Take responsibility!

David Broder wrote a column in the Washington Post a couple of years ago, which begins thusly:

"Even in this democratic age, some organizations have clung to the hierarchical principle -- and been admired for it....."

"But organizations with clear chains of command risk their reputations when those in charge refuse to accept responsibility for things that go wrong...."

Broder's column is about the Roman Catholic Church, and about how the top level bishops refuse to take responsibility for the actions of those below them. But when I read this today I was reminded of Jews for Jesus. David Brickner, in the JFJ newsletter and in personal correspondence to some ex-staff who have written him complaining of abuses in the organization, has refused to accept blame or responsibility for anything that anyone under him has done. His constant message: "Take up your complaint with the person who offended you. I didn't personally hurt you, so I can't do anything about it."

On one level this is correct. Both the Bible and modern psychology extol the merits of going to the person who offended us instead of "triangling in" others.

But it is, in my opinion, an abdication of responsibility for the "top man" in any organization to say that nothing that was done on his watch is his responsibility if he had nothing personally to do with it.

It is refreshing to see someone like Harry Truman say "The buck stops here." It is refreshing to hear about heads of organizations who take personal responsibility for the actions of those they were in charge of, those who were in their employ or under their supervision.

It would be a big step in the right direction if David Brickner were to say, publicly or privately, that Jews for Jesus unconditionally rejects the abuse of employees and takes responsibility for any abuse that ever occurred in the organization. It would be heartwarming if David Brickner were to try to contact past employees that were shunned or otherwise treated unfairly, whether by individual supervisors or (in the case of shunning) by the entire organization, and if he were to say, "Please forgive us for these wrong actions. What can we do to make it up to you?"

But if David Brickner is continuing to run JFJ in the same way that Moishe Rosen did, then his denial of past abuse and his refusal to take responsibility for the current actions of his branch leaders or team leaders would make perfect sense.