Sunday, September 11, 2005

CALL TO ACTION: UJA Federation of NY Sponsors Event with Rabbi Marc "Mordechai" Gafni

From The Awareness Center:

CALL TO ACTION:
UJA Federation of NY Sponsors Event with Rabbi Marc "Mordechai" Gafni

An oversized card, called "Enjoy autumn in the Berkshires at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center" has been sent out. It it includes a Shavuot event on June 1-4, 2006 conducted by Rabbi Mordechai Gafni. It appears this is an agency sponsored by the UJA Federation of New York. Rabbi Gafni confessed to having sexual relations with a minor (see below).

Please call
Morris W. Offit - Chair of the Board, of the UJA Federation of New York. Let him know how you feel about Rabbi Mordechai Gafni representing the JUA at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center.

Please also call:
Lauren Katzowitz Shenfield - Executive Director
Philanthropy Advisors – A Service of UJA-Federation of New York
130 East 59th Street, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: 212-836-1358
Fax: 212-836-1199


UJA Federation of NY
Main Office
130 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022
212-980-1000
contact@ujafedny.org

-------------------------------
Case of Rabbi Mordechai Gafni
(aka: Marc Gafni, Mark Gafni, Marc Winiarz, Mordechai Winiarz, Mordechai Winyarz)
http://theawarenesscenter.org/gafni_mordechai.html

Born as Marc Winiarz, went to New York from the Midwest for high school and college, became a youth leader and rabbi, was accused of sexual assaulting two teenage girls, and attempted sexual assault of a young adult woman. He was also accused of cult like practices. In 1991 he left the Unitied States to start a new life in Israel, changing his name to Mordechai Gafni.

Marc Gafni: "I was a stupid kid and we were in love," the rabbi said. "She was 14 going on 35, and I never forced her"

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the spiritual leader of the Israeli community of Efrat, was going to revoke the rabbinic ordination he gave Rabbi Gafni many years ago when they had a close rabbi-student relationship. When Gafni heard of Rabbi Riskin's wishes, he wrote a letter "returning" his semicha to spare his former teacher any further embarrassment.

10 Comments:

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September 11, 2005 1:02 PM  
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September 12, 2005 8:34 PM  
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September 12, 2005 8:34 PM  
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September 12, 2005 8:34 PM  
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September 12, 2005 8:34 PM  
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September 12, 2005 8:34 PM  
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September 12, 2005 8:34 PM  
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September 12, 2005 8:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a blog about healing. It is vitally important for us not to "name call" in the comment section.

It's ok to discuss views, we all have them. But personal attacks are never ok.

September 12, 2005 9:58 PM  
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September 13, 2005 7:36 AM  

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