Za’akah — Free Peer Support for Jewish Sexual Abuse Survivors
Za’akah is a survivor-led nonprofit serving Jewish survivors of sexual abuse — particularly survivors from Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox communities. Za’akah (which translates to outcry in Hebrew) runs a Shabbos and Yom Tov Peer Support Hotline staffed entirely by survivor volunteers, plus the Jewish Survivors Forum — an online peer community where survivors from across the spectrum of Jewish practice come together to share, vent, learn, and support each other.
What to Expect
The Shabbos and Yom Tov Peer Support Hotline is staffed by survivor volunteers during the hours when traditional crisis lines are often unavailable or culturally inappropriate for Orthodox callers — specifically Shabbat and Jewish holidays when many Orthodox survivors cannot use phones for non-emergency purposes. The hotline operates around a rotation of volunteers available throughout those hours, providing a peer-to-peer connection point that respects halacha when possible. The Jewish Survivors Forum is an ongoing online community moderated by Za’akah, where survivors post and respond at their own pace, building a long-term peer network across the Jewish world.
Who This Group Is For
Za’akah serves Jewish survivors of sexual abuse from all backgrounds — Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, secular, Hasidic, Yeshivish, modern Orthodox, and non-affiliated. The Shabbos hotline is particularly designed for Orthodox survivors who can’t access conventional crisis lines during religious observance, while the Forum welcomes survivors anywhere. Members include survivors at every stage — newly disclosing, years into their healing, navigating family or institutional reckoning, and supporting others on their journey.
Why Peer Support Works
For Jewish survivors of sexual abuse — particularly Orthodox survivors — the layers of institutional protection of perpetrators, family pressure to remain silent, religious distortion of survivor experience, and the practical difficulty of accessing support during Shabbat and holidays can be enormous. Za’akah’s survivor-led model means every volunteer on the hotline and every forum moderator has walked the road themselves. Callers and forum members consistently describe the experience of finally being met by someone who understands both the abuse and the religious context as a turning point in their healing.
How to Join
Za’akah services are free. Visit zaakah.org to access the Shabbos and Yom Tov Peer Support Hotline, request access to the Jewish Survivors Forum, and learn about Za’akah’s advocacy work. The hotline number and forum signup are on the site. Za’akah operates with strict confidentiality protocols designed specifically for the unique privacy concerns Jewish survivors face.