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During the four years that he led prayers at a synagogue in Hampstead, Cantor Shmuel Levin occasionally crossed swords with Rabbi Michael Whitman.

There was some friction between the two men and observers say that Levin’s abrasive style didn’t sit well with many members of the Congregation Adath Israel.

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Levin’s latest run-in with Whitman, which began in the corridors of the synagogue, has morphed into a strange saga that includes a police investigation, allegations of extortion and theft, an arrest warrant and a controversial 90-minute YouTube video where Levin accuses the rabbi of excessive spending when he entertains congregants at his home.

The synagogue’s president, Dr. Peter Safran, said Levin’s accusations are completely unfounded. He said all the expenses from 2012, which Levin detailed in the video, were approved.

Like many rabbis, Whitman’s contract includes a discretionary budget to entertain congregants or visitors at his home, something rabbis often do after the start of Shabbat on Fridays. “That is the way it is in most synagogues,” Safran said this week.