The Jewish Federations of North America: Israel and Overseas

Report on Social Services for Women in Israel

Dear Reader,

I am very pleased to present below what we hope will be the first in a series of documents highlighting the support that the Jewish Federations of North America and the federation movement provides, through our partners, in targeted areas.

In this first report, we are focusing on social services for women, which show how our system improves and impacts the lives of thousands of women in Israel and around the world, on a daily basis. The projects cater to women of all ages and focus on many issues from health and culture to education and employment.

I am certainly heartened to see the increasingly senior roles that women are taking across the Jewish world and am proud that the Jewish Federations of North America and the federation movement can support our partners JAFI, JDC, ENP and others to further this cause and provide hope, empowerment and promise for a new generation of Jewish women.

Rebecca Caspi
Director General, The Jewish Federations of North America/Israel
Senior Vice President, Global Operations
 
 

Women’s Health

• JDC’s Forum for Women with Disabilities in Israel was developed to bring about change on issues that are crucial to the lives of women with disabilities. More than 35 Arab, Druze, and Bedouin women with disabilities who face immense cultural, physical, and accessibility barriers currently volunteer at the Forum, which acts as both a support network to its volunteers and beneficiaries and as a research and lobbying group promoting the needs of these women. Recently, the Forum has been focusing on empowerment in the North and leadership for hearing-impaired Bedouins. It has created a network of partners in strategic positions, disseminated critical information, and helped increase access to needed services.
  As a result of these efforts, the Forum has been instrumental in increasing awareness of challenges facing women with disabilities among the Arab, Druze, and Bedouin communities. One of its most significant achievements was the successful lobbying of the government to fund activities for hearing-impaired Bedouin women at the community center’s social club. The Forum aims to develop similar programs for hearing-impaired women in the North.The 2009 approved total budget for the Forum for Women with Disabilities is $65,000, of which $10,000 is supported by UJC core funds.
• In community centers throughout Israel, women of diverse backgrounds undergo training to become vocal and proactive women’s health advocates. This is part of Project ISHA, established and supported by the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland in cooperation with the Jewish Agency. The program has subsequently grown to include additional funders both in Israel and among overseas communities. The advocates choose a theme and are accorded funding to launch their programs (at a cost of $33,000 over three years of elective funding for each community center).
• A Jewish Agency-sponsored program initiated and funded by the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, The Counseling Center for Women, offers training for Israeli mental-health practitioners and professionals on gender issues; seminars in feminist theory and gender issues for psychologists and social workers at the start of their careers; in house training for center staff; and internships for social work and psychology MA students to work directly with women in need.  (This program receives $46,450 of elective funding from the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland).
• ENP's Domestic Violence Prevention program: In 2006-7, the Ethiopian National Project, with the generous support of the Israel Emergency Campaign, launched a nationwide response to the tragic problem of domestic violence, along with additional city wide efforts aimed to create lasting change. The creation of this desperately needed program was triggered by the alarming fact that four of the twelve spousal murders in Israel in 2006 were of Ethiopian-Israeli women, disproportionate to a population which is approximately 1.7% of the Israeli population.

Mothers and Children

•  In the aftermath of the December 2001 economic collapse that plunged nearly 30% of Argentine Jewry below the poverty line, JDC developed the Baby Help (“Tinok”) initiative in order to lend support to at-risk pregnant women and their children (ages 0-5 years). The program provides them with basic needs such as food, vitamins, medications and hygienic supplies, and gives infants all mandatory vaccines not supplied by the public health system. These youngsters are also guaranteed Jewish ceremonies of Brit Mila (circumcision) or Simchat-Bat, expenses that are otherwise unaffordable for these families.   
  Baby Help encourages the healthy development of infants by promoting breast-feeding, as well as early childhood stimulation in childcare. Nursery day care is offered to working mothers through the Baby Help Center in Buenos Aires, and a baby-supply bank provides them with temporary access to strollers, cradles, toys, and other equipment. A network of Jewish pediatricians and psychologists ensure the welfare of the beneficiaries, while women from the community volunteer as resources to mothers and their newborns. Baby Help assists approximately 760 Jewish children and 30 mothers. 
  The 2009 approved total budget for the program is $460,000, of which $35,000 is supported by UJC core funds.
• A Jewish Agency-sponsored program initiated and funded by the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland program in the Jerusalem area is aimed at promoting women’s physical activity and healthy eating habits through empowering Tipat Halav (community based centers offering health care to women and young children) nurses with theoretical and practical tools for dietary improvement and physical activity. This program offers a series of workshops taught by specialists from “Hadassah Optimal” Medical Center for nurses, who then work directly with the mothers. (This program receives  $70,000 of elective funding annually from the  Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland)
• ENP’s Parent Workshops program encourages and enables parents to become involved with their children’s education by providing parents with the basic skills and information necessary to take responsibility for their children’s education. The workshops are primarily attended by mothers who have found themselves faced with many parenting challenges since their arrival in Israel, specifically with their daughters. Adolescent Ethiopian-Israeli girls in today's modern Israeli society find themselves flooded with questions about who they are, who they want to become and where they fit in. ENP's Parents Workshops help mothers address all of these issues and equip them with the tools they need to aid their daughters in their struggle to form their own identity.

Young Women

• ADI – A Hebrew acronym for Empowerment, Concern, and Friendship – is a community framework developed by JDC that provides a range of services and intensive assistance to 70 at-risk young women (ages 13-21) living in Be'er Sheva and Rehovot. These women, who cannot be adequately cared for by Israel's social service system, benefit from ADI’s day facility and shelter which provide them with the support needed to regain control of their lives without being cut off from familiar surroundings.
  ADI offers participants full autonomy over their course of treatment, marking a departure from the methods previously used with this population. For many of the girls who attend each center, ADI is an effective rehabilitation alternative to placement in a correctional facility. The program’s network of support also includes optional vocational courses and therapy, as well as guidance regarding health issues.
  In 2009, the approved total budget for this program is $112,000, of which $11,000 is supported by the Jewish Federations of North America core funds.
• Jewish Agency-sponsored summer and winter camps in the FSU serve as a gateway for introducing young women to their Jewish heritage and offer unique opportunities for self-exploration and individual development.  These camps are supported largely by elective funding from North American federations and a number of foundations.
• The Jewish Agency sponsored program initiated and funded by the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland HAGAM, promotes the well being of disadvantaged women soldiers in the IDF. Run jointly with the Education Corps of the IDF and the Israel Association for Family Planning, the program is designed to address the needs of the most vulnerable new female recruits. The program offers individuals a 12-hour course promoting healthy sexuality, relationships and lifestyle, while officer's participate in a simultaneous six-hour course. (This program receives $86,000 of elective funding primarily from the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland and the support of other partners such Kansas City, Minneapolis, UJIA, and Israeli business Caniel Beverage Packaging.)
• A Jewish Agency sponsored program initiated and funded by the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland ISHA NAARA aims to reduce the cases of violence in romantic teen relationships and beyond by raising awareness of violence and abuse among young women in Israel. Workshops held in cooperation with local community centers and Na'amat teach participants about the causes and early warning signs, and offer information of where to turn in case they are involved in abuse. This program receives $71,570 of elective funding from the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland.
• Through the Looking Glass: Empowering Young Ethiopian Women through Photography strives to empower young Ethiopian women living at Jewish Agency absorption centers by offering creative outlets for self-discovery and expression. Discussion groups, art workshops, and photography sessions, all led by an occupational therapist, help participants explore their feelings regarding integration, acculturation, individuality, goals and dreams.
• Someone to Run With targets young, female immigrants living on the streets of Tel Aviv who are categorized as being at-risk. Implemented by the Jewish Agency together with ELEM, a day-center in Tel-Aviv is open daily for shelter, meals and counseling – with special emphasis on dealing with the effects of sexual abuse.
• Among the Ethiopian-Israeli students who participate in ENP's Scholastic Assistance program are Ethiopian-Israeli girls who study in “ulpanot” schools for girls, or in religious schools in separate classes.  ENP’s Scholastic Assistance Program provides supplementary hours in small groups to strengthen students’ academic achievements. Alongside the academic achievement components, the program addresses social needs and personal development, including self-esteem and leadership skills, while devoting attention to the social difficulties impinging on their progress in school.  The program strengthens the connection between the students and their heritage and integrates their culture into their daily lives.  The program also provides a lunchtime meal that for some is as critical as the scholastic assistance they receive.
• ENP's Youth Outreach Centers provide workshops exclusively for adolescent girls that deal with feminine issues. One example of a workshop for adolescent girls is “Nutrition and Adolescence”. This workshop provides girls with vital information and knowledge on topics related to health and wholesome lifestyles. The workshop is a forum for girls to express their thoughts and feelings and to talk about the issues confronting them in their daily lives
• ENP's Alcohol and Drug Prevention program is comprised of 25 workshops: 15 for youth, 7 for parents (which commence after the youths' ninth meeting) and 3 parent-youth workshops, with two professionals, one an expert in substance abuse, and the second a facilitator from the Ethiopian-Israeli community. Due to the sensitivity of the issues at hand, ENP implements its Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Workshops in separate groups for adolescent girls and boys. The group leaders of the workshops succeed in creating a circle of trust within the group and a forum in which participants feel safe expressing their deepest feelings, concerns and fears.

Cultural Programming

• Established by a graduate of the JDC-Buncher Leadership Training Program, the Rosh Chodesh program was created as a forum for Jewish women in Bulgaria to support one another as they and their families struggled to overcome difficult economic times. The group has since evolved into an important outlet for these dynamic leaders, as well as a viable force in the community, effecting positive change and promoting Jewish values.
  Comprised of about 40 women, Rosh Chodesh meets monthly to discuss topics of relevance to the community, including how to be a Jewish grandmother, preserving Sephardic traditions in the Balkans, and providing support for the unemployed. Together this group of dedicated women is informing the scope of Jewish civil society in Bulgaria through their grassroots efforts. They have introduced new values in their community, such as the importance of developing a Jewish volunteer force poised to take action and help, and in the process are setting an example of caring and perseverance for the community.
  In 2009 the total approved total budget for Jewish Renewal in Bulgaria is $162,000, which supports this program and others, of which $64,000 is supported by UJC core funds.
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah programming in Kyiv, Ukraine implemented by the Jewish Agency and initiated and funded by the Jewish United Fund-Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago provides two years of teaching and preparing the child and his/her family through study, hands-on site visits to places of local Jewish historical importance and joyous holiday celebrations, culminating in a ceremony in the presence of family, friends, and community representatives.
  This program currently receives $75,000 in elective support from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
• Upon arrival in Israel, Ethiopian immigrants experience an intense cultural transition that sometimes leads to tension and conflict in the family unit, and sometimes even violence against women. The Jewish Agency, in consultation with the Ethiopian National Project and other leading organizations working with the Ethiopian community, created From Conflict to Resolution aimed at new Ethiopian immigrants living at absorption centers. The program incorporates workshops, training courses for mediation, and the establishment of crisis hotlines for men and women.

Employment and Professional Training

JDC’s TEVET employment initiative helps break the cycle of poverty in Israel by providing opportunities for populations with low workforce participation to overcome the social, cultural, and other barriers they face to finding and keeping rewarding jobs. The following two programs are part of this JDC initiative:

• JDC’s Eshet Chayil (Woman of Valor) program helps 2,000 Ethiopian-Israeli, Kavkazi, Arab, and veteran Israeli women secure and maintain employment by creating a complete support framework to overcome their barriers to the workplace. This includes addressing issues such as psychological readiness for work, family adjustment, employers’ expectations, and interview skills. 
  Participants also benefit from emotional support, help in child-care arrangements, and opportunities to improve their Hebrew skills. The program operates in three stages: workshops preparing the women for entry into the workplace; individual mentoring; and an Eshet Chayil Job Club, which provides ongoing support to employed program graduates.  
  In 2009, the approved total budget for this program is $2.25 million, of which $160,000 is supported by UJC core funds.
• With 50% of the Haredi (ultra-orthodox) population living below the poverty line, and an alarming 60% of Haredi adults unemployed, this community is in dire need of intervention. JDC’s Tzofia program is providing some 600 Haredi women with vocational training, job skills, placement and ongoing support in a culturally sensitive environment, enabling them to comfortably provide for their families. 
  Participating women learn about coping with the demands of parenting, homemaking, and employment. The program also provides them with limited subsidies for childcare during the training process. Following their graduation, they receive ongoing support and guidance, which has proven to make all the difference in their success in the workforce. In some instances, the Tzofia employment program partners with employers, such as high-tech companies, to create new, exclusively female workplaces in Haredi areas which can provide suitable employment for program graduates. These programs are based on intensive on-the-job training programs provided by the companies.
  In 2009, the approved total budget for this program is $700,000, of which $35,000 is supported by UJC core funds.
• YESODOT: Empowering Young Ethiopian Women, a Jewish Agency program, offers educational and vocational activities for Ethiopian young people. For many Ethiopian young women, their futures are hindered not only by their immigrant background but also by their single mother status. Yesodot intervenes by providing training, counseling and information in various fields of employment for these young girls, thereby giving them a way to a positive future.