The Chevi Garfinkel lawsuit is a civil case filed in August 2021 in New York Supreme Court, Kings County, in which a plaintiff identified as Jane Doe alleges that Yocheved “Chevi” Garfinkel, a prominent Orthodox Jewish educator, sexually abused her when she was a minor. The suit was brought under New York’s Child Victims Act, and as of mid-2026 the core claims against Garfinkel remain unresolved. Garfinkel denies the allegations and has filed counterclaims for defamation and abuse of process.1NY Courts. Doe v Garfinkel, Index No. 520442/2021
Who Chevi Garfinkel Is
Garfinkel is a well-known lecturer in Orthodox Jewish education with more than 15 years of teaching experience, speaking in the United States, Canada, and Israel on prayer, holidays, self-improvement, and faith.2TorahAnytime. Chevi Garfinkel She has taught at Shulamis and Bruriah High Schools, lectures at Ohr Naava, and directs Camp Frontier, a teenage hiking camp that combines outdoor activity with Jewish study. At the time of the alleged conduct, according to court records, she was employed as a teacher at Yeshiva R’Tzahd and as a counselor at Camp Sternberg, operated by The Shma Camps, LLC.1NY Courts. Doe v Garfinkel, Index No. 520442/2021
What the Complaint Alleges
The Child Victims Act, enacted in 2019, temporarily opened a window allowing individuals to bring civil claims for childhood sexual abuse regardless of when the alleged conduct occurred. Jane Doe used that window to file her complaint in Kings County in August 2021, naming Garfinkel as the primary defendant and alleging sexual abuse while the plaintiff was a minor. The complaint also named Yeshiva R’Tzahd, The Shma Camps, LLC, and Abraham Garfinkel as co-defendants.1NY Courts. Doe v Garfinkel, Index No. 520442/2021
Garfinkel’s Counterclaims
Garfinkel contested the allegations and brought her own counterclaims against the plaintiff for defamation and abuse of process. The plaintiff moved to dismiss those counterclaims, arguing they were not adequately pled. In August 2024, Judge Joy F. Campanelli denied the motion, finding both counterclaims “sufficiently pled to give the Plaintiff adequate notice of the claim.”1NY Courts. Doe v Garfinkel, Index No. 520442/2021 The counterclaims are still live and moving forward alongside the plaintiff’s case.
What Happened to the Other Defendants
The case has narrowed considerably. Three of the four original defendants are out.
Yeshiva R’Tzahd
The yeshiva moved to dismiss the negligent hiring, training, supervision, and retention claims filed against it. The court granted the motion, finding the complaint did not allege the school knew or should have known about Garfinkel’s alleged conduct, and noting that the alleged assault occurred “far from the Defendant YESHIVA R’TZAHD’s premises.”1NY Courts. Doe v Garfinkel, Index No. 520442/2021 Those claims were dismissed.
The Shma Camps (Camp Sternberg)
Camp Sternberg’s operator was served in August 2021 but never appeared or answered. The plaintiff, however, did not seek a default judgment within the one-year window New York law provides. In September 2024 the court dismissed the claims against the camp with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled.1NY Courts. Doe v Garfinkel, Index No. 520442/2021
Abraham Garfinkel
Abraham Garfinkel also defaulted. The plaintiff waited roughly 14 months to move for a default judgment, and her attorneys cited “law office failure” tied to COVID-19 illness among staff. The trial court found the excuse inadequate and dismissed the claims in July 2023. On January 29, 2025, the Appellate Division, Second Department, affirmed, calling the excuse “conclusory and unsubstantiated” because it was submitted in an unsworn memorandum rather than a proper affidavit.3NY Courts. Doe v Garfinkel, Appellate Division Second Department4Justia. Jane Doe v Yocheved Garfinkel
Where the Case Stands Now
The claims against Yocheved Garfinkel personally are the only ones still standing. As of June 2026, the matter is assigned to Judge Alexander M. Tisch in Kings County Supreme Court. Depositions have been underway, a May 2026 stipulation discontinued certain cross-claims, and the parties have been negotiating a schedule for filing the Note of Issue, the step that signals a case is ready for trial. The Note of Issue is due by the end of August 2026, with a compliance conference set for September 8, 2026.5UniCourt. Jane Doe v Yocheved Garfinkel et al No trial date has been set. The allegations against Garfinkel remain unproven, and her counterclaims against the plaintiff remain pending.