An Update from HaGal Sheli 

March 25, 2026

Dear CHW supporters,

I wanted to send you a short update and share where things are now.

What started as an immediate emergency response at evacuation sites has gradually become a more sustained presence across eight hotels nationwide, where families and individuals are still living in temporary housing with no home to return to. With very little clarity about what the coming weeks or months will look like, HaGal Sheli continues to focus on what is really the only thing in our control right now: providing a consistent, accessible anchor. Making sure people, especially children, have familiar faces around them and a space where they can breathe for a moment inside a very uncertain reality.

Across these sites, we are now supporting over 300 individuals through ongoing meetings, group sessions, and regular therapeutic support.

As soon as Home Front Command guidelines allow, we are already preparing to transition participants into our surf therapy programs, continuing the journey from stabilization into rebuilding through the sea and community, just as we have done in previous escalations.

At that point, we will not only bring this group of 300+ into the next phase, but also begin picking up where we left off with the thousands of at-risk youth, trauma survivors, and individuals with disabilities across our 12 centers nationwide.

Importantly, even while our centers remain closed, our therapeutic staff is in constant contact with the ongoing groups that were abruptly paused because of the war, providing remote support and, when possible, in-person check-ins to ensure continuity of care and connection during this time.

I’ll keep you posted as things continue to develop, and I’m hopeful that quieter, more peaceful days are not too far ahead.

Ephy Shapiro
HaGal Sheli

 

Learn more about HaGal Sheli by clicking here.