Second Complaint Surfaces Against Educator at Northern Religious School

A week after a Channel 13 Friday edition investigation in which Eden Abu described an alleged sexual assault by an educator at a religious school in northern Israel, the network reported Friday night that additional women are prepared to describe similar incidents. One of them, identified only as Orit, told Channel 13 that the educator liked to touch students, saying, “She used to like to caress, it’s nothing new. She used to come and touch your shoulder, your back.”

Orit said she is expected to file a police complaint next week, or alternatively testify in the already-open case involving Abu. She said the broadcast was shocking and added that the matter had been silenced by rabbis. “When I heard the report, I got a resounding slap, and even more so when I understood that this thing is being silenced by rabbis,” she said. “I hope the truth comes out and that this school is closed. Shut it down. I hope more girls wake up to their lives.”

The report said Abu has received many messages since the investigation aired, and there may be additional women who were harmed by the same educator. In response, the educator’s lawyer denied the allegations outright, saying the channel’s “in-depth investigation” revived claims from about 20 years ago and arguing that the report should instead have examined her client’s long record of helping generations of students, many of whom, the lawyer said, contacted her to express appreciation.