News (February 18, 2008)AJN.com
SA court to hear shul’s claim
PETER KOHN
THE District Court of South Australia will hear a civil action by the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation (AHC) next month to recover goods it claims are being held illegally by its former rabbi, Yossi Engel.
AHC board member Allen Bolaffi said the items included a car, furniture, computers and Pesach dishes.
The goods came into Rabbi Engel’s possession as part of his contract of employment, which the AHC terminated in 2006.
Court proceedings under Judge Andrea Simpson will commence on March 13.
Meanwhile, an investigation by South Australian Police into fake report cards allegedly signed by Rabbi Engel is continuing. Claims that Adelaide’s Spirit of David school received government funding for non-existent Hebrew lessons is also being investigated, with children who attended the school being interviewed.
The investigation, which had taken 25 witness statements by late December, and has interviewed Rabbi Engel, is likely to be wound up later this month or next month, with the possibility that police could lay charges.
Bolaffi said Melbourne’s Rabbi Avraham Gutnick, son of the late Rabbi Chaim Gutnick, has been leading services for the Adelaide shul for the past few weeks. “He may be invited to apply for a rabbinic position with us.”
Bolaffi said he does not believe that hiring a permanent rabbi could result in the Sydney Beth Din, which has jurisdiction over South Australia, re-issuing a siruv (contempt order) against the AHC.
Last year, the AHC was threatened with a siruv if it hired a new rabbi while the dispute with Rabbi Engel over his employment contract remained unresolved by a beth din.
“No-one could convene a beth din, so as far as we’re concerned there’s nothing to be concerned about,” Bolaffi said this week.
The full bench of South Australia’s Supreme Court ruled last year that the Sydney Beth Din had no role in hearing the contract dispute.
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