Breathing Spaces

Three days after the events of October 7th, ELEM was already where we were needed the most — on the ground.

We’ve sent teams made of staff and volunteers to towns hosting displaced families, including families from the Gaza Envelope (the area surrounding the Gaza border), and Northern Israel.

Our vans arrive, set up shop, and offer mental health support in an informal setting. Young people who survived the massacre at the Nova Outdoor Rave Festival and youth who’ve witnessed family members and friends being murdered or kidnapped — they all come to us.

Many don’t want to talk about what they’ve witnessed and prefer to play board games, have snacks and talk about their pets and hobbies. This builds trust and helps youth open up later on.

The initial success of the first two spaces led to collaboration with the Ministry of Welfare to open more spaces. ELEM’s services are in high demand – we currently have 16 spaces and hope to open four more. We also aspire to launch spaces at schools once displaced youth start attending again. That way, we’ll provide them with a continuous presence throughout their day, understanding it’ll be hard for them to reintegrate into a school routine.

Download our information sheet about the pop-up space here.