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Jul 19, 2015

Rabbi Arush to stop receiving women

Rabbi Shalom Arush today announced that he will not be receiving women any longer. He says the yetzer hora of rabbonim is even greater than that of regular people, and therefore rabbonim cannot receive women for guidance and questions. He called on other rabbonim to follow suit.

This is a result of the scandal going on up north in Tzfat with a popular rav, Ezra Sheinberg, being accused by many women of having taken advantage of them and their vulnerability.

I don't know if this is a good idea or a bad idea. I understand his concern, but women need guidance, inspiration and answers as well, just like men do. If the rabbonim will not receive women looking for guidance and inspiration, to whom can they turn?

A couple of interesting ideas I heard that might solve the problem:
1.  the offices of rabbis should not be regular walls with doors, where the debate becomes keep the door open or closed, locked or unlocked, can a secretary or other shul member walk in at any time or not, and the like.
Rather, the offices of rabbis receiving women should have glass walls, or at least glass doors. This way they can be seen from the outside without somebody needing some level of brazenness to walk in and interrupt the rabbi. Women might not like that as they would be visible while talking to the rabbi. It invades their privacy to a certain extent, as well as exposing them to the public - people outside the office will see their body language, their reactions of crying or anger, and they might not want to be seen like that, though it would protect them somewhat from being assaulted.
I say "somewhat" because I doubt all meetings happen in the office, so the women would still be vulnerable when meeting outside the office.. It is a good suggestion, but I do not think it solves the problem entirely, and some women might not feel comfortable meeting in such an exposed room.

2. the development of more women trained in rabbinic-like authority positions.
If rabbis are going to stop receiving women for guidance and inspiration, someone will have to fill that void. It is only natural, and makes sense, that women can and should fill this role. There are already women rabbis or rabbi-like women doing this, but it would have to be expanded.  There are some women rabbis in the Modern orthodox circles, but even in the Ultra-Orthodox there are some female rabbi-like figures such as Rebbetzin Yemima Mizrachi, Rebbetzin Kanievsky used to be one when she was alive, and there are others.
If women are going to need to look for alternatives to the regular make rabbi, more of these inspiring female leaders need to be cultivated and trained.

And no, I do not think Rabbi Arush's suggestion of women needing advice sending notes with their husband is a good or realistic idea.



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10 comments:

  1. You overlook r arush is a breslaver, who have a current issue, no further comment.

    2. Someone in my shul was a high school principal, and was accused of touching / hugging a problematic student. The teachers testified that he never let down the curtains in his windowed all around office, but the judge refused to allow the teachers to testify to the jury (the judge also refused to subpoena the student's accuser's known psychological record.) He spent four years in jail.

    So a windowed office doesn't help.

    3. How does a rabbi meet with his female assistants, especially if the discussion concerns privacy issues of a congregant?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Given the details you've related, it's obvious that nothing would have saved the principal, so I don't think it's a fair example.

      I don't know how it worked out in the end, but there was a similar case in a local public school where I grew up. A teacher who worked with special ed children was accused of molesting one of them. Various other teachers and staff testified that he was never alone with the children, and basically provided alibis for all the events that were supposed to have occurred. The child, who was mentally retarded, was coached on what to say.

      Delete
  2. Ridiculous! Ridiculous!

    Silence the women and make them disappear since the yetzer harah of the Rabbonim are too huge and uncontrollable. The victim is the women and she is now relegated to having a male figure (father, brother, husband) advocate and ask advice for her. This is the newest trend in avodas hashem,,,, delete, destroy and demolish what ever the yetzer harah of the dor is....... whether it's women, computers, technology, higher education, secular books/music rather than learning how to LIVE and accommodate,

    When a Rav meets with a female there should be an open door policy, another person in the room, a time span, and video camera running. I've met with Rav SZ Auverbach with my son and the Bostoner Rebe zt"l of Har Nof on several occasions. It can be done and is needed for 50% of the population -- WOMEN!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. spot on - instead of criticizing those who are violating halacha etc. or giving anyone tools, this tendency just cripples everyone. and leaves them weaker.

      Delete
    2. I do agree that the women shouldn't be made to suffer for the indiscretions of the men, but I dont think he is blaming the wmen. I think he is just saying it puts him and other rabbonim into difficult situations that they shouldnt have to deal with, and perhaps shouldn't deal with because too many fail in them.

      Delete
    3. I don't buy the "times have changed we can't handle it anymore" thinking. It's precisely because of all the talk that men are nebbech so vulnerable and women are evil if they wear a thinner stocking than 70 denier that even some mid-level Rabbanim do not develop the resources to handle these situations properly.

      Delete
  3. Caren: Did RSZA ever charge people money for access?

    I think not.

    RSZA would have found a solution because when he met with people, it was in order to help THEM and not himself. And because he wasn't associated with people like Berland and Tzefat Kabbalist, he had no reason to fear winding up in the same kind of trouble they are in.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. https://meashearim.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/forgery-money-laundering-arrest-of-berland-son-and-grandson/
      http://shearim.blogspot.com/2011/08/breslover-abuse-scandal.html

      Delete
  4. Perhaps the tzaddik should meet with no one, as he might sin with men, too. But that would leave him alone with himself. Well he must have a Tikkun Klali in his office.

    ReplyDelete

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