Resilience-strengthening activity in Ofakim • The welfare and education departments conducted an in-depth needs assessment process, which indicated there was a need to expand emotional therapy for children and youth in the Mishor Hagefen neighborhood, which sustained heavy losses on October 7, 2023. • Aiming to meet demands with respect to the quantity and length of treatments and to guarantee continuity of treatment, a unique compensation mechanism was built for therapists, funded by Yeladenu. Resilience-strengthening activity for Kiryat Shmona (at the evacuation hub in Tiberias) The Yeladenu Operation began operating in Tiberias in the beginning of March 2024. • Mapping out the current state of resilience : Performing an in-depth needs assessment among local authority officials from Kiryat Shmona and Tiberias, government ministry representatives, civil society organizations, youth movements, etc., and studying the needs of children and youth, existing services in the areas of resilience, education, and welfare. We became acquainted with all entities operating in the field and identified strengths and challenges. • Complex setup : An existing building (7,500 sq ft) was converted into the “Shachar Center” for Kiryat Shmona’s children and youth. The complex has three individual therapy rooms, two (larger) family/group therapy rooms, an art therapy room, three classrooms for social- educational activities, and an open area. • A variety of emotional therapy treatments were administered by the ICSPC (Israel Community Stress Prevention Center) as well as by the city’s educational psychological services. • Resilience-promoting activities for children and youth were conducted in cooperation with professional entities such as Elem – Youth in Distress, youth movements, the Yahad program by the Ministry of Education’s Department for At-Risk Youth and Children, and others. • Extending the school day : Schoolchildren from Kiryat Shmona’s elementary school in Tiberias arrived at the complex in the afternoon for extended activity. This activity continued in summer day camps. • A meeting place was created for parents, teaching staff and therapists, where they too benefitted from resilience-strengthening activities.
“Thank you for the wonderful complex you built for our children and youth in Tiberias. You provided essential help not only to the children and youth, but also to our teaching staff and the educational psychological services: whether through professional support, a hug, or the ability to vent. It’s what you call ‘therapy for the therapists’, so they can find more strength to continue to do their amazing work. Without you, we probably couldn’t have done it. The fact is that until you got here, this didn’t exist. I want to thank you in my name and in the name of the residents of Kiryat Shmona.”
Avichai Stern, Mayor of KIryat Shmona
“Thank you for the privilege to be part of a small, high-quality group of giving, passion, and impact on life, to be part of the effort, the endeavor, creating stability and heartfelt professionalism. I carry with me so much pain but also joy. I carry change and
impact on individuals, families, and communities. Seeds of optimism and smiles were planted in the lowest place. In the hardest moments, a statement by my son Eliad, who is still fighting in Gaza, always echoed: Mom, I am protecting and defending their home so they will have a place to return to, and you are defending their bodies and souls so there will be people who can return.”
Keren Kamrinsky, Shachar Center Director, Dead Sea and Tiberias
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