The UCLA Hillel rabbi who allegedly lost his temper and
assaulted a freelance journalist who called him a derogatory name has agreed to
a recommendation that he undergo 36 hours of anger management and pen a letter
of apology to his reported victim.
Rabbi Chaim Seidler-Feller has also said he will place
himself on paid administrative leave from UCLA Hillel, while an independent
attorney appointed by that organization’s national office investigates the Oct.
21 event. It is not known how long the inquiry will last.
Seidler-Feller agreed on Dec. 23 to the recommendations,
which were made a week earlier by a Los Angeles city attorney hearing officer
who had heard the case.
Eric Moses, spokesperson for the city attorney’s office,
said Seidler-Feller would take the anger management courses through Pacific
Educational Services (PES) and would cover the $450 course fee himself. PES
will notify the city attorney’s office upon Seidler-Feller’s completion of the
course.
Donald Etra, Seidler-Feller’s attorney, said the rabbi had
accepted the recommendations because it was “the expedient way of resolving the
case.” He said Seidler-Feller would only apologize for “the fact that there was
an incident.”
Etra went on to say that Seidler-Feller was the aggrieved
party in this case.
“She [Rachel Neuwirth] called him names, she physically
stuck her hand in his face,” Etra said. “The evidence at the hearing was that
he did not do anything to offend her.”
As of press time, the rabbi could not be reached for
comment.
Moses said an apology had to be heartfelt and genuine,
although he offered no specific guidelines. Neuwirth said she would only accept
an apology in which the rabbi showed true contrition.
“I can’t get over this,” she said. “I relive this all the
time. I never in my life thought a rabbi would behave in such a violent
manner.”
Neuwirth filed a civil suit on Nov. 20 against Seidler-Feller,
UCLA Hillel, Los Angeles Hillel Council and Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish
Campus Life seeking undisclosed damages for battery, intentional infliction of
emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and negligent
retention. Seidler-Feller and the local and national Hillels have until late
January to respond.
Neuwirth’s attorney, Robert Esensten, said the hearing officer’s
recommendations bolster the civil suit. However, Etra said that the suit had no
merit, especially since the city attorney’s office decided not to pursue
criminal charges against Seidler-Feller.
Rabbi Mark Diamond, the executive vice president of the
Board of Rabbis of Southern California, said he hoped the dispute could be
settled in a beit din (Jewish court of law) or through mediation or arbitration
rather than in court.
“Rabbi Seidler-Feller has shown a genuine desire to do the
appropriate teshuvah [repentance],” he said. “I very much hope and pray we can
resolve the issues and tone down the rhetoric.”
Neuwirth said she is not open to resolving the case in a beit
din.
Gary Ratner, executive vice president of the American Jewish
Congress, Western Region, said Seidler-Feller’s actions should permanently
disqualify him from working with college students.
“Who’s to say he is not going to blow up again at some later
date?” he asked.
But Emily Kane, co-president of UCLA Hillel’s student board,
said Seidler-Feller meant much to them.
“Chaim is a huge part of UCLA Hillel,” she said. “This is
just a temporary thing.”
