Others on staff will experts in the fields of abuse and violence, including psychologist(s), lawyer(s), writer(s) and therapist(s). Some will work pro bono, others will be added to the staff as JSafe grows.
The Challenge
The problems of domestic violence and child abuse in the Jewish community are difficult to address for many reasons, foremost among them are the absence of standards and organization. Too many rabbis, principals and teachers--despite their good intentions and desire to help--are simply uneducated and unaware of how to recognize problems that exist, or how to respond to, and assist, alleged survivors. Even when well-meaning professionals do recognize a problem, many times they go about dealing with the situation in dangerous or detrimental ways. At times, those in positions of responsibility simply do nothing, either by refusing to deal with the allegations or by denying them altogether.
In addition, we are increasingly aware of improper behavior by rabbis, cantors, teachers, and youth workers. At times, some of these professionals are guilty of violating appropriate boundaries between themselves and those they serve. They may also be guilty of sexual or physical assault.
While some of these individuals are held accountable by the legal system or by their communities, there are too many “holes” in the system and many are simply answerable to no one.
he problem is systemic. The Jewish community has no single hierarchy or unifying infrastructure that enables it to set standards for training or to hold professionals responsible in these areas. Thus, the response of rabbis, teachers and counselors to survivors of abuse is only as good as their training and experience in identifying and dealing with these issues. Too often, it’s inadequate.
The Solution
Enter JSafe, whose mission is to create an environment in which every institution and organization across the entire spectrum of the Jewish community conducts itself responsibly and effectively in addressing the wrongs of domestic violence, child abuse and professional improprieties— whenever and by whomever they are perpetrated. This mission will be achieved through the creation of a Certification Program for every Jewish school, camp, youth organization, JCC, congregation and Temple. This Certification Program will create the universal gold standard for training and policies that prevent abuse, that ensure that survivors are treated supportively and appropriately, and that will make perpetrators accountable for their improprieties. It will advance standards and policies promoting proper conduct of professionals toward the children and adults they serve, protecting the public from the violation of boundaries and the abuse of power by professionals.
Once an organization is certified, it will display the “JSafe logo,” announcing to its constituents that it meets the high standards of JSafe. Our goal is to educate the public to look for this certification before sending their children to a particular school, camp or other program. Our aim is to have all Jewish institutions and organizations JSafe certified.
Advisory Board
Eileen Breakstone, MSW
Stamford, CT
Esther East
Director,
JFS of Greater Clifton-Passaic, NJ
Mark Feller
Principal Attorney State of CT Dept. of Children and Families, Stamford, CT
Rev. Marie Fortune
Founder and Senior Analyst, FaithTrust Institute, Seattle, WA
Matt Greenberg
Director, JFS, Stamford, CT
Leigh Nachman Hofheimer
Program Coordinator, Washington State Coalition
Against Domestic Violence, Seattle, WA
Leora Joseph
Deputy Chief of the Family Protection and Sexual Assault Unit in Suffolk County, MA
Maury Kelman, Esq.
New York, NY
Dr. Joshua Lamm
Psychiatrist, Medical Director of the Yatzkan Center, New York, NY
Rivka Stern Lamm, MSW
New York, NY
Toby Myers, EdD, LCSW, LPC, CGP, Vice-Chair
National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, Houston, Texas
Toby Landesman, LCSW
Author of “You Are Not Alone - Solace and Inspiration for Domestic Violence Survivors based on Jewish Wisdom,” Chicago, IL Task Force on Domestic Abuse,
Rachel Lev
Author “Shine The Light: Sexual Abuse and Healing in the Jewish Community”
Dr. David Pelkovitz
Professor of education and psychology at Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and Administration
Dr. David Schnall
Dean, Azrielli School of Jewish Education; Herbert Schiff Professor of Management and Administration at Yeshiva University's Wurzweiler School of Social Work, New York, NY
Eileen Elkie Stein, CSW
Jewish Family Service, Clifton, NJ, Director, Project S.A.R.A.H., Clifton-Passaic, NJ
Dr. Betsy Stone
Psychologist; Instructor Pastoral Counseling, HUC, Stamford, CT
Naomi Tucker
Director of Shalom Bayit, Bay Area Jewish Women Working to End Domestic Violence, Oakland , CA
|
