Eshkol Academy was an all-boys

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

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Columbia, Maryland Columbia is a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland. It is one of the principal communities of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. It is a planned community consisting of 10 self-contained villages. Columbia began with ...

, that existed from fall 2002 to 2004. Its name comes from ''Ish Shekol Bo'' Hebrew for "well-rounded man" and ''Eshkol'' Hebrew for cluster of grapes. In 2002 Eshkol Academy opened at a Christian community center facility in Montgomery County; in 2003 it moved to an office park in

. Its enrollment of about 100 included both local students and students from Boston, Baltimore, Montreal, and other cities. The school was founded by

Jack Abramoff Jack Allan Abramoff (; born February 28, 1959) is an American lobbyist, businessman, film producer, writer, and convicted felon. He was at the center of an extensive corruption investigation led by Earl Devaney that resulted in his conviction a ...

and funded through his

Capital Athletic Foundation The Capital Athletic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity organization founded in 2000. The organization's nominal purpose was to provide needy youths with athletic opportunities. The organization has been used by its founder, Jack Abramoff, as a fro ...

. He sent two of his three sons to the school. In all, about $5 million of Capital Athletic Foundation's money was directed to the Eshkol Academy operations. For the year 2002 the dean was Rabbi

David Lapin David Lapin (born October 30, 1949) is a South African born rabbi, since 2019 rabbi of KBA, Raanana, Israel, and an international leadership and strategy consultant. Early life and education Lapin is the son of Rabbi A H Lapin, a Rabbinic leade ...

, brother of

Toward Tradition Daniel Lapin (born January 1, 1947) is an American Orthodox rabbi, author, and public speaker. xaminer om/article/rabbi-lapin-reveals-prosperity-secrets (URL blocked by Wikipedia) He was previously the founding rabbi of the Pacific Jewish Center ...

's Rabbi

Daniel Lapin Daniel Lapin (born January 1, 1947) is an American Orthodox rabbi, author, and public speaker. xaminer om/article/rabbi-lapin-reveals-prosperity-secrets (URL blocked by Wikipedia) He was previously the founding rabbi of the Pacific Jewish Center ...

. According to emails revealed during the

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hearings into the Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal, David Lapin was paid through Abramoff's

. Tax records show that Lapin received a total of $60,529 in 2002. The Eshkol Academy closed in 2004 after questions were raised in the press about Abramoff's financial dealings with Indian tribes. The filings of the Capital Athletic Foundation show that Eshkol Academy received a large portion of its contributions: at least $50,000 in 2001, $1,857,704 in 2002, and $2,366,512 in 2003. In addition, CAF purchased for the school's use a van ($26,060), thermal imager ($18,057), and Torah ($17,000). Eshkol purchases included two Zamboni HDs, for a planned but never purchased hockey rink for the school. Furthermore Abramoff established the organization Beis Avrohom Chaim as, according to the 2003 CAF tax return, "a religious organization" that "provides religious services for the congregation and housing for the Eshkol Academy student athletes." In fact, a number of students were housed there. It received $251,242 in 2003 from CAF and purchased a house near to Abramoff's Silver Spring residence to house students from outside the area. It was occupied by students and the school's athletic director/dorm counselor. Beis Avrohom Chaim was incorporated in June 2003 under Maryland law as a religious corporation. The trustees were Jack Abramoff and his wife; Shana Tesler, a former "

Team Abramoff "Team Abramoff" is the team of lobbyists assembled by Jack Abramoff when he worked at Greenberg Traurig, primarily of former aides to prominent Congressional politicians. Their work is embroiled in the Jack Abramoff scandals. On January 8, 2001 ...

" Greenberg Traurig employee; and her husband Samuel Hook. In 2004, thirteen former Eshkol employees sued the Academy, demanding nearly $150,000 in back salary. The teachers' complaint claims that the Capital Athletic Foundation "was used to launder funds from the tribes to Eshkol."

External links

How lobbyist's troubles felled Columbia school
Baltimore Sun, May 2005
Foundation's Funds Diverted From Mission
Washington Post, Sept 2004

via archive.org, from July 18, 2004 * http://www.forward.com/campaignconfidential/archives/002395.php
Capital Athletic Foundation 990 forms
{{Jack Abramoff, subcat=organizations Defunct schools in Maryland Jewish day schools in Maryland Educational institutions established in 2002 Orthodox Judaism in Maryland 2002 establishments in Maryland Jack Abramoff scandals