Charleston, SC - Rabbi Arrested Passed Shabbos For Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia

Charleston, SC - Rabbi Chezi Zionce, the former leader of Synagogue Emanu-El in West Ashley, was arrested Shabbos morning and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, when two Charleston police officers found Zionce at 8:10 a.m. on Lee Street in the city's East Side neighborhood.

The arrest came a month after Zionce, 48, left his rabbi post at the synagogue for unexplained reasons.Two weeks ago, synagogue administrator Abby Levine said that Zionce was no longer employed there but would not elaborate on the circumstances of his departure.

One member at Emanu-El, George Breibart, said that before leaving for good, the rabbi had stopped going to meetings and often wasn't in his office. "He didn't come some Fridays. He didn't come some Saturdays," Breibart said.

Zionce was released on his own recognizance without bail, a municipal court administrator said. Zionce couldn't be reached for comment, and Lila Sarick, Zionce's wife, would not comment on the matter.