OUR STORY & MISSION

Established in 1998, NATAL – the Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center, is an apolitical organization providing multidisciplinary treatment and support to direct and indirect victims of trauma due to terror and war in Israel. Founded by Jude Yovel Recanati, together with the late Dr. Yossi Hadar z”l, NATAL ‘s mission is to lead the way in the field of trauma, and to advance the resiliency of Israeli society through treatment, prevention, public awareness and research. Our services are available across the country and to all Israeli citizens regardless of religion, ethnic background, color, age, gender or socio-economic status. To date, NATAL’s services have touched the lives of over 350,000 men, women and children.

Goals of NATAL:

    • To serve as a multidisciplinary treatment center for direct and indirect victims of trauma due to the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict and natural disasters in order to improve their quality of life.
    • To act in the community to provide trauma prevention, intervention and guidance during times of routine and emergency.
    • To serve as a training center in the field of trauma for mental health professionals and to serve in the advancement of knowledge and research.
  • To raise awareness of trauma due to terror and war in Israeli society.

NATAL Israel Board of Directors: 

Jude Yovel Recanati; Paulette Eitan; Michal Amitai Tahori, Adv.; Avi Attias, Talma Biro Adv.; Yossi Dashti, Dr. Yehuda Melzer, Prof. Kenneth Mann, Yonatan Irroni; Prof. Avraham Freedman; Tal Recanati; Ofer Hodorov; Koby Ben Moshe; Ada Ronen; Shelly Udvin-Aharoni, Adv.

American Friends of NATAL Board of Directors:  

The late Walter H. Weiner  Honorary President; David Kostman, Chairman; Ariel Recanati,  Secretary; Esti Cohen, Treasurer; Darel Manocherian-Benaim PhD; Dr. Ditty Brunn; Linda Frieze; Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk; Toni Young; Ran Eliasaf

www.afnatal.org

UK Friends of NATAL Board of Directors:

Alan Jacobs; Geoffrey Jason

UK Friends of NATAL

Swiss Friends of NATAL

Ariella Perles; Ayoob Rawat; Lionel Halperin; Yvette Lawi; Igal Assaraf; Dr. Boaz Barack; Shiran Adiri; Anat Koifman

Swiss Friends of NATAL 

NATAL is an Israeli registered non-profit organization, no. 58-031-812-9

NATAL Staff

NATAL Staff

NATAL's Core Programming and Services

  • The Helpline

    Provides crisis intervention and long-term care to thousands of Israeli adults and children every year. The only one of its kind in Israel, it serves as NATAL’s point of intake, and refers callers to the Clinical Unit or other professional organizations as may be needed.

    Read more here

  • The Clinical Unit

    Provides one-to-one clinical treatment for adults and children. With 150 therapists located throughout the country, care is provided at the NATAL Center in Tel Aviv or in hometowns of families unable to travel. NATAL’s approach combines different facets of emotional support and psychological care that are tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient and situation.

    Read more here

  • Community Outreach

    Provides programming throughout Israel, equipping the population with skills to remain resilient in the face of external threats. The Community Outreach Unit visits people at home and includes the Mobile Unit. During crises, the Mobile Unit acts as first responders, providing emotional first aid in schools, shelters and homes.

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  • Social Therapeutic Club

    Provides an emotionally safe environment for trauma victims whose conditions are severe and chronic. The club provides alternative and holistic pathways to healing and symptom management through activities such as cooking, arts, photography, computer classes, yoga, and ceramics. The Club offers individuals with chronic PTSD a safe place in which they can feel at home.

    Read more here

  • Testimonial Center

    NATAL's Testimonial Center operates under the umbrella of the Clinical Unit, and offers veterans the opportunity to document on film their traumatic experiences, under the supervision of a mental health professional.

    Read more here

  • Research & Evaluation

    Led by Professor Marc Gelkopf, NATAL has its own in-house Research and Evaluation Unit which gathers information and provides research and assessment services to all of NATAL's departments.

    Read more here

  • Multidisciplinary Trauma Studies Center

    NATAL's in-house trauma studies center provides specialized multidisciplinary training in the field of trauma treatment, including its 1-year flagship course accredited by the University of Tel Aviv.

    Read more here

Additional Departments at NATAL

  • PR and Advocacy

    The objective of the PR and Advocacy unit is to raise awareness of PTSD due to terror and war in Israeli society in order to keep the needs of those suffering in the spotlight, and to legitimize seeking psychological support. Every year this unit launches multiple targeted campaigns in a variety of media outlets including television, radio, print, and all online social media platforms, while simultaneously producing NATAL's fundraising events in Israel.

    Unit Director: Gali Dagan

    gali@natal.org.il

    Read more

  • Resource Development & International Relations

    This unit is responsible for developing resources and raising funds to support NATAL's activities from a variety of sources as competition increases and the economy fluctuates. Simultaneously this unit is working to expand NATAL's cooperation with various organizations around the world, from federations and foundations to academic institutions and associations dealing with trauma and resiliency building.

    Unit Director: Ifat Morad

    ifatm@natal.org.il

  • Human Resources and Volunteer Network

    The HR unit at NATAL is responsible for the welfare of all employees and volunteers, as well as creating organizational procedures, the recruitment and selection of staff & volunteers, guidance, employee rights and termination of services. This unit puts the emphasis on the wellbeing of the employee or volunteer to make sure they receive the proper treatment and benefits from the organization.

    Unit Director: Sigal Adam

    sigaladam@natal.org.il

NATAL's Annual Reports

Other Publications