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Mission:
TFHT engages the government, legal community, enforcement agencies, the media, and the public in systemic efforts to eradicate sex trafficking and prostitution and ensure victims’ access to services seeking their full inclusion as self-sufficient members within Israeli society.
Who we are:
TFHT was founded in 2004 as a joint project of the law firm NKB & Associates and Rabbi Levi Lauer, Founder of NGO ATZUM-Justice Works. TFHT is the only social change initiative in Israel which confronts the root causes, underlying policies and conditions enabling sex trafficking and prostitution to thrive. TFHT’s staff is comprised of six women, trained as lawyers, social workers and activists.
The need we address:
14,000 people are prostituted in Israel, 95% women and girls. The average age of entering prostitution is 13-14, and most were sexually abused as children. On average, they see six clients every 24 hours. 76% indicated they would leave prostitution immediately if they could secure adequate assistance. These statistics clearly indicate most prostituted persons do not engage in sex work by choice, but rather out of desperation, finding themselves outside the frameworks of school and family. Currently, sex trafficking is flourishing as a result of Israel’s war; Ukrainian, Russian and Ethiopian women, already struggling to recover from war in their home countries, found themselves once again displaced; as unmet needs of people without permanent status increases, it is easier for traffickers to more readily exploit them.
Action:
TFHT has authored/promoted legislation enacted by the Knesset including bills to: restrict access to websites advertising prostitution; enable authorities to block phone numbers used for prostitution; forbid the solicitation of prostitution through advertisements, and to increase penalties against pimps and traffickers.
Empowerment:
TFHT lobbies for resources to ensure those seeking to exit prostitution have access to emotional, economic, residential, educational and social rehabilitation initiatives. For example, we facilitated access to disability insurance for survivors by revising Bituah Leumi/social services procedures and lobbied for survivors’ right to have financial debts absolved.
Responsibility:
TFHT’s attorneys seek enforcement of laws within the local court system and the Supreme Court. We shut down Israel’s highly lucrative strip-club industry, a front for prostitution, and lobbied for trafficking victims without citizenship or legal resident status to have access to Israel’s judicial system.
Collaboration: TFHT initiated and facilitates the “Coalition Against Prostitution” comprised of 22 NGOs and public organizations providing direct service to prostituted and trafficked persons, thus avoiding duplication of efforts, maximizing efficiency, and coordinating services and advocacy efforts.
Education: We seek to educate the media and public to reject the idea of girls and women as commercial commodities and publicize instances of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Collaboration:
TFHT initiated and facilitates the “Coalition Against Prostitution” comprised of 22 NGOs and public organizations providing direct service to prostituted and trafficked persons, thus avoiding duplication of efforts, maximizing efficiency, and coordinating services and advocacy efforts.
Education:
We seek to educate the media and public to reject the idea of girls and women as commercial commodities and publicize instances of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
Moria Rodal Silfen
Task Force Director and CEO
Moria Rodal Silfen pearheads the organization’s mission to eradicate human trafficking and prostitution in Israel with strategic thinking, lobbying in the Knesset and through meetings with government officials and policymakers in order to influence legislation and policies.
Miri Cohen MSW
Director of Response Programs and the Coalition Against Prostitution
Has a decade of experience with populations in prostitution. Manages response programs, connecting field workers and treatment providers with government ministries. Coordinates the Coalition of Aid Organizations Fighting Prostitution.
Eden Farber, Adv.
Anti-Trafficking Coordinator
Eden Farber coordinates TFHT’s efforts in addressing sex trafficking in Israel. Maintains close contact with direct aid organisations and manages pilot programs to address new approaches to combat sex trafficking.
Lior Rosenbaum
Government Liaison Director
Lior Rosenbaum leads policy work to prevent consumption of prostitution and to better the lives of prostituted populations. direct contact with both political and professional key figures.
Shiri Cohen
Spokesperson and New Media Manager
Shiri Cohen manages both traditional and new media communication. Responsible for communicating on behalf of TFHT to the public and the media.
Elana Ben Haim
Resource Development Manager
Elana Ben Haim assists TFHT with resource development, grants and donor management.
Adv. Ori Keidar
TFHT Co-founder and senior founding partner of Kabiri-Nevo-Keidar-Blum law firm; member of Israel’s National Council of the Bar Association on NGOs and Bar Association representative to Knesset committee debates; served as the legal counsel of “No Means No”, an NGO assisting victims of sexual harassment, assault and rape.
Email: okeidar@nkblaw.co.il
Ms. Randi Greenwald
Retired psychologist, Sharett Institute of Oncology-Hadassah Medical Center, Ein Kerem
Email:rgreensilver@gmail.com
Rabbi Matthew Berkowitz
Director of Israel Programs for the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and co-founder of Kol Ha-Ot, a Jerusalem-based art center devoted to exploring the arts and Jewish learning.
Email: maberkowitz@jtsa.edu
Susi Doring Preston
Senior project manager for the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a civic education movement committed to promoting freedom, liberty, peace, and justice; and social media coordinator for Girlfriends of Fallen IDF Soldiers. Susi is also a founding member of the Jerusalem Children’s Museum and the Jerusalem chapter of Mothers Make a Difference.
Email:susi.doring@gmail.com
Mr. Yaakov (Jackie) Metzger
Retired English and history teacher; former faculty, Yad Vashem with specialization in the poetry and literature of the Holocaust
Email: jackmetzger6@gmail.com
Mr. Joe Ratzersdorfer
Jewish educator, retired gemologist, and ATZUM Board Chair.
Email: joeratzer@gmail.com
Rabbi Levi Lauer
Founder of ATZUM; Co-founder of the Task Force on Human Trafficking; former CEO of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Dean of the Brandeis-Bardin Camp Institute, and Director of Rabbinic Enrichment at the Shalom Hartman Institute.
Email: lauer@netvision.net.il
“Ofek Nashi” is an inter-ministerial program jointly operated by the Prime Minister’s Office (Ministry for the Advancement of Women), the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services, the Haifa Municipality, and the Ministry of Health. The program aims to assist women and young women trapped in the cycle of prostitution, a marginalized population in need of immediate support. “Ofek Nashi” offers a comprehensive range of services, including an emergency shelter, a rehabilitation hostel, and a day center, addressing the complex needs of women in prostitution: housing, financial assistance, crisis intervention, rehabilitation guidance, psychological counseling, employment support, vocational training, rights advocacy, and referrals to community resources.
“Harduf” was established in 2010 by the Ministry of Welfare, the Beersheba Municipality, and the Yachdav Association as part of the National Program for the Treatment of Prostitution. The program employs a dual approach, combining harm reduction strategies with the development of therapeutic-rehabilitative programs aimed at facilitating social integration. “Harduf” comprises four core units: an emergency shelter, a residential hostel, an ambulatory day center, and an outreach unit.
“Salit” is a supportive treatment framework for women and young women involved in prostitution, administered by the Ministry of Welfare and the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. The program delivers a continuum of care, including a 24/7 national emergency hotline, an emergency shelter for women currently in prostitution, and a rehabilitation hostel and day center for women seeking to exit prostitution.
“Elem” was founded to assist at-risk and distressed youth in Israel. Operating nationwide, the organization provides support across a spectrum of challenges, including personal crises, educational dropout, integration difficulties, social and family issues, identity struggles, substance abuse, violence, sexual exploitation, delinquency, prostitution, and homelessness. “Elem’s” programs include mobile outreach for street youth, specialized services for at-risk girls, centers for homeless youth, and initiatives for minors involved in prostitution.
The Haifa Mobile Clinic provides free, anonymous services to individuals across the prostitution spectrum (women, men, and transgender individuals) in Northern Israel. Operated by the Haifa Health Bureau, it offers: STD testing and vaccinations, sexual health education, pregnancy tests, condom distribution, medical referrals, rights advocacy, emotional support, rehabilitation, and public awareness campaigns on the harms of prostitution.
The Levinsky Clinic promotes respectful sexual health for the general public and at-risk individuals. As a community clinic specializing in STD detection and treatment, it delivers comprehensive medical and psychosocial services. It utilizes outreach and in-clinic psychosocial support to serve individuals involved in prostitution. A mobile unit provides on-site medical follow-up and testing, linking individuals to ongoing psychosocial care. The clinic offers holistic support, including social work and medical assistance, as well as educational programs on safe sex and specialized psychosocial services for transgender individuals in prostitution.
Turning the Tables empowers women exiting prostitution through vocational training and holistic psychosocial support. In partnership with the National Insurance Institute, it offers pre-rehabilitation programs, educational opportunities, and targeted assistance. With centers in Tel Aviv and Haifa, the organization provides business entrepreneurship programs and employment opportunities through a social venture, serving approximately 200 women annually.
Summarize this table
Turning the Tables empowers women exiting prostitution through vocational training and holistic psychosocial support. In partnership with the National Insurance Institute, it offers pre-rehabilitation programs, educational opportunities, and targeted assistance. With centers in Tel Aviv and Haifa, the organization provides business entrepreneurship programs and employment opportunities through a social venture, serving approximately 200 women annually.
Hope Center assists individuals in leaving prostitution and trafficking through rehabilitative employment. It operates a social enterprise that produces bags from recycled materials, primarily for European markets, creating employment opportunities to support emotional, psychological, and economic rehabilitation. This initiative aims to reintegrate individuals into society, reducing their involvement in crime and substance abuse, and fostering social and employment stability.
HerAcademy provides vocational rehabilitation for women survivors of prostitution and violence. It offers accessible vocational training, continuous support, and job placement services, grounded in the belief that all women deserve the opportunity to achieve economic independence and integrate into the workforce.
Originating as a Facebook group, this association has grown into a large community providing material and psychological support to prostitution survivors. Operating nationwide, including in areas lacking official aid centers, it addresses unmet needs by offering food, medical and psychological care, furniture, employment assistance, scholarships, and legal aid. It fosters a supportive community where women can share their stories and receive emotional support.
Bet Lina is an emergency shelter providing immediate, temporary housing for at-risk transgender individuals (aged 18+) experiencing prostitution, substance abuse, or homelessness. Operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Welfare, it offers temporary accommodation, meals, rights advocacy, housing assistance, employment placement, emotional support, and medical accompaniment.
This unique program supports men (21+) involved in prostitution who seek change. It offers two primary services:
The House: A 24/7 therapeutic hostel in the Sharon area, providing a supportive living environment with therapy, classes, employment guidance, and rights advocacy.
The Day Center: A Tel Aviv-based day center offering a safe space for support with practical tasks, vocational training, individual and group therapy, and recreational activities.
Maagan, operated by the Kasht Association and funded by the Ministry of Labor, Welfare, and Social Services, provides shelter and rehabilitation for up to 35 women victims of trafficking and slavery. During their year-long stay, they receive comprehensive support, including physical, medical, emotional, legal, social, and vocational services, tailored through individualized rehabilitation plans.
Yizhar is a national, inter-agency program providing harm reduction services to individuals who use drugs (especially injection drug users) and those involved in prostitution, focusing on those outside traditional treatment. Key partners include the Ministries of Health and National Security, and the Public Health Association. The program aims to restore dignity, offer tailored services to minimize health and psychosocial harms, and create a safe, non-judgmental environment for vulnerable individuals.
The Todaa Association, operating with a holistic approach, focuses on educational and advocacy initiatives to foster informed sexual choices, social responsibility, and mutual support among youth, young adults, educators, and parents. To achieve this, they recommend a multi-faceted approach, including process-oriented workshops for youth alongside lectures and workshops tailored to their surrounding support systems: peers, educational staff, and parents. Ultimately, they aspire to cultivate a culture that replaces harmful and exploitative norms with ethical values, prioritizing human rights and respect for the physical and psychological well-being of all genders
The Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ) is a leading legal and research institute with Special Consultative Status at the United Nations. JIJ pursues justice on behalf of survivors of terrorism, human trafficking, and discrimination while upholding the legitimate standing of Israel within the community of nations.
Established in 2004, JIJ’s Free Legal Aid Department has been at the forefront of combating injustice, safeguarding the rights of individuals and communities to exercise their freedoms.
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