1/4 Israelis have been sexually abused. How can we stop these predators? - opinion

Over the past many years, I have researched, provided therapy for, and taught about the scourge of sexual abuse. As a psychologist working in both the clinical and research fields, I have come to find that fully 70% of individuals who come to therapy have been abused at some point in their lives, most before the age of 18. Research has shown that as much as 25% of the general population, across all communities, has been sexually abused.

As a result, there is a great deal of interest in treatment modalities for trauma survivors, to the point where it has become somewhat of a growth industry. Still, there is an intense effort to restrain any overt acknowledgment of this plague. This is not to say that there has not been some improvement, there has been. But not nearly enough.

In 2011, I wrote a book about the communal and religious factors that undermine the apprehension of offenders and the treatment of survivors. I received a variety of reactions, ranging from deep gratitude from those affected by abuse to threats against myself and my family.

Some religious leaders were among those who threatened, one even posted a column indirectly referring to me as a Nazi for having the audacity to broach the topic publicly. I was not indifferent to these threats nor was I deterred by them. I saw the devastation that such abuse caused and was determined to carry on.

The movie Spotlight, released in 2015, about a group of reporters exposing the church’s role in covering up the sexual abuse of children by priests, won a variety of awards including an Academy Award. I treated some of the survivors of these abusive priests and was familiar with many of their names, as well as with those of the lay leaders who protected these abusers.

Trying to fight sexual abuse in Israel

Soon after the movie came out, I was discussing it with some friends, one of whom is a documentary movie producer who suggested we produce an educational documentary specifically about the situation in the Jewish community. It was an idea I had been fantasizing about but never thought possible because movie-making was a field in which I had no experience. But Chanan and Ron, the documentary pros did. As we spoke more, it sounded like we could successfully produce such a film.

I knew many survivors willing to tell how they were victimized and how their community denied their abuse and protected their molesters. I also knew attorneys, police detectives, advocates, and others, all of whom recognized the importance of creating an educational film about abuse in the Jewish community. 

Three years ago, we did just that.

Filmed in Israel and the US – along with input from individuals in the UK – we taped many hours of important information. I sought input from rabbinic leaders. Save for a handful, every one of them gave me a blessing for the movie to be a major success. Few, however, volunteered to be filmed. They feared it might earn them a similar backlash to that I received when my book came out. In time, three well-known, highly respected rabbis did consent to be filmed and assisted in the project.

Once the movie was completed, we contracted with a distribution company, which is standard procedure for this sort of project. 

We were recently informed by the distribution company that six media platforms had initially expressed interest. Some of them are well-known household names. Ultimately, they all demurred, citing political reasons. Our distribution agent did some digging and found out that a Jewish individual was instrumental in stonewalling the project, citing the mistaken notion that abuse is rare and a movie on the topic will cause antisemitism.

If we are to be serious in working to limit abuse and serious in confronting the fact that so many abusers find refuge and protection in Israel, then we must be mature enough to deal with this problem openly and honestly. 

According to some estimates, there are some 200 known abusers in Israel, many of whom fled from other countries to avoid prosecution. While there is a great deal of talk about how Malka Leifer was protected for so long in Israel and how Chaim Walder was able to get away with abusing so many for so long, more action than word is needed. 

This can only be achieved by openly addressing and educating the public, not by hiding it behind erroneous excuses designed to shield the abusers, instead of the victims.

The writer is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and an APA Presidential Citation awardee recognized for his work in the fields of trauma, abuse, and resiliency. He has written several books including The Shidduch Crisis: Causes and Cures and Abuse in the Jewish Community, and is the producer of a hopefully soon-to-be-released documentary about sexual abuse. He is a resident of Netanya.