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Aleinu - Safeguarding Our Children
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Promoting and Standardizing Youth Safeguarding in Jewish Organizations

Aleinu, meaning “it’s on us,” is a do-it-yourself toolkit that provides Jewish youth-serving organizations with the education and practical tools they need to create robust youth-safeguarding practices.

Aleinu prepares Jewish organizations to prevent youth maltreatment within their institutions and be prepared to take responsible actions should instances or suspicions of maltreatment emerge.

As Rabbi Tarfon says in Pirkei Avot 2:15, the day is short, and the work is plentiful,

הַיּוֹם קָצָר וְהַמְּלָאכָה מְרֻבָּה

so let’s begin.

Aleinu’s Reach

Organizations

Children & Teens

Cities Reached

Aleinu’s 10 Best Practices:

This toolkit is organized into 10 Best Practices – each one full of resources to support your organization in implementing one critical aspect of this effort. Collectively, they offer a roadmap for youth safeguarding.

Form a Youth Safeguarding Committee

1. Organize

Create Opportunities
for Community Dialogue

2. Engage

Screen Employees and Volunteers

3. Screen

Assess your Space

4. Assess

Implement Guidelines for Interacting with Youth

5. Implement

Form a Youth Safeguarding Committee

1. Organize

Create Opportunities
for Community Dialogue

2. Engage

Screen Employees and Volunteers

3. Screen

Assess your Space

4. Assess

Implement Guidelines for Interacting with Youth

5. Implement

Train Adults in Safeguarding Practices

6. Train

Support Victim Survivors

7. Support

Protocols for Responding to Youth Maltreatment

8. Respond

Engage Youth in Safeguarding Efforts

9. Empower

Mantain & Evaluate your Youth Safeguarding Program

10. Sustain

Train Adults in Safeguarding Practices

6. Train

Support Victim Survivors

7. Support

Protocols for Responding to Youth Maltreatment

8. Respond

Engage Youth in Safeguarding Efforts

9. Empower

Mantain & Evaluate your Youth Safeguarding Program

10. Sustain

Who

Jewish organizations committed to improving their youth safeguarding practices.

Why

Our communities care about making our institutions places where youth are safe and nurtured. They need the tools and resources to guide and support their efforts.

How

Using this ever-growing bank of critical resources, Jewish organizations across the United States work simultaneously to promote meaningful shifts in our youth’s Jewish communal experiences.

How to Use Aleinu

WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE SAYING

“Aleinu provided our committee with the tools and expert guidance needed to feel confident engaging with the important work of keeping kids safe. We are able to work through the Best Practices at our own pace, and in line with our community’s unique culture.”

Aaron Steinberg, Hebrew Institute of White Plains

“Aleinu is a unique and critical resource for New York Jewish organizations, helping them not only meet their critical missions but also meet the standards of safety for our most precious community members — our children.”

Adina Frydman, Young Judaea Global

“We’ve gone from a congregation that hoped that things would be okay with our kids to a congregation that really thinks about what it means to make this an okay place for kids.”

Rabbi Barry Dov Katz, Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale

“[Aleinu] has been really great for us; we don’t have to create anything from scratch… Using the best practice format also allows us to focus on certain areas at a time so we’re able to stay on task, feel a sense of accomplishment. In less than a year, we’ve accomplished a lot. Having the Aleinu resources and the framework there has really helped us to accomplish our goals in an efficient manner in order to make our synagogue a safer place for children.”

Shira Isenberg, Congregation Beth Shalom of Naperville, Chicago