Today the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) released a report intended as part of a larger process of accountability and transparency in which our community is now engaged. As with the report from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) that came out in November, the CCAR report’s findings are troubling and require profound changes in our Movement.
The CCAR report includes a number of actionable recommendations critical to ensuring that all who serve in the Reform Jewish rabbinate are accountable to these standards, and that any reports of sexual harassment, abuse, or misconduct are met with the appropriate urgency and severity.
The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) is committed to working with our partner Reform Jewish institutions to address these findings immediately and thoroughly.
We must ensure that clergy, professional and lay leadership alike adhere to scrupulously ethical standards.
The URJ’s independent investigation is nearing its final stages. It is being led by Mary Beth Hogan at the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton. Once completed, the URJ will release the report.
We hold a sacred moral responsibility to the safety and well-being of everyone in our communities. That responsibility remains our highest priority.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs
President, URJ
Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman
Chair, North American Board, URJ