Archive: July 2023

Prayer for Weighty Discussion

This prayer for humility reminds us that it is not our own moral superiority or wisdom that helps us reach difficult conclusions. We do not rejoice in the stumbling of Continue Reading »

Prayer Acknowledging our Wrongdoings in Repentance

This alternate version of Al Chet (For the Sin), traditionally read during Yom Kippur, allows us to reflect on our possible complicity in abuses of power within our own communities. Continue Reading »

The Responsibilities of Bystanders: The Power and Risks of Rebuke

In this piece, the authors explore the commandment of tokhecha, or rebuke– including considerations from the original biblical context and its discussion in classical rabbinic text that lay out why Continue Reading »

The Moral and Personal Costs of Abuse

This piece explores how some principles of classical Jewish law, traditionally applied to physical assault or injury, can illuminate the gravity of child sexual abuse, sexual and gender-based harassment, and Continue Reading »

The Imperative to “Pursue Justice” and Institutional Responses to Sexual Abuse

Deuteronomy 16:20 states “Justice, justice you shall pursue!”—a clarion call to craft a better world. In this piece, the author considers how Jewish readings of this verse can help us Continue Reading »

Sexual Trauma and Jewish Spirituality and Religious Life

Reflecting on the extensive literature on the spiritual and religious impact of sexual trauma on Christian survivors, the author draws conclusions that are applicable to Jewish survivors of such abuse Continue Reading »

Pikuach Nefesh and Sexual Abuse

Asher Lovy is the director of ZA’AKAH. He is a survivor and has been an advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse since 2012.

Vayikra as a Model for Transparent Communal Governance

The authors offer this as a resource to stimulate organizational and institutional conversations around power, policies, and transparency.

Solving This Together: Expanding the Principles of Yichud to Prevent Workplace Sexual Harassment and Abuse

The authors propose a rethinking and expansion of the traditional concept in Jewish law of yichud, suggesting ways that setting norms in which two adults meet alone in workplace contexts Continue Reading »

Safety and the Creation of Sacred Spaces: Ancient Models and Contemporary Takeaways

In this article, the authors present archeological perspectives on sacred spaces and how they relate to privacy, authority, and abuses of power. They introduce us to various designs of space, Continue Reading »

Popularity, Charisma, and the Teaching Profession

In this piece, the author draws on Jewish teachings and educational theory to argue for prioritizing careful and skillful teaching, ethics, and integrity — not charisma — when hiring, guiding, Continue Reading »

Must Power Corrupt? Judah, David, and the Bible’s Model Policies for Safeguarding the Public

This series of text studies focus on abuses of power in the biblical stories of Judah and David. Commentary and questions for discussion invite readers to reflect on why, even Continue Reading »