Bernard Madoff’s connection with the New York-based Jewish charity Hadassah has become fraught above and beyond the economic level since the organization’s CFO, Sheryl Weinstein, claimed that she and the fallen financier had an affair, which she details in her upcoming memoir, “Madoff’s Other Secret: Love, Money, Bernie, and Me.” — KA

The New York Times:

Hadassah’s national president, Nancy Falchuk, told Hadassah’s national board in a letter on Thursday that the group was “shocked to hear the news reports of Mrs. Weinstein’s personal admission regarding this relationship. Indeed, we knew nothing of her relationship with Mr. Madoff until today.”

Ruth Madoff, who has been married to Mr. Madoff for almost 50 years, knew nothing about the “alleged affair,” said Peter Chavkin, her lawyer. While that, unfortunately, will not ease the pain of the people destroyed by the Madoff fraud, he continued, the allegation “stands as a powerful reminder, to those who say Ruth must have known of her husband’s criminal scheme, that there are some things that some spouses — however close they are — do not share with each other.”

Ira Lee Sorkin, a lawyer for Mr. Madoff, declined to comment.

According to John Murphy, the publisher’s spokesman, Ms. Weinstein’s relationship with Mr. Madoff “spanned 20 years.” That would take it back to 1988, when Hadassah received a gift of about $7 million from a French donor, whom the organization has declined to name.

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