http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1064257.html
Tel Aviv polygamist Goel Ratzon.
Reproduction
Last update - 20:32 15/02/2009
Exposed: Tel Aviv man has 32 women and 89 children
By Haaretz Service
Tags: tel aviv polygamist
A Tel Aviv man in his late fifties is living with 32 women with whom he has
fathered 89 children, an Israeli television station revealed last week.
The women are subject to strict discipline, but say that they are all living
with Goel Ratzon by their own accord.
They are not allowed to communicate with men, be in physical contact with their
biological family, eat meat, smoke, drink alcohol or dress immodestly. Ratzon
is held by his companions to be the savior (Goel in Hebrew) of the universe,
and is attributed godly and supernatural abilities. Many of the women have
tattooed his name and portrait on their bodies.
The names of every one of Ratzon's 89 children include his own first name. For
instance, one of his sons is called Avinu Ha-Goel (our father the savior) and
he has a daughter named Tehilat Ha-Goel (glory of the savior).
Ratzon told Channel 10 that there had been several attempts at collective
suicide when some of the women thought he was going to leave them. Also in the
film, some of the women said they would commit mass suicide if anyone tried to
harm their leader.
They are all registered as single mothers, and live in separate quarters.
Whenever Ratzon comes to visit, the children are required to kiss his shoes,
and worship the tattoo of his portrait on their mother's arm.
National Council for the Child Director Dr. Yitzhak Kadman said that the
authorities have very little room for maneuver.
"The man is treading a fine line," Kadman said. "As long as these children go
to school regularly and are not suffering from neglect or flagrant abuse,
there's not much the authorities can do. The law does not permit to prevent
people from living in a certain lifestyle just because it seems inappropriate
to some."
On Friday, one of Ratzon's companions was hospitalized after claiming to have
tried to commit suicide. She was brought to Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot by
Ratzon, who was accompanied by some of his other companions. The woman was
released the next day.
She said that she had taken a large amount of anti-depressants and that she
could not remember whether she had medical insurance or not. Ratzon, for his
part, said he could not remember the woman's name.
"As soon as they came I knew it was this guy from TV," a hospital staff member
said. "They walked in, and one of the women was supported by another. They
really stood out."
The Tel Aviv welfare services and the National Insurance Institute said they
were familiar with the case. The woman's apparent suicide attempt on Friday has
been seen by authorities as a premeditated provocation to mitigate public
pressure to clamp down on the cult.
An estranged friend of one of the women said that the group was very
sophisticated and aware of the repercussions of being exposed to the public.
"They are not stupid, just very extreme," he said. "Maybe they fear that the
exposure might affect their way of life, and they're acting tactically. I don't
think it was the TV report - they wouldn't agree to do it unless they thought
that it might benefit them in any way. Everything there is under control."
According to one of the women's friends, "they probably thought that if they
make the first step, no one will harm them... That's their way of dealing with
the authorities
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