MK (United Torah Judaism) Moshe Gafne on Sunday sent a sharply-worded letter to retired justice Tova Strasburg-Cohen, the court’s ombudsperson, after she called for the dismissal of Justice Dayan Rabbi Avrohom Sherman, a 29-year veteran of the rabbinical court system and a senior Dayan today, serving on the Rabbinical Supreme Court.

As reported HERE by YWN, the matter pertains to Cohen’s criticism of Rav Sherman’s behavior in the giyur case dealing with conversions performed by Rav Druckman’s beis din, citing Rabbi Sherman did not act appropriately in the case. She stressed she is not challenging his legal or halachic considerations, but his character assassination of Rav Druckman and his failure to call certain witnesses or to interview Rav Druckman prior to rending a verdict in the case.

According to Gafne, who explains that he read Cohen’s criticism carefully, there is nothing that can justify Rabbi Sherman’s dismissal or even justifying a censure in his personal file. Gafne hinted that Strasburg’s calls to dismiss Sherman may be tied to political motives to protect and save the integrity of Rabbi Druckman’s state-run conversion program.

Gafne announced that he is following proper procedure and is directing his initial response to Justice Strasburg-Cohen but added if he does not receive a satisfactory response, he will use the means available to him to challenge her decision, including a direct appeal to the justice minister.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)