[COMMUNICATED] Jewish Community Watch’s new website designed to assist survivors of abuse, educate parents about CSA, and expose abusers within the community received over 50,000 hits in the month since it was relaunched. This is  just one of the signs that the community is turning the corner when it comes to confronting and combatting abuse.  More telling has been the over 1,000 Orthodox men and women who gathered in Brooklyn for a night of awareness and education about child abuse as well as a feature presentation of a movie produced by JCW featuring 7 survivors breaking their silence. Since the video’s public release (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Asza6pEQVfQ), it has garnered over 12,000 views.

Jewish Community Watch was founded in 2011, with the stated goal of breaking the silence and shame that surrounds CSA in the Orthodox Jewish community and holding abusers accountable. JCW’s first website featured a Wall of Shame, where abusers had their pictures posted to warn communities of their threat, and initiated multiple programs geared towards preventing this abuse. Since then, JCW has continued to grow and recently launched the most extensive Jewish website combating abuse ever produced. It includes a vast education center, an enlarged Wall of Shame, information for survivors to get help, relevant laws, Halachot and more. In addition, JCW prevents further abuse by notifying the public of the threat of the abusers in their vicinity, educates the public about what to look out for, and helps survivors of abuse heal by reminding them that they are not alone.

Rabbi Yosef Blau, Mashgiach ruchani at RIETS sits on the Board of Directors. The Board of Advisors is made up of leading Rabbi’s, mental health professionals and law experts including Rav Moshe Soloveichik, Rabbi Avrohom Stulberger, Rabbi Elchonon Tauber, clinical psychologist and author Ken Druck, Ph.D., Dr. Norman Goldwasser, Dr. Michael Salamon and Prosecutor and Professor Ben Forer.

“I view Jewish Community Watch as a statement of the exceptionalism of our community,” said Meyer Seewald, founder and CEO of JCW. “When the Orthodox Jewish community is seen acknowledging that abuse does happen, and that we are taking a moral stand against it, we will be a light unto the nations and make a true Kiddush Hashem. “

“Unfortunately, along with the epidemic of abuse, there is this epidemic of silence. It is only possible to stop abuse if we talk about it and bring attention to the problem. When Moshe Rabbeinu was faced with the immorality of Zimri, Pinchas, who was two generations younger than Moshe, stepped up and did what was right. Each and every one of us has to be that Pinchas. Unfortunately, it is so difficult for those victimized by abuse to speak publicly about it. Many have been surprised to find out that their spouse of many years or close family members have been abused. The number of our children who have turned to drugs and alcohol, left the Derech, or battle with severe psychological issues who are victims of abuse are staggeringly high. It is incumbent upon us, as the younger generation, to get involved, to educate our leaders and community, and to do whatever else we can to help put an end to this evil.”
JCW’s full website can be seen at http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/