DEBORAH STONE: A survey of Jewish community workers has found that gender-based discrimination is widespread across community groups, synagogues and schools

BULLYING AND EXCLUSION are common experiences for women and non-binary people working in Jewish organisations, a survey of Jewish community workers has found.

Gender-based discrimination is widespread, with progressive and left-wing organisations just as likely to have problems as those in the conservative or Orthodox spheres, despite stated ideological commitments to equality.

The study found few cases of sexual violence or sexual harassment but a great many cases where women and minorities were excluded from decision-making, refused access to important information or ostracised.

The survey was conducted by Associate Professor David Slucki and Dr Jordana Silverstein from the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University, with Dr Karla Elliott, a lecturer in sociology at Monash. The project is the first to be supported by the Kerryn Baker Memorial Endowment for Gender Research, established in the ACJC in memory of the late Dr Kerryn Baker.

The research analysed data from 462 respondents, both current and former workers in Jewish community organisations including synagogues, schools and community groups.

Underpinning many of the problems is a pervasive mythology that a communal organisation is “like a family,” and therefore does not require the formal processes of a professional workplace, the study found.
Associate Professor Slucki, who holds the Loti Smorgon Research Chair in Contemporary Jewish Life and Culture, said the language of family used by community organisations was covering up problems.

While many people working in communal organisations had positive experiences and enjoyed the sense of contributing to something they believe in, it was disingenuous to think a workplace could or should behave like a family – or that feeling “like a family” meant no one would be maltreated.

“We need to ditch the family metaphor,” said Associate Professor Slucki. “People use it to leverage power imbalances and it sweeps problems under the rug. A workplace should not talk about itself as a family. It’s a place where people earn their living, and they have the right to be treated professionally.”