Foundation programme · 9th group

Raznaya

In Russian the name plays on two meanings at once: “different” — and “raz”, the first step, starting over.

A course for women going through divorce who want to come out of it not broken, but put back together.

Divorce is not only about paperwork and bureaucracy (though it is about that too). It is about putting your body, your mind and your feelings back together after the life you were used to has fallen apart. Esther Esenfeld has gathered a team of women specialists who will walk you through this path gently, step by step.

Supported by the Yad Yitzchok Foundation, enrolment for the 9th group is open. Free for the foundation's wards. The course is held in Russian.

A woman by the window — a quiet moment alone with herself

5 sessions Wednesdays · 19:00–21:00 · Zoom

Who this course is for

For women who are going through a divorce or have already been through one — in Israel or anywhere else. It does not matter how much time has passed or which stage you are at: if it still hurts inside, if you feel lost or still have questions — this course is for you.

We work in a small group — a maximum of 15 participants. That is a deliberate choice: the group is both working and therapeutic, and only at this size does every woman get enough attention and a safe space to speak openly.

15 participants at most — so that every woman is heard

A circle of participants: a small group where everyone is heard
Esther Esenfeld
Esther Esenfeld Psychotherapist and case manager · course author

Who runs this course?

She has worked in psychology for over 20 years. She assessed children for admission to Israeli schools, ran a teenage club and now runs a women's psychology club. She has taught psychology classes and written for a newspaper and a magazine.

She took part in one of the first television projects for psychologists working online. Today she runs courses, a club and other projects online. One of them is Raznaya, a course for divorced women, which has been running for two years.

What we will go through together

Over 5 sessions we will gently work through what a woman faces during this period:

  1. 01 The three foundations a person stands on: body, mind and feelings — and how to reclaim them.
  2. 02 The five stages of living through loss — so you understand where you are now and what lies ahead.
  3. 03 The main emotions of this time: responsibility, fear, resentment, trust, forgiveness, gratitude — and how to handle them instead of drowning in them.
  4. 04 Self-worth — how to restore the sense of your own value.
  5. 05 How to set personal boundaries and not let them be crossed.
  6. 06 How to rebuild relationships after divorce — especially when there are children.
  7. 07 How to use this time for your own good, rather than merely surviving it.
  8. 08 What Judaism says about all this (optional).

After every session — homework and a video recording for personal use, so you can come back to what matters.

Who leads the course

Different perspectives on one task — helping you go through this period as a whole person: psychologically, practically and spiritually.

  • Esther Esenfeld Esther Esenfeld Psychologist and case manager
  • Haya-Lena Ruhimovich Haya-Lena Ruhimovich Mentor and madricha kala
  • Tzipora Haritan Rabbanit and family counsellor

The format

  • Format Online, Zoom from anywhere in the world
  • Schedule 5 sessions Wednesdays, 19:00–21:00
  • Group Up to 15 participants starts once the group is full
  • After each session Recordings and homework for personal use

What participants say

Feedback from women who took part in previous groups.

  • Thank you for such an important and needed seminar. Huge thanks again to the lecturers, the organisers and the sponsors. I am only sorry there was no seminar like this 10 years ago, when I had just left my ex-husband. I might have avoided many mistakes, a lot of lost time and the whole weight of resentment and regret I carried all those years.
  • I loved it — I did not even want to log off, even though we sat for three and a half hours. Everything was to the point, such important things. Thank you for this opportunity, for this project — it is enormous help and support for women.
  • The first session was so energising! It was interesting to meet everyone, and the advice was very practical — both from the professionals and from their own lives. Very alive and very practical.
  • I liked that we could get to know each other, tell our own story and hear other stories. I also liked that we were given a lot of information straight away.
  • The seminar turned out excellent, needed, important. Plenty of material to work with on my own. Many new techniques.
  • The session was filled with important information right up to the last minute. And there was no padding, in my view.
  • I already knew a lot of it, but it was very useful to hear others — and to test myself, both inwardly and on paper.
  • I finally understood that I am not the only one.
  • Thank you for the seminar, it sorted out the mess in my head.
  • In short: I want to keep talking to positive women like you.
  • Meeting other women with similar ideas is inspiring.
  • Held with a lot of empathy, the kind that supports you.
  • A very warm and heartfelt meeting.
  • A feeling of being unfinished. I needed more sessions. Thank you for keeping the group open so we can keep talking.
  • A pity there is no recording to listen to again — I have already forgotten what was said.
Fundraising for the course

Why we raise money for this course

Divorce hits not only the heart but the wallet. ₪200 for the whole course is a small sum, but for the very women who need support most it often turns out to be out of reach.

We raise money so that none of them goes through this period alone simply because of money. Every place paid for is a woman who will join a group of others like her and go through five sessions with professional support.

₪200 is a full course for one woman. Five sessions, homework, video recordings and a team of specialists — for someone who cannot pay for it herself right now.

Gift a course

Gift a course — ₪200 Give a different amount

Any amount brings one more woman closer to coming out of her divorce put back together.

Sign up for the 9th group

We will get in touch and tell you about the next start date. Groups are limited to 15 participants.

Optional
Optional