Lada'at – Choose Well

Lada'at – Choose Well (Hebrew: לדעת – לבחור נכון), formerly known as SHILA (ש.י.ל.ה – שירות ייעוץ להיריון ומניעה, "Pregnancy and Prevention Counseling Service"), is an Israeli nonprofit association dedicated to promoting healthy sexuality, sexual health and reproductive rights. It was founded in Jerusalem in 1976 and describes itself as the leading organization in Jerusalem for advancing healthy sexuality, sexual health and reproductive rights. The association works in both Hebrew and Arabic, serving Jewish and Arab communities, and operates nationally with a particular emphasis on Jerusalem and its surroundings. The organization's work is structured around a "circles" model that moves from the inner to the outer circle: the individual (counseling services), the group (education and community), the general public (accessibility of information), and systemic change (policy advocacy). Changes occurring in each circle are intended to ripple inward and outward to the other circles, with the goal of creating deep perceptual and cultural change from the foundation up. Lada'at's main areas of activity are threefold. First, education: it runs workshops on healthy sexuality in Hebrew and Arabic for formal and informal educational frameworks, educational teams and parents; its education department is staffed by professionals, educators and social workers with more than a decade of experience in the field of sex education in Israel. Second, counseling: it operates a professional, anonymous and free counseling center on topics related to healthy sexuality, including counseling, support and guidance on choosing and correctly using contraception, fear of pregnancy, coping with unplanned pregnancy and abortion. Third, social activism: it works to raise awareness and make knowledge about sexual health and healthy sexuality accessible across a wide range of content platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, podcast) and takes part in community initiatives in its field and in activist activity in the Knesset. The association also maintains a knowledge repository that makes relevant, professional and reliable information accessible to help people make informed decisions related to healthy sexuality. According to figures published on its website, since 2018 it has delivered 3,000 workshops and meetings, provided 6,000 counseling sessions in its counseling centers, met 33,000 teenagers in workshops, and met 1,000 parents and educational teams in workshops. Its educational program is registered in the Israeli Ministry of Education's "Gefen" program database under program number 992. Lada'at is notable as the first organization of its kind in Israel to combine community educational activity, personal and couples counseling, and medical service. Its service is provided by a multidisciplinary team — social workers, gynecologists, educational counselors and health educators — comprising a number of salaried employees and, primarily, volunteers. The service is offered to every person without distinction of sex, age, marital status, place of residence, religion or nationality, and has served as a model for establishing counseling services for teenagers throughout Israel and for developing educational programs for teenagers. In 1995 the association received the Jerusalem Mayor's Prize for outstanding volunteer organizations, presented by then-mayor Ehud Olmert, for its contribution to the welfare of the city's residents.

Lada'at – Choose Well was founded in Jerusalem in 1976 under the name SHILA (ש.י.ל.ה – שירות ייעוץ להיריון ומניעה, "Pregnancy and Prevention Counseling Service"). It was established as a counseling service addressing pregnancy and prevention, and over the decades expanded into a broader organization promoting healthy sexuality, sexual health and reproductive rights. The association describes itself as having worked for nearly 50 years for reproductive rights in Israel. From its early years, the organization combined several kinds of activity that were unusual together in Israel at the time: community educational work, personal and couples counseling, and medical service. It is described as the first organization of its kind in Israel to combine these three elements. Its service model — a multidisciplinary team of social workers, gynecologists, educational counselors and health educators, with a small number of salaried staff and a large body of volunteers — became a model for establishing counseling services for teenagers throughout Israel and for developing educational programs for teenagers. In 1995 the association received the Jerusalem Mayor's Prize for outstanding volunteer organizations, presented by then-mayor Ehud Olmert, in recognition of its contribution to the welfare of the city's residents. Over time the organization broadened its reach. It developed workshops on sex education in schools, particularly middle schools and high schools, and also ran workshops in Arab high schools in East Jerusalem, reflecting its bilingual Hebrew–Arabic operation. It offered professional courses and study days for educational teams and parents. Its counseling center, staffed by around 25 volunteer professionals, provided personal and couples counseling on contraception, unplanned pregnancy and medical services through volunteer gynecologists. It also maintained an information repository on its website and offered personal counseling by email; in 2008 it provided counseling to about 700 young people. Telephone counseling on unplanned pregnancy and contraceptive use handled about 1,440 inquiries for guidance and counseling in 2003. In the 2010s and 2020s the association continued to operate under the name Lada'at – Choose Well and expanded its public-facing work. It describes a "circles" model moving from the individual (counseling services) to the group (education and community) to the general public (accessibility of information) and to systemic change (policy advocacy), with changes in each circle rippling inward and outward. It became active on social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and a podcast, and takes part in community initiatives and activist activity in the Knesset. Its education program is registered in the Israeli Ministry of Education's Gefen program database under number 992. According to figures published on its website, since 2018 it has delivered 3,000 workshops and meetings, provided 6,000 counseling sessions, met 33,000 teenagers in workshops, and met 1,000 parents and educational teams in workshops.

• 2018

  Starting point for published activity figures: 3,000 workshops and meetings, 6,000 counseling sessions, 33,000 teenagers and 1,000 parents and educational teams reached since this year.

• 2008

  Provided personal counseling to about 700 young people, including by email through its website.

• 2003

  Handled about 1,440 telephone inquiries for guidance and counseling on unplanned pregnancy and contraceptive use.

• 1995

  Received the Jerusalem Mayor's Prize for outstanding volunteer organizations, presented by then-mayor Ehud Olmert.

• 1976

  Founded in Jerusalem under the name SHILA (Pregnancy and Prevention Counseling Service).

The leading organization in Jerusalem for promoting healthy sexuality, sexual health and reproductive rights; the first organization of its kind in Israel to combine community education, personal and couples counseling, and medical service.

• Healthy sexuality education workshops for youth

  Workshops adapted for teenagers on topics including sexual contact, consent and desire, contraception, pornography, anatomy and physiology.

• Training and workshops for educational teams

  Content workshops for teachers, parents and educational teams.

• Informal education workshops

  Workshops adapted for pre-military programs, service years, hostels, boarding schools and youth movements.

• Personal counseling on contraception and pregnancy

  Professional, anonymous and free counseling center on healthy sexuality, including choosing and correctly using contraception, fear of pregnancy, coping with unplanned pregnancy and abortion.

• Knowledge repository

  Accessible relevant, professional and reliable information to help make informed decisions related to healthy sexuality.

1. 1עמותת לדעת | עמותה המקדמת בריאות מינית בעברית וערביתladaat.org.il
2. 2אודות עמותת עמותת | הכל על העמותהladaat.org.il
3. 3Lada'at – Choose Well (Wikidata)wikidata.org
4. 4לדעת – לבחור נכון (Hebrew Wikipedia)he.wikipedia.org
5. 5עמותת לדעת | עמותה המקדמת בריאות מינית בעברית וערביתladaat.org.il