Dear Friends

The Sirens have always supported women in the face of adversity and now we are needed in Israel.

In June, a group of 20 women, nicknamed the Tartan Sirens, are hiking in Speyside, in the Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, to raise money for Maslan, the Negev’s Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Support Centre, a project supported by UJIA.

As global feminist organisations dismiss — and even question — the gender-based war crimes committed by Hamas terrorists, Israeli NGO Maslan has been tirelessly treating survivors who suffered unimaginable trauma on October 7.

Please sponsor us through our Just Giving page or you can donate directly by contacting us.

Although we aren't sleeping in tents or climbing Kilimanjaro, we are of course funding our own trip, so all the funds raised will be donated to charity.

Thank you in advance.

The Tartan Sirens

Maslan's recent work

Since the onset of the war, Maslan has been providing discreet and specialised care for individuals and families impacted by the resulting trauma, the severity of which has proven unprecedented in the Israeli mental health community. A group of young women hospitalised for physical injuries, sexual assault and subsequent trauma after escaping the Tribe of Nova music festival massacre opted for Maslan’s treatment over social services. They preferred its privacy and advanced care including eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR), a nontraditional type of psychotherapy.

In another case, a young woman from a Gaza-border community who was sexually assaulted during the terror attack and witnessed the horrific loss of family members — some murdered and others taken hostage — is being treated by Maslan therapists. At her request, they meet her at the hotel where she is living temporarily, and with complete discretion, they are able to provide the emotional and psychological assistance she so desperately needs. Many of those seeking help are dealing with secondary trauma, having witnessed sexual assault, the murder of loved ones or distressing online content depicting Hamas savagery. In all instances, Maslan remains dedicated to navigating the intricate and often uncharted layers of trauma and the vast diversity of client needs.

While grappling with the profound effects of war on the mental well-being of those impacted, Maslan professionals often encounter remarkable resilience — underscoring the collective strength within the grieving Israeli community as a whole — and take heart in the support that makes their work possible.

Maslan CEO Yarona Ben Shalom Richardson, explained, the international support, “gives us motivation, hope and the feeling of belonging to one big, loving and strong Jewish community.”

About Maslan

Maslan, active since 1988, is the Negev’s Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Support Centre, is one of nine active crisis centres working in Israel. The organisation is responsible for the entire Negev Region from Kyriat Gat to Eilat.

Maslan provides assistance, practical aid and emotional support to victims of sexual and domestic violence and their families.

In addition, the organisation works in order to tackle the root of the problem through educational activities and publicity in order to foster social change. To break the silence, raise public awareness of the problems, and therefore reduce the levels of sexual and domestic violence within our society.

Serving as the only crisis hotline in the Negev, in addition to administering practical aid and emotional support, the nonprofit also raises public awareness to create social change and reduce the levels of sexual and domestic violence.

To learn more about Maslan

http://maslan.org.il/en/about/