Eliezer Berland

Berland was born in Haifa in 1937. While a youth, he was recognized as a gifted student. He studied at the Knesses Chizkiyahu yeshiva in Kfar Hasidim under Rabbi Elyah Lopian and Rabbi Dov Yaffe. After his marriage to his wife, Tehilla, who is the daughter of Knesset member Shalom-Avraham Shaki,[7] Berland joined the Ponevezh Yeshiva kollel and, later, the Volozhin Kollel in Bnei Brak. He was a chavruta (study partner) with Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, known as the Steipler Gaon.[3]

Among his students is Rabbi Shalom Arush, rosh yeshiva of Chut Shel Chessed Yeshiva of Jerusalem and a popular speaker and author on Breslov topics.[8]

Several women have reported that Berland sexually harassed or raped them.[9] The allegations came to light in 2012 when the newspaper Israel Hayom reported an incident in which one of Berland's students allegedly encountered him at home standing beside a naked woman. His supporters expressed anger over the report, and the person who leaked the story to the media was later violently attacked.[10]

According to Berland's followers, the accusations were made by relatives of Berland's enemies.[11]

After the police opened an investigation, Berland immediately fled Israel, and spent time in the United States, Italy, and Switzerland. He then left for Morocco, settling in Marrakesh.[12] Berland lived in Marrakesh for seven months and was welcomed by the small Moroccan Jewish community. He intended to establish a kehilla in Marrakesh, based on the Shuvu Banim yeshiva, and planned on building a community center, educational institutions, and apartments for his followers. Thousands of his followers began travelling to Marrakesh to celebrate holidays and commemorate events with him, and some took up residency. In November 2013, Berland and his students were ordered to leave Morocco by King Mohammed VI. According to news reports, a Moroccan newspaper had published an article profiling the rabbi and mentioning the circumstances in which he fled Israel, and the king ordered Berland's expulsion after reading the article. Berland's followers claimed that the king was merely concerned for their safety, as they were Hasidic Jews living in a Muslim country.[10][13][14] Berland is thought to have left Morocco for Cairo, Egypt. He reportedly bought tickets for various destinations to confuse pursuers and in the end chose Zimbabwe. From there, he allegedly took a flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was taken in by a relative.[15]

On April 14, 2014, the Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Warren Goldstein, called on the South African Jewish community not to shelter or support Berland.[16] Berland then flew to Zimbabwe, reportedly in a private jet owned by a wealthy follower. He lived in an upscale hotel room in Bulawayo and led worship services for members of the small Zimbabwean Jewish community in a synagogue in the Bulawayo suburb of Khumalo. He was joined by some of his followers. He hired two attorneys in Israel due to the possibility of being forced to return to Israel if his options ran out. On April 7, 2014, police raided Berland's hotel room and found him with some followers from Israel. After it was established that his visitor's visa had expired, he was arrested and charged with remaining in Zimbabwe without a permit. He pleaded guilty before a magistrate judge, and was remanded to custody. He was also reportedly questioned over the sexual assault allegations.[17][18] A magistrate judge gave him a choice between paying a $200 fine or three months in prison, and ordered him expelled. Berland paid the fine, and left for South Africa, returning to Johannesburg. There, he lived in hiding, and managed, with help from followers, to narrowly escape two attempts by police to detain him.[19][20][21]

The South African Jewish Report featured the first interview of a student trying to defend the accusations against Berland. He claimed a large conspiracy against the rabbi and religious persecution by a sectarian Israeli government.[22] In September 2014, Berland left South Africa on a flight to the Netherlands and was arrested after arriving at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol on September 11.[23]

Shortly after his detention, Berland was released. A Dutch court ruled against his extradition after it was shown that there was no active arrest warrant for him in Israel. The Israeli police confirmed that he was only wanted for questioning, and there was no warrant. The judge ruled that the Israeli police would have to obtain an arrest warrant from an Israeli court before starting extradition proceedings. In an interview with Israeli media shortly after his release, Berland claimed that the police had told him that the claims were nonsense, and a follower claimed that the Israeli media outlets which originally reported the allegations were now treating them as untrue in their more recent broadcasts. Israel and the Netherlands engaged in extradition talks over Berland, while in the meantime he had been granted freedom of movement rights throughout the European Union while his case was pending.[11][24]

After the court ruling, 300 supporters came to see him, and Berland hosted a reception for them on a Jewish-owned camping site on the island of Texel. The authorities evicted most of them, as the number of supporters rose over the site's capacity.[25]

On December 1, 2014, Berland's extradition was further delayed by a Dutch court due to new evidence submitted by his defense.[26]

On February 12, 2015, his extradition to Israel was ordered by a Dutch court. The decision to extradite him was in the hands of the Dutch Secretary for Justice, Klaas Dijkhoff.[27] Berland's followers tried to install themselves in a camp in Susteren, but it was full. 250 people lodged in a vacant youth hostel in Oldebroek until the mayor ordered them to leave on May 3, 2015, because of inhumane conditions and fire hazards.[28]

The ruling was appealed to the Dutch Supreme Court, which on June 30, 2015, said that Berland could be extradited to Israel.[29]

On the night of October 18, 2015, Berland's followers entered Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, as requested by the Berland from abroad. Their entry without security clearance required their rescue by the Israeli army, and was followed by arson of the Tomb by Palestinians.[30]

On April 7, 2016, Berland was again arrested in South Africa.[31] Preceding and following his arrest were mass prayer vigils and demonstrations. On March 22, 2016, facing arrest, Berland asked his followers to hold an all-night prayer vigil at the cave of the patriarchs in Hebron. Approximately 8,000 people attended the six-hour-long rally.[32] Following his arrest, on April 25, hundreds of followers demonstrated outside the South African embassy in Ramat Gan against the "unlawful arrest of the Rabbi" and his being denied humanitarian rights in prison.[33] On April 27, thousands of supporters once again held a mass prayer vigil at the cave of the patriarchs in Hebron.[34]

On May 1, 2016, Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman visited Berland to "aid him and ease his conditions".[35] While there, he spoke about Berland's prison conditions, saying he was being denied food and had not eaten in days.[36][37] He spoke about this to the media to raise awareness;[38] other rabbis, like Shalom Arush, followed suit and spoke to the media about Berland's condition.[39][40]

On May 21, 2016, Grossman flew a second time to visit Berland,[41] and apparently succeeded in making some kind of deal between Berland and the Israeli authorities in which Berland would turn himself in voluntarily.[42][43]

On May 27, 2016, Berland released a letter and audio recording to his followers saying, "I decided to return to Israel".[44]

On November 18, 2016, Berland was convicted by the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court after admitting to two counts of indecent acts and one assault.[45] He was sentenced on November 22 to 18 months imprisonment.[46]

Berland has expressed remorse over his acts and said that he takes responsibility for what happened: "I am willing to accept any punishment in the world, including burning me and stoning me because that is Torah law. The punishment that was meted to me was perhaps too light, and I am willing to accept a greater punishment".[47]

On February 12, 2017, Berland was taken to the hospital for an urgent operation. He was later released to house arrest because of his health.[47][48]

At the request of many, a special Beis Din was convened to investigate the rumors that have come out against Berland, the leader of the Shuvu Bonim community. The Beis Din comprised three dayanim, one from each of the leading Batei Dinim in the land of Israel, and its goal was to adjudicate the manner in which everyone should conduct themselves. On June 24, 2019, this special Beis din, issued the following order regarding Berland: "To stop immediately all hatred, persecution, arguments and slander, in writing and in speech, and in all form of media and publication." The statement was signed by Moishe Sternbuch, Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, and others.[49][50]

On May 20, after months of collecting evidence and testimony, the special Beis din issued their final conclusive ruling. The Beis Din described the content of the testimonies that they had heard as “untoward acts” and “very serious behaviors,” and they concluded that, “It is clear that according to the opinion of our holy teachings, anyone who violates the three cardinal sins and their derivatives, someone who values his soul must stay away from him [the violator] and one is obligated to act in this way.” The ruling also contained a paragraph warning that this is a serious issue since defenders of Berland have excused his behavior, even publishing books, claiming it is permitted for a Tzaddik to perform a sins. The ruling continued, "These matters are to considered complete heresy in the fundamentals of our religion. We must uproot and remove this heresy from within us."[51]

• Shuvu Bonim Yeshiva website
• Shuvu Banim International website