D.C. synagogue fires rabbi accused of voyeurism
According to a statement dated Sunday, the Kesher Israel board of directors fired Freundel sometime last week, a decision “made under extraordinarily difficult and unfortunate circumstances,” the statement said. Freundel and his family lived in a synagogue-owned home in Georgetown and the statement said he “has been asked to vacate” the house by Jan. 1.
Freundel was arrested and charged in October with voyeurism and has pleaded not guilty. He appeared in court for a second time Nov. 12, when prosecutors said they needed more time to determine the number of victims before deciding if they want to offer a plea deal.
“The alleged acts leading to this step were a gross violation of law, privacy, halakha, and trust. They breached the high moral and ethical standards we set for ourselves and for our leadership. Our collective heart breaks for the consequences, both seen and unseen, of these alleged acts to all the potential victims and our entire community,” the statement said.
Until now Freundel, a national leader in the modern Orthodox community on conversion, had been suspended without pay.
Kesher Israel president Elanit Jakabovics said the synagogue made the decision to fire Freundel after reviewing charging documents.
“At the time of the suspension, we were not aware of the specific charges he was facing and were still very much in shock,” Jakabovics said. “From the time he was arrested, we shifted our focus to helping the community come to terms with what happened and to heal from this trauma together. As we learned more about the facts of the case, from sworn affidavits and court documents, and sought appropriate legal counsel, we took the necessary steps to terminate Rabbi Freundel’s contract.”
An attempt to reach Freundel’s attorney, Jeffrey Harris, was not immediately successful Monday.
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