CHAIM LEV

Mainstream Israeli daily newspaper ARUTZ SHEVA report that Rabbi Eliezer Berland, who heads the Shuvu Banim hassidic sect, was conducting a wedding for one of his followers on Monday at a house when police attempted to arrest him. However, relatives and other supporters managed to spirit him away, chalking up another narrow escape for the runaway rabbi.

Berland managed to escape arrest last month under very similar circumstances, when plainclothes police officers attempted to apprehend him at a previous wedding he was officiating at in Johannesburg.

According to a witness – a follower of Berland’s who had travelled to the South African city for the wedding – in that incident hassidim managed to hide the rabbi in another room while police were duped into chasing after the wrong man.

Read the previous story of how Hawks botched arrest:
ISRAEL CALLS FOR RABBI BERLAND’S ARREST & RETURN
Plus links to all previous stories, writings & related events.

Followers claim that the fugitive Rabbi, who is on the run after facing sexual assault charges in Israel, is legally allowed to stay in Johannesburg and complained of discrimination by local officials.

“From the first moment we got here, senior figures in the Jewish community were trying to exile the Rabbi,” one Shuvu Banim member lamented.

Berland was accused of committing indecent acts against several young female followers; he was wanted in Israel for questioning. Berland fled Israel before he could be arrested, however, to the US, Italy, and Switzerland.

He eventually settled for a time in Marrakech, Morocco before being forced out by the government. He them moved once again to Zimbabwe, from where he was allegedly deported earlier this year.

Last April, before the Passover holiday, the Johannesburg Jewish community was notified that Berland may be staying there for Passover – putting the community on high alert.

Follow the story on Jewish Report Online:

• 14 SEPT:STOP PRESS: R. BERLAND A FREE MAN IN AMSTERDAM
• 14 SEP:PROOF POURING IN – RABBI BERLAND FREED BY DUTCH COURT
• 11 SEP: R BERLAND HELD IN HOLLAND, NEXT STOP: ISRAEL?
• 11 SEP: RABBI BERLAND’S LEFT SA? & THE STAR STORY
• 10 SEP: COPS BOTCH R. BERLAND ARREST ONCE AGAIN
• 09 SEP: BERLAND TAKES ILL AS FOLLOWERS POUR IN
• 13 AUG:Israel calls on SA for R. Berland’s arrest & return
• 28 JULY:See Breslov R. Berland speak live on TV tonight
• 23 JULY: PDF: prayer for israel in Rabbi Berland’s own hand
• 23 JULY: PDF in Hebrew: Rabbi Berland’s prayer for israel printed
• 23 JULY: In Hebrew: podcast on israeli radio
• 23 JULY: BERLAND: Bibi Quit! You’re not doing anything!
• 18 JUNE: Followers forced to sleep in park
• 18 JUNE: Cold comfort as Rabbi Berland’s flock freeze – Reader
• 2 JUNE: All the latest on the Breslovs in South Africa
• 2 JUNE: Who is Reb Nachman Breslover from Uman
• 2 JUNE: Who is Rabbi Eliezer Berland?
• 21 MAY: Berland may be off in three weeks’ time
• 14 MAY: The Rabbi who keeps being mis-identified as R. Berlov
• 14 MAY: Berlands to settle& build new Yeshiva in Zim?
• 13 MAY: Berland’s Zim funder, JR EXCLUSIVE: Who is Yaron Yamin?
• 11 MAY: What it took to accuse Rabbi of harassment – Reader Comment
• 08 MAY: Chareidi world divided over Berland – Reader Comment
• 06 MAY: Rebbetzen Tahila Berland flies into Joburg
• 05 MAY: See Rav. Berland’s FACEBOOK PAGE and ENGLISH WEBSITE
• 04 MAY: First video of Yaron & Berland leaving Zim
• 30 April: First video of Rabbi Berland in Joburg -Reader
• 30 April: Minutes before the Hawks came calling
• 30 April: The Big Breslev Brouhaha Continues
• 29 April: “The day I was called a Nazi” -Reader
• 28 April: Breslev: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW – TOP READ
• 27 April: 8-Page feature article in MISHSHPACHA – PDF
• 25 April: Uproar in Joburg Jewry: by Ant Katz & Robyn Sassen
• 24 April: Religious leaders must be consistent -Reader
• 24 April: Breslov ‘shopper’ says thanks to SA Jewry
• 24 April: Sackstein roasts Sevitz over Breslovs & Pesach
• 23 April: Fugitive Rabbi, followers, cause uproar
• 23 April: Did you hear the one about…?
• 23 April: Vid of R. Berland & Co’s Purim bash
• 23 April: Secrecy & silence leave community confused
• 23 April: Ant’s speculative Op-ed and what to expect
• 23 April: “Chasidic kids need stable environment” -Reader
• 23 April: “Kids need stable environment” -Reader
• 19 April: “Some One” posts dissenting view
• 14 April: Chief Rabbi: Don’t shelter Berland
• 14 April: Goldstein call