The Abraham Tent Program
Moving Beyond Grief
In the aftermath of October 7th, thousands of young Israelis wrestle with profound grief, mourning the irreplaceable loss of close friends and family. The impact of Hamas’ attack, amplified by the relentless onslaught of visually explicit social media images, surpassed all conceivable boundaries. This has given rise to a generation of ‘invisible survivors’ carrying the weight of unspoken and unsupported grief, fostering a pervasive sense of isolation. In response to the urgent need to provide support at this critical juncture and recognizing the absence of official government aid for “friends of” circles, the Gvanim Association –with 30 years of experience in trauma and at-risk population –and the Abraham Group, a tourism and social impact enterprise, joined forces to launch the Abraham Tent Program.
Our innovative initiative, designed for young Israelis in their 20s and 30s, provides a haven for healing and resilience. This program leverages the collaborative strengths of Gvanim’s expertise in peer support groups, grief counseling, and creative expression workshops and Abraham Group’s welcoming spaces. The urgency lies in the immediacy of addressing the emotional and psychological toll, ensuring that these young adults do not spiral into long-term trauma. The Abraham Tent Program is a beacon of hope and support for those navigating the complexities of grief, emphasizing that the time for intervention is now, not to be deferred.
Bringing People Together • Growing from Grief • Creating Communities
Cornerstones of the Program
Empowering Community
From individual counseling and supportive workshops to community activities, The Abraham Tent fosters a powerful sense of shared community. Intimate, peer-led groups provide shared spaces for open dialogue, shared experiences, and unwavering support. This constant lifeline not only equips young people to navigate the challenges of grief, but also paves the way for personal and communal growth.
Investing in Growth
Leveraging years of experience supporting young adults (18-35), The Abraham Tent's therapeutic approach centers on nurturing their inherent strength. We believe in their capacity to build thriving futures, even after life crises.
Finding Meaning, Shaping Tomorrow
Finding meaning is a cornerstone of growth. The Abraham Tent empowers participants to become agents of positive change, creating ripples of influence that extend beyond themselves and leave a lasting impact on their communities. This ripple effect fuels not only personal transformation but also societal resilience in the face of adversity.
A Nurturing Space
The Abraham Tent program is offered within the welcoming Abraham Hostel, nestled in the heart of Tel Aviv. The hostel offers a unique sanctuary – open, accepting, and infused with the warmth of its empathic staff and the vibrant energy of Tel Aviv. This haven allows participants to explore both the depths of grief and the rekindled joy of life through shared experiences and creative expression.
Co-creating Recovery
The Abraham Tent champions active participation. Young people co-create workshops, organize social outings, and shape the agenda for support groups. This hands-on involvement fosters a sense of belonging, ownership, and collective healing.
The Abraham Tent
Grief and Resilience
Workshops
Workshops
- The three-day seminar is organized into groups of 15-20 participants, including both men and women.
- An initial introductory meeting is held to align expectations and assess mutual compatibility with the program. Following this, each group is paired with two counselors who have extensive experience in training and professional support. Group members collaborate to tailor the seminar to the unique characteristics and preferences of the group. Throughout the seminar, they take charge of leading the planned activities.
- The seminar program includes sessions that directly or indirectly address the experience of loss and foster meaningful connections among group members. A team of experienced mental health professionals supervise the program.
- The schedule features a mix of group and individual activities, as well as arrangements for accommodation and meals: breakfast and lunch is provided by the hostel, with participants sharing the responsibility of preparing dinners.
- Participants are required to pay a nominal fee of NIS 200 per seminar.
- Participants are required to commit to taking part in all activities.
Open space
- The program encompasses both activities organized specially for “Abraham’s Tent” and regular hostel activities, such as an open music stage, painting, knitting, and craft workshops (offering occupational therapy), cooking workshops, yoga sessions, access to the gym, guided tours, and outdoor excursions. Some activities, mainly held in the evening, are also open to the public, thereby expanding the circle of beneficiaries of the program and facilitating external interactions for participants.
- The open environment encourages individuals to freely create, engage, share, and participate based on personal needs. Additionally, the program offers content activities available to the public, including returning participants seeking long-term support.
Advantages
High Impact
The program will reach more than thousands young people a year, empowering them with skills and confidence to become active members of Israeli society.
Effectiveness
The program is based on proven practical knowledge, to strengthen personal and group resilience, and to grow from grief processing. The professional workshops draw on evidence-based mindfulness practices and group support models, guiding individuals through a transformative process of healing and growth after loss.
Continuity
Following the first seminar, the participants are invited to workshops and follow-up activities to form an effective support community even later in their lives, for years to come. While participants take part in 3 workshops over a year, the growth process is ongoing. Our program fosters a lifelong community of support and growth, empowering participants to face any challenge with confidence and connection.
Efficiency
The impact is achieved at a relatively low cost per participant. The program includes accommodation, three meals a day, training, workshops, follow-up activities and professional guidance.
Background
In the aftermath of the October 7th attack and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, thousands of young Israelis are grieving the loss of friends from high school, army units and universities — friends as close as family. These survivors carry the burden of unspoken, unsupported grief. Their pain lingers, intensifying anxiety and isolation, impairing their ability to heal and move forward.
Their death continues to affect many circles of friends who do not know how to deal with the loss and pain. In addition, in many cases it is not clear to them – what is their place in the bereavement circles of their beloved friends, who were like siblings to them. In many cases, their pain has no name, no place and no one to help them contain it. The lack of clarity in which they are placed increases the distress and grief and makes it difficult for them to return to the routine of life.
The Friends of Yanai Program: The inspirational model for The Abraham Tent.
Yanai Rimon tragically passed away in November 2021 during a trip to Central America. In the wake of his loss, a new and tightly knit group emerged, comprising individuals from various circles who came together following the tragedy.
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Yanai Rimon tragically lost his life in a devastating accident during his travels in Central America in November 2021. In the wake of this heartbreaking loss, a tight-knit circle of his friends united to navigate their collective grief through a transformative seminar. This seminar not only served as a cathartic journey for the group but also laid the foundation for the innovative Avraham tent model. Spearheaded by the leaders of the “Friends of Yanai” initiative, this program will be guided and facilitated by those who intimately understand the power of friendship and healing in the face of loss.
Program Initiators and Operators
The Gvanim Association: Founded in Sderot, the Gvanim Association has been a leading force in building resilient communities in southern Israel for over 30 years. With a deep understanding of the challenges facing youth and communities in the region, including the impact of the security situation. Gvanim’s diverse social projects empower residents of all ages and backgrounds, providing vital support and resilience-building initiatives.
The Abraham Group, a company focused on social impact and tourism, promotes sustainable and excellent tourism practices through impactful hospitality, immersive tours, and developing meaningful connections between cultures and generations. Immediately following the October 7th attack in southern Israel, the Abraham Group opened its doors to anyone in need, and since then has been hosting evacuees from Israel
Steering Committee
- Prof. Rachel Cinamon Gali, Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Tel Aviv University
- Mr. Yechiel Sharshevsky, Clinical psychologist, former commissioner of rehabilitation in mental health for the Ministry of Health.
- Ms. Hila Barzila, Director of the Sderot Resilience Center. She holds a master’s degree in management, organizational consultant. Mother of four boys.
- Dr. Gadi Amir, Organizational and social psychologist, Former head of Behavioral Sciences Branch in the IDF.
- Ronnie Orion, a clinical psychologist who has been engaged for many years in training and professional accompaniment of the Gvanim staff.
- Dr. Erna Shemer, social worker. Faculty member at the School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University. Works, researches, and teaches in the areas of sharing and partnerships, community work, cultural competence, mediation and community dialogue. Member of the board of directors of the Gvanim association.
Our goal is to enable Thousands of young adults to participate in the Abraham Tent Program. We invite you to partner with us in supporting the thousands of young people who are struggling to cope with loss and processing the events of October 7, 2023 and the swords of iron war.