Via The D.C. rabbi accused of voyeurism against women while they used a spiritual bath has been fired from Kesher Israel, the Georgetown synagogue he led since 1989.
Dr. Barry Freundel is facing up to six years in prison for allegedly videotaping women in a shower and in the synagogue’s mikvah, a bath used for conversion and cleansing.
“The decision by the Board of Directors was made under extraordinarily difficult and unfortunate circumstances,” the board said in a statement. “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.”
At least six alleged victims have been identified, while police set up a hotline to seek out other potential victims. Freundel, who had been suspended without pay since his arrest, will vacate the rabbinic residence by January 1. He is scheduled to appear in court later that month.
Here’s more from Kesher Israel’s statement:
This step is an important moment for our community. As we move beyond the events of last month, our community continues to come together and heal. This incident has demonstrated that the Kesher Israel community remains larger than any single individual, and we have emerged stronger than we were before. We are an engaged and hopeful community — united by common faith, beliefs, and communal bond. We will remain strong and resilient.
We take great pride that our shul has continued to operate without interruption since the arrest, including through the chagim, during recent smachot, and through family losses. We are deeply grateful for the volunteers and community members who have stepped-up during this challenging time and have worked tirelessly on behalf of the Kesher community. We are also thankful to Rabbi Kenneth Brander and Nechama Price for their continued short-term halakhic support. We are committed to finding more long term solutions to our religious needs very soon.
As Kesher continues to move forward, the Board of Directors is committed to listening to the needs of the entire congregation. We encourage members of our community to reach out to the shul’s leadership to voice any concerns, provide input, or even just to talk. Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts.
We look forward to continuing to build a vibrant future for Kesher Israel, and to ensuring our community remains a warm, welcoming, and safe place to gather, worship, and learn.
