THE CENTER FOR COMBATING CONVERSION THERAPY
WHO ARE WE?
The Center for Combating Conversion Therapy, founded by Havruta, a religious LGBTQ organization, is an activist-driven initiative dedicated to combating the harmful practice known as conversion therapy. In Israel today, numerous “therapists” and hundreds of individuals fall prey to this misleading and deceitful industry, which aims to alter a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Center advocates for the recognition and acceptance of individuals as they are, promoting treatments that help individuals find harmony with all aspects of their identity, including sexual, gender, and religious components.
Additionally, the Center is committed to advancing legal policies to eliminate the detrimental effects of conversion therapy on the Israeli public.
HOW WE HELP
The Center for Combating Conversion Therapy focuses on educating the public about the harms of conversion therapy, reporting practitioners who engage in it, and providing support for its victims.
Wall of Testimony:
"Say no to conversion therapy" campaign in partnership with Google Israel
Yochai Greenfeld
Shani Garbeli
"I had exercises to do. I had to put a rubber band on my hand and every time I thought about girls, I would pull it to hurt myself. At a certain point, it didn't hurt anymore. I would punish myself - if I thought about a girl, I would starve myself."
Read the full testimony >>
Articles
16.12.21
I survived conversion therapy. The new Health Ministry order will help achieve justice for my friends and me
When I was a teenager, the thing I wanted most in the world was to change. Not being gay, not attracted to boys. To be as fine as possible in the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He. Thousands more felt the same as me, and we were all seduced by the conversion therapists. Under the guise of therapy, with the promise of change, and with archaic practices way outdated, they simply ran over us. We were deleted. They broke us.
Read the full article >>
14.06.12
Thundering silence: Eran Suisa's message to the rabbi who tried to correct" him"
Special for Pride Month: 13 years have passed, but the trauma is still fresh • Eran Suissa returns to the person he was sent to for conversion therapy, still in pain, but no longer disintegrated
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16.12.21
France: A new law is passed banning conversion therapy
By an overwhelming majority, the French legislators from all ends of the political spectrum passed the law, which imposes heavy penalties on anyone who engages in conversion therapy. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to sign it and present it to the public at the end of February. "Being yourself is not a crime. There is nothing that needs to be cured," said Equality Minister Elizabeth Munro
15.06.21
"March of Shame"
"It is possible to get out of it" - ultra-Orthodox organizations in a blatant propaganda campaign against LGBTQ+ people
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14.06.12
The Canadian Parliament voted unanimously to ban conversion therapy
In an unprecedented move that drew applause in the Parlament chamber, the members of the conservative opposition joined the members of the Liberal Party and unanimously approved the law banning conversion treatments | "No one can consent to torture"
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16.12.21
The Ministry of Health prohibits conversion treatments: "Sexual orientation is not a problem that requires treatment"
A directive from the Ministry of Health warns of the mental dangers that may be caused by conversion therapy. The directive clarifies that professionals who offer and perform them will be subject to sanctions, including license revocation.
16.07.21
Final Project on Conversion Therapy
Avishai Adler came out of the closet at the age of 17, but a few years later he was tempted to undergo conversion therapy at the "Azet Nefesh" organization with Yisrael Wolcher, who was convicted ofharming his patients. Today, Avishai presents at the Bezalel Academy of Design and Art "Photographer in the Temple", a mesmerizing work that illustrates the daily struggle of religious gays: "We will come out of the darkness caused by silence, ignoring and denial. We choose Torah and love"
Read the full article >>
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14.06.12
For the first time in front of the cameras, conversion therapy for women are revealed -
This is how the method worked, a secret kept by the rabbi and his wife. The full article in the Tzinor.
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16.12.21
"God Also Created Gay People in His Image; It's Heresy to Think Otherwise"
She fights against sexual abuse and for women's rights in the religious community, rules on issues such as birth control and abortions, and supports a halachic re-examination of prohibitions during niddah. The unique voice of Rabbanit Malka Piotrkovski, one of the most influential women in Israel, is clearly heard at our Conference Against Conversion Therapies. In an exclusive interview with Mako, she does not hesitate to voice criticism alongside her support for the LGBTQ+ community: "The pride parades divert attention from the main thing"
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16.07.21
The Lies of Conversion Therapy in the US
A new documentary film on Netflix exposes the lie of conversion therapy in the USA - the senior leaders of the major conversion therapy organizations in the 70s come out of the closet in Pray Away:
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