According to a Houston Orthodox day school, it has discovered plausible allegations that a former head of school participated in “sexualized” interactions with pupils throughout the school’s history.
Rabbi Ari Segal, who held senior positions at Robert M. Beren Academy from 2004 to 2011 before taking over leadership of a prominent Orthodox day school in Los Angeles, is the subject of an investigation that is currently being conducted. The school, Robert M. Beren Academy, is giving graduates who have had experiences similar to those described above the opportunity to get in touch with an investigator who is conducting the investigation.
According to the email that was sent to parents and alumni on Tuesday evening and signed by Ethan Ludmir, the president of Beren Academy, “Recently, multiple alumni came forward and stated that our former Upper School Judaica Principal and later Head of School, Rabbi Ari Segal (who served from 2004-2011), engaged in sexualized, persistent, emotionally charged communications with them while they were students at Beren.” These communications included communications that indicated each individual was in a relationship.
Ludmir stated that an independent investigator “determined that these reports are credible.” He made a request to any former students who had encounters with Segal that were comparable to those described in the letter to the legal office of the investigator, Ellen Spaulding. According to him, Segal did not accept the investigation’s request for cooperation.
Asher Lovy, an advocate for victims of sexual abuse within the Orthodox community, shared the email on Facebook on Wednesday, which resulted in the email reaching a larger audience.
According to Ludmir, who was interviewed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, “Upon learning of the allegations, we activated this pathway quite simply because it is the right thing to do.” According to him, the claims were brought to light in this year.
Having graduated from Yeshiva University in 1997 and holding degrees in both social work and business administration, Segal has been employed at Orthodox high schools for the past three decades, up to the beginning of this year, as stated on his LinkedIn profile. In addition to writing columns advocating for increased debate about sexuality and sex, he became well-known for his dedication to promoting open-mindedness in educational institutions.
“Why do we not have serious discussion in our yeshiva day school system about Jewish sexual ethics, the realities of Shabbat observance on a college campus, belief in God, the pervasiveness and insidiousness of pornography, or the culture of drinking and drugs?” he wrote in a column for New York Jewish Week in 2019. He was referring to ideas that he claimed he had brought up during a retreat hosted by the Orthodox Union.
Following his departure from Beren Academy, Segal worked as the principal of Shalhevet High School in Los Angeles until the year 2021. Subsequently, he continued to work there as a consultant until the beginning of this year. Before he started working at Beren, Shalhevet did not respond to requests for comment, and neither did his previous employers, including the Ramaz School in New York City. No one else did either.
In the year 2019, he relocated to Israel with his family. According to his LinkedIn profile, he currently works as a consultant for strategic planning for several organisations, such as Yeshiva of Flatbush and Israel’s Diaspora ministry. A message that was sent to him through LinkedIn was not responded to.
“He was responsible for the substantial growth of the school, for bringing in more women educators to Judaic studies, and for pioneering the first LGBTQ inclusion pledge in an Orthodox school,” according to a post published in 2019 on the Shalhevet student news site that announced his departure from the position.
The transparency that Beren has demonstrated stands in stark contrast to the manner in which other Jewish institutions have handled issues involving harassment and violence, with some of them apparently engaged in coverups.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) – Ari Segal, former head of 2 Modern Orthodox schools, accused of ‘sexualized’ communications with students
https://www.jta.org/2023/12/20/united-states/ari-segal-former-head-of-two-orthodox-schools-accused-of-sexualized-communications-with-students
Jewish Journal – Ari Segal, Former Head of 2 Modern Orthodox Schools, Accused of ‘Sexualized’ Communications with Students
https://jewishjournal.com/news/united-states/366593/ari-segal-former-head-of-2-modern-orthodox-schools-accused-of-sexualized-communications-with-students/
The Forward – Orthodox school reports ‘credible’ claims that its former head engaged in ‘sexualized’ communications to students
https://forward.com/news/574251/beren-academy-rabbi-ari-segal-allegations
The Jerusalem Post – Ari Segal, former head of two Orthodox schools, accused of ‘sexualized’ communications with student
https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-778931
The Ari Segal Case and What’s Being Done?
Child abuse is a pervasive issue across all communities, but in Orthodox Jewish schools, the problem often unfolds behind closed doors—compounded by cultural, religious, and institutional barriers. While the rates of abuse are believed to be similar to those in the general population, the dynamics of reporting and response within the Orthodox world create unique challenges.
The Scale of the Problem
Studies indicate that abuse within Orthodox communities occurs at similar levels to secular populations. In many cases, the perpetrators are close family members or trusted community figures. Abuse often begins at a very young age, particularly among female victims.
Data from religious schools in Israel show that abuse reports are more frequent in religious settings than in secular ones. Haredi (strictly Orthodox) schools and state religious (Zionist Orthodox) institutions report higher rates of abuse compared to their secular counterparts.
But perhaps the most troubling issue is underreporting. Many in these communities adhere to the traditional prohibition of mesirah, which forbids Jews from reporting fellow Jews to secular authorities. This has allowed abuse to fester in silence, often for years.
Cultural and Institutional Barriers
Victims who come forward often face immense social pressure. Families can be ostracized, children can lose marriage prospects, and community leaders may side with the accused. In some cases, institutions have covered up abuse or pressured victims to retract allegations.
There’s also a deep mistrust of secular authorities, which makes victims reluctant to engage with police or courts. Even when abuse is known within the community, it may be dealt with internally, with no real accountability or support for the survivor.
What’s Being Done
Despite the challenges, there are growing efforts—both from within and outside the community—to address child abuse in Orthodox Jewish schools.
Rabbinic Leadership
Over 300 Orthodox rabbis have signed public declarations condemning child abuse and supporting mandatory reporting to civil authorities without requiring prior rabbinic approval. This is a significant shift from previous norms and helps remove a major obstacle to reporting.
Yeshiva University and other institutions have also begun offering training programs for rabbis to better recognize and respond to abuse.
Community Watchdogs
Organizations like Jewish Community Watch (JCW) have emerged as grassroots enforcers, naming known abusers, tracking their movements, and raising awareness. Sacred Spaces and Prizmah offer training and resources to help Jewish institutions implement safe policies and respond effectively to reports of abuse.
Education and Prevention
Educational materials targeted at Orthodox children, such as illustrated books teaching bodily autonomy and personal safety, are becoming more common. Schools are slowly adopting formal policies for reporting abuse and training staff, although these efforts are far from universal.
Surveys show that while many schools now have written or oral guidelines for handling abuse, less than a quarter provide comprehensive training.
Legal Pressure
Laws like New York’s Child Victims Act have enabled survivors to file lawsuits against institutions that harbored abusers. High-profile cases, including those involving Yeshiva University and major Brooklyn yeshivas, have brought renewed scrutiny and a push for transparency.
These lawsuits are forcing institutions to confront past failures and, in some cases, implement better safeguards to protect students.
The Ari Segal case stands as a reminder for us to build a safer community for our children.
A Path Forward
The path to reform in Orthodox Jewish schools requires a multifaceted approach:
- Enforce universal abuse prevention policies, including background checks and mandatory training.
- Break the culture of silence around mesirah, emphasizing that civil reporting is a moral and legal duty.
- Support survivors, both with legal resources and emotional care.
- Educate communities, especially parents and children, about abuse recognition and boundaries.
While much work remains, a shift is underway. More rabbis are speaking out. More schools are taking safety seriously. More survivors are being heard. And the walls of silence that once protected abusers are starting to crack. The challenge now is to ensure those cracks become lasting change.
