The Awareness Center: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia
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{{Citations broken|date=December 2007}}
{{Infobox Organization
|name = The Awareness Center
|image =
|size =
|caption =
|formation = 2003
|type = Non-profit
|headquarters = [[Baltimore, MD]]
|leader_title = Executive Director
|leader_name = Vicki Polin
|key_people =
|num_staff =
|budget =
|website = [http://www.theawarenesscenter.org The Awareness Center, Incwww.theawarenesscenter.org]
}}
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|url=http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/AwarenessCenterBrochure.pdf
|title=The Awareness Center, Inc.
|accessdate = 2007-03-10
|format=PDF
|publisher=The Awareness Center
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|url=http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/mission.html
|title=The Awareness Center's mission statement
|accessdate = 2007-02-14
|date=2006-07-11
|publisher=The Awareness Center}}</ref>
==History==
Vicki Polin is the organization's Executive Director. In 2001, she founded the center "to address the issue and ramifications of sexual victimization to both adults and children in Jewish Communities".<ref name="meyer2007" />{{cite. webThe center was incorporated in the state of [[Maryland]] in 2003.<ref name="brochure" />
|url=http://www.washingtonjewishweek.com/print.asp?ArticleID=6566&SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4
|title=Awareness Center a clearinghouse of concern — and controversy
|accessdate = 2007-02-15▼
|last=Meyer▼
|first=Eugene L.▼
|coauthors=Richard Greenberg
|date=2007-01-18▼
|publisher=[[Washington Jewish Week]]
}}
</ref> The center was incorporated in the state of [[Maryland]] in 2003.<ref name="brochure" />
==Activities==
The organization offers a speakers bureau, and a certification program for [[rabbi]]s, [[Hazzan|cantors]] and other community leaders.<ref name="mission" /> Its web page includes lists of [[clergy]], [[Therapy|therapists]], and [[physician]]s who are sensitive to the needs of sexual trauma survivors,<ref>
<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/professionals.html
|title=Professionals serving the Jewish community
|accessdate = 2007-02-15
|date=2003-09-12
|publisher=The Awareness Center}}</ref>, definitions of different types of [[Sex and the law|sex crimes]], and articles published by the center explaining aspects of surviving and reporting such experiences.<ref>{{cite web▼
|publisher=The Awareness Center▼
}}
▲</ref> definitions of different types of [[Sex and the law|sex crimes]], and articles published by the center explaining aspects of surviving and reporting such experiences.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/awarenessarticles.html
|title=Articles written by the Awareness Center
|accessdate = 2007-02-15
|date=2006-12-19
|publisher=The Awareness Center}}</ref>
Rabbi [[Yosef Blau]], religious adviser at [[Yeshiva University]] and an advocate for victims of rabbinic sexual abuse and misconduct, has stated that the website is very valuable "[s]ince you can't get people arrested and there are no court cases, you have to use a standard that's reasonable and [disclosure] works in that context". The center no longer names its board members due to harassment, according to Polin, who said she herself has been threatened repeatedly with physical harm and was once spat on by a woman who was angry over an Awareness Center disclosure.<ref name="meyer2007">{{cite web
|url=http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/bullying.html▼
|title=Bullying, intimidation, extortion attempts and advocating for survivors of sexual violence▼
▲|accessdate = 2007-02-1514
▲|last=MeyerPolin
▲|first=Eugene L.Vicki
▲|date=20072006-0102-1814
|publisher=The Awareness Center}}</ref><ref name="meyer2007">{{cite web
|url=http://www.washingtonjewishweek.com/print.asp?ArticleID=6566&SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4
|title=Awareness Center a clearinghouse of concern — and controversy
|accessdate = 2007-02-15
|last=Meyer
|first=Eugene L.
|coauthors=Richard Greenberg
|date=2007-01-18
|publisherwork=[[Washington Jewish Week]]
|publisher=Jewish Telegraph Agency}}</ref>
}}
</ref>.
As of December 21 2007, the center site listed 259 "supportive rabbis", including Rabbi [[Reuven Bulka]], former head of the [[beth din]] of America<ref>{{cite web
==Criticism and controversy==▼
|url=http://www.bethdin.org/staff.htm
The Awareness Center does not limit itself to people who have been convicted of crimes. Some of the people profiled on the website have not been charged with any crime or even sued.<ref name = "CJN">{{cite web
|title=Our staff- the Beth Din of America
| url = http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2007/01/19/news/local/dcover0119.txt
|accessdate = 2007-0204-1409▼
| title = Clearinghouse of concern
|year=1999
| accessdate = 2007-12-11
|publisher=The Beth Din of America}}</ref> Rabbi [[Gedalia Dov Schwartz]], and the chief rabbi of [[Poland]] Rabbi [[Michael Schudrich]]<ref>{{cite web
| date = [[January 19]], [[2007]]
| publisher url= [http://www.clevelandjewishnewsmsnbc.msn.com/ The Cleveland Jewish News]id/12994579/site/newsweek/
|title=Poland's chief rabbi on Pope, Judaism
}}
▲ | accessdate = 2007-1204-1109
</ref>
|last=PolinKalb▼
|first=VickiClaudia▼
|date=2006-0205-1426▼
|work=Newsweek
|publisher=MSNBC.com}}</ref>.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/rabbissupport.html
|title=Rabbis who publicly support the efforts of the Awareness Center to end sexual violence in Jewish communities around the world
|accessdate=2007-02-14
|date=2006-12-16
▲|publisher=The Awareness Center}}</ref>
▲==Criticism and controversy==
Even though the organization does have policies posted<ref>[http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/policies.html]</ref> on the site regarding posting of names of alleged and covicted sex offenders, Rabbi [[Mark Dratch]], chair of the [[Rabbinical Council of America]]'s Task Force on Rabbinic Improprieties and founder of the organization [[JSafe]] (Jewish addressingInstitute sexualSupporting abusean in the JewishAbuse-Free communityEnvironment), said he left the Awareness Center board in "disagreement with [Polin] on the standards required for publishing on her Web site. I wasn't satisfied with the threshold of verification. There are people who've been victimized and others who've been subject to false reports also being victimized. The big problem we have in this area is verifying the allegations and moving forward."<ref name="meyer2007" />
Rabbi [[Tzvi Hersh Weinreb]], executive vice president of the [[Orthodox Union]] and a trained psychologist, said that
while the Awareness Center and the blogs "have served the purpose of keeping this in the public spotlight and keeping the pressure on established institutions to police their constituencies," nonetheless "I read everything with a grain of salt."<ref name="meyer2007" />
Rabbi Weinreb has also state that he does not have any specific training on the issues of sexual violence nor experience working with the legal system on any cases in the Jewish community.
Polin took the page of Board Members off the site in 2006, repeatedly citing harassment.<ref>{{cite web
▲|url=http://www.theawarenesscenter.org/bullying.html
▲|title=Bullying, intimidation, extortion attempts and advocating for survivors of sexual violence
▲|accessdate = 2007-02-14
▲|last=Polin
▲|first=Vicki
▲|date=2006-02-14
|publisher=The Awareness Center}}</ref><ref name="meyer2007" /> However in 2007 the page was restored. The only difference was the withdrawal of every Rabbi save one in Poland. None of the Rabbis cited harassment as their reasons for leaving.{{cn}}
==References==
{{reflistReflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.theawarenesscenter.org The Awareness Center, Inc.]
<!--These need to become specific references, or reduced in number-->
<!-- This edit can be used to expand the section on Vicki Polin, but it really adds nothing to TAC. Commenting out until I, or someone, can flesh out the Polin Section
*[http://www.jewishtimes.com/scripts/edition.pl?stay=1&SubSectionID=30&ID=2678 Baltimore Jewish Times, [[December 6]], [[2002]]] "Schools Try To Prep For Sexual Abuse".
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A12421-2003Feb1¬Found=true Washington Post - Sunday, February 2, 2003]. "Rabbi's Odyssey Reflects Struggle on Sexual Abuse - Jews Begin to Confront Silence That Hid Clergy's Misdeeds". Mentions the work of The Awareness Center, Inc.
-->
*[http://theawarenesscenter.org/inthenews.html#Rabbi Des Moines Register, November 14, 2003]. "Rabbi's visit canceled amid abuse allegations". Mentions the work of The Awareness Center, Inc.
*[http://www.thejewishtimes.com/scripts/edition.pl?now=2/20/2004&SubSectionID=30&ID=3692 Baltimore Jewish Times, February 20, 2004]. Local Activists Hit Orthodox Feminist Conference, by Aviva Richman. Mentions seminar given by Awareness Center president Vicki Polin, "Shattering the Silence: Childhood Sexual Abuse."
*[http://www.rickross.com/reference/clergy/clergy516.html Haaretz, Israel, July 6, 2006], "Defrocked rabbi's Jerusalem lecture cancelled after threats" By Daphna Berman
*[http://www.jta.org/page_view_story.asp?intarticleid=17471&intcategoryid=4 Jewish Telegraph Agency JTA), January 10, 2007], "Reining In Abuse: Awareness Center a clearinghouse of concern and controversy" By Eugene L. Meyer
*[http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-md.ci.assault19dec19,0,2743575.story Baltimore Sun, December 19, 2007], "Former bar mitzvah teacher charged in abuse" By Melissa Harris
*[http://wjz.com/local/rabbi.molesting.yisroel.2.614587.html CBS News (Baltimore), December 19, 2007], "Rabbi Accused Of Molesting Bar Mitzvah Students" By Adam May
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Awareness Center}}
[[Category:Jewish organizations]]