Torat Chayim Statement Offering Support to Victims of Sexual Abuse
We, the undersigned rabbinic leaders, were alarmed and disgusted to read President Donald Trump’s tweet of Friday morning, September 21, wherein he asserted that Dr. Christine Ford’s claims of sexual abuse are only credible when there is evidence of a contemporaneous police report documenting the incident, and challenging Dr. Ford to produce such evidence to substantiate her allegations.
Neither Dr. Ford’s veracity, nor Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s character, are at issue here. Nor are the Trump administration’s policies on issues of concern to Jews and Israel. What is at issue is President Trump’s self-disclosure of his shocking and extreme ignorance about the issue of sexual abuse in general, and the plight of sexual abuse victims in particular. President Trump’s ignorance and the callousness with which he exhibits it does not befit any human being, let alone a world leader.
We are alarmed and disgusted that President Trump seems to have no interest in the plight of victims of sexual abuse, or any apparent empathy with them. Whatever happened in this case, blaming a frightened teenager for not filing a police report does a disservice to her and to all victims of sexual abuse today. Mr. Trump’s moral callousness here cannot stand, and silence is not an option.
We repudiate in the strongest terms the notion that victims of sexual abuse ought to face some statute of limitations for redress, or meet some arbitrary bar for their allegations to be treated with the seriousness that ought to be accorded them. Our tradition teaches that one who shames another publicly is akin to a murderer; how much more so is this true when an individual physically violates another human being. Like allegations of murder, allegations of sexual abuse must be taken seriously regardless of when, how, where, or by whom they are made. While some jurisdictions may unfortunately impose legal statutes of limitations for criminal and civil penalties, that in no way ought to imply that there is ever a statute of limitations for morals or self-reflection.
As Jewish leaders, we pledge to do our utmost to ensure that our synagogues, schools, camps, community centers, and other meeting places are safe spaces, and that we will take any and all allegations of sexual abuse with due seriousness. We place our full faith in our municipal, county, state, and federal law enforcement officials to professionally and diligently investigate those allegations and will fully support their efforts to do so.
Rabbi Yonah Berman
Rabbi Avraham Bronstein
Rabbi Max Davis
Rabbi Daniel Geretz
Rabbi Steve Greenberg
Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy
Rabbi Ari Hart
Rabbi Tyson Herberger
Rabbi Avram Herzog
Rabba Sara Hurwitz
Rabbi David Kalb
Rabbi Gabriel Kretzmer-Seed
Rabbi Daniel Landes
Rabbi Aaron Levy
Rabbi Dr. Yehudah Mirsky
Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz
Neither Dr. Ford’s veracity, nor Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s character, are at issue here. Nor are the Trump administration’s policies on issues of concern to Jews and Israel. What is at issue is President Trump’s self-disclosure of his shocking and extreme ignorance about the issue of sexual abuse in general, and the plight of sexual abuse victims in particular. President Trump’s ignorance and the callousness with which he exhibits it does not befit any human being, let alone a world leader.
We are alarmed and disgusted that President Trump seems to have no interest in the plight of victims of sexual abuse, or any apparent empathy with them. Whatever happened in this case, blaming a frightened teenager for not filing a police report does a disservice to her and to all victims of sexual abuse today. Mr. Trump’s moral callousness here cannot stand, and silence is not an option.
We repudiate in the strongest terms the notion that victims of sexual abuse ought to face some statute of limitations for redress, or meet some arbitrary bar for their allegations to be treated with the seriousness that ought to be accorded them. Our tradition teaches that one who shames another publicly is akin to a murderer; how much more so is this true when an individual physically violates another human being. Like allegations of murder, allegations of sexual abuse must be taken seriously regardless of when, how, where, or by whom they are made. While some jurisdictions may unfortunately impose legal statutes of limitations for criminal and civil penalties, that in no way ought to imply that there is ever a statute of limitations for morals or self-reflection.
As Jewish leaders, we pledge to do our utmost to ensure that our synagogues, schools, camps, community centers, and other meeting places are safe spaces, and that we will take any and all allegations of sexual abuse with due seriousness. We place our full faith in our municipal, county, state, and federal law enforcement officials to professionally and diligently investigate those allegations and will fully support their efforts to do so.
Rabbi Yonah Berman
Rabbi Avraham Bronstein
Rabbi Max Davis
Rabbi Daniel Geretz
Rabbi Steve Greenberg
Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer-Kossoy
Rabbi Ari Hart
Rabbi Tyson Herberger
Rabbi Avram Herzog
Rabba Sara Hurwitz
Rabbi David Kalb
Rabbi Gabriel Kretzmer-Seed
Rabbi Daniel Landes
Rabbi Aaron Levy
Rabbi Dr. Yehudah Mirsky
Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez
Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz