Update on the Community Portrait
San Francisco, CA – We are deeply troubled and saddened to learn of the sexual harassment and misconduct allegations by eight women against Professor Steven M. Cohen, as reported last week in The New York Jewish Week. We had no prior knowledge of these allegations—which Professor Cohen does not contest—so the news came as a shock to us. We express our full support to these courageous women who have come forward and understand how difficult this process must be for them.
Professor Cohen has been the co-lead researcher on the community study, A Portrait of Bay Area Jewish Life and Communities. In light of this news, we are ending his work on the Portrait, effective immediately. Sexual harassment and misconduct, as well as abuse of power, have no place in our community.
We commissioned the Portrait as a rich and substantive resource to inform communal policy development and planning. We remain committed to this vision and are now taking the time to thoughtfully ensure its integrity, value, and relevance.
In gratitude,
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