Join BJC Wednesday, February 26 at 12 noon on Zoom
On October 7, 2023 and in the months since, Israelis have experienced multiple, ongoing sources of trauma: the massacre of October 7 itself, the multi-front war that followed, evacuees from the north and south who have lost their homes, soldiers in active and reserve duty, and the condition of Israeli hostages.
An already strained mental health care system and stigma around accessing mental health care have exacerbated the situation. On October 7, 2024, The Associated, in partnership with Baltimore synagogues, launched a campaign to support the Israel Trauma Resilience Center in Ashkelon, raising over $850,000.
Join the Baltimore Jewish Council, The Associated’s Baltimore-Ashkelon Partnership, Maryland/Israel Development center, Jewish Agency for Israel, and JDC for a panel discussion to learn how our partners in Israel have responded to the mental health needs of the communities they serve. They will also explore what is unique about Israeli society and its economy that in the midst of such trauma it has shown such remarkable resilience over these last 16 months.
Questions? Contact Kate McDonald (kmcdonald@baltjc.org)
REGISTER HERE
Panelists:
Dara Grossman is the Director of Strategic Partnerships for JDC’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Initiative in Israel. With a strong background in management, resource development, and community engagement, she has been with JDC in various roles for the past two decades. Before joining JDC, Dara worked in informal education and holds a master’s degree in counseling. Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Dara has lived in Israel for the past 28 years and now resides in Jerusalem with her husband and three children.
Talia Levanon holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) in clinical social work from Bar Ilan University, a degree in integrative psychotherapy from Hebrew University, and a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from Bar Ilan University. Since 2001, Talia Levanon has served as the CEO of the Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) where she has been instrumental in the development and implementation of innovative models, such as resilience centers and regional training centers. She has facilitated collaboration between government ministries and the Home Front Command to establish a unified approach to emergency preparedness and response both nationally and internationally. Her expertise has been sought in global post-disaster response efforts including the United States, France, and Ukraine.
Avi Rosenzweig has spent the last decade as a business development and strategic planning consultant, working with private and publicly traded healthcare companies and helping them gain an in-depth understanding of their markets, while providing insight on what investors look for and how they think. In addition to being an expert “connector”, Avi excels in taking early and late-stage healthcare startups to the next level, leveraging his extensive network, knowledge and experience. A native New Yorker, Avi’s expertise is in helping startups reach their target markets and helping young companies expand and develop.
