UK Rabbi Declared ‘Not Fit’ After Harassment Accusation
Five London rabbis have declared Rabbi Chaim Halpern from Golders Green “not fit” to act as rabbi because of accusations that he had behaved “inappropriately” with women.
The five rabbis demanded in a statement published on Thursday that Halpern cease to act as rabbi at his home synagogue in northwest London because of the accusations, which surfaced last month.
“We are confident of our conclusion that the Rov concerned is not fit and proper to act in any rabbinic capacity. This unequivocal decision was taken after painstaking and extensive investigations, including interviews with alleged victims,” the statement read.
The authors – Chanoch Ehtrentreu, Menachem Gelley, Yonason Abraham, Shimon Winegarten and Yissochor Knopfler – did not name Chaim Halpern in their letter.
On Dec. 6, the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations announced that it would convene a special rabbinic court to hear claims against Halpern, The Jewish Chronicle reported.
Rabbi Chaim Halpern resigned as a union rabbinic judge and from other communal roles two weeks ago, after complaints about his counselling sessions for women, but he continues to lead the synagogue he runs in his Golders Green home.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.