Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a Sacred Trust

by Charlotte Schwab

Book Overview

Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a Sacred Trust by Charlotte Rolnick Schwab, Ph.D. is a powerful book, a combination of memoir and nonfiction, about what happens when clergy, specifically, rabbis, are... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1403338051
• ISBN13: 9781403338051
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: 1st Book Library
• Length: 316 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a Sacred Trust

From her unique vantage point as a victim/survivor and professional psychotherapist, Dr. Charlotte Schwab clearly identifies and describes in her book the abusive power structures within the Rabbinate which mirror the picture of an "old boys' network" in other faith communities exactly. She brings us face to face with the abuse of teenaged girls and vulnerable adults, the prevailing acts of collusion and complicity, how victims are ostracised by the bystanders at disclosure of those heinous and damaging acts. She unveils the attitudes of rabbis who look upon their victims as perks, mere objects to be used for their pleasure; very much in the same vein some exploitative lecturers would see their students as "fair game". How bystanders want to hang onto their belief that their rabbi is somehow holy and the victim vindictive. How her own experiences have made her a tower of strength to others to stand up to their abusers, to recover and heal and recognise the hallmarks of pathology within the ranks of all rabbinic organisations. Dr. Charlotte Schwab was raised in a loving home where Judaism was practised as it should be which provided her with the backdrop and sheer determination to challenge the misogynistic sickness within the rabbinic organisations which leads to an abuse of power and lack of respect for the female half of God's creatures. Her diagnosis that a purely male Rabbinate is an unbalanced representation of God is spot on and her energetic drive to bring healing to the Rabbinate is remarkable and brave. She recognises that men and women need to be treated as the equals they are, each bringing their unique gifts and strengths to the whole community and only then healing can take place of all the wounds an unequal male power imbalance has brought about. This truth does not just work for faith communities in my opinion but forms a healthy basis for any society. Finally Dr. Charlotte Schwab brings very much needed clarification to the concept of forgiveness and repentance from which the Christian Western world can learn a lot. Teshuvah means that the sinner must recognise his sin, feel sincere remorse, undo any damage as far as is possible, and resolve never to commit the sin again. The onus to repent is clearly on the perpetrator of the abuse not on the victim to forgive. Demanding that the victim forgives before any restitution has taken place causes further immense damage to the victim. The Christian Church would do well to heed these principles too and leave the choice to forgive or not firmly in the hands of the victim whilst giving her the support and safety she needs and concern themselves with the behaviour and attitudes of the perpetrator.

Sex, Lies, and Rabbis: Breaking a Sacred Trust

The painful elements of Dr. Schwab's saga have little to do with being Jewish. Neither is this an indictment on rabbis. Clergy abuse of power and sex occur with alarming frequency in all faith groups in settings where fiduciary trust placed in religious professionals meets undisciplined, self-serving attitudes. This book calls upon every reader who can exercise influence to set up proper standards, policies, and procedures to take preventive action in their own religious community. I hope and pray this book will help prevent more abuses.