Readers’ discretion advised – graphic descriptions of sexual assault.
When a girl is old enough to be self-aware, she is struck with the realities of her female body. For a good portion of her life, she will endure the discomfort of her monthly period, carry and give birth to babies in excruciating pain, and have the exhausting privilege of raising children. It’s the sacrifice she willingly pays to create a family.
But there is one sacrifice she has not chosen, one she has little to no control over. Her body is the object of men’s lust, and when that lust is unsatiated, men will abuse their power over her.
When rumors of brutal sexual assault began surfacing on October 7th and in the following days, every woman in Israel trembled. The bodies of our Israeli sisters lied naked, bloodied and violated in their homes, on the streets and in the fields, sometimes for days and weeks until they were found with no witnesses to tell their stories or identify their abusers.
I used to think...
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Thank you for your courage and compassion to write this. You’re right, we feel a heartbreaking grief for these girls/women. There are no words, in any language, to adequately express this heartbreak. Prayers for you and all of our sisters who are suffering. Shalom shalom.