April 5, 2000

Innocent Until Proven Guilty or Guilty Until Proven Innocent?
New OU Publication Explores "The Other Side of the Story"

In the Passover story, Moses is told by God to go to the Jewish people - who were enslaved in Egypt - and assure them that they will soon be freed. In response to God's instructions, Moses expresses his doubt in the people, "But they will not believe me and they will not heed my voice, for they will say, 'God did not appear before you' " (Exodus 4:1-6).

It is human nature to "size up" the people we meet and situations we face. And it is common to form almost instantaneous judgments about a person's character. Even Moses, one of our history's most esteemed leaders, thought the worst of the very people he was instructed to save. But are we too critical? Are we too quick to expect the worst of our friends, colleagues and acquaintances? Or are we too accepting and naive about the fallibility of our fellow human beings?

A new Orthodox Union publication, sponsored by the organization's Pardes Project, looks to the Jewish tradition's biblical and rabbinic texts for guidance on how to achieve the appropriate balance between judging people fairly and preventing oneself from being taken advantage of by being aware of people's faults.

The Other Side of the Story Pardes source book was inspired by a book of the same name, authored by Yehudis Samet. A renowned Israeli educator, Mrs. Samet has - for many years - taught classes on the Torah's commandment to "dan l'kaf zchut," (give others the benefit of the doubt.) Drawing on her years of experience, Mrs. Samet recently published an illuminating volume on this subject.

"We don't for a moment question the value or importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt," writes Rabbi Yaacov Haber, Director of the Pardes Project, in his introduction to this source book. "However, the essential question is: How do we balance this with the need to discern the truth, to be intellectually honest and to ensure that we're making the right decisions that will affect our lives and those of our families."

The guide book begins with a hypothetical scenario in which someone thinks they have overheard their most trusted and closest friend telling another person something that was shared in confidence. The booklet challenges readers to place themselves in this situation and consider whether or not they would (or could) simply assume that they had heard wrong and continue the friendship as before.

Sources presented in the pamphlet address the complexities of fair judgment in terms of legal matters, personal relationships such as those between a teacher and student, employer and employee or two friends, and the relationship between humans and God - the ultimate judge.

The Pardes Project, a monthly educational program, enables Jews of all backgrounds to explore centuries-old wisdom on contemporary issues through informal, nonjudgmental home-based discussion groups.

Since 1995, the Pardes Project has revitalized the world of adult Jewish learning. In living rooms, senior centers, college campuses and synagogues in 15 countries around the world including Australia, Singapore, South Africa and Germany, more than 15,000 people are participating in the Pardes dialogue. Previous Pardes topics include spirituality, ecology, terrorism, friendship, gender and guilt. For more information on the Pardes Project, please call 1-800-4CHAVER.

For editors only: For a free copy of The Other Side of the Story Pardes source book, please call (212) 613-8321.

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of America and beyond, is the world leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the , is the world's most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on nearly 250,000 products in 68 countries around the globe.

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Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America Department of Public Relations Sharyn Perlman, Director Main Office: 11 Broadway, New York, NY 10004 Phone: 212-613-8321 Fax: 212-564-9058 E-mail: media@ou.org

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