Jews for Allah

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Rabbi involved in robbery now accused of exposure
NEW YORK (JTA) -- A North Carolina community, already reeling from the news that a local Chassidic rabbi took part in an armed robbery a decade ago, is now dealing with the rabbi's recent arrest for indecent exposure.

Rabbi Pinchas Lew, 31, of Chapel Hill, was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges on May 16 after a woman accused him of repeatedly touching his genitals in front of her.

The woman, a housekeeper in Lew's home, reportedly said Lew had bolted all the doors and that she feared he planned to assault her. She managed to escape through a back door.

The woman filed a complaint with police two days later and Lew was arrested four weeks after the incident. He was released on a $1,000 bond.

Lew, married with five children, led religious study and frequently held services in his home for college students.

Lew, who could not be reached for comment, has taken a leave of absence from his job. A court hearing is slated for July 9.

Community members had just learned of his conviction for his part in a 1991 Iowa armed robbery. Lew, who drove the getaway car, served 81 days in jail and was sentenced to five years' probation.

It was written about in Stephen Bloom's "Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Heartland America," released last year.