I am a bit dismayed by an article appearing in cross-currents written by Agudah spokesman, Rabbi Avi Shafran. As most people know by now he is a man I admire and respect …and generally agree with.
I am dismayed not because I disagree with his premise. I agree with it. But I am disappointed with his seemingly almost casual dismissal of a serious problem: Sex abuse in the Torah world. To be fair he acknowledges its existence and that one must have compassion for victims. But in my view he vastly understates the extent of the problem. This is indicated by a statement like the following: ‘the Torah is transformative, that human inclinations are harnessed and controlled by Torah-life and Torah-study .’
While true, this does not address the fact that there is a real problem. Not everyone who adheres to the Torah becomes transformed and behaves properly. Often one gives in to forbidden abnormal sexual urges. And we can in some cases end up with an Avreimal Mondrowitz, a Frum Jew about to be extradited for unspeakable sex crimes against children.
If I understand the thrust of Rabbi Shafran’s article, he is saying that often people use studies like the recent one reported in the Jewish Week (and commented about here) as a means to bash Torah observance. And he’s right about that. No one should use a study indicating that there is sexual abuse in the Torah world to show that there is something inherently wrong in behavior that the Torah mandates for us.
And he goes on to show that the study does not accurately represent the Torah world because the statistical sample is not randomized enough. That’s true. He also points out that because of the way the sample was taken it is far more likely that it is skewed to increase the percentage of those abused. Also true.
But what Rabbi Shafran fails to do is to show the urgency of a problem that does exist in far greater numbers that we have here-to-fore been willing to admit. Do we need to rise to the level of the world at large to see there is a problem? If only 10 percent of Orthodox women are sexually abused versus the 25 percent of the general population, is that something to cheer about? Is that not such a great cause of concern for us?! ...No big deal?!
The study may not necessarily prove that Orthodox women are abused in the same proportion that the general populace, but it doesn’t disprove it either. What it does show is that there are a great number of Orthodox women who are or have been sexually abused.
What makes matters worse… far worse is that Rabbi Shafran's article comes out at precisely the same time as a sexual predator of unprecedented proportion has just been arrested and may finally be brought to justice! This is not the time to play this matter down and talk about how Torah adherence prevents it… or that ‘ the Torah-observant population is greatly underrepresented in the realms of societal ills like rape, AIDS, prostitution and marital infidelity that affect their less “repressed” neighbors.’
This is no time for triumphalism. Our numbers may be lower… significantly lower… but the indication is that there are probably a greater number of those ills in the Torah world today than at any other time in the past. Can there even be any serious question about that?
The reaction to that report should not be to get into a defensive mode about Torah Judaism. WE should instead pay attention to the questions it raises …and to the fact that the Torah world has in the past tried to avoid the bad publicity about it and has therefore shirked its duty to its victims… which has more than likely resulted in more victims. And thereby more perpetrators.
To refer to victims reports as ‘anecdotal evidence of Orthodox wrongdoings’ is to make it sound like all we have is a bunch of accusers with no substantial evidence. How much evidence is it going to take to see that this is a real problem in the Torah world. It is serious and more prevalent that was commonly thought… and it has nothing to do with level of Torah observance of the perpetrators.
The fact is that abnormal sexual proclivities are not a function of religious upbringing. They are a form of mental illness. And Orthodoxy is no more immune from that than any other group. The Torah world deserves to be protected from those who cannot control forbidden urges and will go to great lengths to seek out the objects of their fantasies and act upon them. The protection process demands that we first acknowledge there is a serious problem and never again sweep accusations under the rug! …And then deal with it forcefully and unapologetically.
I do not accuse Rabbi Shafran of insensitivity on his part, Indeed, I know him to be a very compassionate individual. Nor do I believe he is purposely trying to mislead anyone with his essay. His intent is to defend the Torah lifestyle. And as I said I agree with him about that. But the unintended effect of his essay is one of near denial and complacency.
Without the context of what’s been going on in the Torah world with respect to sex crimes, anyone reading his article will come away thinking there are no real problems going on in the Torah world with respect to sex crimes. And that all the negative press on the subject is a function of those who are anti Torah.
But there are real problems! …Whether it is in a report by a group of Orthodox women who came forward in a survey on sexual abuse… or that of a modern Orthodox youth leader convicted of sex crimes… or a Charedi Yeshiva High school Rebbe …or a formerly respected Chasidic psychologist who turned out to be one of the vilest sexual predators on earth.
That is what we ought to be paying attention to and not pat ourselves on the back so much.
I am dismayed not because I disagree with his premise. I agree with it. But I am disappointed with his seemingly almost casual dismissal of a serious problem: Sex abuse in the Torah world. To be fair he acknowledges its existence and that one must have compassion for victims. But in my view he vastly understates the extent of the problem. This is indicated by a statement like the following: ‘the Torah is transformative, that human inclinations are harnessed and controlled by Torah-life and Torah-study .’
While true, this does not address the fact that there is a real problem. Not everyone who adheres to the Torah becomes transformed and behaves properly. Often one gives in to forbidden abnormal sexual urges. And we can in some cases end up with an Avreimal Mondrowitz, a Frum Jew about to be extradited for unspeakable sex crimes against children.
If I understand the thrust of Rabbi Shafran’s article, he is saying that often people use studies like the recent one reported in the Jewish Week (and commented about here) as a means to bash Torah observance. And he’s right about that. No one should use a study indicating that there is sexual abuse in the Torah world to show that there is something inherently wrong in behavior that the Torah mandates for us.
And he goes on to show that the study does not accurately represent the Torah world because the statistical sample is not randomized enough. That’s true. He also points out that because of the way the sample was taken it is far more likely that it is skewed to increase the percentage of those abused. Also true.
But what Rabbi Shafran fails to do is to show the urgency of a problem that does exist in far greater numbers that we have here-to-fore been willing to admit. Do we need to rise to the level of the world at large to see there is a problem? If only 10 percent of Orthodox women are sexually abused versus the 25 percent of the general population, is that something to cheer about? Is that not such a great cause of concern for us?! ...No big deal?!
The study may not necessarily prove that Orthodox women are abused in the same proportion that the general populace, but it doesn’t disprove it either. What it does show is that there are a great number of Orthodox women who are or have been sexually abused.
What makes matters worse… far worse is that Rabbi Shafran's article comes out at precisely the same time as a sexual predator of unprecedented proportion has just been arrested and may finally be brought to justice! This is not the time to play this matter down and talk about how Torah adherence prevents it… or that ‘ the Torah-observant population is greatly underrepresented in the realms of societal ills like rape, AIDS, prostitution and marital infidelity that affect their less “repressed” neighbors.’
This is no time for triumphalism. Our numbers may be lower… significantly lower… but the indication is that there are probably a greater number of those ills in the Torah world today than at any other time in the past. Can there even be any serious question about that?
The reaction to that report should not be to get into a defensive mode about Torah Judaism. WE should instead pay attention to the questions it raises …and to the fact that the Torah world has in the past tried to avoid the bad publicity about it and has therefore shirked its duty to its victims… which has more than likely resulted in more victims. And thereby more perpetrators.
To refer to victims reports as ‘anecdotal evidence of Orthodox wrongdoings’ is to make it sound like all we have is a bunch of accusers with no substantial evidence. How much evidence is it going to take to see that this is a real problem in the Torah world. It is serious and more prevalent that was commonly thought… and it has nothing to do with level of Torah observance of the perpetrators.
The fact is that abnormal sexual proclivities are not a function of religious upbringing. They are a form of mental illness. And Orthodoxy is no more immune from that than any other group. The Torah world deserves to be protected from those who cannot control forbidden urges and will go to great lengths to seek out the objects of their fantasies and act upon them. The protection process demands that we first acknowledge there is a serious problem and never again sweep accusations under the rug! …And then deal with it forcefully and unapologetically.
I do not accuse Rabbi Shafran of insensitivity on his part, Indeed, I know him to be a very compassionate individual. Nor do I believe he is purposely trying to mislead anyone with his essay. His intent is to defend the Torah lifestyle. And as I said I agree with him about that. But the unintended effect of his essay is one of near denial and complacency.
Without the context of what’s been going on in the Torah world with respect to sex crimes, anyone reading his article will come away thinking there are no real problems going on in the Torah world with respect to sex crimes. And that all the negative press on the subject is a function of those who are anti Torah.
But there are real problems! …Whether it is in a report by a group of Orthodox women who came forward in a survey on sexual abuse… or that of a modern Orthodox youth leader convicted of sex crimes… or a Charedi Yeshiva High school Rebbe …or a formerly respected Chasidic psychologist who turned out to be one of the vilest sexual predators on earth.
That is what we ought to be paying attention to and not pat ourselves on the back so much.
