Jeffrey Epstein’s “Birthday Book” and the Moral Challenge to Jewish Men

Rabbi Noam Raucher, MA.Ed — Executive Director, FJMC International

I share these words and thoughts with gratitude to Dr. Keren McGinity for her guidance and wisdom in writing this piece.

Jeffrey Epstein was not just a criminal — he was a predator who built an empire on the abuse of power and trust. The public release of his “Birthday Book” lays bare the scope of his reach: a catalog of connections, names, and institutions that made his exploitation possible. And woven throughout are unmistakable Jewish markers — male rabbis, bar mitzvahs, Ashkenazi last names, and ties to familiar institutions — details that deepen both the shame and the danger of how this record will be used.

Jeffrey Epstein ran in deeply Jewish circles, and his networks reflect that reality. From the outside, we rightly insist that individuals like Epstein, Madoff, or Weinstein do not define the Jewish people. But there is a harder question: How much responsibility are we willing to take given that these men operated in our midst and within our communities? We cannot wave away their Jewishness. To do so is to miss the urgency of reckoning not only with the damage antisemites inflict, but with the deeper ways Jewish life is presently entangled with power.

At the heart of this story is not ethnicity or identity — it is sexual violence. Epstein built his fortune and influence on the systematic exploitation of women, girls, and other vulnerable people. He thrived in a world where powerful men looked the other way — or worse, joined in — and where those at risk had no safe harbor. People were reduced to commodities, trapped in cycles of fear and dependency. Human dignity was stripped away in service to Epstein’s power.

This gross exploitation is a scandal and a moral failure. And Jewish men must admit that Epstein weaponized masculinity itself. He used male privilege, male desire, and male dominance as instruments of control. That is why this reckoning belongs to Jewish men.

The Jewish tradition has never tolerated the abuse of power. The prophets thundered against those who exploited the vulnerable. Jeremiah declared: “Your eyes and heart are only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, and for practicing oppression and violence.” (Jeremiah 22:17). The prophetic vision is unflinching: a society that tolerates exploitation is a society under judgment. To be Jewish is to hear that call not to harm people.

To meet the moral challenge, Jewish men must define for ourselves a positive Jewish masculinity that is devoid of all forms of toxicity. If Epstein represents one model of masculinity — white male privilege turned toward exploitation — Jewish men must embody another. Being a real man means using whatever power and privilege we hold not to dominate, but to stand for dignity and justice. It means showing up when others fall silent, standing between those who harm and those they would target, and using our strength to empower rather than diminish. It means being trusted as allies by those who live at risk, and feared by those who perpetrate abuse, because we will not look the other way.

The question for Jewish men is whether we will let our sense of worth be defined by proximity to power or by the courage to resist it. Epstein’s “Birthday Book” is a testament to what C.S. Lewis once described as the lure of the “Inner Ring” — the desperate hunger to belong to a powerful circle, even if doing so corrodes one’s soul. As Lewis warned, “The quest of the Inner Ring will break your hearts unless you break it.” The Mishnah teaches, “In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man” (Pirkei Avot 2:5). This is not chauvinism, but a challenge: in a vacuum of courage, step forward with moral clarity.

What, then, does it mean to be a Jewish man today? Is it merely to claim status or use that standing for something greater? A Jewish man worthy of the name must harness his place in the world to pursue repair by amplifying silenced voices, and by condemning perpetrators even when it costs him. Such men must make clear through word and deed that abuse will never find refuge in their presence. The Jewish value of kavod habriyot — the dignity due to every human being — demands no less.

To honor the image of God in each person (b’tzelem Elohim) is to safeguard dignity, which is the measure of our strength as men. Here is what Jewish men should be doing now:

• Become a safe spaces: Our presence must signal partnership and trust, not threat. Women need allies they can count on to stand with them and strengthen their ability to protect themselves.
• Build safe space: Create communities with strong anti-harassment policies to prevent abuse, where accountability is the norm, and where women’s voices are heeded.
• Name abuse clearly: Refuse to minimize or excuse predatory behavior, no matter who commits it. Silence protects abusers; clarity protects the vulnerable.
• Guarding dignity: Put kavod habriyot (human dignity) at the center of our lives. Use power to uphold dignity, not erode it

The Epstein “birthday book” will be twisted by antisemites. However, what matters more is how we respond within our own communities. Epstein’s life was a campaign of violence against women and underage girls, enabled by his networks within the Jewish community.

Jewish men cannot change the past, but we can shape the future. We can model a different kind of masculinity — one that uses power for positive change, not exploitation; one that makes dignity non-negotiable; one that takes the prophetic demand for and to pursue justice–tzedek, tzedek tirdof–seriously. That is what our tradition calls us to do. That is what all women deserve.