Below is an important letter Melbourne's Yeshivah Centre sent to its community yesterday (19 November 218):
Dear XXXX,
As we are currently reviewing our policies and procedures in child safety we feel that it is also an opportune time to communicate to our members regarding developments as well as areas where more consideration is needed.
CIVL would like to thank Chabad Youth for its tireless efforts in achieving high child safety standards. The hard work that goes on to ensure that these standards are consistently met, particularly during camp seasons is admirable and the Board is grateful to Rabbi Moshe and Dina Kahn for leading this effort.
The Board is pleased that it has made progress with regard to releasing a grievance policy and a Code of Conduct. Please click here to view the grievance policy and here to view the Code of Conduct. However there is much work to do. We remain dedicated to working towards increased policies for the entirety of CIVL.
Further, the Board is working with CIVL's insurers to achieve membership to the National Redress Scheme.
However, all of these efforts may well remain a simple "check box" exercise without real cultural change. As such the Board of CIVL would like to remember why these efforts are being made - first and foremost to honour and respect the victims’ wishes that their experience never be revisited upon a child at Yeshivah Centre. Further, to take responsibility for our many failures, which became so clear in the wake of the Royal Commission.
The Board of CIVL would like the entirety of its membership to reflect on the many ways in which we can support victims. The Board believes that culturally, one of the most important ways of providing support is that all members should take upon themselves to be conscious to speak only positively about victims/survivors, their families and advocates at all times.
It is also about how we can contribute as a community to this much sought after cultural change. As we make our report to the Royal Commission, now is a good time to ask ourselves what can we do as individuals to support moving forward positively, making victims/survivors, their families and supporters feel included and welcome.
Of course this is in line with Chabad ethos and is obviously a standard to which we all aspire.
Another important way is to take the time to read through our Code of Conduct and to undertake to treat all attendees of Yeshivah Centre with the kindness that underpins the Code of Conduct so that we can together continue to create the wonderful atmosphere that so many people enjoy about the Centre.
The Yeshivah Centre is a unique centre, contributing to Australian and world Jewry in a very significant way. We are proud to be serving as Board members and we are proud of what the members have achieved. We look forward to assisting the Centre with further efforts in child safety and acknowledgement of victims’ well being over the coming years.
Regards,
The Board of CIVL (Chabad Institutions of Victoria Ltd)
Avi Althaus
Yossi Gestetner
Rabbi CT Groner
Rabbi B Serebryanski
Saul Spigler
Chana Warlow-Shill
Dear XXXX,
As we are currently reviewing our policies and procedures in child safety we feel that it is also an opportune time to communicate to our members regarding developments as well as areas where more consideration is needed.
CIVL would like to thank Chabad Youth for its tireless efforts in achieving high child safety standards. The hard work that goes on to ensure that these standards are consistently met, particularly during camp seasons is admirable and the Board is grateful to Rabbi Moshe and Dina Kahn for leading this effort.
The Board is pleased that it has made progress with regard to releasing a grievance policy and a Code of Conduct. Please click here to view the grievance policy and here to view the Code of Conduct. However there is much work to do. We remain dedicated to working towards increased policies for the entirety of CIVL.
Further, the Board is working with CIVL's insurers to achieve membership to the National Redress Scheme.
However, all of these efforts may well remain a simple "check box" exercise without real cultural change. As such the Board of CIVL would like to remember why these efforts are being made - first and foremost to honour and respect the victims’ wishes that their experience never be revisited upon a child at Yeshivah Centre. Further, to take responsibility for our many failures, which became so clear in the wake of the Royal Commission.
The Board of CIVL would like the entirety of its membership to reflect on the many ways in which we can support victims. The Board believes that culturally, one of the most important ways of providing support is that all members should take upon themselves to be conscious to speak only positively about victims/survivors, their families and advocates at all times.
It is also about how we can contribute as a community to this much sought after cultural change. As we make our report to the Royal Commission, now is a good time to ask ourselves what can we do as individuals to support moving forward positively, making victims/survivors, their families and supporters feel included and welcome.
Of course this is in line with Chabad ethos and is obviously a standard to which we all aspire.
Another important way is to take the time to read through our Code of Conduct and to undertake to treat all attendees of Yeshivah Centre with the kindness that underpins the Code of Conduct so that we can together continue to create the wonderful atmosphere that so many people enjoy about the Centre.
The Yeshivah Centre is a unique centre, contributing to Australian and world Jewry in a very significant way. We are proud to be serving as Board members and we are proud of what the members have achieved. We look forward to assisting the Centre with further efforts in child safety and acknowledgement of victims’ well being over the coming years.
Regards,
The Board of CIVL (Chabad Institutions of Victoria Ltd)
Avi Althaus
Yossi Gestetner
Rabbi CT Groner
Rabbi B Serebryanski
Saul Spigler
Chana Warlow-Shill
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