There is widespread coverage in mainstream media on the sexual abuses committed by the clergy within the Catholic Church, especially in the last couple of years. However, it is also quite obvious that sexual abuse is a problem in many other communities, especially in communities which are closed off from the mainstream and where victims have less options in getting the help they so desperately need.
In "Hush", author Eishes Chayil (a pseudonym) who is herself a member of the Chassidic community has written a searing narrative focusing on one Chassidic victim's abuse and one witness' torment over a period of six years. Gittel was only ten years old in 2003 when she witnessed her best friend Devory, also ten being abused. The book weaves back and forth between the events of the past in 2003 and Gittel as a grown teenager in 2006, as she prepares to graduate from high school and is about to become eligible for marriage by matchmaking, a tradition in the Chassidic community. Gittel should be happy and elated at the prospect of this new and exciting experience which awaits her, yet she is filled with trepidation and guilt, going back to the events in her past and having to do with her best friend Devory and the tragic consequences from the abuse, a past that haunts Gittel and robs her of peace of mind.
The story in essence deals with Gittel's strong sense of guilt and anger at being unable to voice out the truth of those circumstances, being 'hushed' even as a child when she was the sole witness to the abuse of her best friend. It is a revelatory story in that it gives readers, especially those who are not familiar with the beliefs and practices of the Chassidic community, insights into this community. Family reputation is held in high regard, to the extent that any issue/problem that tarnishes that reputation or brings that reputation into question is ignored or silenced. This is especially so in cases of young children who are sexually abused (the focal point of this book - physical abuse and/or domestic violence is not covered here) either by family members or even the rabbis at yeshiva (religious school). These innocent young victims are forced to keep silent - their behavioral problems which stem from having to keep this abuse to themselves (confiding appears to be discouraged, and there is no open discussion of sex within this community as portrayed in this book) has them pegged as problem children.
Meantime, poor Gittel, herself an innocent ten-year-old at the time of these horrible events, finds herself in a quandary. She senses that what she witnessed (the abuse) is something that needs to be told - but who will listen? Her mother rails that the family reputation will be sullied with any involvement on their part, and so Gittel goes through the next couple of years on automatic pilot - writing letters to Devory, visiting the local police station where she balks at saying anything that will incriminate herself and her family, all these while being steered towards marriage and motherhood by her parents. Will Gittel ever find her 'voice' and set things right? Will she come to peace with herself and her inner demons? This is the focal point of the story.
"Hush" is a shocking, illuminating read that is also heartwrenching due to the difficult and taboo subject matter being covered. The author's writing style is unadorned and sparse yet effective for this story. It may be a work of fiction, but as the author herself states in the ending note, this story is inspired by the various stories of abuses within the Chassidic community, especially the abuse of the author's own friend when the author was a child. Works like "Hush" are important because they throw light on a serious subject and compel readers and society at large to think about the victims and how best to protect and serve these innocents, especially when they are forced to keep silent and denied recourse to justice.
