Displaced Anger and Denial - Breaking the Taboo of Silence in 5767

A key component of Jewish high holiday season is to ask for forgiveness from anyone one may have wronged during the previous year. To whatever extent possible, we want to begin the year with a clean slate -- and without anyone harboring a grudge against us. One should also be quick to forgive those who have wronged him or her. Keeping that in mind I want to talk about those who enable alleged and convicted sex offenders.

I often wondered if those who verbally attack survivors and victim advocates are using a form of the defense mechanisms called Displaced Anger and Denial?

It's so much easier to attack someone who is breaking the taboo of silence then it is to own up to the truth. I wonder how long it will take our communities to accept the truth. We have a serious problem. We can no longer ignore it. With the thanks of people like Rabbi Yosef Blau, Luke Ford, Jewish Whistleblower, Vicki Polin and The Awareness Center -- it is no longer a secret. What do we do next? The answer is education. I don't mean people who have been a part of the problem doing the education. I'm saying we need to have those who have worked in the field for many years to step in and do educational programming in our schools, yeshivas and synogogues. I've been reading about The Awareness Center's certification program for rabbis and community leaders. I know they need the funding to get the program off the ground. I'm suggesting that everyone who reads this blog to donate $18.00 to The Awareness Center so we can really start to see change. They are a non-profit organization with tax exempt status. Send checks to:

The Awareness Center, Inc.
P.O. Box 65273
Baltimore, MD 21209

I also want to ask if there is a prayer everyone can say to make 5767 a better year for our children, young adults and everyone else who may be sexually violated?

Is there a prayer we can all say to make it easier for those who are already struggling with their survivorhood?

If anyone knows, please post them here.