TEL AVIV (JTA) — Two rabbis from Israel’s Chief Rabbinate were sentenced to prison terms for selling rabbinic ordination diplomas to Israeli security personnel.
Rabbi Meir Rosenthal on Monday was sentenced by the Jerusalem District Court to seven years in prison and a $135,000 fine for handing out more than 1,000 fake ordinations to soldiers, police officers and intelligence officials from 1993 to 2008. Those who received the ordinations paid Rosenthal approximately $540,000 in bribes.
“We should not forget that he granted certificates that ordained someone to the rabbinate and gave the title of rabbi to people who were secular and did not observe Shabbat,” Judge Amnon Cohen wrote in his decision. “In these deeds, he deviated cardinally from the norms of behavior expected of a public servant.”
An accomplice to the crime, Rabbi Yitzchak Ochana, received a 10-month prison term. Ochana was the personal assistant to former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, who is being tried separately on the offense.
Rosenthal and Ochana, as well as Meir Roimi and Aharon Gutsdiner, were convicted of aggravated fraud in the case in April. Gutsdiner and Roimi also received prison sentences.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
