Clifton, NJ – A family services agency in the New York City neighbourhoods of Washington Heights and Central Harlem has launched a three-year pilot project to partner with local hair salons and train stylists on how to identify cases of domestic abuse, as many woman go to hair stylise physical abuse can sometimes be visible.
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The Jewish Federation of Greater Clifton-Passaic’s Jewish Family Service (JFS) division received a grant to implement its own version of a similar programme called “Cut It Out”, with a special approach to reach Passaic’s Orthodox Jewish population.
Starting next week, JFS will be training hair stylists, but also professional wig stylists, according to Sharon Zwickler, a second-year social work student who has interned with JFS’s Project S.A.R.A.H. (Stop Abusive Relationships At Home) for over a year.
Since Orthodox Jewish women often cover their hair with wigs, hats or scarves after they become married, training wig stylists is an ideal way to reach these women in a setting where they feel most comfortable, Zwickler explained.
JFS eagerly signed up to run its own version of the programme because “it parallels one of our earlier initiatives,” explained director Esther East. “We’ve been training Jewish ritual bath attendants to be resources for women for 10 years. It’s been our experience that they are so grateful that someone is paying attention to them, as a group that has been on the front line with people in need.”
Indeed, hair stylists often play a uniquely intimate role in their clients’ lives as confidants, friends — even informal therapists, salon professionals agree.
“As a hairdresser, you build a bond with your clients, especially the people who you’ve worked with for a really long time. Some of them having been coming [to me] for 25 years,” said Joedy Puleio, a stylist at Innovation Hair Design in northern New Jersey. “I’ve heard of people’s husbands having affairs. I’ve had people cry in my chair about arguments they’ve had.”
This role for stylists is not limited to the beauty salon, but extends into the masculine realm of the barber shop. [IPS]
To the first two commentators. Comment 1) Which group hates Orthodox Jews and what is the proof?
Comment 2) The sad fact according to Rav Avraham Twersky is that the community does not want to admit problems that occur. It does not mean that the problems are pervasive.
Bout time an ortho. community did something like this. Maybe Lakewood and Monsey will be next, its only a skip away, on either side.
It bothers you that the community wants to face the fact that they have as many wife beaters per capita as any other frum community?
If it accomplishes nothing else, it will get the scummy wife-beaters to stay in Brooklyn.
Will barbers be trained to recognize physical abuse in men?
I think that it will be a good thing that Orthodox women will be able to have a voice. Shalom Bayis does not exist in all Jewish homes sadly. No woman should be abused by any man.
The Passaic community is way too obsessed with abuse.
It seems to be the style to convince everyone that they or their children are being abused.
How crazy is this the Rabbonim are supporting this group that hates Orthodox Jews. This group is a non religous group that will love to go after Orthodox Jews. Are people in Passaic And Clifton crazy that they let an organization pretend to help out religous jews but really they hate us lets not be so foolish. Lets stick up for whats right