Comments (2)Public Role For Rabbi Jacob A. Max Still Unknown
In the wake of his recent conviction, Rabbi Jacob Max’s pastoral services and practices remain in limbo.
June 26, 2009Alan H. Feiler
Phil Jacobs
Managing Editor
Executive Editor
It has been more than two months since Rabbi Jacob Aaron Max was convicted in Baltimore County District Court of sexual offense in the fourth degree and second-degree assault for the molestation of a former Sol Levinson & Bros. funeral home employee last December.
But the rabbi’s role, stature and legacy in the local Jewish community, after more than a half-century in the public eye, remain a question mark and a nagging concern.
An Upper Park Heights resident and Ner Israel Rabbinical College graduate, Rabbi Max, 85, is the rabbi emeritus of Moses Montefiore Anshe Emunah Hebrew Congregation, also known as Liberty Jewish Center. Even though he pleaded not guilty at his district court trial April 13, the rabbi decided last month not to appeal Judge Nancy Purpura’s conviction of one year’s sentence of suspended incarceration and unsupervised probation.
Rabbi Max, who did not return a phone call earlier this week from the BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES, has retired from conducting funeral services, according to sources. In addition, the day before a spring meeting of the Baltimore Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Max sent a letter of resignation to the group, according to Rabbi Michael Meyerstein, executive director of the organization.
The board was slated to discuss and vote on the expulsion of Rabbi Max from the organization, to which he belonged for decades, because of his conviction.
“We were prepared to take the vote, and there was only one way the vote could go,” said Temple Oheb Shalom’s Rabbi Steven M. Fink, president of the board. “This is just really sad, tragic. He’s a man who has done so much good in this community and so many bad things to so many people.”
At Liberty Jewish Center, 7000 Rockland Hills Drive in the Greengate neighborhood, a polished stone marker at the parking lot’s entrance still designates the area as “The Rabbi Jacob A. Max Torah Campus,” even with the rabbi’s conviction.
One of Rabbi Max’s alleged victims recently told the JEWISH TIMES that “since I live near Liberty Jewish Center, I have to pass that rock all of the time, and having it there has a way of triggering [difficult memories for] me.”
Robert Meyerson, the synagogue’s president, told the JEWISH TIMES last week that the congregation’s board of directors will vote this Sunday, June 28, on the status of Liberty Jewish Center’s long-time relationship with Rabbi Max, including the campus’ name. He said the board will make recommendations to the synagogue’s executive board for final approval.
Mr. Meyerson described the situation as “very awkward,” considering Rabbi Max’s prominent role and many contributions to the congregation since the early 1950s.
One Liberty Jewish Center congregant, speaking off the record, described the situation with the rabbi, who retired from the synagogue seven years ago, as “very, very difficult. We’ve had executive board meetings until you’re nauseous. The agenda is to make a final recommendation. It’s a horrible, painful situation.”
At other venues around the community in which Rabbi Max has participated, there also is some level of question about the status of his rabbinic practices.
At Pikesville’s Milford Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center — where Rabbi Max has overseen kashrut supervision and provided counseling and classes to residents — administrator Gary D. Raffel said he would rather not comment on the rabbi’s status there, only that it is being looked at “case by case.” In other words, he said if a family wants Rabbi Max to offer services to a loved one, that matter would be considered by the center.
At the historic Shaarei Tfiloh Congregation near Druid Hill Park, where Rabbi Max has co-officiated at annual High Holiday services with other clergy members for several years, the congregation’s leadership has not yet decided if he will continue that function this fall.
Rabbi Fink said individuals and organizations should feel some rachmones, compassion, for Rabbi Max.
“He’s obviously an ill man and has been for many years,” he said. “But we also have to have rachmones for his victims. It was not just one victim but many women who have come forth about him being inappropriate with them.”
When asked if Rabbi Max could perform teshuvah, repentance, for his actions, Rabbi Fink said the first step would be a public admission of guilt.
“Do you cut out someone from your family if they’re ill? He’s part of our family, so we want him to get treatment,” Rabbi Fink said. “But we should limit contact with him until he’s well. Women would be ill-advised to spend time with him. I’d encourage him to go through treatment to deal with his illness.”