Jewish Family Service Presents "One Man's Journey from Survivor to Advocate" featuring Joshua Safran for National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

On Wednesday, October 22, 2014, Project SARAH (Stop Abusive Relationships at Home), a program of Jewish Family Service, will host “One Man’s Journey from Survivor to Advocate,” a lunch event to provide community education and outreach around domestic abuse during National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The event will feature Joshua Safran, the attorney in the award-winning documentary CRIME AFTER CRIME and author of FREE SPIRIT: Growing Up On the Road and Off the Grid, a powerful and eloquent memoir recounting hitchhiking across the American West with his wiccan revolutionary mother and standing up to his violent, alcoholic stepfather. Safran will describe his mother’s harrowing experience with domestic violence and reveal how he overcame adversity, reconnected to his Jewish heritage, became a lawyer, and went from survivor to advocate.

Joshua Safran has received numerous awards for his work including The Pursuit of Justice Award from the California Women’s Law Center; The Rollie Mullen Award from Stand for Families Free of Violence; The Domestic Violence Pro Bono Law Award from the Domestic Violence Practicum at UC Berkeley School of Law, the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, and the California Habeas Project; Alameda County Bar Association Volunteer Legal Services Corporation Award; The CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse) Award; and Special Recognition from the State of California. Safran’s compelling story has been seen around the world on PBS, CBS, FOX News, Shalom TV, and Authors@Google, and heard on the BBC, NPR, PRX, CBS Radio, and Talkline. Safran’s essays have appeared in Salon, Huffington Post, Utne Reader, and The Daily Beast.

The event will take place at Congregation Beth Israel (9001 Towne Centre Dr, San Diego, CA 92122) from 11:30am-2:00pm. Tickets are now on sale at www.jfssd.org/safran at $45 through September 30 and $55 thereafter. Attendees are asked to kindly bring new and packaged socks, underwear, and toiletries to donate to Project SARAH clients.

Event underwriters and community partners include Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center, Center for Jewish Culture, Congregation Beth Israel, Jewish Federation of San Diego County, and Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego. For more information or to support Project SARAH as an event underwriter, contact Jessica Nare at (858) 637-3023 or jessican@jfssd.org.

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ABOUT PROJECT SARAH

Project SARAH (Stop Abusive Relationships At Home), a program of Jewish Family Service, offers a safe, confidential setting for individuals experiencing domestic abuse to explore resources and assists them in making critical life decisions. Learn more at www.jfssd.org/projectsarah. Get help at (858) 637-3200.

ABOUT JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF SAN DIEGO

Since 1918, Jewish Family Service of San Diego has been a trusted community resource for individuals and families in times of need. Our wide range of integrated services Empower Families, Support Aging with Dignity, and Build Community Connection throughout San Diego County and the Coachella Valley. Many people turn to Jewish Family Service with a specific need, such as hunger. But what begins with one service often leads to a much larger scope of support, including counseling, education, job coaching, transportation, and more. Our message to every person who turns to Jewish Family Service in search of a better life is: WE’RE WITH YOU. To learn how JFS transforms lives in our community, visit www.jfssd.org.