ISRAEL
Israel Hayom
Following recent scandals involving well-known religious figures, a new ruling determines it is not only permissible, but a duty to report sexual harassment to the police • “There is more common language with police today,” prominent rabbi says.
Yehuda Shlezinger and Israel Hayom Staff
In the wake of several recent scandals involving well-known figures from the religious public — among them former Brig. Gen. Ofek Buchris; former head of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Davidi Pearl; Rabbi Ezra Scheinberg and others — a new religious ruling states unequivocally: Sexual harassment or abuse must be reported to the police.
A comprehensive halachic document compiled by the Puah Institute for fertility, medicine, and Jewish law cites five halachic sources and determines that it is not only permissible, but an obligation, to complain about sexual harassment.
The document was drafted ahead of the 17th Puah Institute Conference, which will be held Wednesday.
In attendance will be doctors and rabbis, with the goal of teaching municipal, neighborhood and community rabbis about the latest innovations in the fields of gynecology, fertility, genetics and more. This year, a panel at the conference will specifically examine the religious duty of reporting sexual harassment to the authorities.
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