Tzedek-Tzedek

In today's Jerusalem Post, Ruth Eglash writes about family violence. This is particularly timely, as there were two spouse murders in Israel on Monday this week. In both cases, it has been reported that the authorities had been informed of the risk, and the wives had requested police protection. Indeed, both alleged murderers had received retraining orders - which they broke, and committed their crimes. In the article, Ruth Eglash quotes Shira Bernstein, Director of Social Services at Lema'an Achai, who tells a grim story of a Ramat Bet Shemesh family: Shira Bernstein, social services director for non-profit Lema’an Achai, which provides a wide range of social services to residents in   Ramat Beit Shemesh , said she believed that one of the issues was the lengthy bureaucratic process, between when a woman initially complains about domestic violence to when the man is either prosecuted or jailed. “It takes a very long time from when the women complain to when the man mi...

The husband and wife were facing off against each other, as I came through the Adler's door. Sarah Adler's* face was bloodied, welted, and sweaty. And so was Menachem's. His and her shouting, the hysterical abuse at each other, and their cries in pain, reverberated throughout the building, and through the open summer window, onto the street. So a neighbor had phoned me that night, to tell me the Adlers were "fighting again". As Sarah and Menachem stared each other down, bloody fists raised, each glanced in my direction. Then they cursed each other with venom. Sarah lunged forward, striking Menachem on the cheek. He elbowed Sarah and she fell, sprawling on the tiled floor. Next to the stroller where an infant sat. I picked up the phone and shouted "I am calling the police". I hoped this would distract them, and perhaps calm things. But the Adler's didn't seem concerned about me or the police. They didn't pause for a moment. The policem...