Mystery surrounds unexplained departure of London Beth Din Dayan

Dayan Yonason Abraham says it is with a 'sense of responsibility and sadness' that he steps down from the religious board

Mystery surrounded the abrupt and unexplained departure of Dayan Yonason Abraham from the London Beth Din this week, after it was announced by the religious board that he had left his post with immediate effect.

In a message to rabbis on Wednesday, the head of the Beth Din Dayan Gelley said Abraham had “stepped down as of yesterday” and that “preparations are already underway to ensure a high-calibre Dayan is found”. No reasoning was given.

A prominent Charedi rabbi and one of only four Beth Din members, Abraham was born in London and educated at Hasmonean before studying and working in Gateshead, Jerusalem and Australia, where he was a member of the Melbourne Beth Din.

He returned to the UK in 2001 and at the age of 37 became a member of the London Beth Din. He has been a regular lecturer at the Kinloss Learning Centre and works with Tribe, which runs summer programmes for Jewish children in Years 5-13.

In 2016, he accepted a senior position at Shuvu, a network of day schools founded 1991 by Rabbi Avraham Pam.

In a statement, Abraham said: “It is with a sense of responsibility and sadness that I announce today that I will be stepping down from the London Beth Din. The Beth Din is a pillar of our community and it has been an absolute honour and privilege to serve as dayan over the past 17 years.”