A Jerusalem Rabbinate Beis Din is in the news, unfortunately, not in a favorable light. According to an investigation conducted by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss, Dayan Chaim Yehuda Rabinowitz has violated a basic regulation of his position numerous times, sitting on a beis din addressing cases in which his daughter Gila and her husband Shaul Naftalin were attorneys representing people appearing before the court. In one case cited in Lindenstrauss’ report, the rav wrote a get (divorce) for a couple while his daughter was representing the woman and submitted the divorce agreement to the court. The minutes of the beis din’s hearing did not reflect this, that the attorney of record was a daughter of the dayan, which is strictly forbidden. Lindenstrauss explains a judge must disqualify himself from a case that involves a family member in any capacity.
Lindenstrauss adds that when the file was checked, the minutes were missing and apparently added at a later date. The report also sites that agreements approved by the beis din in which the dayan’s daughter drew up the agreement were blatantly one-sided in favor of the client of his daughter.
The state comptroller sites the dayan’s “inappropriate behavior” which defies the basic ethics of his position.
In response to the report, Rabbi Shlomo Dichovsky, director of the Rabbinical Courts said “This matter is being investigated by the prosecutor’s office. The office of the director of the rabbinical courts will address the findings released by the prosecutor and a recommendation will be filed with the Court’s Administration”.
Responding to the report Gila and Shaul Naftalin released a statement that they never appeared before Dayan Rabinowitz in a case, but only if there was a “technical matter” that did not require the court to actually convene. The court ombudsman reportedly has investigated this as well and his findings seem to support the version of attorney’s Naftalin. The case is now pending, awaiting the findings of the state prosecutor’s office.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
6 Responses
politics politics.
Best jobs in Israel with great salaries, benefits and pension are those part of the government. Dayanim, City Rabbinim, Kashrut, etc. No wonder the Charedei MKs do not want to lose hold of these positions.
cites!
Not good.
The court ombudsman reportedly has investigated this as well and his findings seem to support the version of attorney’s Naftalin.
Is this an independently-reported fact, or just Naftalin’s claim? It looks like an independently-reported fact, but if so why is it buried at the bottom of the article? In the jargon of journalism, that’s called “burying the lede”. This fact (if it is one) should have been in the very first paragraph.
so what else is new? that place is so ‘krum’ anything goes. I won’t be surprised if the dayan is totally let off the hook and goes about business as usual.
i got my divorce 3 years ago from dayan rabinovich. the ex wifes lawyer was naftalin. i thought it was very off but i just wanted to get it over with so my lawyer suggested i dont make a fuss about it.
now that its being investigated i wonder if i have any chiyuv in any way to mention anything to anyone.