Jerusalem court convicts sex offender who taught at religious school under false identity

A Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court convicted teacher Malachi Israel Banyas, who admitted impersonating another person to hide his past as a sex offender so he could get hired as a teacher.

According to the charge, Banyas worked for about a year and a half at a Talmud Torah religious school, where he taught grades 4 and 5. To secure the job, he presented himself as “Israel Spiegel” and used forged identifying documents.

The court noted that Banyas had been under supervision following a previous sex offense conviction, which barred him from working in settings that allow contact with children. He nevertheless obtained the teaching post by concealing his identity and criminal history.