There are many resources that can assist the effort to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct in the institutions and organizations within which Jewish Studies academics and professionals study, teach, research, and work. Read below or use the navigation links to learn more about
• Title IX and what to expect if you contact a Title IX Coordinator
• national organizations that provide support and information on issues of sexual violence
Title IX protects people from sex discrimination in educational programs and activities at institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Questions regarding Title IX may be referred to your institution’s Title IX Coordinator (check your institution’s website for contact information), or to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 8th Floor, Five Post Office Square, Boston MA 02109-3921. Telephone: 617-289-0111, Fax: 617-289-0150, TDD: 800-877-8339, or Email: ocr.boston@ed.gov.
Q. What is a Title IX Coordinator?
Title IX coordinators are employees at educational institutions that receive federal funding, whom students, faculty, and staff may approach when they have questions or would like to make a report concerning issues of sexual misconduct and gender-based discrimination.
Q. What can you expect when you contact a Title IX Coordinator?
• Title IX coordinators are available to talk with campus community members about their concerns and questions – whether big or small – about a specific incident or the campus sexual climate in general. They can also connect you with other campus resources at your institution, such as a counseling, support, and advocacy center, or with the campus police.
• If you have experienced sexual misconduct, they will review your options and work with you to find accommodations that address your needs in the setting of the institution. Some accommodations can be implemented without the alleged offender’s knowledge or involvement. If you choose to pursue a disciplinary or criminal complaint, they can connect you with the appropriate forum at your institution or to the local police.
• If you have been accused of sexual misconduct, Title IX coordinators can review your institution’s policies and procedures with you, provide and arrange training, and assist you in other ways.
Q. What will a Title IX Coordinator do with your information?
The coordinator will not share your information with anyone beyond the Title IX Office without your permission. In rare instances, some information may be shared with relevant administrators if the institution needs to act for reasons of community safety. In these instances, your privacy and wishes will be given full consideration. If you have concerns, ask your Title IX Coordinator for further information on confidentiality.
Q. Where can I learn more about Title IX Coordinators?
The following external links contain information about the roles and responsibilities of Title IX Coordinators, what to expect when contacting a Title IX coordinator, mandatory reporting of sexual misconduct, and other related issues:
Title IX Coordinator Responsibilities, Everfi
Title IX Coordinators: Five Things you Must Know in HigherEd Jobs
Many Professors have to Report Sexual Misconduct, Chronicle of Higher Education
Who is a Mandated Reporter of What? Getting Some Clarity,
Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA)
Title IX Compliance Information from the United States Department of Justice
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. They offer a 24/7 free and confidential Hotline (800-656-HOPE). The RAINN website contains an array of information, statistics, survivor stories, training services, safety education, and more.
Men Can Stop Rape is an organization that mobilizes men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men's violence against women.
MVP Strategies maintains a list of Men's Anti-Violence Organizations in the United States.
Other Resources include Men Stopping Violence and Men Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
Ta’amod: Stand Up seeks to help Jewish communal institutions and all who work, learn, or worship at them develop cultures of safety, respect, and equity. They offer respectful workplace training through a Jewish lens as well as a robust resource bank of materials and vetted referrals in support of Jewish organizations and congregations. Ta’amod brings this work to the Jewish community with a frame of Jewish values and ethics and an acute understanding of the unique dynamics and needs of the Jewish communal space.
Safety Respect Equity is a Jewish coalition to address sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The SafetyRespectEquity Coalition has developed standards to prevent and address gender discrimination and sexual harassment in Jewish workplaces. They offer a variety of resources for individuals who have experienced harassment and need support, as well as for organizations looking for guidance on how to strengthen their workplace culture.
The Committee on Ethics in Jewish Leadership promotes the values of accountability, transparency, democracy, and fairness in American Jewish organizations and institutions. The Committee has articulated a set of core principles of ethical behavior to guide Jewish institutions of all denominations and factions.
For a review of gender inequity in the world of academic Jewish Studies, see Jennifer Thompson's "The Birdcage: Gender Inequity in Academic Jewish Studies" in Contemporary Jewry, published online November 12, 2019; https://doi.org/10.1007/s12397-019-09303-4.
The European Institute for Gender-Based Discrimination collects, analyses, processes and disseminates data and information on gender equality issues, whilst at the same time making them comparable, reliable and relevant for the users.
The EIGE maintains a list of the legal definitions of different types of gender-based violence used in EU Member States, according to their legal terminology and national legislation.
Each university has its own policies and procedures. We provide a brief selection of global universities to illustrate the work being done across the globe.
Israel:
Council for Higher Education’s Plan for Gender Fairness
Hebrew University
Open University (2015)
Recognizing that telling and preserving one’s story is an important resource for victims of sexual abuse and misconduct, the AJS is partnering with the Jewish Women Archive’s #MeToo Project. AJS members who wish to tell their story are encouraged to submit it using the link above and to tag it with the keyword “academia”.
The JWA will not record or publicize the names of alleged offenders, and submitters can choose whether they prefer to remain anonymous and how their testimony may be used (e.g., only for researchers, for general usage on the JWA website, and so on). The JWA will record and preserve the #MeToo testimonies of anyone (female, male, trans, non-binary etc.) who feels that their story belongs in this collection.
For more on archiving testimonies see Judith Rosenbaum’s article “Archiving #MeToo” in eJewish Philanthropy.
On Karen Kelsky’s survey of sexual harassment in academia (now closed) see the article “‘Holding Space’ for Victims of Harassment” published in Inside Higher Ed.
For more on the experience of women who chose to tell their stories, see What’s the Best Way to Say #MeToo published in Moment magazine.
