Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's Grandson Discloses Past Sexual Abuse in Yeshiva

Ovadia Cohen, grandson of the late Israeli Chief Rabbi and spiritual leader of the Shas party, Ovadia Yosef, has publicly revealed that he was sexually assaulted at the age of 14. The confession was made in an interview on the "How Things Are Done" podcast, released on September 15th by Kan Podcasts and Kan BOX.

Cohen described how a spiritual mentor at his yeshiva subjected him to prolonged sexual abuse. He recounted that the mentor initiated contact through lengthy conversations, "He would come into the Beit Midrash and stalk me. It all started with very long conversations. He asked me many questions, down to the smallest details, about sexual habits and at the same time lectured me. It was an endless nightmare," Cohen stated.

He recalled that his memories of the abuse are fragmented, suggesting he may have been under the influence of a substance. "Unfortunately or fortunately, I don't remember everything. But I am sure that I was under the influence of some substance, meaning I was somehow drugged. I know that other people were near me, I can say that I was tied up. I constantly remember new individual moments, flashes," he said.

Cohen stated that he lived with feelings of guilt for many years and has now decided to speak out to overcome shame and support other survivors. "That's why I'm here today. I want to push shame aside. I don't want to hide, I don't want to conceal myself, I want to be seen as I am. I want to give a little optimism, strength, and hope that it is possible to succeed, it is possible to survive," Cohen said.

Ovadia Cohen is named after his grandfather, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a prominent religious authority for Sephardic Jews. The Yosef family holds significant influence within Israel's religious and Haredi communities, with several of Rabbi Yosef's children holding high rabbinical positions, including former Chief Sephardic Rabbis Yitzhak and David Yosef.