About the Wall of Shame
Moral and Ethical Responsibility
Sexual offenders pose a high risk of committing further sex offenses. Therefore, it is
necessary for the safety of the public to reduce the potential risk of physical and/or
psychological and emotional harm to children and their families by notifying the community
of those individuals that potentially pose such a risk. To that end, JCW maintains a Wall of
Shame on which are posted any individuals whom JCW feels pose a significant risk to public
safety, especially with regard to children.
To protect the safety and general welfare of members of various Jewish communities, it is
necessary to provide a public database of alleged sex offenders. Research strongly suggests
that the availability of such a database significantly decreases the amount of sexual
offenses within a particular subculture. The fear of being publicly caught and
ousted serves as a significant deterrent for potential abusers within our
community. The designation of a person as an alleged sexual offender by JCW is
neither a sentence nor a punishment, but simply a status resulting from the factual
awareness of the commission of certain offenses by certain individuals, with corroborating
evidence of both incidences and individuals collected from additional sources.
JCW assumes neither the status of a beit din (religious court), nor a secular court of law.
When there is evidence in the public record, such as charges and convictions, that provide
support for the inclusion of an individual on the Wall of Shame, we will use that as
evidence. However, in no way should the inclusion of an individual on the Wall of Shame be
in any way construed as direct evidence of having been found guilty of any sexual crime by
any court, religious or secular.
In making this information and these allegations public, JCW does not intend for the
information to be used to inflict retribution or punishment. While JCW is well aware of the
possibility of misuse, we find that the dangers to the public of non-disclosure far outweigh
the risk of possible misuse of this information. JCW has a carefully calibrated system of
checks and balances in place to ensure that no one person has the power to decide who, what,
and when something gets publicized. Individuals are only included on the Wall of Shame
following comprehensive and extensive investigatory processes conducted by JCW. (
Read more about the investigation Process here)
The JCW Wall of Shame pertains to individuals that are members of, or are frequent attendees
of, religious Jewish educational institutions, shuls, synagogues, schools, yeshivas, or
other religious Jewish establishments. It generally is not applicable to situations not
germane to the Jewish community.
Regarding Institutional and Communal Interference
The failure of community leaders and institutions to advocate for survivors of child sexual
abuse and/or prosecute abusers can often lead to devastating consequences which can increase
greatly the pain that results from such abuse. In many communities, active coercion is
employed by communal leaders to deter survivors from filing criminal charges and/or active
protection is given to alleged abusers, thus assuring no forms of justice are sought and no
healing can take place.
Whether active or passive, intentional or not, failing to follow up on reports of CSA enables
accused molesters to go unmonitored and unrestricted and often leads them to believe that
they can commit repeated crimes with impunity and without fear of being caught or punished.
Inevitably, abusers go unpunished and undeterred while the survivors of their abuse are
forced into silence about their horrific experiences. By remaining silent, not only are
survivors of previous abuse forced to endure agony in silence, but untold others are put in
danger of future abuse.
The Wall of Shame works to help victims in their processes of healing and let survivors know
their voices are being heard. For many survivors, seeing their abusers accused publicly,
knowing they have helped prevent future abuse, is very gratifying and cathartic and a major
step on the path to healing.
Regarding Governmental Statutes of Limitations
There is great variance among law codes at all levels (local, county, state, federal,
international) regarding the statutes of limitations pertaining to the ability for survivors
of child sexual abuse (CSA) to press charges against their abuser. In many states, when
survivors reach a certain age, perpetrators can no longer be charged with the crime;
accusers are left with no option to seek justice and restitution and consequently, abusers
evade justice. For more information on statutes of limitations and related issues, please
visit our Law section
According to the Torah and Halacha (Jewish law), there are no statutes of limitation for
crimes. Consequently, perpetrators of sexual crimes cannot be absolved of their crimes
through passage of time. JCW believes that time does not automatically absolve an abuser of
the guilt of their crimes, nor does it necessarily reduce the risk posed by an individual;
after all, the mere passage of time does not guarantee the capability of a survivor to get
over the potentially shattering consequences of being abused. For more information regarding
the halachos (Jewish law) surrounding child sexual abuse please visit our Halacha
page. Also, please visit our FAQ page for additional
information.
