Year 7 students were privileged to hear from Rachel Kaplan, from HaGal Sheli, an Israeli NGO, which has been helping “at-risk” Israeli youth through surfing in various clubs along the Mediterranean coast.

As an Israeli tour guide, I myself was privileged to take educational tours to visit their centre in Bat Yam, and see their important work in action.

Since October 7, they have been helping survivors from that terrible day, including Klil Valiano, a Nova Festival survivor, as well as internally displaced people, released hostages, and demobilised soldiers, through a new surf therapy program, which helps them work through trauma and PTSD. Klil spoke with the students about how the NGO’s program has helped him.

HaGal Sheli serves as a model for the values of volunteerism, caring for helping others, and community-mindedness, values which we seek to inculcate in our students.

We are pleased to work with the United Israel Appeal (UIA), and we thank them for sponsoring the visit.

Ilan Bloch
Director of Jewish Life and Learning