Joining Together to Expunge Domestic Violence

As we move out of the Passover season, into the Omer and towards Shavuot, it is important not to lose sight of the moving themes and topics that Passover incites for us. For me, thinking about the concept of slavery in a modern light brings the lessons of Passover alive. When I think about all the plagues or contemporary manners of “enslavement” in society today, I continue to be struck by the cause and effect of disempowerment, particularly for women. That is, how violence against women and children deprives them of their agency, self-determination, and often, sense of self. For these reasons and many others, we ought to stand in defiance of these acts and show our support: for the victims, for the professionals and advocates who defend them, and for the many caring individuals who take on this issue and work to ensure such violence ends.

This time of year as we approach Mother’s Day, we think of all the women who have made impacts in our lives. Putting a face to statistics on domestic violence is often a way to inspire those who weren’t engaged before to become activists. However, before going any further, it’s also important to understand how widespread and invasive this is. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that:

• One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime
• An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year
• 85% of domestic violence victims are women
• Historically, females have been most often victimized by someone they knew
• Females who are 20-24 years of age are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence
• Most cases of domestic violence are never reported to the police

What can we do? There are many ways to get engaged in these issues, but for Mother’s Day, you can help WRJ and JWI remember all the women who are spending May 15^th in shelters. We can make a difference for survivors of violence while at the same time celebrate the women in our lives. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"90471","attributes":{"class":"media-image size-full wp-image-14774 aligncenter","typeof":"foaf:Image","style":"","width":"216","height":"183","alt":"RememberHer_Every24Hours_WRJ_blog"}}]]This year, WRJ is partnering with Jewish Women International to make Mother’s Day special for some of the 45,000 women and children spending that day in battered women’s shelters. The Mother’s Day Flower Project lets you give a gift that honors everything your mom has given you, and the person you have become because of her. Through the annual Mother’s Day Flower Project, JWI will send bouquets of flowers, as well as beauty products from OPI Products, Inc., to 200 shelters across the United States. Here’s how it works:

• Choose an inspiring woman in your life – mother, sister, wife, daughter, friend – and make a $25 donation to JWI in her honor;
• JWI will send a beautiful card, which will arrive by Mother’s Day, to each recipient you designate, sharing that a charitable contribution has been made in her honor;
• JWI uses proceeds from the sale of the cards to send the bouquets and beauty products to domestic violence shelters on Mother’s Day
• Your donation funds JWI’s work, and a portion also goes back to WRJ!

You can buy your Mother’s Day Flower Project cards online here!

Also, be sure to check WRJblog between now and Mother’s Day for more updates and information about this policy issue and Jewish perspectives on this.