| Revision as of 16:34, 21 December 2009 editZsero (talk | contribs)12,092 editsm Reverted edits by Truth Transparency (talk) to last version by Yodamace1← Previous edit | Revision as of 16:59, 21 December 2009 edit undoTruth Transparency (talk | contribs)41 edits If you put a press release you should keep the original story as sourceNext edit → | ||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
| 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. | 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 2006, Tropper is alleged to have revoked a woman’s conversion months after supervising it, upon learning that she occasionally wore trousers.<ref>http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a17497/News/New_York.html 12/15/2009, New York Jewish Week</ref> 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> {{dead link|date=December 20, 2009}}</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>http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a17497/News/New_York.html 12/15/2009, New York Jewish Week</ref> <ref></ref> 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> {{dead link|date=December 20, 2009}}</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> {{dead link|date=December 20, 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 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> {{dead link|date=December 20, 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> | ||
Revision as of 16:59, 21 December 2009
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. Feel free to improve this article or discuss changes on the talk page, but please note that updates without valid and reliable references will be removed. (December 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Rabbi Leib Tropper (born 1950) is a Rosh Yeshiva and founder of the Kol Yaakov Yeshiva and Torah Center in Monsey, New York.
Education
Tropper was born in New York City to Rabbi Yehuda Tropper, a teacher at Rabbi Jacob Joseph Elementary School, and Rivka Tropper, the daughter of the Valbolneker Iluy, Rabbi Leib Forer. He was educated at the Rabbi Jacob Joseph school, the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, the Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, and then at Yeshivas Torah Ore in Jerusalem, under the leadership of Rabbi Chaim Pinchus Scheinberg. He received four semichas: from Rabbi Serayah Deblitzky, a student of the Chazon Ish; Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, former Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel; Rabbi Betzalel Zolty, Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Jerusalem; and Rabbi Elazar Shach, a rosh yeshiva at Ponevezh Yeshiva.
Outreach
After leaving Torah Ore, Tropper accepted a position at the nascent Ohr Sameach institutions. After five years in Jerusalem teaching baalei teshuva, Tropper returned to the United States to become the educational director of Ohr Sameach, New York located in Yonkers and Monsey. In 1981, Tropper joined in founding a new yeshiva for baalei teshuva, the Kol Yaakov Torah Center, and became its rosh yeshivah.
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 halachic work based on the decisions of his mentor, Rabbi Scheinberg.
Eternal Jewish Family
Tropper founded the Eternal Jewish Family (EJF) project, which advocates tougher standards for conversion to Judaism, and also assists intermarried families with conversion issues. Until 2009 he was its director and chairman of its Rabbinic Committee.
In 2006, Tropper is alleged to have revoked a woman’s conversion months after supervising it, upon learning that she occasionally wore trousers. Tropper denied this accusation, claiming the woman had in fact been breaking the Shabbat since immediately after her conversion, and that his role was confined to relaying this information the appropriate authorities.
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. 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. The EJF web site still lists Wachtfogel as chairman of the Rabbinic Committee.
Soon after, bloggers circulated a recording of a conversation between a man alleged to be Tropper and a woman whose conversion he is alleged to have been supervising, and which appears to show that the two were having a sexual affair.
Controversies
In 2004, Tropper was a main force behind the ban of Rabbi Natan Slifkin's books which explore the relationship between traditional Judaism and modern science.
In October 2009, Tropper was sued by philanthropist Guma Aguiar 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. Tropper claims that Aguiar threatened to throw him out a window. Aguiar's attorney denied any threat was made.
References
- http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a17497/News/New_York.html 12/15/2009, New York Jewish Week
- Ultra-Orthodox Rabbis Are Reversing Conversions By the Fistful
- EJF press release, 30 May 2008
- EJF press release, December 14, 2009
- EJF press release, December 20, 2009
- Who's Who at the EJF
- Reuven Blau and Melissa Klein (December 20, 2009). "Sex-tape rabbi tries to 'share' hottie". New York Post.
- Natan Slifkin, An Account of Events
- "Outreach Rabbi Resigns Amid Cloud Of Scandal". The Jewish Week. December 15, 2009.
- Baruch Gordon (8 October 2009). "Jewish Billionaire Sues Prominent US Rabbi". Arutz Sheva.
- Yuval Goren (9 September 2009). "U.S. rabbi accuses Beitar patron of threatening to defenestrate him".
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|wprk=ignored (help)