

- Good Guys 3-hour curriculum
- Strong Girls 3-hour curriculum
- Strong Girls, Healthy Relationships 12-hour curriculum
- When Push Comes to Shove... It's No Longer Love!
- LIFE$AVINGS
- Strong Girls! Site for Teens
- Summer Series for Interns and Young Professionals
- Mother's Day Flower Project
- When the Vow Breaks
- Fourth International Conference on Domestic Abuse


- Overview of Domestic Violence
- Types of abusive behavior
- Warning signs of abuse
- Disclosing abuse
- Barriers to leaving
- Safety planning
- Impact of domestic violence on victims
- Impact of domestic violence on children
- Family & friends
- Domestic violence & pet abuse
- Domestic violence & the LGBT community
- Domestic violence & the workplace
- Elder abuse
- Domestic violence & disabilities
- The Legal Project
- National Training Institute
- National Alliance to End Domestic Abuse
- Sept 11, 2008: Preventing Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence on College Campuses
- Register: Sept 11, 2008: Preventing Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence on College Campuses
- About the National Alliance
- Become a Member
- Membership Information
- Stay Connected: Receive National Alliance Emails
- Past Teleconferences/Purchase CD
- Teleconference Handouts & Resources
- Sept 11, 2008: Preventing Sexual Assault And Intimate Partner Violence on College Campuses
- June 26, 2008: The 2008 Supreme Court Decisions Impacting DV
- May 15, 2008: Kids Caught in the Crossfire
- May 8, 2008: DV and People with Disabilities
- Apr 17, 2008: Teen Dating Violence
- Mar 20, 2008: Motivational Interviewing
- Mar 6, 2008: Men Who Abuse Women
- Feb 7, 2008: Children's Physical Health and Family Violence
- Jan 17, 2008: Danger Assessment
- Jan 10, 2007: Pet Abuse and Domestic Violence
- Dec 13, 2007: Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence in the Military
- Nov 1, 2007: Parental Alienation Syndrome
- Oct 11, 2007: Lethality Assessment
- Sept 20, 2007: Stalking Goes Hi-Tech
- FAQs
- Clergy
- Resource Directory
- Domestic Violence Newsletters
- June 2008 Articles
- JWI's NTI Brings Training to Your Area
- JWI’s National Alliance Hosts June Teleconference
- JWI Releases New Youth Curricula
- Faith-Based Communities and DV Report Released
- Voice on the Hill
- More Than a Few Good Men in Florida
- Loving Our Children
- Surviving DV in the LGBTQA Community
- Forgiveness Helps Us Heal
- Ohio Salon Professionals Learn to Recognize Abuse
- Seminar Equips Professionals to Protect Divorcing Women in Israel
- Faces of Domestic Abuse -- Around the Seder Table
- Addressing Dating Violence Among Florida’s Homeless Teens
- Buffalo LGBT Advocacy Program Brings Help and Hope
- Illinois & Oklahoma to Use GPS with Restraining Orders
- Kol Isha of Boston Welcomes New Director
- A Million Voices to End Domestic Violence
- Dr. Rachel Light Publishes New Book on Jewish Domestic Violence
- “Opening Closed Doors” in Australia
- “Relationship Drama” Educates Teens and Parents in Philadelphia
- Strong Girls in West Niagara
- Safe In Our Faith
- Maryland Public Schools Bring Healthy Relationships to Class)
- Weinberg Elder Abuse Shelter Casts a Broader Safety Net
- February 2008 Articles
- JWI’s Mother’s Day Flower Project Marks 10 Years -- and Thousands of Smiles
- Richmond’s Child Advocacy Task Force Prepares for First Conference This February
- Cornerstone Advocacy Service to Host Second Annual Conference in Edina, MN
- What Does Zero Tolerance for Violence Against Women Mean?
- Charlotte Temple Adopts Resolution on Domestic Abuse
- “Gentle”men Against Domestic Violence Forming at Naples, FL, Shelter
- Guidance Counselor Helps Students Prepare for Relationships
- Artist Donates Art Therapy Tools for Use in Women’s Shelters
- Charlotte, NC Teens Get a Firsthand Lesson in Spotting Unhealthy Relationships
- SAFEHOME Uses Grant for Community Outreach
- Twin Cities Training Creates a Dozen New Jewish Community Advocates
- Join 7,500 Global Participants in JWI’s National Alliance to End Domestic Violence
- England Faces Prevention of Get-Refusal
- JCADA Co-Sponsors Day of Study in Washington, DC
- JWI Teams Up With South Florida Jewish Agencies to Present “Flowers Aren’t Enough”
- JWI’s Strong Girls, Healthy Relationships Mini-Curriculum Now Available
- Anti-Abuse Film Moves and Educates at Jewish Alliance to End Domestic Abuse’s January Meeting
- Progress Made But Domestic Violence Persists in Rural Sierra Leone
- An Essay on Domestic Violence in the Israeli Ethiopian Communities
- Foundations of Change: A Statewide Summit to Create Strategies for the Future
- June 2007 Articles
- Get Bill Defeated in Maryland
- JWI Offers Opportunities to Learn Through its National Training Institute
- Shofar Coalition Shares Strategies on Working With Victims of Childhood Trauma
- Florida Shelter Offers Hope to Women of Means
- Building a Domestic Violence Program in Sydney, Australia
- Domestic Violence Leaves An Empty Place at the Table
- JWI's Summer Series Keeps Interns and Young Professionals Learning
- Jewish Women International's Newest Chicagoland Project
- Preventing Get-Refusal in Israel, a Project of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis
- Bringing the Academic Realm to the Field: The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel Launches a New Applied Research Department of Sexual Violence
- JWI Trains NASD in Workplace Domestic Violence Issues
- Should I Stay or Should I Go? Relocation in Interstate Custody and Domestic Violence Cases
- THE NEW YORK EXPERIENCE: Ten Years of Domestic Violence Courts
- Working With Men to Reduce Jewish Family Violence in New York
- Jewish Alliance to End Domestic Abuse Plans Ahead for Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- LISTEN UP: Mothers and Daughters Speak about Relationships
- JWI's Strong Girls, Healthy Relationships Curriculum at Camp Ramah Darom
- When Domestic Violence Follows a Victim to Work
- Research Opportunity - (Confidential) Volunteers Needed
- Wisconsin Immigration and Domestic Violence Brochure, Now Available Online, Garners State ?Exceptional Achievement? Award
- March 2007 Articles
- Beyond Awareness: Effecting Change, the Third International Conference on Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community
- Mother's Day Flower Project
- New National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline to Provide Urgent Support for Teens
- JWI Launches Life$avings Workshops in Baltimore
- International Women's Day
- Preventing Dating Violence: Helping Teens Build Healthy Relationships. A Training for Jewish Educators
- JCADA Working to Help Agunot, or "Chained Women"
- National Library Initiative
- Break the Cycle Uses Technology to Connect, Communicate and Inform
- Strong Girls, Healthy Relationships
- Depending on the Kindness of Strangers: Making Civil Gideon a Reality for Domestic Violence Survivors
- Kol Isha
- Sh'ma Kolenu in Action in 2007
- North Carolina Attorney General's Office Address Confidentiality Program
- An Excerpt from Ruby Slippers: Finding Your Way Home from Emotional Abuse
- National Healthy Relationships and Dating Violence Prevention Curriculum Release, March 2007
- Jewish Women International's Online Resource Directory Needs Updates
- October 2007 Articles
- Sign JWI's petition and support the creation of a domestic violence volunteer attorney network
- Program Ideas for Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- JWI Launches Legal Project
- "Listen Up!: Messages from Teens" Delaware Public Awareness Campaign
- Florida Fundraiser to Support Domestic Abuse Services
- Columbus JFS and Board of Rabbis to Host DVAM Programming
- Domestic Violence in Newton, Mass.: the Safest Community in America?
- Hillel at University of Miami holds Movie Night for DVAM
- JWI's National Library Initiative to Dedicate Four New Children's Libraries
- Naples, Florida, Shelter Plans October Activities
- Shelter Director Speaks at Hartford JWI Chapter Meeting
- Training Opportunity for JWI's Strong Girls, Healthy Relationships Curriculum
- Financial Security Imperative for Domestic Abuse Survivors
- It Happens to Our Kids Too: Dating Abuse in the Jewish Community
- Jewish Women International to Publish Detroit Needs Assessment
- Looking Ahead: January is National Stalking Awareness Month
- Training Opportunities through JWI's National Alliance
- Bypassing the Rabbis to Solve the Problem of Agunot: Mavoi Satum Leads the Call to Establish an Alternative Beth Din in Jerusalem
- National Domestic Violence Hotline Institutes "Direct Connect": Non-English Speaking Callers Benefit from New Protocol
- ARCCI Launches "Men Can Stop Rape" Campaign in Israel
- Rockland County, New York, Agencies Work Together to Reach Out to the Orthodox Community
- Education Toward the Prevention of Get-Refusal, A Project of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel
- Help Update Jewish Women International?s Bibliography
- June 2008 Articles
- Overview of Domestic Violence

Advocacy Initiatives
CURRENT ADVOCACY ISSUES Violence Against Women Violence against women is a crisis of epidemic proportions, affecting women in the United States and around the world. It encompasses domestic violence, sexual assault, rape and other forms of physical, psychological, financial and spiritual abuse. One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, one in six women has experienced an attempted or completed rape, and one in twelve women will be stalked in her lifetime. Teens and young adults are particularly impacted by intimate partner violence – individuals ages 16-24 experience the highest per capita rate of violence and one in five high school girls reports physical or sexual abuse from a dating partner. Furthermore, an estimated 15.5 million children are exposed to domestic violence each year. JWI is committed to working to end violence against women in all of its forms, with particular concern for victims of domestic violence. Domestic violence is a human rights violation that frequently involves beatings, torture, false imprisonment, psychological abuses including threats to harm or kill the victim and/or her children and many other crimes. The case of Jessica Gonzales v. United States, currently before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, involves a domestic violence victim whose three children were killed after police refused to enforce a restraining order against her estranged husband. Ms. Gonzales’s (now Jessica Lenehan) petition to the Inter-American Commission alleged that the • Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a landmark piece of legislation that seeks to improve criminal justice and community-based responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking in the U.S. VAWA was first passed in 1994 and reauthorized in 2000, adding important services for Native American, immigrant, rural, disabled, and older victims. VAWA was again reauthorized in 2005 (signed into law January 5, 2006) extending the legislation for five years and increasing funding by 20 percent to $3.9 billion. JWI was proud to be an active national coalition partner in the reauthorization process. In 2007, JWI convened the Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition to unite the collective energies and visions of the faith communities to work together to promote national domestic violence legislation to protect women and children. Our coalition works to ensure that VAWA is fully funded by: in February 2008 our the coalition hosted a Capitol Hill Briefing to advocate for full funding of VAWA; lobbying members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees; authoring several appropriation letters and supporting critical amendments during the appropriation phases – efforts that were featured in Jewish Woman magazine, submitting testimony on domestic violence to the DNC and RNC for their 2008 Platforms, and testifying before the DNC National Platform Committee in Cleveland, Ohio in August 2008, to advocate in part for full funding of VAWA and other supportive legislation for victims and their children. In FY09, VAWA was increased in the House from $400 million to $435 million. In the Senate, VAWA was increased from $400 million to $415 million. These increases are very positive and strong efforts need to continue to ensure that this money is fully appropriated. Look this legislation up on THOMAS •International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) The International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) S.2279 was introduced on October 31, 2007 in the U.S. Senate and is currently under consideration by the Committee on Foreign Relations. The House version – H.R. 5927 – was introduced on April 30, 2008 and is currently under consideration by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. This critical legislation will commit the View JWI's action alert and ask your senators to support I-VAWA •Human Trafficking The buying and selling of women and children into forced labor or sexual slavery is one of the most profitable businesses worldwide. It is estimated that up to 20,000 people are trafficked in the Look this legislation up on THOMAS •The National Domestic Violence Attorney Network Act Thousands of domestic violence victims in the The National Domestic Violence Volunteer Attorney Network Act (S. 1515, H.R. 6088) is groundbreaking, bipartisan legislation that will help thousands of battered women receive this critical legal help. The legislation would create a national database of trained volunteer attorneys- in coordination with the American Bar Association – to assist battered women with their protective order, divorce, and custody cases. In October 2007, JWI spearheaded an online campaign and with the help of our supporters contributed more than 4,000 signatures to the effort. Over the past year, JWI has worked in coalition with other national organizations to continue pushing the bill forward. Currently, S. 1515 has been placed on the Senate legislative calendar for a vote by the full Senate, and H.R. 6088 will be considered by the full House. We still need your help! Please urge your representatives to co-sponsor the National Domestic Violence Volunteer Attorney Network Act, H.R. 6088. Let’s work together to pass this bill so thousands of battered women and their children can receive lifesaving legal help! View JWI’s letter to Senator Biden View JWI's letter to Senator Specter •The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), enacted in 1984 as Title lll of the Child Abuse Amendment and reauthorized and amended in 2003 as the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act, provides public awareness and prevention of family violence, services for domestic violence victims and their children, and training and resources to local agencies addressing this issue. FVPSA funds the life-saving services provided by domestic violence programs including: emergency shelters, hotlines, transitional housing, counseling, legal services and many other vital services. As the success of the Violence Against Women Act programs increase the number of victims who are referred to local programs for emergency services, the demand for FVPSA services has steadily risen. JWI’s Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition has been lobbying Congress to reauthorize FVPSA (due to expire in 2008) and fully fund this legislation so that all victims and their children can receive the lifesaving services they need to stay safe from further abuse. In FY09, FVPSA was funded at $125 million, a $2.4 million increase over FY08. While this is very positive news, strong efforts need to continue to ensure that this money is fully appropriated. •Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) established a fund to provide victims of crime with critical services that help them recover from the physical, emotional and financial consequences of criminal activity. VOCA money comes from fines and other penalties collected from criminal offenders and deposited into the Crime Victims Fund exclusively to support victims services. No taxpayer dollars are needed to maintain a stable funding level for state victim assistance grants. In recent years, caps on the amount of money that can be added to this fund, as well as appropriations bill earmarks that take money out of this fund, have diminished the extent to which victim organizations can reach and support victims of crime. JWI – through its coalition partnerships - has supported efforts to prevent additional cuts to Victim Assistance grants made with VOCA Fund dollars and has lobbied members of the House and Senate and signed on to letters to Congress to increase the VOCA cap. In FY09, in the House, VOCA Fund received a $60 million increase raising the cap to $650 million. In the Senate, VOCA Fund received a $45 million increase, raising the cap to 635 million. While this is encouraging news for victims, we need to ensure that the cap on the fund continues to be increased to meet the needs of victims. Look this legislation up on THOMAS Women’s Economic Security Women’s economic security is essential if women are to thrive in their local communities as well as the global economy. JWI recognizes the critical link between women’s economic security and oppression and is proud to sponsor our Women’s Economic Security Fund to help support women’s continued economic mobility. •Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive Act (Growth Act) Women are a vital part of the global economy and their share of the labor force is increasing all over the world. Women farmers produce 60-80% of the food in most developing countries, yet tend to work in the lowest paid sectors, have less stable incomes, work longer hours, have less education and training than men and do not enjoy the same economic opportunities as men. The GROWTH Act (S. 2069/H.R. 2965) is an innovative bill that, if passed, would make the U.S. a leader in reducing poverty and promoting opportunities for women and families around the world through policy initiatives that would help women start and grow their own businesses, help women attain land and property rights, and increase women’s wages and working conditions among other initiatives. JWI is proud to endorse this important legislation. S. 2069 is currently before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and H.R. 2965 is currently before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Reproductive Rights Public policies supporting women’s reproductive rights ranging from comprehensive sex education, to family planning, emergency contraception to abortion services have been eroding over the last several years. JWI is strongly committed to reproductive choice and is working in partnership with other organizations to ensure that women’s reproductive rights are protected and strengthened. JWI, in coalition with other national faith based groups, is writing a letter to Barack Obama and John McCain urging them to prioritize women’s reproductive health in their campaigns and administrations. •Comprehensive Sex Education Research shows that comprehensive sex education programs are effective in promoting abstinence as well as other protective behaviors, whereas there is no empirical evidence to support that abstinence-only programs –which currently receive over $1.5 billion dollars in federal money - actually delay the onset of sexual activity among teens. Currently, no federal dollars are allocated for comprehensive sex education despite studies that indicate this type of education would be more effective. Strong advocacy on this issue needs to be undertaken so our youth are educated and knowledgeable about their sexuality and reproductive health. JWI strongly believes that comprehensive sex education programs are critical to ensure that teens are healthy and safe. JWI joined other national and faith based organizations to endorse the Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act (S. 972/H.R. 1653) to support responsible, comprehensive and medically accurate sex education in public schools and lobby on this important issue. S. 972 is currently before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and H.R. 1653 is currently before the Subcommittee on Health. •Family Planning Family planning reduces maternal deaths, deaths of infants and children, unintended pregnancies, improves the health of mothers, and helps prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Ultimately family planning can help conserve vital natural resources and minimize food insecurity. JWI was a proud coalition partner co-sponsoring a Capitol Hill briefing in March 2007 for International Women’s Day championing The Focus on Family Health Worldwide Act of 2007 H.R. 1225 supporting family planning measures worldwide. The Bill is currently before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Look this legislation up on THOMAS •Emergency Contraception Plan B Emergency contraception, or emergency birth control, is used to prevent a woman from getting pregnant after she has had unprotected sex. Plan B is a safe and effective way to ensure against pregnancy, if taken as prescribed and would succeed in reducing the number of abortions and assisting rape victims. JWI has historically advocated protecting a woman’s reproductive choice and, in the case of Plan B, JWI worked in coalition with the National Coalition of Jewish Women and other faith-based groups to ensure the passage of this important act. JWI also mobilized people through its Action Alert to support this cause. On August 24, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the over-the-counter pharmacy sales of Plan B Emergency Contraception (EC) for women 18 years and older. •Abortion The United States Supreme Court in 2007 – in upholding the federal abortion ban in Gonzales v. Carhart and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood - delivered one of the largest blows to date to abortion rights. Following this landmark decision, JWI supported the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) of 2007 (S. 1173) to protect women’s reproductive rights by preventing government interference with a woman choosing to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy. The Bill is before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Look this legislation up on THOMAS • Anti-Genocide and Hate Crimes •Save Save Darfur is an international human rights campaign to bring awareness and resources to the genocide occurring in PAST ADVOCACY ISSUES Violence Against Women •The International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) seeks to safeguard the rights of foreign born women who are brought to the Look this legislation up on THOMAS Reproductive Choice •March for Women’s Lives: This March in Gun Violence •Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) was a provision of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law that was created to stop the sale of semi-automatic weapons manufactured after the ban was enacted. President Clinton signed the ban into law on September 13, 1994 and it was set to expire on September 13, 2004. JWI signed on to a Roll Call Advertisement organized by the Look this legislation up on THOMAS Hate Crimes Legislation •The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2005 (LLEEA) S. 1145 sought to adequately address the significant problems of hate crimes, including hate crimes based on disability, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation but unfortunately did not pass. Get (Jewish Divorce) |
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