Last Thursday and Friday, the documentary film “Standing Silent” opened at the 11th annual Atlanta Jewish Film Festival.
The film, which took over two years in the making, is produced by Scott Rosenfelt. It traced the journey of the Jewish Times’ work of covering the difficult issue of sexual molestation within the Orthodox community.
I want to thank the Atlanta Jewish community for putting on a magnificent film festival offering some 60 movies to choose from. It was done with such class.
The film offered what seemed like two different emotional fronts. There was gratification from seeing attention brought to this topic. But there was also a great deal of sadness felt from the topic of molestation itself.
After the film was screened, four of us were asked questions and answers by the audience. It was such a wonderful moment when Rabbi Ilan Feldman, a Ner Israel graduate, got up the first night and said that if anyone was hurting in Atlanta, he would be there for them. He also made it clear that molestation would not be tolerated in the Atlanta Jewish Community.
It was then after the questions and answers on both days that even emotional angst came forth. People, many people, came forward with bravery and some sadness to tell me that they too had experienced the unthinkable. For them, they said, the movie represented a little hope.
The best part was when I was able to tell the audiences that in Baltimore, the Shofar Coalition was with love and confidence, holding healing services and regular sessions for Jews of all denominations who were the survivors of trauma.
Again, I want to thank Scott Rosenfelt, the AJFF organizers, my wife and family, my survivor family, the Shofar Coalition, Baltimore’s therapeutic community and my publisher Andrew Buerger for bringing this film and the truth to light.
Now we move forward with still more work to do.

Yasher Koach.  There are no words to describe the pain that a survivor feels for the years to come after the trauma of what feels like murder of the neshama inside the little child.  To risk and continue to endure the vitriolic backlash you have takes great courage because the betrayal feels repeated again and again.

I’d love to see this film.  Is it going to be available in any other way?

May Hashem continue to bless you with strength and healing - true nachas ruach.

Allow me to add my sincere Yasher Koach for the personal integrity you have demonstrated in exposing your own and the experiences of others who were sexually molested as children.

I, too, was molested; in my case it was in the basement of an Orthodox synagogue by the rabbinical-student youth counselor in my hometown, NYC. I was about 11 at the time. So I know the fear, confusion and general trauma resulting from such an experience.

Thanks, Phil.