Rabbi Louis Sachs speaks out about being sued by his former synagogue in Toronto

Apr 17, 2025

Rabbi Louis Sachs, formerly at Beth Torah, now assists at Beth Sholom Synagogue in Toronto and is facing a lawsuit alleging breach of contract. He discusses the allegations made by his former congregation and argues he provided proper notice before leaving. The conversation also touches on the emotional challenges of transitioning between synagogues, the importance of community unity during disputes, and the growing legal complexities facing North American synagogues, emphasizing a commitment to integrity and engagement in the face of adversity.

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ANECDOTE

Rabbi Sachs Surprised by Lawsuit

Rabbi Louis Sachs was surprised by the lawsuit from his former synagogue, Beth Torah.
He felt they breached his contract and wanted to move forward while defending his reputation.

INSIGHT

Desire to Focus on Rabbinical Work

Rabbi Sachs left Beth Torah due to excessive administrative work beyond rabbinical duties.
He sought a role at Beth Sholom where he could focus on teaching and pastoral care.

INSIGHT

Synagogues Must Reinvent Themselves

Religious institutions, including Jewish synagogues, face struggles attracting the next generation.
Reinvention and collaboration among communities is essential for future growth and spiritual connection.

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Fresh from a hectic Passover weekend of assisting in conducting services at his Beth Sholom Synagogue in Toronto, and also leading a community seder there, Rabbi Louis J. Sachs says he has been trying to ignore the “noise” of the surprise lawsuit brought against him late last month by his previous congregation. Sachs’ former synagogue, Beth Torah congregation–about a ten-minute drive north from his new job–filed a lawsuit March 27 in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice alleging breach of contact and suffering financial losses from their former rabbi’s conduct before he moved. Beth Torah wants the court to award them $750,000 in damages, including future lost membership. While none of these allegations have been proven in court, Rabbi Sachs insists he disagrees with what Beth Torah is saying about him–that he violated his contract by slacking off on his duties for them, while doing a series of events for the new shul before officially leaving his old one. In his view, he gave Beth Torah plenty of notice. He left after a little more than two years because he says he was unsatisfied he had to do so much administration work: the new place has more staff, which would allow him to focus on carrying out the rabbinical and pastoral work for which he was trained. Sachs joins The CJN Daily’s Ellin Bessner today to explain why he intends to “clear his name” in court and what his message is to both congregations. Also on the episode, we hear from Beth Sholom’s president Margaret Lindzon and from Rabbi Avi Finegold, The CJN’s resident rabbi, on why rabbis leave. Beth Torah declined to do any interviews with The CJN.

Related links

Read Beth Torah’s allegations in the lawsuit filed March 27, 2025 in the Superior Court of Justice, and what Beth Shalom and our resident Rabbi Avi Finegold think, in The CJN.

Credits

Host and writer: Ellin Bessner (@ebessner)
Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Andrea Varsany (producer), Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Marc Weisblott (editorial director)
Music: Dov Beck-Levine

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