Statement following the conclusion of evidence of Case Study 22 at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse
Blake Street Synagogue
16 February 2015
Rabbi Ian Goodhardt 16 February 2015 ה"תשע שבט ז"כ
The Jewish People have much in which we can take pride. Through us, values and ethical principles that form the basis of the moral and legal systems of the western world were introduced. And that is why, when we see the very people who we look to for instruction and example of how those principles should be lived – the rabbinic leaders of our community – falling so far short of what we expect of them, it is so distressing and causes us such deep upset.
Over the past two weeks, those in our community have been able to, have been following the minute by minute testimony at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Commission). Many other people, due to work commitments and other reasons, have not been able to follow so closely and have read media reports. It is important to understand the difference between those two groups. Those who have watched the Commission do its work, have found the process compelling, gripping and have been changed by it. I know this personally, as only towards the end of the first week did I become aware that it was possible to watch live online broadcasts, and I have noticed the changes that the process has wrought in me.
The evidence of some of our rabbis has, in two quite separate ways, been incredible, and I am using that term in its literal sense of difficult or impossible to believe. On the one hand it is hard to believe that in this day and age some people – even it is only one or two – hold some of the views that we heard expressed in testimony. On the other hand, and it pains me to say this, it was impossible to believe some of the testimony that was given.
And even though I and others have said it many times before, let me state again so there be doubt about this, the Jewish law which forbids giving information about goings in within the Jewish community (which was important at times when Jews lived under anti-Semitic and persecutory regimes) does not apply in places like Australia, America, England and so on, which have properly run police and legal systems. All allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated against children must be immediately reported to the police.
As I reflect on what has happened in our community over the past few years, and my own role within it, I have come to realise that I, too, have fallen short, along with my fellow rabbis, and I should like to explain how and why that happened.
When revelations began appearing in the press, and an organisation was formed to support and advocate for victims, the initial response of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV), on whose Executive I served at that time, was to view these matters as very serious, of course, and something that must be responded to. We saw the new organisation Tzedek, as a potential ally, and decided we must join in partnership with them to address this evil in our community, in much the same way as we had joined with the Jewish Task Force Against Family Violence, and with whom the RCV had and still enjoys a productive relationship of many years standing.
It became apparent within a few weeks that this would not be possible. It was clear that the new organisation, and certain individuals within it, had a much wider scope than simply supporting and advocating for victims, and appeared to want to attack orthodox Judaism itself, along with it institutions. The vehemence and hostility with which we were attacked caused a measure of panic within the ranks of the rabbinate, and it caused us to lose focus. We became more concerned with defending orthodoxy, rather than focussing on the pain and suffering of the victims. With hindsight, this was a mistake.
Our Torah repeats on no fewer than 36 occasions our obligation to love the stranger. The stranger is singled out because it is normal for us to love and be drawn to people like us, who share our values and outlook on life. Some strangers can make it very difficult for us to love them. Someone who has been estranged from their own community, and who turns on that community with hostility, can be particularly hard to love. But the Torah does not give us an exception. It does not have a condition or a get-out clause “Love the stranger unless he makes himself difficult to love.” It just repeats to us over and over again, Love the stranger, love the stranger. Especially when we consider that it was our actions or omissions that may have cause his estrangement in the first place, the pain, the suffering, the damage and the injury should have been our focus, and not the potential threat.
All of the rabbis who were in leadership roles at that time, and I include myself amongst them, are now tainted by that failure. And although I have not been on the Executive of the RCV for some time, I have until now served on the Executive of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (ORA). My feeling now is that I cannot, with honour continue to do so, and consequently I have resigned from that position.
I should like to end with two positive observations. Over the course of my work as mediator in a family law context, I have often had cause to deride members of the legal profession and consider that their contribution has often made matters worse, rather than better. In that context I should like to place on the record that my admiration for Counsel Assisting the Commission, Maria Gerace, is without limit. Her command of the mountain of evidence, submissions and other documents has been complete. In addition, she has grasped complex aspects of Jewish life and law, and unravelled the structure of organisations within our community that few within the community could understand. Her patience, tenacity, insight and probing questions have brought to light shameful aspects of the darkest corners of our communal life, and the entire Jewish community should be grateful to her for the service she has performed for us.
Secondly, the shape of the narrative which the Commission has told, is very familiar to us from the seder night story. Our rabbis tell us matchil b’genut umasayem be shevach – begin with the shameful and end with the praiseworthy. The final witness, the current principal of Yeshivah College, Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler, has shown how an institution can be turned around. His quiet competence, determination and total lack of complacency impressed the Commissioners and all who heard him. His actions in bringing his college from where he found it to a position where it approaches best practice are remarkable, and the entire community, both inside and outside the Yeshiva and Chabad communities, are in his debt for the honour that he has restored to us.
As we approach the month of Adar, when the rabbis tell us joy increases, we can only hope that this process of revelation and healing will at last bring some joy, happiness and peace to those who have been suffering in silence for so long. If we learn the lessons of these difficult two weeks, we can move forward to a future in which we offer the best protection to the most vulnerable and important members of our community, our precious children, and give them the childhoods of safety and joy that they deserve so that they can grow to be a source of joy to all of us.
Originally published at Blake Street Synagogue.
The Jewish People have much in which we can take pride. Through us, values and ethical principles that form the basis of the moral and legal systems of the western world were introduced. And that is why, when we see the very people who we look to for instruction and example of how those principles should be lived – the rabbinic leaders of our community – falling so far short of what we expect of them, it is so distressing and causes us such deep upset.
Over the past two weeks, those in our community have been able to, have been following the minute by minute testimony at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (the Commission). Many other people, due to work commitments and other reasons, have not been able to follow so closely and have read media reports. It is important to understand the difference between those two groups. Those who have watched the Commission do its work, have found the process compelling, gripping and have been changed by it. I know this personally, as only towards the end of the first week did I become aware that it was possible to watch live online broadcasts, and I have noticed the changes that the process has wrought in me.
The evidence of some of our rabbis has, in two quite separate ways, been incredible, and I am using that term in its literal sense of difficult or impossible to believe. On the one hand it is hard to believe that in this day and age some people – even it is only one or two – hold some of the views that we heard expressed in testimony. On the other hand, and it pains me to say this, it was impossible to believe some of the testimony that was given.
And even though I and others have said it many times before, let me state again so there be doubt about this, the Jewish law which forbids giving information about goings in within the Jewish community (which was important at times when Jews lived under anti-Semitic and persecutory regimes) does not apply in places like Australia, America, England and so on, which have properly run police and legal systems. All allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated against children must be immediately reported to the police.
As I reflect on what has happened in our community over the past few years, and my own role within it, I have come to realise that I, too, have fallen short, along with my fellow rabbis, and I should like to explain how and why that happened.
When revelations began appearing in the press, and an organisation was formed to support and advocate for victims, the initial response of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria (RCV), on whose Executive I served at that time, was to view these matters as very serious, of course, and something that must be responded to. We saw the new organisation Tzedek, as a potential ally, and decided we must join in partnership with them to address this evil in our community, in much the same way as we had joined with the Jewish Task Force Against Family Violence, and with whom the RCV had and still enjoys a productive relationship of many years standing.
It became apparent within a few weeks that this would not be possible. It was clear that the new organisation, and certain individuals within it, had a much wider scope than simply supporting and advocating for victims, and appeared to want to attack orthodox Judaism itself, along with it institutions. The vehemence and hostility with which we were attacked caused a measure of panic within the ranks of the rabbinate, and it caused us to lose focus. We became more concerned with defending orthodoxy, rather than focussing on the pain and suffering of the victims. With hindsight, this was a mistake.
Our Torah repeats on no fewer than 36 occasions our obligation to love the stranger. The stranger is singled out because it is normal for us to love and be drawn to people like us, who share our values and outlook on life. Some strangers can make it very difficult for us to love them. Someone who has been estranged from their own community, and who turns on that community with hostility, can be particularly hard to love. But the Torah does not give us an exception. It does not have a condition or a get-out clause “Love the stranger unless he makes himself difficult to love.” It just repeats to us over and over again, Love the stranger, love the stranger. Especially when we consider that it was our actions or omissions that may have cause his estrangement in the first place, the pain, the suffering, the damage and the injury should have been our focus, and not the potential threat.
All of the rabbis who were in leadership roles at that time, and I include myself amongst them, are now tainted by that failure. And although I have not been on the Executive of the RCV for some time, I have until now served on the Executive of the Organisation of Rabbis of Australasia (ORA). My feeling now is that I cannot, with honour continue to do so, and consequently I have resigned from that position.
I should like to end with two positive observations. Over the course of my work as mediator in a family law context, I have often had cause to deride members of the legal profession and consider that their contribution has often made matters worse, rather than better. In that context I should like to place on the record that my admiration for Counsel Assisting the Commission, Maria Gerace, is without limit. Her command of the mountain of evidence, submissions and other documents has been complete. In addition, she has grasped complex aspects of Jewish life and law, and unravelled the structure of organisations within our community that few within the community could understand. Her patience, tenacity, insight and probing questions have brought to light shameful aspects of the darkest corners of our communal life, and the entire Jewish community should be grateful to her for the service she has performed for us.
Secondly, the shape of the narrative which the Commission has told, is very familiar to us from the seder night story. Our rabbis tell us matchil b’genut umasayem be shevach – begin with the shameful and end with the praiseworthy. The final witness, the current principal of Yeshivah College, Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler, has shown how an institution can be turned around. His quiet competence, determination and total lack of complacency impressed the Commissioners and all who heard him. His actions in bringing his college from where he found it to a position where it approaches best practice are remarkable, and the entire community, both inside and outside the Yeshiva and Chabad communities, are in his debt for the honour that he has restored to us.
As we approach the month of Adar, when the rabbis tell us joy increases, we can only hope that this process of revelation and healing will at last bring some joy, happiness and peace to those who have been suffering in silence for so long. If we learn the lessons of these difficult two weeks, we can move forward to a future in which we offer the best protection to the most vulnerable and important members of our community, our precious children, and give them the childhoods of safety and joy that they deserve so that they can grow to be a source of joy to all of us.
Originally published at Blake Street Synagogue.