Soon we will be reading the Torah portion of Vayishlach. It is a portion filled with events of triumph as well as failure. We learn the stories of Jacob wrestling with G-d and his reuniting with his brother. We also learn about the rape of Jacob’s only daughter, Dinah. Though Jacob can prevail or at least hold his own in wrestling with G-d and engaging with his brother Esau, he appears unable to control the physically violent behaviors of his sons. He cannot empathize or express compassion toward his daughter after she was raped. This is a story about a family in crisis due to a sexual assault. Revenge, violence and mayhem follow. Two of the sons go on a murderous rampage while the other brothers take women and children as slaves. Violence begets more violence.

By the time you finish reading this blog, around 13 women in the United States will be assaulted or beaten. In the next 24 hours more than three women will be murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. Within the next year up to 10 million children will witness domestic violence of some kind. So once you finish reading this blog and go about your day, you should take time to think about the 9,500 women in our country that will have been assaulted or beaten by the time you wake up the next morning.

“He always apologized, and sometimes he would even cry because of the bruises he'd made on her arms or legs or her back. He would say that he hated what he'd done, but in the next breath tell her she'd deserved it. That if she'd been more careful, it wouldn't have happened. That if she'd been paying attention or hadn't been so stupid, he wouldn't have lost his temper.” ~Nicholas Sparks

October is a month filled with crisp fall air, crunchy new apples and leaves the colors of fire. October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month, which sadly, few people are actually aware of.

She began as an intern at JF&CS in August 2011, and for two more months Emily Wipper stayed at JF&CS as a volunteer. Why did she stay? Because she felt there was more to be done.

“JF&CS is a top organization and I knew that this place would be a great opportunity,” she said.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness month, symbolized by the purple ribbon. The prevalence and ramifications of domestic violence are staggering.

Here are some facts you should know about domestic violence:

• One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.
• A woman is physically abused every nine seconds in the United States. Three women on average die every day as a result of domestic violence in America
• Nearly three out of four Americans personally know someone who has been a victim of domestic violence.