Crisis support for Israel
After October 7th, 2023, several Breath-Body-Mind teachers with friends and family in Israel reached out to Dr Brown and Dr. Gerbarg to start programs in Israel. Shira Gordon, BBM teacher Level 4, Yael Dresdner Level 2, Ben Avital Level 2, Sonia Kleinman Level 2, along with senior teachers Ann Fleuchas Level 4, and Joanna Harper Level 4 began to plan programs for Israel.
No stranger to trauma, Israel has many fine trauma therapists. However, the scale of these events, and the pervasive stress affecting the entire population was overwhelming the mental healthcare system. We felt compelled to offer help to all who could benefit, including healthcare providers and emergency responders. We learned how to deliver services online during COVID. In Ukraine, our train-the-trainers model has empowered over 350 Ukrainian psychologists and other mental health professionals to provide BBM to adults and children during the war there. We are ready to help the people of Israel with evidence-based BBM practices that are simple, effective, and easy to scale up.
On behalf of the Breath-Body-Mind Foundation, Shira Gordon visited Israel in January 2024 where she met with service organizations and introduced them to BBM programs. She invited the Israelis to our online BBM programs in Hebrew and English.
How can you help?
Spread the word about our BBM disaster relief in Israel to your friends, family, and professional contacts. We want to invite all Israelis, including healthcare professionals, emergency responders, schoolteachers, and therapists to our programs. Those who train with us can share these healing practices whenever and wherever needed. (Please do NOT post on social media to public groups.)
If you have contacts with Israeli health organizations, schools, charities or NGOs providing services to Israel, please contact Shira Gordon at bbmfshiragordon@gmail.com.
Please donate to Breath-Body-Mind Foundation programs for Israel to support free or low-cost Breath-Body-Mind crisis relief programs, weekly practice sessions and teacher training.