Out of Court Settlement - Rabbi Tobias Gabriel and Beth Tzedec Congregation
Settlement reached in case of alleged sexual misconduct
Canadian Jewish News
Thursday, 25 October 2007
TORONTO — Beth Tzedec Congregation and one of its rabbis have settled a lawsuit with two women who alleged improper sexual conduct on the part of the clergyman.
Details of the settlement were not released and neither Rabbi Tobias Gabriel nor the synagogue admitted fault or liability.
(NAME and Age Removed), had alleged that Rabbi Gabriel pressured her into a sexual relationship after participating in a program offered by the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly to train shamashim, synagogue beadles who serve as attendants, caretakers or custodians. The course was offered last summer at Beth Tzedec, and Rabbi Gabriel was one of the instructors. (NAME REMOVED) was the only woman in the program.
The second woman, who is unidentified, says she became sexually involved with Rabbi Gabriel while grieving the loss of one of her parents. She was mentioned, though not named, in Nadler’s statement of claim, which demanded $1.3 million from the rabbi and synagogue for breach of fiduciary duty and for pain and suffering.
In a letter to members distributed when the allegations were publicized, Beth Tzedec President Shep Gangbar referred to allegations of “impropriety and abuse” stemming from an “inappropriate relationship between Rabbi Gabriel and a married adult woman who is not a congregant… Unfortunately, there is little doubt that the impropriety occurred.”
The letter went on to distance the synagogue from the allegations, saying “it is not liable for the actions of Rabbi Gabriel” and it noted that the rabbi would no longer be involved with the synagogue in any capacity.
In New York, meanwhile, the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative rabbis, was considering disciplining Rabbi Gabriel.
Canadian Jewish News
Thursday, 25 October 2007
TORONTO — Beth Tzedec Congregation and one of its rabbis have settled a lawsuit with two women who alleged improper sexual conduct on the part of the clergyman.
Details of the settlement were not released and neither Rabbi Tobias Gabriel nor the synagogue admitted fault or liability.
(NAME and Age Removed), had alleged that Rabbi Gabriel pressured her into a sexual relationship after participating in a program offered by the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly to train shamashim, synagogue beadles who serve as attendants, caretakers or custodians. The course was offered last summer at Beth Tzedec, and Rabbi Gabriel was one of the instructors. (NAME REMOVED) was the only woman in the program.
The second woman, who is unidentified, says she became sexually involved with Rabbi Gabriel while grieving the loss of one of her parents. She was mentioned, though not named, in Nadler’s statement of claim, which demanded $1.3 million from the rabbi and synagogue for breach of fiduciary duty and for pain and suffering.
In a letter to members distributed when the allegations were publicized, Beth Tzedec President Shep Gangbar referred to allegations of “impropriety and abuse” stemming from an “inappropriate relationship between Rabbi Gabriel and a married adult woman who is not a congregant… Unfortunately, there is little doubt that the impropriety occurred.”
The letter went on to distance the synagogue from the allegations, saying “it is not liable for the actions of Rabbi Gabriel” and it noted that the rabbi would no longer be involved with the synagogue in any capacity.
In New York, meanwhile, the Rabbinical Assembly, the international association of Conservative rabbis, was considering disciplining Rabbi Gabriel.
posted by Jewish Survivors at Tuesday, October 23, 2007
1 Comments:
What about the other women abused by Gabriel. He's had a long history of being a womanizer. I heard a rumor he left a trail of victims in many countries.
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