UNITED STATES
New Jersey Jewish Standard
Dr. Yoel Finkelman • World
Published: 01 June 2012
First, the bad news: Sexual, physical, and emotional abuse occurs in Orthodox Jewish communities.
Next, the worse news: Although there is no evidence that such abuse occurs more frequently among the various Orthodox segments of society than in other populations, two recent front-page New York Times stories are just the latest piece of evidence that Orthodox communities are often in denial and worse.
Rabbis and communal leaders often seek to save the community from embarrassment and, in so doing, protect the perpetrators. If children complain of being abused, their parents may silence them, or, if their parents complain too, their neighbors harass them to prevent their going to the police, claiming a religious prohibition on giving Jews up to secular authorities. Indeed, the official policy of the charedi organization Agudath Israel of America is that school teachers or administrators who suspect abuse must ask a rabbi before going to secular authorities, New York State laws notwithstanding.
There is also good news: Even as denial and stonewalling continue, the Orthodox conversation about abuse is gradually changing; and so is people’s behavior. Mental health professionals say that Orthodox parents, who in the past would have tried to deny abuse or keep it hush-hush, are now defending victimized children more actively. True, some school principals and community leaders continue to put pressure on parents to keep silent; but many Orthodox communities have sprouted activists who serve as “go-to” people in cases of abuse, while such organizations as JSafe provide additional resources for concerned communities and individuals concerned. The Bais Yaakov girls’ high school in Baltimore has even published a child safety protocol for both school staff and parents.
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