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(Winfield) CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY:
SUBURBAN PHILADELPHIA'S PROMISED LAND,
A PLACE WHERE THE ROADS ARE WIDE,
THE MALLS HUGE,
AND THE CHURCHES AND SYNAGOGUES
ARE OF DOWNRIGHT BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS.
GOOD THING TOO,
BECAUSE IN THE FALL OF 1994,
CHERRY HILL HAD ONE HUMDINGER OF A SIN ON ITS HANDS,
BIG ENOUGH TO WRECK A CONGREGATION,
AT LEAST THREE LIVES,
AND A WHOLE SLEW OF COMMANDMENTS.
(woman) TO THINK ABOUT IT WAS LIKE A MOVIE.
(man) IT'S A VERY UNIQUE COMMUNITY--
THE LAST PLACE YOU'D EXPECT A ***.
Captioning provided by A&E Television Networks.
(Winfield) MILES FROM THE BUSTLING STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA,
CHERRY HILL'S A PICTURE-PERFECT SUBURB:
PEACEFUL, PROSPEROUS, AND SAFE,
OR IT WAS, UNTIL A MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER...
THIS GUY KNEW THAT HE WAS AT THE RABBI'S HOUSE.
(Winfield) AND AN UNTHINKABLE CRIME...
IT WAS A PERFECTLY SET LIVING ROOM WITH, UNFORTUNATELY,
A *** VICTIM LAYING ON THE FLOOR.
(Winfield) LEFT CHERRY HILL DOUBTING ITS SAFETY
AND ONE OF ITS LEADING CITIZENS.
(Saul Schwait) THERE'S NO WAY HE'S INVOLVED IN THIS.
A MAN OF GOD DOESN'T DO THINGS LIKE THIS.
(Winfield) WHEN THE TRUTH FINALLY CAME OUT,
IT'D BE EVEN MORE SHOCKING THAN THE CRIME ITSELF.
IF YOU WERE IN THE CIA, WOULD YOU TELL ANYBODY?
THE PERSON HE WANTED HARMED WAS AN ENEMY OF ISRAEL.
(Winfield) AND THAT WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
JUST ACROSS THE DELAWARE RIVER FROM PHILADELPHIA,
CHERRY HILL IS A MIRACLE OF MODERN SUBURBIA.
JUMPING IN 40 YEARS
FROM A FARMING HAMLET IN THE STICKS
TO A PLACE WHERE TRAFFIC SNAKES THROUGH MILE AFTER MILE
OF SHOPPING CENTERS AND SUBDIVISIONS,
THE TOWN'S A LIVING TESTAMENT TO THE HOLY TRINITY
OF MODERN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION, CHERRY HILL HAS ALL OF THAT.
IT'S JUST OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA.
IT'S LOCATED NEAR A MAJOR INTERSTATE.
AND IT'S GOT ALL THE QUALITIES OF A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD
AND ALL THE BENEFITS OF A SMALL CITY.
(Winfield) AND ALL THE TRAFFIC OF A FULL-FLEDGED METROPOLIS.
SNAP YOUR FINGER
AT ANY GIVEN TIME DURING THE DAY.
BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC, THE MALLS, THE MAJOR HIGHWAYS,
YOU WOULD HAVE OVER 250,000 PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN.
(Winfield) MOST DAYS,
THE TRAFFIC ON ROUTE 70-- CHERRY HILL'S MAIN DRAG--
IS AS THICK AS A SWARM OF LOCUSTS.
(Saul Schwait) TOUGH TRAFFIC.
GOT TO GET IN A CAR
YOU WANT TO BUY A NEWSPAPER, A PEPSI COLA.
IT'S JUST ALWAYS A BOTTLENECK.
(Winfield) OH, AND SPEAKING OF SHOPPING,
ROUTE 70'S A FRANCHISE FREE-FOR-ALL,
LITTERED WITH ROADSIDE SHRINES TO THE GODS OF COMMERCE.
(Francis) ROUTE 70 IS JUST SOLID HOTELS, CAR DEALERSHIPS, RESTAURANTS,
DINERS, FRANCHISES, DOUGHNUT SHOPS, GAS STATIONS.
I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST ONE AFTER THE OTHER
FOR MILES AND MILES RIGHT ON INTO PHILADELPHIA.
(Winfield) BUT IF THERE'S ONE PLACE THAT OUTSHINES
EVEN THE BIG BOX BOUNTY
AND CASUAL DINING DECADENCE OF ROUTE 70,
IT'S THE CHERRY HILL MALL.
ONE OF THE OLDEST AND LARGEST MALLS
ON THE ENTIRE EAST COAST,
IT'S AS CLOSE AS CHERRY HILL COMES
TO HAVING A DOWNTOWN.
(Walsh) CHERRY HILL HAS MANY NEIGHBORHOODS.
IF YOU WANTED TO LOOK AT THE CENTER,
I WOULD PROBABLY DIRECT YOU TO THE MALL.
THIS IS THAT KIND OF TOWN.
(Winfield) CHERRY HILL HAS NO SHORTAGE OF SUBDIVISIONS--
MILE UPON MILE OF SPLIT-LEVELS, SPLIT FOYERS, AND COLONIALS.
(Riley) YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE OLDER,
BUILT IN THE '60s AND '70s,
AND THEY HAVE A CERTAIN STYLE TO THEM.
AND THEN OTHER AREAS THAT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE AFFLUENT
HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE LARGER HOMES AND THE LARGER LOTS.
IT'S A MIX,
BUT IT'S GENERALLY A HOMOGENOUS MIX
OF MIDDLE-CLASS AND UPPER MIDDLE-CLASS PEOPLE
WHO SETTLED THERE AND STAYED THERE
BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOLS AND THE PROXIMITY TO THE CITY.
(Winfield) MIDDLE-CLASS AS IT IS,
CHERRY HILL'S SUBDIVISIONS ARE HARDLY A WASP WONDERLAND
OF WHITE BREAD AND WHITE COLLARS.
(Malloy) WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS, DIVERSE COMMUNITY HERE,
A LARGE ASIAN POPULATION
AND JEWISH POPULATION AND INDIAN POPULATION.
IT'S KIND OF A MELTING POT HERE IN CHERRY HILL.
(Winfield) ALTHOUGH, CONSIDERING THAT NEARLY 1/3
OF CHERRY HILL'S 70,000 RESIDENTS ARE JEWISH,
ODDS ARE PRETTY GOOD THAT IT'S MATZO BALL SOUP
SIMMERING IN CHERRY HILL'S POT.
(Lynch) THERE'S A VERY BROAD JEWISH COMMUNITY IN CHERRY HILL,
DIFFERENT CONGREGATIONS WITHIN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
YOU HAVE REFORM TEMPLES,
CONSERVATIVE TEMPLES, AND ORTHODOX TEMPLES.
(Winfield) NOT TO MENTION BUSINESSES
THAT CATER TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY:
EVERYTHING FROM KOSHER DELIS
TO CLOTHING STORES LIKE MARCY G'S,
WHOSE OWNERS, SAUL AND MARCY SCHWAIT,
HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS.
WE HAVE A VERY LARGE EVENING WEAR BUSINESS.
WE SPECIALIZE IN EVENING WEAR FOR THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE,
THE MOTHER OF THE GROOM,
BAR MITZVAHS, BAT MITZVAHS, CHARITY BALLS.
(Winfield) TRUTH BE TOLD, CHERRY HILL'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
IS ONE OF THE FEW THINGS STANDING BETWEEN IT
AND FULL-ON ASSIMILATION INTO GENERIC, GENTILE AMERICA.
(Sarubbi) THERE'S A LOT OF NAME CHAINS--
RESTAURANTS, CLOTHING STORES, AND OTHER STORES--
THAT HAVE JUST REALLY TAKEN OVER CHERRY HILL.
IT'S REALLY BECOME A HIGHLY COMMERCIALIZED AREA.
BUT IT'S LOST A LOT OF THAT PERSONAL FLAVOR
THAT I REMEMBER GROWING UP AS A CHILD.
(Winfield) BUT THAT WAS BACK IN CHERRY HILL'S OLD-TIME,
OLD TESTAMENT ERA.
IN THE BEGINNING, THERE WAS FARMLAND,
AND IT WAS MMM, MMM, GOOD.
IT WAS MOSTLY PRODUCE FARMS AND ORCHARDS.
MANY OF THE FARMERS WHO FARMED IN CHERRY HILL AT THAT TIME
OWED THEIR LIVELIHOODS
TO CAMPBELL'S SOUP COMPANY IN CAMDEN,
WHERE THEY WOULD SELL THEIR PRODUCTHERE FOR SOUP.
(Winfield) AND THEN PRESIDENT EISENHOWER SAID, "LET THERE BE INTERSTATES
"AND F.H.A. MORTGAGES
AND THE G.I. BILL."
AND LO, THERE CAME A GREAT MULTITUDE,
A VERITABLE EXODUS FROM PHILLY AND CAMDEN.
(Francis) THEY LITERALLY CAME OUT AND STARTED PLOWING DOWN FIELDS
AND, YOU KNOW, MOWING THROUGH FORESTS
AND BUILDING SUBURBS
JUST ONE AFTER THE OTHER AFTER THE OTHER.
(Winfield) AND THE SUBURBS BEGAT TRAFFIC.
AND TRAFFIC BEGAT THE MALL.
(Ragonese) IT WAS THE FIRST INDOOR SHOPPING MALL ON THE EAST COAST,
AND IT BROUGHT BUSLOADS OF SHOPPERS AND CURIOUS PEOPLE,
CONSUMERS FROM ALL OVER THE EAST COAST.
AND EVEN THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL HAD THE PROM
IN THE COURT AT THE MALL IN 1962.
(Winfield) YET IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THIS GOODNESS,
THERE WAS MUCH WICKEDNESS,
LIKE THE GARDEN STATE RACETRACK.
(Sarubbi) THERE WASN'T ANYTHING LIKE IT FOR MILES.
PEOPLE WOULD COME FROM ALL OVER NEW JERSEY
TO VISIT THE RACETRACK.
(Winfield) AND THE LATIN CASINO.
(Mathis) THE LATIN CASINO WAS A NIGHTCLUB
THAT SAT ACROSS ROUTE 70 FROM THE GARDEN STATE RACETRACK
AND OFFERED ALL TYPES OF ENTERTAINMENT,
PERFORMERS NATIONALLY, INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN
WOULD PLAY THERE.
(Ragonese) FRANK SINATRA, THE SUPREMES.
LIBERACE WAS HERE.
(Winfield) THROUGHOUT THE '60s,
CHERRY HILL WAS NOT ONLY THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY;
IT WAS A SWINGING SUBURBAN *** AND GOMORRAH
WHERE YOU COULD HAVE YOUR CAKE AND YOUR COCKTAIL TOO.
(Ragonese) PRETTY SOON, OTHER SPOTS FOLLOWED,
INCLUDING THE HAWAIIAN COTTAGE,
THE RICKSHAW INN, CINELLI'S,
A WHOLE SLEW OF POPULAR NIGHTSPOTS AND GATHERING PLACES.
(Winfield) BUT IN 1977, IT ALL VANISHED
IN ONE ROLL OF THE DICE, LITERALLY.
THAT YEAR, CASINO GAMBLING ARRIVED IN ATLANTIC CITY.
(Mathis) A LOT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT THAT OCCURRED IN CHERRY HILL
STARTED TO PLAY THE VENUES IN ATLANTIC CITY,
AND THERE WAS NO NEED, REALLY, OR INTEREST
FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO THOSE PLACES ANYMORE,
SO A LOT OF THE NIGHTCLUBS THAT EXISTED IN CHERRY HILL
STARTED TO CLOSE DOWN.
(Winfield) IT WAS THE END OF AN ERA.
BUT THE END OF THE NIGHTCLUBS WASN'T THE END OF CHERRY HILL.
THROUGHOUT THE '80s, THE TOWN GREW MORE AND MORE
AND MORE LIKE EVERYWHERE ELSE.
(Sarubbi) WHAT YOU SAW HAPPENING
WERE MORE CHAINS GOING TO CHERRY HILL,
AND CHERRY HILL, TO A CERTAIN EXTENT,
BEGAN TO TRANSFORM,
AND YOU LOST SOME OF THAT LOCAL FLAVOR.
AND IT BECAME MORE A PART OF, REALLY,
GENERIC AMERICA, IF YOU WILL.
(Winfield) BY THE MID-'90s,
THE GARDEN STATE RACETRACK HAD CLOSED DOWN,
AND THE LATIN CASINO HAD BEEN LEVELED
TO MAKE ROOM FOR AN OFFICE PARK.
CHERRY HILL WAS NOW JUST ANOTHER SPRAWLING SWATH
OF MIDDLE INCOME AMERICA.
(Saul Schwait) LOTS OF THINGS TO DO,
LOTS OF MOVIE THEATERS.
HOMES ARE BEAUTIFUL--
SWIMMING POOLS--
AND THEY KEEP BUILDING.
THEY KEEP GOING OUT FARTHER AND FARTHER.
(Winfield) CHERRY HILL'S SIN CITY HEYDAY WAS DEAD AND BURIED.
SIN, HOWEVER, WAS ALIVE AND WELL,
LURKING AMONG CHERRY HILL'S BROAD LAWNS
AND EVEN BROADER HIGHWAYS,
EVEN IN ITS LARGEST SYNAGOGUE.
(Winfield) APPEARANCES ASIDE,
CHERRY HILL DIDN'T MIRACULOUSLY SPRING
FROM THE GROUND OVERNIGHT.
AFTER ALL, IT'S NOT AS IF GOD LOOKED DOWN
ON THIS FORMLESS PATCH OF SOUTH JERSEY FARMLAND
AND COMMANDED, "LET THERE BE TRACT HOUSING."
BIBLICALLY SPEAKING,
CHERRY HILL IS THE TALE OF ABRAHAM
A FEW THOUSAND TIMES OVER--
FAMILY AFTER FAMILY FROM CAMDEN AND PHILLY WANDERING OFF
IN SEARCH OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL PROMISED LAND.
(Lynch) MANY PEOPLE RELOCATE IN CHERRY HILL
JUST FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THEY'RE FAMILY-ORIENTED.
THEY'RE CAREER-ORIENTED.
THEY WORK VERY HARD.
THEY PRIZE EDUCATION VERY GREATLY.
THEY DEMAND THE BEST IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I THINK THEY GET THE BEST IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
(Winfield) AND WHEN IT CAME TO EXCELLENCE,
FEW PEOPLE IN CHERRY HILL EXCELLED MORE
THAN RABBI FRED NEULANDER.
(Saul Schwait) HE WAS A LEADER THAT PEOPLE REALLY LOOKED TO HIM
FOR LOTS AND LOTS OF THINGS,
AND HE HAD A LOT OF THE ANSWERS.
HE WAS A BRIGHT MAN.
(Winfield) THE LEADER OF M'KOR SHALOM,
ONE OF CHERRY HILL'S LARGEST SYNAGOGUES,
THE POLISHED AND POISED RABBI
WAS SOMETHING OF A MINOR MIRACLE IN HIS OWN RIGHT.
(Francis) FRED HAD SORT OF A VERY WORKING-CLASS BACKGROUND.
HE COMES FROM A LONG LINE OF RABBIS.
HIS FAMILY WAS IMMIGRANTS.
THEY LIVED IN ALBANY, NEW YORK,
LITERALLY RAN THE LAUNDRY IN TOWN,
AND HE LIVED UPSTAIRS FROM THE LAUNDROMAT.
(Winfield) EVEN MORE MIRACULOUS
WAS FRED'S MARRIAGE IN 1965 TO CAROL LIDZ,
WHOSE FATHER WAS A MAJOR PLAYER IN MANHATTAN'S GARMENT DISTRICT.
CAROL GREW UP IN LONG ISLAND, YOU KNOW, WITH A GREAT BIG LAWN
THAT ROLLED DOWN TO THE OCEAN
WITH A HOUSE WITH A BUTLER AND SERVANTS.
AND THESE TWO WORLDS JUST SORT OF MET AT COLLEGE
AND COLLIDED, AND THEY HIT IT OFF.
THEY HIT IT OFF ON A BLIND DATE.
AND, YOU KNOW,
IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THAT, THEY WERE MARRIED.
(Winfield) THE NEULANDERS CAME TO CHERRY HILL IN 1968
WHEN FRED TOOK A JOB AT A LOCAL SYNAGOGUE.
THE TOWN SEEMED LIKE THE PERFECT PLACE
TO START A FAMILY,
BUT FRED CHAFED IN HIS POSITION AS ASSISTANT RABBI.
(Riley) BEING A YOUNG RABBI,
I BELIEVE THAT HE FELT THAT HE'D BE MORE SATISFIED
BY HAVING HIS OWN CONGREGATION
AND MOVING FORWARD CONSISTENT WITH HIS OWN VALUES.
(Winfield) AND IN 1974, HE DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT
AND FORMED HIS OWN CONGREGATION: M'KOR SHALOM.
(Francis) HE GOT TOGETHER ABOUT A DOZEN COUPLES
IN A FRIEND'S HOUSE IN THE FRONT ROOM ONE NIGHT
AND JUST STOOD UP
AND EXPOUNDED ON WHAT HE WANTED TO DO
AND TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HIS VISION
OF WHAT A RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY COULD BE
AND WHAT A SYNAGOGUE COULD BE.
AND HE FELT HE WAS THE GUY TO LEAD IT.
AND THE PEOPLE, RIGHT THERE ON THE SPOT,
PUT UP THE MONEY AND SAID, "YES, WE'LL DO IT."
(Winfield) FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS,
RABBI NEULANDER'S PEOPLE WANDERED--
MEETING IN MEMBERS' HOUSES
AND RENTING HOTEL CONFERENCE ROOMS
FOR MAJOR CELEBRATIONS,
BUT IT DIDN'T STAY THAT WAY FOR LONG.
(Francis) IT JUST GREW AND GREW AND GREW,
AND FAMILY AFTER FAMILY HEARD ABOUT IT.
AND HE TOUCHED A NERVE. HE REALLY DID.
PEOPLE FELT VERY DEEPLY ABOUT HIS WAY OF DOING THINGS.
HE MADE THEM FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEIR RELIGION AT A TIME
WHEN A LOT OF PEOPLE SORT OF DIDN'T WANT TO BE TRADITIONAL,
BUT DIDN'T WANT TO BE COMPLETELY MODERN.
HE REALLY MANAGED TO WALK THAT LINE FOR PEOPLE.
(Winfield) BY 1975, THE NEULANDERS WERE DOING WELL ENOUGH
THAT THE FAMILY--
FRED, CAROL, AND THEIR THREE YOUNG CHILDREN--
MOVED INTO A MODEST HOUSE ON HIGHGATE LANE
IN THE WEXFORD LEAS SUBDIVISION.
(Riley) IT'S A AREA OF COLONIAL STYLE HOMES,
PROPERLY CARED FOR STRUCTURES,
VERY MUCH--VERY MUCH TYPICAL OF CHERRY HILL.
(Winfield) NOT LONG AFTER, M'KOR SHALOM MOVED INTO ITS FIRST REAL HOME--
A CONVERTED WAREHOUSE IN AN INDUSTRIAL PARK.
(Saul Schwait) IT WASN'T BEAUTIFUL ON THE OUTSIDE.
THE INSIDE WAS A TEMPLE, AND IT WAS ADEQUATE.
IT WAS FINE FOR SERVICES.
(Winfield) WHILE FRED WAS BUILDING HIS SYNAGOGUE,
CAROL WAS BUILDING UP A BUSINESS OF HER OWN.
SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR RESTAURANTS
AND FOR PEOPLE HAVING PRIVATE PARTIES
TO HAVE KOSHER FOOD.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LARGE JEWISH POPULATION
AROUND CHERRY HILL,
AND THERE'S A LOT OF PARTIES.
AND CAROL JUST STARTED IN HER OVEN AT HOME
MAKING CAKES ACCORDING TO KOSHER RECIPES
AND WAS VERY GOOD AT IT.
(Winfield) SO GOOD THAT, BY THE EARLY '90s,
CLASSIC CAKE HAD GROWN FROM THE NEULANDERS' KITCHEN
TO THREE SHOPPING CENTER BAKERIES
AND FOUR DOZEN EMPLOYEES.
AT THE SAME TIME, M'KOR SHALOM HAD GROWN
INTO THE LARGEST OF CHERRY HILL'S EIGHT SYNAGOGUES.
IN 1991, ITS 4,000-MEMBER CONGREGATION
MOVED INTO FANCY NEW DIGS, A VERITABLE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON.
(Riley) CLOSE TO 45,000 SQUARE FEET,
BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURE ON A HIGHLY TRAVELED ROAD,
ACCESSIBLE FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS,
AND ONE OF THE LARGEST SYNAGOGUES
IN THE SOUTH JERSEY- PHILADELPHIA AREA.
(Winfield) BY 1994, THE NEULANDERS WERE A MODEL OF SUBURBAN SUCCESS,
WHICH DIDN'T MEAN THEIR LIFE WASN'T WITHOUT WORRIES.
FRED HAD HIS KING-SIZE CONGREGATION
TO TAKE CARE OF,
AND CAROL HAD CLASSIC CAKE,
WHICH, COME TO THINK OF IT,
WAS ANOTHER WORRY FOR RABBI NEULANDER.
AFTER HER REGULAR TUESDAY NIGHT MANAGEMENT MEETING,
CAROL HAD GOTTEN IN THE HABIT
OF BRINGING THE DAY'S RECEIPTS HOME WITH HER.
(Francis) HERE'S A SUBURBAN HOUSEWIFE
WHO IS COMING HOME FROM A BUSINESS AT NIGHT,
PACKING ANYWHERE FROM $5,000, $10,000, $15,000,
$20,000, $25,000 SOMETIMES IN CASH.
AND SHE'S COUNTING IT OUT ON HER KITCHEN TABLE.
SHE'S GOT NOTHING MORE THAN A HOUSEHOLD FRONT DOOR LOCK
BETWEEN HER AND THE WORLD.
(Winfield) LUCKILY, RABBI NEULANDER HAD A SECURITY EXPERT
TO TURN TO FOR HELP:
A NEW MEMBER OF M'KOR SHALOM NAMED LEN JENOFF.
NOT ONLY WAS HE A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR BY TRADE,
HE SUPPOSEDLY HAD EVEN MORE EXPERIENCE
DATING BACK TO HIS DAYS WITH THE CIA.
THE TWO MET IN 1992,
WHEN JENOFF HAD FALLEN ON HARD TIMES.
(Phillips) HE HAD RECENTLY DIVORCED.
HE HAD GONE BANKRUPT, LOST HIS HOUSE.
HIS WIFE AND SON WERE LIVING APART FROM HIM.
HE WAS STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY.
(Winfield) BESIDES BEING DOWN ON HIS LUCK, JENOFF WAS ALSO AN ALCOHOLIC,
THE RESULT, HE EXPLAINED,
OF YEARS OF STRESSFUL UNDERCOVER WORK.
A NONPRACTICING JEW,
JENOFF WAS REFERRED TO THE RABBI
BY A FRIEND IN ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.
(Reid) A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN A.A. KNEW FRED NEULANDER
AND CALLED HIM AND SAID, "WOULD YOU SPEAK TO THIS GUY?"
I THINK, 'CAUSE THIS IS PART OF THE DEAL.
AND FRED SAID, "SURE, I WOULD."
AND THAT'S HOW THE TWO OF THEM FIRST GOT TOGETHER.
(Winfield) AND IT WAS THE RABBI WHO HELPED JENOFF GET BACK ON HIS FEET.
(Phillips) THE RABBI EMBRACED HIM AND SAID TO HIM
THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WAS AS GOOD AS ANYONE ELSE.
AND DESPITE THE FACT THAT HE COULD NOT AFFORD
TO PAY THE DUES TO JOIN THE SYNAGOGUE,
THE RABBI WELCOMED HIM INTO THE SYNAGOGUE.
(Winfield) IN FACT, THE TWO QUICKLY BECAME FRIENDS.
(Francis) LEN SMOKED, AND THE RABBI SMOKED,
AND THE RABBI WASN'T REAL PROUD OF THAT,
SO THEY WOULD SNEAK OUT THE BACK OF THE SYNAGOGUE
AND STAND AROUND OUT IN THE PARKING LOT AND SMOKE
OUT OF SIGHT OF THE KIDS AND EVERYBODY ELSE
WHO WOULD BE THERE DURING THE DAY.
(Winfield) AND IT WAS DURING THEIR SMOKE BREAKS
THAT JENOFF TOLD THE RABBI HIS SPECTACULAR LIFE STORY.
A VIETNAM VET,
JENOFF HAD SPENT YEARS WORKING AS AN OPERATIVE
FOR THE CIA AND NSA.
(Reid) THE CIA, THE FBI, IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR,
THIS GUY DID EVERYTHING,
AND HE HAD PICTURES OF HIMSELF,
HIM WITH OLIVER NORTH, HIM WITH RONALD REAGAN.
(Winfield) JENOFF'S STORIES SURE WERE IMPRESSIVE.
SO WHAT IF HE WAS MESHUGENAH, OR CRAZY, AS THEY SAY?
(Mathis) IF YOU WERE IN THE CIA, WOULD YOU TELL ANYBODY?
I MEAN MOST PEOPLE, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME,
WHO'D BE IN THE CIA WOULDN'T--
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU WOULD BOAST ABOUT.
(Winfield) BUT LENNY DID,
TO THE POINT THAT MOST FRIENDS SIMPLY LAUGHED IT OFF,
LIKE THE AFTERNOON IN JACK REID'S BARBERSHOP.
(Reid) I HAD SAID SOMETHING TO ONE OF MY ASSISTANTS IN SPANISH,
AND HE CAUGHT THAT RIGHT AWAY.
AND HE CAME RUNNING UP TO ME AND SAID, "YOU SPEAK SPANISH?"
I SAID, "SOMEWHAT. MY MOTHER'S CUBAN."
AND HE SAID, "WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO ABOUT CASTRO?"
AND I SAID, "I COULD REALLY CARE LESS.
"I WAS BORN IN MANHATTAN.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY-- I DON'T CARE."
AND HE SAID, "YOU KNOW, I TRIED TO KILL HIM THREE TIMES
WHEN I WAS WITH THE CIA."
AND I SAID, "SURE,"
AND THEN I PUT MY HAND ON MY SHIRT,
AND I SAID, "AND I'M NAPOLEON."
(Winfield) SO WHY DID LENNY JENOFF SPIN SUCH EXTRAVAGANT TALES?
WELL, WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER BE?
DRUNK, DIVORCED, AND BROKE
OR SECRET AGENT MAN?
(Rooney) HE LOVED ATTENTION.
THAT WAS HIS WHOLE MISSION IN LIFE.
HE WANTED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
HE WANTED TO BE SOMEBODY.
HE WASN'T HAPPY BEING LENNY.
THAT'S WHY HE HAD TO BECOME THE EX-CIA AGENT
OR THE FBI AGENT.
HE WANTED TO BECOME A HERO.
HE WANTED TO BECOME SOMEBODY VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
(Winfield) AND THANKS TO THE RABBI NEULANDER,
LEN JENOFF WAS ABOUT TO GET HIS CHANCE.
(Winfield) INSTEAD OF THE SPLIT-LEVEL OASIS OF THE OZZIE AND HARRIET ERA,
TODAY'S CHERRY HILL IS A SPLIT-REAR-SEAT WORLD
WHERE THE MOMS ARE MORE HARRIED THAN HARRIET,
WHERE DINNER'S IN THE MICROWAVE,
AND "GO ASK YOUR FATHER"
MEANS CALLING HIM ON HIS CELL PHONE.
AND WHILE THEIR KIDS WERE GROWN,
LIFE FOR FRED AND CAROL NEULANDER
WAS NO LESS HECTIC.
ON ANY GIVEN DAY,
THEY SPENT AS MUCH TIME BEHIND THE WHEEL
AS THEY DID AT HOME ON HIGHGATE LANE.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1994, WAS NO EXCEPTION.
AFTER A FULL DAY AT THE SYNAGOGUE,
FRED NEULANDER PICKED UP A PIZZA ON THE DRIVE HOME.
AROUND 6:00, THE RABBI SHARED IT WITH HIS SON MATTHEW,
A PREMED STUDENT AT RUTGERS.
HE WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE THREE NEULANDER CHILDREN
STILL LIVING AT HOME.
BY 6:30, THE RABBI AND HIS SON WERE GONE AGAIN--
MATTHEW TO HIS PART-TIME JOB AS AN E.M.T.
AND THE RABBI BACK TO M'KOR SHALOM.
CAROL WOULDN'T BE HOME UNTIL 8:00,
HELD UP BY THE WEEKLY MANAGEMENT MEETING
OF CLASSIC CAKE.
(Riley) HE KNEW HIS WIFE WOULD BE OUT WORKING LATE,
AND HE COULD STAY AT THE SYNAGOGUE LATE
AND GET SOME EXTRA WORK DONE
WHILE SHE WAS, YOU KNOW, HAVING HER BUSINESS MEETINGS.
THAT NIGHT, HE HAD ARRANGED TO BE OBSERVING THE CLASSES--
A CLASS OF ONE OF HIS ASSISTANT RABBIS.
HE WENT INTO CHOIR REHEARSAL
AND SPOKE TO A NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE CHOIR.
(Winfield) WHILE THE RABBI WAS TENDING TO HIS FLOCK,
CAROL ARRIVED HOME AT AROUND 8:00.
IT WAS JUST IN TIME TO MAKE HER REGULAR PHONE CALL
TO THE NEULANDERS' DAUGHTER REBECCA IN PHILADELPHIA.
SHE WAS STILL ON THE PHONE AT 8:15, WHEN THE DOORBELL RANG,
WHICH WASN'T UNEXPECTED.
(Phillips) CAROL NEULANDER TOLD HER DAUGHTER
THAT--THAT SHE WAS NOT SURPRISED BY THIS
BECAUSE SHE SAID, "DADDY TOLD ME TO EXPECT SOMEONE
TO COME WITH A PACKAGE."
(Winfield) CAROL EVEN KNEW THE DELIVERYMAN...
SORT OF.
HE'D BEEN BY A WEEK EARLIER TO DROP OFF ANOTHER ENVELOPE
AND USE THE NEULANDERS' BATHROOM.
(Lynch) SHE COMMENTED TO HER DAUGHTER,
"OH, IT'S THE BATHROOM MAN AGAIN."
(Winfield) ON THE PHONE, REBECCA WAS CONCERNED.
CAROL, HOWEVER, WASN'T.
THE "BATHROOM MAN" WASN'T ANYONE TO BE WORRIED ABOUT.
HE WAS A COMIC CHARACTER.
HE WAS A BIG, BUMBLING KIND OF GUY.
HE LOOKED DISORGANIZED.
AND SHE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS ANYTHING SINISTER.
(Winfield) ONLY IT WAS SOMETHING SINISTER ABOUT THE "BATHROOM MAN."
CAROL NEULANDER JUST DIDN'T KNOW IT.
SHE SAID GOOD-BYE TO HER DAUGHTER
AND HUNG UP THE CORDLESS PHONE.
WHEN RABBI FRED NEULANDER HEADED HOME A LITTLE AFTER 9:00,
M'KOR SHALOM WAS STILL BUSTLING WITH ACTIVITY.
IT WAS 9:20 WHEN HE WALKED THROUGH HIS UNLOCKED FRONT DOOR
AND STRAIGHT INTO HELL.
(Francis) IT'S A WHITE FRONT ROOM
WHICH YOU REALLY HAVE TO REMEMBER
TO GET THE FULL HORROR OF THE SCENE.
IT'S WHITE CARPET, WHITE WALLS,
YOU KNOW, WHITE-- GENERALLY WHITE FURNISHINGS,
AND THEY ARE COVERED IN BLOOD.
THE FRONT ROOM IS LITERALLY A BLOODY MESS.
(Winfield) AND RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF IT WAS CAROL,
MOTIONLESS AND WHITE AS A SHEET.
FRED GRABBED THE CORDLESS PHONE AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911.
IT'S JUST A HARROWING CALL.
I MEAN, FRED IS DISTRAUGHT.
HE'S SOBBING. HE'S CRYING.
IT'S GOING BACK AND FORTH.
THE DISPATCHER'S NOT CLEAR WHAT'S GOING ON,
AND FRED, DURING THE COURSE OF THE CALL,
NEVER SAYS WHAT HE THINKS HAPPENED.
HE JUST KEEPS SAYING, "MY WIFE'S ON THE FLOOR.
"SHE'S COVERED IN BLOOD.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WHAT SHOULD I DO?"
(Winfield) WITHIN SECONDS, POLICE AND AMBULANCE UNITS
WERE CONVERGING ON THE NEULANDER HOUSE,
AND RIDING IN ONE OF THEM, THE RABBI REALIZED,
WAS HIS SON MATTHEW, THE PART-TIME E.M.T.
FRED KEEPS ASKING THE DISPATCHER IF THE DISPATCHER
CAN PREVENT MATTHEW FROM COMING TO THE HOUSE
BECAUSE HE DOESN'T WANT MATTHEW TO COME INTO THE SCENE
AND HAVE TO PRONOUNCE HIS OWN MOTHER DEAD
RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS OWN FRONT ROOM FLOOR.
(Winfield) THANKFULLY, BY THE TIME MATTHEW ARRIVED,
THE HOUSE WAS ALREADY CROWDED WITH POLICE AND PARAMEDICS.
(Riley) HE APPROACHED THE HOUSE AND WAS TOLD BY THE POLICE
THAT HE COULDN'T COME IN ANY FURTHER.
IT WAS A CRIME SCENE.
AND AT THAT POINT, HE GAINED THE KNOWLEDGE
THAT HIS MOTHER HAD BEEN KILLED.
(Winfield) MOMENTS LATER, HE FOUND HIS FATHER IN THE DRIVEWAY,
WHERE HE'D BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY
SINCE POLICE ARRIVED.
HE SEEMED VERY CONTENT TO REMAIN ON THE DRIVEWAY OUTSIDE
AND WATCH AS EVENTS UNFOLDED.
ONE OF THE OFFICERS WAS IN THE HOUSE FOR A FEW MINUTES
AND CAME OUT TO MAKE A RADIO TRANSMISSION
TO HIS SUPERIORS,
AND RABBI NEULANDER STOOD AND WATCHED HIM.
HE MADE NO INQUIRY ABOUT HIS WIFE'S CONDITION.
(Winfield) INSIDE, IT WAS THE CONDITION OF THE HOUSE, NOT CAROL,
THAT HAD INVESTIGATORS PUZZLED.
(Rulbewsky) THERE WASN'T ANY RANSACKING,
AND THERE WASN'T ANYBODY PULLING OUT DRAWERS
AND LOOKING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
IT WAS A PERFECTLY SET LIVING ROOM WITH, UNFORTUNATELY,
A *** VICTIM LAYING ON THE FLOOR.
(Winfield) ABOUT THE ONLY CLUE CAME FROM THE NEULANDERS' DAUGHTER
REBECCA, WHO'D RUSHED OVER FROM HER HOUSE IN PHILADELPHIA.
SHE TOLD INVESTIGATORS ABOUT HER PHONE CALL WITH CAROL
AND GAVE THEM THEIR FIRST BIG BREAK IN THE CASE:
THE BATHROOM MAN.
(Francis) THIS GUY KNEW THAT HE WAS AT THE RABBI'S HOUSE
AND THAT HE'D COME BACK AND APPEARED TWICE,
BECAUSE, THE SECOND CALL,
CAROL WAS ABLE TO SAY,
"OH, IT'S THE BATHROOM GUY AGAIN,"
AND THEN HUNG UP THE PHONE.
AND THEN SUDDENLY, AN HOUR LATER, SHE'S DEAD.
(Winfield) FIND THE BATHROOM MAN, THE POLICE FIGURED,
AND THAT SHOULD SOLVE EVERYTHING.
IT SOUNDED SIMPLE ENOUGH,
BUT WHEN THEY DID FIND HIM,
WELL, THAT'S WHEN THINGS GOT A LITTLE COMPLICATED.
(Winfield) "NOBODY THOUGHT IT COULD HAPPEN HERE."
IT'S A CRIME CLICHE.
BUT ON NOVEMBER 2, 1994,
IN CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY,
THE OLD CLICHE WAS LITERALLY THE TRUTH.
THE NEULANDER CASE WAS THE TOWN'S FIRST
AND ONLY HOMICIDE OF 1994.
(Johnson) WE HAVE OUR SHARE OF CRIMES
SUCH AS AUTOHEFT AND BURGLARIES AT TIMES.
IT COMES AND GOES.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART,
MAJOR CRIMES SUCH AS HOMICIDE
IS NOT EXACTLY SOMETHING WE HAVE ALL THE TIME HERE.
(Winfield) IT WAS THE KIND OF RANDOM VIOLENCE
CHERRY HILL'S SUBURBANITES HAD LEFT PHILLY AND CAMDEN
TO GET AWAY FROM.
BUT WAS IT RANDOM?
THE POLICE WEREN'T SO SURE.
THE BATHROOM MAN KNEW FRED WAS A RABBI.
AND IF HE KNEW THAT, DID HE KNOW ABOUT CLASSIC CAKE
AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY,
CAROL'S HABIT OF TAKING THE DAY'S CASH RECEIPTS
HOME WITH HER?
THE DETECTIVES QUESTIONED EMPLOYEES AT CLASSIC CAKE,
BUT IT GOT THEM NO CLOSER TO, UH,
FLUSHING OUT THE BATHROOM MAN.
THEY QUESTIONED EVERYBODY FROM HER CAKE COMPANY,
PAST EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE,
'CAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE A ROBBERY, JUST A RANDOM ROBBERY.
(Winfield) YES, BUT SOMETHING ABOUT THE RABBI'S BEHAVIOR
THE NIGHT OF THE ***--
WAITING PATIENTLY IN THE DRIVEWAY--
JUST DIDN'T SEEM QUITE, WELL, KOSHER.
HE WAS REMARKABLY COMPOSED, WAS NOT UPSET, WAS NOT CRYING,
WAS NOT EMOTIONAL IN ANY WAY.
SO THE TONE OF THE 911 CALL SEEMED TO ME TO BE
VERY MUCH AT ODDS WITH THE DEMEANOR OF THE MAN
JUST A FEW MINUTES LATER.
(Winfield) HAD THE RABBI HIRED THE MYSTERIOUS BATHROOM MAN
TO KILL HIS WIFE?
FOR THE CHERRY HILL POLICE, IT WAS A TEMPTING THEORY,
AND IT FIT WITH THE FACT THAT, AT THE TIME OF CAROL'S DEATH,
DOZENS-- MAYBE EVEN HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
HAD SEEN FRED AT M'KOR SHALOM.
THE RABBI HAD AN AIRTIGHT ALIBI,
MAYBE A LITTLE TOO AIRTIGHT.
(Francis) CAN WE ACCOUNT FOR WHERE THE RABBI WAS
BETWEEN 7:00 AND 9:00 ON THAT EVENING?
AND THE ANSWER WAS ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY YOU COULD ACCOUNT FOR WHERE HE WAS,
AND THAT IN ITSELF BECAME SUSPICIOUS.
(Winfield) ESPECIALLY WHEN INVESTIGATORS QUESTIONED
THE RABBI'S ASSISTANTS.
FRED'S MOVEMENTS THE NIGHT OF THE ***
WEREN'T EXACTLY HIS USUAL TUESDAY NIGHT RITUAL.
THE CANTOR ANITA HOFFMAN SAID THAT IT WAS VERY UNUSUAL
FOR ANYONE TO TO POP INTO CHOIR PRACTICE
IN THE MANNER IN WHICH HE DID
BECAUSE SHE DID NOT LIKE INTERRUPTIONS,
AND THE RABBI KNEW THAT.
SO SHE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL
THAT HE CAME INTO THE ROOM THAT NIGHT.
(Winfield) WORD OF THE QUESTIONING QUICKLY SPREAD AROUND THE SYNAGOGUE.
COMING *** THE HEELS OF CAROL'S DEATH,
DOUBTS ABOUT THEIR RABBI WERE A LITTLE HARD TO TAKE.
WE BELIEVE IN RABBI NEULANDER'S INNOCENCE,
AND WE SHARE IN THE GRIEF OF THE NEULANDER FAMILY.
(Malloy) THEY WERE EXTREMELY HURT, YOU KNOW,
THAT THE RABBI WAS THE FOCUS OF THE INVESTIGATION
AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMEBODY
THAT THEY HAD DEPENDED ON.
THIS IS SOMEBODY THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THEIR LIVES.
(Winfield) BY LATE FEBRUARY, THE PRESS WAS EVEN SPECULATING
THAT THE RABBI HAD BEEN HAVING AN AFFAIR.
IT WAS ENOUGH TO MAKE HIS CONGREGATION PLOTZ.
(Saul Schwait) I JUST SAID, "THERE'S NO WAY HE'S INVOLVED IN THIS."
HE JUST--I JUST--
A MAN OF GOD DOESN'T DO THINGS LIKE THIS.
(Winfield) THAT'S WHAT THEY THOUGHT, AT LEAST.
ON FEBRUARY 26th, THE RABBI ADMITTED
THAT THE RUMORS OF ADULTERY WERE TRUE
AND SUBMITTED A LETTER OF RESIGNATION TO M'KOR SHALOM.
(Francis) THE SYNAGOGUE WAS FLOORED.
THEY HAD NO CLUE
THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD BE GOING ON.
IT WAS INCONCEIVABLE.
THE RABBI'S OUT FOOLING AROUND WITH OTHER WOMEN.
THIS JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE,
ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING WHAT APPEARED TO BE
THE OBVIOUS HAPPY RELATIONSHIP
HE'D HAD FOR 30 YEARS WITH CAROL.
(Winfield) THE COPS, ON THE OTHER HAND,
HAD ALL THE SCHMUTZ ON THE RABBI'S AFFAIR.
IN FACT, THEY'D FIGURED IT OUT WEEKS EARLIER,
INCLUDING THE NAME OF HIS MISTRESS,
THANKS TO NEULANDER'S PHONE RECORDS.
(Francis) THERE WERE A LOT OF CALLS GOING ONE WAY
FROM FRED NEULANDER'S HOUSE TO ELAINE SONCINI,
WHO'S A RADIO TALK SHOW HOST IN DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA,
WHO ALSO LIVED IN CHERRY HILL.
(Winfield) WEALTHY, ATTRACTIVE, AND WELL-KNOWN,
SONCINI HAD MET RABBI NEULANDER WHEN HE OFFICIATED
AT HER LATE HUSBAND'S FUNERAL IN 1992.
NOT LONG AFTERWARDS, THE, UH, GRIEVING WIDOW
JOINED THE CONGREGATION OF M'KOR SHALOM.
(Long) SHE HAD TOLD US THAT SHE HAD BEEN FRIENDS WITH THE RABBI
SINCE THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND
AND THAT THE RABBI HAD HELPED HER ALONG
THROUGH THE DIFFICULT TIMES AFTER THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND.
(Winfield) HE WAS SO HELPFUL
THAT SONCINI WANTED TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENT PERMANENT.
SHE GAVE THE RABBI A CHOICE:
END HIS MARRIAGE OR THEIR AFFAIR.
(Lynch) SHE GAVE HIM A DEADLINE.
MS. SONCINI TOLD RABBI NEULANDER
THAT UNLESS SOMETHING WAS WORKED OUT
BY THE END OF THE YEAR 1994 ON JANUARY THE 1st OF 1995,
SHE WAS GOING TO START A NEW LIFE.
(Winfield) IN AUGUST, THE WHOLE TORRID STORY
OF THE RABBI'S AFFAIR WITH SONCINI
APPEARED IN THE LOCAL PRESS.
CHERRY HILL DID A DOUBLE TAKE.
(Long) I THINK THAT YOU SAW A CHANGE IN HOW THE COMMUNITY FELT
ABOUT FRED NEULANDER.
I THINK MANY PEOPLE, I THINK, SAW THE INFORMATION,
THE EVIDENCE THAT CAME OUT,
AND I THINK THAT CHANGED THEIR MIND.
(Winfield) STILL, THE RABBI HAD AT LEAST ONE VOCAL SUPPORTER,
HIS OLD SMOKING BUDDY LEN JENOFF.
(Walsh) HE WAS THE RABBI'S SELF-APPOINTED SPOKESMAN.
IF SOMETHING WAS GOING ON, YOU COULD TALK TO LEN.
LEN WOULD LET YOU-- LEN WOULD SAY,
"HERE'S HOW THE RABBI FEELS. HERE'S WHAT THE RABBI THINKS."
(Reid) HE WAS MORE ANNOYING THAN EVER.
HE WOULD BE PASSING OUT HIS BUSINESS CARDS:
"LEN JENOFF, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR."
HE WOULD TALK TO ANY REPORTER THAT WOULD TALK TO HIM.
HE ALWAYS MADE HIMSELF AVAILABLE TO CAMERAS.
(Winfield) AND BESIDES KIBBITZING,
HE WAS EVEN WORKING WITH THE POLICE
TO TRACK DOWN THE REAL KILLER.
STILL, THE CASE WENT NOWHERE,
AND LEN JENOFF SLOWLY FELL OUT OF THE LIMELIGHT.
1995 GAVE WAY TO 1996
AND THEN 1997.
THERE WAS LITTLE CHANGE IN THE NEULANDER CASE.
THEN, ON SEPTEMBER 10, 1998,
ALMOST FOUR YEARS AFTER CAROL'S DEATH,
CHERRY HILL POLICE ARRESTED RABBI FRED NEULANDER.
AND ON JANUARY 11, 1999,
WHEN THE GRAND JURY INDICTED THE RABBI
ON SOLICITATION OF ***,
LEN JENOFF, NEULANDER'S BEST FRIEND,
WAS NOWHERE IN SIGHT.
ON THE MORNING OF MAY 1, 2000,
CAME THE BIG BREAK IN THE CASE.
CHERRY HILL AWOKE TO THE STARTLING NEWS
THAT THE MYSTERIOUS BATHROOM MAN
WAS FINALLY IN POLICE CUSTODY,
AND HIS NAME, IT TURNED OUT, WAS NONE OTHER THAN LEN JENOFF.
(Walsh) THE NEWSROOM WAS JUST REALLY SHOCKED--
WAS DRAMATICALLY SURPRISED TO REALIZE
THAT EVERYONE HAD BEEN LOOKING AROUND SOUTH JERSEY FOR YEARS
SAYING, "WHO KILLED HER?"
AND TO REALIZE THAT IT WAS LEN JENOFF,
A GUY THAT WE HAD DEALT WITH,
SO IT'S A VERY BIG SURPRISE.
(Winfield) JENOFF HAD CONFESSED TO THE CRIME NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO,
BUT NOT TO THE COPS.
INSTEAD, HE'D TOLD HIS STORY
TO PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER REPORTER NANCY PHILLIPS.
(Phillips) HE INSISTED THAT, AT THE TIME,
HE DID NOT KNOW THAT CAROL NEULANDER
WAS THE INTENDED VICTIM.
HE SAID THAT THE RABBI TOLD HIM
THAT THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO WAS AN ENEMY OF ISRAEL
WHO NEEDED TO BE KILLED
AND THAT THE *** COULD BE JUSTIFIED
BECAUSE IT WAS FOR A GOOD CAUSE.
(Winfield) THE WAY JENOFF EXPLAINED IT,
THE RABBI OFFERED TO USE HIS CONNECTIONS
TO GET JENOFF INTO THE MOSSAD, THE ISRAELI SECRET SERVICE.
HE ALSO PAID JENOFF $30,000 FOR THE HIT,
MUCH OF IT DISGUISED AS PAYMENT
FOR JENOFF'S SERVICES AS A SECURITY CONSULTANT.
IN APRIL OF 2000,
PHILLIPS CONVINCED JENOFF TO GO TO THE COPS.
LEN LAID OUT THE WHOLE STORY
ABOUT HOW HE WAS THE BATHROOM MAN
AND HOW HE HAD CONVINCED A FRIEND FROM A.A.,
PAUL MICHAEL DANIELS,
TO HELP HIM BEAT CAROL NEULANDER TO DEATH.
SUDDENLY, THE PROSECUTION NOT ONLY HAD THE ACTUAL KILLER,
BUT A STAR WITNESS TO THE WHOLE CONSPIRACY,
ALL ROLLED INTO ONE NICE, NOT-SO-NEAT PACKAGE.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR THEM, THAT PACKAGE WAS LEN JENOFF.
LEN JENOFF IS REALLY A COMPLETE FLAKE.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO.
LEN JENOFF IS JUST A PREPOSTEROUS PERSON.
EVERYTHING ABOUT LEN JENOFF,
WHEN YOU START PULLING HIS RECORDS
AND LOOKING AT HIS RESUMES AND LOOKING AT HIS HISTORY,
IS A LIE.
I MEAN, STARTING RIGHT FROM COLLEGE,
HE GRADUATED FROM MONMOUTH COLLEGE.
ACTUALLY, HE DIDN'T GRADUATE FROM MONMOUTH COLLEGE.
HE SERVED IN THE ARMY IN VIETNAM.
ACTUALLY, HE WAS A COOK IN THE RESERVES
AND NEVER LEFT THE UNITED STATES.
HE WAS DOWN WITH THE CIA
WORKING WITH OLIVER NORTH IN IRAN-CONTRA.
ACTUALLY, HE'S NEVER BEEN ANY CLOSER TO NICARAGUA
THAN PUERTO VALLARTA ON VACATION ONCE.
I MEAN, NOTHING LEN JENOFF HAS SAID
ABOUT HIS BACKGROUND IS TRUE.
(Winfield) WHICH WAS THE PROSECUTION'S BIGGEST PROBLEM
WHEN THE RABBI'S TRIAL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 15th.
(woman) THIS IS THE MATTER
OF STATE OF NEW JERSEY VERSUS FRED NEULANDER.
(Winfield) ELAINE SONCINI'S TESTIMONY
WAS CERTAINLY ENOUGH TO CONVINCE THE JURY
THAT THE RABBI WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR.
IN FACT, THE RABBI DIDN'T EVEN DENY IT.
***, HOWEVER, WAS WAY MORE COMPLICATED.
FOR A CONVICTION,
THE PROSECUTORS HAD TO CONVINCE THE JURY
THAT IN EXCHANGE FOR A JOB WITH ISRAEL'S SECRET SERVICE,
JENOFF AGREED TO KILL AN ENEMY OF ISRAEL
THAT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE RABBI NEULANDER'S WIFE.
THE DEFENSE, HOWEVER, HAD A DIFFERENT
AND FAR LESS FANTASTIC THEORY.
SURE, JENOFF WAS THE BATHROOM MAN,
BUT IT WASN'T THE PROMISE OF A JOB WITH THE MOSSAD
THAT BROUGHT JENOFF TO THE NEULANDERS' DOORSTEP.
IT WAS ROBBERY.
(Riley) HE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH RABBI NEULANDER
ABOUT SECURITY SYSTEMS AT THE SYNAGOGUE
AND A SECURITY SYSTEM AT HIS HOME
AND WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL AWARE OF THE FACT
THAT FRED NEULANDER HAD A CONCERN ABOUT HIS WIFE
BRINGING HOME LARGE SUMS OF MONEY.
(Winfield) AND ALL THE STUFF ABOUT MOSSAD
AND ENEMIES OF ISRAEL?
ACCORDING TO THE DEFENSE,
THEY WERE SIMPLY FIGMENTS OF JENOFF'S OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION.
(Riley) RABBI NEULANDER HAD NO CONNECTION WITH THE MOSSAD.
THE ONLY THING HE COULD DO FOR JENOFF
WAS GIVE HIM THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE ISRAELI CONSULATE.
THAT'S IT.
(Winfield) WHEN FRED NEULANDER TOOK THE STAND ON OCTOBER 30th,
THE RABBI TURNED THE WITNESS STAND
INTO A BULLY PULPIT TO PROFESS HIS INNOCENCE.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR HIM, HE'D GIVEN BETTER SERMONS.
(man) HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PROSPECT
OF TERMINATING THE RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU HAD WITH HER?
WELL, OBVIOUSLY, THERE WAS-- YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOME--
THERE WERE SOME FEELINGS BETWEEN US.
(Malloy) HE CAME ACROSS SOMEWHAT ARROGANT AND NARCISSISTIC,
SOMEBODY WHO BELIEVED
THAT, BY THE FORCE OF HIS PERSONALITY,
THAT HE COULD SWAY A JURY.
(Winfield) AND DURING CROSS-EXAMINATION, THINGS GOT EVEN WORSE.
(Fred Neulander) I REALLY CAN'T SAY.
I DON'T-- I DON'T RECALL.
I CAN'T REMEMBER.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT WAS.
(Walsh) GOES UNDER CROSS-EXAMINATION,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, HE MUTATES
INTO THIS LYING, ADULTEROUS, HYPOCRITICAL GUY
WHO CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING.
YOU JUST SAW HIS FACADE CRUMBLE.
AND YOU HAD TO-- YOU WERE LEFT WONDERING,
"HOW LOW COULD HE GO?"
(Winfield) LOW ENOUGH TO ARRANGE HIS WIFE'S ***?
THAT ALL DEPENDED ON WHO THE JURY BELIEVED:
THE ADULTEROUS RABBI NEULANDER
OR PATHOLOGICAL LIAR LEN JENOFF.
(Winfield) ON NOVEMBER 1, 2001,
THE JURY RETIRED TO CONSIDER THE VERDICT
IN THE CASE AGAINST RABBI FRED NEULANDER.
IT WAS SEVEN YEARS TO THE DAY SINCE CAROL NEULANDER'S ***,
WHICH WAS WAY TOO LONG
AS FAR AS CHERRY HILL WAS CONCERNED.
I WANTED IT TO END.
I WANTED CLOSURE FOR THE CHILDREN,
THE COMMUNITY, FOR MYSELF, MY WIFE,
JUST SO WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON, YOU KNOW?
IT WAS WAY TOO LONG.
IT WAS OVERDUE.
(Winfield) ONLY, THE WAIT WAS FAR FROM OVER.
AFTER ALMOST TWO WEEKS OF DELIBERATION,
THE JURY FINALLY FILED BACK INTO THE CAMDEN COUNTY COURTHOUSE,
NOT TO ANNOUNCE A VERDICT,
BUT TO ANNOUNCE THEY COULDN'T REACH ONE.
(woman) I AM GOING TO DECLARE A MISTRIAL,
AND I DO HEREBY DECLARE A MISTRIAL.
THE JURY, I FIND, IS AT A COMPLETE STANDSTILL.
YOU ARE DEADLOCKED,
AND NO FURTHER AMOUNT OF TIME COULD EVER BE PRODUCTIVE.
(Francis) TO BELIEVE THAT THE *** WENT DOWN
THE WAY THE PROSECUTION SAID IT WENT DOWN,
YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE LEN JENOFF.
AND ANY OTHER DAY OF THE WEEK UNDER ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE,
LEN JENOFF IS THE LAST PERSON YOU WOULD BELIEVE.
(Winfield) FRED NEULANDER WAS RELIEVED,
BUT A HUNG JURY WASN'T ABSOLUTION.
AND RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO,
THE PROSECUTORS WERE DETERMINED TO GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY.
(Lynch) THE NEXT MORNING,
I AWOKE,
AND I SAW THE FRONT COVER OF THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
AND A LARGE PICTURE OF FRED NEULANDER
SMILING JOVIALLY.
SO ONCE I SAW THAT PICTURE,
THAT PORTRAYED TO ME
A MAN WHO THOUGHT HE HAD BEATEN THE SYSTEM
AND A MAN WHO THOUGHT HE'D CONTINUE TO BEAT THE SYSTEM.
SO AT THAT POINT, I WAS READY TO PICK THE JURY AGAIN
THAT SAME AFTERNOON AND START THE CASE AGAIN.
(Winfield) WHEN HIS SECOND TRIAL
GOT UNDER WAY IN OCTOBER OF 2002,
NEULANDER'S SON MATTHEW AND DAUGHTER REBECCA NEULANDER
DID TESTIFY, BUT FOR THE PROSECUTION.
(Matthew Neulander) WASN'T BREATHING HEAVILY.
HE WASN'T CRYING OR SHOWING ANY OUTWARD SIGN
OF GRIEF OR REMORSE AT ALL.
(Walsh) REBECCA AND MATTHEW, THEY HAD SEEN THE FIRST TRIAL.
I BELIEVE THAT HAD CHANGED THEIR VIEW OF THE RABBI.
THAT HAD CHANGED THEIR VIEW OF THE WHOLE CASE.
EVEN IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE JENOFF,
CERTAINLY, THESE KIDS ARE CREDIBLE.
AND THEY DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE
THAT THEIR FATHER MIGHT HAVE DONE THIS,
BUT THEY WERE SIMPLY JUST TELLING THE TRUTH.
(Winfield) AND THAT APPARENTLY CHANGED EVERYTHING.
(woman #1) WHAT IS THE UNANIMOUS VERDICT OF THE JURY?
NOT GUILTY OR GUILTY?
(woman #2) GUILTY.
(Winfield) THE CASE THAT HAD DIVIDED CHERRY HILL FOR NEARLY A DECADE
WAS ALMOST OVER.
ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS THE SENTENCING,
AND EVERYONE WONDERED WHAT THE RABBI WOULD SAY
NOW THAT HE'D BEEN FOUND GUILTY.
SURPRISINGLY, HE WAS AS ARROGANT AS EVER.
"THOU SHALT NOT FOLLOW THE MULTITUDE TO PURSUE EVIL."
I KNOW WHAT NO ONE ELSE IN THIS ROOM KNOWS.
I, AND I ALONE, KNOW THAT I AM INNOCENT.
EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS SPOKEN,
EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS PROVIDED WRITTEN MATERIAL,
BELIEVES THAT I AM GUILTY
OR, MORE INSIDIOUSLY,
NEEDS TO BELIEVE THAT I AM GUILTY.
(Walsh) IT SIMPLY FLOORED, I THINK, EVERYBODY WATCHING.
HE DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
HE DIDN'T ACT IN ANY WAY
LIKE A CONTRITE OR CHASTENED HUMAN BEING.
HE ACTED LIKE HE WAS GIVING A SERMON,
LIKE HE WAS PICKING UP FROM WHERE THINGS HAD BEEN LEFT OFF
BACK WHEN HE WAS IN CHARGE OF M'KOR SHALOM.
(Winfield) BUT THIS TIME, FRED WASN'T THE ONLY ONE
WHO GOT TO GIVE A SERMON.
SPEAKING BEFORE THE COURT,
CAROL'S BROTHER EDWARD
LET FRED KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HE THOUGHT.
(Edward Lidz) DURING THE ENSUING EIGHT YEARS,
YOU ACTED IN A MANNER SO REPULSIVE
THAT WORDS CANNOT BEGIN TO DESCRIBE
THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT YOU BECAME.
YOU ARE A MURDERER.
YOU ARE A LIAR, A COWARD, AND A CHEAT.
YOU DISHONORED CAROL, YOURSELF,
YOUR CHILDREN, THIS COURT,
YOUR CONGREGATION,
THE RABBINATE, AND JUDAISM.
(Winfield) IT'S DOUBTFUL THAT FRED NEULANDER--
NOW SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE--
WOULD EVER AGAIN SET FOOT IN THE SYNAGOGUE
HE'D BUILT FROM NOTHING.
AND LEN JENOFF--
CAROL NEULANDER'S CONFESSED KILLER--
APPEARS AS REMORSELESS AS THE RABBI.
NEVER ONCE SAID HE WAS SORRY FOR KILLING MRS. NEULANDER,
WAS ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE BOOK OR MOVIE DEAL.
HIS LAWYER HAD STONE PHILLIPS
COME UP TO SEE HIM IN THE COUNTY JAIL.
(Winfield) ALONG WITH HIS ACCOMPLICE, PAUL DANIELS,
JENOFF IS SERVING A 23-YEAR SENTENCE
FOR KILLING CAROL NEULANDER.
SO FOR THE TIME BEING,
THE PRISON LIBRARY IS AS CLOSE AS JENOFF GETS
TO ANY BOOK DEALS.
WHO KNOWS?
MAYBE ONE DAY, HE'LL CHECK OUT
THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY.
(Rooney) IN HIS MIND, IF HE CAN'T BE A HERO ON THE STREETS,
HE MIGHT AS WELL BE A HERO IN JAIL,
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, HE THINKS HE'S JUST GOING
THROUGH A CIA OPERATION
WHERE HE'S BEING INCARCERATED FOR IT.
(Winfield) WHILE JENOFF AND THE RABBI SIT IN PRISON,
CHERRY HILL GOES ON MUCH AS ALWAYS.
THE MALL IS JUST AS BUSY,
THE TRAFFIC ON ROUTE 70 JUST AS BAD.
AND M'KOR SHALOM REMAINS, IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING,
ONE OF THE LARGEST AND FASTEST GROWING
OF CHERRY HILL'S MANY SYNAGOGUES.
(Francis) AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, WHAT FRED CREATED
IS STRONGER AND MORE DURABLE THAN FRED HIMSELF.
IT WILL BE A LASTING LEGACY FOR FRED NEULANDER
REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS FOR DECADES TO COME.
(Winfield) MAYBE.
(Walsh) IF YOU GO TO THEIR WEBSITE TODAY,
YOU'LL FIND NO MENTION OF RABBI FRED NEULANDER.
THEY HAVE A HISTORY.
THEY HAVE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT THINGS
ABOUT M'KOR SHALOM.
HIS NAME DOESN'T APPEAR.
THE ONLY PLACE WHERE YOU'LL FIND THE NEULANDER NAME
IS ON A LISTING FOR MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
IN MEMORY OF CAROL NEULANDER.
(Winfield) WHAT LITTLE REMAINS OF CHERRY HILL'S PAST
IS VANISHING TOO.
THE GARDEN STATE RACETRACK IS SCHEDULED TO COME DOWN SOON.
IN ITS PLACE, DEVELOPERS ARE PLANNING
A NEWFANGLED TOWN CENTER
THAT HAS MORE IN COMMON WITH CAMDEN OR PHILLY
THAN IT DOES CHERRY HILL.
IT'LL HAVE RECREATIONAL AMENITIES.
IT'LL HAVE HOUSING.
IT'LL HAVE COMMERCIAL,
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING.
IT'S GOING TO--
CHERRY HILL'S TRYING TO DEVELOP IT
INTO THE DOWNTOWN IT NEVER HAD.
(Winfield) UNFORTUNATELY, THE NEULANDER FAMILY
WILL NOT BE PART OF THE NEW CHERRY HILL.
CAROL HAS BEEN GONE FOR ALMOST A DECADE.
HER CHILDREN HAVE MOVED AWAY.
AND FRED WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR PAROLE
UNTIL AFTER HIS 90th BIRTHDAY.