A particularly tense night passed at the beginning of this week, threatening the entire population in Israel. Although we returned to some level of normalcy, the experience highlighted the crucial importance of resilience to every individual and family. The programs that we are currently setting up for the benefit of all citizens, such as the new professional training unit, are super-necessary.

In the context of the training unit, recently 56 additional therapists successfully completed dedicated, professional training on the topic of trauma, emergency and loss. The in-depth, intensive, comprehensive course was presented by top experts in the field and ran for 7 weeks. All course participants are experienced therapists with a master’s degree in the therapeutic professions. After marking the completion of the training course with a festive ceremony including the distribution of certificates, the graduates joined our ranks and have already begun treating hundreds of patients throughout Israel, including our newly established resilience center in the southern town of Ofakim.

We heartily congratulate the trauma-trained therapists and are especially excited by the fact that already now, people who need help to process trauma can begin to breathe that much more easily… May we hear and share more good news

Yesterday, the staff of vocational rehab coaches throughout Israel in Bayit Cham’s Shacharit and Handyman programs gathered for a fascinating training session delivered by Dr. Renana Stenger Elran on psychotic episodes with a (relatively new) approach based on the Hearing Voices Network.

We are used to viewing as “other” or looking down on people with schizophrenia or other mental illnesses who actually hear voices, and are quick to dismiss them or relate to them as invisible, but at the training session we focused on understanding their very real experience of hearing voices coming from inside. We heard about the meaning it has for the person who hears them, why they are there and how it is possible to handle them in a way that will allow them to live in peace, understanding and mutual acceptance.

The Hearing Voices Network is actually a community of people who hear voices, who learn and help each other in group meetings, provide support through their awareness and personal experience to find strategies for dealing with the voices and their messages. The network has groups all over the United States and has already reached the rest of the world. Even in Israel there are already three groups. This is really good news for those who hear voices!! In the group, they finally don’t feel alone, strange or the only ones; there are others who understand them and are able to help them cope non-judgmentally, with true understanding.

Now our coaching staff undoubtedly also understand them more deeply and definitely warmly embrace the new concept.

Apart from that, we also took advantage of the meeting to thank and congratulate our wonderful staff with a video from the regional directors full of praise for their outstanding, devoted teams, a package of treats for the road, and lots of love and appreciation.

A big thank you Renana 🙏 A big thank you to our staff – champions all

Costume contest 🤟 dancing 🤙 Kahoot! 👌 funny video clips 🤙 photo booth for a cool souvenir 🤙 and mishloach manot packages from our champion staff 🙌

What is really gratifying is that the center is not only for training and employment; it gives a sense of belonging and community that accepts and embraces them all! Exciting ❤️

**The first three pictures in the video are the winners of the costume contest – Oren, David Zvi and Gal!👏👏👏

You are welcome to click, watch and enjoy

So it’s like this – 

Our amazing Eliran has been working for about two months at “Monte Carlo Salads”

In general, Eli Sharon, the proprietor, has been cooperating with us for years and employs people with disabilities as a socially conscious way of life🏆

As a token of appreciation, *Keshet’s central region staff decided that at staff meetings they will indulge participants with refreshments bought only from employers who promote diversity and employ our clients with disabilities. At the last staff meeting there were a variety of Monte Carlo salads, and also the eggplant salad that Eliran plays an important role in its production (as well as in the production of pepper and mushroom salads and more)…

At this meeting, the staff learned what success means from the point of view of the service recipient. In Eliran’s case, as far as he is concerned, he is super-satisfied at work and successful; he manages to perform all the tasks required of him (which is not always easy), he works longer hours than previously, and all his co-workers love him! How can they not, when he smiles all day?!

Eliran – good luck at your new job! Thanks to you, the salads are even tastier😍

Eli Sharon, thank you for the varied dealings with us over the years🙏

And to the Keshet central region staff – you are tops!! For your professionalism, your hearts and your values ❤️

*Keshet is Bayit Cham’s vocational rehab program for people with disabilities

Did you know? According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics data, over 55,000 hearing-impaired/deaf people live in Israel. Most of them are adults, but at least 6,700 are of working age. A less exciting figure is that at least half of them are unemployed and less than 20% of them have an academic degree.

On the occasion of World Hearing Day, we wanted you to meet our beloved Ina who breaks every record👑. You can also learn from her about the world of hearing (or not hearing).

Ina Tal, 35, married + 2 from Kiryat Bialik, was born with a hearing impairment. After undergoing surgery for a cochlear implant, her hearing improved somewhat, enabling her to communicate and live a fulfilling, good quality of life.

Ina has been working as a vocational coach in Bayit Cham for about two years. She supports people with disabilities and helps them integrate at mainstream jobs, while helping clients in rehab advance and promote their employment skills. She does a wonderful job, full of empathy and professionalism!

Ina has a BA and a teacher’s license in visual communication. This year she began studying for a Master’s degree in social work (!) at Tel Hai College. Twice a week she does fieldwork at an HMO, helping patients individually – in exercising their government rights and supporting them emotionally. And all this in wartime…

The college is spread out and currently, studies are done on Zoom. To hear and be able to study, Ina uses transcripts (government-provided communication assistance), a Mini Mic device that links to her computer and hearing aid via Bluetooth, and an FM device in the classroom. At work, she uses a phone with a suitable processor, lip reading, transcriptions, and all kinds of accessibility equipment and adaptations she needs to do her job. The most helpful thing is always for her to simply share at the beginning of the conversation that she is hearing-impaired and needs you to speak clearly. It usually works and even arouses sensitivity from the environment.

And speaking of the war, have you thought about how Ina can know when a siren alert is blaring so that she enters the safe room??

There was a big to-do in the deaf community, resulting from real fear for their own lives and those of their families. They can’t hear the siren alerts. The government did not offer a solution at the early stages of the war, so private initiatives arose to provide “smart bracelets” that vibrate when a siren goes off. Some local authorities adopted the idea and distributed these bracelets to their hearing-impaired residents. Ina and other community members took action; they met with the mayor and effectively presented the need. Mission accomplished – their request was approved and bracelets were distributed!

In short, there is a lot to learn from Ina and above all to appreciate her strength and determination! Coping with hearing impairment is complex and Ina successfully uses every tool at her disposal to communicate with the environment – with her children, with her service recipients, with patients, and in general… Losing more hearing is one of her biggest fears (implant complications, hearing loss, surgeries, etc.). For her, it could spell dysfunction and helplessness in all aspects of life. But right now she is in a really good place, and on her way to fulfilling her dream – helping people achieve theirs❤️

We wish her lots of success! In our eyes, she is absolutely amazing!!