ISRAEL
A Mother in Israel
April 24, 2014 by Hannah Katsman
In 2010, well-known religious Zionist rabbi Mordechai (Moti) Elon was accused by the religious forum Takana of forcible sexual acts on young men who approached him for counseling. Last December, Elon was convicted and sentenced to six months of community service.
It’s hard to imagine the shock within the community when the events were revealed. The national religious public revered Elon. He started a movement called Mibereshit, which published weekly pamphlets featuring stories, games and quizzes with versions for younger and older children. (Here is my take on one of the stories.) The movement attracted many from outside the community, and offered rallies and study sessions. I brought my kids to a weekly Mibereshit study session at a nearby synagogue for a year or so. Our school encouraged using the sheets, and Elon came and held a huge rally. His weekly classes at Bar-Ilan University on the Torah portion attracted hundreds, if not thousands.
After his conviction, Elon continued to give a weekly class at the Ohr Etzion yeshiva. A small group of protestors headed by Emunah Klein visited the yeshiva each week holding signs in protest. As a convicted sex offender, Elon is not allowed to work at institutions that serve minors. However, Ohr Etzion is a post high-school yeshiva even though some students may be under 18 and prospective students have visited and attended Elon’s class. For the last several months, the class has not taken place. The yeshiva did not make an official announcement and refused to answer questions, so we don’t know why it was canceled.
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