Wellington, FL – A rabbi and a former congregant of his synagogue have reached a confidential settlement over $18,000 the woman donated for an ark to honor her late husband's memory.
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Loretta Miller accused Rabbi Mendy Muskal and his wife, Rochel, from Wellington, of taking her money for the sacred chest to house the Torah and then spending it to enhance their lifestyle, including taking their large family on a trip to Israel.
Miller and the Muskals participated in mediation at which Miller represented herself. They reached a confidential settlement, and the lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed. Miller said she's not permitted to discuss the ark, but she said she thinks she taught the rabbi a lesson. 'I think [the rabbi] learned to be a lot more careful,' she said. 'I'm sorry I had to do this, but it was the only way he had to learn a lesson that he cannot connive people.'
Muskal, a father of six, said in October that the allegations were unfounded. He explained that donations are not spent on a dollar-for-dollar basis because the funds are necessary to operate the synagogue, at Forest Hill Boulevard and Wellington Trace. Donations make it possible for the synagogue to offer a half-dozen classes each week free of charge, he said.
Miller accused the Muskals of preying on her for money while she mourned her husband. The couple promised that the ark would be custom-built by someone in New York and that she would get to choose from three possible designs, Miller said.
Instead, she said, she got a 'horrible'-looking wood cabinet with mahogany veneer on top of plywood that was built by Muskal's neighbor, who did woodwork as a hobby. Miller said Muskal told her it cost $2,000 to make and that he kept $16,000 for programs at the synagogue. Miller said she immediately asked for her money back and the rabbi refused.
“IF as was stated is true, that being he spent only $2,000.00 on the Ark for which she sponsored $18,000.00, she has every right to demand her money back.”
Ummm, why?
Think of every sponsor of every other dedication that you know of. Don’t they always pay more than it costs to erect the physical monument? Isn’t that the way non-profits *work*, for crying out loud? They have to make a “profit” on dedications so that they can take a “loss” on the hundreds of other, mundane, non-dedicatible things they do.
Right?
Next thing you’ll tell me is that when a co. buys a bus stop shelter ad, they should only pay the *exact* cost of printing the ad and installing it.
IF as was stated is true, that being he spent only $2,000.00 on the Ark for which she sponsored $18,000.00, she has every right to demand her money back. And he does indeed need “lessons” on how to sponsor programs for his congregation. My gut feeling, is that he will soon disappear and be replaced by a more “intelligent” fellow. The alte babbe isn’t teaching him a lesson, if you ask me!
I love this quote:
“He didn’t have any money before I gave him the $18,000,” she said. “He always gave chicken legs for dinners and suddenly he’s giving chicken breasts and putting better wine on [his] table than he normally has. He became very wealthy on my money.”