Supporting Jewish Individuals And Families Affected By Domestic And Sexual Abuse
Free, live 2‑hour online session delivered by Jewish Women’s Aid for mediators and family‑focused professionals
Jewish Women’s Aid’s Violence Against Women and Girls Outreach Lead, Ziona Handler, delivers this specialist session designed for professionals working with families experiencing separation, conflict, or abuse. Hosted by BFM, with Rebecca opening and chairing, this live two‑hour Microsoft Teams event provides practical, culturally‑grounded guidance for mediators, family solicitors, barristers, social workers, therapists, counsellors, HR teams, EAP providers, and charity sector staff.
This training addresses a critical gap in professional practice. On average, Jewish women wait 9.5 years before accessing support after domestic or sexual abuse one of the longest disclosure delays of any community served by mainstream services. The session equips practitioners to understand Jewish identity and community dynamics, recognise barriers to disclosure, and respond safely and sensitively when working with Jewish individuals and families.
What the session covers
A practical, focused agenda designed for frontline professionals:
Jewish identity, culture and community dynamics
Core Jewish practices that affect disclosure and case‑handling
Barriers to disclosure and accessing support
Coercive control in close‑knit communities
Faith, family and child‑focused considerations
Practical guidance for culturally sensitive mediation
Why this training matters
Professionals supporting families often encounter situations where cultural, religious, and community dynamics shape how or whether someone discloses abuse. In Jewish communities, these dynamics can be particularly complex. Without specialist understanding, even experienced practitioners may miss key indicators or unintentionally create barriers to safety.
This session provides the insight, language, and confidence needed to hold disclosures safely, navigate cultural nuance, and ensure that Jewish individuals and families receive appropriate, trauma‑informed support.
Ziona Handler
Violence Against Women and Girls Outreach Lead, Jewish Women’s Aid
Ziona is a specialist practitioner with extensive experience supporting Jewish women and families affected by domestic and sexual abuse. Her work focuses on community‑specific barriers to disclosure, culturally‑competent safeguarding, and professional training for mediators, legal professionals, and frontline services. She brings deep insight into the lived realities of Jewish women navigating abuse within close‑knit communities.
Should you attend?
This training is designed for professionals working with families, conflict, or safeguarding:
Mediators
Family solicitors and barristers
Social workers
Therapists and counsellors
HR and EAP teams
Charity sector staff
Anyone supporting families experiencing separation, divorce, or domestic/sexual abuse
Lawful basis: legitimate interest (event delivery) plus consent (marketing).
Data processed jointly by BFM and JWA for the purpose of this event only. Any further contact requires the relevant consent box ticked.
Retention: event sign-up data retained for 24 months post-event for impact reporting, then deleted.
Subject access requests: rebecca@brighterfuturemediation.co.uk .
