Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter
Israel's First Emergency Shelter
Overview
The Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter (HWCS) was established in 1995, as Israel's first emergency Shelter for women victims of domestic violence and their children, with the aim to provide physical and emotional protection for its residents and to care to the needs of the women and children who flee to the Shelter, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Shelter, located in the city of Haifa, offers services to every woman who has been a victim of violence and to their children, regardless of religion, nationality, race, or color; indeed, it is unique among all other Shelters in Israel in that its multicultural staff is comprised of women who speak Hebrew, Russian, and Arabic and are thus able to respond to women from diverse cultures.
The Haifa Women's Shelter views the phenomenon of domestic violence against women as a societal problem, which exists because of an unequal balance of power between men and women in society. We aim to rehabilitate and empower the women survivors of violence that flee to the Shelter, so that they will be able to choose a life for themselves and for their children that is free of violence, fear, and oppression. Our mission is to assist in healing the women and children from the extended trauma they experienced, and to prepare the women for violence-free lives once they leave the Shelter, teaching them that they have the power to change their lives. The HWCS staff work to foster the women's independence and provide her with general skills, while strengthening her confidence in her parenting, her interpersonal communication, and in the workforce.
In addition to the basic necessities -- food, living quarters, clothing -- the Shelter operates specialized programs.
Who are the Women Residing in the Shelter?
The clients who seek Shelter support are women and children victims of domestic violence who have had to make the difficult decision to make their physical and emotional well-being their priority, while forfeiting their homes, surroundings, families and friends.
Approximately 50 Women and 60 children reside in the Shelter yearly and participate in the Shelter programs. 30% of them are new immigrants from the former USSR and Ethiopia, 40% are Israeli Arabs and 30% are non-immigrant Israeli Jews.
The Work Orientation, Empowerment, and Job Placement Program
The women who reside at the Shelter all lack certain essential qualities which could facilitate their beginning independent lives; the women all share internalized low self esteem, learned helplessness, lack of professional skills, poor language aptitude and an unfamiliarity with appropriate work behavior.
This program is designed to serve a three-fold purpose: to begin the women's healing process so that they may begin to recover from a life of terror and violence; to restore their self-image and self-confidence, which have been damaged by years of abuse and humiliation; and to strengthen their confidence in their natural talents and abilities.
Through an integral program of emotional empowerment and skill provision, the program intends to increase, strengthen, and expand the available employment options for the women.
Program's main components:
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Individual coaching and therapy;
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Group empowerment sessions;
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Workshops to teach personal budgeting, writing a C.V. etc.;
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Individual career coaching;
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Friendly employer program;
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High school equivalency and professional courses;
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Hebrew, English and computer classes;
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Securing the women's jobs or providing them with compensation for the duration of their stay at the Shelter, as stipulated in the amendment to the "Women's Work" law;
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Childcare during project activities.
The Children's Enrichment, Therapy, Education, and Support Program
Essential to personality development in early childhood is the child's ability to trust his/her adult caregivers. When trust is absent, the child is unable to develop important characteristics such as intimacy, autonomy, initiative and identity. A child needs to be surrounded by benevolent caregivers who will provide her with an environment conducive to her developing self-esteem, self-respect, and the ability to respect others. Violence causes the child to lose faith that he/she deserves to be loved and respected.
The children who reside in our Shelter witnessed and experienced ongoing violence and they need support and therapy in order to learn to cope with their traumatic memories and to begin to heal. Treatment is crucial, also, for breaking the cycle of violence which often occurs when children survivors of violence become adults, and in turn, engage in violent relationships.
Moreover, children at risk often suffer from learning and developmental disorders (including emotional and behavioral disorders), challenging their smooth integration into educational institutions, intensifying their distress and reducing their ability to acquire self-esteem and enjoy positive experiences.
The children who reside at the Shelter have not benefited from the educational and enrichment activities in which most Israeli children partake. In their former lives, before arriving at the Shelter, their mothers were busy surviving and could not dedicate emotional and/or financial resources toward their children's needs.
Shelter staff report poor parenting abilities among the mothers who reside at the Shelter, including poor communication between mother and child. Teaching the mother parenting skills is essential, during this window of opportunity offered to us while the mothers reside at the Shelter.
Children Program's main components:
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Individual and/or dyadic therapy for every child and individual parenting training for every mother;
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Mothers' group;
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Positive interactions in the Shelter daily life, between the staff and the children, such as, giving the children special attention while clearly emphasizing and explaining boundaries, serving as an assertive, yet non-violent model for the mothers;
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A fully equipped and operating kindergarten at the Shelter, under the supervision of the Ministry of Education;
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Afternoon daycare for young children and afternoon activities, including an arts and crafts workshop and a pet workshop for older all children;
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Collaboration between the children's social workers and the teachers and guidance counselors in their schools;
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Developmental and psychological diagnosis for children as per their needs and locating appropriate educational facilities in the community for children with special needs;
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Efforts to unite the children, who were left behind when their mothers fled to the Shelter, with their mothers;
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Operation of a learning center in the afternoons in order to provide individual assistance to the children in preparing their homework, studying for tests, and reducing learning gaps;
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Special activities and trips, includes entertainment parks, puppet shows, swimming pools, zoo, movies, special events on Shelter's premises (birthdays, holidays parties), and summer and holiday activities during school vacations.
The Legal Consultation and Representation Program
The program provides every woman in the Shelter expert legal representation and services, while being sensitive to the unique needs of women victims of violence who stay at the Shelter. In most cases, the women who reside at the Shelter need both legal aid and representation in marital issues, and sometimes in additional areas as well:
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Women who seek to separate from their abusive partners, legal aid is essential for child custody, divorce, child support and division of property. Sensitive legal counsel can enable the couple to reach a divorce agreement, avoiding exhausting and expensive court trials.
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For women who wish to return to their respective partners, a contract is drawn that will obligate their partner to act without violence, to be in therapy, to provide alimony for the woman, etc.
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Women whose children remained with the partner urgently need to arrange visitation rights.
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Additional matters that require legal aid include obtaining protection and restraining orders, handling debts, applying the "Women's Work" law, and more.
The Transitional Dwelling Program
This program offers a transitional stage during the several months after the women have left the Shelter and while they are working to embark on an independent life, free of violence. The transitional dwelling enables the women to continue their professional development, in training or studying programs, providing more options for making a living upon leaving the Shelter framework. The apartment offers two women and their children accommodations for a period of six months to a year. Both a social worker and a counselor work in the transitional apartment, visit the women and children a few times per week, and respond to their needs.
The program benefits the two Shelters in Haifa and is managed by the Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter.
Personal Stories
S's Success
S's escape to the Shelter was complicated and dangerous, and she was forced to leave without her seven children. Her husband and family attempted all sorts of manipulation, including asking the court system to return her to her family.
S' was firm in her decision not to return to a life of violence, despite the heavy personal price of being separated from her children, and she immersed herself in her personal development. She studied Hebrew, computers, and English at the Shelter, followed by high school equivalency courses.
Eventually, her husband found her at the Shelter and she was secretly moved to another Shelter in Israel, from which she left after a few months for an independent life. Today, she is working and continuing her studies.
Several months after leaving the Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter, S' sent a portion of her first salary as a donation to the Shelter, which was for her, for the first time in her life, a supportive home and family.
N' and her Daughter's Success
N, divorced from a violent husband, fled to the Shelter from another violent partner, together with her five year old daughter. Her poor emotional health caused N to break out in extreme rage toward her daughter, bringing the Shelter staff to seriously consider removing the daughter from N's custody. In order to avoid this drastic step, the Shelter staff worked intensively with N in individual therapy and through parental supervision. N took on the task with the severity it required and she learned step by step how to function as a mother to her daughter. Today, she is living in the Shelter's transitional dwelling facility in Haifa and raising her daughter in peace.
The Shelter staff closely supervise N and were invited to celebrate her daughter's 6th birthday. Both mother and daughter regard the Shelter and staff as their home and family, recognizing that the Shelter provided them the unique opportunity to experience a positive and loving mother/daughter relationship.
Abir's Story
Abir, an Israeli-Arab woman, is a brilliant young woman, who was forced by her family to leave school and to get married when she was just 16 years old. After suffering for years from her husband's abuse, she finally fled to her parents? house. In an effort to acquire independence, Abir aimed to develop her skills and she began to attend a computer course at a local community center. Her brothers, however, disapproved of her activities and they beat her and forbade her from leaving the house. At 23 years of age, Abir arrived pregnant at the Haifa Women's Shelter, with three children.
Abir was very happy when she found out that she would be able to learn how to use computers at the Shelter. She did not miss a single class, including during her recovery from giving birth to her daughter by caesarian section.
Abir achieved a high level of proficiency in Microsoft Word. On the day that she went to the divorce court, she brought a nicely designed and decorated "farewell letter" to give to her husband, so that he would understand that she would not be returning to him. Her husband was astounded by the letter, and said to her: "You got what you wanted in the end, huh? I see that you learned how to use computers!"
In addition to that personal victory, Abir was also awarded with her divorce on that day. She felt a sense of pride and victory, and she was able to bring closure to a cycle. That day, her self-image and self-confidence were raised significantly.
Members of the Board
(July 2005 - July 2006)
Jael Breitman: Chair, former senior social worker and director of Department for Marriage Issues and Guardianship, Community and Welfare Services, Haifa Municipality
Ana Netzer-Shai: Librarian and community activist, formerly with the Haifa Women's Coalition
Yael Samuel (B.SW., M.SW.): social worker and family therapist by education. She had been engaged in therapy, community development programs, and held managerial roles for a period of thirty years. Prior to her retirement she served as the Deputy Manager of the Municipality of Haifa Welfare Services Division. At present she is the Chair of the Shabtai Levi Home Association for children at risk, a voluntary position.
Dr. Fania Oz-Salzberger: Senior Lecturer in History, University of Haifa. Member of the Israel Democracy Institute's Public Council.
Eran Aloni: Advocate, with 20 years of business management experience; Commercial Dept. Manager of Rachel Ben-Ari - Adam Fish & Co., Adv. & Notaries, a law firm located in Haifa, known, interalia, for its vast pro-bono services.
Tsipi Apeloig: Formerly a Technion employee.
Organizational Structure
The Haifa Women's Shelters' board of directors is made up of 6 volunteers (5 women, 1 man). The board convenes monthly, taking responsibility for shaping the organization's mission and goals. In addition, the board monitors managerial decisions and activities such as: the organizational budget; the specific project budgets; staff evaluations; and resource development.
Haifa Shelter director, Ms. Rachel Ziv, is an experienced social worker. Prior to her taking the role of director in 2003, Rachel was the shelter social worker staff coordinator and Shelter deputy director.
The Shelter's three social workers are responsible for all aspects of therapy and the empowerment of our clients (women and children). Each social worker is the coordinator of one of the Shelter projects.
The Shelter's house coordinators oversee overall functioning of the Shelter, making it a warm and efficient home for all of our residents. In addition, house coordinators staff the Shelter 24 hours a day, 365 day in a year, in order to provide support for our residents and in order to be available to receive battered women and children at any time.
The Resource & Program Development Coordinator's responsibilities include: fund recruitment; in-kind donation recruitment; contacts with the Shelters' donors; grant and report writing; building the shelters' operational budget; and budget supervision.
The coordinator of enrichment activities and volunteers, a part-time position, is responsible for: community outreach and volunteer recruitment; enabling communication between the volunteers and staff; volunteer placement, and coordination of enrichment and leisure activities. The Shelter enjoys valuable support from volunteers from various community organizations and individuals who have joined the fight against domestic violence affecting women and children. Our volunteers include university students and high-school pupils, and several of our volunteers have been working tirelessly with us for many years, with a devotion that helps us to work toward a better society.
Contact Us
Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter
P.O. Box 7611
Haifa 31076, Israel
Fax: 972-4-833-1442
Email: hwcs@actcom.co.il
Rachel Ziv, Executive Director
Dina Hevlin-Dahan, Resource Development
Because of the nature of our work and our sensitivity to our clients, we cannot publish the Haifa Shelter's address. We do invite friends and potential donors to visit the Shelter. We also receive group visits of students, professionals and friends from overseas. Please contact us via e-mail and we will be happy to arrange to greet you and/or provide you with any information you need regarding our work.
How You Can Help
The Israeli Ministry of Social Welfare provides basic support for battered women's shelters in Israel, covering only 60% of the actual Shelter budget. Additional support and services for the children, including educational and recreational activities, are not covered. In order to provide maximum care for women and children victims of all forms of violence, the Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter is seeking funding partners to support its work.
A tax-deductible contribution in the USA may be sent either to The New Israel Fund or to the P.E.F., Israel Endowment Funds, Inc. In your note, please tell them your donation is for the Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter.
Addresses for Donor Advised Gifts:
New Israel Fund
1101 14th Street NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-5639
USA
New Israel Fund
801 Eglinton Ave. West, Suite 401
Toronto, Ontario M5N 1E3
Canada
P.E.F., Israel Endowment Funds, Inc. [NYC]
317 Madison Avenue
Suite 607
New York NY 10017
USA
New Israel Fund
26 Enford Street
London W1H2DD, UK
Volunteer Activities
The Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter enjoys help from volunteers on a daily basis at three separate levels:
- Volunteer work with the
women. Volunteers offer the Shelter residents a range of leisure
activities; for example: arts and crafts workshops, jewelry making,
and sculpture. Additionally, volunteers facilitate workshops for
learning to use a computer, improving Hebrew language skills or, often,
other languages, gardening, cooking and other life skills. Weekly
classes are also offered in various forms of physical activity ? Shiatsu,
Aerobics, body awareness, and more. These activities generally
take place during the morning hours or in the evening, after the children
have gone to bed.
- Volunteer work with children
Most of these volunteers are university
or high school students, all participating in some sort of program for
community involvement. Indeed, the college students receive grants
for their tuition in exchange for their year long fixed volunteer work
in the community. All of the student volunteers, through their contact
with the Shelter children,
enable them to build relationships
of trust and love for the duration of their stay at the Shelter.
The volunteers open up to the children personally and emotionally and
they offer the children support and acceptance. They listen to
the children and offer a stable relationship, acting as role models
for the children, helping the children to learn to trust non-violent
relationships.
- Resource
development, donations and administrative assistance. Volunteers
invest time and energy toward the improvement of Shelter daily life,
helping us to obtain the "extras" that are not included in
the official Shelter budget: including food items, sanitary products,
kitchen utensils, furniture, household supplies, clothing, and even
movers. Volunteers also assist in office work during the morning
hours, provide free emergency medical treatment, and organize leisure
activities for the women with and without the children. Every
idea which the volunteers bring is welcome, within reason! These volunteers
generally come to the Shelter on their own, with a desire to give of
themselves and their free time for those who need them.
Donate Directly
The Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter accepts checks sent to us directly, through the mail or via bank transfer. For donations made from within Israel, we are happy to provide you with the forms which attest to our Amutah (NGO) status, so that you may receive tax adjustments through Article 46.
Bank transfers can be made to:
The First International Bank, 031, Branch 007
Bank Account 105/583626, Swift Code FIRBILITXXX
We appreciate direct contributions by local and overseas individuals. However, only gifts through a recognized fiscal sponsor or fund are recognized by overseas tax authorities for purposes of tax deductions.
Email Haifa Women's Crisis Shelter at: hwcs@actcom.co.il
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