Without such policies, she noted, someone who has been harassed doesn't necessarily know where to turn. Rabbi Lavey Derby of Tiburon's Conservative Congregation Kol Shofar agrees. But there's no reason it can't be made concrete to hand out to employees. But Pearce advises that synagogues move far beyond simply enacting policies to prevent problems. Local Jewish communities should create groups that enable rabbis to meet monthly, perhaps with a therapist on hand, to discuss the demands of their jobs.
Congregants have no idea.
Officially, the East Bay Council of Rabbis and the Board of Rabbis of Northern California haven't gotten involved in disciplining rabbis accused of sexual misconduct. Rabbi Roberto Graetz, chairman of the East Bay council, said his group doesn't formally deal with the issue. But every time an incident is reported, it is the informal topic of conversation. In theory, Lew said, any member of the Board of Rabbis of Northern California who clearly violated rabbinic ethics would be kicked off. But that has never happened, even in Kirschner's case.