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Editorial Rosh Hashanah 5782
5781 WAS CHALLENGING.

But we got through it. In
the process, we learned how
to celebrate Shabbat and
Jewish holidays remotely or
in compliant outdoor venues;
figured out how to work
remotely and still do our jobs;
attended meetings, communal
events and celebrations on
Zoom or in carefully restricted
settings; and watched our
children struggle to learn
remotely or attend class under
difficult COVID-driven rules.

Throughout it all, we yearned
for a return to “normal.”
Around Rosh Hashanah
of last year, as the COVID-19
infection and death rates
soared yet again, there was
uncertainty about our nation’s
ability to react quickly and
comprehensively enough to
overcome the virus. A few
months later, as a national
vaccination program rolled out,
infections and COVID-related
deaths began to decline. Over
time, as the number of vacci-
nations increased — and with
it more promising virus-de-
fying numbers — plans were
formulated to remove masks,
eliminate social distancing
requirements and even allow
indoor gatherings. And we
envisioned a triumphant
return to our synagogues and
workplaces by Rosh Hashanah.

But it was not to be. The
stubborn refusal of millions
of Americans to vaccinate
— and the emergence of the
highly infectious delta variant
that took advantage of that
reluctance — shattered our
optimism and forced us to
change our plans. So once
again, as Rosh Hashanah
5782 approaches, we are
challenged. The feeling of déjà
vu — complete with all of
the uncertainties of a raging
pandemic that we cannot fully
control — is frightening.

We worry about the impact of
new restrictions on our children.

Notwithstanding the remarkable
efforts of our schools, last year’s
education programs were not
optimal. And we are concerned
about the long-term impact
of further reduced education
opportunities. On the economic front,
we have seen two conflicting
trends: The stock market
is booming, as consumer
spending is hot and business
investment is growing. At
the same time, economic
inequality is getting worse, as
the wealth gap continues to
increase, with little hope or
meaningful opportunity for
the neediest among us.

Locally, we take pride that
our synagogues and communal
institutions have continued to
work so hard to build a vibrant
Jewish community, and have
been remarkably attentive and
creative in doing so. They have
been nimble in adjusting to
new rules and realities, even as
they prepare for the holidays
and the coming new year.

As we think about the
past year, there are two other
achievements we celebrate.

First, we applaud the
extraordinary generosity of our
communities in raising chari-
table dollars to support food,
shelter and healthcare needs
caused by the pandemic, while
at the same time continuing
to support ongoing Jewish life.

The results are impressive.

Second, we marvel at the
remarkably rapid development
and distribution of COVID-19
vaccines. We have never seen
anything like it in our lifetimes.

That singular accomplishment
is emblematic of what can be
accomplished when people
work together. Let’s keep that
in mind as we prepare to face
new challenges in the coming
year. We wish all of our readers a
healthy, happy and sweet new
year. l
In Our Season of Reckoning, What to Remember When
Abuse Stories Break in Jewish Communities
BY SHEILA KATZ AND RABBI DANYA
RUTTENBERG WE ARE, ONCE AGAIN,
in a season of reckoning with
sexual abuse in the Jewish
community and in the country.

New York Gov. Andrew
Cuomo resigned after a state
attorney general investigation
found that he sexually harassed
at least 11 women, aided by
networks of complicity.

In the Jewish community,
the Reform movement, which
12 SEPTEMBER 2, 2021
represents the largest and most
diverse Jewish movement in
North America, has initiated
three separate investigations
— one each for its rabbinical
seminary, rabbinical associa-
tion and synagogue network
— to look at both allegations
of abuse and possible points
of failure in its policies and
systems. The Conservative movement
has announced new account-
ability and reporting policies
for its youth group program
and investigation into allega-
tions regarding past sexual
abuse by one of its former staff.

And just this week, a
survivor anonymously shared
a painful story about their
treatment after being raped at
Yeshiva University.

As all this unfolds, there
likely will be many revela-
tions about individuals who
committed abuse, people in
power who may have dismissed
complaints and perhaps much
more. This is likely to be a
painful, difficult time for many.

But it also has the potential to
be a critical opportunity on the
road to healing, to repair, to
make things different for next
time. In the Jewish world, we are
in the weeks leading up to our
High Holy Days, the season of
cheshbon nefesh and teshuvah;
of accounting of the soul
and repentance, of acknowl-
edging what has gone wrong
and trying to do the work of
making it right. Every season
is the season to do the work
of addressing sexual abuse
and misconduct correctly,
with integrity and care, but it
is especially resonant in this
season. We both have been involved
in this work from a myriad of
perspectives. We have worked in
JEWISH EXPONENT
assault prevention and trauma
counseling. As advocates, we
have helped advise multimil-
lion-dollar projects aimed
at transforming the Jewish
community and helped denom-
inations address systemic
change. One of us is writing
a book on institutional repen-
tance. One of us came forward
publicly naming a major philan-
thropist as an abuser.

We have seen what can
happen from many sides, and
we are all too familiar with
the common mistakes that
are made, time and again,
whenever sexual assault or
harassment are in the news.

As such, here are some
basic principles we recom-
mend following, whether
as an affected member of
the community or a curious
outsider watching from afar.

Listen and feel. First and
foremost, whether you are
speaking to or about survivors,
do not assume you know what
they should think, feel or do —
and yes, believe them.

There is no one right way
to respond to victimization,
either in action or in feeling.

And there are myriad places
that a person might be in their
potentially lifelong process
of healing and recovery —
including anger, hurt and
disinterest, or unwillingness
to talk about their or others’
experiences of sexual abuse.

Certainly all survivors have
their own journey in making
sense of their experiences, and
it is wrong to push them to
forgive or reconcile with those
who have hurt them in any way.

Unless you are asked explic-
itly for advice about a specific
situation, don’t give advice to
survivors about how to think
or feel or make sense of their
own experiences.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM



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Let people define who they
are for themselves, including
how they want to be identified,
if at all. Some people prefer the
term “survivor” over “victim,”
whether they are currently in
the unwelcome situation or
not. It should be up to the
person impacted to define their
own relationship to the abuse
they experienced.

If a trusted member of the
clergy or another key figure
in your community is named
as a sexual abuser, or if an
institution that you trusted has
been complicit in great harm,
it is absolutely natural to feel a
sense of betrayal, anger, confu-
sion, hurt or a range of other
emotions. Feel them. Make
space for them.

Keep your eye on what
happens next. The true test of
an institution that participates
in harm is whether and how
well it takes responsibility. If
you’re a stakeholder, can you be
part of the project of holding
your synagogue, camp or
other organization to account-
ability by making sure that it
follows best practices? Some
support for the perpetrator.

As we learn and process, we
must hold institutions account-
able and keep the accountability
bar high. This is how we put
the value of “believing survi-
vors” into action and make it
possible for them to turn, or
return, to their community for
solace and support.

Some claim that holding
those who cause harm
accountable is tantamount to
exiling them forever, without
any chance of returning to
connection or community. On
the contrary, there is a path
back, but for the sake of those
harmed — and to prevent
future harm — we must make
sure that we are rigorous in
pursuing accountability. The
work of repentance in the
Jewish tradition includes steps
of public ownership of harm,
beginning to do the work —
deep work, hard work — to
change, make amends, apolo-
gize and, ultimately, to make
different choices moving
forward. In this formulation,
only those harmed can make
decisions about forgiveness.

As we learn and process, we must hold
institutions accountable and keep the
accountability bar high. This is how we put the
value of “believing survivors” into action.

of these may include, but are
not limited to, conducting a
thorough and impartial inves-
tigation; allowing survivors
access to the investigation
report; making funding for
victims’ therapy or other
mental health needs avail-
able; and making a statement
that you believe the survivor,
are grateful for them coming
forward and will be following
up on their claim. Push your
organization toward tangible
actions and concrete measures
of accountability. Remember
that others are watching and if
the institution remains silent,
even if there is a legal situation,
that silence is easily taken as
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM Think about what and how
you share. Journalists have an
essential role to play in sharing
these necessary stories exposing
abuse, and they are increasingly
learning how to do so without
retraumatizing survivors. Still,
as individuals and communi-
ties learn to better respond to
abuse, remember that many
media outlets are catching up
on best practices on reporting
about sexual abuse. The onus
is on all of us to be thoughtful
about how we take in or share
the news.

Look at the language used
in news stories you are consid-
ering amplifying. The choice
to say that someone is an
“alleged” abuser sows seeds of
suspicion in the person who
came forward; stating that a
report of misconduct or abuse
was made is similarly factual
from the perspective of journal-
istic accounts, but the reader
perceives it as less questionable.

Where have the journalists
focused their spotlight — do
they invest their energies on
humanizing perpetrators or on
centering the stories and experi-
ences of victims and survivors?
Too often, we see so many
through headlines and photo
choices, through anecdotes and
story hooks.

Similarly, sexual harass-
ment, sexual misconduct and
sexual assault are not the
same things and should not
be used interchangeably. The
correct term should always be
used — but often it is not.

Sexual misconduct is a broad
catchall term for unwelcome
behavior of a sexual nature
that is committed without
consent or by force, intimida-
tion, coercion or manipulation
— it may be illegal, it may
not be. Sexual assault involves
sexually touching another
person without consent, or the
use of coercion or force, and
sexual harassment includes a
range of actions from verbal
transgressions to physical
advances and is illegal in most
contexts. As you engage in the
conversation, you might feel
compelled to share articles on
social media. Many of these
articles will include images
of the perpetrator, which can
be triggering for the victims.

Consider sharing the article,
but not the picture — it’s
possible to click away the photo
before posting. Select a picture
that says “Believe survivors”
or something of the sort to go
with your post. This can be
a way to show your support,
center victims and help reduce
trauma for those most affected.

Consider the survivors and
victims whose stories aren’t
yet known. Although anyone
can be a victim, regardless of
JEWISH EXPONENT
gender, sexual abuse dispro-
portionately impacts women,
LGBTQ folks, people with
disabilities and people from
low-income backgrounds. We
must acknowledge that this is
not random. Perpetrators tend
to prey on people who are less
likely to be believed. Black
women report experiencing
workplace sexual harassment
at three times the rate of white
women. Moreover, half of all
Black transgender women are
survivors of sexual violence
and two-thirds of Black trans-
gender people said they would
be uncomfortable asking the
police for help.

As we prepare for other
potential revelations of abuse
within the Jewish commu-
nity and in other spaces, we
must continue to focus on the
needs of survivors and victims,
whether they choose to come
forward publicly or not. Each
of us must take action — from
our unique vantages, roles,
positions and experiences —
to insist on accountability,
to work for systemic change
toward equity, transparency,
safety and justice, and to
ensure a future without harass-
ment, assault or abuse.

Repair is possible, but it
must be survivor-centric at
every turn. l
Sheila Katz is the CEO of the
National Council of Jewish Women,
the 125-year-old progressive
feminist nonprofit. Rabbi Danya
Ruttenberg is the scholar-in-
residence at the National Council
of Jewish Women and the author of
multiple books about Judaism.

KVETCH ’N’ KVELL
Why, Thank You
SHALOM. I HAVE READ some issues of your newspaper which
came to me via a neighbor with a daughter in Philadelphia. I
found several articles, particularly on Israel, informative and
interesting. The Torah portions are always relevant and on
target. Thank you for such good journalism at this time. It is
appreciated. Shana Tova Umetuka to you and your readers. Be safe.

Livia Shagam, Monroe Township, New Jersey
True Philadelphia Treasure
You recently wrote an article (“Doctor Takes on Vital Role
During COVID Crisis,” Aug. 12) about the outstanding job Dr.

Steven Sivak and Einstein Hospital on North Broad Street have
done dispensing the COVID-19 vaccines.

The article stressed his age at 68 years. His 68 is the new 38.

My family and I are blessed to be Sivak’s patients, as were my late
parents — he has treated four generations of us. Not only is he
a one-in-a-million doctor and human being, he is humble and
treats everyone with respect — answering emails and texts at
all hours. Moreover, Einstein is filled with great doctors. A true
Philadelphia treasure. l
Lynne Lechter | King of Prussia
STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER
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not necessarily reflect the views of the officers and boards of the Jewish Publishing
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published. SEPTEMBER 2, 2021
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