October 9, 2024
Dear friends,
As the shofar ushered in the New Year, we entered the Days of T’shuvah, and our community confronted the painful anniversary of October 7 and the horrors that have unfolded every day since. Some of you received an unsolicited anonymous email falsely accusing the CCAR, specific individuals who administer the CCAR Ethics Process, the Reform rabbinate, and the Reform Movement in general, of unforgivable acts.
During these trying days of reflection and remembrance, the CCAR believes it necessary to address these falsehoods in order to protect the integrity of the process it is charged to administer, and to defend the reputations and good works of the selfless volunteers and staff responsible for overseeing that process.
CCAR upholds a strict Code of Ethics that guides all matters related to complaints and investigations of alleged violations of that Code. Our Code of Ethics is designed to ensure that anyone who asserts, or is the target of, allegations is treated throughout the ethics process with dignity and respect, including respect for their privacies and reputations. Importantly, the Ethics Code addresses only how complaints will be evaluated and resolved. Insisting on respect for privacy and one’s good name during the investigation of a complaint is both best practice and common sense; until a complaint is resolved, the facts are nearly always in dispute.
The email some in our community received enclosed a complaint sent to the Ohio Attorney General’s office along with links and references to many other documents and files. Every person has the right to complain to the government. This complaint, however, rests on the false premise that the confidentiality of the CCAR ethics process is used to silence victims, avoid legal duties to report criminal abusive behavior, and cover-up heinous crimes. None of that is true. Most basically, the CCAR Code of Ethics, available online in its entirety here, in Section III limits confidentiality to protect complainants, victims, witnesses, and individuals alleged to have violated the Ethics Code, and obligates the CCAR members to report crimes and hold each other accountable. Additional information on the ethics process is available here.
Importantly, the Ethics Code does not take the place of the secular judicial system or interfere with any legal rights the individual may have, including the right to seek psychological, medical, mental health, or other appropriate support services in connection with the circumstances that gave rise to an ethics complaint. Similarly, the adherence to confidentiality yields to legal reporting obligations and does not prevent CCAR members from taking action when there is information indicating potential harm to an individual, especially minors. In fact, the CCAR is mandated to report such information. The CCAR has reported these matters when they arise and will continue to refer such matters to the proper authorities. And as provided under the Ethics Code, the CCAR publishes censures, suspensions, and expulsions online and informs the congregations involved.
The email that members of the community nationwide received over the past weekend not only misrepresents the purpose and mission of the CCAR, but seeks to malign and defame a number of our dedicated, conscientious, and well-trained volunteers and staff. It also now, by name, involves other participants in disciplinary cases in violation of their privacies. The Chair of the CCAR Ethics Committee, the Immediate Past Chair and the Past Chair, as well as our Vice-Chair, have each volunteered their time to our cause and have done so honorably, and we are deeply grateful for their service. The CCAR staff Director of Rabbinic Ethics, who likewise serves with the utmost dedication and integrity, is similarly targeted unfairly.
It bears repeating that the CCAR takes each and every allegation it receives seriously, especially those involving minors. Although even one is too many, abuse cases, particularly those involving minors, are rare in our system. In those few instances of abuse, the CCAR response has always been prompt, consistent with both the Code of Ethics and legal obligations to report. The CCAR reports conduct to protect others and hold those accused accountable.
The CCAR Ethics Code has undergone many updates since it was first instituted in 1991. Especially in the last five years, the CCAR has been introspective and proactive about improving the ethics process and has taken notable steps to increase transparency and accountability. We undertook a thorough review of our system by an outside firm and have implemented the changes they recommended to make our Code even stronger. We remain committed to ensuring that our ethical practices reflect the highest standards of justice and compassion for all involved.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Erica Asch, President, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi David Lyon, President Elect, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi Lewis Kamrass, Immediate Past President, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi Hara Person, Chief Executive, Central Conference of American Rabbis