Welcome to the Family Shalom web site.
Enter the Family Shalom Flash site:
No one should have to endure abuse within a relationship: Abuse within the Jewish community is not a myth. Jewish families experience the same amount of domestic abuse as non-Jewish families. Domestic abuse crosses all economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds, including Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Orthodox, Ashkenazi, Misrachi, Sephardic, unaffiliated and interfaith families. Traditionally the responsibility for maintaining shalom bayit, peace in the home, is placed upon the wife. When that peace is shattered, the Jewish community tends to blame the wife for her failure to maintain the image of a perfect Jewish family. As a result, Jewish women tend to stay in abusive relationships longer than other women. Many never tell anyone about the abuse out of fear, shame and humiliation. Family Shalom works to stop the violence and the abuse that occurs within relationships by offering information and referral through its info line to those who want help dealing with their situations. The professionally trained volunteers provide information on a wide number of services including intervention, counseling, and support. While 96 percent of reported domestic abuse is perpetrated against women and girls, abuse against men, boys, the elderly, and teens also occurs. Family Shalom plans on offering referral service for these groups in the future. Family Shalom seeks to educate the Jewish community
about domestic abuse through its speakers' bureau, the distribution of
literature and annual community awareness campaigns. History: Family Shalom is a project of National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Sacramento Section. It was initially funded through a grant by the Jewish Federation of the Sacramento Region, NCJW, and individual contributions. Family Shalom is part of NCJW's national SToP the Violence campaign.Today, professionally trained volunteers run the Family Shalom info line offering support to anyone who requests it. The info line is safe and confidential. Referrals to counseling, rehabilitation centers, legal guidance, emergency and comprehensive services are available. The Speakers bureau has been inaugurated. The brochures have been printed and distributed. The community clergy have already spoken of the issue from their pulpits and have made a commitment to do so regularly. The Sacramento response began in May, 1999, at a panel discussion jointly sponsored by Jewish Family Service, the Jewish Community Relations Council, an arm of the Jewish Federation, National Council of Jewish Women and WEAVE. Several months later a committee of NCJW was convened. Its goal was to develop plans for an ongoing presence that would respond to domestic abuse in the Jewish community. The first step in the newly designed plan was to do a needs assessment. The area rabbis, other Jewish communal professionals and the staff of Jewish Family Service were interviewed. There was unanimous agreement of the need.The next steps followed quickly. The new committee developed a brochure
that has been printed and distributed to all the area congregations, several
public libraries, neighborhood bookstores and physicians offices. The
decision was made to have a resource and referral support line now referred
to as the info line. Volunteers were recruited and then trained by the
professional staff at WEAVE on how to work with potential callers. Through
the diligence of one committee member, the info line cell phone and the
cost of its operation has been donated by Verizon wireless. The speakers'
bureau was inaugurated in the late spring of 2002. The website is up and
running and plans are now underway for the coming year. If you are interested in having some one speak to your group, you want additional information or you are looking for some support, please call the info line, (916) 204-8777. |