The Ethics Committee of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) cannot do its vital work if we do not know about potential violations of our Code of Ethics. The CCAR’s ethics process and the investigation of violations of the Code only can take place after a complaint is received. In administering our ethics process, we are grateful for those who come forward to report concerns and problems. All cases are treated with the utmost care, integrity, and confidentiality.
This document is intended to provide guidance on the CCAR ethics process to complainants and the public. For reference, the CCAR’s Code of Ethics can be found here.
- To file a confidential complaint, please email EthicsChair@ccarnet.org.
- If you are considering filing an ethics complaint and have questions about the CCAR ethics process, please email Ethics@ccarnet.org to arrange a confidential meeting to learn more.
In brief, the CCAR ethics process is about rabbinical religious ethics; it is not a secular legal process. It evaluates rabbi-members with respect to their membership in the CCAR; it does not concern their employment, which is between them and their employers. It does not result in “defrocking” a rabbi. Although the process is confidential, as explained below, it does not bar any person from seeking the intervention of law enforcement or personal, medical or legal assistance. If a complaint discloses reportable abusive behavior, that behavior will be reported.
The CCAR, the Code of Ethics, and the Ethics Committee
The CCAR is a membership organization of rabbis affiliated with the Reform Movement. Membership in the CCAR is voluntary and is renewed annually. As a membership organization, the CCAR does not supervise rabbis or oversee the governance of congregations or other organizations that may employ CCAR rabbis. Also, the CCAR does not have the authority to “defrock” rabbis. Rather, the CCAR has authority to discipline rabbis found to have violated the CCAR’s Code of Ethics.
The CCAR Code of Ethics is written and approved by the rabbi-members of the CCAR. First adopted in 1991, the Code is regularly re-evaluated and amended to reflect changing norms, communal needs, and feedback. Most recently, the Code was amended for the nineteenth time in June 2024.
The Ethics Code is a system by which rabbis hold each other accountable.
Collectively, CCAR members promise to abide by the highest standards of rabbinic behavior as set forth in the Code of Ethics. The CCAR is an assembly of rabbis, and its Code of Ethics is an “ecclesiastical” system, based on religious principles and expectations rabbis are expected to uphold. It is not a legal or judicial process, it is not analogous to a legal trial or court proceeding, and it is not intended to take the place of the secular judicial system or interfere with any legal rights a complainant may have, including recourse a complainant may have through arbitration, mediation, or other dispute resolution processes.
It is the sacred task of the CCAR Ethics Committee to administer the ethics process. Currently, the Ethics Committee is made up of fourteen rabbis and one lay leader who volunteer to serve for five-year terms. Reflecting the seriousness of this work, the appointment to serve on the committee is confirmed by a vote of the CCAR members. The committee’s work is led by one of its members, who is voted in by the CCAR to serve a two-year term as chair. The work of the committee is supported by two staff members—the Director of Rabbinic Ethics, who facilitates the day-to-day administration of the ethics process, and the Ethics Advisor for Inquiries and Complaint Intake, who meets with prospective complainants. The members of the Ethics Committee are trained by experts in investigations, being trauma-informed, and other related areas. All members of the CCAR Ethics Committee can be found here.
The First Step of the CCAR Ethics Process
It is often a difficult decision to file an ethics complaint. In order to assist with an understanding of the ethics process, before filing an ethics complaint a potential complainant may meet by Zoom or telephone with the CCAR’s Ethics Advisor for Inquiries and Complaint Intake. During this confidential meeting, the Ethics Advisor will explain the CCAR’s ethics process and answer any questions a complainant may have. The aim of this meeting is to provide the information necessary so that the potential complainant may make an informed decision about whether to proceed with filing a complaint.
The Integrity of the Ethics Process
Those who engage in the ethics process—complainants, rabbis, witnesses, and other parties (for example, the rabbi’s employer)—are expected to abide by the procedures and norms of the ethics process set forth in the Code. These procedures and norms are in place to ensure that the ethics process is fairly and confidentially administered for all parties, that all parties are heard, and that the privacy, integrity, and reputations of all parties are protected. Recognizing that the process is stressful for everyone concerned, the CCAR asks everyone’s forbearance while the ethics process proceeds, including respect for the privacy and reputation of everyone involved.
The Importance of Confidentiality—and Its Limits
The ethics process, starting with a complainant’s initial inquiry, is confidential so that the Ethics Committee can do its work to determine if a rabbi violated the Code of Ethics.
While the CCAR ethics process is ongoing, everyone involved is asked to honor the confidentiality of the process. Confidentiality assists the resolution of complaints that invariably involve personal situations for everyone involved and better assures that the parties and witnesses will provide information, and the victims feel they may share their experiences.
While the ethics process is confidential, the complainant or rabbi may confide in a small circle of confidants for support, provided they are not potential witnesses or are not involved in the conduct described in the complaint. Of course, they may also discuss this in a therapeutic setting. Although legal counsel for any participant does not play a direct role in the ethics process, a complainant may discuss the ethics process and consult with legal counsel. (See more under the section entitled A Complainant’s Right to Seek Legal, Medical, or Other Assistance below.)
An exception to confidentiality arises if a rabbi who is the subject of a complaint is considered by the Ethics Committee to pose a risk of serious, imminent harm or danger. In that case, the CCAR has a mechanism for suspending the rabbi from placement before adjudication and publicly posting notice of that suspension on the CCAR website. Other than this exception, the CCAR does not have the authority to discipline a rabbi, or impose any conditions or limitations on a rabbi’s conduct while an ethics investigation is being undertaken, prior to the issuance of a disciplinary decision.
After an ethics case is concluded, if the Ethics Committee determines a rabbi violated the Code and is either censured, suspended, or expelled, a notice of that decision is publicly posted on the CCAR’s website. If a rabbi is exonerated or reprimanded, that rabbi’s name is not publicly posted, however exoneration or reprimand is disclosed to the congregation and others involved in the resolution of the complaint. After an ethics case is concluded, except for the public posting on the CCAR’s website of a censure, suspension, or expulsion, the ethics process and documents provided to the Ethics Committee remain confidential.
A Complainant’s Right to Seek Legal, Medical, or Other Assistance
The CCAR’s ethics process is not intended to take the place of the secular judicial system or interfere with any legal rights a complainant may have, including recourse a complainant may have through arbitration, mediation, or other dispute resolution processes. The Code of Ethics prioritizes the rights of complainants to first pursue their legal rights.
Specifically the Code (Section III) states:
The nature and practice of Reform Judaism and its ethical legacy mandate that our religious conscience place highest priority on the needs of those who lack the legal, mental, or physical capacity to protect themselves. It is therefore essential to report suspected abuse of minors and incapacitated adults, even if the civil laws of the state or province do not require the rabbi to do so or even if those same laws might allow for avoidance on grounds of clergy privilege.
Importantly, a complainant or witness who feels injured or threatened should take whatever legal steps are believed necessary for protection. Depending on the circumstances, the CCAR may pause an investigation until the resolution of any legal proceedings that a complainant or witness brings. Once the legal proceedings are fully resolved, the CCAR will restart the ethics process, taking into account the results of the legal proceeding.
Also, a complainant or potential complainant is encouraged to seek psychological, medical, or other appropriate support services in connection with the circumstances that give rise to an ethics complaint.
Investigation of a Complaint
After the Ethics Committee receives a complaint, it first determines whether the allegations against a rabbi state a violation of the Code’s provisions. If so, the complaint is accepted and sent to said rabbi, who will provide a response to the Ethics Committee. If there are factual questions that require resolution, the Ethics Committee will initiate an information gathering process. A member of the Ethics Committee will serve as case manager to administer the ethics process and communicate with the parties as it proceeds through its various stages. The information gathering process typically involves the formation of an Information Gathering Team, usually composed of two volunteer rabbis and a lay leader with relevant expertise, which will request that the parties and witnesses provide documents and will interview the parties and witnesses. Depending on the factual complexity of the case, including the number of witnesses that may need to be interviewed and number of documents to be reviewed, a full investigation can take six months to a year. In some cases, the process is longer.
Once the Information Gathering Team completes its investigation, it will issue a preliminary report that it will share with the complainant, the rabbi, and other interested parties as required by the Code (for example, the president of the synagogue where the alleged conduct took place). After receiving and considering comments from the parties, the Information Gathering Team will issue a final report of its findings, which it will submit to the full Ethics Committee for consideration. After the final report is issued to the Ethics Committee, the complainant, the rabbi, and other interested parties, will have the opportunity to comment on the final report and meet, individually, with the Ethics Committee via a Zoom meeting.
The Ethics Committee’s Decision
The Ethics Committee is authorized to determine whether to discipline a rabbi under the Code. CCAR Ethics Code Section VII.J sets forth the levels of discipline if a violation of the Ethics Code is found: reprimand, censure, suspension from the CCAR, and expulsion from the CCAR.
While the CCAR has the authority to direct that a rabbi abide by certain conditions or limitations on their rabbinate in connection with discipline, the CCAR does not have the authority to “defrock” a rabbi. In all cases where a rabbi is disciplined under the CCAR Ethics Code, the rabbi’s employer is advised of the CCAR’s decision. The rabbi’s employer can independently determine what the implications of an Ethics Code violation are. Unlike a human resources process, the CCAR, which is not the rabbi’s employer or supervisor, does not have the authority to resolve or mediate employment disputes or require that an employer terminate the rabbi’s employment. This is consistent with the fact that the CCAR is a membership-based organization for Reform rabbis, and the Ethics Code is a system by which rabbis hold each other accountable.
The T’shuvah—Rehabilitation Counseling Process
If a CCAR member is found to have violated the Code, the rabbi is required to engage in an in-depth process of ethical t’shuvah-rehabilitation counseling (TRaC), which usually extends approximately twelve to eighteen months. This process is described in Section VIII of the CCAR Ethics Code.
A TRaC team, consisting of three rabbis appointed by the Ethics Committee, supervises, guides, and monitors the rabbi towards t’shuvah-rehabilitation. As set forth in the Code of Ethics, “The core of the process is for the healing and growth of the rabbi beginning with an awareness of the reality of what the rabbi has done and its impact on others. Awareness of the rabbi as an ethical role model and one who must exemplify holiness should be emphasized” (Code, Section VIII). A TRaC team’s work with a rabbi is pastoral in nature and for that reason it is confidential, as would be any communications held within the exercise of pastoral care.
The Ethics Committee considers the following criteria when determining whether a rabbi has successfully completed the TRaC process: “a) unequivocal acknowledgment of responsibility for harm done to victims, the congregation or institution, and honor of the rabbinate, with specific violations and actions acknowledged; b) an acceptable expression of remorse to who have been harmed; c) demonstrated resolve never to repeat any offense of this nature; d) the making of restitution, which may include expenses incurred by the victim(s) and/or appropriate actions as mandated by the Ethics Committee” (Code, Section VII.L.4).
The CCAR is committed to the full inclusion of all individuals in the ethics process. As part of this commitment, the CCAR will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If such an accommodation is required, please contact the chair of the Ethics Committee.
Again, the CCAR is grateful to those who come forward to share their experience and help create safe and sacred environments.
- To file a confidential complaint, please email it to EthicsChair@ccarnet.org.
- If you are considering filing an ethics complaint and have questions about the CCAR ethics process please email Ethics@ccarnet.org to arrange a confidential meeting to learn more.