By Sam Clifford

As the chief executive of Jewish Women’s Aid, to me ‘love’ is always about care, respect, trust and understanding – qualities that make people feel safe and valued.  

Too often at JWA, we see what happens when those qualities are absent from relationships. Every day, we work with women, girls, and children across the UK Jewish community who have experienced domestic abuse and sexual violence. Their stories are heart-breaking, and remind us why it’s so important to focus on the foundation of healthy, loving relationships. Our work isn’t just about responding to crisis situations – though that is, of course, a huge part of what we do. We provide frontline support, counselling, and advocacy for survivors.

But our commitment to creating a safer community for women and girls doesn’t end with our frontline services.  It also includes the work we do across the community, with schools, youth movements, synagogues and beyond. If we want to build a safer future, we need to start by teaching what respect, consent, and healthy relationships look like. 

Through our Healthy Relationships and Consent programme, we talk to young people about how to recognise the signs of an unhealthy relationship, how to set boundaries, and how to ensure mutual respect in their interactions.  

We’ve also expanded this work to university campuses, where we collaborate with Jewish societies (JSocs) to reach students. This age group – 16 to 24-year-olds – is the most likely to experience relationship abuse, yet many young people don’t recognise harmful behaviours when they see them. Some might mistake jealousy or controlling behaviour for love or ‘being romantic’, while others may not realise that emotional manipulation can be just as damaging as physical violence. They may not realise that monitoring someone’s phone or isolating them from friends and family is abusive behaviour. They might not realise that consent isn’t just about a one-time agreement – it’s an ongoing conversation that respects the needs and boundaries of both people.  Education on these issues, are key – and should not be taken for granted. Our ambassador programmes across schools and campuses empower young people to make a difference amongst their own peers, to find ways to promote healthy relationships.  

Beyond schools and universities, we work with synagogues and community organisations to raise awareness about domestic abuse and promote respectful relationships. We’ve seen how important it is to involve the whole community in these efforts.

Abuse thrives in silence, so by talking openly about it we can break the cycle that so often prevents people from seeking help. 

Of course, our work is not limited to prevention. The demand for our frontline services continues to grow. Last year, we supported more than 800 women and children, providing everything from counselling to legal advice and access to emergency accommodation. Sadly, the number of women seeking our help is rising, and cases of sexual violence have increased dramatically. These numbers drive us to keep going. Behind every statistic is a person – and for every person we help, we’re reminded of why our work matters.  

At JWA, we rely on the generosity of the community to do what we do. Over 90% of our funding comes from donors who believe in the importance of supporting survivors and promoting healthy relationships. 

This community effort is a powerful reminder of a love that is rooted in care, respect, and responsibility. Promoting love in its truest sense means helping people recognise their worth and value in relationships. It means empowering young people to understand what respect looks like and ensuring that no one feels trapped in an unhealthy situation.  

That’s the kind of love we’re working to promote at Jewish Women’s Aid – in relationships, in families, and across our community.

Published in the The Jewish Chronicle.