Did the reckoning of Art Green need to be public?
Hebrew College’s campus. Courtesy of Hebrew College
By Michael Berenbaum February 16, 2024
Re: “A beloved rabbi committed sexual misconduct. Here’s why the reckoning needs to be public” by Laura E. Adkins
To the editor:
I think Laura Adkins’ assessment of Rabbi Arthur Green in her recent article is incorrect.
In fairness, I have known Art for more than half a century. We have been friends. I have read, studied and reviewed his work. I respect him as a scholar, cherish him as a friend and admire him as a teacher.
When I heard about his alleged sexual misconduct and the subsequent actions taken by Hebrew College, I explored the matter. Having now read all the articles in major Jewish newspapers and wire services in the United States and Israel, as well as several other relevant public documents, I remain perplexed.
Art clearly made a mistake. Four years ago, he kissed an adult colleague, who was a former student. He then stopped, believing that his behavior was inappropriate. However, the person involved was no longer his student and Art was not in a supervisory position. Since the colleague was not eligible for tenure, Art had no role in determining his advancement or promotion.
No coercion, no retribution.
As I understand it, Art engaged with his colleague in a mediated process of repair and apologized for his hurtful behavior.
Why, then, did the Hebrew College leadership decide to go public with this story?
As I have been able to ascertain, they did so after hearing word that Art had engaged in similar behavior more recently in Jerusalem.
The supposed victim of this other incident publicly and explicitly denied that Art acted inappropriately. They added that a third person who witnessed the event misrepresented it publicly, claiming that he had been the object of Art’s affection, which he was not. With that, the rumor mill began to turn.
It seems the Hebrew College leadership team fell prey to this third-party fabrication and did not investigate the report adequately. They made a vague public statement that unleashed a torrent of speculation and gossip.
To publicly send a letter to the entire college community is outrageous, especially when the leadership of the College should have known that given how prominent a figure Art was, the story would be picked up by Jewish publications in the United States and Israel. Did his misbehavior, brief and limited as it was, warrant headlines and op-eds, subjecting him to public shaming? Is he a sexual predator whose mere presence on the Hebrew College campus presents a danger to students, faculty and colleagues? I think not.
Hebrew College acted both precipitously and harshly. Shrouding themselves in the pious language of teshuvah, they forgot the Talmudic admonition: “Whoever humiliates another person is considered to have shed blood.”
— Michael Berenbaum
Director of the Sigi Ziering Institute: Exploring the Ethical and Religious Implications of the Holocaust at American Jewish University
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