84% of Israeli children in distress from Gaza war. A new initiative gives them emotional support

Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services is assisting Israeli children affected by emotional distress following the October 7 terrorist attack by translating and distributing two renowned workbooks on emotional resilience to Israel, according to an Ohel press release published on Sunday.

The decision to extend support to Israel follows the alarming findings of a study conducted by the Israeli Pediatric Association, which revealed that 84% of Israeli children are experiencing emotional distress in the aftermath of the attacks. That figure increases to 93% when dealing with children directly affected by October 7, with 69% of them suffering from anxiety.

Additionally, Israel suffers from a shortage of mental health experts and a lack of an adequate response to the emotional impact nationwide.

The workbooks in the new initiative act as therapeutic tools for children, given that there are too few mental health professionals to handle this increased need.

The translated workbooks, titled "Inner Space: My Resilience Workbook" and "I Feel That Way and That's Okay!", serve as valuable tools for children to recognize and manage their emotions. Authored by Tzivy Reiter, L.C.S.W., and Dr. Naomi Baum, Ph.D., these resources provide practical guidance for educators and parents to engage children in discussions about their emotions.

“The workbooks enable children to talk about their feelings and create an appropriate starting point for the teachers to start a conversation with the children about the current situation,” Reiter explained. “For many of the teaching staff without training in mental-health provision, and for the children themselves, it’s difficult to discuss the current, complex situation together. The workbooks make it much easier to start a conversation.”

While these workbooks serve as valuable resources, Ohel clarified that they do not intend to replace professional mental health care. David Mandel, CEO of Ohel, stressed the importance of recognizing the limitations of such resources in addressing the complex emotional needs of children.

The initiative has already received positive feedback from Israeli educators

The initiative has been well-received so far by educators in Israel, who noted the lack of similar tools available to prompt discussions about emotions among children. The press release also provided two testimonials from educators in Israel about their students' reception to the books.

"How do you build immunity for children? How do you mediate a complex, painful and ongoing situation to them? Inner Space: My Resilience Workbook is designed to guide educational teams for young children. This booklet is so eye-catching and encourages children to learn the practical tools of resilience," said a principal from Efrat.

"This book is exactly what we need right now. It helps the children to process their emotions, allowing them to project their experiences, as much or as little as they are ready to," said a teacher in Jerusalem.

Ohel translated the workbooks into Hebrew, producing editions tailored for both ultra-Orthodox and secular audiences, and printed tens of thousands of copies at Be’eri Press, a printing company located in Kibbutz Be’eri, a  community that endured significant losses of its members as a result of the attack.

Additionally, the workbooks have been made available in Spanish, Arabic, and Ukrainian.

Hamas launched a massive attack on October 7, with thousands of terrorists infiltrating from the Gaza border and taking some 240 hostages into Gaza. Over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were murdered, including over 350 in the Re'im music festival and hundreds of Israeli civilians across Gaza border communities. 134 hostages remain in Gaza, 33 of whom have been killed in captivity, according to the IDF.