The abuse Michal experienced was severe and multifaceted, including physical, psychological, verbal, and economic violence. On one occasion when she attempted to leave, her husband threatened her in graphic detail, describing exactly how he would kill her and dispose of her body, which left her feeling utterly trapped. In another incident, when their son was only weeks old, she recounted that her husband injured the infant by throwing him to the floor, creating another breaking point in her ordeal.
Throughout the years, Michal tried repeatedly to escape, but fear and threats forced her back time and again. Her husband also attempted to deepen her connection to Islam by reciting Quranic verses to her.
Yad L'Achim accompanied Michal throughout these difficult years, helping her and her children navigate the complex struggle to break free from the abusive relationship.
In a previous interview, she explained that the organization's staff continued supporting her even after she returned to the relationship she had tried to escape, and they never judged her for it. According to Michal, the organization provided housing, financial support, and psychological assistance, and her children continue to receive mentoring and guidance to this day. "My love affair with Yad L'Achim - I credit them with where I am today," Michal said. "Without Yad L'Achim, I'm not sure I would have been able to do this."
Leaving the abusive relationship, however, was not the end of her journey but rather the beginning of a new chapter. After successfully escaping the cycle of violence, Michal strengthened her religious observance and reconnected with Judaism and a life of holiness. She sought to build a different future for herself and her children, one unlike the years she had endured, and to establish a home founded on Jewish values.
From this place of renewal, Michal met an IDF combat veteran who had served in Gaza. Their relationship developed gradually, and Michal decided that this time she wanted to build a relationship rooted in sanctity, commitment, and the desire to establish a Jewish home. After everything she had been through, she made the effort to reach the wedding canopy according to Jewish law and tradition, opening a new page in her life.
This week brought the emotional moment when the couple married in a moving Jewish ceremony. For Michal, the wedding symbolizes the long road she traveled—from a young girl who fell into a relationship that led her to convert to Islam and endure years of hardship, through years of violence, escape attempts, and fear, to a renewed choice of freedom, Judaism, and holiness.
Yad L'Achim representatives say that Michal's story demonstrates that even after years in what seems like a hopeless situation, it is possible to turn over a new leaf. The organization continues to support women in relationships with Muslim men and assist them and their children, often through complex and lengthy processes requiring close accompaniment.
