Navigate to News section

With Rabbi Pinto, Are We Blaming the Victim?

Prominent rabbi may have been swindled by aides

by
Marc Tracy
December 21, 2011
Rabbi Pinto. (Why Pinto? Why not!)(Ozier Muhammad/NYT)
Rabbi Pinto. (Why Pinto? Why not!)(Ozier Muhammad/NYT)

Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, the shady, Lebron-advising, scion of two Moroccan rabbinic dynasties who is likely to become Israel’s chief Sephardic rabbi, is, the New York Times reports, involved in a federal investigation concerning two former aides, who, the rabbi’s camp alleges, are the ones responsible for various financial irregularities with the rabbi’s congregation. One of these two men is P.R. macher Ronn [sic] Torossian, which just makes the whole thing crazier.

At the same time, the Forward‘s Josh Nathan-Kazis notices spending by Rabbi Pinto’s tragedy that would make Newt Gingrich blush.

Somebody, anyway, has been behaving badly.

Marc Tracy is a staff writer at The New Republic, and was previously a staff writer at Tablet. He tweets @marcatracy.