VTMBH Article: Body
Thirty Bukharian-Jewish women in Queens, N.Y., started a grassroots group, Beit Shalom, to combat domestic violence, a pervasive problem among Bukharian immigrants who began arriving in the United States from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan about 10 years ago, after the breakup of the former Soviet Union. Their community in Queens now numbers some 60,000. Beit Shalom has received two grants from the New York Womens Foundation, the latest to support educational projects such as workshops and lectures by mental health professionals. Topics include violence while dating, and the impact of family abuse on children and teenagers.
When asked what made the Bukharian community particularly vulnerable to this scourge, Renee Banerjee, Program Director of the New York Womens Foundation, cited the problems specific to immigrants, such as language and cultural barriers, which cause stress in families. She also said that in New York, the sex roles of this traditional culture have been turned upside down. The women have to work. And the men seem to have a harder time finding jobs than their wives. Banerjee also said that the rabbis were still enforcing a very male-dominating ethos.
At first, when people heard about Beit Shalom, said Rita Kluyov, the organizations executive director, they wouldnt come to the programs. Up to now, nobody talked about abuse, which happens a lot in our community, and includes physical, financial, and verbal,
Kluyov said. In the Bukharian community, there is only your family. But now, Im telling you, its a big change. The Shalom Task Force Hot Line (718-337-3700) now has a Bukharian speaking volunteer, and the average lecture draws more than 200 people.
Except for Kluyov and a secretary, Beit Shalom, located in a small office in Kew Garden Hills, is run entirely by women volunteers, who presently number 22. They are trying to build women leaders in the community, Banerjee said. Theyre thinking big, to build public awareness that domestic violence is a bad thing.
For further information about Beit Shalom, call 718-575-1445
When asked what made the Bukharian community particularly vulnerable to this scourge, Renee Banerjee, Program Director of the New York Womens Foundation, cited the problems specific to immigrants, such as language and cultural barriers, which cause stress in families. She also said that in New York, the sex roles of this traditional culture have been turned upside down. The women have to work. And the men seem to have a harder time finding jobs than their wives. Banerjee also said that the rabbis were still enforcing a very male-dominating ethos.
At first, when people heard about Beit Shalom, said Rita Kluyov, the organizations executive director, they wouldnt come to the programs. Up to now, nobody talked about abuse, which happens a lot in our community, and includes physical, financial, and verbal,
Kluyov said. In the Bukharian community, there is only your family. But now, Im telling you, its a big change. The Shalom Task Force Hot Line (718-337-3700) now has a Bukharian speaking volunteer, and the average lecture draws more than 200 people.
Except for Kluyov and a secretary, Beit Shalom, located in a small office in Kew Garden Hills, is run entirely by women volunteers, who presently number 22. They are trying to build women leaders in the community, Banerjee said. Theyre thinking big, to build public awareness that domestic violence is a bad thing.
For further information about Beit Shalom, call 718-575-1445