Rabbi Who Stole His Own Community’s Torah Scrolls Pleads Guilty

Rabbi Yehuda Rosilio, the former rabbi of Moshav Brosh in the northwestern Negev, pleaded guilty today in Be'er Sheva Magistrates Court to stealing his own community's Torah scrolls. The specific charges included aggravated theft, aggravated fraud, fraud, breach of trust and causing insult to religion.

 

Rabbi Who Stole His Own Community’s Torah Scrolls Pleads Guilty
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

Rabbi Yehuda Rosilio, the former rabbi of Moshav Brosh in the northwestern Negev region of Israel, pleaded guilty today in Be'er Sheva Magistrates Court to stealing his own community's Torah scrolls. The specific charges included aggravated theft, aggravated fraud, fraud, breach of trust and causing insult to religion.

Rosilio was arrested after his thefts were discovered on Simchat Torah when a community member realized that the scrolls inside the community's ornate Torah covers had been replaced by rolled up cardboard.

Rosilio allegedly sold those scrolls for hundreds of thousands of shekels.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys could not reach an agreement on punishment for Rosilio, but the state agreed to release him to house arrest on a bail bond and with a ban in place that prevents him from working as a rabbi until he is sentenced for his crimes five months from now.

Related Posts:

Updated – Rabbi Busted By Cops After Simchat Torah Scrolls Heist.

Rabbi Indicted In Torah Thefts.

Comments

[Abracadabra]

"...and causing insult to religion."

Is that seriously a crime in Israel? If so, get those mullahs, I mean rabbis out of official government positions! Have the government seperate from religion. Create an official binding constitution. Seperate the Judiciary branch of government from the Legislative and Executive branches. C'mon Israel - get with the 21st Century!

[David]

"...and causing insult to religion."

I think the Charedim insult Judaism. Can they be arrested for this?

[S M L]

If this isn't the bottom of the barrel in terms of clerical greed and mendacity then it's certainly very close to it. One notch above child molestation; that's for at the very bottom but this is down in the sludge as well.

"Insulting religion" - sounds like Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia.

[Seraphya]

It is a problematic law that is on the books and has been used to prosecute hate crimes:

http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A4%D7%92%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%92%D7%A9%D7%99_%D7%93%D7%AA_%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%AA

I can see the point of having a law that makes throwing a dead pig into a mosque or synagogue a crime beyond simple trespass. In terms of laws that need to be fixed to make Israel a better democracy this one is nowhere near the top; a constitution would be a first step in the right direction, for instance.