Published in eJewish Philanthropy

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As the #MeToo movement has grown and spread across industries and sectors, it has laid bare an inescapable truth: the Jewish community is subject to the same kinds of issues, inequities and power dynamics that exist in other communities.

Over the past few months, a group of leaders from several Jewish organizations have been discussing how we can ensure the Jewish community lives up to the highest ethical aspirations of our tradition.

Together, we are launching a new communal partnership.

The purpose of the partnership is to ensure that safe, respectful and equitable workplaces and communal spaces become universal in Jewish life and that sexual harassment and misconduct, as well as gender and sexual orientation discrimination, and their related abuses of power, are no longer tolerated in the Jewish community.

Debra Nussbaum Cohen, JTA, February 26, 2018

She was young, Jewish and the founder of a nonprofit organization that aids deprived children in Southeast Asia. He was a potential funder more than twice her age, promising donations and introductions to influential people.

“He dangled a lot of carrots,” she said in retrospect.

But the fundraiser, who spoke on condition she not be named for fear of jeopardizing future professional prospects, received no donations from the man who promised so much. Instead he stroked her thigh, propositioned her, belittled her and at their first and only meeting gave her gifts, like a bracelet, more appropriate for a mistress. 

We're releasing an update to our 2016 document Funders and Power: Principles for Honorable Conduct in Philanthropy. The new language declares funders’ responsibilities to “ensure the personal safety, dignity, and equality of all people.” We made the revision following conversations sparked by the #MeToo movement.