Owning Up
Orthodox Union pledges change amid report
on sexual abuse scandal.
movement's youth group, the
National Conference of Synagogue
Youth.
The commission, headed by
New York
Richard Joel, the president of Hillel:
he umbrella organization
The Foundation for Jewish Campus
for nearly 1,000
Life, was appointed this summer fol-
American Orthodox syna-
lowing a series of articles that
gogues is promising
appeared in the New York Jewish
change in the wake of a long-awaited
Week about Rabbi Lanner. The arti-
report highly critical of the move-
cles, based on inter-
ment's handling of
views
with more than
complaints about the
former
NCSY
12
sexual abuse of teen-
members,
told of
agers.
Rabbi Lanner kissing
The talk of change
and fondling scores of
— along with an
teen-age girls, repeat-
apology for past mis-
edly kicking boys in
takes — came in
the groin, \yielding a
response to the
knife
against a y6ung
report, released this
man
and
proposition-
week, critiquing the
ing
girls.
Orthodox Union's
Rabbi Lanner, a
failure to discipline a
charismatic figure with
high-ranking staff
a reputation for being
member who for
able to spark enthusi-
years allegedly sexu-
asm for traditional
ally harassed and
Rabbi Baruch Lanner
Jewish
observance,
molested teen-agers
resigned
the day after
in its youth group.
the
article
was
published
and refused
The group says it is beginning a
to be interviewed by the special
"review of its leadership" and will
commission.
revamp its management and gover-
However, his lawyer sent the com-
nance.
mission a 10-page document stating
The OU-commissioned report,
in part that, while Rabbi Lanner
and the response, are expected to
denies having committed any crime,
dominate the organization's biennial
he "acknowledges that in the past his
convention this weekend in Rye,
conduct,.on
occasion, was inappro-
N.Y., a suburb of New York City.
40,000 teens
priate."
Approximately
But it is unclear at this point
and children participate in NCSY
whether the response will include
activities.
disciplining or firing specific indi-
The commission report, based on
viduals, what the timetable is for
interviews with 175 people, finds
changes and whether the organiza-
Rabbi Lanner guilty of several kinds
tion will be able to restore its tar-
of
abuse and asserts that "certain
nished credibility in the Jewish
members
of the OU and NCSY
world.
leadership
share responsibility for
The 54-page public report is a
Rabbi
Lanner's
misconduct," which
summary of a much longer docu-
occurred over a period of 30 years.
ment culminating from a four-
Although focusing on the OU's
month investigation by a special
response to Rabbi Lanner, the report
commission appointed by the OU.
also notes a larger problem of "poor
The OU is keeping under wraps that
management practices," a lack of
document, which includes names of
accountability
by professionals to
victims and details of the alleged
volunteer
leadership,
lack of involve-
misconduct as well as what OU offi-
ment
by
lay
leaders
in
matters of
cials "knew or should have known"
governance, lack of financial controls
about Rabbi Baruch Lanner, a long-
and a "total absence of any policies
time professional with the Orthodox
JULIE WIENER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
(5
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