Amid war, political upheaval, and major cuts to social services, 2025 has not been an easy year in Israel. But not all the news is bad. Hadassah Foundation’s Israeli grant recipients remain dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls and to building a more equitable future, and they are achieving some important victories. So, take a break from bad news and join us in celebrating some of our grantees’ recent victories and accomplishments. All organizations featured in bold are Hadassah Foundation grantees.
You can learn more about each grant recipient here and see even more news on the Hadassah Foundation’s Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook pages. And don’t miss this recent update about a High Court ruling, in response to a petition filed by the Rackman Center and alumnae of Yeshivat Maharat, that expands opportunities for women rabbis in Israel. Coming soon: featured news highlights from our U.S.-based grantees.
Dinah Project Book Offers Blueprint on Prosecuting Conflict-Related Sexual Violence
The Rackman Center‘s Dinah Project has published what it says is the first global legal blueprint explaining how to prosecute sexual violence as a weapon of war. Titled “A Quest for Justice: October 7 and Beyond,” this comprehensive book-length report offers a guide for holding Hamas accountable even though evidence is messy, survivors are gone, and individual perpetrators can’t be tied to individual acts. As the introduction notes, “This is not only a book about Israel, it is a global legal test case for addressing [conflict-related sexual violence] in conflicts worldwide.” Learn more in this webinar recording hosted by I Believe Israeli Women, a project of Jewish Women International (JWI) and the Seed the Dream Foundation. You can download a summary here and the entire book here.
Based at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan, the Rackman Center promotes the status and rights of women in matters of family law and works to end gender discrimination and inequality in Israel through advocacy and legislative change.
QueenB Featured on Israel’s Channel 13
A recent Israeli news segment described QueenB as a national model for increasing the representation of women in Israel’s overwhelmingly male tech sector. The Channel 13 segment reported that only one in three Israeli students currently completing university STEM tracks are female, but it showed how QueenB’s hands-on tech education and inspiring mentorship are changing the situation on the ground. In interviews with students and instructors, the segment highlighted how QueenB builds skills, confidence, and community. If you speak Hebrew, you can watch the entire segment here and the coverage of QueenB here.
Founded in 2016, QueenB seeks to increase the representation of Israeli women in the high-tech industry, specifically in technological positions, to promote gender equality and equal employment opportunities. Through its engaging programs and workshops, QueenB teaches Israeli girls of all backgrounds to code and nurtures a community of female students in computer science and engineering.
Women National Security Experts Step Up Their Media Presence
Until recently, women national security experts were almost invisible in Israel’s media. That’s changed in the aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023 — thanks to the work of Forum Dvorah, which brings together hundreds of female national security and foreign policy professionals at different stages in their careers for networking, mentoring, and skills-building, and promotes the inclusion of female experts as commentators and analysts across various media platforms. In 2024, Forum Dvorah members were interviewed more than 800 times in Israeli media, with more than 50 percent of those appearances on major TV networks. During the war with Iran this summer, media appearances reached up to 30-40 per day. Watch this video for examples.
Forum Dvorah is the only organization in Israel focusing on gender equality in key decision-making positions in the fields of national security and foreign policy. It manages a network of over 200 leading women in Israel in these fields and supports the next generation of leadership among young women.
Statute of Limitations Extended for Sex Crimes
The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel is making headway in its fight to eliminate the statute of limitations for sex crimes. While the Minister of Justice is unwilling to eliminate the statute, he agreed to extend the limit by five years, meaning that crimes can now be prosecuted up to 25 years after they occurred. Meanwhile, ARCCI is continuing its effort to build support in the Knesset for a total abolishment.
ARCCI is the national umbrella organization for Israel’s rape crisis centers. It advocates for laws, amendments, rights, services, and policies to benefit survivors of sexual violence. Its grant is underwritten by the Andrea Silagi Fund for Education, Advocacy, and Outreach.