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| Chief Rabbi of France Gilles Bernheim Photo credit: Getty images via the Forward |
But it doesn’t really matter what side of the Hashakfic
fence he resides. His deceptive practices which he has admitted to are an
embarrassment to all of world Jewry… and, I might add a Chilul HaShem. Having a
major position like being a Chief Rabbi of a country like France gives him that
dubious honor. He is out there representing French Jewry as their ‘chief’!
A rabbinic leader of high standing in the Jewish world.
Pretending to be writing scholarly philosophical works
pertaining to Judaism; he was found to be guilty of plagiarizing much of it from others some of which were not even Jewish:
A French academic noticed that long passages in Bernheim’s critically acclaimed 2011 book “Forty Jewish Meditations repeated word for word an earlier book by the eminent philosopher Jean-François Lyotard…
The scholar Jean-Noel Danarde who specializes in literary plagiarism, flagged other passages in Bernheim’s book taken from thinkers as diverse as Elie Wiesel, Jean-Marie Domenach (who, ironically, had been accused of anti-Semitism toward the end of his career) and Vladimir Jankelevitch. Moreover, [Danarde ??] revealed that one thing left unsaid in “What Is Often Left Unsaid” was that Bernheim hijacked entire passages from the writings of the reactionary Catholic priest Joseph-Marie Verlinde and Beatrice Bourges, the Pasionaria of the anti-gay movement.
At first he denied it but then he admitted it and tried to
blame others. He was also found to be lying about his credentials. Claiming to
hold a PhD in philosophy - some good investigative work on the part of reporters has determined that he held no such degree. Officials at the university he claimed
to have granted him a doctorate, the Sorbonne declared that Bernheim never
finished it.
This goes beyond just lying about oneself for purposes of
self promotion. That would be bad enough - but ultimately forgivable via an
admission of guilt and a contrite apology. But when one involves himself in a
consistent pattern of deception which includes plagiarizing word for word the
work of others - claiming them as his
own, it shows that aside from being a liar he is an empty shell. That he has no
depth and nothing personal to offer. All
of this makes him unworthy of any kind of leadership. To say the least.
To add insult to injury, he has the Chutzpah to insist on
remaining France’s Chief Rabbi – claiming that to resign would be an act of
desertion.
Desertion - my foot! He wanted to keep his job. And was
probably more motivated by the Kavod he got than he is by any desire to help
his people.
I don’t know if what he did will have any legal
consequences. But they do have moral and ethical consequences. There is no way
that he should have any position of authority
or respect. Fortunately the French Jewish community has forced him to resign. Had he stayed on he would have brought dishonor to his office, the Jews of
France, and ultimately the entire Jewish people.
Update (5:07 PM CDT)
I would like to express my appreciation for those who pointed out an error in this post. Although my feelings about Rabbi Bernheim have not changed, I had somehow overlooked the clear and unambiguous statement in the Forward article that he was forced to resign by officials from the French Jewish community. I have altered the post to reflect that and I apologize for my lapse.
Update (5:07 PM CDT)
I would like to express my appreciation for those who pointed out an error in this post. Although my feelings about Rabbi Bernheim have not changed, I had somehow overlooked the clear and unambiguous statement in the Forward article that he was forced to resign by officials from the French Jewish community. I have altered the post to reflect that and I apologize for my lapse.
