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By Nicole Jansezian

Trauma was already an issue for residents in the region of Shiloh where terror attacks are all too frequent. 

But since October 7, therapists in the area have seen a major uptick in patients returning for counseling after the Hamas invasion triggered PTSD in some and exacted a different cost altogether from others. 

“Since the October 7th massacre, we have been working 24/7 to meet the skyrocketing demand for our post-trauma therapeutic services,” said Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund founder David Rubin. “We established a mobile therapy team to treat dislocated survivors of the massacre.”

There has been a spike in requests for treatment—75 percent plus a 90 percent surge in requests for children with pre-existing psychological conditions. 

“This refers to those who had concluded previous rounds of treatment, but the horrible massacre and the war have reignited their symptoms,” Rubin said.

Rubin said in that area alone, 80 percent of the fathers have been called up to reserve duty. This has placed families under stress while still dealing with losses from the war and ongoing terrorism locally. 

Judea and Samaria—also known as the West Bank—is a swath of land comprised of separate Israeli and Palestinian communities side by side along in the region. The proximity, many times, makes for high tensions and leaves residents vulnerable to attacks.

On a tour of the facilities, Rubin introduced CBN Israel to the therapists and teachers who are reporting renewed waves of trauma among students and patients. The principal of the girls’ school uses agriculture on the campus grounds to help the children process their emotions.

“A girl who lost a brother or cousin or close relative in a terror attack or in war, or a teacher even, or a neighbor—there are many circles—now she takes a seedling, and she starts to take care of it,” principal Tamar Sela told us. “She discovers strength within herself because she caused something to grow. Because she took care of it, it’s now growing. There’s a sense of satisfaction, responsibility, belonging.”

Working with the plants teaches the girls patience and planning. 

“This gives them something stable and it enables them to make connections,” she said.  

Rubin, the former mayor of Shiloh, knows the need for this kind of support personally. He and his then 3-year-old son, Ruby, were victims of a terror attack in 2001 while driving back to Shiloh from Jerusalem. Ruby sustained a gunshot wound to the head, the bullet missing his brain stem by 1 millimeter. Though he survived, Ruby needed therapy—less readily available at the time—to work through the trauma. 

Since then, Rubin set out to provide help for people that found themselves in the same situation. The goal, he said was to integrate education and therapy at the local schools while also providing individual therapies at the main facility of Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund called, The Meeting Place.

The type of therapies—whether with art, music, animals or agriculture—help children process their pain at their level. Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund also sponsors a therapeutic horse farm, using riding therapy as another outlet for children to deal with the ripple effects of trauma and loss.

“CBN Israel’s support of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund has been critical in supporting families going through the grief caused by terrorism,” Rubin said. 

The biblical Shiloh was the first capital of Israel and the city where the tabernacle of God was established for 369 years.

Nicole Jansezian is the media coordinator for CBN Israel. A long-time journalist, Nicole was previously the news editor of All Israel News and All Arab News and a journalist at The Associated Press. On her YouTube channel, Nicole gives a platform to the minority communities in Jerusalem and highlights stories of fascinating people in this intense city. Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., she lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Tony, and their three children.