Now 11 months into war, Israel faces a mental health epidemic. More than half the population (54%) has experienced emotional distress since October 7th, which the mental health system in Israel is unequipped to handle. Many Israelis are in urgent need of mental health support, post-trauma care, and resilience-building solutions. In response, JDC, with decades of experience in the mental health sphere, created a whole new set of solutions for Israelis like Zion Saadia, a 63-year-old teacher.
Zion Saadia, a 63-year-old teacher, has been living with his wife in a small hotel room since October 7th, away from the only life he knew. Zion is no stranger to war or tragedy. “Every soldier who dies now takes me back to the 2006 Second Lebanon War, when my eldest son was killed,” says Zion, whose son, Liran Saadia, fell in battle in Lebanon. As the war continues with more soldiers killed every week, Zion’s PTSD has been triggered and re-activated. His extended stay in a hotel, due to his inability to return to his home on the northern border, means there are very few mental health resources available to him.
Thankfully, JDC opened up a “Quiet Room” in Zion’s evacuee hotel. The Quiet Room is a calming, reduced-stimulus space that offers self-regulation sensory tools. Spending time in this space helps decrease anxiety and mental stress, and assists people in regaining a sense of balance and direction.
“Sometimes you want quiet. You sit in the lobby, and there are children’s activities; they run and shout, and you can’t tell anyone off because this is their home, too,” says Zion. “But with news of every soldier who dies, I’m in a state of extreme anxiety and tension. That’s when I need the Quiet Room.”
Among the relaxation tools in the room are soft bean bags, dimmed lighting, and weighted blankets. There are also VR glasses and related software, donated by XRHealth, that create a soothing virtual environment. “When I come here, I disengage from the outside world,” says Zion. “You can be with dolphins, in a forest with birds, or surrounded by snowy mountains. The half hour that I’m here helps me relax. When I leave here, I feel completely new.”