Founded on the principle that every Jewish woman has the right to be safe in her personal relationship with her partner, SHALVA's mission is to support Jewish women experiencing and healing from domestic abuse through counseling, supportive services, and community education. Rooted in Jewish values and founded in 1986, the agency provides free domestic abuse counseling for adult women in the Chicago Jewish community. SHALVA is the oldest independent Jewish domestic abuse agency in the United States and has been instrumental in facilitating national and international dialogues on the specific needs of Jewish families experiencing domestic violence.