Following wanted alleged sex criminal Rabbi Eliezer Berland’s sudden arrival in South Africa after being expelled from Zimbabwe late last week, South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein sent a letter to his rabbinic colleagues asking them to tell their congregants not to aide the fugitive rabbi or any of any of the disciples.
Rabbi Eliezer Berland in custody last week in Zimbabwe
South African Chief Rabbi Tells Jews Not Help Breslov Hasidic Leader Fleeing Israeli Police, Haredim Object
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Following wanted alleged sex criminal Rabbi Eliezer Berland’s sudden arrival in South Africa after being expelled from Zimbabwe late last week, South African Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein sent a letter to his rabbinic colleagues asking them to tell their congregants not to aide the fugitive rabbi or any of any of the disciples.
“Berland must return to Israel to face the criminal justice system,” Goldstein wrote in an email obtained by the Jerusalem Post.
Goldstein’s warning prompted an immediate backlash from some haredi rabbis.
Sefardic haredi Rabbi Yitzhak Vaknin issued a call to all South African Jews to aide Berland and his entourage. Vaknin also lashed out at Goldstein, calling him a member of the “erev rav,” the “mixed multitude” of non-Jews the Bible says followed the ancient Hebrews out of Egypt during the exodus and went on to make the lives of the ancient Israelites miserable.
The haredi community in South Africa has reportedly asked senior Israeli haredi rabbis for a ruling on how to deal with Berland’s presence in the country.
Berland fled Israel more than 18 months ago after female followers claimed Berland sexually abused them. Some of those followers were apparently minors at the time the alleged abuse took place.
Berland heads the Shuvu Banim Breslov yeshiva and community headquartered in the Arab Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Many of his followers are formerly secular Sefardim.