Controversial New Jersey Rabbi Who Downplayed Campus Rape Draws Protests on Visit to Israel
Rabbi Steven Pruzansky speaks to women at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun in Teaneck, N.J. Image by Congregation Bnai Yeshurun
By Josh Nathan-Kazis January 26, 2017
An impending visit by controversial New Jersey rabbi Steven Pruzansky has the Israeli town of Modi’in up in arms, according to a report in Haaretz.
Pruzansky, who leads Teaneck, N.J.’s Congregation Bnai Yeshurun, has a long track record of inflammatory statements. In 2014, he was condemned by a chorus of Orthodox Jewish leaders for a blog post containing racially inflammatory statements about Palestinians. And in April of last year, there were calls for his ouster at Bnai Yeshurun after he posted another essay arguing that many campus rapes are falsely reported.
Pruzansky was invited to speak at an Orthodox synagogue called Hameginim in the town of Modi’in. According to the Haaretz report, a group of English-speaking immigrants in Modi’in are protesting his appearance.
“I’m so fed up with people like this being given a public platform,” protester Josie Glausiusz told Haaretz. “As a woman and an Israeli citizen, I feel it is important to speak out against someone with such offensive views.”
Contact Josh Nathan-Kazis at nathankazis@forward.com
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