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12

January 19 g 2012

metro

Alexis Michaels, center, holds one of the Mi Shebeirach pillows she created
for the residents of Safe Place, the National Council of Jewish Women,

Greater Detroit Section's Jewish women's shelter. With her are her
grandmother Janice Katzman, sister Shelby Michaels, her mother Ellen

Michaels and Irma Glaser, NCJW/GDS president.

victim to seek professional help before
doesn't mean peace at any cost. I have
taking action.
heard of women being told to go home
Attorney Michaels' daughter, Alexis,
and 'deal with if in order to create peace'
chose to help victims of abuse as her
Hornsten emphasized that the shalom
bat mitzvah project by making fleece
bayit concept does not mean submitting
to abuse to maintain a "so-called peace'
pillows for the residents of Safe Place.
The pillows, with laminated copies of
In her 1995 book, When Love is Not
the Mi Shebeirach healing prayer inside, Enough: Spousal Abuse in Rabbinic
and Contemporary Judaism, Rabbi
go with the women and children when
they leave the shelter.
Julie Ringold Spitzer wrote that the
tradition of shalom bayit can become
"I thought the prayer would make
a burden for women who believe they
them feel safer;' said Alexis, a student
must maintain the pretense of peace
at Orchard Lake Middle School in West
in the midst of an abusive relationship.
Bloomfield.
Hornsten said that saving a life is so
In addition to Safe Place, National
highly valued that Jews are permitted to
Council of Jewish Women, Greater
break some of the most strin-
Detroit Section, has a
gent laws to do so.
new secured credit card
"Surely, abuse is the
program designed for
destruction
of a life she said.
women to establish credit
"It is our obligation as Jews to
in their own names. The
work to end domestic abuse.
program, funded by a grant
And what about the theme of
from the Jewish Women's
being created in God's image?
Foundation in cooperation
Abusing another person is
with Jewish Vocational
Rabbi Marl a
abusing God:'
Service and the Hebrew
She added that many
Free Loan Association, also Hornsten
ancient texts address the
will offer financial educa-
theme of domestic abuse, stating it is
tion for women who have little or no
absolutely forbidden and not a legiti-
experience handling money.
mate way to treat a spouse.
"I think it's important for people to
A Jewish Perspective
know that this is not a modern topic, and
Rabbi Marla Hornsten of Temple
that it is an issue that people across all
Israel in West Bloomfield concurs that
spectrums and movements of Judaism
Jews are not immune to the problem
are addressing and taking seriously:'
of domestic abuse. She said Judaism
addresses the issues through several
themes that emphasize love and respect Legal Issues
Some victims expressed dissatisfaction
for one's family and spouse. Among
the most important are shalom bayit or with the remedies afforded by the legal
"peace in the home" and pikuach nefesh, and law enforcement systems. Gutman's
sister Linda applied for a Personal
which means "to save a life'
Protection Order (PPO) when she began
"The home is meant to be a place
to fear for her safety, but the court 19
of holiness, of safety and security,'
years ago refused to grant her request.
Hornsten said. "Peace in the home is a
Another victim, Lynn, reported her
positive term, a goal to strive for, but it

