RKYHS joined together for Go Purple Day to raise support and awareness around domestic abuse and healthy relationships, organized through the Shalom Task Force and Project S.A.R.A.H. RKYHS was one of 25 schools around the country that participated in Go Purple Day. A group of juniors have been taking part in the prestigious Purple Fellowship through the Shalom Task Force this year. The fellowship allows high school juniors to gain important leadership skills while deepening their understanding of domestic abuse in the Jewish community.

The RKYHS fellows helped plan and organize the program for today’s Go Purple Day. Juniors and seniors heard from Diana Gerson, associate EVP of the New York Board of Rabbis, and a recognized authority, working towards confronting family violence, sexual abuse and exploitation. Gerson has provided family violence prevention education and training to over 5000 members of the clergy, community leaders and 3000 teenagers and adults. Gerson discussed with students the differences between healthy, unhealthy and abusive relationships, what to do when your gut tells you something is wrong, where to turn and how to help others who are victims of domestic abuse. She also discussed what is being done on the legislative level to help victims of abuse. Eleventh and 12th grade students joined together in the afternoon in peer-led breakout groups, facilitated by the Shalom Task Force Fellows to have the opportunity to debrief the program.