Brooklyn, NY – Victims of Domestic Violence, Assaults To Share in Passover Seder In Borough Park

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    Brooklyn, NY – The Passover spirit of freedom has a whole new meaning for crime victims putting together a special Seder where they will share stories about abuse, during the holy dinner.

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    Survivors of domestic violence, sex assaults and child abuse will pack into the B’nai Israel of Linden Heights synagogue on Ninth Ave. in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn Monday and Tuesday night.

    Passover honors the Israelite slaves’ escape from Egypt with a 15-step meal called a Seder where stories of bondage are mixed in with the matzo.

    Organizer Annie Kay, 33, spent the past month preparing to feed 500 victims and their families, explaining that the horror of living through a crime is no different than the nightmare of being a slave. “They need a family. The rabbis want to keep it so it looks like crimes in our community don’t happen,” said Kay, a Hasidic Jew who changed her name after launching the Coalition Against Legal Abuse in New York back in February.

    The Jewish law of mesira prohibits a Jew from snitching to cops on another Jew but some rabbis give a pass depending on the crime. Still, if a victim comes forward in one of the city’s insular Orthodox Jewish communities, families are usually shunned at schools, synagogues and work.

    A Borough Park woman named Chaya, 22, said her dad used to beat her with metal coat hangers when she was a kid. “I have a feeling for people hurt by abuse,” said Chaya, who spent the week peeling potatoes in preparation for the two big meals. “I want to help others have a comfortable life.”

    So far, 386 cooked chickens are sitting in fridges along with 14 pounds of coleslaw and 50 pounds of gefilte fish. “It doesn’t matter how many people will come. We will feed everybody,” said Kay. “We want more people to feel empowered to speak out.”


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    18 Comments
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    Sherree
    Sherree
    12 years ago

    Yasher Koach to Anna Kay, Mark Appel and Rabbi Gershon Tenenbaum for making this happen. May all the victims/survivors of abuse know that they are NOT forgotten and they will all have yeshuas. Each and every one of you are important and holy individuals, your abusers were the evil villains in your lives like Pharaoh to the yidden in Mitzraim but Hashem sent Moshe to redeem them and he will send each of you an emes sheliach to allow your voices to be heard and your spirits and souls to heal. Chag Kasher v’sameach.

    CountryYossi
    CountryYossi
    12 years ago

    Why not place those victims with heimishe families for seder and let them see how normal families can welcome abused kids at the seder table..i would gladly take in a few of them and so will hundreds of heimishe families….

    12 years ago

    So-called “domestic violence” victims should not be automatically lumped in with sexual abuse victims. Many women in divorce situations are advised by feminist groups or corrupt attorneys to make false charges of “domestic violence” against their husbands. In one quick stroke, they have their husband removed and then grab custody of the children and ownership of the family home. In addition, many men have themselves been subjected to domestic violence by their wives.

    Mesirah is one of the worst possible aveiros any Jew can do. So-called “rabbis” who give a pass for mesirah are reform-adox feminist politicians, not rabbis. There’s no heter in halacha for mesirah unless one’s life is actually in danger.

    I recommend that all Jewish men Google “media radar” and read the articles there. Wake up before you’re the next hapless victim of the wicked but powerful Jewish feminist groups.

    12 years ago

    I’d like to take these parents who beat their children, and do to them what the Pakistanis do-give them 100 lashes! I guarantee you that they would never beat their children after that.

    volfie
    volfie
    12 years ago

    there is something not right about this. Soon people will will reserve a chair at their seder for the domestically abused . others will publish an hagadah for the domestically abused and so on…perhaps they can go to other family members for a seder ? why stigmatize yourself ? soon there will be seders for ex-convicts, for perverts,for all kinds of groups.

    coalitioncalany
    coalitioncalany
    12 years ago

    B’H we were zoche to have a huge RSVP list of people who have not been welcome at their family seders for many years. If a neshama yearns to be in the presence of the Pesach spirirt, then it is our duty to provide. For Volfie and others who have no sensitivity to this matter, may Hashem lead your life in the path where you should never feel the pain of being ostracized, shunned, excommunicated, and just simply slandered for the sake of someone’s ego. Yasher Koach Sherree for taking an active role in the preparations, and for the beautiful words you have posted here. Chag Kosher V’Sameach.

    12 years ago

    THE SEDER PLANS ARE AWSOME,,,,,,.Members of the entire Jewish community wiil join together tonight to show a strong message that they will not be abandoned
    I can not express the outpouring of support that has been comming in from around the world in response to this event. we as a people are just amazing
    a special thanks to Met council.Bnei israel and the dozens of woman and men that have been cooking,baking and setting up the seders ,
    ms annie kay,rabbi yitz rubin,yanki.motti and the chevra from voj
    C H A Z A K
    A SWEET PESACH MARK MEYER APPEL VOICE OF JUSTICE

    volfie
    volfie
    12 years ago

    to # 16 AMEN. chag sameach.