Rabbi Horowitz, Bright Beginnings, and Some Clarifications

Here I posted a response from Rabbi Horowitz to my letter. The letter and response has got to be one of the most popular things flying around the ortho j-blogs of all "personalities" (Hirhurim, Mishmar, ShmoozED, DAG, Harry Maryles, Charlie Hall, Orthomom, SerandEz, DovBear, Hayom, Shmarya Rosenberg, Imamother Forum, and probably more but this is what my search turned up-my apologies to those who were missed. Feel free to leave me a note. With nearly the fewest comments, I'm not feeling like a high and mighty blogger).

Without a doubt, this letter is generating a debate on an important subject. Rabbi Horowitz, being a leader, is engaging the services of well-known and trusted lay leaders to produce kosher materials to assist parents with discussing these important subjects with their children, through a division of "Bright Beginnings," an already established program. (See the Rabbi's comments below to learn more about Bright Beginnings and the work engaged in). Since Harry Maryles is much quicker on the keyboard, I will refer you to the relevant program information here. I plan to make a small donation myself, bli neder, after our next paycheck in the next calendar year.

Lastly. Please continue to read the comments on Rabbi Horowitz's piece. However, I specifically want to post some comments of clarification from Rabbi Horowitz. They follow below:
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Several points are in order – to you, other readers, and those who posted:

1) Regarding the numbers [of victims] that I noted in my column: A careful reading of my column clearly indicates that this (“hundreds” number) was not to be regarded as a ‘hard number’ by any means. It was rather to stress the point that there are far more than a tiny amount of victims out there (and therefore worthy of seriously addressing the issue.) As for doing the math as you suggest – five times fifty-two would seem to indicate that one therapist alone receives 260 new cases each year. However, Dr. Pelcovitz is one of the acclaimed experts in the field, and not representative of the average therapist. Additionally, as I can attest from people calling my home or Project YES, there are many, many repeat calls and often multiple inquiries regarding the same ‘situation.’ Finally, the words I used in context, “… when I asked if they would say that there are a) tens, b) hundreds or c) thousands [of abused children], each responded that there are surely hundreds…,” hardly sounds like an attempt to minimize the issue. Quite to the contrary, I think the average reader was surprised by the significant number noted, not annoyed that I underestimated the number of victims.

2) Regarding the “fundraising” matter: In the original column, I noted that I’ve been wanting to produce a booklet for members of the Torah community that will help parents speak to their children about abuse prevention (FYI; this is for parents, not anything school-based).
Since posting the column this past Thursday, I received many responses from people who were pleased that I was considering taking concrete steps to help parents protect their children and wanted to assist with this effort. I thought that it would be prudent to create a credible, transparent entity managed by respected lay leaders and one with professional oversight in order to allow people to track the good work generated by their donations.

3) I am not a “one issue” person. I am certainly not an expert on abuse and neglect, not do I plan on making the very noble cause of preventing abuse the primary or even secondary focus of my writing and/or time. This column is #21 in a weekly series of Q&A columns that I started a few months ago. Feel free to review the others on my site (Click here.) They are as diverse as the questions posed to me by the readers of the email columns, and I expect #23 to be on a different topic altogether.

I do, however, take my responsibilities very seriously and felt that I should not dodge a tough question regarding the topic of abuse – one that is certainly on the minds of many parents. It would have been rather convenient (and perhaps prudent) for me to refrain from responding to that question. I’m still glad that I did, and if my response helps raise awareness and prevent even one child from victimization, I will consider it to be well worth the time and energy spent writing the two columns – and responding to posted comments.

4) As far as “Bright Beginnings” is concerned, I want to make it perfectly clear that a) this is not something that I thought of or started this past week, and that b) the primary focus of this endeavor is to help Jewish children succeed in school and in life.
For the past number of years, I have written numerous articles about the urgent need to invest in the education of our children. (Click here for several sample articles: #1, #2 , #3, #4, #5 , #6, #7.)

About a year ago, I began discussions with foundations and individual prospective donors to develop programs designed to invest in our children in the areas noted below. Read "Making the Case" – a column that I published in The Jewish Press over a year ago, and you will perhaps get a better understanding of the mindset that created Bright Beginnings.

My vision for the program is to:

a) Expand our on-line listing of resources to help parents access services for their children and familes.
b) Create and disseminate quality materials to help Jewish children acquire skills for Hebrew reading, chumash and gemarah.
c) Create communities of practice for educators to exchange ideas and materials. (I already took some significant steps to begin this process and will inform my readers of this in the coming months.)
d) Create tolerance, honesty/integrity, and safety programs for Jewish children.

We have already made significant progress in the areas of the Listing of Resources (item ‘A’) and are very actively working on the preparation of materials and communities of practice (items ‘B’ and ‘C’). I plan on writing some columns on these initiatives, but I was honestly waiting until they were further developed before doing so. (See the “People helping people” section of my original post. That was my first effort to introduce the concept to the public.)

Bright Beginnings will not be limited to abuse prevention, nor will this be a major component of our efforts. However, due to the outpouring of emotions and requests to have the booklet published, I decided to move forward with item ‘D’ – the abuse prevention booklet, and I will make every effort to work with Dr. Pelcovitz and others to produce a booklet geared to help frum parents speak to their children about protecting themselves from predators. It is in this spirit that I opened Bright Beginnings to the public and invited people who wished to contribute to do so – to the production of the booklet, or other projects that I’ve written about. (Please read the text of my original post. I state that very clearly.)

Quite a number of people requested that I create a venue for those who wish to make [smaller] donations to this particular project (the abuse-prevention booklet) and/or for those who wish to fund some of the projects that I have been writing about in my columns over the past months and years.

To honor these requests and to help actualize many of my dreams for the enhancement of educational and social opportunities for Jewish children around the world, I am pleased to inform my readers that I am initiating the “Bright Beginnings Program.” (Within 30 days, I hope to post a mission statement for Bright Beginnings on my website and list details regarding some of the programs ….)

Will any or all of the things noted above happen? Only time will tell. But I can assure you that they most certainly are needed to help our children succeed in today’s challenging times (click here and here.)

I am deeply committed to devoting time, passion and energy to see that these items move from concept to reality.

Respectfully

Yakov Horowitz