Reviewed
by Bob Faser
This
book is concerned with child sexual abuse within a faith community. It’s a true story, written by a survivor of
abuse. As a rare account of abuse
written by a survivor, this is a particularly valuable resource.
While
Manny Waks’s story is set within the particular context of the ultra-Orthodox
Jewish community of Melbourne, it is relevant to anyone with a concern for
justice for those who have experienced child sexual abuse.
This
book tells of how the author was sexually abused as a child, with the abuse
taking place by people respected and trusted by his family and, at times,
within sacred spaces.
It
tells of the negative impact this abuse had on the author during his
adolescence and young adulthood.
It tells
of the author’s decision as an adult to go public with his complaints against
his two abusers, of the implications of this decision as felt both by him and
by his family, and of his on-going quest for justice, both for himself and for
other survivors and victims of child sexual abuse.
Three
themes stand out at the end of Manny’s book.
The
first theme is that, well into adulthood, the abuse experienced by Manny (both
by his sexual abusers and by those who pressured him to remain silent about the
abuse) is still deeply traumatic, both for Manny and for his family.
The
second theme is the fact that this abuse – and the cover-up – took place in a
religious context has led to a deep loss of faith for Manny. This is a common theme for many survivors of
child sexual abuse in faith communities.
The
third theme is that … even in the midst of the trauma, … even in the midst of
the loss of faith, … even in the midst of his on-going struggle for justice for
himself and for others, Manny still exhibits a profound generosity of spirit
toward all concerned: a generosity of
spirit which I find seriously impressive.
If
you read only one Australian non-fiction book in the next few months, read this
one.
