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Goel Ratzon: Each of his children has his name incorporated into their own.
(Reproduction)
Last update - 14:53 16/02/2009
Exposed: Tel Aviv man has 32 women and 89 children
By Haaretz Service
Tags: tel aviv, goel ratzon 

A Tel Aviv man in his late fifties is living with 32 women with whom he has fathered 89 children, an Israeli television station revealed last week.

The women are subject to strict discipline, but say that they are all living with Goel Ratzon by their own accord.

They are not allowed to communicate with men, be in physical contact with their biological family, eat meat, smoke, drink alcohol or dress immodestly.
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Ratzon is held by his companions to be the savior (Goel in Hebrew) of the universe, and is attributed godly and supernatural abilities. Many of the women have tattooed his name and portrait on their bodies.

The names of every one of Ratzon's 89 children include his own first name. For instance, one of his sons is called Avinu Ha-Goel (our father the savior) and he has a daughter named Tehilat Ha-Goel (glory of the savior).

Ratzon told Channel 10 that there had been several attempts at collective suicide when some of the women thought he was going to leave them. Also in the film, some of the women said they would commit mass suicide if anyone tried to harm their leader.

They are all registered as single mothers, and live in separate quarters. Whenever Ratzon comes to visit, the children are required to kiss his shoes, and worship the tattoo of his portrait on their mother's arm.

National Council for the Child Director Dr. Yitzhak Kadman said that the authorities have very little room for maneuver.

"The man is treading a fine line," Kadman said. "As long as these children go to school regularly and are not suffering from neglect or flagrant abuse, there's not much the authorities can do. The law does not permit to prevent people from living in a certain lifestyle just because it seems inappropriate to some."

On Friday, one of Ratzon's companions was hospitalized after claiming to have tried to commit suicide. She was brought to Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot by Ratzon, who was accompanied by some of his other companions. The woman was released the next day.

She said that she had taken a large amount of anti-depressants and that she could not remember whether she had medical insurance or not. Ratzon, for his part, said he could not remember the woman's name.

"As soon as they came I knew it was this guy from TV," a hospital staff member said. "They walked in, and one of the women was supported by another. They really stood out."

The Tel Aviv welfare services and the National Insurance Institute said they were familiar with the case. The woman's apparent suicide attempt on Friday has been seen by authorities as a premeditated provocation to mitigate public pressure to clamp down on the cult.

An estranged friend of one of the women said that the group was very sophisticated and aware of the repercussions of being exposed to the public.

"They are not stupid, just very extreme," he said. "Maybe they fear that the exposure might affect their way of life, and they're acting tactically. I don't think it was the TV report - they wouldn't agree to do it unless they thought that it might benefit them in any way. Everything there is under control."

According to one of the women's friends, "they probably thought that if they make the first step, no one will harm them... That's their way of dealing with the authorities.
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  1.   32 women / 89 children 12:18  |  Chayim 15/02/09
  2.   Tel-Aviv man has 38 woman 12:30  |  A. Grossmann 15/02/09
  3.   How many T.V. remotes does he have? 12:49  |  Gershon 15/02/09
  4.   The State should stay out of in. 12:50  |  MANNY 15/02/09
  5.   1 is almost right 13:06  |  Northern 15/02/09
  6.   Lunacy + spousal and child abuse!! 13:14  |  Dan 15/02/09
  7.   spinoza wake up 13:56  |  newCIVILIZATION 15/02/09
  8.   Have any of the wives... 14:11  |  Maureen Ann 15/02/09
  9.   No wonder there are so many bachelors in Israel. 14:20  |  Murray of Montreal 15/02/09
  10.   Feel Sorry for the Husband 14:24  |  Bachelor 15/02/09
  11.   why not? just keep on. 14:49  |  observer 15/02/09
  12.   Sick man ! 15:54  |  Benjamina 15/02/09
  13.   It`s a sick cult... 17:36  |  Moshe 15/02/09
  14.   Right...... 17:43  |  zmogus 15/02/09
  15.   he is the jewish son of G-d to his wives. so id bibi 18:18  |  avi 15/02/09
  16.   In a democracy 19:02  |  Chris Linthwaite 15/02/09
  17.   not illegal? he stops them from contacting their families! 19:12  |  dey 15/02/09
  18.   WHAAAT! 19:34  |  Ranieri Mazzilli 15/02/09
  19.   Sounds like a cult 19:35  |  Lola 15/02/09
  20.   Holy Toledo!!! 20:20  |  Yosemite 15/02/09
  21.   And The Talent Agent Said... (Correction) 20:35  |  Yosemite 15/02/09
  22.   Who`s paying for their upkeep? 20:40  |  Ballinger 15/02/09
  23.   GoAl Nefesh! 20:46  |  bat yam 15/02/09
  24.   and if he was muslim .... 20:50  |  Marco di Setifis 15/02/09
  25.   Genetically successful 21:05  |  Heinz 15/02/09
  26.   Re# 1 Crime without control in Israel ??? 21:15  |  Ines 15/02/09
  27.   Re# 3 Really ... How many ??? 21:27  |  Ines 15/02/09
  28.   R# 4 Consent.... 21:36  |  Ines 15/02/09
  29.   Re# 5 I certainly agree !!! 21:39  |  Ines 15/02/09
  30.   Re # 6 Yah... I do agree 21:45  |  Ines 15/02/09
  31.   Re# 7 Serve in the IDF ??? 21:47  |  Ines 15/02/09
  32.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 21:51  |  Ines 15/02/09
  33.   Re # 9 Except that this women may not ... 21:53  |  Ines 15/02/09
  34.   Marco #23: If He was Muslim This Wouldn`t Be An Unusual Story 21:54  |  Laguna Beach 15/02/09
  35.   Re# 10 This is not about sex.... 21:57  |  Ines 15/02/09
  36.   Re#12 There are enough precedents 21:59  |  Ines 15/02/09
  37.   Re# 15 Legal and immoral 22:13  |  Ines 15/02/09
  38.   Re# 16 Right Dey 22:21  |  Ines 15/02/09
  39.   32 22:22  |  Shicker 15/02/09
  40.   Re# 18 I do agree Lola 22:25  |  Ines 15/02/09
  41.   Cultists...those women are nuts!! 22:35  |  Lynn 15/02/09
  42.   Question for Manny 23:15  |  Janice 15/02/09
  43.   how does he find time for them all? 23:43  |  my baby 15/02/09
  44.   I coud not support two! 23:54  |  a male 15/02/09
  45.   A man with his own harem, like a Mughal Emperor 00:46  |  Yesh Prabhu 16/02/09
  46.   all in the Family! The kids will end up marrying each other too! 01:11  |  Hebrewfornication 16/02/09
  47.   I knew I went in to the wrong line of work... 01:22  |  UsedToPostHere 16/02/09
  48.   Mothers-in-law? 01:25  |  Motic 16/02/09
  49.   re: MANNY 01:25  |  UsedToPostHere 16/02/09
  50.   # 23 and 27 Muslims 01:29  |  Yossi 16/02/09
  51.   #28 Not about sex? 01:32  |  Danny 16/02/09
  52.   Reply to #33 Incest 01:39  |  Akiva 16/02/09
  53.   LUCKY GUY 01:52  |  naro 16/02/09
  54.   Was he trying to copy King Solomon 02:36  |  Maria 16/02/09
  55.   Your my hero 03:16  |  Mark 16/02/09
  56.   Exposed? exausted more like... 03:33  |  Johnnymac 16/02/09
  57.   T.V. reported their had been several attempts at collective suici 04:23  |  Susanna/shoshana 16/02/09
  58.   is 32 wives too much? 04:39  |  Mohammed 16/02/09
  59.   Filth 05:30  |  Bill 16/02/09
  60.   The children are being forgotten. Where is the state? 05:45  |  Brian V Hunt 16/02/09
  61.   One women is enough but 38? 07:13  |  Palestinian Prince 16/02/09
  62.   pity the man - 38 mothers-in-law 07:14  |  jehiel chaleff 16/02/09
  63.   I suppose the cult is monitoring the press and this response site 07:17  |  Susanna/shoshana 16/02/09
  64.   onw man, 32 women 07:51  |  Abbie Lipschutz 16/02/09
  65.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 08:30  |  Susanna/shoshana 16/02/09
  66.   To Heinz 24. Genetically successful. 08:40  |  moshe 16/02/09
  67.   #39Bill,no Biblical despot had their image tatood on their wives 08:44  |  Susanna/shoshana 16/02/09
  68.   no better way to fight boredom 09:03  |  JfromC 16/02/09
  69.   re: Susanna/shoshana 09:22  |  UsedToPostHere 16/02/09
  70.   32 women and 89 children, goodness this man 09:48  |  MJ 16/02/09
  71.   To Laguna #27 `If he was Muslim this wouldn`t be unusual...` 10:10  |  Colin Wright 16/02/09
  72.   # 23 = muslim polygams 11:00  |  jesyter 16/02/09
  73.   DELETED BY MODERATOR 12:32  |  S 16/02/09
  74.   one man has 32 wifes in Tel Avivi. 13:18  |  Ida 16/02/09
  75.   By the picture, the man is not Superman 14:29  |  kp124 16/02/09
  76.   Exposed: Tel Aviv man has 32 women and 89 children 15:27  |  Brian Fileman 16/02/09
  77.   I agree 18:52  |  Mohammed Al-Hussein 16/02/09
  78.   Sick 20:00  |  Diana 16/02/09
  79.   Where is Lady from USA 21:23  |  Sephardic 16/02/09
  80.   Tel Aviv Tax Payers 21:36  |  Holly 16/02/09
  81.   re: Colin Wright 22:27  |  UsedToPostHere 16/02/09
  82.   false god 23:35  |  roland 16/02/09
  83.   omit email address on response 23:41  |  roland 16/02/09
  84.   Goyim Double Standard 04:58  |  Pearl Girl 17/02/09
  85.   Israel now 1st in the world.... 07:55  |  leven5 17/02/09
  86.   the world is full of crazies 09:31  |  sWeis Melbourne 17/02/09
  87.   Exposed: Tel Aviv man has 32 women and 89 children 09:55  |  Thomas 17/02/09
  88.   HE LOOKS LIKE HE`S 110. 12:14  |  petra 17/02/09
  89.   # 20& 21 Yo semite I know that joke 12:16  |  Petra 17/02/09
  90.   WHY IS IT ONLY MALES HAVE MULTIPLE PARTNERS? 12:21  |  Petra 17/02/09
  91.   re: Petra 19:28  |  UsedToPostHere 18/02/09
  92.   GOEL RATZON 21:27  |  YEHUDA 18/02/09
  93.   Many husbands 01:49  |  Zhu Bajie 20/02/09
  94.   89 kids 23:36  |  j 07/03/09
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