Mordechai Elon
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Mordechai Elon is a Zionist
Israeli rabbi
. He has headed several Jewish
, religious
and social organizations and institutions, as well as having hosted television and radio shows. He was the subject of an investigation of alleged sexual misconduct.
and Be'er Sheva District Court Judge Josef Elon. He is the son of former Israel Supreme Court
Justice Menachem Elon
.
and at the Hesder Yeshiva of Kiryat Shmona
. In his twenties he began teaching religious studies at the Horev Yeshiva High-School in Jerusalem and later became the Rosh Yeshiva
in June 1987. He left Horev Yeshiva High-School in 2002 to become the Rosh Yeshiva
of Yeshivat HaKotel
in the Old City, Jerusalem. Elon left Yeshivat HaKotel
in 2006.
He had a regular weekly lecture on the Torah portion at the Yeshurun synagogue in Jerusalem. Hundreds of people came to hear him and the lectures were aired on a public Israeli radio station. Elon hosted a weekly television show on which he would speak about the Torah portion.
Elon established and until recently headed a Jewish, social and religious organization called Mibereshit. The organization works with the Israeli education ministry and Israeli schools in order to bring Jewish children and teens to feel closer to their Jewish roots and to the land of Israel
.
Elon also headed a bible group held at the residence of the President of Israel
.
, a rabbinical forum that works to prevent sexual abuse in the national religious community
, issued a statement regarding Elon and alleged sexual misconduct. In the statement, Takana claimed that following its founding in 2003, one of the first complaints it received was against Elon. The compliant said that Elon had committed “sexual exploitation by a religious authority". Takana then began to conduct an investigation which included meeting Elon and asking him about the allegations. Takana's conclusion to the investigation was to order Elon to leave his post at Yeshivat Hakotel
and to retire from public life. Takana claims that at the time, Elon agreed to their demands. Following their demands Elon did leave his position at Yeshivat Hakotel
and moved to Migdal in northern Israel. Takana claims that they released the statement because Elon had not fully honored his agreement. Takana also claimed that they had informed the Attorney General of Israel
Menachem Mazuz
about the agreement with Elon.
In a subsequent clarification, the forum alleged that Elon had maintained ongoing sexual relationships with a number of his male students, and that Elon had confessed to at least some of the allegations to the Takana investigatory panel. Takana claimed that the publicity was meant to make progress, end the affair, and ensure the personal security of vulnerable students.
Elon denied the allegations and defended himself saying that the truth would soon come. Aharon Lichtenstein
who was on the Takana panel, in a speech at his yeshiva, expanded on the affair and the panel's considerations, and said he had received threats of legal action after the story broke.
After the release of the statement and clarifications Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein
, who replaced Mazuz, instructed the police to conduct a preliminary investigation into the affair. In August 2010, Weinstein, instructed the police follow up the preliminary investigation with a criminal investigation of alleged sexual offenses committed against two minors. The police found sufficient evidence to submit the case to the Jerusalem District Prosecutor's office. In January 2011, the Jerusalem District Prosecution recommended to Weinstein that Elon be indicted and in February 2011, it summoned Elon to a pre-indictment hearing. In November 2011 he was indicted.
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
Israeli rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
. He has headed several Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and social organizations and institutions, as well as having hosted television and radio shows. He was the subject of an investigation of alleged sexual misconduct.
Family
Elon's brothers include the Israeli politician, MK Benny ElonBinyamin Elon
Rabbi Binyamin "Benny" Elon is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Moledet and the National Union between 1996 and 2009. A ninth-generation Jerusalemite, Elon has lived in Beit El, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank for the last twenty years...
and Be'er Sheva District Court Judge Josef Elon. He is the son of former Israel Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Israel
The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
Justice Menachem Elon
Menachem Elon
Menachem Elon , an Israeli jurist, who served as a justice on the Israeli Supreme Court and its Deputy President ....
.
Life/career
Elon was born in Jerusalem and received his high-school education at "Yishivat Yerushalayim Latzeirim". After graduating from "Yishivat Yerushalayim Latzeirim" he went on to learn further religious studies at the Hesder Yeshiva Yeshivat Or EtzionYeshivat Or Etzion
Yeshivat Or Etzion is a Hesder Yeshiva, religious high school, and religious army preparation high school. It is located in Merkaz Shapira, Israel. It was founded in 1978. Its Rosh yeshiva is Rabbi Haim Drukman....
and at the Hesder Yeshiva of Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona
Kiryat Shmona is a city located in the North District of Israel on the western slopes of the Hula Valley on the Lebanese border. The city was named for the eight people, including Joseph Trumpeldor, who died in 1920 defending Tel Hai....
. In his twenties he began teaching religious studies at the Horev Yeshiva High-School in Jerusalem and later became the Rosh Yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
in June 1987. He left Horev Yeshiva High-School in 2002 to become the Rosh Yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva
Rosh yeshiva, , , is the title given to the dean of a Talmudical academy . It is made up of the Hebrew words rosh — meaning head, and yeshiva — a school of religious Jewish education...
of Yeshivat HaKotel
Yeshivat Hakotel
Yeshivat Hakotel is a modern-Orthodox religious Zionist hesder yeshiva situated in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was built in 1857. The yeshiva overlooks the Kotel ; hence its name. The Yeshiva is famous among tourists and tour guides for its entrance to the prayer plaza at the Kotel on Sabbath...
in the Old City, Jerusalem. Elon left Yeshivat HaKotel
Yeshivat Hakotel
Yeshivat Hakotel is a modern-Orthodox religious Zionist hesder yeshiva situated in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was built in 1857. The yeshiva overlooks the Kotel ; hence its name. The Yeshiva is famous among tourists and tour guides for its entrance to the prayer plaza at the Kotel on Sabbath...
in 2006.
He had a regular weekly lecture on the Torah portion at the Yeshurun synagogue in Jerusalem. Hundreds of people came to hear him and the lectures were aired on a public Israeli radio station. Elon hosted a weekly television show on which he would speak about the Torah portion.
Elon established and until recently headed a Jewish, social and religious organization called Mibereshit. The organization works with the Israeli education ministry and Israeli schools in order to bring Jewish children and teens to feel closer to their Jewish roots and to the land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
.
Elon also headed a bible group held at the residence of the President of Israel
President of Israel
The President of the State of Israel is the head of state of Israel. The position is largely an apolitical ceremonial figurehead role, with the real executive power lying in the hands of the Prime Minister. The current president is Shimon Peres who took office on 15 July 2007...
.
Alleged sexual misconduct
In February 2010 TakanaTakana
Takana is a forum of prominent personalities with the objective of fighting sexual abuse in the National Religious sector in Israel.The forum came to the spotlight in February 2010 when it published a statement claiming that Rabbi Mordechai Elon was breaking his commitments to refrain from public...
, a rabbinical forum that works to prevent sexual abuse in the national religious community
Religious Zionism
Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...
, issued a statement regarding Elon and alleged sexual misconduct. In the statement, Takana claimed that following its founding in 2003, one of the first complaints it received was against Elon. The compliant said that Elon had committed “sexual exploitation by a religious authority". Takana then began to conduct an investigation which included meeting Elon and asking him about the allegations. Takana's conclusion to the investigation was to order Elon to leave his post at Yeshivat Hakotel
Yeshivat Hakotel
Yeshivat Hakotel is a modern-Orthodox religious Zionist hesder yeshiva situated in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was built in 1857. The yeshiva overlooks the Kotel ; hence its name. The Yeshiva is famous among tourists and tour guides for its entrance to the prayer plaza at the Kotel on Sabbath...
and to retire from public life. Takana claims that at the time, Elon agreed to their demands. Following their demands Elon did leave his position at Yeshivat Hakotel
Yeshivat Hakotel
Yeshivat Hakotel is a modern-Orthodox religious Zionist hesder yeshiva situated in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was built in 1857. The yeshiva overlooks the Kotel ; hence its name. The Yeshiva is famous among tourists and tour guides for its entrance to the prayer plaza at the Kotel on Sabbath...
and moved to Migdal in northern Israel. Takana claims that they released the statement because Elon had not fully honored his agreement. Takana also claimed that they had informed the Attorney General of Israel
Attorney General of Israel
The Attorney General of Israel stands at the head of the legal system of the executive branch and the head of the public legal establishment, in charge of protecting the rule of law and as such entrusted with protecting the public interest from possible harm by government authorities...
Menachem Mazuz
Menachem Mazuz
Menachem Mazuz is an Israeli jurist, who served as the Israeli Attorney General in the years 2004-2010. Mazuz was born in Djerba, Tunisia, the fourth in a family of nine children of the rabbi of one of the island's Jewish communities...
about the agreement with Elon.
In a subsequent clarification, the forum alleged that Elon had maintained ongoing sexual relationships with a number of his male students, and that Elon had confessed to at least some of the allegations to the Takana investigatory panel. Takana claimed that the publicity was meant to make progress, end the affair, and ensure the personal security of vulnerable students.
Elon denied the allegations and defended himself saying that the truth would soon come. Aharon Lichtenstein
Aharon Lichtenstein
Aharon Lichtenstein is a noted Orthodox rabbi and rosh yeshiva.Rabbi Lichtenstein was born in Paris, France, but grew up in the United States, studied in Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin under Rabbi Yitzchok Hutner...
who was on the Takana panel, in a speech at his yeshiva, expanded on the affair and the panel's considerations, and said he had received threats of legal action after the story broke.
After the release of the statement and clarifications Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein
Yehuda Weinstein
Yehuda Weinstein is an Israeli lawyer and the Attorney General of Israel, having replaced the previous attorney general, Menachem Mazuz, on 1 February 2010.-Biography:...
, who replaced Mazuz, instructed the police to conduct a preliminary investigation into the affair. In August 2010, Weinstein, instructed the police follow up the preliminary investigation with a criminal investigation of alleged sexual offenses committed against two minors. The police found sufficient evidence to submit the case to the Jerusalem District Prosecutor's office. In January 2011, the Jerusalem District Prosecution recommended to Weinstein that Elon be indicted and in February 2011, it summoned Elon to a pre-indictment hearing. In November 2011 he was indicted.
Writings
- Tekhelet Mordechai Sichot on the Weekly Torah Portion, Sifriyat Bet-El Publishing Ltd.
- The Tekhelet Mordekhai Haggadah, Sifriyat Bet-El Publishing Ltd., June 2007