For more than 30 years, Shalom Bayit has stood as the Bay Area’s leading voice on addressing domestic violence in the Jewish community. A Federation grantee, the organization’s mission is rooted in Jewish values: to help survivors find safety, break the silence around abuse, and create a community grounded in respect, dignity, and compassion.
A core part of this mission is dispelling the myth that domestic violence “doesn’t happen in the Jewish community.” It does. And Shalom Bayit ensures that when it does, survivors are not alone. They receive counseling, safe housing, legal advocacy, and emergency financial support — including $20,000 in emergency grants last year — so that women and children can rebuild their lives with independence and dignity. Grants cover the essentials: safe housing, legal advocacy, and critical basic needs. Each grant represents a life saved, a family stabilized, and a future reclaimed.
The past two years have tested that mission in extraordinary ways. Following October 7, Shalom Bayit faced a 25% drop in donations as community giving shifted. With the Federation’s support, Shalom Bayit weathered this storm — ensuring that, even amidst upheaval, survivors had uninterrupted access to safety and care.
That stability mattered. Domestic violence does not pause during times of crisis. This past year alone, Shalom Bayit supported 145 survivors on their path to safety, educated more than 1,600 adults in prevention and response, and reached 1,815 youth with its signature Love Shouldn’t Hurt program. Since 2002, the program has empowered more than 19,500 teens and young adults to build healthy relationships, drawing on Jewish wisdom to teach consent, boundaries, and respect.
“Domestic violence and sexual harassment are such hidden problems in our community. Every time we talk about them, breaking that silence opens the door for more people to feel safe coming forward to get help. And every time we help one person out of danger, we are not only changing that one life but also impacting her children, her family, her workplace, and all the people around her. Taking gender-based violence out of the shadows builds a safer Jewish community for all.”
— Naomi Tucker, Founding Executive Director
In the aftermath of October 7, Shalom Bayit also took on a new role: helping the community process the trauma of sexual violence. The organization hosted screenings of Screams Before Silence, collaborated with Project Dinah, and provided trauma support to survivors and allies. It also engaged in public advocacy — pushing back against denial and indifference and ensuring that the reality of Hamas’s violence was neither ignored nor minimized.
Shalom Bayit’s impact reaches across diverse communities. Through its Svoboda program, it offers the only Russian-language domestic violence services on the West Coast, now serving more than 20% of its clients in their native language. Bilingual counselors and culturally relevant programs ensure that Russian-speaking survivors are met with safety and understanding at the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
The organization also equips Jewish institutions — synagogues, camps, JCCs, schools, and Hillels — to create safe environments through innovative workplace trainings. These include teen-focused sexual harassment prevention programs, designed specifically for young staff in Jewish settings. By preparing both leaders and youth to prevent and respond to abuse, Shalom Bayit strengthens the entire Jewish communal fabric.
The Federation’s grant support plays a vital role in making this work possible. From funding emergency housing to sustaining prevention programs, the Federation ensures that every survivor who reaches out can receive care.
Shalom Bayit’s work underscores a core Jewish teaching: “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor is in danger.” By speaking out, breaking silence, and providing pathways to safety, Shalom Bayit not only changes individual lives but also shapes a stronger, more compassionate Jewish community for all.
To learn more, visit shalom-bayit.org.
