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Project DVORA
Domestic Violence Services

Project DVORA works with survivors of domestic violence, specifically intimate partner violence. We help survivors who are currently involved in an abusive relationship, actively exiting an abusive relationship, or still experiencing abuse from a previous relationship (for example, co-parenting with an ex-partner). Survivors can click the “Get Help” button below to reach out to us. If it is safer for you to call an advocate, you can leave a voicemail anytime at (206) 861-3159. We do our best to reply to voicemails and online submissions within 48-72 hours (during business days), but due to the high volume of callers, we are not always able to reply to every voicemail. Our DV advocates are available for live phone calls on Tuesdays 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. and Wednesdays from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

If you need to speak to an advocate immediately, you can call the 24/7 DV Hopeline, servicing King County, at (206) 737-0242 or use the live chat feature on the DV Hopeline website.

Our program also strives to guide and empower the community in responding to domestic violence. We offer prevention programs and trainings to local schools, rabbis, and other community leaders. If you are interested in a prevention program tailored to your setting, please click the Get Help button below to get connected with our staff.

Meet Rebecca Mather, Project DVORA Outreach and Prevention Coordinator

What is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior that one person in a relationship uses to gain power and control over the other. Abuse is not caused by anger, mental health problems, alcohol or other drugs, or other common excuses. It is caused by one person’s belief that they have the right to control their partner. Learn more about power and control at the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s web site.

Most people assume that domestic violence is only physical abuse, but domestic violence can include financial abuse, social isolation, manipulation, emotional abuse or other forms of control. Visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline’s web site for more help in identifying abuse.

Facing Domestic Violence

I pushed aside the uneasiness, telling myself he was harmless...

Domestic Violence Advocacy

Domestic violence advocacy is a form of support based on what you need to feel safe and stable. A domestic violence advocate can help you navigate the challenges of being in a current or past abusive relationship.

Advocacy comes in many forms: It might include identifying strategies to increase your safety. Or it might involve support in navigating systems. For example, your advocate can help you apply for unemployment or Social Security income. Advocacy might include housing support, whether that’s assistance in applying to subsidized housing or help with finding an affordable apartment (JFS does not have our own shelters or transitional living programs).

Your advocate will support you based on what you identify as your next steps towards safety and stability. For more information, please see FAQ for Survivors below.

Support Groups

Support groups are facilitated by advocates. They provide a space where you can learn more about domestic violence, learn coping strategies for trauma, and connect with others who may have had similar experiences.

We offer a virtual support group bi-annually where attendees can learn more about narcissistic abuse and connect in a confidential space with other survivors of intimate partner abuse. During this 1-hour session, survivors learn about the red flags of narcissistic behaviors and manipulation tactics as well as strategies on how to detach and heal from these abusive relationships.

In this session, survivors examine excerpts from the book, “Becoming the Narcissist’s Nightmare: How to Devalue and Discard the Narcissist While Supplying Yourself” written by Shahida Arabi.

If you are a survivor of intimate partner violence and are interested in attending a future support group, please click the Get Help button below and mark interest in support group.

Legal Support

Our advocates can help you navigate the legal system. Some examples of what we can help with include:

Explaining the process of trying to obtain a Domestic Violence Protection Order
Safety planning around whether to request a Domestic Violence Protection Order
Joining you for court hearings for ongoing civil or criminal cases (advocates cannot provide legal representation or legal advice)
Our team includes an attorney who can offer services ranging from a one-time consultation to full representation around civil legal aid, family law issues, and more. Due to the high volume of requests, our attorney’s capacity is limited. While some clients receive full representation from the attorney, most receive support in the form of legal advocacy (through working with an advocate).

Intake Process

If you are interested in working with an advocate, please click the Get Help button below. Our intake coordinator will complete an assessment with you to ensure that we are available to offer services that are helpful to you. If we are unable to offer you support, we will do our best to connect you with other community resources.

Prevention

Our Outreach & Prevention Coordinator can help Jewish community organizations with Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) education, intervention, and prevention. Some examples of what we can help with:

DV 101 presentations for communities, staff, and board.
One-time or multi-week series workshops for teens about healthy relationships.
One-time or multi-week series workshops for adults about DV 101 or DV-related topics.
Consultation around violence prevention policies and best practices at your local synagogue.
Volunteer opportunities around a youth’s upcoming bar or bat mitzvah in support of Project DVORA.

See more about teen prevention and healthy relationship resources.
For questions or scheduling, reach out to dvoraprevention@jfsseattle.org.

FAQ for Survivors

Do you offer counseling?
No, we do not have licensed clinicians on our team or at JFS.
Can you help someone experiencing abuse from a parent?
No, unfortunately we are only able to work with survivors of intimate partner violence and cannot work with children who are experiencing abuse from their parent or parents. If you are between the ages of 18 to 24 years old and are experiencing abuse from a parent, please reach out to Friends of Youth in King County or Youthcare.
Can you help someone experiencing abuse from their child?
No, unfortunately we are only able to work with survivors of intimate partner violence.
Can you represent me in court?
No, advocates cannot represent you in court.
Do I have to identify as Jewish to receive services from JFS?
No, we can serve people from any background.
Can you pay for rent or other expenses?
Sometimes. Our ability to pay for rent and other expenses depends on funding availability.
Am I eligible for a domestic violence protection order?
If you or your child(ren) have been stalked, assaulted, or threatened by a relative, someone you live with, a spouse or ex-spouse, or someone you are/were dating, then you are likely eligible. More information on domestic violence protection order eligibility can be found at Washington Law Help.
How do I get a domestic violence protection order?
An advocate can help walk you through the process, or you can access the King County Protection Order Advocacy program.
Do you offer shelter for survivors?
No, we do not offer shelters, but we can check the King County database for you to see what DV shelters have openings in your area. You can also call the DV Hopeline directly to check for King County openings at (206) 737-0242.
Do you have hotel vouchers?
No, we do not.
What is DVORA named after?
Originally, it was an acronym for “Domestic Violence Outreach Referral & Assessment”. During our rebranding, we kept the name since “Devorah” is a common Jewish name and a reference to the Jewish community and women whom the agency was founded by.
I am Jewish and attend a local synagogue. Is my identity kept confidential?
Yes, we never disclose your experience or information to others outside of our agency. We will not report it to your rabbi or other community members.
I may be experiencing tech abuse. What can I do?
- A JFS advocate can connect you with a partner agency’s technology support clinic for survivors experiencing stalking or abuse via their personal technology (examples: email is compromised by abuser; phone or car has some sort of GPS tracking system installed by abuser, etc.)

FAQ for Community Members, Friends & Family Members

How can I help my friend or family member who may be experiencing domestic violence?
If you know someone who you think may be experiencing domestic violence, here are some helpful tips in offering them support:
- Offer unconditional support. Do not tell them, “They have to leave” their abuser. Leaving an abusive partner is difficult and complex, and it is their decision to decide when to leave.
- Check in on them and ask how they are doing.
- Let them know they are always welcome to stay the night at your place if they do not feel safe at home.
- Offer to call a domestic violence agency with them to see what resources they might be eligible for. You can also contact us if you would like to talk through the situation with an advocate.
My friend who is experiencing domestic violence will not leave her partner. Can you call her?
No, we do not call survivors unless they reach out to us first. It may be unsafe for us to call a survivor’s home if their abuser is present.
I’m a community leader, and someone confided in me they may have experienced domestic violence. How can I help?
Believe and validate their experience. Ask them if they feel safe in their home. If they do not, talk to them about ways they can increase their safety. Offer to connect them with us.
I hear a lot of yelling and screaming from my neighbor between her and her husband. I am not sure if I should call the police or not?
If you are ever able to talk to your neighbor privately, ask them if they are okay. Ask them if they feel safe in their relationship. If they do not, talk to them about ways they can increase their safety. Offer to connect them with us. Calling the police is not always helpful to everyone so it’s hard to know if it’s the right thing, since it looks different for every situation. If you can talk to your neighbor, you might ask them if it’s okay for you to call the police the next time you hear yelling.

More Information

Safety Tips
- Talk with friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, rabbis or lay leaders. Let them know what’s happening and brainstorm ways they might be able to help.
- If possible, have a phone accessible at all times and know what numbers to call for help. Know where the nearest public phone is located. Know the phone number to your local 24-hour domestic violence hotline. If your life is in danger, call the police.
- Plan the easiest escape. Decide on a door or window to exit quickly and safely.
- Teach your children how to get help. Instruct them not to get involved in the violence between you and your partner. Plan a code word to signal to them that they should get help or leave the house and go to a neighbor.
- Practice how to get out safely with your children.
- Make a habit of backing the car into the driveway and keeping it fueled. Keep the driver’s door unlocked and others locked, for a quick escape.
- Move away from the kitchen, bathroom or any place where there are dangerous or sharp objects.
- Try not to wear scarves or long jewelry that could be used to strangle you.
- Create several plausible reasons for leaving the house at different times of the day or night.
- Make a plan for times when you are at work. You may want to speak with your employer about changing work locations or hours, or alerting security or reception staff to your situation.
- Prepare an emergency bag. Put together a bag that includes money, copies of house and car keys, medicine, and copies of important papers such as birth certificates, social security cards, immigration documents, marriage certificate, court orders, and health insurance information. The bag can also include extra clothes, important phone numbers, or other things you need if you have to leave your home in a hurry. If you prepare an emergency bag, have a place in mind where you can safely keep it such as at the home of a trusted friend or family member.
- Tell your children that violence is never right, even when someone they love is being violent. Tell them that neither you, nor they, are at fault or are the cause of the violence, and that when anyone is being violent, it is important to stay safe.
Get Help (206) 861-3159
Am I In An Abusive Relationship?
Does my partner…
- Regularly criticize, shout or call me names?
- Withhold approval or affection as a form of punishment?
- Throw objects near or at me?
- Humiliate me in private or public?
- Dismiss hurtful comments as jokes?
- Display irrational jealousy or accuse me of imagined affairs?
- Isolate me from family and friends?
- Control where I go?
- Control my access to money?
- Abandon me in strange places?
- Ridicule or insult my most valued beliefs or religion?
- Ridicule or insult my race, class or sexual orientation?
- Threaten to commit suicide if I leave?
- Threaten to hurt someone I love (i.e. family, friends, pets etc.)?
- Hold me against my will, push me or lock me out of my house?
- Destroy my personal belongings?
- Punch, shove, slap, bite, kick, burn, choke, hit or force/pressure me to have sex?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, Project DVORA is here to help.

Get Help (206) 861-3159
Jewish-Specific Resources
- Shalom Task Force is a confidential hotline for Jewish survivors seeking culturally specific support around domestic violence. (888) 883-2323
- Get ORA (Organization for the Resolution of Agunot) advocates for survivors of domestic abuse who are struggling to receive their get.

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