NYC’s Mayor Adams boasts of endorsement from ‘rabbi’ accused of child molestation

Eric Adams’ mayoral campaign quickly removed all references to a “rabbi” accused of pedophilia after eagle-eyed social media users discovered the charges.

By Wyatt Reed - August 11, 2025

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has touted the endorsement of a notorious “rabbi” whose refusal to address accusations that he molested a child led to a major schism within the Black Hebrew Israelite community in the US. The mayor boasted of the endorsement in a August 11 Instagram post which was edited hours later to remove any reference to the accused pedophile in question.

A 2023 document released by the Charlotte, N.C. based Hashabah Yisrael congregation states that “Rabbi” Baruch Yehuda was excommunicated for a period of “not less than ten years” due to his “refusal to face the charges” that he committed “homosexual molestation of a minor.”

“Due to the serious nature of the charges and the defendant’s failure to comply, it is expected that these determinations will be adopted by any and all congregations, communities, families and individuals,” the document urged.

When contacted by The Grayzone, the Hashabah Yisrael congregation refused to comment on the case. The group is currently facing a defamation lawsuit by Yehuda.

It’s unclear whether the accusations against Yehuda have ever been pursued in a court of law. The Charlotte congregation stated that when they broached the allegations with the International Israelite Board of Rabbis (IBOR), national leadership moved to “unjustly exonerate” Yehuda, even though he “chose not to face his accusers in a trial setting.”

The apparent cover-up led Hashabah Yisrael to formally disassociate themselves from IBOR, accusing the board of being “unable and/or unwilling to remain impartial” in a “matter where the accused is one of their own members.” The group specifically blamed Chief Rabbi Capers Funnye for the cover-up, claiming he showed “no concern or empathy for the accusers nor the trauma they experienced” in a memo issued in July 2023 on the accusations. Funnye, whose first cousin, once removed, is Michelle Obama, is arguably the highest-profile face of the Black Hebrew Israelite community.

The revelation that Rabbi Baruch Yehuda was credibly accused of child molestation was discovered by social media users on Twitter/X, who were responding to a post noting that Adams had included an endorsement by an influential member of the Black Hebrew Israelite cult alongside the backing of traditional Jewish leaders.

It’s the latest controversy for NYC’s embattled Mayor Adams, who seemingly ducked the Department of Justice’s corruption and bribery charges by agreeing to enforce President Donald Trump’s highly aggressive immigration policies. It remains to be seen whether the episode will have a significant impact of faltering Adams’ campaign, which remains overwhelmingly unpopular with New Yorkers. A July 22 poll, showing Adams securing just 9% of the vote in a four-way runoff, was just the latest to show the incumbent is likely to lose handily.