Tel-Hai Magazine 2023-2024

Students at the forefront of war relief

Erez Tal Shir (25), originally from Maz keret Batya, had been living in Kiryat Shmona before October 7th. With the outbreak of the war, he was

Erez ran a playroom for children in the afternoons and evenings. During the mornings, he conducted resilience train ing sessions for teenagers, who

forced to evacuate his apart ment, and following sever al relocations, he now resides with his girl friend in Ramat-Gan. Before his studies, Erez worked in a book store where he devel oped a particular inter est in self-help and therapy books. Among these, he discovered the writings of Professor Mooli Lahad, a Profes sor Emeritus of Tel Hai College, founder of the “Mashabim Stress Prevention Cen ter” in Kiryat Shmona,

volunteered with the chil dren, and he provided them with the tools to identify regression situa tions and ‘red flags’ that required further inter vention. The period Erez spent at the hotel exposed him to both pain ful and touching stories that will forever remain a part of him. Later, as the college re

Erez Tal Shir Second-Year Student, Department of Social Work

sumed operations, Erez channeled this involve ment to his fellow students. Erez recognized that students from his track

Lanka, Georgia, and Haiti during nat ural disasters. In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Farchi has received prestigious awards, including the Social Workers Association Award and the "Ot Ha Hossen" (Resilience Shield Award), for his involvement and promotion of re silience during security escalations in the southern region of Israel. We at Tel-Hai, are honored to have Dr. Farchi as a member of our faculty and are proud to be the homebase for his important work and research. The magnitude of its impact continues to resonate and strengthen our nation's resilience.

and an international expert in psy cho-trauma treatment. Upon further research, Erez learned about Prof. La had’s connection with Dr. Moshe Farchi, Head of the Department of Social Work and founder of the Stress, Trauma and Resilience studies track. “I believe that if something frightens us, it’s an opportunity to delve into the difficulty and explore it,” Erez says. “The Stress, Trauma and Resilience program, combined with these two esteemed lec turers and the beautiful landscapes of the Galilee, made me realize I had found my place.” Erez was recently honored for his ex emplary social initiatives during the Iron Swords War. Throughout his academic journey at Tel-Hai, Erez stood out thanks to his unwavering commitment to pro moting social values. His intense dedica tion manifested in spending several months at the Dead Sea, volunteering with children and teenagers who had been uprooted from their homes, after being exposed to the traumatic events of October 7th in the Gaza Envelope com munities. There, he worked with the Re silience Branch of the Eshkol Regional Council and Dead Sea, connecting chil dren with appropriate emotional thera pists. Subsequently, at one of the hotels,

who had served in the reserves, were forced to deal with growing gaps in their studies, as their military service was ex tended. Supported by the college’s social involvement scholarship, Erez took charge of addressing the issues faced by these students. He mapped their needs through a WhatsApp group created for this purpose and coordinated students from each year who agreed to summa rize lessons and share research articles. In preparation for the exam period, Erez also conducted intensive study mara thons for the students returning from reserves. “The Stress, Trauma and Resilience study program really prepares us for the current reality. For instance, in the course on ‘Ongoing Traumatic Situations’, I could directly apply every sentence I learned to a situation I encountered while volunteering and doing practical training, with evacuees at a hotel in Ne tanya. I wish I’d had those tools during my volunteer period at the Dead Sea... I thought I’d take a break between my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but be cause of all the experience I’ve gained in recent months, I want to provide help wherever needed – and as soon as possi ble.”

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