Head of Jersualem-Based Yeshiva Shevut Yehuda, Rabbi Meir Elbaz, Sued for Sex Abuse of Child Relative for Nearly Two Decades

Rabbi Meir Elbaz, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Shevut Yehuda

***Rosh Yeshiva of Jersualem-Based Yeshiva Shevut Yehuda, Rabbi Meir Elbaz, Accused of Sexually Abusing Child Relative for Nearly Two Decades, Bet Yaakov Ateret Torah, Congregation Etz Chaim of Flatbush, and Beth Jacob Jerusalem and Elbaz's Wife Sara Also Named as Defendants***

Trigger warning for detailed descriptions of sexual violence against a child

Rabbi Meir Elbaz is the Rosh Yeshiva of the Jerusalem-based Yeshiva Shevut Yehuda, which, according to the complaint, would regularly send Elbaz to the United States to fundraise. The complaint alleges that beginning in 1989, when Plaintiff was 4 years old, Elbaz, who was a guest in Plaintiff's home, began touching Plaintiff's feet while she was in bed. A short time afterwards, the complaint alleges, while a guest in Plaintiff's home again, Elbaz began to kiss plaintiff all over her body, including between her legs, and on her genitals.

In the complaint Plaintiff describes a recurring flashback where she is lying on her stomach in bed with Elbaz on top of her, crushing her, and smothering her with a pillow. Plaintiff alleges that she recalls not being able to scream or breath, and feeling tremendous pain and pressure inside her vagina. On numerous occasions between 1989 and 2005, the complaint alleges, from when Plaintiff was 4 years old until she was 20, Elbaz would kiss her body all over, including her feet and genitals, kiss her on her mouth and force his tongue into her mouth, grope her breasts and buttocks, expose his genitals to Plaintiff, then masturbate using Plaintiff's body parts, and ejaculate on Plaintiff.

On one occasion in 2000, according to the complaint, Elbaz stood behind Plaintiff, pressed himself into her, rubbed his penis on her buttocks and proceeded to ejaculate on the back of her school uniform, which Plaintiff then had to change.

In 1996, when Plaintiff was around 12 years old, the complaint alleges that Plaintiff began to ask Elbaz questions about what was happening, stating that she was taught that boys and girls weren't supposed to touch each other, so why was Elbaz - a male and a rabbi - touching her? Elbaz allegedly responded that he had been married to Plaintiff in another lifetime where he was not "good to her" so he had to make it up to her in this gilgul by loving her, which is what he allegedly claimed he was doing to her. He then allegedly told Plaintiff to keep it a secret between them.

The complaint alleges that Elbaz would manipulate Plaintiff with his position of religious authority by showing Plaintiff kabbalah seforim, pointing to pages that contained both of their names, and explained using Gematria that there was a spiritual connection between the two of them which was proof they needed to be together. Elbaz further told Plaintiff, according to the complaint, that it would be easier for her to be sexual with a man later on because of everything Elbaz taught her.

The complaint alleges that in 2000 when Plaintiff was 15 years old, Elbaz sexually assaulted Plaintiff on the grounds of Bet Yaakov Ateret Torah which was at the time renting space from Congregation Etz Chaim of Flatbush. Following graduation, according to the complaint, Plaintiff was sent to Beth Jacob Jerusalem at the direction of Ateret. Between 2002 and 2003, according to the complaint, when Plaintiff was a student at BJJ, Elbaz would, on various occasions, pick Plaintiff up from the BJJ dorm and sexually assault her in his car or apartment. At various times, according to the complaint, Elbaz's wife, Sara Elbaz, was present in an adjacent room while he was sexually abusing Plaintiff.

At various occasions between 2002 and 2003, according to the complaint, Elbaz would drive Plaintiff to an empty parking lot where he would forcefully kiss her, put his tongue in her mouth, put his hands under her shirt, grope her breasts, and digitally penetrate her as he either masturbated himself to ejaculation, or forced her hands onto his penis. During this period, the complaint alleges, while Plaintiff was under the custody and control of BJJ, she hardly ate or slept, lost a significant amount of weight, missed many classes, slept through classes, complained of hallucinations while taking exams, and was visibly hysterical at times. BJJ allegedly failed to investigate or take any corrective actions.

On Yom Kippur in 2002, according to the complaint, when Plaintiff was at Elbaz's yeshiva for davening, Elbaz approached her, kissed her on the mouth, groped her breasts, and pressed his body into hers, stimulating his body with hers.

The complaint alleges that in 1998, two years after Plaintiff first confronted Elbaz about what he was doing to her, she begged Elbaz to stop, and told him she didn't want to do it. Elbaz, according to the complaint, responded that he would stop when Plaintiff turned 18, but when she did turn 18 and asked him again to stop abusing her, Elbaz said he would when she was 20. She asked him again, according to the complaint, when she was 20, in 2004, and Elbaz said that not only wouldn't he stop, but when Plaintiff got married she would have to invite Elbaz into her home to sleep with him because it was their Tikkun, and a mitzvah. Plaintiff alleges that she believed Elbaz's representations that what he was doing her was not only allowed but religiously necessary because of his prominence as a rabbi.

The following year, according to the complaint, Plaintiff travelled to Israel for a relative's wedding, and when she saw Elbaz at the wedding he started touching her. According to the complaint, Plaintiff had been concerned about this happening and had worked with her therapist on what to say to Elbaz if confronted by him. Plaintiff allegedly told Elbaz that it was over and that she would report him if he ever touched or contacted her again.

The complaint alleges that in 2009 Elbaz had a conversation with Plaintiff's father in which he admitted to him that he had touched Plaintiff, and began to cry. The following year, according to the complaint, Plaintiff's father confronted Sara Elbaz about the abuse, although Sara Elbaz said she didn't believe it. That same year, according to the complaint, Elbaz came to the United States and threatened Plaintiff to keep quiet about the abuse and said she was forbidden from spreading lashon hara, even giving her a book on Shmiras HaLashon and $3,000 cash.

According to the complaint, Plaintiff is aware of at least 4 other women who were sexually abused by Rabbi Meir Elbaz, including one whose husband Elbaz offered $10,000 to buy their silence. The complaint alleges that Plaintiff reported the abuse to the NYPD and that the investigation is still ongoing.

Link to read full complaint: https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/ViewDocument?docIndex=qPHYOoPmOynfTk0kCgYXow==