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Case of Achi Ben Shalom
Singer, Band Leader
Tel Aviv, Israel
Music Teacher, Tehiyah Day School - El Cerrito, CA
Coordinator - Bay Area Jewish Song Leaders Network
Director - East Bay Jewish Folk Chorus
Arrested for alleged "lewd and lascivious acts" with
a female student. Achi Ben Shalom
taught
Hebrew, T'Filah and Kabalat Shabbat at Tehiyah Day School
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http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/achiben
Achi Ben Shalom is a teacher, musician, and a band leader. Born and raised in Israel, Achi studied guitar and taught music in Tel-Aviv, moved to the Bay Area in 1983 and continued teaching music and Jewish studies, and directing bands and choirs. He is currently the leader of the band ADAMA, the coordinator of the Bay Area Jewish Song Leaders Network, the director of the East Bay Jeiwsh Folk Chorus, as well as a full time music teacher. Achi's previous releases are "L'cha Dodi" and "Hanukah Alive". The album "Hebrew Love Songs" is his latest, and most imprtant release.
November 24, 2006
http://www.achibenshalom.com/index.html
~ADAMA~
We are a musical group dedicated to performing music of the Jewish people from around the world.
The band's styles include Klezmer, Ladino, Israeli, Middle Eastern, Yiddish, Hassidic, and contemporary American-Jewish songs. The band can also lead Israeli folk dancing.
~Achi Ben Shalom~
Who We Are
~Achi Ben Shalom~
Group's leader. Singer, guitarist, arranger, and the leader of the band.
El Cerrito teacher arrested in connection with
lewd acts
By Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES, CA - November 20, 2006
http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/16057659.htm
A teacher
at a small private school in the El Cerrito hills was jailed last week on
suspicion of molesting a student, police disclosed over the weekend.
Achi Ben Shalom, 52, of El Cerrito, posted $100,000 bail from County Jail in Martinez on Friday after his arrest the previous evening on suspicion of committing lewd acts on a child.
Detectives revealed few details of the case, both to preserve elements of the criminal investigation and to protect the privacy of the victim, who attends class at the close-knit Tehiyah Day School, which has about 200 students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Police said a series of incidents at the campus spanning about one month made the student, a girl, progressively more uncomfortable until she confided in her mother, who immediately called police.
The incident that resulted in Ben Shalom's arrest occurred in his campus office after school hours, police said.
Reached Saturday by telephone, Ben Shalom said, "I deny all allegations." He did not want to elaborate without consulting an attorney.
Police have not yet brought their case to the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office for consideration of criminal charges.
Detectives quickly developed evidence corroborating the student's story, El Cerrito police Detective Don Horgan said, and arrested Ben Shalom at his home about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Police also searched the house for additional evidence.
Police found no evidence that other students may have been molested, Horgan said, but continue to investigate. School officials notified all parents of the arrest Friday evening, police said, and assured them that their children were not at risk.
Tehiyah is a Jewish community day school in the 2600 block of Tassajara Avenue that teaches from a Judaic cultural perspective. School officials could not be reached during the weekend for comment.
According to the school's Web site, Ben Shalom has taught there since 1985 as Hebrew teacher, choir director and band leader. A native of Israel, he founded a band and has released three albums of Jewish music.
"My musical activities are geared toward creating the sense of belonging to the whole -- the community, as it supports us with our quest for a religious experience," Ben Shalom is quoted as saying in his biography on the site. "At the same time, I find ways through music to help us find our own unique voice."
Ben Shalom's own Web site includes information about his band, Adama, which plays at community events and weddings around the Bay Area. The site advertises a party for the release of his third album, "Hebrew Love Songs," at Ashkenaz in Berkeley on the night as his arrest.
Reach Karl Fischer at 510-262-2728 or kfischer@cctimes.com.
NBC11.com - November 20, 2006
http://www.nbc11.com/news/10364534/detail.html
A music and Hebrew teacher at a private Jewish day school in El Cerrito was arrested last week for alleged "lewd and lascivious acts" with a female student, according to El Cerrito police Commander Michael Regan.
Achi Ben-Shalom, 52, was arrested shortly before 6:30 p.m. Thursday at his home.
According to police, the charges stem from "a series of events" occurring at the Tehiyah Day School over a one-month period.
The allegations came to light when the victim told her family of the incidents, police reported. The alleged molestation occurred in Ben-Shalom's office after school hours.
According to Regan, police are continuing to investigate the allegations and are looking into whether there were any more victims.
Ben-Shalom was taken to the Martinez Detention Facility and held on $100,000 bail. According to a county jail official, Ben-Shalom has since posted bail and is no longer in custody.
Tehiyah Day School, located at 2603 Tassajara Ave., has over 300 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, according to the school's Web site.
Phone calls to school officials were not immediately returned.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact El Cerrito Detective Aaron Leone at 510-215-4422.
Chronicle Staff Report
San Francisco Chronicle - November 20, 2006
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/20/BAGK8MGHVQ5.DTL
EL CERRITO -- An employee at Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito was arrested last week for allegedly molesting a female student over the course of a month, police said this morning.
Achi BenShalom, 51, allegedly molested the student in his office after school hours, El Cerrito police said in a statement. The charges "stem from a series of events" at the small Jewish school, Corporal Donald Horgan wrote in the release. Police became aware when the victim told family members, Horgan said.
BenShalom, of El Cerrito, was arrested on Nov. 16 at his home Horgan said, and held on $100,000 bail.
It was not immediately clear today whether BenShalom has posted bail. Officials at the Martinez Detention Facility, where most Contra Costa County suspects are taken, said this morning that they had no record of BenShalom.
The school serves about 300 children in kindergarten through eighth grade, according to its Web site.
Associated Press - November 21, 2006
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/16061330.htm
EL CERRITO, Calif. (AP) - A teacher at a small private Jewish school was arrested on suspicion of molesting a young female student over a one-month period, police said.
Achi Ben Shalom, 52, of El Cerrito, was free on $100,000 bail after being jailed Thursday evening on suspicion of committing lewd acts on a child. Ben Shalom denied the allegations.
Authorities said the girl's mother called police after her daughter described a series of alleged incidents that took place at the Tehiyah Day School, which has about 200 students from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Detectives said they would not reveal further details.
Ben Shalom has taught Hebrew at the school since 1985 and is choir director and band leader, according to the school's Web site.
Police found no evidence that other students were molested, El Cerrito police Detective Don Horgan said.
El Cerrito School Officials Shocked By Teacher's Molestation Arrest
KTVU.com, CA - November 20, 2006
http://www.ktvu.com/news/10367115/detail.html
EL
CERRITO -- The head of Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito has issued a statement
about the school's response to the news that one of its teachers was arrested
last week for allegedly molesting a female student.
"We were completely shocked to hear of these charges and of course tremendously concerned for the well-being of the alleged victim and our students at large," Head of School Steve Tabak said in the statement.
Music and Hebrew teacher Achi Ben-Shalom, 52, was arrested shortly before 6:30 p.m. Thursday on suspicion of committing lewd and lascivious acts with a female student, police reported.
Tabak has said school officials didn't find out about Ben-Shalom's arrest or the investigation into his alleged misconduct until after the arrest. The school has since been working with police in their investigation, he said.
According to police, the charges against Ben-Shalom stem from "a series of events" occurring at the Tehiyah Day School over a one-month period.
The allegations came to light when the victim told her family of the incidents, police reported. The alleged molestation occurred in Ben-Shalom's office after school hours.
Ben-Shalom was taken to the Martinez Detention Facility and held on $100,000 bail. According to a county jail official, Ben-Shalom has since posted bail and is no longer in custody.
According to El Cerrito police Commander Michael Regan, police are continuing to investigate the allegations and are looking into whether there were any more victims.
Tabak said that in addition to working with police, the school, which has more than 300 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, would be providing resources to parents and faculty and doing everything they can to maintain normalcy for the students.
Tehiyah Day School, a private Jewish day school, is located at 2603 Tassajara Ave. in El Cerrito.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact El Cerrito Detective Aaron Leone at (510) 215-4422.
El Cerrito
Day school teacher held in molest case
by Marisa Lagos
San Francisco Chronicle - November 21, 2006
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/21/BABADIGEST3.DTL
An employee at Tehiyah Day School in El Cerrito was arrested last week, accused of molesting a female student over the course of a month, police said Monday.
Achi Ben Shalom, 51, allegedly molested the student in his office after school hours, El Cerrito police said in a statement. The charges "stem from a series of events" at the small Jewish school, Cpl. Donald Horgan wrote in the release. Police were notified after the victim told family members, Horgan said.
Ben Shalom, of El Cerrito, was arrested on Nov. 16 at his home and held on $100,000 bail, Horgan said. It was not clear Monday whether he had made bail.
The school serves about 300 children in kindergarten through eighth grade, according to its Web site, which lists Ben Shalom as a music teacher.
By Joe Eskenazi
The Jewish News Weekly of Northern California - Friday November 24, 2006
http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/30951/format/html/displaystory.html
Sexual misconduct charges filed against popular music teacher Achi Ben Shalom have left El Cerrito's Tehiyah Day School reeling and the 52-year-old musician adamantly denying any wrongdoing.
El Cerrito police arrested Ben Shalom and searched his home on Thursday, Nov. 16 after the parents of a female student filed a report earlier that week.
According to Ben Shalom, the police confiscated baby photos of his two teenaged children and all of his family's computers. Commander Mike Regan of the El Cerrito Police Department confirmed that Ben Shalom's computers had been taken.
Ben Shalom was arrested and charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child; a release put out by the El Cerrito Police states the charges stem from an alleged "series of events" over a one-month period during after-school hours in Ben Shalom's Tehiyah office.
Ben Shalom was booked into the Martinez Detention Facility and left the next night after posting $100,000 bail. As of press time, El Cerrito police had not yet filed the case with the district attorney's office, which will ultimately determine if the case will be prosecuted.
An emotional Ben Shalom told j. the charges were "unusual and imaginary" and "completely manufactured."
"People should know I am innocent. I intend to prove that in court," he said.
Regan said there is no "physiological evidence" connecting Ben Shalom to the alleged crime, although he believes there "is the potential" for tangible evidence to surface beyond the accuser's claims.
Because of Tehiyah's small size — around 300 kindergarten through eighth-grade children — Regan was intentionally vague, describing the accuser solely as a female student. Regan would only say the alleged acts were of a "lewd and lascivious nature."
Steve Tabak, Tehiyah's head of school, issued a press release in which he stated, "Obviously our first concern is the well-being and safety of our children and families. In the coming weeks our focus will be on doing all we can to ensure normalcy for the students, providing resources to the school's parents and faculty, and working with the police."
School representatives said they're doing "everything possible to allay the concerns of the students, their parents and the faculty."
The Israeli-born Ben Shalom, who is currently suspended indefinitely from the teaching position at Tehiyah he's held since 1985, is a ubiquitous figure in the Jewish community, playing alone or with his band, Adama, at synagogues, lifecycle events or any venue that calls for Jewish music. He also has cut a number of albums and played and sung backup for other musicians.
He described his arrest as a painful and humiliating experience for his entire family. He said he returned home in the midst of the police search of his El Cerrito house, was handcuffed and arrested on the spot, then left standing in his driveway in full view of the entire neighborhood for roughly 20 minutes before being put into a squad car.
The arrest, Ben Shalom continued, came a week before his daughter's bat mitzvah. Also, one of the computers seized by police had his son's college application essays on the hard drive, with deadlines looming.
Ben Shalom's friends and colleagues have registered shock and disbelief at the charges.
"I've known him for many years and he's well-known and respected in the community. And he's worked closely with children for many years," said Daniel Matt, a professor and kabbalistic scholar. He said Ben Shalom is an "effusive Israeli" who often tussles a child's hair, pats them on the back or hugs them, which could have led to confusion.
"Our kids grew up together and we've been friends for years and this is unbelievable — not believable," said longtime friend Ezra Hendon.
"You know, these charges are easily made. I don't know the details of it, but I can't believe he'd be involved in anything like this. A charge like this, it's already screwed up his life."
by Joe Eskenazi
Jewish News weekly of Northern California, CA - November 24, 2006
http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/30975/format/html/displaystory.html
Turn down the lights. Light up the candles. Take the challah out of the oven and uncork the Shabbat wine. It's Glassman time.
In "Journey to Shabbat," Congregation Sherith Israel's Cantor Rita Glassman has cut an album tracing the progression of a Kabbalat Shabbat service.
"This recording came about because we started at Sherith Israel a monthly service called `Journey to Shabbat' with more contemporary musical settings for the liturgy," explained Glassman.
"The music is contemporary and modern and it comes in many shapes and sizes and styles. For instance, some of the music might sound a little bit folky, some of it has jazz elements to it and some of it might be pop — one of the songs has a little touch of reggae."
For those of you who equate the synergy of the terms "Jewish music" and "contemporary" with those horrible show-tune parodies someone always drags out at Passover (a song called "Elijah" to the tune of "Maria" from "West Side Story," for example), worry not. The largely Hebrew lyrics and understated backing melodies are not part of a novelty act but a spiritual musical experience.
"The thing I think is important about Jewish worship is that we start at one point and end up at another point," said Glassman.
"I often tell my congregants that when you come to a Shabbat service, if you're not transformed in some way by the end of services, something hasn't happened that should have happened. What we want to accomplish here is to create something to help that transformation happen."
Glassman and her backup band — reed and mandolin player Mikel Estrin, percussionist Katja Cooper and guitarist and backup singer Achi Ben Shalom — chose an awfully spiritual place to record the album: beneath the famed dome of S.F.'s Sherith Israel.
The CD's 13 tracks were all recorded live from beginning to end at the temple before being polished a bit in the studio. Glassman and the band would have made life easier for themselves if they'd done the album from beginning to end in the sound booth, but they decided the inspiration of working in the main sanctuary was worth the extra effort (and at three five-hour sessions, that's a lot of extra effort).
"My co-producer said, `Don't you want to do this in the studio?' But no, I love the acoustics at Sherith Israel. Everyone talks about the beauty of the stained glass, but nobody talks about the acoustics. And that's where we sing and pray every week. I really wanted to capture the soul of the music in that room."
The synagogue is throwing a release party for Glassman's CD (her fifth, incidentally, and the first with only Jewish music) at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3. Order forms for the $18 album can be located at the congregation's Web site, www.sherithisrael.org.
"The great contemporary Jewish philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel said that the Sabbath is a palace in time," said Glassman. "I'd like to think this is the music to take people into the palace."
To RSVP for the CD release party for "Journey to Shabbat" at 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 3 at Sherith Israel, 2266 California St., S.F. call (415) 346-1720 ext. 18.
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Last Updated: 11/23/2006
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