This October, Sukkot once again coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As many in the Jewish community celebrate by spending time in the sukkah, a temporary dwelling shelter, we’re reminded that there are many in our community who are unsafe in their homes because of domestic violence (DV).
Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another partner. This can include, but is not limited to, physical, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse. About 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced DV (those numbers are even higher in the LGBTQ+ community). The rates of DV in the Jewish community are comparable to those of the broader community. Even if you haven’t heard someone talk about DV, it does not mean it isn’t happening. DV impacts reform, conservative, orthodox, reconstructionist, nondenominational, and secular Jews. Experiencing DV can be a very isolating and difficult experience to navigate, and research shows that survivors first reach out to friends like you or their rabbis before they reach out to agencies like ours. Last year, Project DVORA supported 111 survivors in our community.
The impact of domestic violence affects us all, not just survivors. By uplifting survivors, we are also helping to create safer, more equitable communities. There can be an assumption that whatever takes place inside the home is private, but that causes us to ignore the suffering of our neighbors and increase stigma for those who experience violence. Centering survivors of DV and working to prevent others from experiencing that harm is an act of Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world. The sukkah is a temporary refuge, open to the elements. It reminds us that a safe home is not a given for everyone.
We have created sukkah decorations to help raise awareness about the reality of domestic violence in our community. Please hang these apples in your sukkah or home during October. We hope these decorations will spark conversations about the reality of DV and invite us to think about how we can create a Sukkat Shalom—a shelter of peace—for everybody in our community.
Find additional Jewish-specific resources from Jewish Women International. If you’d like to bring a DV 101 training to your staff or board, or youth prevention programming to your school or synagogue, please connect with our Outreach & Prevention Coordinator, Rebecca Mather: https://www.jfsseattle.org/get-help/dvora-prospective-client-form/.
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