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Jewish Survivors
UNITED
How We Support Survivors
We Know It's
Hard
No one wants to have to reach out for support. It's scary. It feels vulnerable. It's not, but sometimes it even feels like a failure. That's why when you reach out to us, we make it a priority to respond in a timely fashion, create a space for you that is as safe as possible, listen compassionately, and help you get to the resources that are relevant to your needs. Here's how we can help.
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PLEASE NOTE:
Unfortunately, we do not provide funds for therapy or treatment. However, we may be able to point you in the direction of other organziations that may be able to help with that. We do not receive compensation from any resources that we refer to.
Peer Support GrouPS
Our Peer Support Groups Are:
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Led by Lauren Weingarten (she/her) of MTMV Community Support Network, a credentialed Victim Advocate and Certified Trauma Support Specialist
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Focused on building trust and safety
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Trauma informed and non-judgmental
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Culturally competent and relevant to a wide spectrum of religious observances.
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Meets every other week, to start.
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An open meeting, but registeration is required prior to each meeting.
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Limited to 6-8 participants per session.
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A safe space for Jewish survivors of all genders, sexual orientations, and religious levels.
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Approximately 60 - 90 minutes long.
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Via Zoom
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Free of charge (but donations are appreciated!)
Peer Support Chat
Our 24/7 Telegram peer support chat is our flagship service! Created just for Jewish survivors of sexual abuse, here you will find support from people who know what you're going through, because they've been there, too. You'll find a wide range of topics, including survivor stories, getting and giving advice, memes, discussions about abuse in our communities, therapy sessions, mental illness, social media, and how our day is going. We're just like your family chat, but with people who get you and embrace you for exactly who you are!
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Our chat members are fantastic supporters of each other, are kind and compassionate, inclusive, and non-judgemental. They represent Jews from all over the world, all genders and sexual orientations, and all levels of religious observance. Our peer support chats are vetted and moderated by Sara and Ariella.
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Our community building activities like drop-ins, coffee meet-ups, annual picnic, geocaching events, volunteer opportunities, etc. are open to our active chat members only.
Resource Management
Trying to find appropriate resources and solutions to survive and heal can get confusing and overwhelming, especially when you are also feeling alone, anxious and depressed.
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JSU can help identify your needs, create a step-by-step plan, and support you in finding the organizations that can help you obtain the help you need. Sometimes that means being on the phone with you as an advocate, helping you fill out applications, or getting you directly you to the people you need to speak to at our partner organizations.
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We can help you find appropriate resources for mental health care, government services, LGBTQ+ issues, sexual health, domestic violence shelters, legal options pertaining to seeking justice against the person who abused you, insurance concerns, inpatient treament, etc.
Empowerment programs
Many survivors of sexual abuse have had power and control taken away from them. The goal of the JSU Empowerment Programs is to help survivors get back their voice, power, and control over the direction of their own lives.
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Our 2:1 Empowerment Teams provide a survivor with access to two certified peer support specialists that will help them dream of the life they want, set goals to get there, provide them with resources, keep them accountable, support the inevitablle adjustments along the way, anticipate and manage obstacles and cheer them along the way!
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Alternatively, our Goals Groups accomplishes the same, but with the support of a cohort of 4-5 participants that meet monthly via Zoom and on Telegram, in between meetings for encouragement and accountability.
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Read more about our Peer Support Specialiists here.
Journaling Club
Healing & Life Skills Workshops
Crisis Management
Journaling is a great way to get things out of your head and on to paper! Join our anonymous Journaling Club on Telegram to receive a journaling prompt every day and read what other members write and share your own! Our only rule - positive feedback only!
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Journaling Club is open to any survivor of sexual abuse over the age of 18!
Learning is growing! Our workshops cover life skills topics such as financial planning and budgeting, job skills, and sex ed, as well as healing topics such as workshops about different modalities, writing workshops, art and creative activities .
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Some of our workshops are only open to JSU members, others are open to the public.
When abuse is ongoing, our experienced team can help with safety planning and gathering resources to help get to a temporary safe place quickly.
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We can also provide personal safety items, accompany victims to file reports or rape kit exams, help in obtaining emergency contraception, and provide information and support around abortion care.
Our Members
Say:
I joined JSF/JSU roughly over a year ago. As a survivor of long term sexual abuse and as one who grew up in the orthodox Jewish world, I found this group to be greatly validating and supportive. One of the hardest struggles for a survivor is the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Finding a community that just "gets it" is nothing short of life-saving. JSF/JSU has been there to support me, laugh with me, cry with me and carry me through so many hard times. They are a community that is committed to each other - a family that will stand by you through thick and thin. Since joining, I found a voice and gained the strength to tackle challenges that I never dreamed I had the power to overcome before. JSF/JSU will always be a part of who I am.
-ADH
As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse from within my orthodox family, I had been walking a lonely path. When I confronted my family members and insisted that the abuser be held accountable, I was told to move on, that it was I who was breaking our family apart- not the abuser with multiple victims over many years. A turning point in my own healing journey came when I joined this community. A forum of real- life fellow survivors, who truly understand the complexity of trauma compounded by our insular communities. I’m incredibly grateful to have a place to come ask my questions and get support on hard days. People often say “you’re not alone,” but it’s not until I met the online friends here that I came to believe it.
-L
The JSF / JSU has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on my life. For starters, with JSF / JSU I know that I am never alone; whenever / wherever, I always feel supported. The impact of my childhood / adult trauma on my life, being a member of the JSF / JSU community has made me feel hopeful. Rather than going to suicidal ideation, being a member of the JSF / JSU community has made me hopeful. In other words, being a member of the JSF / JSU community has been a lifesaver.