Borough Park, NY – Rabbi Investigated for Running Kabbalah ‘Con’

Borough Park, NY – The Brooklyn DA is investigating whether a shadowy, Israel-based Kabbalist rabbi bilked vulnerable New York Jews out of hundreds of thousands of dollars by offering divine promises for cash, The Post has learned.

A stream of alleged victims from Borough Park, Brooklyn, to Englewood, NJ, said Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira, of Beersheba, Israel, demanded money from them during annual visits to Orthodox Jewish communities in the tri-state area.

“This man is hurting people,” said Borough Park businessman Menachem Ellowich, 53, who signed over a check for $100,000 — shown to The Post — in exchange for a guarantee that his barren daughter would be able to conceive a child.

She never did.

“He ruined my life. He ruined my finances by making these promises.”

“We know about him,” said Brooklyn Assistant DA Eileen Ayvazian. “It’s an active investigation.”

News Source:  NY Post