Journey to Safety and new TeenSafe Initiative

Journey to Safety's mission is to prevent domestic abuse in the Jewish community, while helping those who have been abused find a way to safety, regardless of their background or beliefs. We offer culturally competent, religiously sensitive services to survivors of domestic abuse, with specialized services for the Jewish and Russian-speaking communities. Information, support, referrals, and other resources are available for all domestic abuse survivors, including teens, seniors, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT community.

Journey to Safety also works to raise the level of awareness about domestic abuse throughout Greater Boston, again with particular emphasis on the Jewish and Russian-speaking communities.

Our Services Include

• Domestic abuse counseling
• Safety planning
• Financial assistance
• Support groups
• Court accompaniment (including civil, criminal, and rabbinic courts)
• Assistance with finding housing, job training, employment, legal services, and appropriate public benefits
• Consultation and support for family members and friends of survivors
• Consultation and support for clergy members and other community professionals
• Domestic abuse education/awareness programs for community groups, congregations, youth groups, schools, social groups, and members of the community at large

Russian Speaking Services

This program ensures that Russian-speaking victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault have access to a comprehensive system of care. Services are delivered in Russian, with special attention to the emotional and social needs of immigrants from the former Soviet Union. In addition to the services listed above, clients may utilize interpreter services so they will not be denied access to needed services because of language barriers.

TeenSafe Programs

These programs empower teens in opposite or same-sex relationships to choose these relationships based on mutual respect, to recognize patterns of communication that are healthy versus controlling, and to see the direct influence that the media and our culture have on their concepts of the "ideal relationship."

We are excited to announce a new TeenSafe Initiative, which will bring together 10th grade Jewish girls to talk about healthy relationships. This group is designed to enhance leadership skills, resulting in a community project to raise awareness about teen dating violence. 

Community Outreach

Journey to Safety works collaboratively with other JF&CS programs, in the Jewish and Russian-speaking communities, and with domestic violence agencies throughout Greater Boston. In addition, staff provides community education programs, workshops, and training to synagogues, schools, shelters, senior-housing facilities, courts, and other secular organizations. Journey to Safety is a member program of Jane Doe Inc., the Jewish Domestic Violence Coalition, the Multicultural Immigrant Coalition Against Violence, and the Trafficked Victims Outreach and Service Network.

This program is supported by MOVA through a 1984 VOCA grant from the OVC, OJP, US Department of Justice.

For more information, call 781-647-JFCS (5327) or email your questions via our contact us page.