This year, the start of Chanukah is shared with Christmas – December 25th. Christmas and Chanukah have long been lumped together in the secular world. It might seem that the only overlap between the two are presents and winter—but when you look closely, there’s much more in common.
The common themes of both Christmas and Chanukah are also ideas that we can take for our own relationships: miracles, illuminating darkness, perseverance, togetherness, and rejoicing and celebrating the good in our lives.
For many, however, these themes are not reflective of their most intimate relationship. One in 3 women and 1 in 4 men will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lifetime. This staggering statistic is why so many domestic abuse agencies exist. SHALVA was formed nearly 40 years ago to address the unique needs of survivors in the Orthodox Jewish community and since then, we have continued to widen our tent to include survivors who identify as Jewish in any way. Importantly, we also offer services to those who do not identify as Jewish, but are/were in a relationship with someone Jewish.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, or feeling unsafe in other ways in their relationship, give SHALVA a call today. 773-583-HOPE(4673).
Authors: Jordyn Scorpio, Director of Community Education. Maris Rosenfeld, Outreach Coordinator
