Abuse education goes to school

Every high school graduate has been exposed to dating violence, whether she knows it or not. I, too, was an uninformed witness, conscious that the unhealthy relationships of my peers were wrong – but in my community, no one talked about dating violence.

The first time I understood that relationship abuse was a studied phenomenon was the summer after my second year of college, as an intern with JWI. I worked under two incredible women who revealed the suffering being silenced by a Jewish communal sense of shame and fear of judgment. I hadn’t realized how many women, young and old, were trapped in an unrelenting cycle of violence.

A principal responsibility of my internship was marketing JWI’s dating violence program When Push Comes to Shove… It’s No Longer Love to the campus Hillels and Jewish youth groups in the area. I remember pitching the program to my former youth director, my impassioned description drawing an audience of listeners in the coffee shop. I’ll never forget her response: “We have good kids at our synagogue. It is nice what you are doing, but dating violence does not occur. We don’t need this program.” I gave examples of incidents happening under her watch and explained that dating violence could manifest as emotional degradation, physiological control, and/or physical acts. As she got up to leave, I said that I wished someone had talked about healthy relationships with me and had told me to believe in my self-worth when I was in high school.

Dating violence still happens in my community.

JWI's healthy relationship curriculum can be a powerful tool to prevent dating violence.

Programs like the Push curriculum have a dual purpose – to raise awareness about the issue, and to prevent young women from becoming victims. My youth director never understood this.

This summer I rejoined the JWI team because they believe all women and girls have the right to thrive in healthy relationships, live in safe homes, and know the full potential of their personal strength.

As JWI expands its lobbying and other advocacy efforts, I’ll be blogging here to share the work, and hopefully spur each reader to become an advocate too. I encourage you – I invite you – to stay informed, stand your ground and use your voice!

Shana Tovah!

Michelle

JWI Advocacy and Grassroots Coordinator

Raise Your Voice to End Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an opportunity for us to speak out in our communities. Giving voice to our stories helps enlighten the uninformed and empower victims who feel they’re suffering alone.

Throughout October – Domestic Violence Awareness Month – JWI will be encouraging you to raise your voice in different ways.

Each day on this blog, we will present a personal account of domestic or relationship abuse. Through writing, video, audio and art; from survivors, victims’ friends and relatives, former abusers, and DV workers; we’ll share 31 stories about people who’ve been touched by emotional, physical, financial, and sexual abuse. Please visit daily to experience this moving project. And help spread this important message by posting our badge on your website or blog; by telling your friends; and by sharing your own story to help JWI publicize and personalize this issue.

Also for DVAM, our advocacy network is implementing a grassroots media campaign highlighting the need to report that acts of domestic violence are not isolated – they occur every day and affect entire communities. You’ll get an action alert in mid-October, please join our effort and write letters to the editors of major newspapers and in your hometown.

Let us know what you are doing and how we can work together. 

Have a website or blog? Grab the image and display your support of JWI’s “31 Stories in 31 Days” on your site!

stay tuned for JWI advocacy news

(Deborah Rosenbloom, Esq. is the director of programs at JWI)

JWI has a long and proud legacy of advocating on Capitol Hill with an agenda supporting women, children and families and we are proud to be reinvigorating our advocacy work today. As the former Bnai Brith Women, we were the first Jewish organization to support the Equal Rights Amendment, marched and lobbied for reproductive choice, the War on Poverty, Social Security benefits for women, assistance for the displaced homemaker, women’s and infants’ health care, and reducing teenage pregnancy.

It is with these many accomplishments in mind that we are increasing our presence on Capitol Hill to advocate and campaign vigorously for policies supporting the well-being of women and girls. The stakes are, as always, high and it is imperative that we lift our voice at this critical juncture. Our new advocacy coordinator, Michelle Freeman, comes to us with both grassroots and Capitol Hill experience and will be posting entries here about our work – the roadblocks, the progress and the victories as we lobby, work in coalitions, and help draft legislation.

We’d love to hear back from you, please join with us as we raise our voices.