Organizations to Combat Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community
Adina Brizel
Issue date: 5/5/09 Section: Features
Due to increasing awareness of the problems pertaining to domestic abuse in the Jewish community, many organizations have increased their programming and outreach to the public. These organizations seek to help both the individuals who are ensnared in an abusive relationship as well as to educate the larger population. By educating the larger population at a younger age, boys and girls will become aware of warning signs that he or she or a loved one is at risk, and how to take action.
Among the most highly respected of these organizations is Shalom Task Force, which was founded in 1992 by a New York pediatrician alarmed by signs of physical abuse in his clients. The organization's aims are "to help women and families struggling with troubled relationships at home, and to sensitize our communities so that a woman can feel less ashamed to ask for help." The organization began with a hotline and later expanded nationwide. The hotline's staff is comprised of over 80 volunteers who are trained and serve as interns before operating the line.
Shalom Task Force conducts workshops for both genders in high schools and post-high school programs in the United States and Israel. Esther Friedman, one of the Task Force's founders, says that they teach girls about healthy relationships as well as warning signs in a dating partner. Boys also receive a comprehensive program on relationships, anger management and dating skills. One of the aspects of the presentations is a dramatic monologue called "Flowers Aren't Enough," which tells the story of an abused woman's disastrous relationship. After the monologue, there is a discussion held with a Shalom Task Force professional.
The organization also recently began conducting a workshop for engaged couples. "We talk about a lot of good communication skills, ways of nurturing the relationship and enhancing the relationship," says Friedman about the techniques used in Shalom Task Force's Shalom Workshop for Engaged Couples. As part of the workshop, participants engage in various exercises in daily life scenarios, such as financial management, decision-making, stress, and conflict resolution.
Among the most highly respected of these organizations is Shalom Task Force, which was founded in 1992 by a New York pediatrician alarmed by signs of physical abuse in his clients. The organization's aims are "to help women and families struggling with troubled relationships at home, and to sensitize our communities so that a woman can feel less ashamed to ask for help." The organization began with a hotline and later expanded nationwide. The hotline's staff is comprised of over 80 volunteers who are trained and serve as interns before operating the line.
Shalom Task Force conducts workshops for both genders in high schools and post-high school programs in the United States and Israel. Esther Friedman, one of the Task Force's founders, says that they teach girls about healthy relationships as well as warning signs in a dating partner. Boys also receive a comprehensive program on relationships, anger management and dating skills. One of the aspects of the presentations is a dramatic monologue called "Flowers Aren't Enough," which tells the story of an abused woman's disastrous relationship. After the monologue, there is a discussion held with a Shalom Task Force professional.
The organization also recently began conducting a workshop for engaged couples. "We talk about a lot of good communication skills, ways of nurturing the relationship and enhancing the relationship," says Friedman about the techniques used in Shalom Task Force's Shalom Workshop for Engaged Couples. As part of the workshop, participants engage in various exercises in daily life scenarios, such as financial management, decision-making, stress, and conflict resolution.
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