Uniformed officers and plainclothes detectives swarmed a house at 30th and O streets, Northwest, at about 8:30 Tuesday morning. According to neighbors, the house belongs to Barry Freundel, the rabbi at Kesher Israel, a prominent Orthodox synagogue in Georgetown. The neighbors say Freundel was led away in handcuffs by Metropolitan Police Department officers following what appeared to be a major investigation. Cops were later seen removing computers and other items from the residence.
“You don’t usually see a rabbi led away a handcuffs,” said Michael Friedman, who lives across the street from Freundel.
Police sources confirmed the investigation and the arrest, but said the warrant was sealed. “We’re still on the scene,” says MPD spokesperson Gwendolyn Crump.
Kesher Israel. Photograph by Harry Jaffe.
Any charges against Freundel are still unknown. A female voice behind the locked front door of Freundel’s house declined Washingtonian’s request for an interview after the cops left the block. “Sorry, he’s not here right now,” the voice said.
As Kesher Israel’s rabbi, Freundel is the spiritual leader to a congregation that counts Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and former senator Joe Lieberman among its many influential members. Synagogue members contacted by Washingtonian said they are unaware of today’s incident.
Freundel has been at Kesher Israel since 1989, and also serves as the vice president of the Rabbinnical Council of Greater Washington, the Orthodox body that supervises kosher dietary laws.
UPDATE, 3 PM: Crump confirms Freundel’s arrest and says the rabbi is being charged with voyeurism.
UPDATE, 11:25 PM: In a statement, Kesher Israel’s board of directors says Freundel has been suspended without pay.
“This is a painful moment for Kesher Israel Congregation and the entire Jewish community,” the statement reads. “At this challenging time, we draw strength from our faith, our tradition, and our fellow congregants. Upon receiving information regarding potentially inappropriate activity, the Board of Directors quickly alerted the appropriate officials. Throughout the investigation, we cooperated fully with law enforcement and will continue to do so.”
Kreundel, 62, is expected to appear in DC Superior Court on Wednesday.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Kesher Israel Rabbi Barry Freundel Arrested at Georgetown Home Tuesday Morning
Freundel, 62, is being charged with voyeurism.
Uniformed officers and plainclothes detectives swarmed a house at 30th and O streets, Northwest, at about 8:30 Tuesday morning. According to neighbors, the house belongs to Barry Freundel, the rabbi at Kesher Israel, a prominent Orthodox synagogue in Georgetown. The neighbors say Freundel was led away in handcuffs by Metropolitan Police Department officers following what appeared to be a major investigation. Cops were later seen removing computers and other items from the residence.
“You don’t usually see a rabbi led away a handcuffs,” said Michael Friedman, who lives across the street from Freundel.
Police sources confirmed the investigation and the arrest, but said the warrant was sealed. “We’re still on the scene,” says MPD spokesperson Gwendolyn Crump.
Any charges against Freundel are still unknown. A female voice behind the locked front door of Freundel’s house declined Washingtonian’s request for an interview after the cops left the block. “Sorry, he’s not here right now,” the voice said.
As Kesher Israel’s rabbi, Freundel is the spiritual leader to a congregation that counts Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and former senator Joe Lieberman among its many influential members. Synagogue members contacted by Washingtonian said they are unaware of today’s incident.
Freundel has been at Kesher Israel since 1989, and also serves as the vice president of the Rabbinnical Council of Greater Washington, the Orthodox body that supervises kosher dietary laws.
UPDATE, 3 PM: Crump confirms Freundel’s arrest and says the rabbi is being charged with voyeurism.
UPDATE, 11:25 PM: In a statement, Kesher Israel’s board of directors says Freundel has been suspended without pay.
“This is a painful moment for Kesher Israel Congregation and the entire Jewish community,” the statement reads. “At this challenging time, we draw strength from our faith, our tradition, and our fellow congregants. Upon receiving information regarding potentially inappropriate activity, the Board of Directors quickly alerted the appropriate officials. Throughout the investigation, we cooperated fully with law enforcement and will continue to do so.”
Kreundel, 62, is expected to appear in DC Superior Court on Wednesday.
Find Harry Jaffe and Benjamin Freed on Twitter at @harryjaffe and @brfreed.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Death and the All-American Boy
Elon Musk Is Vexing Local Tesla Owners
The Lost History of a DC Black Neighborhood That Was Never Built
How the National Gallery of Art Is Experimenting With the Science of Lines
Here’s How DC Ended Up With Two Holiday Markets This Year
Washingtonian Magazine
December Issue: Learn Something New
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
The Lost History of a DC Black Neighborhood That Was Never Built
The “DMV Roving Sketcher” Is Like a Courtroom Artist for Local Musicians
How the National Gallery of Art Is Experimenting With the Science of Lines
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This November
More from News & Politics
The TV Guide to Donald Trump Appointees
Miss Pixie’s Owner on Building Community Through the Decades
We Baked All of the 2024 New York Times Thanksgiving Pies
The Washington Spirit Surprised Its “Good Luck Charm Baby” With a Trip to the Championship
How a Hit Play Made Me Confront My Family’s Tragic History
Padel, a Popular Spanish Pastime, Has Arrived in the DC Area
Charlie Palmer Steak Is Closing in DC
What Will Immigration Look Like Under Trump 2.0?