Rabbi Blames Fake Cop Drama on Bipolar Disorder
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A suburban New York rabbi accused of impersonating a police officer is claiming his bipolar disorder led to his attempt to stop and yell at a woman driver who was driving slowly in a school zone.
Rabbi Alfredo Borodowski of Congregation Sulam Yaakov in Larchmont in Westchester County, N.Y., was arrested on June 19 and subsequently accused of similar behavior by two other locals. Last week, Borodowski was fired from his job as executive director of the Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.
Borodowski, in a statement released by his lawyer, apologized, “for any alarm or discomfort his behavior may have caused.” The statement also said he has received mental health treatment for several years and antidepressant medication exacerbated his disorder.
Andrew Rubin, Borodowski’s lawyer, told a local newspaper that his client is receiving treatment and has been hospitalized for the past few weeks.
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