Letters, July 1, 2011

Community’s changing attitudes to sexual abuse

WITH reference to the recent articles regarding  allegations of sexual abuse at Yeshivah College, it is pertinent to note the following: Attitudes have changed dramatically in the last 20 years, in both  secular and religious communities of all denominations, and while it is true to say that there was in the past a code of silence surrounding such matters, it is also true to say that this all-pervasive  attitude is now changing.

For the last 15 years, the Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence (JTAFV Inc) has been at the forefront of education and  awareness  by running programs in relation to such matters, and Yeshivah College was one of the first schools to welcome the sessions on family violence and the prevention of child sexual assault which were facilitated by JTAFV Inc.

Yeshivah College, as well as a number of other Jewish schools, now has programs in place in relation to prevention of child sexual abuse and victims are encouraged to come forward. No longer are such matters automatically locked away in a cupboard. There may be many reasons why victims are reluctant to speak out, but the Rabbinical Council of Victoria has been actively working with the JTAFV Inc on issues of family violence and sexual assault and encourages victims to seek appropriate support.

It is easy to sensationalise such matters, but it is also worth noting that Yeshivah College is cooperating fully with the police in its current investigations.

World must take action to secure Shalit’s release

IT is an absolute disgrace that Gilad Shalit has been held captive for one month, let alone five years, and federal Labor MP Mark Dreyfus is to be congratulated for trying to raise the profile of this case.

But it is not enough. No one expects the Europeans to express any semblance of moral fibre, but if Barack Obama’s administration had a shred of decency, it would tell Mahmoud Abbas that as head of the so-called Palestinian unity government, he had better do something about this travesty otherwise foreign aid to the Palestinians will be reduced by 10 per cent a week, starting tomorrow.

Community is not silent in campaign for Gilad

YOUR editorial “A Missed Opportunity” in last week’s edition dedicated to Gilad Shalit (AJN 24/06) appeared to both discount the work that is being done on many fronts to highlight the plight of Gilad Shalit and also to confuse the Gilad Shalit campaign with the issue of raising the profile of Israel generally.

The Zionist Council of Victoria (ZCV) takes its associated responsibility to do everything in its power to maintain both Jewish and non-Jewish awareness of Gilad Shalit’s plight, as well as calls for his release as one of our highest priorities.

The five-minute silence campaign based on the Israel campaign, was observed across Jewish schools, shuls, in Jewish homes and at the workplace, culminating in a community gathering with over 350 people in attendance. It was a powerful way for us to reflect our feelings, show solidarity and continue to raise awareness. The gathering attracted Members of Parliament from both sides of the political spectrum who requested to voice their solidarity and call for Gilad’s freedom.

Furthermore, the presidents of the ZCV and the JCCV sent letters to all sitting members of State Parliament as well as the Parliamentary Friends of Israel and the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine. The letter was adopted by our Federal community leaders and sent to our Federal parliamentarians. While we endeavoured to engage in a media blitz, as you suggested, unfortunately opinion pieces were rejected by all mainstream papers.

Through these various means we have “spoken up and spoken out this week” on the subject of Gilad Shalit and will continue to do so every week until he is released.

We agree entirely with you that there needs to be ongoing concerted efforts to raise the profile of Israel, as well as to provide information on the challenges that face her and, as you have said, to “remind the world of what is really going on in the region”.  In the ZCV we ensure “our voices [are] heard” on a daily basis and welcome the opportunity to work with your paper and other organisations to support Israel.

Middle East pots calling the Israel kettle black

ANOTHER United Nations Human Rights Council session, another Israel-bashing session. The meeting did not focus on the massacring of democracy protesters by Arab dictatorships. Instead, it focused its attention on the only democracy in the Middle East: Israel. This is what some of the Arab countries had to say about Israel:

Egypt: “Unlawful and aggressive use of force.”

Syria: “Massacre proves Israel’s state ­terrorism.”

Bahrain: “Deliberate killings of unarmed civillians.”

Iran: “Israel committing crimes against humanity.”

After hearing these accusations, one must wonder if these countries were getting

confused between Israel and their own governments?

Continuity threatened by lack of knowledge

THE current issue surrounding Jewish continuity is perhaps one of the most important discussions we as a community need to have, and I have no doubt that many different opinions will be proffered as possible solutions to this looming problem, depending on which perspective one takes.

However, one trend that seems to have resonated consistently throughout the Markus report is that Orthodoxy is a guaranteed path to ensure the future of our people.

Whether in terms of home upbringing, schools attended or synagogue affiliation, those who identified as Orthodox Jews indicated that their Jewish identity is a central part of their lives, and that intermarriage is of great concern to them. Unfortunately, the same could not be said by other groups.

The sober reality is that if we as a people want to still exist in 2050 we need to seriously ponder whether we are setting an appropriate example for our children in terms of our attitudes towards religion, not to mention our practice or lack thereof.

The core reason why so many of our children are marrying out at such alarming rates is that they simply don’t know or understand what it is they are forfeiting through their decisions to cease an unbroken chain of Jewish ancestry dating back nearly three and a half millenia. Many young Jews who intermarry would probably consider themselves as having made an “informed” decision, having concluded that religious Judaism is out of touch with their modern lives. Sadly, the Jewish knowledge of so many of them is limited to basic Bible stories coupled with a cursory insight into the main Jewish holidays. This is about as informed a decision as embarking on a significant business venture without having received basic education in economics.

We need to get back to basics: 3323 years ago our ancestors stood at the foot of a mountain and became the Jewish people when we received the Torah from God. It was receipt of that Torah that made us a people and it will be continued adherence to that Torah which will sustain us as a people.

Orthodoxy as expressed through Torah observance is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Every step closer to the religious dimension of Judaism is one step away from intermarriage. We cannot just read the statistics and bemoan the facts, without making a concerted effort and the difficult changes necessary to guarantee our future.  The Torah belongs to every single one of us. Let us embrace it, each according to his or her level of understanding, and allow it to inform the decision we make in life, particularly in relation to how we bring up our most precious gift – our Jewish children.

Don’t discount Jewish schools

FOLLOWING the arrival of my wife Marta and I in Australia in 1988, the next 20 years centred on providing a Jewish education for our three children. On the basis of that experience, we remain convinced that Melbourne provides unique educational opportunities to Jewish children. This opportunity is out of all proportion to the size of the community. Thus, our eldest boy went through Mount Scopus, at first supported, and later as my medical practice prospered, without financial assistance. He is now a professional man and a Chabadnik. Our second boy was better suited to the laid back, but no less academically and Jewishly effective educational setting: King David. He is at the hub of the Israeli crowd in Melbourne. And, our daughter prospered at Beth Rivkah, and is now training to be a teacher. She hopes to give back to the Melbourne Jewish educational system.

In your editorial (AJN 17/06), you ask, “why are we pumping millions into schools?”  Ostensibly this is at the expense of Jewish communal activities. The answer is: to preserve Torah Judaism in our children and in our children’s children. Jewish communal activities have never sufficed. They are necessary but marginal to the millennial survival of our people.