U.S. rabbi involved in sex scandal led fight against Israel conversions
Rabbi Tropper filmed demanding sex for himself and for friends in exchange for conversion certificate.
By Yair Ettinger Tags: Jews in America Jewish World Israel newsIt is hard to imagine a more embarrassing situation in which to find an exclusive ultra-Orthodox organization - a group that was a standard-bearer in the fight against "breaches in the wall of conversion" and "the penetration of complete gentiles into the vineyard of Israel."
These breaches pale into insignificance in comparison with the accusations against the man who heads the organization itself: according to the claims, Rabbi Leib Tropper of Rockland County abandoned the apparently stringent Halakhic standards of his Haredi organization and established a conversion process based on his most private impulses.
A report in the New York Post earlier this week revealed a sensational story about "a prominent Orthodox rabbi has been caught on tape discussing his apparent love affair with a shiksa he was converting to Judaism."
The woman involved is 32-year-old Shannon Orand of Houston, who still seeks to convert from Christianity to Judaism. The bulk of the report deals with embarrassing comments that the rabbi made during a phone call, during which he was recorded demanding the woman perform a number of sexual services for himself and his friends in exchange for granting her a conversion certificate.
Only at the very end of the Post report is it mentioned that at the start of the month, Rabbi Tropper resigned from his position as head of the Eternal Jewish Family organization, which dealt with conversions. But the connection to the group is in fact the story's punch line, making the affair another incident in the ongoing crisis in the world of conversion.
This connection also explains the extent to which an alleged case of blackmail has rocked the rabbinic world in Israel and the United States, and also has a complex relationship with the business dealings of the chairman of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer club, Brazilian Jewish entrepreneur Guma Aguiar.
Rabbi Tropper's stated goal in founding the Eternal Jewish Family was to "fortify the walls of conversion," amid an ideological debate between the Haredi and national camps in Israel. While functioning as a well-known rabbi in the New York area and head of the Kol Yaakov yeshiva, Rabbi Tropper enlisted wealthy Jews in the Haredi fight against to non- ultra-Orthodox conversions, especially those carried out by special conversion courts in Israel headed by Rabbi Haim Druckman.
As such, the doors of senior Haredi officals were thrown open to him, including that of Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv, a leader of the Lithuanian Haredi sect, and rabbi Tropper himself had the title of gaon ("most learned") bestowed upon him by the ultra-Orthodox press - all because of his efforts and comments against conversions by the Conversion Authority, against the "infiltration" of gentiles into the people of Israel.
When news of the affair began to emerge two weeks ago, posters denouncing Tropper were plastered across the Haredi city of Bnei Brak, whose title commanded: "Leave impurity." The text's anonymous authors threatened that if he did not quit the organization, "We will publicize our voice aloud, accompanied by pornographic pictures and shocking video clips." The rabbi did indeed announce his resignation, but failed in his efforts to hush up the affair.
It was leaked to American Jewish bloggers, the audio tape was posted on YouTube, and the Post published the story (under the headline "Tal-mood for love: Sex-tape rabbi tries to 'share' hottie," referring to one of Tropper's demands in the tape).
The current scandal is not the first in which the Eternal Jewish Family and Tropper have been involved. Tropper recently accused Aguiar of assaulting him in a Jerusalem hotel in April while the rabbi served as a prosecution witness against the businessman in a civil suit in Florida. Aguiar - who recently resigned from the organization - is accused of entering Rabbi Leib Tropper's room at the David Citadel Hotel, assaulting him and threatening to cause him further harm.
At the time of the alleged attack, Tropper was testifying at Aguiar's trial on embezzlement charges brought before a Florida court by the businessman's uncle, Thomas Kaplan.
As part of a war of slander between the pair, a notice was published in the Haredi newspaper Hamevaser, according to which rabbis close to Aguiar gave up their stringent halakhic demands with regard to his wife. The notice alleges that the businessman is "married to a woman who underwent a very dubious conversion."
Tropper's associates claim that Orand, the tape and the posters are all connected to this legal dispute. One of the associates told Haaretz that, "Guma Aguiar succeeded in throwing Rabbi Tropper to the trash."
Saul Sadka contributed to this article
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here in the holy city we also have abusive rabbi's who take advantage of converts and others. school for converts that are just disgusting. jewcy.com records various stories from july 2008 under haradi's 5 most wanted. see my comments.i am desperately trying to expose all this plus the rabbi's who are covering it all up. ruth cohen harif
Shannon, your Jewish friends in Houston miss you. Come back to us. Stop hiding.
The whole conversion process must be overhauled and made as simple as in the book of Ruth. without rabbinical powerstruggles.
If true, then this rabbi must not really be against "the penetration of complete gentiles into the vineyard of Israel."
That girl could not be a true Christian for IF she was, she would know Jesus IS GOD (God of Israel in the flesh). Yeshua HaMessiah IS ABBA FATHER-GOD in the flesh. They are ONE ! This is not rocket science... Nothing is impossible with God. For Ortho-Jews to demand sex for entrance into God's Land, people whom God IS calling back to HIMSELF ... calling ALL people not just the Jews but those who want to obey God- Christians too... IS A MAJOR SIN. These ? Godly rabbis are hurting themselves more than they will ever know... for 'TRUE' Christians have been & will remain Israel's most faithful allies... whether they respect or recognize this fact or not. As Yeshua loved ungodly sinners to redeem them back to Abba... HIS faithful followers also redeem those lost in darkness back to Abba too. Those ? rabbis WILL be punished MOST severely for leading others astray, their sin- disobedience to God's Word & disrespectful for God's adopted people. Shame be it unto them. REPENT
I don't think Israel media made up this guy... The startling thing he is still rabbi. I don't think with Rabbi Schneierson alive this guy's "rabbi" title would of survived last sunset.
Orthodox Jews are as flawed as the rest of us Goyim, imagine that...
I agree with you wholeheartedly. It is extremely rare that the Media ever reports anything 'good' at all about orthodox Jews. SCANDALS sell, and SPIRITUALITY does not! Thanks to the Israeli media, people's views of orthodox circles have been tainted to the point that we only find forums like this one full of people speaking of only hate and fear towards a group of spiritual people they only know through the eyes of the media. Very very sad... (i doubt very much my post will get published here also - how DARE i speak so 'positively' about the orthodox)
Some generalities: a bent stick cannot be made straight. What are the breaches? Putting a stumbling block before the blind, shedding a bad light on Torah to this woman, others and the waiting cackle of hyenas , causing this woman duress and anguish, and failure to love the stranger. Sad, sad, sad especially in that the rejoicing hyenas wait or these cases to occur so they can gloat.
well... rather emotionally disturbed analysis. At least a few people would be happy to take the coupon for. Including some who led heated debate about spots on the Sun just about 300 years ago.
Speaking as a convert, sexual blackmail is the last thing we need, okay?
"The exception proves the rule". Meaning, that this shocking and disturbing story is shocking and disturbing because it is the exception, and therefore it proves the rule that the majority are not like that. Remember it is the function of "news media" to print the shocking to garner attention. The media has nothing to say about hundreds, thousands, even millions of Jews, Christians who humbly go about their day attending to their faith faithfully. And that fact makes the act even more heinous.
Well Tony, as a sovereign state that is there right. Israel has every right to be a theocracy as any other nation on earth. Within the state they are run democratically.
My husband says something I now agree w/ "stay away from "organized religions."
I went through an orthodox conversion in Israel on Kibbutz Sa'ad in 1979. The rabbi holding the course made sexual advances to at least 3 of the women on the course and was subsequently removed from his post.
Israel presents itself to the world as a secular democracy, where people of all religions have equal rights. But in reality, it?s just a theocracy that discriminates against anyone not Jewish, especially those who follow the religion of Islam.
i usually don't write in to these things, but it hurts me to hear someone say "only orthodox rabbis" the media chooses to watch the orthodox people with extreme interest in order that the moment they trip up- everyone knows... it is truly a terrible story, but these scandals are NOT secluded to the orthodox world alone, there are unfortunately MANY incidents like this from many jewish, cristian, and other religious groups.. we should take a look for a minute at all the orthodox jews who DO choose to lead such a spiritual and true lifestyle, and admire them for their dedication and commitment to their G-d.
the murderer on the plain does not define in any way who we are, even if the plane is the whole of our planet. In fact I have hard time choosing between some Gerostrat ending our planet on a snap of a finger, and having our existence consumed along this rabbi ideas on a daily bases. The concern is exactly correct and the only trouble it the lack of sufficient attention.
I understand that for attractive converting shikses, they throw in a free kiddush for the ceremony. Wonder if these "guardians of the wall" are still functioning in this admirable organisation of halachic stringencies?
Rabbi Tropper could go and shtupp and f-k as much and as many girls that he wants too, that his personal addiction problem. But when he cloaks himself in the rabbinical cloak and uses that influence to ween a girl into to his perverted swinging or threesome sex acts thats a sin of mounumental porportions, he should be banned from ever calling himself a rabbi
somalis, kurds, bosniacs, mexicans, black sudanese... the list is sadly long. ALL ppl must be protected. Israel is wrong to only offer refugee status to Jews.
The rabbi is not a Jew! He is a pervert!
A far more momentous action has taken place, a Nigerian MUSLIM took the opportunity to board a plane, attempting to destory all 278 passengers on board Maybe, just maybe, the Rabbi attempted to screw a female, a Muslim tried to destroy an entire plane with all on board Let's get our priorties in order, shal we?
Shame on him and his religious friends. Just shows that in every basket there are rotten apples, also in religious circles.
Orthodox Jews should no longer have a say in which Jews can emigrate to Israel, nor should they be allowed to decide who's conversion is acceptable. All conversions of all branches of Judaism should be acceptable. Israel was re-created to give Jewish refugees everywhere a place to go. Those who hate Jews don't care what kind of Jew you are. They'll hunt you down and kill you regardless. Orthodox Jews have made life completely unbearable for the rest of us.
If he's to be shot, then let's not forget that all Priests or Nuns that have violated their oaths of celibacy must also be put up against the wall for the same treatment The Vatican would look rather empty, and U.S. Churches would be very short handed If all things being equal, you of course, you would remain unharmed, or would you?
or Nuns abusing those in their care
He's disgusting!!
The authenticity of the tape must be verified.
Can someone hang the suckers with their testes on lamp poles and give a few slaps on a place only their mothers struck when they still fit in bed across?
They became rabbis not for teaching good and wise stuff to people but they are experts in money, buying gold and diamonds from the needy people. Go to 47th street and Avenue of Americans you'll find them there killing their day to gain money.
While the Jewish people struggle to survive, a twisted person perverts the power of his office to thwart legitimate conversions. I met Guma Aguiar recently and he seemed to be a good person. This article shows he has the sechel of the Macabees and knows that our enemies are sometimes our brethren. Thanks.
One hardly ever hears of Conservative or Reform rabbis involved in such scandalous behaviour. Could be that the latter don't believe in pilpul to justify such acts - a way of "interpretation" that makes such conduct "kosher" :) ? David
"the penetration of complete gentiles into the vineyard of Israel." So he's penetrating gentiles to bring them into Israel. Big deal.
The whole story is Bull Shit
Perhaps the good rabbi was trying to convert the woman so that she would become Jewish by osmosis ...
The jewish relegion does not require intermediaries between individuals and hashem. The fact that a bunch of Rabbis have forced themselves into a position of power and some individuals follow them like sheep and listen and warship them is very sad. They operate like the mafia when it comes to any matter which involves money. Its just that our hashem is not so forgiving and they will pay the price for their actions.
Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord. You think this is an isolated instance?
Do as I say, not do as I do, says the rabbi... And don't be surprised if he finds some loophole, justifying his actions in the fairybook series called bible...
the messiah would already be there.Doctors are not are corrupted because you find a few of them who are!
All the "Sacred Texts" were written by people with agendas and an ax to grind. They can be interpreted to justify any action, anywhere ,anytime. Clerics and wannabes, and their adherents and followers must be understood to be criminally insane before any progress in Human Affairs occurs.
The man should be shot and don't call him a Rabbi.
and dont forget i am hollier than thou
Another hypocritical religous leader, I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked! For anyone missing the SARCASM here, please see the movie Casablanca. In any case it'll be time better (and more safely) spent than with you Local Orthodox Rabbi.
EJF is the most distrubing group of people I have ever come across: they embezzle money, string out conversions to ensure more payments, break up valid marriages and destroy the lives of families, icluding children. Their harsh treatment of others give Judaism a very, very bad name and fuels hatred towards the Jews. Israel should stand up NOW and demand they be shut down, not allow their associated Rabbis to perform conversions and if they don't the State of Israel must NOT accept any of their rulings or conversions. EJF is doing far more harm than people can imagine. The Chief Rabbi of Israel MUST investigate and the Jewish world MUST aplogize to the scoes of peopl whom EJF has damaged and attempt to rectify the crushed feelings of the victims. Shame on EJF.
Ahhhh nothing like a good orthodox conversion. Not much new here, for years orthodox rabbis have been taking money for conversions - and their fight to control conversions in Israel is a fight to maintain a corrupt system. Their followers actually believe that these "spiritual leaders" are just that - the real truth is that they resemble Mafia Dons.