The Jewish Alliance Against Family Violence Inc (JAAFV) worked very hard during the past 12 months to establish its position within the community by forming partnerships with various organisations (JewishCare, Wolper, Jewish House) and maintaining its focus on educating the community about family violence and abuse.

The administrative and organisational work continued, and we launched our website and sent our inaugural newsletter to members, in September 2009.

July 2009 - June 2010 JAAFV Community Events

August 2009 - 'The Politics of Relationships'

The event was held in conjunction with JewishCare and North Shore Temple Emanuel (Chatswood). It was attended by approximately 80 women. Presentations were on the art of intimacy, a general discussion of family violence and why women stay in unhealthy relationships. Once again there were a great many important questions asked and women staying on to talk about their own experiences - several asked for specific referral information.

November 2009 - a week of community events presented by Dr Clara Zilberstein

After protracted planning, JAAFV arranged for Dr. Zilberstein, who is based in the USA and Israel, to spend two weeks in Sydney, as speaker in residence. Engagements included:

1. Wearing many hats: managing the boundaries between the professional and the personal - a seminar for rebbetzins & kallah teachers. Approx 30 women attended.
2. Raising Boys...Raising Girls - Covering ideas related to the role of parents and grandparents in teaching the children in their lives about healthy and respectful relationships. (Speakers: Rabbi Michoel Gourarie and Dr. Clara Zilberstein). This event, held at the Central Synagogue hall, was attended by approx. 80 people. A lively question and answer session ensued and very positive feedback was received.
3. Relationship forum for Israeli Women - Informal discussion in Hebrew about healthy relationships, which attracted about 14 women in an intimate group and enabled a free flowing discussion. This was the first event specifically targeting the Israeli community.
4. Really Relating: Achieving a more fulfilling relationship - A forum for married women. Approx. 80 women attended this event, many of whom had heard Dr. Zilberstein speak at the preceding two events.

Many important questions were raised by the audience and several of these focussed on the issue of confidentiality and mandatory reporting. Many women remained after the forum, talking in small groups or to members of JAAFV - several women spoke about their own experiences of domestic violence. Feedback following the event was very positive, and requests for follow-up events were made from several sources.

May 2010

A presentation with Wolper Jewish Hospital on the topic of Mental Health and Family Violence. The speakers were: Associate Professor Jane Mears (Violence against older women); Agi O'Hara (JAAFV) (Mental health aspects of family violence); Judy Levitan (JAAFV) (The legal avenues to address domestic violence).

In June, Judith Levitan, a member of our management committee travelled to Melbourne in order to contribute to a panel discussion on family violence which was part of the Limmud Oz initiative.

Two members of the management committee Deborah Blackman and Caron Kaplan, attended the annual N'shei Chabad convention - this year held in NSW South Wales, at Jamberoo. The well-attended workshop presentation focused upon discussing difficult topics with children.

At various times JAAFV members have again been invited to present to primary and high school students, discussing healthy and appropriate relationships, respectively.

FUNDING

We have been successful in attracting seed funding to the extent of $10,000 from Wolper Jewish Hospital. In January 2010 we were also successful in attracting a volunteers' grant of $3,000 for equipment from Dept of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Private donors have contributed in excess of $2,500. Income has been generated from entry fees to events and membership subscriptions. At this point in time, there are 45 members.

We have applied unsuccessfully to become a tax deductible charity. It is envisaged that this will be revisited in due course.

Members of the management committee with relevant professional experience have continued to respond to requests from members of the community seeking direction and guidance on a number of issues, including dating strategies and what to look out for, healthy communication, child protection and negotiations of a safer home environment.

As before, long-term needs are to attract consistent funding in order that we may continue our work with the various organizations and school and synagogue communities, who have approached JAAFV. We are happy to create opportunities through workshops and seminars, to continue raising community awareness of domestic/family violence.

As I am standing down as Chair I would like to wish my successor the very best in their future work, with the JAAFV committee. I've enjoyed a very productive and rewarding 2 years in my work with a very committed group of women, whose dedication to continue raising community awareness about domestic/family violence is inspirational.

Agi O'Hara
Chair Jewish Alliance Against Family Violence

Dear Friends,

We are pleased to provide you with the third edition of our Newsletter.
As you will be aware, we wish to keep you informed of events we have presented, or collaborated in presenting, since our previous Newlettter and what we have planned for the near future.

Our relationship with JewishCare was enhanced when, in May, members of the management committee of JAAFV enjoyed an information evening at the offices of JewishCare, learning about the broad range of services that JewishCare provide to the community

On 25 May we provided speakers at an event arranged by the Wolper Jewish Hospital addressing the issue of “Mental Health and Family violence” (Mental health aspects of family violence; The legal avenues to address domestic violence; Violence against older women).

In June, Judith Levitan, a member of our management committee travelled to Melbourne in order to contribute to a panel discussion on family violence which was part of the Limmud Oz initiative.

Two members of the management committee attended the annual N’shei Chabad convention – this year held in NSW South Wales, at Jamberoo. The well-attended workshop presentation focused upon discussing difficult topics with children

In August JewishCare invited JAAFV to take part in an evening with Bill Hewlett from Relationships Australia and Cathy Milwidsky from Moriah College presenting in an event that covered the topic of arguments amongst parents and how this can and does affect our children.

JAAFV members have again been invited to present to primary and high school students, discussing healthy and appropriate relationships, respectively.

Members of the management committee with relevant professional experience have continued to respond to requests from members of the community seeking direction and guidance on a number of issues, including dating strategies and what to look out for, healthy communication, child protection and negotiations of a safer home environment.

Our current planning revolves around a unique event that we anticipate being able to announce shortly. We are also planning a number of events for community leaders.

Your continuing support is greatly valued and we remind you that your annual membership fee of $25 is now due. Should you wish to avail yourself of internet banking facilities, we advise that our BSB is 032051 Account Number 474747. Please remember to include your name.

Finally, we take this opportunity to wish you Gmar Chatima Tova - a year of health, happiness and blessing

JAAFV Management Committee

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the second edition of the JAAFV Newsletter – advising you of our activities since the previous Newsletter and the events we have planned for the near future.

Our activities in the current year have been assisted by financial support provided to us by Wolper Jewish Hospital. We are extremely grateful for their support of our endeavours.

Following the previous edition of our Newsletter, we conducted:

• Two drawing room meetings for young married women, facilitated by committee member Caron Kaplan.

Working in small groups enabled a good exchange amongst the group. We are happy to conduct more of these events and invite you to gather a focus group of your friends or associates – we will provide the appropriate speaker!

November

November was an extremely busy month for us as we hosted our scholar-in-residence Dr. Clara Zilberstein. Dr. Zilberstein spoke to approximately 200 people in all, at various events presenting to:

• Rebbetzins
• Israeli women
• Married women
• Parents and grandparents
• High school girls
• JewishCare staff

Many people enjoyed Dr. Zilberstein’s insight, advice and wit to the extent that they came to hear her more than once –- some on successive nights!

National Council of Jewish Women

Judy Levitan (from JAAFV). has been involved in two presentations in conjunction with the National Council of Jewish Women.

• She spoke on the issue of agunot following the screening of the Israeli documentary Mekudeshet
• She addressed a NCJW gathering in March 2010 together with Israeli feminist activist Sharon Stenhav.

White Ribbon Day (25 Nov)

Committee members were guests at the premiere screening of Precious (a film dealing with family abuse) which was part of the Federal Government’s White Ribbon Day initiative.

We have continued to respond to invitations to provide specific information to various organizations within the community, and JAAFV is in discussion with a number of communal organizations in relation to future collaborations- details of which will be announced in the near future.

2010 events

A presentation with Wolper Jewish Hospital on 25 May 2010 on the topic Mental Health and Family Violence - speakers will be:

• Associate Professor Jane Mears
• Agi O’Hara and Judy Levitan (from JAAFV).

We shall provide details of this and other up coming events in the near future.

JAAFV Management Committee

The early work of JAAFV was devoted to planning and developing administrative protocols. We formulated our strategic plan, developed online communication strategies, created our business card that contained many specific domestic violence community contact details and devised our logo - in readiness for our first public event.

The past year has seen JAAFV continue in its educative and outreach role, whilst continuing to forge strong relationships with The Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence, Melbourne, and local organisations and the community generally.

The approaches to JAAFV to provide speakers, advice, counsel and partnership clearly demonstrates the extent to which JAAFV has been accepted as a valuable resource within the community.

July 2008 - June 2009 JAAFV COMMUNITY EVENTS

March 2009 - ‘'Intimacy and Judaism: Why are some things so hard to talk about?' (presented in conjunction with JewishCare)

Approximately 200 women turned up to listen to a panel of speakers including a local rebbetzin Nechama Dina Moss, who spoke about Spirituality and Intimacy, and one of the JAAFV psychologists, Caron Kaplan, who spoke about negotiating healthy intimate relations. A guest speaker from the Melbourne Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence, Sheiny New addressed the issue of Intimacy and Abuse - Rape in Marriage.

Many important questions were raised by the audience and several of these focussed on the issue of confidentiality and mandatory reporting. Many women remained after the forum, talking in small groups or to members of JAAFV - several women spoke about their own experiences of domestic violence. Feedback following the event was very positive, and requests for follow-up events were made from several sources.

April 2009 - Two members of JAAFV attended the JWI conference in Virginia, USA.

In the months that followed, presentations were made at a meeting of constituent Presidents of WIZO and at Limud Oz a major Australian Jewish community-wide conference. Members of JAAFV attended various professional development opportunities, focussing on family violence.

Our work has only just begun. Buoyed on by the very positive responses to the women-only forums, we have plans to present several events to school children and men, focusing on healthy relationships - recognising that our educative initiatives need to reach many groups in our community, and beyond.

Long term needs are to attract consistent funding in order that we may continue our work and become better known in the Jewish community. We have received positive support from various organizations who want to work with us, and from school and synagogue communities who want JAAFV speakers to continue raising community awareness of family violence.

The committed group who comprise the committee work tirelessly to advance the mission of the JAAFV. Those within the group who selflessly give of their time to speak on behalf of JAAFV at various events deserve a special vote of thanks. Our treasurer, Alison Freund, continues to make a valuable contribution, bringing her expertise to bear.

At this juncture, when the officers are stepping down and all positions are declared vacant, I take this opportunity to thank these people for their efforts in the past.

As many important and exciting events are planned for the forthcoming year, may JAAFV continue to be a valued as a relevant contributor to community awareness and empowerment.

Agi O'Hara
Chair Jewish Alliance Against Family Violence

Dear Friends,

Welcome to our first newsletter, updating you on developments with JAAFV.

We have had a busy 6 months.

We held a very successful inaugural event, at Hakoah Club on 16 March 2009, addressing 200 women on the topic of Intimacy and Judaism – Why are Some Things so Hard to Talk About?

On 3 August 2009 we hosted an event at the North Shore Temple Emanuel where about 60 women heard about The Politics of Relationships. Both of these events were organised in partnership with JewishCare.

Our committee members have attended seminars, conferences and lectures of interest and continue to undertake community education initiatives in a variety of settings, on topics such as:-

• Healthy relationships and domestic violence (Year 12 girls of a Jewish day school)
• Child protection issues (Year K boys and girls of a Jewish day school)
• Q and A sessions in drawing room settings, with Caron Kaplan, sex therapist
• The dynamics of domestic violence (WIZO presidents)
• Aspects of Jewish divorce, including domestic violence, ghett refusal and agunot (Limmud Oz)

There are a number of exciting developments being planned:-

• Our website is in the final stages of construction and will be launched soon
• On Wednesday 14 October 2009 National Council of Jewish Women is screening an Israeli documentary on the plight of Agunot in Israel titled “Sentenced to Marriage” (in Hebrew, ‘Mekudeshet’). One of our committee members will be facilitating a discussion after the film.
• We will be contributing to family purity educational programs that some synagogues will be undertaking over the next few months.
• We will be continuing to present the successful drawing room Q and A evenings.

The JAAFV committee is very excited to announce that Dr. Clara Zilberstein, will be our speaker-in-residence during the period 11 to 22 November. Together with Clara, we are planning some very interesting and stimulating presentations. We would specifically ask you to reserve the evenings of 15 and 18 November for speaking engagements that we think will be of special interest. Further details will be announced shortly.

Contact us: at info@jaafv.org.au should you have any questions, comments, suggestions or if you would like us to provide a speaker for a group with whom you are involved.

Wishing you L’Shana Tova.

The JAAFV Committee.