Times of Israel Approximately 30 London rabbis are preparing a statement calling on a colleague accused of sexual misconduct to step down from his synagogue, The Times of Israel has learned.
The declaration will say that Rabbi Chaim Halpern is not fit to serve as a rabbi “due to his violation of Jewish law and the laws of modesty,” and that he should be removed from his shul, according to Yisroel Lichtenstein, the head of the rabbinical court of the Federation of Synagogues in London.
Two weeks ago, Halpern, who is considered one of the top Haredi rabbis in London, resigned from his role as a religious judge in Kedassia, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations. He also ended his relationship with Beis Yaacov Primary School, the Hatzolah emergency medical service and Chana, an infertility charity where he was a religious advisor.
He has been accused by about 30 women of “inappropriate” contact. Earlier this month, six rabbis and religious judges gave him a choice between withdrawing from his positions or facing a public statement against him. They could not remove him, however, from his synagogue, Beis Hamedrash Divrei Chaim in the neighborhood of Golders Green, which is run from a building he owns.
The exact nature of the accusations has not been publicly revealed. [...]
The declaration will say that Rabbi Chaim Halpern is not fit to serve as a rabbi “due to his violation of Jewish law and the laws of modesty,” and that he should be removed from his shul, according to Yisroel Lichtenstein, the head of the rabbinical court of the Federation of Synagogues in London.
Two weeks ago, Halpern, who is considered one of the top Haredi rabbis in London, resigned from his role as a religious judge in Kedassia, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations. He also ended his relationship with Beis Yaacov Primary School, the Hatzolah emergency medical service and Chana, an infertility charity where he was a religious advisor.
He has been accused by about 30 women of “inappropriate” contact. Earlier this month, six rabbis and religious judges gave him a choice between withdrawing from his positions or facing a public statement against him. They could not remove him, however, from his synagogue, Beis Hamedrash Divrei Chaim in the neighborhood of Golders Green, which is run from a building he owns.
The exact nature of the accusations has not been publicly revealed. [...]