How does a woman who was sexually abused as a child—repeatedly, and by different people— learn to cope with her traumatic experiences? I can say today that for most of my life, I was entirely unwilling to answer that question. I was sexually abused as a child of five or six, in the worst way […]
Learning to Cope with a Childhood Experience of Abuse Read More »
Avraham [name has been changed], a fifty-yearold man approaching his twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, was facing something bigger than an ordinary midlife crisis. Rather than anticipating this milestone with great excitement, Avraham and his wife were finally admitting reality: Their marriage was on the rocks and had been for some time. Their communication was poor, and
PROJECT S.A.R.A.H.: Helping the Survivors and Preventing Sexual Abuse Read More »
A congregant tells the rabbi that she has an order of protection against her ex-husband, who is also a congregant of the synagogue. A teacher sees bruises on the arms of a child in her class who says he didn’t fall. An older adult in the community who used to be a regular in shul
BUILDING SAFER COMMUNITIES: A Team Approach Read More »
It is critical for leaders of youth-serving organizations (YSOs)1 to adopt child-protection policies proactively, before they are faced with a problem. Policies clarify acceptable and unacceptable behaviors that guide adults 2 to model safe interactions with children. When a policy is well communicated, it becomes integral to institutional culture and its violations are easily identifiable,
Dear JOFA, I read every issue of the Journal from cover to cover. I received the Winter 2015–2016 issue this week and was stunned to see that it focused on child sexual abuse. I read every word on the spot. I was abused daily by my school counselor from ages 13 to 16. I didn’t
Letter to the Editor Read More »
One year ago, I was asked to speak on a panel at a Union for Traditional Judaism conference on the “shidduch crisis.” I agreed because I felt I had what to share on the topic. I had personal experience of the pressures, judgments, and negativity that surrounded my dating journeys. I have very close friends
Two Dirty Words—Shidduch Crisis—And How to Fix Them Read More »
A few decades ago, an agency that provided housing and other services to Jewish girls and women expecting babies out of wedlock was closed by the umbrella organization that had sponsored it for decades. The apparent reason was that there were no longer any Jews among the agency’s clients. And the apparent reason for this
Jewish Women with Unwanted Pregnancies Have a Place to Turn Read More »
I came to a new appreciation of the hevra kadisha after the death of my son JJ in September 2002. My previous experiences were indirect: when my parents-in-law and then my father died, one phone call was made to their synagogues, and everything was set in motion. But JJ did not die in his home
Hevra Kadisha: An Appreciation Read More »
I grew up in a large family and busy household in New York’s Upper East Side. On Friday afternoons my friends and I would part ways to go home and help our mothers prepare for Shabbat. Later, as we lit the candles we felt as if we were re-creating the miracle of beriat ha’olam. Although
Shabbat in Phoenix Read More »
