#MeToo and Sexual Harassment: Navigating Our Shared Responsibility

Social JusticeThe third Bea Zucker Social Justice course by Rabbi Dr. Meesh Hammer Kossoy is an analysis of how Jewish institutions respond to allegations of sexual harassment.

 What does ancient Jewish wisdom teach us about sexual harassment?  How does tradition guide institutions to respond?  And how are women empowered to respond when the justice system and employers fail to protect them?

The first unit examines the gravity with which Jewish law views sexual harassment, but also the challenges inherent in punishing such crimes.  Unit 2 focuses on institutional responsibility: if the court cannot sufficiently address the problem, what responsibility rests on employers and the Jewish community?  Units 3 and 4 explore the ways women should respond when these systems fail:  Unit 3 focuses on the right and obligation of both victims and bystanders to respond, while Unit 4 explores the ethical limits of doing so.

Unit 1. Our Inalienable Right to Dignity and Our Jewish Obligation to Protect

Unit 2: The Challenge of Institutional Courage

Unit 3: When the Systems Fail: Women Take Charge

Unit 4: Ethics Limits: Responsible Reports and Protecting from False Charges

Click here for this course in Spanish (translation in process).