Sex Offender Becomes Rebbe

Ex-convicts are usually sent to post-imprisonment rehabilitation programs, but in Israel such a person has immediately attained a high position – without any cooling-off period.

Yaakov Yitzhak Rata, who was convicted of rape and sentenced to 16 years at the Maasiyahu Prison’s religious wing, was released from jail last week only to become a rebbe – a position he inherited from his father, who died during his imprisonment.

The ultra-Orthodox public is now divided over whether he will gain any followers.

The father of the rapist rabbi was Rabbi Avraham Chaim Rata, who was known as the “Shomrei Emumim Rebbe” and died last summer. He led a small congregation of 200 followers based in Jerusalem.

Read More: @ ynetnews.com

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