ETHICS STATEMENT OF THE VAAD OF THE ALEPH ORDINATION PROGRAMS

To students, potential students, teachers, mentors, mashpi’im, advisors and guides affiliated with the ALEPH Ordination Program: 

We, the members of the VAAD of the ALEPH Ordination Program, are the governing body of a trans-denominational program for the training and ordination of rabbis, cantors and rabbinic pastors. 

We are individually and collectively accountable for our actions, both personally and professionally, with regard to students, potential students and graduates of our program, and with regard to students, potential students and graduates of other programs who participate in the training and/or continuing education that we offer, and with regard to colleagues with whom we have a supervisor, equal or supervisoree relationship.

The rabbis and cantors on the VAAD are subject to the OHALAH: Association for Jewish Renewal Policy and Procedure regarding Breach of Professional Trust:  Sexual and Financial Ethics (the “OHALAH Ethics Code”).

The rabbinic pastors on the VAAD are subject to the Rabbinic Pastor Association Preliminary Ethics Statement (the “Pastor Statement”). 

In addition, all members of the VAAD are subject to the ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal Policy and Procedure regarding Breach of Professional Trust:  Sexual and Financial Ethics (the “ALEPH Ethics Code”).

You may download a copy of the OHALAH Ethics Code on the web at http://www.ohalah.org/guidelinesohalah.htm or request a copy from Rabbi Pamela Frydman Baugh, OHALAH Administrative Director, at pbfrydman@yahoo.com

You may request a copy of the Pastor Statement from Rabbinic Pastor David Daniel Klipper, President of the Rabbinic Pastor Association at daviddaniel@klipper.us.

The ALEPH Ethics Code is available on the web at https://www.aleph.org/code_professional.htm or you may request a copy from Rabbinic Student Debra Kolodny, ALEPH Executive Director, at debraruth@mac.com.

For the protection of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, its branches, sub-branches and programs, and for the protection of our students, potential students, teachers, mentors, mashpi’im, advisors, guides, and one another, we request that you complete and sign this Ethics Statement.

PLEASE BE ADVISED that by continuing to learn, teach, mentor, advise, guide or offer hashpa’ah in relation to the ALEPH Ordination Program after you receive a copy of this statement,  and regardless of whether you complete and sign this Ethics Statement, you are automatically subject to the jurisdiction of one or more of the following ethics codes or ethics statement:

• If you are a rabbi or cantor, you are subject to the OHALAH Ethics Code and the ALEPH Ethics Code.

• If you are a rabbinic student member or cantorial student member of OHALAH, you are subject to the OHALAH Ethics Code and the ALEPH Ethics Code.

• If you are a rabbinic pastor or pastor student, you are subject to the Pastor Statement and the ALEPH Ethics Code.

• Everyone else is subject to the ALEPH Ethics Code.

NOTICE TO STUDENTS OF THE ALEPH ORDINATION PROGRAM:  Should you continue to learn with a teacher, mentor, advisor, guide or mashpiah and not provide such person with a copy of this Ethics Statement, or should you provide such person with a copy of this Ethics Statement and that person does not provide you with a signed copy of this Ethics Statement, PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

NOTICE TO EVERYONE READING THIS STATEMENT:  Nothing in this Ethics Statement, including your responses below, is intended to alter or relieve you from jurisdiction or responsibility under such other ethics policy to which you may be subject. 

Should you believe that you have been the victim of an ethical violation, you may bring a complaint to whichever organization and under whichever ethics policy you believe to be appropriate under the circumstances.  If you are not sure which is appropriate, we recommend that you consult with Rabbi Marcia Prager, Dean of the ALEPH Ordination Program at rebmarcia@aol.com or 215-849-9227.

Should you be accused of violating the relevant ALEPH or OHALAH Ethics Code, you may choose to be subject to investigation and discipline under another ethics policy that you have listed below provided that the organization that maintains such policy agrees in writing to investigate the matter and inform the Dean of the ALEPH Ordination Program in writing of the results of the investigation, including all findings, determinations, judgments, decisions and treatment plans.

NOTICE REGARDING DATING, COURTSHIP AND ENTERING INTO ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STUDENTS OR POTENTIAL STUDENTS AND MENTORS, TEACHERS, MASHPI’IM, ADVISORS AND GUIDES:  Please be advised that it is generally not appropriate for a teacher, mentor or mashpiah to enter into a romantic relationship with a student.  When there is an attraction between single/unpartnered students or potential students and a single/unpartnered person who is a teacher, mentor or mashpiah or potential teacher, mentor or mashpiah  consult with Rabbi Shaya Isenberg at 352-331-5672 or sri@religion.ufl.edu before beginning a courtship or romantic relationship or as soon thereafter as you become aware of this opportunity.  Rabbi Isenberg will provide guidelines and counseling to protect both parties, with emphasis on protecting the rights of the student or potential student.

Dated:  January7, 2008

Rabbi Marcia Prager

Rabbi Samuel Barth

Rabbi Leila Gal Berner 

Rabbinic Pastor Shulamit Fagan

Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg

Rabbi Victor Gross

Rabbi Shaya Isenberg

Rabbi Laura Duhan Kaplan

Cantor Jack Kessler

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Rabbi Steve Silvern         

Rabbi Shohama Weiner

Download STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE (.pdf form)