Emergency Response: Kids from the North Find Respite on Trips

As Hezbollah's attack on Israel's North intensifies, families are living under constant threat, with daily bombings and school closures forcing many to take shelter for long periods of time. Our educators and teen leaders have been stepping up to run critical emotional and educational activities for thousands of children living under fire.

In response to the growing needs, we’ve launched special Restorative Trips for youth from communities most affected by the intensified rocket fire. This program offers these teens a short but vital break from the shelters and the constant threat of attack. This week, we took 65 teens from northern towns—some of them evacuees from frontline communities like Yuval, Margaliot, and Ramot Naftali —on a trip to the desert. Teens from additional areas under fire in the Galilee and Golan Heights also joined.

Conversations with educators give teens a chance to process

The goal of the first trip is twofold: first, to give these teens a chance to relax, breathe, and simply be in a safe environment away from the danger they’ve lived with for the past year. In the quiet of the desert, they took part in a graffiti workshop and watched the finale of the Amazing Race together. But it’s also an opportunity to further train them as youth leaders, empowering them with the skills to guide and support younger children in their communities during this difficult time.

Discussing their role as community leaders

Adam, one of the coordinators of the trip shared: "We went to the desert to breathe, to play, to connect, and to prepare them to be emergency counselors. Youth are the leaders of our communities, especially in times like these."

Northern teens had a chance to relax in the desert

These trips will continue as long as the north remains under fire, with another trip planned this weekend for 100+ participants. With your support, we can help Israel's children heal, build resilience, and help others through these challenging days.