ISRAEL REUNION

Participating in Emerging Career Professionals, a program run by the Orthodox Union (“ECP”), be it in person at a program or event or virtually through an online platform, is a privilege and therefore a standard of participant behavior must be upheld. ECP participants have a responsibility to conduct themselves properly at all times with other ECP participants and professionals. ECP participants are expected to treat both ECP professionals and ECP participants respectfully. ECP reserves the right to limit the participation of any participant in any ECP activity if there is sufficient reason to believe a particular potential participant lacks the ability or willingness to follow directions and instructions required for ECP event participation.


Bullying, Hazing, Harassment, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Assault, and consensual sexual activity is incompatible with ECP’s goals and standards and is therefore always prohibited, whether it occurs in person, on the phone, online, or via any other medium.

ECP strives to create a healthy environment where each person, regardless of sex or gender, is treated with dignity and respect. ECP will not tolerate any physical or verbal objectification of its participants. Any activities that involve “rating” individuals, creating lists of “conquests” or venerating “hook-up culture” will not be tolerated.


In addition, violence or threatening behavior, smoking or vaping, possession and/or use of alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and controlled substances or weapons (such as guns, switchblades, sharpened box cutters, and sharpened screwdrivers) are always prohibited.

Definitions:

1. Bullying: any form of physical, verbal, demonstrative, or electronic harassment that one should reasonably expect would demean, threaten or physically or emotionally hurt its victims or others in the ECP Community. It can be of a sexual nature or otherwise. It can take place in person, over the phone, through online communication, or any other means that communicates such harassment. It can be one-on-one, or group based. Both adults and children can be bullied or be the bully.


a. Examples:

● pushing, tripping, kicking, or hitting; threats of physical harm

● damaging, hiding, taking of property

● excluding from a group or activity purposely to hurt and/or advocating others to dislike a person

● calling someone offensive or demeaning names

● scapegoating, pranks resulting/intending to embarrass

● innuendoes with derogatory implications

● making jokes involving offensive stereotypes

● attacking a person’s self-esteem by making them feel vulnerable or bad about themselves.

● posting online mean, offensive, demeaning, or embarrassing comments or images, regardless of whether you feel the target has invited such behavior in some manner

● texting, whether individually or as a group, mean, offensive, demeaning, or embarrassing comments or images

● creating fake web pages or fake profiles or assuming another's identity in any social media context to create content likely to cause embarrassment or concern spreading mean and hurtful rumors verbally, online or via graffiti

● taunting others about their actual or perceived age; physical development; socio-economic status; sex; gender; sexual orientation; bodily functions; actual or perceived race, color, or national origin.


2. Hazing: any activity expected of someone joining a group or expected of someone to maintain any status in a group, that: (1) humiliates, (2) degrades, or (3) risks emotional and/or physical harm or embarrassment to the individual or the ECP community, regardless of the person's willingness to participate and regardless of its intended result or effect.


a. Examples: Requiring someone to:

● drink alcohol, vape or use drugs

● consume any inappropriate or hazardous substances, or allow such substance to be smeared on the body

● endure any physical striking, beating, burning, branding or to engage in self-mutilation or to commit such acts upon another

● endure acts of sexual stimulation or sexual abuse/assault

● be subjected to abusive and demeaning speech

● participate in acts of personal servitude

● proceed through a gauntlet, e.g., on a bus, or any form of public transportation to arrive at a location

● suffer sleep deprivation

● restrict personal hygiene

● engage in indecent exposure

● participate in any illegal activity

● participate in physically dangerous activities such as exposing oneself to extreme weather conditions without appropriate protection

● submit to being tied up or abducted or blindfolded

● engage in any degrading or humiliating act, or any activity that violates any aspect of the OU’s Anti-Harassment Policy


3. Harassment: When the verbal or nonverbal acts of another are either severe or pervasive, or targeted at a specific person such that it prevents that participant from participating in ECP or ECP related program or intimidates them because of their sex, gender or identity or significantly harms them.


a. This also includes Sexual Harassment which is defined as any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, which can take place in person or through electronic communication and can include verbal, non-verbal, physical or written interactions.


i. Examples include but are not limited to: Physical and verbal threats; cyberbullying; physical acts such as pushing, punching, kicking or hitting; damaging another’s property; calling someone offensive or demeaning names; texting sexual images or jokes and creating fake social media profiles


4. Sexual Abuse and Assault: physical conduct or contact with a sexual or intimate part of the body without consent. It includes various forms of sexual intercourse as well as sexual touching and exposure.

a. Sexual or intimate body parts include, but are not limited to breasts, buttocks, genitals, and upper thighs.

b. Lack of consent occurs when one is physically forced or verbally intimidated into doing something sexual, or submitting to a sexual act, or when one has explicitly indicated a lack of consent or when the circumstances make it obvious that consent has not been given.

c. Circumstances that make it obvious that consent has not been given include, but are not limited to:

i. being too intoxicated to say "no" or resist,

ii. being asleep and therefore unable to consent, or

iii. situations in which someone is deemed to be physically or mentally incapable of giving valid consent, whether due to the use of intoxicants or any other reason.

d. The age of consent varies by state and country..

e. Examples include but are not limited to:

i. Grabbing, pinching, or fondling another person’s buttocks, breasts or genital area, whether over or under the clothing, without consent as defined

ii. Rubbing one’s genital area up against another person, whether over or under clothing, without consent as defined above

iii. Touching another person with one’s genitals without consent as defined above

iv. Engaging in sexual behavior with someone too intoxicated to give informed consent

v. Physically or verbally intimidating someone to engage in a sex act, whether done expressly or implicitly

Reporting Protocol For ECP participant misconduct


If a participant feels unsafe at an ECP event, whether because of the actions of another participant or staff, they should immediately report to:


1) OU’s OUTSIDE REPORTING HOTLINE at (866-57THEOU [8-4368])

2) ECP’s Director, Sarah Proops (sarah.proops@ou.org).


All ECP professionals and participants must as soon as reasonably possible report any suspected incidents of bullying, hazing, harassment, sexual harassment, abuse or assault to the ECP Director, Sarah Proops (sarah.proops@ou.org).






Additional Expectations


1. Any type of inappropriate conduct as determined solely by ECP staff, including but not limited to any form of harassment or discrimination, will result in immediate removal from ECP activities and/or leadership and possible legal recourse.

2. As ECP is a part of the Orthodox Union (OU) ECP participants must follow the OU’s halachic standards in the context of any ECP initiative, participation, or representation.

3. All participants are expected to take care when representing ECP to stay true to ECP’s values, commitments, and involvements, and not participate in controversial programming as part of ECP or under ECP’s name. Controversial programming will be determined solely at ECP staff’s discretion.

4. Sensitive data and personal information shared with you as a student leader is not to be shared with anyone else except with the express permission of ECP National staff.

5. All participants are expected to maintain a general air of business professionalism, punctuality, and appropriateness when dealing with ECP matters. ECP participants are forbidden to engage in any behavior or be involved in any initiative that is damaging to ECP programs or that work contrary to the goals and success of ECP. Such activity will not be tolerated, and will result in immediate termination of the participant's participation and/or leadership status at the discretion of ECP National staff.


Any and all disputes arising out of or relating to this Code of Conduct, or its making, performance or interpretation, shall be determined by binding arbitration before the Bais Havaad Halacha Center located in Lakewood, New Jersey, or the Beis Din Tzedek Umishpot located in Brooklyn, NY. The parties agree to accept the ruling and award of such Orthodox Beit Din as a final, binding, non-appealable, and legally enforceable decision.


I acknowledge that I have read and confirm the above information. I acknowledge the responsibility to adhere to health and public safety related protocol. In addition, I hereby acknowledge the ECP media release and all it entails.


Furthermore, I understand that violation of this code of conduct could affect my ability to receive any and all benefits of the ECP program, as well as to be involved in ECP for this year or for years to come.

From time to time, Emerging Career Professionals, a program run by the Orthodox Union, the Orthodox Union, and its affiliates, employees and agents (together, “ECP”) take photographs and videos of individuals, who attend ECP events, programs, and other offerings. ECP engages in these activities for purposes relating to the advancement of the religious, spiritual, charitable, and educational goals and objectives of ECP, including but not limited to the sharing of photos/videos in newsletters, on our blogs, and on our website and social media pages for the purpose of keeping our members and others informed of ECP’s events and other activities. Please complete this form to give us permission to take photos/videos of you when you participate in ECP events and to use those photos/videos in our printed and online publicity:


1. I hereby authorize ECP to take photographs and/or video of me when I participate at ECP events. I grant ECP full rights to use and share the images resulting from the photographs and/or videos and any reproductions thereof (the “Recording”), in whole or in part, along with my name, biographical information and quotations for any purpose including fundraising, publicity, advertising, or on social media, all without further obligation or compensation. I hereby waive any right of review or approval regarding the Recording and ECP shall have the right to edit or delete the Recording in its sole discretion. I understand that all rights in and to the Recording shall be ECP’s sole and absolute property. I understand that if I access ECP’s services through a third party platform, product, service, or application (a “Third Party Service”), content and related information generated while accessing ECP’s services in this manner may be monitored, captured, and or recorded by the third parties that provide such Third Party Services. I consent to the use and sharing of personal information by any such third party as described in the privacy policy available through the Third Party Service. I release and forever discharge ECP from all causes of action, suits, or liability of any kind arising from or in connection with the use or publication of any Recording of me made in connection with my participation in ECP events. I waive any right of privacy associated with the Recording and I waive any right to compensation related to the use of the Recording.

2. I HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT AND AM FULLY AWARE OF ITS CONTENTS, INCLUDING THE RELEASE THAT I HAVE AGREED TO HEREIN.

3. I warrant that I am at least eighteen years of age and that I have the full and unrestricted authority to enter into a contract for myself.

4. If any provision of this agreement is held to be unenforceable, the remainder of it shall continue to be in full force and effect.

5. This waiver shall remain in effect until such time as I advise ECP otherwise in writing.