Published: 12 February 2019
Last updated: 4 March 2024
A UTAH JUDGE has ordered the former nanny for a Chabad Lubavitch family to stand trial on seven felony counts for sexually abusing the eldest of the family’s children over a 10-year period.
The allegations against the nanny, Alavina Fungaihea Florreich, were brought by Rabbi Avrohom “Avremi” Zippel, a program director for Chabad Lubavitch of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Zippel, now a 27-year-old married father of two, alleged that he was sexually abused by Florreich in more than 100 instances from the time he was eight until he was 18.
First reported in the Deseret News, the case has gained attention for its rarity. It is uncommon for sexual abuse to be discussed openly in ultra-Orthodox communities, and even more unusual for a rabbi to go public with his personal experiences as a victim.
“I was terrified about this becoming a public matter,” Zippel reportedly said in his first public testimony in court on Tuesday. (Zippel declined interview requests from The Times of Israel.)
The #MeToo movement and the example of high-profile sexual abuse victims speaking up, namely Jewish gymnast Aly Raisman, inspired Zippel to contact the police in January 2018.
FULL STORY Inspired by #MeToo, Chabad rabbi breaks 20-year silence on child sexual abuse (Times of Israel)
Photo: Rabbi Zippel (Facebook)
