When the Conservative movement censured an upstate New York rabbi in 2019 for a problematic relationship with a woman who had received his rabbinic guidance and attended services, there was no public written record of the offense or the punishment.
There was no announcement to the congregation, Temple Beth-El in Poughkeepsie, indicating any problem with its senior rabbi, Daniel Victor, according to three current and former members of the synagogue and a former member of the board. The movement’s Rabbinic Assembly recommended that Victor have a rabbinic mentor for two years, these members said which did happen. The former member of the board, who resigned over the matter, said in a recent interview that other members still don’t know the full story that Victor, according to the three current and former members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation in the community, pursued a member of the community, initiated sex and then abruptly dumped her.