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We have seen in this forum regular reference to sexual misbehaviour by Roman Catholic clerics ('men of the cloth') in general and in Ireland in particular. We have noted on many occasions how the ruling echelons of that Church - locally, nationally and internationally - have dealt in an entirely inadequate manner with such disclosures. Several times I have asked myself how other churches and other faiths would deal with such a situation - Protestants, Latter Day Saints, Jews, Moslems and so forth. Smugly, I told myself that they would all behave in the same way, that being the 'nature of the beast'.
Over the past few days Israel has been rocked by disclosures concerning one of the country's most respected and beloved clerics. These disclosures did not come from the gutter press, nor from the police nor from any unreliable or disreputable source: they came from the highest leadership of the man's colleagues.
Rabbi Mordechai (Motti) Elon was a TV personality, the head of a very prestigious rabbinical seminary and a renowned religious authority. His students adored him and his colleagues were in many ways in respectful awe of him. (Elon's late father was a justice of Israel's supreme court, he has a brother who was a member of the Knesset, so in addition he comes from a prestigious family.) The whole of Israel's "modern orthodox" camp is shocked beyond words and in a kind of deep mourning because of these revelations.
The "modern orthodox" leadership has a voluntary forum which consists of some of the most respected men and women in their camp. The task of this forum is to deal with complaints of a moral or ethical nature that, for one reason or another, cannot be dealt with by the police - for example, too many years have elapsed between the incident and the complaint.
The work of this forum is done with the greatest discretion and with legal advisers present. When the forum confronted Motti Elon with a complaint from a former student concerning what politely might be called 'sexual harassment' he did not deny the matter but said that in all the years (about 25) since it happened he had matured and grown out of his youthful sinfulness. He noted that this was one single incident in a long and truly glorious career. During the weeks that the forum agonized over what to do another complaint arrived, much more recent, thus Elon's defence was shattered.
The forum decreed that Elon must resign his position as head of the rabbinical seminary, he must cease all his educational activity, he must never be secluded in a room with another man, and he must move as far as possible from Jerusalem. If he accepted these conditions he would be left with his good name intact. Elon accepted these conditions and moved to a small settlement in the north of the country.
All this happened about four years ago. A few days ago the forum announced that Motti Elon was not living up to all these conditions (he was still teaching, attracting students, advising them in privacy) and therefore the matter must be published.
Now that the matter has hit the press, radio and TV, further disclosures are coming almost hourly. It seems that these incidents were not momentary lapses but ongoing sexual relationships with male students.
To my mind, of course, the man's sin is not his obvious homosexuality but what he has done to his family and the fact that has abused the moral relationship between teacher and student: he pulled rank, as it were. I am really sad about what has happened to this man because he is truly charismatic. But I am also proud of the way that his colleagues have dealt with the situation and decided that if the man cannot abide by the limitations he took upon himself the world must know. In all probability, now that the matter has been made public more recent incidents will come to light, incidents that the police will be able to deal with.
I do not belong to the "modern orthodox" camp in Judaism, but I do feel very sad. Please, friends, I would be very glad if you would relate to what I have written - either positively or negatively.
J F R
The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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I think the forum of which you speak has done the right thing. I wish the other churches would be as rigorous.
I am unconcerned about the little I know of his sexual indiscretions, assuming the object of his desires was of age at the time (and I mean of age for heterosexual sex if homosexual sex was unlawful). I am deeply concerned about what appear now to be validated as his lies in dealing with the matter.
I'm not concerned about his family. That is his local responsibility. I am concerned about the fact that he hid behind lies. That, to me, is the offence. he was in a position of trust and he abused that trust.
Men and women who abuse trust in this way cause draconian laws to be passed which affect the rest of the population.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Here's an excerpt from one of Israel's major daily English-Language papers:
Motti Elon: I decided to remain silent
By Ben Hartman (Jerusalem, Israel) Feb 17 | Rabbi Mordechai (Motti) Elon on Tuesday insisted he would keep silent in the face of allegations of inappropriate behavior made against him by a rabbinical forum that works to prevent sexual harassment in the national-religious sector.
“I believe that out of this crisis only a great joy will arise and have therefore decided to remain silent,” Elon told students and supporters at the northern moshav of Migdal on Tuesday, responding to allegations that he may have committed “acts in contradiction to the values of sanctity and morality.”
The Takana forum posted an announcement Monday warning that Elon was dangerous to the public and demanded he step down from all rabbinical, teaching and community responsibilities.
The organization referred to the statement as “painful and sad,” but said the issue must be brought to a resolution.
The rabbi had relocated from Jerusalem to Migdal some four years ago, citing health reasons as the explanation for the unexpected move.
“Meaning to prevent desecration of God’s name, I did illogical things,” Elon said Tuesday, referring to his decision to leave Jerusalem and move to the North.
Elon has denied all of the allegations against him and said they derived from one “seriously disturbed” student, adding that the charges constituted “a blood libel, but I am happy that the truth is beginning to emerge,” he said.
The incident has brought media attention to Takana, an organization that deals with complaints of sexual harassment by teachers or administrators in the religious school system.
The organization’s Web site refers to Takana as “the forum for treatment and prevention of sexual harassment by teachers and authority figures in the religious sector,” and says it was founded by a broad group of religious community leaders in 2003 “to create a framework to deal with sexual harassment by teachers and authority figures within the religious community.”
The organization states its guidelines are not meant to replace the authority of the state, rather that it helps victims who, for personal or other reasons, feel uncomfortable going to the police.
The forum says it first informs every complainant of the legal options against the alleged attacker. It says that for many members of the community, submitting a complaint to Takana is seen as a way to report the crime and deal with it, without worrying about the reaction of the religious community.
[Continues here] http://new.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=168846
Rabbi Elon Photo By Gili Eliyahu yNetNews.com
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