Prizant\’s defenders allege that his firing was for personal, not professional, reasons and assert that fundraising totals grew steadily under his stewardship.
Gafni was appointed to the Wisdom Chair at Stephen S. Wise two years ago — despite anecdotal allegations that he had a history of sexual misconduct. The temple\’s senior rabbi this week issued a short statement denouncing Gafni.
Rabbi Mordechai Gafni\’s dismissal came last week after four women, including students of his and a staff member, filed complaints of sexual misconduct against Gafni with the police in Israel.
He fought a desperate battle against communism, crafted award-winning plays and books and functioned as an intellectual and spiritual compass for Prague\’s Jewish community for more than a decade.
But in late June, something extraordinary happened: Karol Sidon was forced out as the community\’s chief rabbi.
The shock waves created by recent dismissal of Michael Hirschfeld as executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC) continue to reverberate both locally and throughout the country as JCRC supporters worry about the future of community relations.
The best thing about David Lehrer\’s firing as head of the local Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has been the local reaction, which has done more to awaken Los Angeles\’ Jewish leadership than anything in recent memory. The worst thing about Lehrer\’s firing: That the ADL\’s New York leadership thought it could get away with it, and, sadly, it probably will.
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