A small village in the southern Eshkol region, just three kilometers from the Gaza border, was severely affected by the October 7 attacks. Most of the residents had to flee and were evacuated to safer places in Israel. But now some of them are slowly returning. In order to support the survivors and returnees, the German humanitarian organization OlamAid, together with the Central Welfare Board of Jews in Germany (ZWST), established a Resilience Center for the affected communities in Eshkol.
Since June 2024, OlamAid has been providing psychological support and trauma relief to vulnerable groups with a Hebrew and Arabic speaking team. As part of this project, the center provides a safe and creative space for former evacuees and survivors of the attack. Three days a week, a team of an art therapist and a music therapist support people of all ages with special approaches to meet the challenges of the current situation. Both therapists are part of the affected community and therefore have a deep understanding of the difficulties and needs of the people they work with.
The art therapist from OlamAid emphasizes the special role of this space:
For some people, this is the only place where they allow themselves to express and talk about the difficult experiences they had on the seventh of October.
The Resilience Center not only promotes creativity and joy through art and music therapy, but also actively and professionally supports the process of coping with trauma. By offering dyadic parent-child art therapy sessions, the Resilience Center addresses families' hopes and fears about their return and helps them work collaboratively to create the conditions necessary to adjust to their new reality. This guided approach supports families in navigating their emotional landscape during this transition. In the long term, the self-healing powers of those affected should also be activated through individual and group therapy processes. The non-verbal forms of expression used in art and music therapy enable participants to process their feelings and thoughts without having to find words. With the support of experienced project staff, the way is paved for sustainable trauma healing and the rebuilding of a resilient community.
The Resilience Center of OlamAid and ZWST is therefore not only a place for therapy - it embodies the collective will to find a way back to a self-determined and resilient life through community and professional support.
