B”H
Domestic violence against women is a wide - spread problem in Israel. The same with mobbing, child abuse, violence at schools and violence against teachers.
A stereotype opinion claims that husbands of Sephardi origin tend to beat their wives more than Ashkenazi husbands. Some time ago, a Belzer Chassid told me that domestic violence in haredi society is mostly found in Sephardi families.
I am not denying that domestic violence is taking place in all Israeli societies and from all backgrounds, but I do still claim that the percentage is much higher in Sephardi families. A high percentage of violence against women can also be found among Russian and Ethiopian immigrants as well as in the Arab society.
There are shelters for women and Jewish religious women should know about BAT MELECH; a shelter for frum abused women. The haredi press has been reporting about "Bat Melech" quite a few times and doesn't deny domestic violence in haredi families.
I am not denying that domestic violence is taking place in all Israeli societies and from all backgrounds, but I do still claim that the percentage is much higher in Sephardi families. A high percentage of violence against women can also be found among Russian and Ethiopian immigrants as well as in the Arab society.
There are shelters for women and Jewish religious women should know about BAT MELECH; a shelter for frum abused women. The haredi press has been reporting about "Bat Melech" quite a few times and doesn't deny domestic violence in haredi families.
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B'H
ReplyDeleteIt may be because of the fact that they lived among Arabs who are known to beat their wives and treat them like objects.
As for the Ashkenazim, one of the reasons why it is not so common, is that in Ashkenazi society, it was common for a newly wed couple to live in the in-laws family's house for a while (sometjing which was almost unknwon in Sephardic society). It was common in Ashkenazi society that the in-laws supported financialy the couple. So a man living with his in-laws or his own parents and being supported by them didn't gave him some reasons to beat up his wife.
Ashkenazi society is also more open when it comes to speak up about your marrital issues or to look after guidance on issues partaining to intimacy and marriage relathionship, than in Sephardic society.
In short, what I mean is that family structure is quite different in both societies and this as obvisouly an impact on how you may or may not treat your wife.
You may have some other kind of violence and abuse in Ashkenazi families, but quite frankly, the only cases I personnaly know of men beating their wives are within Sephardic families. Not that it does not exist within Ashkenazi families, but they are clearly much less frequent.
no one speaks English at Bat Melech.
ReplyDeleteB"H
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter to me because I am fluent in Hebrew.