Four rabbis arrested for fraud, breach of trust
Police
arrest 4 rabbis from various cities on suspicion of fraudulently
obtaining 'fitness certificates' qualifying them for title 'rabbi'
Police
arrested four rabbis from various cities today (Wednesday) on suspicion
of fraudulently obtaining police "fitness certificates" testifying to a
criminal-free past that would enable them to qualify for the post of
"City Rabbi".
The four allegedly fraudulently obtained the certificate without having taken the rabbinic ordination exams. In addition they falsified scores of tests they never took, sent impostors to sit for the exam in their stead, and even appealed directly to the examiner to ease the test process and scoring for them.
Detectives of the Lahav 433 unit arrested the four suspects and searched their homes in order to seize documents that were allegedly linked to the offenses attributed to them.
The rabbis are suspected of fraud and breach of trust, receiving benefits fraudulently under aggravated circumstances, falsifying corporate documents, impersonating another person, and aggravated forgery.
Police emphasized that throughout the investigation they enjoyed the cooperation of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. The police also clarify that the suspicions are directed against the rabbis themselves, and not at the Chief Rabbinate or anyone operating on its behalf.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/235118?utm_source=activetrail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl
Four rabbis were arrested this morning on suspicion of fraud, breach of trust, falsifying documents, and impersonation, in connection to unlawful practices they employed in applying for municipal chief rabbi positions.
The Jerusalem Post has learned that the rabbis ran or are running for the chief rabbi jobs in the cities of Nesher, Pardes Hannah, Lod, and Beit Shemesh. The police have not released the names of the rabbis who were arrested.
According to the police, the rabbis were arrested on suspicion of fraudulently obtaining qualification certificates which would enable them to stand for municipal chief rabbi positions.
Only rabbis who have passed higher level and exacting ordination exams than the standard ordination tests are able to serve municipal chief rabbis.
The police stated that the four rabbis in question obtained these ordination certificates fraudulently; without having taken the exams; falsifying the registration of test scores; sending a different person to take the exams for them; and making contact with the exam marker to try and persuade them to mark their papers more leniently.
Police personnel from the Lahav 433 investigative unit arrested the four men Tuesday morning and conducted searches of their homes for documents tying them to their alleged crimes.
The police emphasized that the Chief Rabbinate had cooperated throughout the investigation and only the suspects themselves were under investigation.
If the allegations turn out to be true, it will not the first time that Chief Rabbinate qualifications have been fraudulently obtained for the purposes of career advancement.
A scheme which took place between 1999 and 2003 involved helping hundreds of IDF, police and prison service officers fraudulently obtain certificates from the Chief Rabbinate regarding the completion advanced religious studies, entitling them to monthly salary bonuses of between NIS 2,000 to NIS 4,000 each, while the coordinators themselves received millions of shekels for their part in the scam.
Former Chief Rabbi Bakshi Doron, along with at least six other rabbinate officials, including two senior figures, were convicted over the affair.
The Neemanei Torah Va’Avodah religious-Zionist lobbying group, which several years ago was led a successful legal challenge to the way municipal chief rabbis are elected, said that the allegations raised the suspicion that such elections have become “fertile ground” for people who are unsuited for such honorable positions.
“The status of municipal chief rabbis has been at a nadir for many years, in part because they serve without term limits and are unaccountable to the local community,” the group said in response to the arrests.
The group called on Religious Services Minister David Azoulai to halt all municipal rabbi elections currently being conducted and to establish public committee to re-examine how such rabbis are elected and the terms of their service.
The four allegedly fraudulently obtained the certificate without having taken the rabbinic ordination exams. In addition they falsified scores of tests they never took, sent impostors to sit for the exam in their stead, and even appealed directly to the examiner to ease the test process and scoring for them.
Detectives of the Lahav 433 unit arrested the four suspects and searched their homes in order to seize documents that were allegedly linked to the offenses attributed to them.
The rabbis are suspected of fraud and breach of trust, receiving benefits fraudulently under aggravated circumstances, falsifying corporate documents, impersonating another person, and aggravated forgery.
Police emphasized that throughout the investigation they enjoyed the cooperation of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. The police also clarify that the suspicions are directed against the rabbis themselves, and not at the Chief Rabbinate or anyone operating on its behalf.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/235118?utm_source=activetrail&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl
Four rabbis arrested for fraud in city chief rabbi applications
September 6, 2017 18:57
If the allegations turn out to be true, it will not the first time that Chief Rabbinate qualifications have been fraudulently obtained for the purposes of career advancement.
Four rabbis were arrested this morning on suspicion of fraud, breach of trust, falsifying documents, and impersonation, in connection to unlawful practices they employed in applying for municipal chief rabbi positions.
The Jerusalem Post has learned that the rabbis ran or are running for the chief rabbi jobs in the cities of Nesher, Pardes Hannah, Lod, and Beit Shemesh. The police have not released the names of the rabbis who were arrested.
According to the police, the rabbis were arrested on suspicion of fraudulently obtaining qualification certificates which would enable them to stand for municipal chief rabbi positions.
Only rabbis who have passed higher level and exacting ordination exams than the standard ordination tests are able to serve municipal chief rabbis.
The police stated that the four rabbis in question obtained these ordination certificates fraudulently; without having taken the exams; falsifying the registration of test scores; sending a different person to take the exams for them; and making contact with the exam marker to try and persuade them to mark their papers more leniently.
Police personnel from the Lahav 433 investigative unit arrested the four men Tuesday morning and conducted searches of their homes for documents tying them to their alleged crimes.
The police emphasized that the Chief Rabbinate had cooperated throughout the investigation and only the suspects themselves were under investigation.
If the allegations turn out to be true, it will not the first time that Chief Rabbinate qualifications have been fraudulently obtained for the purposes of career advancement.
A scheme which took place between 1999 and 2003 involved helping hundreds of IDF, police and prison service officers fraudulently obtain certificates from the Chief Rabbinate regarding the completion advanced religious studies, entitling them to monthly salary bonuses of between NIS 2,000 to NIS 4,000 each, while the coordinators themselves received millions of shekels for their part in the scam.
Former Chief Rabbi Bakshi Doron, along with at least six other rabbinate officials, including two senior figures, were convicted over the affair.
The Neemanei Torah Va’Avodah religious-Zionist lobbying group, which several years ago was led a successful legal challenge to the way municipal chief rabbis are elected, said that the allegations raised the suspicion that such elections have become “fertile ground” for people who are unsuited for such honorable positions.
“The status of municipal chief rabbis has been at a nadir for many years, in part because they serve without term limits and are unaccountable to the local community,” the group said in response to the arrests.
The group called on Religious Services Minister David Azoulai to halt all municipal rabbi elections currently being conducted and to establish public committee to re-examine how such rabbis are elected and the terms of their service.
