The Power of Creative Expression

Nearly three years after the October 7 attacks, the residents of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak continue the difficult work of rebuilding their lives.  

While homes can be repaired and infrastructure restored, the emotional impact of violence, displacement, and loss often takes far longer to overcome. For many residents, the greatest challenge has not been returning home, but learning how to feel at home again. 

Emotional recovery is a critical part of rebuilding. For this reason, Shai Fund is partnering with community leaders in Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak to support a community-based Art Therapy Center that provides long-term emotional and mental health support for survivors.  

When Healing Takes Time 

The Art Therapy Center provides accessible, long-term, community-based mental health care through creative expression. Built around an "open studio" model, the program recognizes that the act of creating can itself be healing. 

Through weekly art therapy groups and open studio sessions, participants are given a safe environment to express emotions that are often difficult to put into words. 

Creative expression allows participants to engage with difficult emotions in a way that feels natural and accessible. 

For children, painting, drawing, and sculpting can provide an outlet for overwhelming emotions. For adults, creative practice creates space for reflection, connection, and recovery. 

A Place for the Entire Community 

Children, parents, grandparents, and neighbors gather in the same space, creating opportunities for healing across generations. The studio has become a place where community members support one another, share experiences, and rebuild a sense of belonging that trauma often disrupts. 

The center's importance became especially clear when community members were asked what would help support their return to Nir Yitzhak. Among numerous rebuilding priorities, residents identified the therapeutic creative space as one of the most valuable resources for the community's future. Their decision reflected the role the studio had already come to play as a source of stability, comfort, and connection during a period of profound disruption.  

Standing With Survivors for the Long Term 

While emergency aid is essential in the aftermath of tragedy, emotional recovery often takes years. Survivors need spaces where they can process what they have experienced, strengthen relationships, and rediscover hope for the future. 

Through this partnership, Shai Fund is helping ensure that families in Nir Yitzhak have access to the support they need for the journey ahead. 

Each creative session creates opportunities for reflection and growth. Together, they help lay the foundation for a healthier and more resilient future.