Israel Must Define Domestic Violence: The Rackman Center Calls for Immediate Action
28 women have been murdered in Israel since early 2025. The murder of Hodaya Fadida shows the urgent need to address domestic violence in Israel. Israel still has no legal definition of “domestic violence” Without a definition, it is hard to identify and prevent non-physical abuse. This includes economic abuse, emotional harm, and coercive control […]
Following The Dinah Project (Rackman Center) Report: UN will add Hamas to blacklist of groups that commit sexual violence as weapon of war
After the Dinah The Dinah Project, that operates under the auspices of The Rackman Center, revealed dozens of testimonies of rape, sexual assault and intentional mutilation on October 7 and against hostages, the UN secretary-general will add Hamas to the list of perpetrators of sexual violence in wars. The extensive report, published in full […]
Year-End Celebration at The Rackman Center Psychotherapy Internship Program
Last week, we marked the completion of the psychotherapy internship year at the Rackman Center in the Faculty of Law at Bar-Ilan University. Through our academic collaboration with Seminar HaKibbutzim and the Shiluv Center, our psychotherapy students have been providing free treatments to women going through separation and divorce processes.This year, three psychotherapy students completed […]
Law as a Tool for Social Justice: End of Year Project of The Rackman Center Women & Family Law Legal Aid Clinic
The Women & Family Law Legal Aid Clinic at the Rackman Center has completed another year of activity. We invited our students to share the legal issues they have dealt with and their personal experiences of working in family law. Since sometimes one picture is worth a thousand words, we took their words and used […]
Family Court Decisions must be transparent – says adv. Shelly Blatt Zak, CEO, The Rackman Center
In Israel, all proceedings in family court cases are conducted behind closed doors and are subject to confidentiality restrictions. As a result, most decisions and rulings in this field do not reach the knowledge of the public, litigants, attorneys, and judges. This limits legal certainty, research in the field, and public oversight.For over a decade, […]
Important Legal Achievement: High Court Ruling – Women must be Allowed to take Rabbinic Exams
Important Legal Achievement: High Court Ruling – Women must be permitted to take the Rabbinic Certification Exams Israel’s High Court of Justice has ruled that women must be allowed to take the rabbinical certification exams. This was in response to a petition filed by the Rackman Center at the Faculty of Law at Bar-Ilan University, […]
A Special Discussion by the Subcommittee on Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy about The Dinah Project Report
The Knesset Subcommittee on Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy held a special discussion following the publication of The Dinah Project Report about the sexual crimes committed by Hamas terrorists during the October 7th attack. The discussion included the shocking testimony of Ilana Gritzewsky, a hostage survivor and partner of kidnapped Matan Zangauker, alongside statements from […]
In Times of Crisis Women’s Rights and Safety Take a Back Seat
Dear Partners and Friends, Israelis are no strangers to change, threats and upheaval. The last two years – and definitely the last few days – have been a rollercoaster. Again, our reality and our physical and emotional safety have been shaken. As always, we adjust. But as the cease fire takes hold and the […]
The Pressures of War Trigger Domestic Violence and Femicide
Since the start of 2025, 18 women have been murdered in Israel due to domestic violence. Despite the spike in murder cases, no government discussion on the issue has yet taken place. Emergency situations and wars increase the pressure within the family unit and exacerbate cases of domestic violence and femicide. While Israeli families are […]
Murder is the Ultimate Outcome of Domestic Violence
The Rackman Center participated in an emergency discussion in the Knesset Committee for the Advancement of Women’s Status about the alarming rise in cases of femicide in Israel. “After a murder, society cries out loud. Everyone starts checking what could have been done and whether it could have been prevented. But it’s too […]