Marlboro, NJ - Rabbi Indicted in Thefts from Charitable Account
Marlboro, NJ - Rabbi Peter Light, the former leader of the Marlboro Jewish Center, was arrested after a Monmouth County grand jury indicted him on a charge of stealing $86,000 from the coffers of Congregation Ohev Shalom.
The board of trustees at the Jewish center, had urged the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office to investigate Light, after it conducted its own internal review of how money in the rabbi's discretionary fund was used.
The discretionary fund, made up largely of donations, is used when a congregant in an unexpected crisis approaches the rabbi for help. It is loosely monitored and set up specifically so a congregant can work one-on-one with the rabbi and keep personal problems from becoming common knowledge, members said.
According to the Prosecutor's Office, Light was the sole signatory for the account, and could disburse the funds as he saw fit.
"The criminal conduct of Rabbi Light not only depleted the Marlboro Jewish Center's charitable account, but also stole the trust the congregation had unequivocally bestowed on this man when he was hired to lead their community," Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin said in a prepared release. "This defendant fraudulently obtained money specifically designated to help others and used it for his own selfish purposes."
8 Comments:
At 10:19 AM, Anonymous said…
Look at this earlier quote from this Conservative "rabbi"
"Traditions give children the ability to take moral values and translate them into concrete actions", says Rabbi Peter Light.
And he's from a movement that claims that halacha can be ignored if you lead a good life. His moral values leave a lot to be desired, using tzadaka money to buy a ring for his girlfriend and to pay for her move.
At 10:24 AM, Anonymous said…
im ain Torah, ain ...
At 1:16 PM, Anonymous said…
...now that they are short $86,000, they have decided to rename their place the "Marlboro Light Jewish Center :=D
At 9:04 PM, Anonymous said…
clearly anon 10:19 & 10:21 are right!
that is why you never hear about supposedly frum &/or yeshivash &/or chaisidishe yiden doing illegal or immoral things.
never ever!
At 11:17 PM, Anonymous said…
People are people and are capable of doing illegal or immoral things whether they are reform, conservative or orthodox! This was a case of a desperate man commiting desperate acts. My heart goes out to his innocent children that they have to carry this with them.
At 12:14 PM, Boychik said…
For those of you Orthodox folks who seemingly wish to take the high ground over other branches of Judaism, are you kidding me? I distinctly remember that is was the Yeshiva of Flatbush students who stole the answers to the 1976 NYC regents exams. Many thanks for doing that; I was going to fail it.
At 10:16 AM, Anonymous said…
He is absolutely the scum of the earth. He stole from me!!! That sorry whore he sleeps with is no better. They are an absolute disgrace. Now he sells cars at the ford dealerships right in our township. Justice is slow but mighty. He is an arrogant, pompous, ass that may cost me my salvation if I continue to type...
At 11:42 PM, Anonymous said…
The worst part of this whole thing is that he was stealing from the day he was hired! This was calculated and deliberate. I don't know how he can remain in the community after he has shamed his family and betrayed his congregation. I am beginning to think he is a sociopath with no conscience for his actions. He will end up with nothing in the end. He has already lost the most important things like his reputation, career and most of all, his family.
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