On April 11, the President signed the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) and the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act (SESTA) after both Congressional chambers overwhelmingly passed the critical legislation. This rare bipartisan effort will combat known sex trafficking activity online particularly of minors and is due to advocacy activities of so many including many JCAST Chicago supporters who contacted their legislative officials.

FOSTA-SESTA creates a new cause of action (both criminal and civil) against online websites, such as Backpage.com, that are a hub for the sale of minors, mostly young women, online. Mothers and women themselves are now able to sue these sites for the revenue the sites received through the knowing exploitation of youth. Many of those advertised online were abused as children. These suits were described in the movie I am Jane Doe shown by JCAST Chicago at the Northbrook Library in January. The law also creates a criminal cause of action. This landmark legislation will limit pimps and traffickers ability to sell women and will deter men from buying sex. For example, immediately after passage of the legislation, Carl Ferrer pled guilty to activities associated with Backpage and agreed to testify against others others associated with online trafficking websites.

In the days following Congressional activities passing SESTA-FOSTA a number of websites, such as Craigslist, Cityvibe, Reddit, Erotic Review, immediately closed the sections of their sites – or the whole site – where sex was sold. JCAST Chicago is working with allies to continue this effort to combat the exploitation of young women and men by pimps and traffickers in Chicago and across the world.

#MeToo

Last week, I participated in two breakout sessions on Human Trafficking sponsored by the N.I.S Women of the E.L.C.A. (W.E.L.C.A.) as part of the Northern Illinois Synod (N.I.S.), Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, (E.L.C.A.) Congregational Resourcing Event at Kiswaukee College in Malta Illinois. Conference attendees of almost 400 traveled from throughout Northern Illinois. I was one of eight speakers including professors from three area colleges and other religious leaders including an Amman. I did not travel alone; our Traffick Teens, life size cardboard figures with short real life stories of trafficking, kept me company and were placed prominently throughout the building.

After the second breakout session, a woman approached me. After we briefly discussed the importance and difficulty of speaking about sex trafficking with our children, she told me she was raped as a sixteen year old and had not shared this information with anyone before, even her husband. We talked about how much it continued to affect her and the importance of seeking help.

While, the #MeToo movement is gaining momentum, this experience showed me how many are still living in its shadow. JCAST Chicago is focused on changing our culture of objectifying women and advocating for more services to support women and girls who have experienced trafficking and other forms of gender based violence. Only, together can we successfully demand and create this new society.

~ Gayle Nelson, JCAST Chicago Engagement and Development Director

The Jewish Coalition Against Sex Trafficking (JCAST) Chicago is planning a number of new events including premiering a new film and parenting programs in the age of the Internet and #MeToo. Mark your calendars and save your seats!

In January, JCAST collaborated with Oakton Community College to premier the film Stopping Traffic. The film not only explores sex trafficking across the world and right here in the US but advocates for ending our culture of fostering the objectification of women and girls. If you missed these showings, JCAST is excited to partner with Hadassah to show the film at the Vernon Area Public Library on March 4th. Reservations are appreciated (using this link).

JCAST is also excited to pilot new parenting programs in collaboration with Jewish Child and Family Services, National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore, and North Shore Congregation Israel. Parenting Boys, in the Age of the Internet and #MeToo will be on Sunday, February 25th and Parenting Girls: Sexuality and Consent in the Age of the Internet and #MeToo will be on Sunday, April 22nd. Tracey Kite, LCSW who leads many stimulating parenting programs, will be our facilitator for both of the programs. Reservations are appreciated (using this link for boys and this one for girls).

And we can’t forget the Matzo tasting and educational event on April 4th (reservations appreciated here)!

It will be a great year and we hope you can join us.

#MeToo

#TimesUp
#EndTrafficking
#10MillionTooMany
#HerToo
#NowYouKnow

These are just a few hashtags relating to trafficking, harassment and exploitation. We see the hashtag symbol on social media but what is it, why do we use it and why are there so many of them!

In short, a hashtag is used on social media to categorize and track content. It helps a user search for posts on specific topics. But there is a lot more to using social media as an advocacy tool. Here is a quick primer on social justice and social media.

Social media is as important to today’s activist as a letter to the editor or even a protest rally. It’s an open forum for social engagement. Social media allows you to communicate directly with decision makers, spread and share news quickly and mobilize members and supporters.

There are seemingly endless social media apps, LinkedIn, Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are just a few. The most commonly used social media applications are Facebook and Twitter. What is the difference between Facebook and Twitter? Well, some people say that Facebook is for connecting with the people you went to school with and Twitter is for people you wished you had gone to school with.

In a nutshell, Facebook is used by individuals who wish to stay connected with, or reconnect with, people that they know offline. Facebook is used by organizations and businesses to enhance their brand and disseminate information. Users maintain a profile or page and post messages on their “wall.” The messages can be of any length and can include links, images, video, etc.

Twitter allows users to post 280 character messages, or tweets, and follow the messages of other users on their Twitter feed. It is mainly used to communicate with other individuals with similar interests, regardless of whether users know one another off Twitter, and to follow updates from organizations, businesses and celebrities. Twitter is a frequently used form of communication in the current political climate.

Hashtags are what we used to think of as the pound symbol or number sign. Users can group posts together by topic or type by use of hashtags – words or phrases prefixed with a “#” sign. A word, phrase or topic that is mentioned at a greater rate than others is said to be a “trending topic”. Trending topics become popular either through a concerted effort by users, or because of an event that prompts people to talk about a specific topic. These topics help Twitter and their users to understand what is happening in the world and what people’s opinions are about it.

Tagging is more than just a children’s game! Tagging is a way to mention or reply to other users. By using the “@“ symbol, you can engage in a form of conversation over social media. For example, including the tag @ncjwncs in a Facebook post or Tweet will alert NCJW Chicago North Shore that you’ve posted at or about them. Tagging is a great way to let you elected officials know about issues.

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Participate by taking action on social media. Here are a couple sample Tweets and Facebook posts:

TWITTER

● We were slaves, too – and we will not stand idly by while people are being trafficked. Join us in speaking out on #HumanTrafficking Awareness Day. #EndHumanTrafficking

● The Jewish community is working to #EndHumanTrafficking. Our shared values call us to build a world where all are free: http://bit.ly/2zekRbQ

● #HumanTrafficking is using force, fraud, or coercion to control someone for commercial sex or labor & services #EndHumanTrafficking

● Everyone deserves respect & dignity. No one should be exploited for labor or sex. http://bit.ly/2jeLoeZ #EndHumanTrafficking

● As Jews, we cannot stand by while others are enslaved. We must work for a world in which all are free http://bit.ly/2zekRbQ #EndHumanTrafficking

FACEBOOK

● An estimated 20.9 million individuals are enslaved worldwide, including hundreds of thousands of victims in the US. Traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and other forms of coercion to exploit men, women, and children through forced labor and or sexual exploitation. Jewish tradition reminds us that we, too, were once slaves in Egypt. We must commit to adequately funding services for survivors of trafficking, hold traffickers accountable, and address the systemic causes of trafficking. We will not stand idly by while others are enslaved! Today, we join our voices together to build a world where all are free. #EndHumanTrafficking

● #HumanTrafficking is the forced exploitation of a human being for labor or sex, which violates the inherent dignity and worth of a person. Jewish tradition reminds us that we, too, were once slaves in Egypt. We will not stand idly by while others are enslaved! As Jews, our shared values call us to speak out against the injustice of slavery, to hear the voices of victims and survivors, and to vigorously uphold the right of every individual to be free. #EndHumanTrafficking http://bit.ly/2zekRbQ

Below are some great social media resources. Happy Posting!

Social Media Resources:

NCJW CNS Facebook & Twitter Handle: @ncjwcns
How to Create Your First Tweet: http://bit.ly/2entljy
The Perfect Facebook Post: http://bit.ly/2eesbZ7
Writing Great Tweets: http://huff.to/1kkV9V1
Popular Twitter Hashtags: http://sproutsocial.com/insights/twitter-hashtags

~ Melissa Prober, Executive Director, National Council for Jewish Women Chicago North Shore

I take no pleasure in Al Franken’s departure from the Senate, but my greatest sorrow is for what he did-that photo of him “pretending” to grope a sleeping woman revolts me, and I believe Ms. Tweeden’s report that he stuck his tongue, unwanted, into her mouth. Although I will miss his smart and progressive voice in Congress, I am confident that there are other Minnesotans (including women) who can serve his state well. I am also hopeful that recent events are revealing what I have long called “the Monster Myth”-the false notion that only evil, awful, men engage in sexual misconduct.
We are in the initial stages of a new national experiment in treating women as credible rather than crazy, and ought to budget ample time and space so that women’s justified rage and grief-whether long suppressed or newly triggered-can be expressed. We should also recognize that lacking experience in holding men accountable for the ways in which they subordinate women makes doing so scary and difficult. But we have to do it- it is long past time that we stop protecting men from the harmful consequences of their sexually abusive conduct. I hope that we can all remember that just as women have never been “ruined” by being sexually violated, neither will men be “ruined” by being made to answer for their behavior.
In the current tidal wave of #metoo stories unleashed by reporting on Harvey Weinstein, we are finally hearing the primal screams triggered by the shock of being groped, masturbated at, or worse. Many are now learning that wherever sexual violation lands on the spectrum from forced kiss to rape, sorrow and rage are its wake. And we are being buffeted by more than just the emotions of survivors: as men from every community are revealed as harassers, gropers, or rapists, we are collectively experiencing the heartbreak that comes from learning that perpetrators are men we care about.
Before, it was easy for people without a lived experience of sexual violation to think that only monsters engage in such behavior. It is still difficult for people to accept that sexual violation doesn’t require monstrous intent. But it has always been…
(continue reading)

Kaethe Morris Hoffer, Executive Director, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, Column from Huff Post published on 12/8/2017

Ok guys, bring it in.

What is going on out there? We’ve been terrible so far. I don’t know if you can hear what they’re saying, but it is not good. And I for one am sick of it.

Harvey. Donald. Bill. And Bill. Also Roger. And another Bill. Woody. Roman. Roy. Chris and Travis and Justin. Those are just the all-star creeps!

Then we’ve got all the back-ups. Chad. Eric. Randy. The guy at the bar last night. Your buddy from college. The weird dude who seems to be at every party. I mean the list just keeps going.

And what are we doing about it? Nothing. Most of us are doing nothing. And that’s the problem. We are sitting on the sidelines, warming the bench like passive bystanders, meanwhile giving our silent endorsement of sexism, misogyny, harassment and assault. We are sustaining the rape culture. Now I get that a lot of us do this as a means of self-preservation. We don’t condemn our buddy’s harassment of a woman on the street, because we’re scared he’ll call us a “pussy” if we do. And we join in when the guys brag about their sexual conquests, or discuss women as nothing more than a collection of parts, because we’re afraid they’ll call us a “fag” if we don’t.

But enough already. I thought men were supposed to be brave. Supposed to be tough. It’s time to step up. Who’s with me?
YEAH! Ok, here’s the game plan.

Let’s start by acknowledging the role we all have played in creating this culture of hostility and harm. I’m know I’m not the only one, but I have laughed at jokes that used women as the punchline. I have probably even told a few. In college, I generally turned a blind eye when senior guys gave sophomore girls loads of alcohol in the hopes of “hooking up” with them later. And, I once tried to make a woman feel guilty for rejecting my advances. I am ashamed of my behavior and regret those decisions, because I now recognize the harm that they cause. But, I don’t do that anymore.

Click here for the entire blog post.

~ Caleb Probst, Education Manager for the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation

This post was original published on HuffPost.

Ending Violence in Lake County- A Call to Action

Over the summer, The Partnership for a Safer Lake County in conjunction with Leading Healthy Futures released a report attempting to document the occurrence and prevalence of violence in the county as well as the challenges in measuring and combating it.

A section of the report highlighted the prevalence of sex trafficking in the county. Researchers reached out to government officials including State Representative Barbara Wheeler, who reported the growing prevalence and lucrative nature of human trafficking in northern Illinois. Traffickers use the internet and legal businesses including massage parlors as facades. They locate in areas with zoning laws that do not heavily regulate these businesses (e.g. licensure, lighting, dress codes and hours of operation). It is estimated that 50 percent of sex trafficked victims are also involved in legal “sex-orientated” businesses (e.g. strip clubs, escort services, etc).

The report found sex trafficking occurred throughout the county but is concentrated in the cities of North Chicago, Waukegan, and Gurnee. These areas also have the highest rates of gang activity. The report identified research indicating that as much as half of the gangs in the Chicago area are involved in sex trafficking including the trafficking of minors.

In wealthier communities, such as Deerfield, Highland Park, and Lake Forest sex trafficking is more often conducted in massage parlors and other sexually related businesses including strip clubs, adult stores, escort services, and erotic spas. Many of these businesses use the internet including backpage.com and rubmap.com to advertise their services. Often the ads are made to look like the women are “working independently, when in fact they are victims of sex trafficking more often than is recognized or understood.” The report emphasized the lack of understanding and enforcement and outlined the need for more training for community leaders and first responders.

~ Gayle Nelson, JCAST Chicago Engagement and Development Director

Over the last forty years, our understanding of the nature and prevalence of domestic violence has matured. Gone are the days when we were surprised it was happening on the North Shore or asked what did she do or why didn’t she leave.

Over the last few months, I have attended a couple of conferences on sex trafficking and it surprised me just how similar it is to domestic violence and how much we as a society are continuing to learn. The similarity begins by examining the relationship between domestic violence and sex trafficking. Those who are victims of child sexual assault have a higher vulnerability to sex trafficking.

Once victims are entangled in sex trafficking, the connections grow. After all, many sex trafficking victims see their pimps as their boyfriend. Pimps use isolation and violence to maintain control over their victims. And, sex trafficking victims are at their greatest danger when they are making plans or escaping from their bondage.

Yet, many continue to ask questions and pass judgement of sex trafficking survivors making it difficult for survivors to seek the services they desperately need. There is the mistake of linking the freedom of movement with the ability to leave; not connecting the desperation of poverty and lack of options with the desire to want to sell one’s body; or wanting and often finding fault in the young women’s family or in her own actions.

I am grateful JCAST Chicago lay leaders are participating in these learning opportunities with me. Many are not practitioners and do not have special training. Instead, they have a desire to learn and support sex trafficking survivors. JCAST Chicago’s mission includes increasing awareness and educating each other on sex trafficking. Educating our friends and the Jewish community as a whole is all of our responsibility. Over the coming months, there will be more opportunities to learn. Please contact me to receive more information or if you have questions. I look forward to learning with you.

Phone-Sex Operator Brings Minimum-Wage Class Action

~ Gayle Nelson, Engagement and Development Director

About a year ago the social action committee at Lakeside Congregation invited Donna Fishman, a current Co-Chair of The Jewish Coalition Against Sex Trafficking, JCAST Chicago, and a founding member of the Coalition, to speak at our monthly meeting. She introduced us to the advocacy and education work JCAST Chicago supporters are organizing. When I heard the overwhelming number of children sexually exploited in the greater Chicagoland area, I knew I needed to take action. After attending many training classes, I received a certificate of training in Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children.

I also became involved with Selah Freedom, a safe house located on the North Shore providing a holistic approach for women leaving sex trafficking. The house opened earlier this year and provides safety and housing for survivors.

On Sunday, August 13th, I volunteered to help host a birthday celebration for a sex trafficking survivor at Selah Freedom. Thanks to a team of volunteers who cooked, baked and decorated, the birthday girl had her favorite Mexican food and to end the meal, a piñata full of candy!
Selah is a Hebrew word meaning to pause, rest and reflect. Those words were never more evident than during this event. It was a time for me to reflect on the commitment I have made to volunteer and give someone a chance to feel loved and celebrated.

At the house, every evening after dinner, everyone forms a circle and shares a few words of encouragement, hope and strength through inspirational messages. Being a part of the circle after the birthday celebration was a very emotional moment for me.

Diane Zidman

“If I can change one life, I feel that I have succeeded.”

In the last month, local news stations prominently featured stories of teens lured into sex trafficking. For example, in Texas, local authorities identified a confined Chicago teen advertised on Backpage. And, here in Glenview, police broke up a brothel.
Yet, many in our community don’t realize the danger of sex trafficking. They would be surprised to learn human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry grossing $1.34 trillion and selling as many as 100,000 children across the world. They believe prostitution is not harmful because it occurs between two “willing” adults. Yet the average age of a sex trafficking victim is 12 to 14 and most are runaway or locked out girls.

The Jewish Coalition Against Sex Trafficking Chicago (JCAST) Chicago invites you and your friends to a special event on the evening of July 27th to learn more and be a part of a solution. We welcome everyone who is interested in this issue. Please circulate this event in your network and invite others who are interested. To RSVP and for more information contact JCAST Engagement and Development Director, Gayle at [email protected]. See you there!