Golders Green rabbi cleared of sexual assault charges faces new allegations
Incriminating voice recordings aired on Israeli television on Tuesday, allegedly of Rabbi Chaim Halpern asking a 21-year-old woman: "Want me to come with you in bed?"
Fresh allegations of sexual assault against Golders Green Rabbi Chaim Halpern aired on Israeli TV on Tuesday.
Charges against Halpern were dropped after a nine-month investigation back in 2013 that saw his supporters arrested on charges of perverting the course of justice. They were later released without charge.
Halpern, of the Divrei Chaim synagogue had earlier resigned his position of dayan with the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations but has always maintained his innocence in the face of sexual assault charges.
The persistent allegations against him led to a rift within the strictly-Orthodox community, with other synagogues quitting the Union after it failed to act on the women’s complaints following counselling sessions with Halpern.
Now fresh allegations have emerged, with Israel’s Channel 12 news airing an interview with a 21-year-old woman who claims Halpern sexually assaulted her in his office in London.
The woman, who is anonymous, told the channel: “He opened the door and told me to come and sit down and he locked the door. He was sitting very close to me so I moved back a bit but then he came again. Then he started touching my leg muscles, and he went all the way up my thigh. I froze and and shook so he let go.
“It was so twisted. When we finished our conversation he gave me a tight hug. One hand was around me the other was on the private parts of my body.”
The woman also recorded several phone conversations allegedly with Halpern, where the caller is heard asking her if he can “come to bed” with her.
The recording continues: “Want me to come with you in bed? You have beautiful eyes. When you came to see me that first time, I cannot forget. When I held you for those few minutes. I can give you a lot of love because I love you.”
When Channel 12 confronted him about the voice recordings, Halpern said: “I can copy the voices of many people. I totally deny it.”
The woman added: “I feel confident that what I’m doing is correct and that I will bring a lot of awareness to people. He shouldn’t have this position at all.”
Yehudis Goldsobel, founder of Migdal Emunah, which supports victims of child and sexual abuse within the Jewish community, told Jewish News: “A handful of exceptionally brave women stood against everything they had ever been told and reported Chaim Halpern (prior to charges being dropped). As we have repeatedly seen, there is little – if any – support for victims alleging sexual abuse. They were hounded until they withdrew their report.”
She added: “At the time some rabbonim responded by stating that Chaim Halpern was an unsafe person. But this broadcast on Israeli TV begs the question – was that enough? I stand with the brave woman on the TV report who not only recorded the phone calls but went on to speak to the media to spread as much awareness as possible. Again and again, we see that it’s survivors changing the narrative and protect others from harm, not leadership.
Jewish News contacted the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations but has received no reply to date.
• Migdal Emunah UK provides support to victims of sexual abuse in the Jewish community. Confidential helpline: 020 3773 9998
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