Whether it’s a Jew struggling with a job loss, depression, or marital strife, Debbie Fox is there to offer help. The director of Aleinu Family Resource Center is also at the helm of a daring, nationwide battle against domestic violence and molestation. As she puts it, “I want our frum world to be unsafe for any perpetrator”
“Is Mom willing to get Dad out, and keep Dad out?”
“Are the police involved yet?”
“Mom will need a therapist. You need to support her, give her the strength to do what’s right.”
I’m in a hotel lobby, sitting across from Debbie Fox, LCSW, director of Aleinu Family Resource Center in Los Angeles. She’s speaking to someone on her BlackBerry. Her forehead is furrowed, but her voice is completely even-keeled.
“Invite Children’s Services to your office. Explain to them that there are cultural sensitivities here, that the children can’t just go from an Orthodox environment into a non-Orthodox home. Tell them that Mom is willing to work with them — maybe she needs to join a parenting group to understand the effects of abuse on her children. You need to make it clear that if she can’t protect her children, they’ll be taken away.”
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