Lord Mendelsohn honoured as ‘Champion of Jewish Women’ at JWA dinner

Lord Jon Mendelsohn was honoured as a ‘Champion of Jewish Women’ at Jewish Women’s Aid’s fundraiser on Monday, receiving the award in recognition of his support for women affected by get-refusal, his advocacy in addressing violence against women and girls, and efforts to ensure men and boys are part of the solution to domestic abuse.

Two hundred and thirty guests – including victims’ commissioner Claire Waxman, Baroness Ruth Deech and Lord Stuart Polak – attended the event at the London Marriott Hotel Regents Park, which focused on illuminating the realities of domestic abuse and the experiences of Jewish women and children affected by it.

Sitting in conversation with JWA trustee and journalist Deborah Joseph,
the Lord Mendelsohn emphasised the importance of cross-party collaboration in advancing protections for women.

Discussing the issue of Get refusal, the Labour peer said: “It is not inherent that the Get process itself is abusive, but when there is a refusal to grant a Get you must be very careful that it does not move into forms of abuse.

“The refusal to grant a Jewish divorce can trap women in isolation and prevent them from moving on with their lives. In many cases it is used as leverage to alter financial settlements, child access arrangements or other conditions that have already been established. In the worst cases women are effectively trapped for decades and at that point you begin to move into territory that resembles forced marriage.”

Lord Mendelsohn also announced that the All Party Parliamentary Group on Get Refusal will shortly publish a new practical guide intended to ensure that anyone who may encounter victims of the abuse is able to recognise the issue and direct women to appropriate support.

At the event, guests heard stories of Jewish women supported by JWA, including
Rachel*, a doctor whose husband controlled the household finances, forced her to ask permission to spend money and repeatedly sexually assaulted her; and Emma*, a highly educated mother of three whose husband stopped her working, isolated her from family and friends and used the courts to continue exerting control even after she left the relationship, including refusing to grant her a Get.

Sam Clifford, chief executive of Jewish Women’s Aid, said: “We support women who have been sexually assaulted, women who lie awake at night terrified of what might happen if they fall asleep, mothers who worry about the safety of their children when they are forced to send them for contact with an abusive father and women who are not safe in their own homes. For many of them JWA is the only place they feel safe enough to turn.”

She added: “Demand for our services continues to grow. Every single week 15 Jewish women reach out to JWA for help. Real change will only happen when our whole community refuses to tolerate abuse, control and fear.”

Joanne Black, chair of Jewish Women’s Aid, said: “Abuse takes many forms. What has shocked me most has been the scale and the complexity of the issues, the many different forms coercive control can take, the psychological manipulation, the financial abuse, the isolation, the quiet erosion of confidence and independence that can happen behind perfectly respectable front doors. Domestic abuse is not only a woman’s issue. It affects families, communities and society as a whole. It affects children, it affects workplaces, it affects our collective future.”

In a video message played at the event, former Facebook boss Sheryl Sandberg
praised the charity, saying: “Jewish Women’s Aid does extraordinary work every day. You are leading the effort to help end domestic abuse and sexual violence in the Jewish community in the UK, and for survivors whose sense of safety has been shattered, you are there with life saving support when they need it most.”

As the executive producer of Screams Before Silence, a documentary on the sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists on 7 October 2023, she thanked Lord Mendelsohn for facilitating a screening of the film at Parliament. She said: “I am thrilled he is being honoured today for his leadership in confronting domestic violence and for his deep commitment to making sure violence against women is never ignored.”

Funds raised from Monday’s event will go towards JWA’s £1.6m annual budget.