There are so many issues I could talk about as the chief executive of Jewish Women’s Aid, but one moment stands out.
Sitting in the JWA office with colleagues last year, we breathed a collective sigh of relief as we learnt that one client had finally been granted a Get (a Jewish divorce). Anonymity is central to what we do as an organisation combatting domestic abuse in the UK Jewish community, so I did not know her name - but I did know that the case had been a long and complicated one.
Like so many of our clients, we were able to provide her with the faith-based understanding and support that a mainstream service would struggle to emulate. We are a “by and for” service – an organisation led by Jewish women, supporting Jewish women. We can sit down with a woman and truly listen, without her needing to explain why something like the Get matters.
While Jewish women are as likely to experience domestic abuse in line with national figures (1 in 4 will experience abuse in their lifetimes), there are nuances that can make the experience different for a Jewish woman. For example, it takes the average woman four years to leave an abusive relationship - but for Jewish women, it takes ten.
That’s why JWA’s services are more important than ever before – especially as the latest figures show a record need for our work. Over the past year, the number of women we’ve worked with has risen by 24 per cent. The number of children supported is up 9 per cent, and sexual violence cases have soared by 64 per cent. These figures are not just statistics; behind them are real women, real children, real lives in crisis. We supported 816 women and 445 children. We delivered over 2,000 counselling sessions and specialist support for survivors of sexual violence.
What do I think when I see these figures? I’m relieved that women are bravely willing to come forward – but I am also acutely aware that there are many more women, girls and children impacted by abuse, who we have not yet reached.
This issue is not going away – and it is one that affects our whole community, irrespective of religious observance, financial circumstance, or postcode.
To truly tackle domestic abuse, we must confront the myths that allow it to persist. Abuse isn’t always physical; it can be emotional, financial, sexual, or spiritual. In the Jewish community, this can mean the misuse of religious practices – withholding a Get, manipulating family purity laws, or exploiting cultural expectations to control a partner. At JWA, we provide not just practical help but also an understanding of the unique challenges our clients face.
JWA is here for every Jewish woman who needs our support, but we cannot do it alone.
We need the entire community – from synagogues to schools, rabbis, and relatives – to recognise the reality of abuse. We know that outreach, education, and prevention are key – as well as creating a culture where women and children feel safe to speak up.
And outside of the community, we are working hard – educating frontline workers like nurses, police, and social workers, as well as Jewish school and university students, to help combat the issues that allow domestic abuse to develop and continue.
Abuse thrives in silence, and it’s our responsibility, as a community, to speak openly about the issues that allow it to continue.
Domestic abuse is not someone else’s problem. It’s ours.
Sam Clifford is the chief executive of Jewish Women’s Aid
www.jwa.org.uk
