Israel police raided the “Be’er Miriam seminary” – a sefardi Chareidi girls’ seminary – in the Bucharim neighborhood of Jerusalem on Monday morning and arrested a man and eight women on suspicion of holding victims in slave-like conditions, child abuse, and other forms of abuse, Israeli news outlets reported on Monday.
Police say that the main suspect, Aharon Ramati, about 60, is suspected a running a closed community “cult” of dozens of women and children and abusing them physically, emotionally and financially. Ramati, his wife and seven other women were all arrested on criminal charges of exploitation and holding victims in slave-like conditions.
The case began with reports to the Jerusalem District’s Fraud & Economic Crime Unit about the existence of a closed community operating as a “girls’ school,” at which women live together with their children in cramped and squalid living conditions in a housing complex under the control of a man suspected of abusing the women and children physically, financially and emotionally.
Over the past two months, police investigators, together with the State Prosecutor’s Office, conducted an undercover investigation and gathered evidence against Ramati of maintaining absolute control over about 50 women, coercing them to cut off contact with friends and family and isolating them in the complex. It was also found that Ramati maintained control over the women through various “punishments” and exploited them financially, with women working in various jobs approved by Ramati and then handing over their wages to Ramati.
The police operation went public on Monday morning when the “seminary” was raided by Israel Police and Border Police in cooperation with the Israeli Center for Cult Victims, Welfare Ministry officials, Fire and Rescue services, the Engineering Department of the Jerusalem Municipality and the Education Ministry.
Some of the suspects were brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court on Monday afternoon for a hearing to extend their arrest. Ramati’s arrest was extended by seven days by the judge.
Aharon Ramati, a name infamous in Jerusalem’s Chareidi circles, has been arrested at least once before under similar allegations when running the Be’er Miriam “seminary” in Sanhedria and other locations. There have been allegations against him for at least a decade for housing teenaged girls in squalid living conditions and maintaining cult-like control over them. There was even a protest against him by Chareidi residents of Sandhedria and nearby neighborhoods about five years ago. Prior police investigations led to Ramati’s arrest and the seminary being closed down in 2013 and 2015.
Unfortunately, Ramati was let out of the jail each time and the police investigations were closed for lack of evidence and Ramati would just open another “seminary” in another location.
Many many years ago, both Hagaon Harav Elyashiv z’tl and Hagaon Harav Ovadia Yosef,z’tl signed statements condemning Ramati as dangerous and forbidding girls from studying under him.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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22 Responses
Holding 50 women and their children in captivity: Maybe he should be charged with impersonating a Saudi prince.
another Helbrans?
Its beyond belief that the police are somehow unable to establish charges against these kind of serial abusers like this guy, Berland and others who seem to operate with some kind of impunity under the legal system. I’m not sure what are the requirements for “substantial evidence’ to prosecute these animals but perhaps there is legislation needed to provide new investigative and charging protocols to imprison them for longer periods.
not just sad, but dangerous…..
looks like a regular conditions in EY.. this is a witch hunt as usual… so when the medina makes these disgusting chiluni prutzas in pants .. that’s ok?? and what he does is not ok?? Please get a brain YWN
It should be noted that this so-called seminary is not in any way related to the American seminary by the same name.
מסירה,לשון הרע,רכילות. אוי ואבוי!
Very tragic that this was allowed to go on for so long
I know a family that has been DEEPLY Damaged by this so-called seminary. Hashem Yishmorainu.
You can’t believe Israeli cops, prosecutors, media or judges, they are all corrupt! Period
I don’t know this person or the women that were arrested. BUT we all know from experience how trustworthy the Israeli cops are and the friends in the media.
It seems that Lately CULT is the go to word.
Again and again u guys post LH
It is not a cult, rather it is כת יראי השם
And everyone else are כת מספרי לשה״ר
To all writing about that YWN is writing לשון הרע y don’t you have a problem that a news website like the yeshiva world that is officially frum doesn’t have a problem to show images and videos of women and girls daily and is מכשיל thousand of yiden DAILY, THERE NO OTHER FRUM NEWS SITES OR PAPER THAT SHOWS IMAGES THAT ARE FORBIDDEN AL PE TORA!!!
Moderators Note: Why are you here?
Dear moderator,
You did not answer the question, is this the best way that you can defend yourself? Does he not have a fair point?
Moderator
, legalized פריצות
“You can’t believe Israeli cops, prosecutors, media or judges, they are all corrupt! Period
I don’t know this person or the women that were arrested. BUT we all know from experience how trustworthy the Israeli cops are and the friends in the media.
It seems that Lately CULT is the go to word.”
——————
You also can’t believe litzman, deri and many of the other “frum Liars in the knesset!
So who u gonna believe?
Nisi, how about 1. The Jewish Press 2. The 5 Towns Jewish Times 3. The NJ Jewish Link 4. The Jewish Week?
I am reading the Yeshiva world for a few years now and I do not recall a picture of a Prutza. The pictures appeared descent. Once in a while I may notice an unclean word and I will notify the website, a few hours later that word or sentence gets removed. Sometimes it slips through, but you need to let them know right away.
Leah: You refer to the women police officers as ” these disgusting chiluni prutzas in pants”. Obviously, you have your own issues which hopefully you will address . These women risk their lives daily to protect the entire tzibur, including mindless posters who disparage their service.
Y2r – this “seminary” has literally split up a Torah Family with wonderful parents – i know them personally.
Dear moderator,
You did not answer the question, is this the best way that you can defend yourself?
I am here not too much and that is because I go to shul and I hear what people talk about what they saw in the yeshiva world so I go to see the videos etc… It’s NOT MUTER AL PE TORA TO SHOW ANY IMAGES OF WOMEN, AND THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT YOU CALL YOUR SELF THE YESHIVA WORLD NEWS UNLIKE THE OTHERS ABOVE THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY ARE NOT FRUM NEWS SITES.