Chana Seminar

   As the future of our society learns and grows, awareness of the surrounding world has great importance. As a way to promote this safety and awareness, Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School collaborated with Chana, a Jewish organization providing help and support to victims of abuse, giving the students a seminar to educate them on the numerous signs and preventions of abuse.  

   Chana responds to the needs of people in Northwest Baltimore City or County that have or are facing abuse. This can include physical, psychological, sexual, financial, or even spiritual abuse. They provide people suffering with intervention, education, consultation, awareness, safety, and healing. Especially as we teach each other for the future, it is important to understand and be aware of abuse, signs of abuse, and the importance of safety in our relationships.  

   In order to do this, Stacy Jarvis, who works with Chana, came to talk to BT students about consent and safety in a relationship. According to Ellie B., a 9th grade student at Beth Tfiloh high school, Chana helped her understand “the importance of learning more about consent and healthy relationships with our grade.” She hopes that continuing to educate young high schoolers will “decrease the frequency of abuse and unhealthy relationships in the world in the future by learning about it now.” In order to learn this, Jarvis taught the 9th graders an acronym to memorize the necessities of consent, F.R.I.E.S, standing for freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic, and specific consent, explaining what genuine consent is and needs.  

   Mrs. Sullivan, the BT high school counselor, hopes that, “there will be a time that I won’t need to bring in anyone to talk about consent or personal safety anymore. She adds that “the more we talk about it the more aware we are and the safer we become.”  

   As our society develops, preserving our values and beliefs is more important than ever. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves on consent and safety in all relationships.