Mikvah and Child Sexual Abuse in the Orthodox Jewish Community in New York.
April 20, 2009: By MICHELE BETTI of BETTI AND ASSOCIATES | b&a opinions April 20, 2009
Studies have found Orthodox Jews account for as much as 10% of Jews nationwide, and a far greater share in parts of the New York metro area. Some 37% of the more than 516,000 Jews in Brooklyn are Orthodox, according to the UJA-Federation of New York, a Jewish social-service group.
Orthodox Mikvah Ritual Leads To Opportunist Molesters To Victimize Young Boys.
Mikvah (or mikveh) is a ritual bath designed for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism. The word “mikvah,” as used in the Hebrew Bible, literally means a “collection” – generally, a collection of water. Several biblical regulations specify that full immersion in water is required to regain ritual purity after ritually impure incidents have occurred. Most forms of impurity can be nullified through immersion in any natural collection of water. The mikvah is designed to simplify these requirements by providing a bathing facility that remains in ritual contact with a natural source of water.
In Orthodox Judaism these regulations are generally steadfastly adhered to, and consequently the mikvah is central to an Orthodox Jewish community. Sources indicate that the existence of a mikvah is considered so important in Orthodox Judaism, that an Orthodox community is required to construct a mikvah before building a synagogue, and must go to the extreme of selling Torah scrolls or even a synagogue if necessary, to provide funding for the construction.
Today, Jewish boys and men bath together in the mikvahs daily to achieve ritual purity. Boys as young as 7 and 8 years old and adolescents are sent off by their parents, alone, to the mikvahs.
Radio Show Brings Child Sexual Abuse In Mikvah Ritual To Light
From a AP report Published: 11.24.08, 11:05 / Israel Jewish Scene It is during these sanctioned Orthodox ritual purity sessions, many of the now emerging reports of young boys being raped and molested by adult males is occurring. According to AP report, “Dov Hikind says as many as four people a day have come to him over the past three months with painful accounts of secrets often kept for decades, accusing more than 60 individuals” since public radio show aired.
Internal Handling Of Sexual Abuse Claims Effect Community At Large
There has been a long history of dealing with molestation and sexual abuse cases internally in the Ultra Orthodox community through convening Orthodox rabbinical courts to hear allegations. However, victims and many in the legal community see this as very problematic because such religious courts lack the skills and training to evaluate abuse claims. Even more troublesome is that religious courts do not have the capacity to protect the public and are not accountable to the people. Any findings by the religious courts are generally kept secret and not disclosed to members of the community or the general public.
By not providing for the public disclosure of documents identifying predators who abuse, and not involving secular authorities, the predator is protected and has an opportunity to continue abusing more children.
We believe that secrecy and confidential resolution of claims are derelict because they give the predator freedom to continue to abuse. Transparency and publication is crucial in any child sexual abuse case. We understand how institutions will go to any length to conceal the abuse, protect the pedophile, and shield themselves from criminal indictments, liability, and embarrassment. Self-preservation by the institution is so rampant that it will even allow the pedophile to continue abusing more children to protect it.
Survivors within the Jewish community have a challenging road ahead of them.
When they speak out against the abuse, they risk being scorned by their community and fear of being ostracized. Many are questioning the high cost of achieving ritual purity when so many young children’s innocence is being violated.
The Law Offices of Betti & Associates helps victims of sexual abuse get justice but also seeks to advocate for change to protect children
We believe more needs to be done to protect these innocent children, to educate them about inappropriate behavior in the mikvah and about the tactics perpetrators use to trick children.
Copyright 2009, b&a opinions
