New York – Expressing Remorse Over Past Mishandling Of Sexual Abuse In Children, 300 Orthodox Rabbis Vow Better Protection For Victims

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    New York – In light of recent tragic suicides committed as a direct result of child sexual abuse, as well as other
    physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual consequences suffered by innocents in Jewish Orthodox communities and beyond, a proclamation signed by a large and diverse group of rabbis from the United States, Canada and Israel has taken a firm stand against abuse in children, acknowledging that the Jewish community has been slow to recognize incidents of molestation in the past and calls upon schools and synagogues to institute policies that will prevent sexual abuse.

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    The statement, signed by close to 300 Orthodox Jewish rabbis, admits that rabbis and community leaders have not always dealt effectively or appropriately with victims of child sexual abuse or their perpetrators.

    Released today by David Nyer, a licensed clinical social worker, the proclamation condemns the practice of using Jewish law to prevent victims from reporting abuse and describes any attempts to ignore child sexual abuse as “harmful, contrary to Jewish law and immoral.” Suggestions for greater safety in schools and synagogues included maximizing visibility so that children cannot be in unseen locations with adults, better screening of applicants including background checks and fingerprinting, and educating staff on recognizing and reporting possible incidents of child abuse.

    Rabbi Yosef Blau, a senior mashgiach at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, called the statement a turning point for the Jewish community.

    “This petition is important because it is a statement by signed 300 different rabbonim acknowledging that sexual abuse is a crisis for our community and is one that we have not really dealt with effectively up until now,” Rabbi Blau told VIN News. “Critical to this is that our leaders in the community are not experts in sexual abuse but they are leaders, and their words set a tone in our community. Up until now the tone has been denial and defensiveness and we want to change. We acknowledge the problem; we want to deal with problem and we want to protect the most vulnerable.”

    Ensuring that those who molest children are held accountable for their actions is of paramount importance, noted Rabbi Shalom Baum, president of the Rabbinical Council of America.

    “Our community needs to keep stressing that we need to believe victims of abuse and we need to encourage them to report their claims immediately to the authorities,” said Rabbi Baum.

    “As rabbonim we need to support the victims, even drive them to the police if necessary and find them the professional help that they deserve. We simultaneously need to advocate for the prosecution of abusers and to impose communal sanctions on them. I hope that this recent statement, combined with previous statements made by the RCA and others, leads to more actions to protect the innocent.”

    Nyer spent several weeks over the summer collecting signatures for the statement, with leadership at the Orthodox Union, the Rabbinical Council of America and Yeshiva University encouraging their membership to sign on.

    “We had very broad based and overwhelming support and rabbis were eager to sign this proclamation given the moral imperative to safeguard our children,” said Nyer. “Rabbis who had suggestions regarding editing certain language may draft their own letters in the near future.”

    Zvi Gluck, director of Amudim which deals with crisis management, applauded the effort for addressing the sensitive issue of sexual abuse in children.

    “It is refreshing to see that rabbonim, community leaders and community at large are finally starting to take these matters very seriously,” said Gluck. “While we still have much work ahead of us, it gives those of us in the trenches the chizuk to continue fighting the good fight.”

    Some of the proclamation’s prominent signers include: Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Av Beth Din, Beth Din of America, Rabbi Mark Dratch, Executive Vice President, RCA, Rabbi Shalom Baum, President, RCA, Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO, OU Kosher, Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive VP Emeritus, OU, Rabbi Marc Penner, Dean, RIETS, YU, Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, Dean Emeritus, RIETS, YU, Rabbi Yehuda Kelemer, Rabbi, Young Israel of West Hempstead, NY, Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, Rabbi, Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, and Rabbi Emanuel Feldman, Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth Jacob of Atlanta, GA.

    The proclamation and the complete list of signatories can be viewed here


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    41 Comments
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    7 years ago

    All smoke and mirrors. Don’t believe this for one second.

    jack25
    jack25
    7 years ago

    Not one leader/rabbi from the heimisha/chassidh comunity in the tri state area?!? Perhaps they weren’t asked to sign?
    Or the problem doesn’t exist there? Pls enlighten us

    geekster
    geekster
    7 years ago

    Thank you and Mazel Tov! Maybe its time we unite all Jews in order to bring the redemption. Maybe its time not just to “handle things differently” but to handle ourselves differently. To stop judging each other like we have for so many years because we believe so and so is not as religious as you are or whatever the case may be. we have to start accepting each other simply because we are all GODs children and GOD will judge you how you treat his other children over what you proclaim to be the right derech. lets re-unite for all of GOD’s children for sephardim, for ashkenazim, for anyone any everyone simply for the fact that they we are all children of GOD. enough already!

    7 years ago

    Just make sure that while protecting victims we also protect those that are accused but not yet found guilty. Its not mutually exclusive and both can be done at the same time. Just as an anaimal who abuses a child ruins the child’s life forever, so too one who brings forth false claims ruins the accuseds’ family and life forever. And once accused of such a heinous crime its impossible to win the case because jurors are so touched by the thought of such a crime being commited. So ensuring a fair trial for the accuser and maing ure he ahs the legal fees to fight it is also crucial at times

    7 years ago

    Are there ANY Chassidishe Rabbis who signed?

    Texas_Joe
    Texas_Joe
    7 years ago

    I wonder if there is even one Litvisher Rosh HaYeshiva or Chassidishe Rebbe who signed. Where can we get the full list?

    7 years ago

    This happened only because Paul Mendelowitz and UOJ didn’t give up.
    Corruption hates transparency.

    savtat
    savtat
    7 years ago

    Rabbi Horowitz of Monsey once came to give a talk about this at my school. He encourages parents to educate their children as to what is innapropriate. He says children as young as 3 understand what would be innapropriate. And, he encourages people to tell their children that if anyone says to a child “Don’t tell your mother or father”, the child should immediately tell the parents and be sure that the parent will give the child a reward. The best protection is to educate the children.

    7 years ago

    Now that YU is spearheading this campain, perhaps they will now fire, or unhire, phil goldfeder from the position they awarded him. He turned a blind eye to the parents and victim of a child molested by one of his constituents, because it would not have gotten his stupid face on the front page of the paper. I know this intimately……..trust me! I am the childs parent.

    7 years ago

    Daily the toddlers in new square are molested and parents are helpless. If they say one word, they are reminded of Rothenberg.

    shmielglassman
    shmielglassman
    7 years ago

    many have asked why there arent the mainstream rabonim listed (for lack of a better term)? its in the details , everyone is anti children getting used and hurt! BUT handling allegations ( probaly true)needs precision,accuracy nothing less than a surgery ( bimei chazal killing an ox that gored a human needs a beisdin of 23!! secondly not all of the wrng touching gets the death penalty not all inappropiate action means you bring in the firing squad at the first . the facts are clea rav moshe , rav pam .DIDNT REPORT (aside from one story).they. knew many cases of molestation and it is for 3 reasons that they didnt report; yiddin bounced back after the holocaust and the onus was on the victim to get help and get back on his feet ( the perpetrator will get his… so arrest to make the victim heal has no place in yiddishkeit / because it was dinei nefashos with eternal ramifications and needed a beis din of at least zayin , edus, kattan…./the number one tool is educating children about boundries & there should be help avail for those suffering from perverted tendencies

    InsideOne
    InsideOne
    7 years ago

    After a decade of courageously bringing these issues to light, all of the vilified “rabble rousers” who blogged about this issue should be honorees at our mosdos dinners.

    As is obvious however from the lack of a single participant from those worlds, the chasidish and yeshivish world’s remain in utter denial.

    While terribly belated, at least the YU and Modern Orthodox world has finally shown the cojones to loudly break away from the degenerate frumme world with this announcement.

    Maybe I can begin to consider myself orthodox again.

    Realist77
    Realist77
    7 years ago

    I applaud the Rabbis that had the courage to publicly sign this document against the protection of abusers. As a therapist, I have treated many adults that as children were abused (sexually, physically, verbally) and the family was unable to contact the authorities because they were not permitted by their rabbis.
    he times are thankfully changing and parents are now contacting authorities despite rabbinic opposition to put a stop to the abuse. The long term effects of the abuse is astounding. They do not just get over it. Depression ( suicide), anxiety, PTSD, and substance abuse are some of the effects abused children and adults have to live with.