Israel

Healing Amidst Rupture: NATAL’s Work Supporting Israelis Through War and Trauma

Since the Hamas terror attack on October 7th, 2023, Israelis have experienced a prolonged war: hostages remain held in Gaza, cities endure rocket fire from Gaza and the Houthis. Tensions with Iran have recently escalated into (multi axes intense) missile warfare—claiming dozens of lives and many more wounded. On top of this, husbands, sons, and brothers are continually recruited into service, disrupting families and daily life. In this protracted emergency, the psychological toll is immense. But who is there to tend to the emotional wounds?

Kristof Kleemann, our FNF-Jerusalem director, spoke with Ifat Morad, Director of International Relations & Resource Development at NATAL- Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center—an apolitical NGO providing ongoing trauma support in Israel. What follows is a deeply personal look at their work.

Kristof Kleemann: Thank you, Mrs Morad, for joining us. To start, can you explain NATAL’s core mission and how it has evolved?

Ifat Morad: I’ve been at NATAL for 17 years. We are a non-partisan, non-profit organization. Our mission is to lead the field of trauma resilience in Israel by advancing innovative treatment, research, and public awareness related to the psychological impact of war and terror. Founded 28 years ago by Jude Yovel Recanati - an art therapist and philanthropist, we initially treated trauma from large-scale wars like Yom Kippur. However, over the years, we've responded to numerous conflicts - Cast Lead, Protective Edge, and countless waves of terror attacks across Israel. We realized early on that trauma treatment must be proactive: preparing civilians and building resilience preemptively, not just reacting post-crisis. When October 7th hit, we didn't start from scratch - we simply activated protocols we’d refined for nearly three decades. NATAL exists to bring people back to life.

Kristof Kleemann: How did October 7th impact NATAL's operations?

Ifat Morad: On October 7th at 6:28 am, our helpline number flashed across news broadcasts, reaching safe rooms in places like Be'eri and Kfar Aza. Within minutes, we received thousands of calls - a tsunami of distress. People whispered, “Where do I hide? I can’t breathe.”We triggered emergency protocols: all available professionals dropped everything to staff the helpline. Within  hours, we deployed field teams and bolstered clinical support. The speed of our response is a was critical factor.

Kristof Kleemann: And now, with the escalating Israel–Iran conflict, how has your work been affected?

Ifat Morad: We’re still in crisis mode from October 7th - hostages remain, and operations in Gaza continue. The psychological wounds are still raw. Before October 7th, we had roughly 100 therapists and 400 clients in weekly clinical care; today, that has grown up to 600 therapists and over 3.000 weekly clients. In nearly two years, NATAL has scaled up and grown to meet the urgent demand - now we need that scaled-up infrastructure more than ever.

Our helpline runs around the clock 24/7, supported by professional supervision and group debriefing. Since the current escalation with Iran, a sort of war-within-a-war, we’ve partnered with municipalities like Bat Yam and Tel Aviv - providing training, supervision, and psychosocial support through local municipal welfare teams. Mobile units perform in-home interventions for those in acute distress. We offer webinars for soldiers’ parents, displaced families, and the generally anxious public, in Hebrew, Arabic and English, as well as resources on our website. We also provide “helping the helpers” sessions - secondary trauma and burnout support for professionals in the field  -  first responders and care workers. This isn't a one-time crisis; it's what our Chief Psychologist Dr. Boaz Shalgi calls "rolling trauma"  -  an unfolding reality that NATAL meets with the professionalism, compassion, preparedness and experience of nearly three decades.

Kristof Kleemann: Israelis continuously face cycles of conflict. How does this shape the nation’s psychology, and what is the impact?

Ifat Morad: That’s a major concern. Our aim is that children to grow into citizens who support democracy, peace, and pluralism - accepting neighbors of any faith or background. Instead, they’ve endured COVID, then war, then another war - and live in survival mode. Trauma breeds fear; fear leads to aggression, hatred, and hopelessness. We’ve actively built resilience through emotional tools - therapy, group support, mental- health education - often with German government co-funding since 2014. In schools in Southern Israel, we implemented preparatory programs for children under threat. Emotional healing restores sanity and hope, and helps maintain democratic values.

Kristof Kleemann: What lessons can other countries draw from NATAL’s approach model?

Ifat Morad: Israel’s trauma landscape is a microcosm of potential emergencies worldwide - from war to pandemics. We function as an emotional “lab”: 9.5 million people under relentless pressure, yet we continue daily life - commuting, working, parenting. Sustaining that requires a layered, spiral approach: Helplines, clinical care, group support, revisiting individuals across life stages. It’s not a one-off intervention but continuous support for them and their families. We have previously worked in places and actors like Ukraine and the German Armed Forces, to adapt NATAL’s approaches to other crises worldwide. That integrated and scalable model is something all nations should consider.

Kristof Kleemann: In the darkness, what gives you hope?

Ifat Morad: Every morning, the management team convenes via Zoom - checking in, sharing burdens. We’re all personally affected: I have two adult sons serving at the military; colleagues are displaced. But we share a mission: bringing people back to life, bit by bit. That purpose - tending to the hearts and souls of Israelis - fuels us. It’s a heavy responsibility but also one that inspires resilience and hope. We are also heartened by the immense support that NATAL receives from our international partners and friends, especially from philanthropy and government agencies in Germany. We couldn’t do it without you.

NATAL stands as a crucial bulwark in Israel’s emotional battlefield - an ever-ready responder whose layered, resilient care model offers guidance to nations grappling with crisis. For Israelis enduring unending conflict, NATAL provides not only psychological treatment, but the collective hope to survive - and to rebuild.