Dear Amudim Family,
It’s been another difficult week, one filled with sadness and a global Chilul Hashem that continues to shake us to the core. But even amid the darkness, we are seeing a few rays of light emerging, with people who have never once spoken out about sexual abuse publicly displaying unprecedented support for victims.
Prominent Rabbonim have released videos and statements, clarifying the Halacha that one MUST report alleged abuse to the police, supporting those who have been molested, as well as their loved ones. Various media outlets have published articles vowing that we as a community must stand behind those who have been violated, and while we may not necessarily agree with all the messaging being put out there, one thing we can all agree upon is that sexual abuse can no longer be swept under the rug.
Unfortunately, there are still some holdouts who refuse to support victims of sexual abuse, which is a painful reality but, Baruch Hashem, we are making progress. Our new dedicated support page on the Amudim website carries signatures, testimonials, and articles, making it unequivocally clear to victims of sexual abuse that they aren’t alone and that we as a community are there for them.
Speaking two weeks ago at the Midwest convention, Rav Yosef Elefant said, “We as a tzibur must have zero tolerance for abuse. Zero. Zero tolerance. Zero tolerance means that we won’t cover up for those who are guilty and we won’t be matzdik (justify or make excuses) ‘I feel bad for them and their families.’”
Those words ring even truer than ever today and we continue rallying our community to stand behind victims of sexual abuse, to be there for them in every possible way.
Make no mistake about it. The days of blaming the victim are finally over.
If you or someone you know is struggling, contact us anytime.
You are not alone.
Each week, Amudim fields calls covering a wide range of crises and addressing various human concerns, including addiction, depression, abuse, health and domestic emergencies and many others. We track the calls and breakdown of issues for many reasons, foremost of which is to consistently improve and strengthen our knowledge and ability to address community’s needs.
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Visit our Public Support for Victims of Sexual Abuse page to see the rabbanim, psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health professionals, heads of mental health organizations, community leaders, and many more who are joining together to support victims of sexual abuse.
