A Story of Survival
In March, a young woman named Rachel who attended a Shalom Task Force workshop in her school wrote to us about the impact our presenters had on her life. Several years passed since graduating high school, and Rachel found herself in an abusive marriage and was able to recognize early on that she was in "deep trouble."
"Dear Mrs. ...,
When I was a senior, we had many classes throughout our wonderful year that taught us about financial management and healthy relationships. There was a certain class, a one-time workshop with Shalom Task Force that left an impact on me and probably saved my life.
We were taught many different things about respecting ourselves, but most importantly they taught us to trust our instincts.
My first few months of marriage just did not feel right beyond the normal getting used to each other. My husband, who I thought would be loving and respectful, turned out to be controlling and eventually abusive towards me. Had I not been told to trust my instincts, I might have thought there was something wrong with me and remained in this situation.
Mrs…., you might have been surprised that I turned to you for advice, but I figured if you brought Shalom Task Force to our school then you would understand me. Thank G-d you were able to recognize that our marriage needed outside intervention."
It is these kinds of heartfelt letters that highlight the impact Shalom Task Force is having in our community. Just 16 years ago, domestic abuse was a non-issue in the Jewish community. Overwhelmed by shame and afraid that no one believed them, abused Jewish women generally suffered in painful silence. But no longer.
Our highly trained volunteers, who answer the hotline, provide a listening ear and offer referrals to various sources of assistance: legal, financial and Rabbinic aid, shelter and professional counseling.
Contacting the Shalom Task Force Hotline is more often than not their first cry for help.