A rabbi accused of sexually abusing roommate as a teen is now teaching at Orthodox Jewish school in Chicago

An Orthodox Jewish rabbi who was accused in a lawsuit of repeatedly sexually assaulting his high school roommate years ago while attending an East Coast boarding school is now a teacher at a Jewish school for boys on Chicago’s North Side, according to interviews and public records.

The rabbi works at Yeshiva Eitz Chaim at 6045 N. Keystone Ave., and was hired there several years ago as the sexual misconduct lawsuit was pending, according to court records from New York and Cook County.

The Chicago Sun-Times isn’t naming the rabbi because he has not been charged with a crime, and he and the accuser were minors when the alleged misconduct occurred.

Both are now adults, and their respective lawyers each declined to comment.

Filed in 2021, that lawsuit was settled this past fall quietly for undisclosed terms — confidentiality generally frowned upon by victim advocates, and restricted by other faith groups such as the Catholic church because such secrecy was used for years to hide legitimate claims and allow abuse to fester.

Typically such settlements come without an admission of wrongdoing.

Whether leaders of Yeshiva Eitz Chaim knew of the allegations when they hired the rabbi isn’t clear.

But school officials certainly have known about the accusations — which date to the early 2000s when the future rabbi and his accuser were students and dorm mates at Torah High School in Long Beach, N.Y. — for at least a year and continued to employ him, according to records and interviews.

Chicago attorney Hal M. Garfinkel released a statement Thursday from school leaders that said:

"Despite the civil claim being unsubstantiated, the School, out of an abundance of caution for the safety of its students, sought legal, rabbinical and professional guidance as to the appropriate next steps."

"After doing extensive independent research, they unanimously advised the School leadership that there is no cause for concern. The School proceeded to notify parents, lay leaders and supporters as to the civil suit along with the School's reaction and subsequent decision. They all wholeheartedly supported the School in its handling of the situation."

But school officials wouldn't say when parents were notified or provide details on their research, including who conducted it and how recently was it done.

Yeshiva Eitz Chaim’s web site says the school “provides both high school and post-secondary education to students from across the United States.”

“We cater to students who seek an honors-level program in both religious and general education, as part of a growth-oriented community,” according to the web site. “Special emphasis is placed on ethics and character building which results in graduates of the highest moral standards.”

Founded in 2019, the school is on the edge of the Sauganash and Peterson Park neighborhoods and also offers “dormitory facilities” so “in-town and out-of-town students” have “the opportunity to focus on their studies unhindered.”

The lawsuit, filed by the accuser under the pseudonym John Doe, accused the rabbi, when they were teens, of sexually abusing him “regularly and repeatedly . . . at least 300 times over the course of two years,” court records show.

The suit also named Torah High School, also known as Mesivta of Long Beach, and two rabbis there as defendants, saying they either knew the accuser was being sexually abused or should have.

The school “completely controlled what the children did hour by hour,” yet nobody there “supervised, checked on or even determined if the children were healthy and well from day to day,” the lawsuit said.

The suit said that during one “bed check,” a Torah High School leader walked in while the future rabbi was victimizing the accuser in their room and “did nothing to stop the abuse,” instead admonishing that he did not want to “see that again.”

While the suit was still active, attorneys for the New York school tried to shield the Torah rabbis from being named, and also tried to force the accuser to use his real name — prompting the accuser’s lawyer to allege that the defendants were trying to harass and shame him.

The case isn’t an anomaly, says Ariella Kay of ZA'AKAH, a group that advocates for survivors of sexual violence in the Jewish community.

Child sex abuse is relatively common in Orthodox Jewish communities, but it’s often swept under the rug or otherwise not publicly addressed, Kay said, calling Jewish communities “20 years behind” some other faith groups in dealing with this scourge.

Publicizing cases is important not only because it helps victims on their “healing journey,” they also serve as “cautionary tales for the community about what happens when you don’t deal with this properly.”

There have been other child sex allegations — and alleged cover-ups — centering on Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood where there’s a sizable Orthodox Jewish community, records show.

The New York lawsuit alleges there “were other instances of sexual abuse that occurred” at the Torah High School.

That case was sealed by the court in recent months. Before that occurred, a court filing revealed a 2019 letter said to be from the Yeshiva Eitz Chaim teacher to his accuser in which he said:

“I would like to apologize for what happened when we were together in 11th grade. As I got older, I realized the severity of what I’ve done. My words cannot undo my actions, but I would like to express my deepest regret and apology.”