Conferences
Inauguration of the Center for the Fight against Conversion Practices
On Monday, 06/02/2021, a festive inauguration event was held at the British Ambassador’s Residence in Ramat Gan to mark the official launch of the Center for the Fight against Conversion Practices.
Ministers, Members of Knesset, and community leaders gathered to signal the beginning of a determined and unified effort to end conversion practices in Israel.
The evening featured keynote remarks by Minister of Health Nitzan Horowitz, the British Deputy Ambassador, MK Michal Rozin, and Shai Ramson, Chair of the Hebrew Society, among others. The program opened with the debut of a new Google advertising campaign led by the Center, highlighting its mission to eliminate online searches promoting conversion practices.
Guests were also presented with the first screening of excerpts from The Testimony Wall—a pioneering Hebrew-language project documenting filmed testimonies of individuals who underwent conversion attempts, giving voice to their experiences for the first time.
The event was a resounding success, attended by over one hundred community members, activists, and supporters for whom the fight against conversion practices is a pressing and personal concern. The evening marked a meaningful and promising beginning for the Center’s vital and groundbreaking work.
Inauguration of the Center for Combating Conversion, (Photo: Yuval Weitzen)
Conference on Combating Conversion Practices: Advancing Professional Awareness among Therapists
On Thursday and Friday, 16–17 December 2021, approximately one hundred therapists gathered in Tel Aviv for the inaugural Therapists’ Conference on Raising Awareness of the Harms of Conversion Practices.
The conference opened with a festive evening program featuring a panel discussion that brought together therapists, survivors of conversion attempts, and public figures to examine the issue from multiple perspectives. Panelists included Havruta Chair Shai Bramson, Rebbetzin Malka Piotrkowski, Batya Dickstein, and Amir Hajjahiya.
The second day was dedicated to in-depth professional lectures by leading therapists and experts. Shahar Golberman addressed the definition of conversion practices and the significant harm they cause. Netanel Sheler, CEO of Havruta, together with Dafna Griner, Director of the Gay Clinic at the LGBTQ Center, spoke about the profound psychological and social damage conversion practices inflict on individuals and the wider community. The conference concluded with a lecture by Prof. Orit Avishai, who focused on patient narratives and the importance of listening to lived experiences in therapeutic work.
This conference reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to educating and engaging the therapeutic community, and its aspiration to deepen professional understanding of conversion practices and their harmful consequences.
