
The latest events indicate how high feelings are running within the heartlands of London’s strictly Orthodox community.
The Union had previously announced a plan to convene a special Beth
Din consisting of independent dayanim to examine complaints about
marriage counselling sessions run by Rabbi Chaim Halpern, the spiritual
head of the Divrei Chaim Synagogue in Golders Green.
But a short letter signed by the Union’s general secretary Rabbi
Chayim Schneck emerged on Monday to say that Divrei Chaim was “no longer
affiliated” with the Union.
It offered no explanation for the move but Union sources said that
the decision to cut links with the congregation had been taken by Rabbi
Padwa himself.
However, the picture became more clouded after Rabbi Padwa’s visit to Golders Green on Monday night.
A Charedi blog posted a letter said to have been written by Rabbi
Padwa, stating that the release of the earlier letter from Rabbi Schneck
had been a “misunderstanding” and that Divrei Chaim remained affiliated
to the Union.
But then the blog posted a second letter said to have been endorsed
by Rabbi Padwa the next day, which confirmed that Rabbi Schneck’s letter
had been written “under instruction” from Rabbi Padwa.
No one was available in the Union offices to comment.
Rabbi Halpern resigned last month from his position as a dayan with
the Union but has maintained his innocence, saying that his marriage
counselling sessions were conducted according to Jewish law.
But a number of north- west London rabbis, led by former London Beth
Din head Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, who have considered some of the
evidence presented against him, have declared that Rabbi Halpern was
“not fit and proper to act in any rabbinic capacity”.
____________________________________________________________________________________
British synagogue led by alleged sexual predator readmitted to UK Orthodox org
By Miriam Shaviv
Times of Israel - December 25, 2013
Rabbi Chaim
Halpern, a former religious judge with the organization, has been
accused of ‘inappropriate’ conduct with around 30 women
LONDON – An Orthodox organization has retracted
its expulsion of a synagogue led by a rabbi accused of sexual
misconduct after less than a day.
Monday morning, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew
Congregations, an umbrella group for Haredi institutions in London,
announced that Beth Hamedrash Divrei Chaim was no longer affiliated to
it. The synagogue is headed by Rabbi Chaim Halpern, a former religious
judge with the organization, who has been accused of “inappropriate”
conduct with around 30 women who came to him for counselling.
Before midnight that night, however, the head
of the Union, Dayan Ephraim Padwa, had issued a hand-written letter
declaring that the original statement was “released as the result of a
misunderstanding” and that Divrei Chaim was still part of the
organization.
According to comments on the blog Ifyoutickleus,
the swift about-face took place after Dayan Padwa met with Halpern’s
brother Moshe and a group of supporters. A high-volume altercation
allegedly ended with an ambulance and the police both being called to
the house. Dayan Padwa issued the retraction later that evening.
The allegations against Halpern, one of
London’s senior Haredi leaders, have rocked the local Orthodox
community, with a group of rabbis in his neighbourhod of Golders Green
leading the efforts to have him removed from all his public positions,
including the synagogue run out of his house.
____________________________________________________________________________________
London synagogue considers pulling out of Orthodox body
By Simon Rocker
Jeiwsh Chronice - December 27, 2012
A
north-west London synagogue is considering leaving the Union of
Orthodox Hebrew Congregations amid the controversy over a Golders Green
rabbi accused of inappropriate behaviour with women.
Leaders of the North Hendon Adath Yisroel Synagogue in Hendon want to
amend its constitution so that it can quit the Union if members wish.
An email sent to congregants on behalf of the wardens said that the
action was being taken in order to register our protest against the
Union’s “mismanagement and the resulting Chillul Hashem [religious
scandal]”.
The Union has come under mounting criticism over its handling of the
allegations of inappropriate conduct against Rabbi Chaim Halpern, the
leader of the Divrei Chaim community in Golders Green, who resigned as a
Union dayan last month.
The head of the Stamford Hill based-Union, Rabbi Ephraim Padwa,
appeared to have acted decisively this week by authorising the expulsion
of Divrei Chaim from the Union.
But a subsequent letter said to have been endorsed by Rabbi Padwa,
which surfaced on a Charedi blog, suggested the earlier notice had been a
“misunderstanding” and Divrei Chaim remained affiliated to the Union.
A Union official confirmed today that Divrei Chaim was "back in the Union".
The email to North Hendon Adath members said that in order to
withdraw from the Union, an emergency general meeting must take place to
change the constitution which currently requires the congregation to be
“a member of the UOHC. Once the constitution has been amended the way
is clear for us to act.”
In the meantime, the Union's rabbinic leadership has met to consider
its position on Rabbi Halpern and congregants are waiting to see if a
further statement will follow.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Charedi crisis over sex abuse claims
By Simon Rocker
Jewish Chronicle - January 3, 2013
Allegations of inappropriate behaviour with women by a senior
strictly Orthodox rabbi have this week led to a schism within the
Charedi community.
The community has been convulsed for months following complaints made
by women about marriage counselling sessions run by Rabbi Chaim Halpern
of the Divrei Chaim Synagogue in Golders Green.
One group believes that Rabbi Halpern has been maligned, while
another is angry at what it argues is a failure by an umbrella body, the
Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations — whose president is Rabbi
Halpern’s father — to investigate his behaviour.
On Tuesday, the North Hendon Adath Yisroel synagogue in north-west
London pulled out of the Union after the shul’s rabbi, Dovid Cohn, said
the Union’s “lack of willingness or ability” to deal with the issue was
“a matter of great embarrassment”.
The fallout from the allegations against Rabbi Halpern has divided
rabbis, highlighting tensions between the more professional and
prosperous congregations in north-west London and conservative factions
in Stamford Hill.
Feelings are so highly charged that police are investigating
complaints of harassment lodged by one of the rabbis who has opposed
Rabbi Halpern.
A police spokesman said on Wednesday that they were investigating
allegations that “a man in his mid-60s” had received more than 50 phone
calls which included “profanities in Hebrew”.
Henry Ehreich, secretary of North Hendon Adath Yisroel, which has
around 180 members, explained that its decision to leave the Union and
go independent was because “of the way the Union has been dealing, or
not dealing, with the problem. We were faced with a situation where
members of our shul were voting with their feet.”
If the synagogue had remained affiliated, he said, it would have
appeared to have been in agreement with the Union’s perceived
“inaction”.
He added: “We think this may be a catalyst for other shuls to do the same.”
Last Monday, the Union’s religious head, Rabbi Ephraim Padwa,
appeared to have taken firm action against Rabbi Halpern by authorising
the expulsion of his synagogue from the Union.
But only a few hours later, Rabbi Padwa let it be known that an
announcement of the move had been a “misunderstanding”. Union officials
confirmed that Divrei Chaim remained within the Union.
The rethink followed a meeting at the home of Rabbi Halpern’s father,
Rabbi Elchonon Halpern, the elderly president of the Union. Police were
called when witnesses in the street reported hearing heated exchanges
with supporters of Rabbi Chaim Halpern inside. No arrests were made.
Several Golders Green rabbis, including former London Beth Din Dayan
Chanoch Ehrentreu, who have examined some of the evidence against Rabbi
Chaim Halpern, have previously declared him unfit to serve as a rabbi.
Rabbi Halpern maintains his innocence, saying that his counselling sessions have been conducted in accordance with Jewish law.
Although he resigned his position as a Union dayan and other communal
roles, he continues to lead Divrei Chaim and teach Torah classes in the
area.
A senior Orthodox activist from north-west London said: “The rabbonim
of north-west London, along with the entire community, have completely
lost confidence in the UOHC. They, or their leader, are utterly
incompetent and should be replaced; either scenario calls into question
the reliability of their communal activities, including kashrut.”
Rabbi Chaim Halpern, he said, “has disgraced his position as rav. The
sooner he leaves north-west London, the sooner the community can begin
to heal itself”.
In December, the Union announced plans to set up a special Beth Din
convened by a leading rabbi from Israel to examine the allegations. But
the lack of any further detail has fuelled accusations of impotence.
Rabbi Halpern, meanwhile, continues to enjoy support within the
Charedi rank-and-file. One Stamford Hill supporter said: “I have heard a
lot about him, that he’s always got time for people who have got
problems. I don’t believe the rumours.”
____________________________________________________________________________________
London Jews at war over sex abuse claims
By Julian Kossoff
(UK) International Business News - January 9, 2013
Allegations
of inappropriate behaviour with women by a senior strictly Orthodox
rabbi have led to a schism within London's Charedi community.
The community has been convulsed for months following complaints made by women about marriage counselling sessions run by Rabbi Chaim Halpern of the Divrei Chaim Synagogue in Golders Green.
One
group believes that Rabbi Halpern has been maligned, while another is
angry at what it argues is a failure by an umbrella body, the Union of
Orthodox Hebrew Congregations - whose president is Rabbi Halpern's
father - to investigate his behaviour.
Feelings are so highly
charged that police are investigating complaints of harassment lodged by
one of the rabbis who has opposed Rabbi Halpern.
A police
spokesman told the Jewish Chronicle that they were investigating
allegations that "a man in his mid-60s" had received more than 50 phone
calls which included "profanities in Hebrew".
A split has emerged
between the more professional and prosperous followers living in
Golders Green, in northwest London, who believe a cover-up is afoot, and
a less affluent but more traditional faction from Stamford Hill, in the
borough of Hackney.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Conduct of Rabbi Chaim Halpern affair is a 'farce'
by Simon Rocker
Jewish Chronicle - January 10, 2013
Doubts
have been cast on the credibility of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew
Congregation’s latest attempt to deal with allegations of sex abuse
against one of its senior rabbis.
Last Friday, the Union announced the names of three rabbis, two from
Israel and one from the USA, to sit on a special beth din, which would
examine complaints against Rabbi Chaim Halpern of the Divrei Chaim
synagogue in Golders Green.
But already questions have begun to be asked about the tribunal —
particularly the attendance of one member, Rabbi Naftoli Nussbaum of
Jerusalem.
Federation Beth Din head, Dayan Yisroel Lichtenstein, said this week:
“I am aware that he [Rabbi Nussbaum] never agreed to come to London.”
The other Israeli member, Rabbi Sariel Rosenberg, from Bnei Brak,
confirmed that he would be flying to London for an “investigation”.
However, asked about the timing, he said: “I don’t know when.” Neither
Rabbi Nussbaum, nor the third rabbi, Avrohom Baruch Rosenberg of Monsey
in upstate New York, were available for comment.
Sources who have heard some of the complaints against Rabbi Halpern
have questioned whether any of the women involved would be willing to
take part in the proposed Beth Din hearings.
One Golders Green rabbi who has previously denounced Rabbi Halpern
said that the idea “carries no weight with us. The whole thing is a
farce.”
The Union, which has so far not disclosed the venue or date of any hearings, declined to comment.
It is three months since a group of north-west London rabbis alerted
Union head Rabbi Ephraim Padwa to complaints about marriage counselling
sessions offered by Rabbi Halpern.
Last month, Rabbi Padwa moved to oust Divrei Chaim’s synagogue from
the Union, only to allow it back in hours later. Rabbi Halpern has
maintained his innocence, saying he has acted in accordance with Jewish
law.
One congregation, North Hendon Adath Yisroel, has already quit the Union in protest at its handling of the Halpern affair.
Discussion has also been taking place among rabbis for a new strictly Orthodox alliance in north-west London.
There is also talk in the area of the imminent launch of a new kosher
chicken supplier – which some believe could start to chip away at the
income of the strictly Orthodox Kedassia, the kashrut operation that
helps to fund the Union.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Court orders Google to identify anti-Halpern bloggers
by Simon Rocker
Jewish Chronicle - February 8, 2013
Rabbi Chaim Halpern struck back against his accusers today by
obtaining a High Court order for Google to identify the names of
bloggers who have attacked him.
The Golders Green rabbi denies claims of inappropriate conduct
towards women which are currently being investigated by a special Beth
Din set up at the behest of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations.
Mrs Justice Gloster granted an application this morning ordering
Google to disclose the names of the blogger If You Tickle US and a
number of people who have posted comments under pseudonyms.
Chloe Strong, representing Rabbi Halpern, said that the comments contained “serious defamatory slurs”.
Mrs Gloster, noting that as the rabbi denied the allegations, said
that those making comments about him “should not… be entitled to hide
behind the shield of anonymity”.
____________________________________________________________________________________
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