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⚫ Rabbi '''Leib Tropper''' (born 1950 in ], died 2024) was the founder of the Kol Yaakov Torah Center, which was located in ], ].
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{{Current|date=December 2009}}


==Career==
⚫ Rabbi '''Leib Tropper''' (born 1950) is a ] and founder of the ] in ], ].
Tropper worked for ] in Jerusalem, and later become the educational director of Ohr Sameach, New York located in ] and Monsey.<ref name="TJW">{{cite web|url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/outreach_rabbi_resigns_amid_cloud_scandal|title=Outreach Rabbi Resigns Amid Cloud Of Scandal|publisher=The Jewish Week|date=December 15, 2009|accessdate=Aug 4, 2013}}</ref> In 1981, Tropper joined Rabbi Avrohom Gershon Tress in founding a new yeshiva for baalei teshuva, the Kol Yaakov Torah Center, and became its rosh yeshivah (dean).<ref>Leslie Eaton, , ''New York Times'', 31 January 1999</ref>


⚫ ===Eternal Jewish Family===
==Education==
Tropper founded the Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) project, which advocated more rigorous standards for ], and made it easier for intermarried families to get a conversion. Until 2009 he was the director and chairman of EJF's Rabbinic Committee. The organization was funded by ] and his nephew, ], who donated at least $8 million to the project, according to IRS documents.<ref>Allison Hoffman, , ''Tablet Magazine'', 19 January 2010</ref>
Tropper was born in ] to Rabbi Yehuda Tropper, a teacher at ], and Rivka Tropper, the daughter of the Valbolneker Iluy, Rabbi Leib Forer. He was educated at the Rabbi Jacob Joseph school, the ], the ] in Cleveland, and then at Yeshivas Torah Ore in Jerusalem, under the leadership of Rabbi ]. He received four ]s: from Rabbi ], a student of the ]; Rabbi ], former ]; Rabbi ], Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Jerusalem; and Rabbi ], a ] at ].
==Outreach==
After leaving Torah Ore, Tropper accepted a position at the nascent ] institutions. After five years in Jerusalem teaching ], Tropper returned to the United States to become the educational director of Ohr Sameach, New York located in ] and Monsey. In 1981, Tropper joined in founding a new yeshiva for baalei teshuva, the ], and became its rosh yeshivah.


===Sex and Theft Scandals===
In 1995, Tropper founded a new outreach program called Horizons, focusing on educating and inspiring the unaffiliated to experience a Torah lifestyle. As its director, Rabbi Tropper has traveled across the world lecturing and teaching. He has also written three books, including a ] work based on the decisions of his mentor, Rabbi Scheinberg.
⚫ In October 2009, Tropper was sued by ] for allegedly misappropriating funds given to him by Guma for charitable purposes.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133755 |title=Jewish Billionaire Sues Prominent US Rabbi |author=Baruch Gordon. |work=Arutz Sheva |date=8 October 2009}}</ref> Tropper says that Aguiar threatened to throw him out a window. Aguiar's attorney denied any threat was made.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. rabbi accuses Beitar patron of threatening to defenestrate him |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1113062.html |work=Haaretz |author=Yuval Goren |date=9 September 2009}}</ref>


⚫ In 2006, The Jewish Week reported allegations that Tropper revoked a woman's conversion after learning that the woman "occasionally wore pants".<ref name="TJW"/> Tropper denied this accusation, claiming the woman had in fact been breaking the ] after her conversion, and that his role was confined to relaying this information to the appropriate authorities.<ref><!--http://www.eternaljewishfamily.org/about_response.html dead link as of December 20, 2009 --> EJF press release, 30 May 2008</ref>
⚫ ==Eternal Jewish Family==
Tropper founded the Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) project, which advocates tougher standards for ], and also assists intermarried families with conversion issues. Until 2009 he was its director and chairman of its Rabbinic Committee.


In early December 2009, recordings circulated on the internet that contained conversations between Tropper and a woman whose conversion he had been supervising, encouraging the woman to engage in sexual activities with others; the two also discuss having sex with each other.<ref name=NYPost>{{cite news |url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tal_mood_for_love_6f0OJMppsB6fGSrhG5vq7M#ixzz0aDmkfiLK |work=New York Post |title=Sex-tape rabbi tries to 'share' hottie |author=Reuven Blau and Melissa Klein |date=December 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>Paul Berger, , The Jewish Chronicle, 23 December 2009</ref> Tropper released a statement through his attorney that admitted no wrongdoing and expressed regret for “what has appeared to be conduct not within our significant laws of modesty.”<ref>Allison Hoffman, , ''Tablet Magazine'', 13 January 2010</ref>
⚫ In 2006, Tropper is alleged to have revoked a woman’s conversion months after supervising it, upon learning that she occasionally wore trousers.<ref name=TJW /> Tropper denied this accusation, claiming the woman had in fact been breaking the ] since immediately after her conversion, and that his role was confined to relaying this information the appropriate authorities.<ref><!--http://www.eternaljewishfamily.org/about_response.html dead link as of December 20, 2009 --> EJF press release, 30 May 2008</ref>


On December 14, 2009, the EJF suddenly announced that Tropper had resigned two days earlier, that he had been replaced as chairman of the Rabbinic Committee by Rabbi Elya Ber Wachtfogel, that Rabbi Chaim Blum would be taking over as interim director, and that Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, the chairman of the Halachic Committee, would take a more active role in overseeing the organization's activities. No reason was given for these changes.<ref><!--http://www.eternaljewishfamily.org/site/news/article/change_in_ejf_leadership dead link as of December 20, 2009 --> EJF press release, December 14, 2009</ref> Wachtfogel, however, issued a letter on December 18 denying that EJF is under his direction. The press release was then deleted from EJF's website. On December 20, EJF put out a new press release omitting all mention of Wachtfogel or the chairmanship of the Rabbinic Committee.<ref></ref> The EJF web site still lists Wachtfogel as chairman of the Rabbinic Committee.<ref></ref> On December 14, 2009, the EJF announced that Tropper had resigned two days earlier, that he had been replaced as chairman of the Rabbinic Committee by Rabbi Elya Ber Wachtfogel, that Rabbi Chaim Blum would be taking over as interim director, and that Rabbi ], the chairman of the Halachic Committee, would take a more active role in overseeing the organization's activities. No reason was given for these changes.<ref><!--http://www.eternaljewishfamily.org/site/news/article/change_in_ejf_leadership dead link as of December 20, 2009 --> EJF press release, December 14, 2009</ref> On December 18, 2009, Wachtfogel issued a letter denying that EJF is under his direction. The press release was then deleted from EJF's website. On December 20, EJF put out a new press release omitting all mention of Wachtfogel or the chairmanship of the Rabbinic Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eternaljewishfamily.org/site/news/article/change_in_ejf_leadership1|title=Change in Eternal Jewish leadership|publisher=The Eternal Jewish Family|accessdate=December 20, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224082357/http://www.eternaljewishfamily.org/site/news/article/change_in_ejf_leadership1|archivedate=December 24, 2009}}</ref>


However the New York Post reported of tapes in which Tropper is heard encouraging a pretty, blond 32-year-old woman who Tropper was guiding through conversion to participate in phone sex and actual sex with men the rabbi knows, including one he calls "the Satmar guy." Tropper, who calls the woman "darling" and "cutie pie," talks about his own love affair with her at one point, saying: "I want to shqueeze you." He also fantasized about rape. "I could role-play a rape with you but I couldn't actually rape you -- you know what I'm saying, darling -- does that make sense?" he asks. The scandal rocked the Orthodox community from Rockland to Israel, and transcripts of the sex tapes circulated on Jewish blogs, with the audio posted on ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p4k8zlQydk|title=Leib Tropper and Liba Tropper|publisher=YouTube.com|date=Feb 15, 2010|accessdate=Feb 15, 2010}}</ref>
== Controversies ==
On the tapes Tropper talked about paying her money for a lawyer and a stipend of $1,300 for the month of November. He also mentions putting in writing an agreement between the two. "Why would you want to document that kind of agreement on an e-mail?" she asked him. The woman, who identifies herself on the tape, apparently recorded the phone conversations. "It was only supposed to go to a few leading rabbis," She later told The Post. She refused to comment further, and later released a statement saying, "While an individual 'rabbi' acted in an inappropriate manner, my desire to become a bona fide Jew is undeterred." She also reportedly told a Jewish blog, failedmessiah.com, that Tropper would tell her: "If you fulfill my needs, I'll fulfill yours -- and you need a conversion."<ref name=NYPost />
In 2004, Tropper was a main force behind the ban of Rabbi ]'s books which explore the relationship between traditional Judaism and modern science.<ref>Natan Slifkin, </ref><ref name="TJW">{{cite news |title=Outreach Rabbi Resigns Amid Cloud Of Scandal |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a17497/News/New_York.html |work=The Jewish Week |date=December 15, 2009}}</ref>


On 14 February 2010 Tropper was to be summoned to a meeting in the Yeshiva Bais Mikroh of ] where the ] were to demand that Tropper resign all his posts and leave Monsey. Before the meeting, Tropper signed an agreement which stated “In not fulfilling the requirement of ] that a leader be 'Pirko No’eh' (פרקו נאה), the undersigned is relinquishing his position.” Tropper also stated that he "released all rights and severs any connection he has to his former Yeshiva in Monsey and withdraws forthwith as a trustee of the organization." Tropper also stated his agreement to move out of Monsey within a few months.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://matzav.com/r-leib-tropper-resigns-as-rosh-yeshiva|title=Leib Tropper Resigns as Rosh Yeshiva of Kol Yaakov|publisher=Matzav.com|date=March 4, 2010|accessdate=March 5, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206013510/http://matzav.com/r-leib-tropper-resigns-as-rosh-yeshiva|archivedate=February 6, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://5tjt.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=206:leib-tropper-scandal-finally-put-to-rest&catid=2:international&Itemid=9+5tjt.net/index.php|title=Leib Tropper scandal finally put to rest|publisher=5 Towns Jewish Times|date=February 16, 2010|access-date=March 2, 2010}}{{dead link|date=February 2024|bot=medic}}</ref>
⚫ In October 2009, Tropper was sued by philanthropist ] for allegedly misappropriating funds given to Tropper by Guma for charitable purposes. The lawsuit followed an altercation between Guma and Tropper in a Jerusalem hotel.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/133755 |title=Jewish Billionaire Sues Prominent US Rabbi |author=Baruch Gordon |work=Arutz Sheva |date=8 October 2009}}</ref> Tropper claims that Aguiar threatened to throw him out a window. Aguiar's attorney denied any threat was made.<ref>{{cite news |title=U.S. rabbi accuses Beitar patron of threatening to defenestrate him |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1113062.html |wprk=Haaretz |author=Yuval Goren |date=9 September 2009}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
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Latest revision as of 05:58, 21 June 2024

Rabbi Leib Tropper (born 1950 in New York City, died 2024) was the founder of the Kol Yaakov Torah Center, which was located in Monsey, New York.

Career

Tropper worked for Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem, and later become the educational director of Ohr Sameach, New York located in Yonkers and Monsey. In 1981, Tropper joined Rabbi Avrohom Gershon Tress in founding a new yeshiva for baalei teshuva, the Kol Yaakov Torah Center, and became its rosh yeshivah (dean).

Eternal Jewish Family

Tropper founded the Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) project, which advocated more rigorous standards for conversion to Judaism, and made it easier for intermarried families to get a conversion. Until 2009 he was the director and chairman of EJF's Rabbinic Committee. The organization was funded by Thomas Kaplan and his nephew, Guma Aguiar, who donated at least $8 million to the project, according to IRS documents.

Sex and Theft Scandals

In October 2009, Tropper was sued by Guma Aguiar for allegedly misappropriating funds given to him by Guma for charitable purposes. Tropper says that Aguiar threatened to throw him out a window. Aguiar's attorney denied any threat was made.

In 2006, The Jewish Week reported allegations that Tropper revoked a woman's conversion after learning that the woman "occasionally wore pants". Tropper denied this accusation, claiming the woman had in fact been breaking the Shabbat after her conversion, and that his role was confined to relaying this information to the appropriate authorities.

In early December 2009, recordings circulated on the internet that contained conversations between Tropper and a woman whose conversion he had been supervising, encouraging the woman to engage in sexual activities with others; the two also discuss having sex with each other. Tropper released a statement through his attorney that admitted no wrongdoing and expressed regret for “what has appeared to be conduct not within our significant laws of modesty.”

On December 14, 2009, the EJF announced that Tropper had resigned two days earlier, that he had been replaced as chairman of the Rabbinic Committee by Rabbi Elya Ber Wachtfogel, that Rabbi Chaim Blum would be taking over as interim director, and that Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, the chairman of the Halachic Committee, would take a more active role in overseeing the organization's activities. No reason was given for these changes. On December 18, 2009, Wachtfogel issued a letter denying that EJF is under his direction. The press release was then deleted from EJF's website. On December 20, EJF put out a new press release omitting all mention of Wachtfogel or the chairmanship of the Rabbinic Committee.

However the New York Post reported of tapes in which Tropper is heard encouraging a pretty, blond 32-year-old woman who Tropper was guiding through conversion to participate in phone sex and actual sex with men the rabbi knows, including one he calls "the Satmar guy." Tropper, who calls the woman "darling" and "cutie pie," talks about his own love affair with her at one point, saying: "I want to shqueeze you." He also fantasized about rape. "I could role-play a rape with you but I couldn't actually rape you -- you know what I'm saying, darling -- does that make sense?" he asks. The scandal rocked the Orthodox community from Rockland to Israel, and transcripts of the sex tapes circulated on Jewish blogs, with the audio posted on YouTube. On the tapes Tropper talked about paying her money for a lawyer and a stipend of $1,300 for the month of November. He also mentions putting in writing an agreement between the two. "Why would you want to document that kind of agreement on an e-mail?" she asked him. The woman, who identifies herself on the tape, apparently recorded the phone conversations. "It was only supposed to go to a few leading rabbis," She later told The Post. She refused to comment further, and later released a statement saying, "While an individual 'rabbi' acted in an inappropriate manner, my desire to become a bona fide Jew is undeterred." She also reportedly told a Jewish blog, failedmessiah.com, that Tropper would tell her: "If you fulfill my needs, I'll fulfill yours -- and you need a conversion."

On 14 February 2010 Tropper was to be summoned to a meeting in the Yeshiva Bais Mikroh of Monsey where the Rabbonim were to demand that Tropper resign all his posts and leave Monsey. Before the meeting, Tropper signed an agreement which stated “In not fulfilling the requirement of Shulchan Aruch that a leader be 'Pirko No’eh' (פרקו נאה), the undersigned is relinquishing his position.” Tropper also stated that he "released all rights and severs any connection he has to his former Yeshiva in Monsey and withdraws forthwith as a trustee of the organization." Tropper also stated his agreement to move out of Monsey within a few months.

References

  1. ^ "Outreach Rabbi Resigns Amid Cloud Of Scandal". The Jewish Week. December 15, 2009. Retrieved Aug 4, 2013.
  2. Leslie Eaton, "Making it work; Speak No Evil? Quixote Had It Easy", New York Times, 31 January 1999
  3. Allison Hoffman, "Among friends", Tablet Magazine, 19 January 2010
  4. Baruch Gordon. (8 October 2009). "Jewish Billionaire Sues Prominent US Rabbi". Arutz Sheva.
  5. Yuval Goren (9 September 2009). "U.S. rabbi accuses Beitar patron of threatening to defenestrate him". Haaretz.
  6. EJF press release, 30 May 2008
  7. ^ Reuven Blau and Melissa Klein (December 20, 2009). "Sex-tape rabbi tries to 'share' hottie". New York Post.
  8. Paul Berger, "Sex Tapes Rock the Orthodox", The Jewish Chronicle, 23 December 2009
  9. Allison Hoffman, Con Game, Tablet Magazine, 13 January 2010
  10. EJF press release, December 14, 2009
  11. "Change in Eternal Jewish leadership". The Eternal Jewish Family. Archived from the original on December 24, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
  12. "Leib Tropper and Liba Tropper". YouTube.com. Feb 15, 2010. Retrieved Feb 15, 2010.
  13. "Leib Tropper Resigns as Rosh Yeshiva of Kol Yaakov". Matzav.com. March 4, 2010. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  14. "Leib Tropper scandal finally put to rest". 5 Towns Jewish Times. February 16, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
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