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Combatting Sexual Harassment In The Jewish Community
M
Lisa Eisen
8
eToo. #GamAni. The
stories are numerous
and painful. They span
decades and reach every corner
of the Jewish community. Enough
is enough. The time is now for us
to finally and fully address sexual
harassment in Jewish institutional
life.
When it comes to sexual
harassment, Jewish teachings are
unequivocal: We are obligated to
put an end to the behavior for the
sake of the victim, the perpetra-
tor and the community as a whole.
Despite our moral code, however,
sexual misconduct in the Jewish
community too often goes unad-
dressed. As Hollywood, media and
government offices grapple with
their ethical challenges, it is clear
we need a reckoning of our own.
When the Good People Fund
surveyed Jewish professionals in
2017, it found that sexual harass-
ment is perceived by respondents
to be tolerated in Jewish organiza-
tions. Female CEOs, fundraisers and
rabbis frequently report problems
in their interactions with donors
and lay leaders. Female employees
report feeling some level of harass-
ment is inevitable, and most believe
— and some have left the field as
a result — that their organizations
are ineffective at preventing or
addressing it.
Indeed, the recent Leading Edge
study found that only two-thirds of
employees of Jewish organizations
report that they are aware of their
organization’s sexual harassment
policies, and only about one-third
know what to do or where to go if
they experience harassment.
The time is now to end this real-
ity. The time is now to move from
talk to action. The time is now for
us to commit to acting individually
and collectively to build safer, more
respectful and equitable places
to work. We must come together
across political, denominational
and gender lines to address the
power dynamics and structural
inequalities that allow harassment
and abuse to take root. We must
raise the bar of fairness and equal-
ity in our workplaces, institutions
and the spaces in between.
To succeed, we need to advance
cultural and practical change. We
February 8 • 2018
jn
at the Schusterman Foundation
are joining with other foundations
and organizations to explore how
we can help create systemic change
in Jewish communal life on both
fronts.
Here are five crucial areas in
which we can and must act:
Ensure accountability: To
eliminate harassment in our com-
munity, all of us — funders, non-
profit professionals and lay leaders
— must hold ourselves and our
organizations accountable. I envi-
sion a pledge, akin to the Child
Safety Pledge, committing us to
uphold safety and respect in and
around the Jewish workplace as an
important step forward. A com-
mon pledge — backed by tangible
resources and collective action
— could ensure that organizations
walk their talk and actively pursue
today’s best practices for preventing
and responding to sexual harass-
ment.
Exhibit leadership: Committed,
engaged organizational and
philanthropic leaders are criti-
cal to changing the status quo.
Thanks to the outstanding work of
Commissioners Chai Feldblum and
Victoria Lipnic, who led the U.S.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission Select Task Force on
the Study of Harassment in the
Workplace, we know that “the cor-
nerstone of a successful harassment
prevention strategy is the consis-
tent and demonstrated commit-
ment of senior leaders to create and
maintain a culture in which harass-
ment is not tolerated.”
Those in leadership positions
must start by refraining from and
putting an end to adverse behavior.
Jewish leaders need to show they
will not stand for or accept sexual
harassment and take proactive
steps to promote a safe, respect-
ful Jewish organizational culture.
Funders, too, must commit to this
work — not just for the organiza-
tions we support, but also to help
equalize the relationship between
donors and Jewish professionals,
and to strengthen our own internal
cultures.
Refresh policies and proce-
dures: In the wake of #MeToo, every
Jewish organization must have in
place the modern infrastructure of
a safe workplace, including trans-
parent policies, consistent training
and protected reporting methods.
The EEOC recommendations are
clear on this front as well. Healthy
work environments need “strong
and comprehensive harassment
policies; trusted and accessible
complaint procedures; and regular,
interactive training tailored to the
audience and the organization.”
Train staff and boards: Annual,
ideally in-person training of staff
and boards are vital and can be
customized to the fields and orga-
nizations they serve. They can
transcend the harasser-victim
dichotomy and focus on more effec-
tive methods, such as empowering
bystanders and helping employees
understand how they can advocate
for one another.
Facilitate reporting: Every
employee in the Jewish sector
should know and trust his organiza-
tion’s reporting structure. One of
the most common refrains is that
employees do not know whom to
turn to if they experience or witness
harassment. This is equally true at
foundations and all other kinds of
nonprofits.
It is incumbent upon us as Jews
that our reporting structures allow
for fair consideration and due pro-
cess for both the accuser and the
accused. To that end, it is worth
considering external reporting
structures like those suggested by
Yehuda Kurtzer and Rabbi Danya
Ruttenberg, who have called for the
creation of a neutral platform for
those seeking redress without fear
of retribution.
Equal opportunity: Beyond
these five areas, the most important
way to create sustainable change
in our community is to ensure that
women are treated equitably and
have opportunities to advance to
top leadership roles.
Starting today, we must help ele-
vate women’s voices in Jewish life.
We must advocate for pay equity for
comparable roles. We must include
more women on CEO search com-
mittees and candidate interview
lists. We must mentor and spon-
sor women in advancing in their
careers. We must, as Advancing
Women Professionals has taught us,
make the choice not to serve on or
support panels, committees and ini-
tiatives where women are not rep-
resented. When we raise up women,
we raise up everyone — especially
those of diverse, underrepresented
backgrounds. •
Lisa Eisen is the vice president of the Charles
and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation,
where this essay first appeared.