:Yossi Feldman
{{short description|Australian rabbi|bot=PearBOT 5}}
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Yossi Feldman is an Australian rabbi. He has been a Rabbi in the Yeshiva Centre and Chabad NSW for the past 32 years. He was the President of the RCNSW for 3 years from 2009-2012 and Rabbi of Southern Sydney Synagogue from 1993-2015.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
Overview
= Family =
Feldman's father, Pinchus, is the head of the Sydney Chabad institutions in Sydney since 1968.{{Cite news|last=Marr|first=David|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/feb/19/rabbis-absolute-power-how-sex-abuse-tore-apart-australias-orthodox-jewish-community|title=Rabbis' absolute power: how sex abuse tore apart Australia's Orthodox Jewish community|date=2015-02-19|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-04-12|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} Feldman's grandfather, Chaim Gutnick was a high-profile rabbi in Melbourne. He has a number of high-profile uncles, including mining magnate Joseph Gutnick, senior rabbi on the Sydney Beth Din Moshe Gutnick, and the senior rabbi on the Melbourne Beth Din, Mordechai Gutnick.{{Cite web|url=https://crownheights.info/chabad-news/7838/reconciliation-in-australia-gutnick-and-feldman-make-peace/|title=Reconciliation in Australia: Gutnick and Feldman make Peace!|website=CrownHeights.info - Chabad News, Crown Heights News, Lubavitch News|date=15 August 2007 |language=en|access-date=2020-04-12}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/after-a-career-of-ups-and-downs-gutnick-is-once-again-a-diamond-in-the-rough-20160715-gq6h9s.html|title=After a career of ups and downs, Joe Gutnick is once again a diamond in the rough|last=Hawthorne|first=Sarah Danckert and Mark|date=2016-07-15|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2020-04-12}} His uncle, Joseph had provided money to the synagogue and was in a legal dispute with the Feldman family when he attempted to sell the synagogue site to developers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/politics/gutnick-sells-synagogue-to-developer-20030814-juxqb|title=Gutnick sells synagogue to developer|date=2003-08-14|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en|access-date=2020-04-12}}
= 2015 Royal Commission appearance =
In 2015, Feldman’s testified at a Royal Commission.https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/case-studies/case-study-22-yeshiva-bondi-and-yeshivah-melbourne His testimony was scrutinised in the Jewish and general media. Following the backlash from his appearance, Feldman attacked the media saying that their reporting "encourages even people who may not be real victims or may want to be considered heroes".{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-12/rabbi-yosef-feldman-threatens-legal-action-against-leaders/6087154|title=Rabbi threatens legal action against Jewish leaders over commission evidence|last=Santow|first=Simon|date=2015-02-12|website=ABC News|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-03-31}} An editorial in Australian Jewish News called his testimony "our darkest week" as a community and singled out Feldman and his father for particular condemnation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewishnews.net.au/royal-commission-our-darkest-week/40459|title=Royal Commission: Our darkest week|date=2015-02-06|website=The Australian Jewish News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-31}} The editorial claimed that it had not seen an improvement in culture from the period when the abuse occurred. Feldman's testimony was widely condemned across the community.{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/am/anger-in-jewish-community-over-rabbi-remarks/6084984|title=Anger in Jewish community over Rabbi remarks|last=Santow|first=Simon|date=2015-02-11|website=ABC Radio|language=en-AU|access-date=2019-03-31}} He later resigned from his positions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewishnews.net.au/rabbi-yossi-feldman-steps-down/40531|title=Rabbi Yossi Feldman steps down|date=2015-02-11|website=The Australian Jewish News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-31}} Feldman threatened to sue news organisations over their reporting of his testimony. The International Business Times withdrew their reporting and apologized. In addition, Australian Jewish News, The Guardian, The Herald Sun, The Daily Telegraph, The Australian, ABC, SBS, The Daily Beast, the Council of Orthodox Synagogues of Australasia, The Executive Council of Australian Jewry and The New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies were all threatened with legal action over their reporting.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jwire.com.au/ibt/|title=IBT apologises to Rabbi Yossi Feldman|date=2016-04-12|website=J-Wire|language=en|access-date=2019-03-31}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-rabbi-sues-australian-jewish-news-over-alleged-defamation-on-child-abuse-comments-20170713-gxam5x.html|title=Sydney rabbi sues Australian Jewish News over alleged defamation on child abuse comments|last=Alexander|first=Harriet|date=2017-07-14|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=2019-03-31}} The ABC subsequently clarified the issue with an editors note at end of article.{{Cite news |date=2015-02-06 |title=Sydney rabbi 'didn't have a clue' an adult touching a child's genitals was illegal |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-06/rabbi-did-not-have-a-clue-an-adult-touching-a-child-was-illegal/6076796 |access-date=2023-10-11}} On 31 January 2020 the judgement by Feldman against Nationwide News, Herald and Weekly Times, the Special Broadcasting Corporation and individual journalists in the Supreme Court of NSW was made for the case heard in May and August 2018. Judgments were made against the plaintiff (Feldman) and defendants’ costs awarded to him.{{Cite web|url=https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5e324c2fe4b0ab0bf60754d8|title=Feldman v Nationwide News Pty Ltd & Ors; Feldman v Nationwide News Pty Ltd & Ors; Feldman v Nationwide News Pty Ltd & Ors; Feldman v Special Broadcasting Corporation - NSW Caselaw|website=www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au|access-date=2020-01-31}}
= Role in kosher certification =
Feldman was providing a rival kosher certification to the mainstream Kashrut Authority, but resigned from that position following the Royal Commission.{{Cite web|url=http://www.jwire.com.au/rabbi-yosef-feldman-replaced-as-hechsher-provider/|title=Rabbi Yosef Feldman replaced as hechsher provider|date=2015-02-24|website=J-Wire|language=en|access-date=2019-03-31}} When he initially provided the certification the NSW Rabbinical Council voted 18–3 against Feldman. Following this vote Feldman, a former president of the organisation, resigned.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewishnews.net.au/rabbi-quits-council-over-kashrut-impasse/33515|title=Rabbi quits council over kashrut impasse|date=2013-12-19|website=The Australian Jewish News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-31}}
= Removal from Yeshiva Centre =
Following financial difficulties, businessman Harry Triguboff purchased the Yeshiva Centre and leased it back to the Feldmans for a peppercorn rent. Triguboff handed control of the organisation to Rabbi Dovid Slavin.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewishnews.net.au/triguboff-ill-never-give-feldman-another-lease/60462|title=Triguboff: 'I'll never give Feldman another lease'|date=2017-03-22|website=The Australian Jewish News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-31}} Feldman took Triguboff to court where he lost and was forced to vacate the premises.{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewishnews.net.au/69737-2/69737|title=Judge finds for Triguboff|date=2017-10-11|website=The Australian Jewish News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-31}}
See also
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