Mrs. Eden,
As a Never a JW who happens to care little about social ties based on kinship, common religion, race, or country of origin, my suggestions may be too harsh and not appropriate for your situation. I will say it only so you know my personal choice if I ever were in your shoes. The hell with them!
One good thing of your telling the story is that it reinforces my belief that I have to fight superstition and cults to be able to give the next generation a better world.