Akshiva is a platform for questions, struggles, and uncertainties in all aspects of life. It is geared to the Chareidi individual, young or old.
Akshiva is a website where anyone can anonymously submit a question on any topic, as well as view the hundreds of questions and answers already posted.
The website was originally established to answer the needs of the young adults in the Chareidi Hebrew-speaking community. It soon became an address for questions and doubts for those of all ages and backgrounds. Today, the website deals with matters of emunah, chinuch, marriage, friendship, family, depression, work, school and more. Akshiva has become the default address for the Chareidi individual searching for answers.
Our staff consists of 80 Charedi volunteer Listeners. Among them there are Rabbonim, professionals, and teachers, each with their own area of expertise. They selflessly make time in their busy schedules to support this cause.
All answers follow specific guidelines. They start off with a passage of empathy and understanding, they resonate with yiras shamayim, and they relate with care and with professionalism to the situation in question.
The responses are emailed directly to the questioner or posted on the website. Whether the response is posted or not depends on the need for privacy, as well as the general reader’s interest in the topic. Approximately one-third of questions submitted are posted on the site.
To date, the site has had over 1,800,000 views from over 500,000 people. We also have an active Facebook page ("אקשיבה") with over 11,000 followers, which helps expand our reader base and spread awareness.
Our dream is to become a haven for young and old; for anyone that is uncertain about anything or is in distress for any reason; for anyone in a situation where they cannot or will not speak to someone openly. At Akshiva they will not be preached to or looked down upon; they will be accepted for who they are. They will get a clear, non-judgmental response. This answer helps enable a healthy, open conversation that can potentially lead to a continued relationship and guidance.
The site has already gained astonishing popularity. Our staff has grown to keep up with the growth of the site, so we can continue responding to every question we receive. We aspire to be the main forum for all topics: be it child-rearing, emunah, coping with inner struggles, mental health, emotions, relationships and more as they relate to the Chareidi public.
The impact Akshiva has can already be seen in the way difficult topics are addressed and dealt with in the real world.
We have made our goal to give all those who suffer the courage to speak their minds, to express what bothers them, and to ask about any sensitive topic. Our aim is to make it the responsibility of both our Listeners and the public to treat everyone with respect, kindness and acceptance, and sometimes even to concede: “I don’t know.”
We already see this goal coming into fruition, and with more publicity and widespread use the influence of the site will increase, both within the Chareidi community and in Israeli society as a whole.