Adelaide rabbi sues his former shul
THE Adelaide Hebrew Congregation (AHC) board “will vigorously defend” the shul against legal action by its former spiritual leader, Rabbi Yossi Engel.
THE Adelaide Hebrew Congregation (AHC) board “will vigorously defend” the shul against legal action by its former spiritual leader, Rabbi Yossi Engel, who has launched a wrongful dismissal suit claiming $600,000 in compensation, AHC president Mark Cohen said this week.
The United States-born rabbi, who headed AHC for nine years until his contract ended without renewal in 2007, claimed through lawyer Ron Bellman that his termination breached halachah, which provides rabbis with tenure for their working lives.
Cohen described the lawsuit as being an “extreme disappointment to the shul”.
“Sadly we will find it necessary to vigorously defend this action, at a cost that could be most damaging to each party, Adelaide and Australian Jewry and the entire Jewish people, which seems unfathomable as a desired outcome,” he said.
“From an AHC perspective, we can only hope that sense will prevail, so we can do our best to maintain our shul for the benefit of all the community, for now and for the future.”
In 2007, South Australia’s Supreme Court ruled on appeal that Rabbi Engel’s civil contract with the shul, which was the basis of his employment, had legally ended.
The AJN understands the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Australia appears unlikely to try to thrash out this latest dispute in a beth din.
In Adelaide Magistrates Court on January 19, Bellman said the wrongful dismissal claim by his client was proceeding after being delayed by a criminal prosecution. The case has now been adjourned to April.
Last year, all 39 charges against Rabbi Engel and wife Chana of dishonestly dealing with documents were dropped after an extensive police investigation into allegations the pair had falsely listed student names to obtain a $50,000 grant for an education facility known as Spirit of David School. The case was closed in June after police tended no evidence, citing no reasonable prospect of conviction.
AHC saw its membership numbers dwindle as its dispute with Rabbi Engel deepened over the past four years and the investigation continued.
Bellman was approached for a comment by The AJN, but did not respond by time of going to print.
PETER KOHN
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