Complaint Review: rabbi yehoshua sauer - Kew Garden Hills New York

Rabbi Sauer was hired by Torah U'Mesorah to be the Orthodox Rabbi of Austin, Tx sometime in the mid to late 1990's  He was to form an Outreach Congregation in that city of  750,000 people 15,000 of which were Jews.  An additional 5,000 Jewish students were in the city attending University of Texas and his activity was also to include campus outreach.

The organization was known as AJHF  Austin Jewish Heritage Foundation,  his residence was furnished by a former student of the University whom he helped became observant and did very well as a broker / trader.  This young gentleman became a major source of capital as well for Sauers operations.   The home was in the 78731 zip code at the corner of Mesa Dr. and  Knollwood Dr.  it also served as the shul for a time.    The congregation eventually rented and refurbished a building near the Dell Jewish Center  Just across from the HEB grocery store  at 3510 N. Hills Drive in Austin.  

While he is a very charming an able person, who got some remarkable results on campus,  he ultimately drove a stake into the heart of the Austin Jewish community.  He had a way of turning on people who he disagreed with with and driving them from the congregation.   He absolutely refused to be held accountable by the congregation for the funds given to the organization.   He would not permit the congregation to see the (non existent) books.

As time went on it became apparent that funds were being misappropriated,  and stolen.

The congregations president as well as the young benefactor who supplied his home were contacted by American Express who had tens of thousands of  credit card charges in the name of the benefactor (his identity had been stolen).  It was revealed that the application was a case of identity theft and the card was obtained and used without the knowledge of the gentleman.   

A new sefer Torah had been commissioned by a congregant at cost of over $30,000,  however when time came to have it delivered by the scribe if was found  that the funds to pay for the Torah which had been given in advance to Rabbi Sauer had been spent,  the Torah was not paid for.

The home furnished by the gentleman was run down into poor condition and had a legendary rat infestation.   Real Estate agent hired to sell the home found a shocking state of repair,   and that he Sauers actively attempted to scare off potential buyers while they continued to live in the home.

Finally after Torah U'mesorah became involved at the behest of a former member of the congregation,  and the Novominsker Rebbe sent a representative,  it was agreed that he would quietly leave town before Rosh Hashana of that year.   

On the holiday of Rosh Hashana when no work or carrying can be done by Jews,  he arranged for a non Jewish company to come and remove the contents of the Congregation to a undisclosed storage site.  He knew that no Jew could interfere on that day.   Only one elderly man who was walking by went in an insisted that he be allowed to remove his donated cover for the bima which was donated in the name of his deceased wife.

An $80,000.00 brand new library which had been donated to the congregation was also removed on that day.   None of the contents of the congregations building were ever returned to the congregation.  He eventually ransomed off the library to the original donor who then arranged for it to go to a Kollel in Dallas.



The congregation formed a new congregation located at the Dell Jewish Center,  Called Tiferet Israel  at the Jewish Community Association of Austin 7300 Hart Lane, Austin TX 78731. Rabbi Eliezer Langer (512) 981-7323

This report was only posted after discovery that he had not reformed his ways and continues to harm others.