A year into the Gaza War, frontline social workers continue to benefit from Tel Aviv University’s specialized training program.

The incredibly widespread trauma caused by the October 7th atrocities and the ensuing war hit Israel’s social workers with a wave of responsibilities for which they could never have prepared. Quickly, Tel Aviv University’s Shapell School of Social Work mobilized to help. The School put together an accessible, in-depth online training course focused on trauma care for social workers from throughout Israel.

Now a year later, thanks to generous donations covering tuition fees by the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago and by Chevron Mediterranean Limited, nearly 400 social workers from 10 cohorts have completed the program. Since every Israeli community has suffered traumatic effects this year, graduates span the spectrum of Israeli society and areas of expertise: Jewish and Arab, from central and peripheral areas, and across welfare, health, education, and military services.

Completely on Zoom and requiring a minimal time commitment, the course was designed for busy social workers in the field. It taught practitioners methods for helping clients deal with acute trauma along with safeguarding their own mental health.

Said course graduate Kelly Ashwal, who worked in a hospital that received victims of the Hamas attack: “Those first visits with the injured were so hard. I received tools for my work as well as for emotionally protecting myself. Though the work still affects me, with the help of the course I feel much more capable of doing my job.”

In addition to addressing an urgent need, the initiative has sparked a professional movement in trauma-informed practice. These trained social workers are now ambassadors in their workplaces, spreading knowledge and enhancing the ability of many to assist the hundreds of thousands in need of support.

To learn more about the program and see testimonies of participants, read the full article here.