Responses of Jewish leadership to manifestations of institutional child sexual abuse: An analysis of two Australian public inquiries

Prior to the 2011 public revelations by Institutional Child Sexual Abuse (ICSA) survivor Manny Waks regarding his experiences of abuse at the Yeshivah Centre, Melbourne, as far back as the 1980s, there was little acknowledgement of the existence, much less the extent, of ICSA within the Jewish community of Australia. To date, there remains limited scholarly analysis of the nation’s Jewish leadership responses to ICSA. However, two Australian Government inquiries, one conducted in the state of Victoria, (2013 Betrayal of Trust Inquiry), the other conducted by the national government (2017 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse), reviewed the actions of Jewish community leaders. This study drew on a deductive content analysis of documentation and associated materials from these inquiries and aimed to identify the strengths and limitations of Jewish leadership responses to ICSA. Concerns were identified regarding Jewish leadership practices, including limited accountability to survivors and the wider Jewish community, the influence of religious and cultural factors in discouraging disclosures of abuse and inadequate survivor support. Conclusions have been drawn about peak body leadership and the need for reformed practices. These address improved accountabilities, barriers to disclosure and support for survivors of ICSA, both across Jewish communities and additional faith or ethnic communities, particularly those with like cultural practices.