Helping Divorced Moms In the Orthodox Jewish Community Ever since I got to know the Orthodox Jewish
Helping Divorced Moms In the Orthodox Jewish Community Ever since I got to know the Orthodox Jewish community personally in my late teens, I have been extremely impressed with the ways people help each other. From open homes for guests (including strangers) on Shabbos and holidays, to making meals for postpartum mothers, to groups dedicated to visiting the sick, to countless gemachs (an acronym for gemilut chasadim – acts of loving kindness) where people in need can get everything from clothes, to baby gear, to wedding dresses and much more, the religious Jewish community takes care of its own (and strives to do acts of kindness in general) like no other community I’ve ever seen. But no group is perfect, and a few years ago I heard from a woman who grew up Orthodox and had parents who divorced when she was young. She described how painful it was to be treated like a pariah by the people in her neighborhood. Then especially, but even now, the divorce rate in the Orthodox Jewish community is not as high as the rest of the country, and I believe that there is a (misguided) fear that divorce is somehow contagious. Since I spoke to that woman, I recently heard from a couple divorced Orthodox women who explained how alone they feel in their communities. Being the type of person who doesn’t like to sit back once she is made aware of a problem, I began to wonder how we could help these women. Read more: http://jewinthecity.com/2014/08/helping-divorced-moms-in-the-orthodox-jewish-community/#ixzz3BSgNH490 -- source link
#helping#divorce#divorced#mothers#orthodox jews#orthodox#jewish#community