DOMESTIC ABUSE NEEDS ASSESSMENT STUDY

Where do Jewish abuse victims go for help? How do Jewish and secular agencies, organizations and synagogues respond? What are the most appropriate, effective services the Detroit Jewish community can provide? 

In 2002, Jewish Women International (JWI) designed and conducted a Chicagoland community Needs Assessment study that explored the questions, and many more. Now we are launching a similar study for the Detroit Jewish community, in partnership with Jewish Family Service and with funding support from the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit.

This Needs Assessment will gather the perceptions, experiences and challenges of social service professionals and synagogue and community leadership – information that will seed a coordinated community coalition to prevent, address and respond to abuse. 

DETROIT NEEDS ASSESSMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Linda Blumberg – Jewish Federation Planning and Agency Relations
Susan Feldman – Jewish Federation Community Endowment Fund
Jodee Fishman Raines – The Jewish Fund
Marion Freedman – Jewish Federation Women’s Campaign & Education
Rabbi Judah Isaacs – Alliance for Jewish Education
Helen Katz – Jewish Women’s Foundation
Norman Keane – Jewish Family Service
Patti Nemer – Community Advocate
Rabbi Elliott Pachter – Michigan Board of Rabbis
Rabbi Yisrael Pinson – Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House
Amy Rubin – Jewish Women International
Ellen Yashinsky-Chute – Jewish Family Service

JWI NATIONAL LIBRARY INITIATIVE IN DETROIT

The JWI Detroit Library Initiative Committee is busy creating a new library at HAVEN!

HAVEN is an organization that provides prevention education and direct services to domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse victims across Oakland County and the surrounding communities. Beth Morrison, HAVEN’s president and CEO, says the JWI children’s library is  “a great fit for us, because half of the population served at our shelter is children.”

A reception to raise money, collect books, and heighten awareness about domestic abuse was held at Barnes and Noble in West Bloomfield on December 6, 2006. In addition to raising necessary funds to establish the library and support it into the future, the ambitious Committee hopes to raise enough money for a second room to house computers and other media. Once that goal is reached, they plan to start raising funds for another library at a second local shelter.

JWI is especially grateful to Verizon Wireless, corporate sponsor for the JWI National Library Initiative, and for the support of Congregation Shaarey Zedek and Temple Emanuel, both of which are conducting book drives to ensure that the shelves of the library are continually full.

DETROIT LIBRARY INITIATIVE COMMITTEE

Cindy Moss, Chair

Esther Applebaum
Marsha Baker
Ruth Blackman
Barbara Coden
Carolyn Fine
Lucy Gersten
Ruthe Goldstein
Vicky Levesque
Helen Lipton
Elaine Meyers
Ida Nathan
Sue Perlstein
Estelle Robinson