My Summer with JCADA

By Tova Zimm, AWARE® Intern

A care package Tova put together with her
women's group, Aura Chadasha of Beth
Joshua Congregation, for JCADA clients.

My summer as a JCADA intern with AWARE®, the organization’s prevention initiative, was a life-changing experience that helped inform my decision to become a social worker. My first days at JCADA were full of pure intellectual enlightenment as I expanded my knowledge of the many ways that both men and women of all ages suffer from domestic abuse in the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. The more I learned about how prevalent domestic abuse is, the more I realized how essential organizations like JCADA are. Within one week of beginning my internship, I knew I had found my calling in life.

The JCADA staff that I had the privilege to work with this summer provided me with endless encouragement and guidance, allowing me to be as active and engaged with my work as possible. Being surrounded by so many brilliant and passionate people who dedicate their lives to this exceedingly important cause expanded my interest in the issue and inspired my future career path.

I began my internship at JCADA unsure of my major or vocational aspiration, but with the hope that I would find some guidance this summer. Today, I leave my internship with absolute certainty of what I want to do in  life: helping members of my community who are involved in abusive relationships.  My internship with JCADA was life changing and unforgettable. I will always look back and remember how my summer with JCADA kickstarted my love of social work.

Wearing Orange

June 6, 2016

By: Hannah Walter, AWARE Intern

June 2nd was National Gun Violence Awareness Day. To honor the lives lost due to gun violence, as well as show our support for more gun control, we wear orange. According to Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, an organization founded by the parents of the Sandy Hook victims, orange is the color for gun safety because it “symbolizes the value of human life. Hunters wear orange in the woods to protect themselves and others.” We also wear orange in February for Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. The commonality in color is more than just a coincidence. In 2011, nearly two-thirds of women killed with guns were killed by their intimate partners. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) found that when a gun is present in a domestic violence situation, the likelihood of a homicide goes up 500%. Guns are by far the most common weapon used in domestic violence incidents. 

Weak gun laws, with their plethora of loopholes, have failed women in abusive relationships and their families again and again. It seems that almost every day in America, we hear about shootings or women who have been murdered by their abusers. We have become desensitized to these events. And every time, the country seems to get further and further away from instituting reasonable and responsible gun safety laws. While federal laws are in place that restrict a person convicted of domestic violence to have a gun, there are so many ways around the system, such as the gun show loophole and the lack of background checks, which make it easy for an abuser to get their hands on the weapon. There is also the so-called “boyfriend loophole.” Spouses, people who were or are living together, or people who had a child together count as intimate partners who must get rid of their guns after a DV conviction, but dating partners do not count in that category. Some states have created laws that go further to protect those that have or are currently experiencing domestic abuse, but some is not enough. It seems nonsensical that these laws advocating for gun safety and that protect men and women in abusive relationships do not exist yet on a federal level. More laws need to be put in place to protect these already extremely vulnerable citizens. That is why we wear orange.

Orange is a color that protects us, whether by bringing awareness to teen domestic violence or to gun safety needs. There is a connection between the two, as shown by too many heartbreaking statistics. It sometimes seems that no matter how loud someone yells and demands regulations to make us safer, they are never heard. However, if we continue to band together, never give up, and all wear orange, change can occur. 

What I Learned on Teen Advisory Board

June 3, 2016

By: Katie Schreck, AWARE Teen Advisory Board Member

My name is Katie Schreck and I am in 10th grade at Wootton High School. This past year, I had the opportunity to be a part of JCADA's AWARE Teen Advisory Board. Over the course of this year with the Advisory Board, I was educated on violence within relationships and exactly what a healthy relationship is. Additionally, I got to work with my peers to brainstorm new ways to educate teens on dating violence.

The first thing I learned through this experience is there are many different types of abuse that can be experienced in dating relationships. I learned about the five main forms of abuse:  financial, technological, sexual, verbal and physical. The Board met once a month over the last year and we were educated in various ways, from reading articles about individual's experiences with abuse to watching videos on the topics we were studying. Working with my peers was my favorite part of the experience on the Advisory Board. We were charged with raising awareness about dating abuse in our communities- our schools, youth groups, and even our friends. Watching our groups work together to brainstorm ideas, plan and make projects, and learn together was a really fun way to become informed about a topic some of us initially knew little about.

Serving on this board was truly an amazing experience that I hope to continue in the future. Between learning new concepts, meeting new people, and generally experiencing new things (including finding out that kosher pizza is AMAZING and that no one will judge you based on the amount of sushi burritos one eats in any given week) it was an opportunity and experience I will never forget. I hope to continue to do work within this community and further educate myself as well as my peers.

This was the inaugural year of Teen Advisory Board.  Twelve members from five different high schools in Montgomery County served on the board.  They met each month to discuss different topics, from Teen Dating Violence Awareness in February to Sexual Assault Awareness in April, and create awareness projects.  

Interested in applying for the 2016-2017 Teen Advisory Board?  

Contact Ben@JCADA.org