ISBN
1-4033-3805-1
Charlotte Rolnick Schwab, Ph. D.
Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a Sacred Trust.
Bloomington IN: 1st Books Library. 316
pp (PB $18.95; Dust Jacket $32.95; e-book $10.95). Call the
publisher, toll free at: 800.839.8640
Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a
Sacred Trust by
Charlotte Rolnick Schwab, PhD, is a powerful
book, a combination of memoir and nonfiction, about what happens when
clergy, specifically, rabbis, are deified. It is about the betrayal and
the cover up of the betrayal of teen aged girls and women by male rabbis,
and thereby, the betrayal of these rabbis' wives, families, congregations,
communities, denominations, and all Judaism. Two murders are connected to
rabbis' sexual abuse. One rabbi is awaiting retrial for allegedly hiring a
hit man to murder his wife because of his sexual
misconduct.
This author writes about her own
frightening, shocking experience as the wife of a rabbi-perpetrator of
sexual abuse of other women, his violence toward her, and threat to kill
her if she told about his nefarious double life.
The book delineates in one volume:
the crisis in the rabbinate, in congregational Judaism; what needs to be
done to bring about healing and change; gives description of cases of
rabbis' sexual abuse as told to the author (these cases are all
composites; the victims/survivors' identities are disguised), and as
reported in the media, including the two murders related to rabbis' sexual
abuse; the alarming extent of this problem; outlines policies that
synagogues and denominations need to adopt; provides definitions of sexual
abuse; discusses the kinds of personalities of rabbis which can lead to
rabbis becoming sexual predators; and offers some suggestions for
prevention. The book offers a Resources List and extensive Bibliography,
including articles from Jewish and secular newspapers around the country,
about rabbis' sexual abuse.
The book provides a healing program
geared toward Jewish victims/survivors or rabbis' sexual abuse; it can be
adapted for victims/survivors of abuse by other clergy and of other kids
of abuse, including abuse by batterers. Women who suffered abuse of any
kind will find this book validating and helpful for healing and recovery.
"12 Steppers" will be especially interested in this
book.
The book is helpful to people of all
religions who are experiencing the crisis of their religious authorities'
sexual abuse and covering up of that abuse, including Buddhists,
Catholics, and Protestants. It is an urgent read for all Jewish people
concerned about the safety of their teen aged children and women, and
about the future of their religious organizations and
communities.
Books have been written about
Catholic priests and Protestant ministers and sexual abuse; this is the
first about rabbis' sexual abuse. Rabbis Arthur Gross-Schaefer and Marcia
Zimmerman, and Rev. Nils Friberg praise the book on the book jacket.
Maj-Britt Rosenbaum, MD, psychiatrist and former
Director of the Long Island Hillside Medical Center Sexuality Center,
wrote the Preface. Gary Schoener, clinical
psychologist, who treats both clergy-perpetrators and victims, wrote the
Foreword. |