Many Bulletin readers will find the current series on rabbinic sexual misconduct compelling if not disturbing. But you may think: “It could never happen in my congregation. My rabbi would never do that.”
You’d probably be right. Yet, the Bulletin is asking you to move beyond that automatic response.
What if your rabbi were accused of sexual harassment or misconduct? Is your congregation ready to deal responsibly with such allegations? Or would they throw the board and congregants into a tailspin?
When such allegations have surfaced in the Bay Area, the Bulletin has received calls from congregants demanding to know why an article must appear. They have asked: Why not let the congregation handle it quietly, the way it’s been done at other synagogues? Why embarrass the rabbi and the congregation in public, especially in front of non-Jews?
The Bulletin will continue to run such stories when they come to our attention. It’s our duty as a newspaper to alert Jews to such problems as much as it’s a congregation’s duty to prevent such improprieties in the first place and to take action when they occur.
A conspiracy of silence serves no one. It hasn’t stopped the problem up to now. In fact, the deafening silence has likely created more victims by allowing the guilty to retain their pulpits or quietly find new ones.
By airing the incidents, we are making rabbis aware that such misdeeds won’t be covered up. We are also letting victims know they’re not alone, and can turn to the community for support. If other victims exist, we hope the series emboldens them to step forward.
So, what can local congregations do?
Each congregation’s board should start by devoting an entire meeting to discuss the issue and perhaps hear from an expert on clergy sexual misconduct.
Likewise, every congregation should remember it is running a business. In the 1990s, every employer should have a sexual harassment policy that outlines acceptable behavior and procedures for handling complaints.
Drafting such a policy doesn’t mean a congregation expects its rabbi or other employees to stumble. It means the congregation is responsible, ethical and realistic.