This website contacted me about reprinting one of my posts. While browsing through it, I cam across this article...
Read the rest of it hereAs Sara prepared to jump out of the third- floor window, she recalled there was a phrase that Jews were meant to say when sacrificing their lives. Not knowing when her father and brothers were intending to come and kill her, she had no time to spare. "Baruch atah Hashem Elokenu Melech Haolam Shehakol nihei bidvaro*," she cried--the only Jewish phrase she could think of-- as she made the plunge.
Miraculously, Sara survived the fall, suffering a broken jaw and losing most of her teeth. Mustering her resources she escaped from the Arab village and reached the center of Israel. After a few days of living on the streets a woman noticed Sara and put her in touch with Chasdei Meir. Soon Sara was living in a woman's shelter, safe from her father and brothers, and on her way to recovery, both physically and emotionally.
There are thousands of women like Sara throughout Israel; Jewish women living as prisoners in Arab homes.
According to Levi Chazen, one of the directors of Chasdei Meir, "This problem has been going on since Jews have returned here, since the State of Israel has been around."
Today, women in mixed marriages can be found in Haifa, Lod and even the Old City of Jerusalem. Chasdei Meir was founded 12 years ago to save these women from their disastrous relationships and keep them safe until all danger has passed and they are prepared to return to Israeli society.
* This blessing is said upon drinking a beverage and eating certain foods.
Wherever I am, my blog turns towards Eretz Yisrael
6 comments:
great organization. the problem has been around for years. just keep the leftists away, they'll call it racist
Oy.
Where do we donate?
Wow.
oh
my
gd
"save these women from their disastrous relationships and keep them safe until all danger has passed"
Wouldn't call it "racist", Daniel. Just misguided. There are far many more Jewish women (as in tens of thousands) living with Jewish men in similarly "disastrous relationships" and in terrible danger, yet somehow these don't seem to be of similar interest to the wider community. Is it more comfortable to think only Arab men could possibly abuse their partners, Jewish or otherwise? Or pretend that there's little to no sexual or domestic violence in Israel?
This organization (and the others like it) does important work, doubtless, removing women from violent/dangerous situations. But it is far from the most pressing danger facing Jewish women in Israeli society, and that needs to be acknowlegded, whatever side of the spectrum.
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