JWA Shabbat will dispel myths about domestic abuse

Forty-one synagogues across the UK will be taking part in this year’s cross-communal Shabbat organised by Jewish Women’s Aid (JWA), designed to raise awareness about domestic abuse within the Jewish community.

Taking place on 22-23 November, the Shabbat is entitled Myth vs Reality and will help to dispel common misconceptions about domestic abuse through fostering open and educational dialogue about the stigmatised and misunderstood topic.

JWA, founded in 1994, is the only specialist organisation in the UK supporting Jewish women and children facing domestic abuse and sexual violence. According to the charity, it takes Jewish women an average of nine years to come forwards asking for help — an extra two and a half years compared to non-Jewish women.

Through the upcoming Shabbat, the charity hopes to dispel common myths about the topic, such as “If the abuse was that bad, she would leave”, “If it’s not physical, it’s not domestic abuse” and “Domestic abuse in the Jewish community is the same as in the wider community”

As part of the awareness-raising weekend, JWA will host stalls on Friday at several high street locations outside kosher shops across north London, aiming to spark open conversation about the realities of domestic abuse and dismantle misunderstandings and stereotypes.

The charity has also provided the 41 participating synagogues with educational resources, shedding light on the taboo topic, including a Myth vs Reality leaflet which lists eight common misconceptions about domestic abuse and breaks down why they are wrong.

JWA volunteers will be active at several shuls over the Shabbat, with some delivering speeches, and the charity has made a digital toolkit which is available on its website.

Sam Clifford, chief executive of Jewish Women’s Aid, emphasised the importance of this year’s theme. JWA Shabbat: Myth vs Reality is a significant opportunity for our community to confront and dispel the misconceptions surrounding domestic abuse,” she said. “Using this moment to come together with our partners, synagogues and the community to combat these myths around abuse, we are breaking down the barriers and building a safer, more supportive community for all, one that is united against abuse.”

As part of the Shabbat, the charity will be educating the community about how Jewish women in particular face unique challenges such as faith-based abuse, which non-Jewish women do not experience. Abusers might use religious texts to manipulate, deny women access to rabbinical advice, or refuse a Get (religious divorce). Moreover, Jewish women may also feel too ashamed to come forwards for fear of being disbelieved or judged by their community, the charity said.

“Culturally, regardless of which part of the Jewish community you're from, whether it's Orthodox or Progressive or secular, we are still a very family-oriented community and that has all its positives in terms of valuing that unit and being in close knit communities,” said the JWA director of outreach and prevention, Carmel Gould.

“But for women experiencing domestic abuse, that can also pose challenges, both in terms of recognising what you’re experiencing as abuse and feeling able to come forward. I think that, sometimes, there's a sense of shame or failure at having a successful family that I think is more evident in the Jewish community.”

The educational Shabbat is not only for women, but an opportunity for men to actively learn about and engage in the topic. “Domestic abuse is not a women's issue,” said Clifford. “It’s very much a gendered crime, so it's experienced predominantly by women, but it is a society-wide issue, and we need to be speaking to everybody. We need men to take it seriously. The more men champion the issue alongside us, the more domestic abuse comes out of secrecy,” she said.

The Chief Rabbi is a supporting patron of JWA and will be voicing his support for the Shabbat via social media. This year, JWA will also be partnering with the Jewish Representative Council and Leeds Jewish Representative Council to make the cross-communal Shabbat as impactful as possible across communities in the UK.

Over the past year, the charity has supported 816 women experiencing domestic abuse, which is an increase of 24 per cent from the previous year and has experienced a 64 per cent rise in sexual violence clients who have come into the service.