Court orders fraudulent 'rabbi,' wife to pay NIS 830,000 to woman in exploitation settlement

A Petah Tikva court on Sunday approved a settlement requiring Shaul Elkariv, known as the “criminals’ rabbi,” and his wife, Tova, to pay NIS 830,000 (about $264,000) to Nechama Gabai, who had sued them for NIS 1.17 million (about $372,000). The court’s approval makes the settlement a binding judgment.

The agreement ends an unusual lawsuit alleging a long-running pattern of exploitation, intimidation, and financial control, during which hundreds of thousands of shekels were transferred to the couple.

According to the complaint, filed by attorneys Dov Weinroth and Osher Rubinger, Gabai, a mother of three struggling personally and financially, turned to Elkariv in 2021 after he was presented to her as a rabbi, a kabbalist (a practitioner of Jewish mysticism), and someone with spiritual powers who could help people in trouble.

Lawsuit alleged Elkariv took advantage of Gabai in order to take money

As their relationship grew closer, Gabai said, Elkariv became a central figure in her life, and she came to rely on his advice and follow his instructions on personal, family, and financial matters.

The lawsuit alleged that Elkariv took advantage of her trust and dependence on him to persuade her to transfer large sums of money to him and his wife.

Between February and March 2022, the lawsuit says Gabai transferred a total of NIS 745,467 to the couple. Most of the money came from the sale of an apartment as part of her divorce, and the rest came from government benefits she relied on to support herself and her children.

One of the most striking details in the lawsuit is how the transfers were made. According to Gabai, Elkariv went with her to the bank, told her what to do, and in some cases even introduced himself to bank employees as her father. When she expressed doubts about the transfers, the lawsuit alleged, he reassured her, claiming he had spoken with her divorce lawyer, who he said knew about the transfers and approved them.

The money was transferred in several installments, according to the lawsuit: some to the Elkarivs’ joint bank account, some to Tova Elkariv’s personal account, and some in cash. Gabai said Elkariv presented the transfers as a way to protect her assets and keep them safe.

According to the lawsuit, Gabai kept the transfers secret from her family for years. Her relatives found out only in late 2025, after she ran into financial trouble and asked them for help.

The lawsuit alleged that Gabai was afraid to ask Elkariv for the money back, in part because, she claimed, he had threatened to harm her family if they interfered in his affairs.

Elkariv reportedly promised to pay Gabai back, described funds paid as a loan

Transcripts of conversations between Gabai and her brother, and between her family members and Elkariv, were attached to the lawsuit. According to Gabai, Elkariv admitted in those conversations that he had received the money, promised to return it, and even said he planned to take out a loan to pay it back. The lawsuit further alleged that he asked the family to sign a document describing the money as a loan. Despite those alleged promises, the money had not been returned by the time the lawsuit was filed.

The lawsuit also cites an earlier case in which Elkariv sued Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu and others for defamation over publications about him. In July 2024, the Tel Aviv District Court threw out that suit. The ruling examined testimony and publications about how Elkariv presented himself and allegations that he exploited women who came to him in distress. That case is separate from Gabai’s lawsuit.

Gabai sought the return of NIS 745,467, plus interest and inflation adjustments that brought the total to about NIS 970,000, as well as NIS 200,000 in additional damages for the alleged harm and the severity of Elkariv’s conduct. At her request, the court froze assets during the proceedings to secure her claim.

The parties ultimately settled, with the Elkarivs agreeing to pay Gabai NIS 830,000.