After being caught plagiarizing large sections of his recent book from various french philosophers and from Elie Wiesel, it turns out that the Sorbonne degree Grand Rabbi Gilles Bernheim claimed to have is also…fake.
Grand Rabbi Gilles Bernheim
Originally published at 10:13 pm CDT 4-6-2013
France's chief rabbi Grand Rabbi Gilles Bernheim was recently caught plagiarizing large sections of his recent book.
At first he tried to blame a French philosopher for plagiarizing from him (i.e., from the chief rabbi), but that was quickly proved to be a lie. Then he blamed the plagiarism on an unidentified "student" who helped him with research for the book. And now, the AFP has caught the ethically challenged grand rabbi in another, massive, lie.
AFP reports:
…Further investigation by AFP showed [Grand Rabbi Gilles] Bernheim noted on his CV a high academic status that he may not actually hold.
His Who's Who entry, based on information he provided, says he was awarded from Sorbonne University an "agregation de philosophie", a prestigious but extremely difficult to obtain achievement that permits the teaching of philosophy in French institutions.
However university "agregation" lists from 1972 to 2000 have no entry for Bernheim.
The head of the association managing the lists, Blanche Lochmann, said the Grand Rabbi's name was not in the agregation lists kept by the French education ministry either.
"It is very difficult for a public figure to try to fool people as to whether he has an agregation," she said.
"This is the first instance that is so blatant."
Bernheim's spokesman, Rabbi Moche Lewin, told AFP that the Grand Rabbi was not available to respond to the latest developments in the scandal.
"The Grand Rabbi is very shaken by these attacks and does not wish to comment. But he will make a statement next week," Lewin said.…
Watchers of Chabad will remeber that for decades Chabad claimed its late rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, had a degree from the Sorbonne – even though he did not. The Rebbe knew his followers and organizations were doing this and may even have encouraged it. He never corrected the public record.