Rabbi Moti Elon
Furious that convicted sex offender Rabbi Moti Elon will
continue to teach at Bnei Akiva Yeshiva Or Etzion, concerned Israeli parents
are turning to the American Friends of Yeshiva Bnei Akiva to protest his
continued employment. They are also asking for support in pressuring Or Etzion
head Rabbi Haim Druckman to reverse the decision to retain him.
Keeping Elon as a lecturer despite his conviction on two
counts of forcible sexual assault and sentencing of community service was a
decision made by Druckman, a prominent figure in the national religious world
who, along with heading Or Etzion, serves as chairman of the Bnei Akiva schools
network, a fact which particularly disturbs many parents with children in the
Bnei Akiva educational system.
Beit Shemesh resident Miriam Zussman has distributed a
letter to Bnei Akiva supporters abroad, asking them to alert members. of the
board of American Friends of Yeshiva Bnei Akiva to the issue. In the letter,
she describes Elon as a “dangerous, habitual sexual predator.”
The decision to continue to allow him to teach, she wrote,
“reflects very badly on Rabbi Druckman's judgment and calls into question
whether he should be entrusted with the welfare of the 24,000 students in the
school network…. If you agree and are a donor to YBA or know any of the North
American leaders ...I would appreciate if you could contact them and explain
how dangerous the support of Moti Elon is, and how flawed Rabbi Druckman's
judgment has become.”
Activist Israeli opponents of Druckman’s decision created a
popular Facebook page called “Supporters of the Victims of Rabbi Elon”whose
slogan is “those who deny sexual violence, permit sexual violence.”
Among those spearheading the effort to pressure Druckman to
remove Elon from the yeshiva is Daniel Goldman, co-chairman of the World Bnei
Akiva organization. “As head of the network, Rav Druckman has a much greater
responsibility than someone who runs his own institution. The fact that he is
ignoring and denying the outcome of the appointed court of law on this matter,
makes a bad statement and sends a bad message with respect to what we say about
what goes on within our schools and what should be the level of tolerance of
people who have been convicted of sexual offenses - there should be zero tolerance.
Whatever personal feelings Rabbi Druckman might have shouldn’t matter,” Goldman
told Haaretz.
Goldman said the decision to turn to the American
organization was made “since Rabbi Druckman seems to be immune to criticism in
Israel, I wouldn’t do it under other circumstances - but I think people feel
strongly.”
Goldman noted that, to put it mildly, Druckman is “not
somebody who responds well to criticism” and because of his age and position
‘it is quite difficult to apply any sort of sanction” against him within his
organization. The irony, Goldman noted, is the fact that Bnei Akiva is a member
of the Takana, the forum of religious leaders which first revealed the
allegations against Elon and brought it to the attention of authorities after
conducting its own investigation, and recommended distancing him from young
people even before his conviction.
Druckman, however, a respected rabbi in the national
religious community and an Israel Prize laureate and a longtime supporter and
defender of Elon has stood fast. In a radio interview on Sunday, Druckman
saidthere was “no reason” to prevent Elon from teaching, and cast doubt on the
court’s ruling against him.
“At the end of the day, we’re talking about an incident in
which two people were in the room, Rabbi Elon and the complainant. There was no
one in the room apart from them,” he said. “This person claims one thing, which
the other denies. There’s no other testimony [on this incident]. Who says the
claim is true? No one knows what happened in the room and no one can know. This
is why I saw the ruling as a mistake,” Druckman told Arutz Sheva.
The religious website Cipa.co.il surveyedOrthodox Knesset
members on the issue. Only Jewish Home MK Uri Orbach took a stand, saying that
although he personally respects Rabbi Druckman, he believes that convicted sex
offenders “must not be permitted to teach young people” and that “first and
foremost, we have to stand behind the victims.”
On Wednesday, Economics Minister Naftali Bennett was asked
about the matter on Israel Radio and said, "I think a man convicted of
this should not be teaching. Certainly, not for a period of time. That is my
position."
The other Knesset members polled, including Education
Minister Shai Piron, declined to comment on the matter. It’s unclear whether
their silence means that they are reluctant to speak out against Druckman - or
whether, perhaps, given the fact that Elon received a relatively light sentence
of community service and probation, quietly endorse the decision to allow him
to stay in the classroom. Elon, who before the scandal was a highly respected
yeshiva head himself, admitted in court that he had kissed and hugged two
underage students - but denied that the contact was sexual.
One parent of three children in the Bnei Akiva school
network, Miriam Haber, complained on Education Minister Piron’s Facebook page
on his unwillingness to condemn Druckman’s decision. Normally, she said, she
“feels proud” to have kids studying in Bnei Akiva but “not this week.”
“As Education Minister, do you think it’s right that an
organization that manages 60 schools across the country under ministry auspices
should welcome someone convicted of sexual impropriety with a minor? I don’t.
The double message sent to the 22,000 students in the network are A) that it is
acceptable to question the decision of the courts and B) that the network they
study in doesn’t take the crime of sexual impropriety with a minor seriously. I
would presume that these messages are not acceptable to you as someone who is
responsible for the education of my children, and I would appreciate hearing
your opinion on the matter.”
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