Israelis ‘keen’ to Get Leifer to Melbourne

Australian Jewish News
May 14, 2015

http://www.jewishnews.net.au/israelis-keen-to-get-leifer-to-melbourne/41926


ADASS Israel Congregation’s former president Benjamin Koppel was quizzed in the Supreme Court of Victoria yesterday about how closely the appointment of teacher Malka Leifer was vetted.

Leifer, a former senior teacher at the school – and allegedly the principal –fled to Israel in 2008 with the assistance of the Adass board, after allegations surfaced that she had sexually abused some of her students.

Leifer is under house arrest in Israel, with an application underway by Australian authorities to have her extradited to face criminal charges relating to her employment at Adass.

A lawsuit against Adass and Leifer, brought by one of her alleged victims, is in process.

The court heard that a subcommittee of the Adass congregation was tasked with finding a Jewish Studies teacher and that Israeli David Rosenbaum, who lived in Australia at the time, was asked to make inquiries about candidates.

Koppel confirmed to the plaintiff’s counsel David Seeman that Rosenbaum was a nephew of Hadassah Ernst, wife of former Adass congregational board member Mark Ernst.

The court earlier heard that at her husband’s urging, Hadassah Ernst, a travel agent, had hurriedly arranged airline tickets in March 2008 to help Leifer and her family depart Australia within days of the accusations emerging.

Koppel said that as a result of his inquiries, Rosenbaum “got very positive feedback” about Leifer, and after a trial period, she was hired.

But under cross-examination from Seeman, Koppel said he was not aware that, in Seeman’s words, “the Gur community in Israel were pushing to get Malka Leifer to Melbourne”.

Koppel said senior Adass congregant David Nussbacher had asked for further checks on Leifer before the decision to hire her was made, but he did not know why that was Nussbacher’s view.

Responding to Seeman, Koppel said he had not been aware at the time that there had been a dispute about Leifer’s salary and that Rosenbaum personally guaranteed to provide the funds for her monthly salary.

Koppel said he had also not been aware that, in Seeman’s words, a “keenness” to hire Leifer “was coming from the Israelis” and he denied being “suspicious as to why David Rosenbaum was so keen to get Malka Leifer to Melbourne”.

The trial continues, with counsel for the plaintiff and defendant due to make their closing arguments tomorrow.