This is the story of how a horrific crime and incomprehensible personal loss inspired a movement that found a global platform this week at the United Nations.
The details of the crime are hard to share, and sadly, far too common. In 2019, Michal Sela, a 32-year-old Israeli mother, became a victim of domestic violence, murdered by her husband in front of her baby daughter. Michal’s sister, Lili Ben Ami, was the last to see her alive.
Since that day, Lili has made it her life’s work to honor her sister’s memory by helping other women avoid the same fate. When Michal was killed, Lili had just joined UJA’s Co.Lab initiative in Israel, which brings together leaders from diverse sectors of Israeli society to break down barriers and collaboratively find solutions to shared societal challenges.
That’s precisely what Lili has done, and we’re proud of the part we’ve played in her story.
During her Co.Lab fellowship, Lili launched a hackathon to find ways to harness the power of technology — Israel’s start-up spirit — to avoid, report, and ultimately end domestic violence. With our support, she’s also launched a global study to map existing technological responses that might be scalable in places around the world. Her deeply personal cause has caught the attention of the philanthropic arms of Facebook and Google.
And this week, UJA joined Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan and United States Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to spotlight Lili’s work at the United Nations 65th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women. During the program, Israeli innovators shared some of their out-of-the-box apps designed to help identify and support women caught in abusive relationships. Gal Gadot, the Israeli actress known for her role as Wonder Woman, sought to bring attention to the issue. In her words, “It’s time for a global forum like the UN to become involved in such an essential fight — a battle of life and death… Alone we’re strong, but together we’re stronger.”
All of this work was begun pre-pandemic, but as many speakers noted, the months of lockdown have created a dangerous situation for women trapped with their abusers with no reprieve. UN Women reports that in some countries, calls to domestic abuse helplines have increased five-fold during this time. They refer to this violence as the “shadow pandemic.”
In my remarks at the forum, I shared how UJA addressed this issue in our own community: Last spring, when shelters reached maximum capacity, we directed additional emergency funding to provide a safe haven for women and their children. And, on an ongoing basis, our network offers critical support to domestic violence survivors that includes emotional counseling, legal assistance, safe housing, and employment support — whatever is needed to help ensure the safety of survivors and help them rebuild their lives. Our partners are especially attuned to meeting the needs of distinct communities with cultural sensitivity. For example, they serve the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community with understanding of both the unique lifestyle and deep stigma attached with seeking help.
If domestic violence is one shadow pandemic, hate is surely the other. Our hearts grieve in the wake of the terrible bloodshed that took place in Atlanta, killing eight people. While the motive is still being investigated, it’s clear that over the past year, there has been a dramatic uptick in violence and hateful rhetoric against Asian Americans. Just as we’ve asked people of all backgrounds to stand with us against anti-Semitism, we must stand with the Asian American community in unequivocally condemning hate in all its forms.
Our hope is that vaccines will end the current pandemic. But these shadow pandemics of domestic violence and hate cannot be so easily eradicated. And so we must continue to do all we can to spotlight the need for greater collective action, taking these critical issues out of the shadows and into the light.
Shabbat shalom