A Profile Of Honesty

Rabbi Weil, the spiritual leader
ofYoung Israel of Oak Park, men-
tioned that Mr. Tenenbaum is also
involved in Matan B'Seter, a local
charity that provides clothing, food
and utilities expenses to needy
families.
"All expenses are incurred by
David and other members of the
group," said the rabbi, who ex-
plained that the recipients and
givers do not know each other.
"He's modest about his charity
work, his learning. He's a very fine c7\ /
human being," he said. 'These are
the types of guys you'd want your
daughter to date. These people are
people with no need for accolades."
Following reports in the news-
papers last week about Mr.
Tenenbaum, Rabbi Weil spoke to
his congregants about the mean-
ing of the commandment,

.

David Tenenbaum's friends and associates are
stunned that he is the target of an FBI investigation.

JULIE EDGAR SENIOR WRITER

R

abbi Steven Weil recently
heard a story that he be-
lieves captures the essence
of David Tenenbaum's
character.
A friend told him that as he and
Mr. Tenenbaum walked to shul
one afternoon, they came to the
intersection of 10 Mile and Green-
field roads.
"There was no traffic, but he
wouldn't cross. The guy asked him
why not, and [Mr. Tenenbaum]
said it was illegal to cross against
the light," Rabbi Weil recounted.
That seems to be the general
consensus on Mr. Tenenbaum,
who has been placed on paid ad-
ministrative leave from his job at
the U.S. Army Tank Automotive
and Armaments Command
(TACOM) in Warren following his
revelation that he may have giv-
en classified documents to Israelis
at the base.
Following a polygraph exami-
nation during a security clearance
upgrade on Feb. 13, Mr. Tenen-
baum admitted that he had inad-

vertently passed unreleasable
classified information about a joint
tank armament project to Israeli
liaison officers at TACOM and to
the scientific deputy director of the
Israeli Ministry of Defense, ac-
cording to an FBI affidavit. The
FBI subsequently searched Mr.
Tenenbaum's Southfield home,
looking through boxes of comput-
er files, financial statements, tele-
phone bills and address books
related to the shared data.
Thus far, formal charges have
not been filed, although Mr.
Tenenbaum, 39, could face prose-
cution for violating laws against
gathering and delivering defense
information to a foreign govern-
ment, felonies that carry a maxi-
mum penalty of 10 years in prison
He has not been available for
comment.
That he would have done any-
thing remotely illegal is shocking
to Reggie Tovbin, a close family
friend.
"My gut reaction when I heard
this was it sounds like they got the

"Htzedek tishpot arnitecha."

wrong person. He's so Rabb i Weil: gether in a band called Seg-
straight, so honest. He's not "He's a very ulah, performing at Ortho-
the type of person who fine h uman dox weddings and bar
would do what was consid-
bei ng."
mitzvahs.
ered not right," she said.
Mr. Tenenbaum, a civil-
Rabbi Yerachmiel Stewart, a ian mechanical engineer who has
longtime friend of Mr. Tenen- been at TACOM for 10 years, is
baum, echoed Ms. Tovbin's senti- married to Madeline, a massage
ments, calling Mr. Tenenbaum therapist, and has two children,
"more than" honest.
aged 4 and 1 112. He has a black
The two men once played to- belt in karate.

"Every human being is a judge
and the courtroom is our mind.
We have an obligation to judge a
human being meritoriously. I said
that before anyone jumps to any
conclusions, to remember that
mitzvah." 0

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