Elah Association

Elah Association (עמותת אלה), formally known as the Elah Center for Coping with Loss (מרכז אלה להתמודדות נפשית עם אובדן), is an Israeli non-profit organization that provides professional mental-health services to people who have experienced loss, bereavement, trauma and emotional pain. Registered as an association (ע"ר 580040947), it serves the general population without distinction of religion, race, sex or nationality, and has operated since 1979. Its therapeutic work is delivered by clinicians trained in a range of therapeutic approaches, and the organization also supports Holocaust survivors and the elderly. The association was founded in 1979 by and for Israelis who had immigrated from the Netherlands, and it pioneered mental and social assistance for Holocaust survivors in Israel. The Dutch-Israeli community remains one of its target populations to this day. Over the decades Elah has expanded into a nationwide provider with several branches and clinics across the country, a team of roughly 300 professionals, and about 80 regular volunteers who take on social, organizational and practical roles within the organization and the community. Elah's service portfolio spans individual, couples, family and group therapy; therapy for Holocaust survivors; expressive and creative arts therapy; spiritual accompaniment; and remote therapy. It also runs dedicated programs for people bereaved by road accidents, suicide and homicide, operating four assistance centers for the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services in the Jerusalem area and northern Israel, with the organization Bishvil HaChayim covering the center and south of the country. Additional programs include a spiritual-accompaniment program for people affected by sudden loss (for JDC-Israel and the Ministry of Welfare), therapy for families bereaved through security-related events funded by the Ministry of Defense, and support for families of sudden loss who are not covered by government funding. Beyond bereavement, Elah operates a therapeutic institute open to the general population for crises, loneliness, empowerment, personal development, couplehood and family issues, and it provides crisis support to workplace teams after loss or traumatic events in order to prevent post-trauma. Its learning center offers professional training for practitioners and volunteers, conferences, seminars and lectures in Israel and abroad, and publishes articles and booklets; Elah is an official training body for social-work students at Tel Aviv University. In Israeli society, Elah collaborates with refugee-assistance organizations and, in coordination with the UN refugee agency, receives asylum-seekers in Israel who need mental-health care. It maintains community work for Dutch-Israeli immigrants, including social events, therapeutic services, social groups, a volunteer project and national events, and since 2000 it has established mobile Dutch-language libraries in the north, Hadera, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The association has received multiple recognitions, including a quality mark from the volunteering and non-profit sector (2002), commendations for assistance to northern residents during the Second Lebanon War and for a 2006 Poland journey, an award from the Israeli Gerontological Society (2012), the "Light Decoration" from the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel (2015), and a commendation from the Ministry for Social Equality for volunteering and assistance to senior citizens during the COVID-19 crisis in Israel (2020).

Elah Association was founded in 1979 by and for Israelis who had immigrated from the Netherlands. It was a pioneer in Israel in providing mental and social assistance to Holocaust survivors, and the Dutch-Israeli community has remained part of its target population ever since. The organization was established as a non-profit association and registered under number 580040947. From its origins in the Dutch-Israeli community, Elah gradually broadened its mission into a nationwide mental-health provider focused on loss, bereavement and trauma. It developed specialized services for Holocaust survivors, including individual therapy in clinics or at the patient's home, funded by the Holocaust Survivors' Rights Authority of the Ministry of Finance, as well as groups, workshops and lectures in nursing homes, day centers and welfare bureaus. Survivors not eligible for government funding are treated with the help of donations. A major strand of its work is support for families bereaved by sudden loss. Elah operates four assistance centers for families of road-accident, suicide and homicide victims on behalf of the Ministry of Welfare and Social Services. The centers in the Jerusalem area and northern Israel provide social-work accompaniment, mental-health treatment, support groups and national memorial ceremonies; the organization Bishvil HaChayim provides the accompaniment in the center and south of the country. Elah also runs a spiritual-accompaniment program for people who have experienced sudden loss due to suicide, road accidents and homicide, for JDC-Israel and the Ministry of Welfare, and provides therapy for families bereaved through security-related events funded by the Ministry of Defense, treating family members who are not eligible with the support of donors and foundations. Beyond bereavement, the association established a therapeutic institute open to the general population, addressing crises and loneliness, empowerment and personal development, couplehood and family life, and it subsidizes treatment for those who are not eligible for funding. It also supports workplace teams in times of crisis — after a loss or traumatic event at work — with the aim of preventing post-trauma. Elah's learning center conducts professional training for practitioners and volunteers, conferences, seminars and lectures in Israel and abroad, and publishes articles and booklets for professionals and target audiences. The association is an official training body for social-work students at Tel Aviv University. In Israeli society, Elah cooperates with refugee-assistance organizations. In coordination with the UN refugee agency, asylum-seekers in Israel who need mental-health care are referred to Elah; for example, in cooperation with the ASSAF organization (aid organization for refugees and asylum-seekers in Israel), a therapeutic group for refugee mothers was run. Community work for Dutch-Israeli immigrants includes social and therapeutic assistance, social groups, a volunteer project and national events, supported by about 80 regular volunteers whose activities include home visits. In 2000 the first mobile Dutch-language library was established in the north on the initiative of volunteers and with the help of book donors; libraries were subsequently established in Hadera, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Over the years the association has received a number of awards and certificates: a quality mark from the volunteering and non-profit sector in 2002; in 2006 a certificate of appreciation for assistance to residents of the north during the Second Lebanon War, awarded by the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry for Senior Citizens, the National Council for Volunteering in Israel and the Ministry of Welfare; also in 2006 a certificate of appreciation for the Poland journey in June 2006, given by Holocaust survivors and their families who participated, who expressed their appreciation by planting 30 trees in KKL-JNF's Unknown Children Forest; in 2012 an award of appreciation from the Israeli Gerontological Society for a unique contribution to the elderly population in Israel; in 2015 the "Light Decoration" from the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel for unique volunteer activity for Holocaust survivors; and in 2020 an award of appreciation from the Ministry for Social Equality for volunteering and assistance to senior citizens during the COVID-19 crisis in Israel.

• 2020

  Award of appreciation from the Ministry for Social Equality for volunteering and assistance to senior citizens during the COVID-19 crisis in Israel.

• 2015

  "Light Decoration" from the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel for unique volunteer activity for Holocaust survivors.

• 2012

  Award of appreciation from the Israeli Gerontological Society for unique contribution to the elderly population in Israel.

• 2006

  Certificate of appreciation for assistance to residents of the north during the Second Lebanon War; certificate of appreciation for the June 2006 Poland journey.

• 2002

  Received a quality mark from the volunteering and non-profit sector.

• 2000

  First mobile Dutch-language library established in northern Israel on the initiative of volunteers.

• 1979

  Elah Association founded by and for Israelis who immigrated from the Netherlands; pioneer in mental and social assistance for Holocaust survivors in Israel.

Non-profit mental-health and bereavement-support organization serving Israel's general population, with specialized programs for Holocaust survivors, bereaved families and at-risk communities.

• Individual psychotherapy

• Couples therapy

• Family therapy

• Group therapy

• Expressive and creative arts therapy

• Therapy for Holocaust survivors

• Spiritual accompaniment

• Remote therapy

• Resilience workshops

• Crisis support for workplace teams

• Professional training and lectures

• Support groups

1. 1עמוד הבית - מרכז אלהelah.org.il
2. 2עמותת אלהhe.wikipedia.org
3. 3Wikidata Q12410374wikidata.org