Difference between revisions of "Moshe Chaim Ephraim Padwa"
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In October 2022 reports on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) noted that the 2013 recording of Rabbi [[Ephraim Padwa]] dissuading a victim from reporting to police illustrated “a mismatch between the organisation’s stated position and its actual practice in responding to allegations of child sexual abuse”.<ref name="JN2022">Jewish News, [https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/child-abuse-inquiry-calls-for-tougher-laws-and-compensation-scheme-for-victims/ Chief Rabbi welcomes findings of child abuse inquiry] ''Jewish News'', 20 October 2022.</ref> The inquiry heard that even years later a comprehensive child protection policy had not been implemented by the [[Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations]], although a representative stated that the rabbinate was clear abuse must be reported to the relevant authorities.<ref name="JN2022" /> | In October 2022 reports on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) noted that the 2013 recording of Rabbi [[Ephraim Padwa]] dissuading a victim from reporting to police illustrated “a mismatch between the organisation’s stated position and its actual practice in responding to allegations of child sexual abuse”.<ref name="JN2022">Jewish News, [https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/child-abuse-inquiry-calls-for-tougher-laws-and-compensation-scheme-for-victims/ Chief Rabbi welcomes findings of child abuse inquiry] ''Jewish News'', 20 October 2022.</ref> The inquiry heard that even years later a comprehensive child protection policy had not been implemented by the [[Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations]], although a representative stated that the rabbinate was clear abuse must be reported to the relevant authorities.<ref name="JN2022" /> | ||
| + | ==Affiliations== | ||
| + | ===Company director=== | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| + | |+ Directorships of [[Rabbi Ephraim Padwa]] (Moshe Chaim Ephraim Padwa) | ||
| + | ! Company Name !! Company Number !! Role !! Appointment Date !! Resignation Date !! Status | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Beis Talmud]] || 08723460 || Director || 8 October 2013 || — || Active | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Barnview Properties Limited]] || 02725618 || Director || 9 October 1992 || 8 June 2022 || Resigned | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | ===Trustee=== | ||
| + | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| + | |+ Trustees of BEIS TALMUD (Charity No. 1163576) | ||
| + | ! Name !! Role !! Appointment Date !! Other trusteeships | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Moshe Chaim Ephraim Padwa]] || Chair || 3 July 2015 || None on record | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Yitzchok Friedman]] || Trustee || 3 July 2015 || KOLLEL RABINOW (DIVRE SHIR) FOUNDATION (charity number: 313557) | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Jacob Padwa]] || Trustee || 3 July 2015 || None on record | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | [[Abraham Chaim Rapaport]] || Trustee || 28 May 2015 || None on record | ||
| + | |} | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
*[[Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations]] | *[[Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations]] | ||
| Line 39: | Line 62: | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
| − | + | *https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/cp-religious-organisations-settings/part-e-responding-allegations-abuse/e2-responses-allegations-abuse-and-reporting-statutory-authorities.html | |
| + | *https://www.impressorg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/265-marc-harris-and-the-skwawkbox-final-adjudication.pdf | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
Latest revision as of 15:04, 9 June 2026
British Haredi rabbi and rabbinical head of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations
| Rabbi Ephraim Padwa | |
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| Image | |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Nationality | |
| Residence | |
| Occupation | Rabbi |
| Known for | Leadership of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations rabbinate |
| Parents | |
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| Sibling(s) | |
| Website | |
Rabbi Ephraim Padwa is the rabbinical head of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations (UOHC), the principal rabbinical authority for a major section of the strictly Orthodox Jewish community in the United Kingdom. He has held this position since 2000 and is based in Stamford Hill, north London.[1]
Rabbi Ephraim Padwa serves as Stamford Hill’s most senior rabbi and leads the UOHC rabbinate on matters of religious law and community guidance for its affiliated congregations.[1] The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations functions as an umbrella organisation for strictly Orthodox (Haredi or Charedi) communities, with its core base in Stamford Hill representing a substantial portion of Britain’s Haredi population, estimated in contemporary reports at around 35,000 to 40,000 people.[2]
Rabbi Ephraim Padwa has issued public statements on community welfare, technology use, and responses to external events. In May 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, he wrote on behalf of the entire UOHC Rabbinate commending teachers and community workers for using “satisfactory kosher mobile phones” to conduct school lessons and programmes via telephone communication in “a time of great distress”.[1] The same letter issued a stern warning that the crisis should not be interpreted as grounds to “relax” previous rulings “concerning the usage of instruments of technology such as the Internet, smartphones and the like” and urged the community to purchase from local traders and increase charitable contributions amid financial hardship.[1]
Leadership of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations
Rabbi Ephraim Padwa has headed the UOHC rabbinate since 2000.[1] In this role he provides religious guidance to affiliated synagogues and institutions across the strictly Orthodox community in London and beyond. The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations maintains a Beth Din (rabbinical court) and issues collective positions on halachic and communal matters.
During the 2020 pandemic Rabbi Ephraim Padwa emphasised continuity of education through permitted means while reinforcing longstanding community standards on technology.[1] His letter highlighted the “severely damaged or diminished” livelihoods of many in the community and called for increased support for local businesses and charitable giving.
2019 letter controversy
In December 2019 a letter in Yiddish, bearing Rabbi Ephraim Padwa’s personal stamp and purporting to carry his signature, was circulated by Charedi activist Shraga Stern.[3] The letter expressed shock at “those who are disseminating rumours and blaming the leader of the Labour party Mr Jeremy Corbyn that he is an antisemite” and stated that “we have no connection whatsoever with these irresponsible actions”.[3]
The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations and Rabbi Ephraim Padwa’s family immediately denounced the letter as a forgery obtained by deception, citing Rabbi Ephraim Padwa’s poor health at the time.[3] A UOHC statement declared: “It is truly shocking that a few irresponsible hotheads would seek to take advantage of the Rov’s current poor health by deceiving him into signing a letter that has now been twisted into an endorsement of Jeremy Corbyn”.[3] The statement affirmed that “The Rov’s position is clear in that he does not involve himself in such partisan political matters. This has always been the mesorah of the Rov and indeed of the Rov’s late father.”[3]
Shraga Stern disputed the deception claim, asserting that Rabbi Ephraim Padwa’s son Rabbi Leibish Padwa had been present and that Rabbi Ephraim Padwa was fully aware of the contents.[3] The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations maintained that the letter did not represent Rabbi Ephraim Padwa’s position and that he avoids partisan political involvement.[4]
2013 child protection recording and subsequent inquiry
In January 2013 Rabbi Ephraim Padwa was secretly recorded by a former community member using a hidden camera as part of a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation into child sexual abuse within the Charedi community.[2] The recording showed an alleged victim seeking advice on reporting childhood abuse by a fellow Charedi individual to the police. Rabbi Ephraim Padwa advised against reporting, describing it as “mesira” (forbidden under rabbinic law to inform non-Jewish authorities about a Jew) and stating “Men Tur Nisht” (“people must not tell tales”) and “The police is not the solution”.[2] Reports also indicated he had recently forbidden a father from pursuing a police report regarding his son’s sexual abuse.[2]
The Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations responded to Channel 4 with a letter stating that “the Jewish Community considers the safety and protection of our children as paramount”.[2] It outlined the existence of a special committee comprising rabbis, educators and trained community members to handle complaints “according to the advice of the Rabbinical Court and according to the law of the land”.[2] The Dispatches programme “Britain’s Hidden Child Abuse” aired on 30 January 2013.[5]
In October 2022 reports on the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) noted that the 2013 recording of Rabbi Ephraim Padwa dissuading a victim from reporting to police illustrated “a mismatch between the organisation’s stated position and its actual practice in responding to allegations of child sexual abuse”.[6] The inquiry heard that even years later a comprehensive child protection policy had not been implemented by the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, although a representative stated that the rabbinate was clear abuse must be reported to the relevant authorities.[6]
Affiliations
Company director
| Company Name | Company Number | Role | Appointment Date | Resignation Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beis Talmud | 08723460 | Director | 8 October 2013 | — | Active |
| Barnview Properties Limited | 02725618 | Director | 9 October 1992 | 8 June 2022 | Resigned |
Trustee
| Name | Role | Appointment Date | Other trusteeships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moshe Chaim Ephraim Padwa | Chair | 3 July 2015 | None on record |
| Yitzchok Friedman | Trustee | 3 July 2015 | KOLLEL RABINOW (DIVRE SHIR) FOUNDATION (charity number: 313557) |
| Jacob Padwa | Trustee | 3 July 2015 | None on record |
| Abraham Chaim Rapaport | Trustee | 28 May 2015 | None on record |
See also
External links
- https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/cp-religious-organisations-settings/part-e-responding-allegations-abuse/e2-responses-allegations-abuse-and-reporting-statutory-authorities.html
- https://www.impressorg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/265-marc-harris-and-the-skwawkbox-final-adjudication.pdf
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Jewish Chronicle, Top Stamford Hill rabbi backs using 'kosher' phones for school lessons The Jewish Chronicle, 1 May 2020.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The Independent, Senior British rabbi filmed telling alleged child abuse victim not to go to the police The Independent, 30 January 2013.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Jewish News, Charedi leader ‘deceived’ into signing pro-Jeremy Corbyn letter Jewish News, 10 December 2019.
- ↑ The Jerusalem Post, Senior UK rabbi 'duped' into signing letter backing Jeremy Corbyn The Jerusalem Post, 10 December 2019.
- ↑ Channel 4, Rabbi urges alleged child abuse victim not to tell police Channel 4 Press, 30 January 2013.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Jewish News, Chief Rabbi welcomes findings of child abuse inquiry Jewish News, 20 October 2022.