HaGal Sheli (My Wave) – The Lighthouse Program is a unique program offering a lifeline to vulnerable young people in Bat Yam who are carrying the weight of fear, trauma, and uncertainty. Funded through UJA’s generosity and carried out by Jewish Federations of Canada – UIA through its project, the program operated five groups in the first half of 2026. These groups gave at-risk youth, many of whom have few other places to turn, weekly trauma-sensitive sessions that combine surfing, guided reflection, and life-skills development. In a safe and caring setting, participants have demonstrated meaningful growth in emotional resilience, independent decision-making, teamwork, peer leadership, and personal responsibility.
Click here to watch a video about this special program
Participants carry the lessons of this therapeutic program beyond the water. By learning to persist after setbacks, regulate their emotions, navigate uncertainty, and encourage one another, young people who have known hardship and trauma are developing practical skills they can rely on throughout their lives. At a time of continued tension and emotional uncertainty, the program has provided a stable, supportive environment where young people can confront challenges, recognize their own capabilities, and re-engage rather than withdraw when difficulties arise.
2026: By the Numbers
- 71 surfers across five program cohorts
- 150+ students supported since Bat Yam’s centre opened in 2024
- 81.5% of participants reported increased self-confidence*
- 75.7% of participants reported decreased post-trauma responses*
*Based on participant post-program self-assessments.
One participant in Cohort 2 stood out for her determination and the high expectations she placed on herself. During a session with strong surf and shifting currents, repeated setbacks left her overwhelmed, and she exited the water experiencing what she later identified as a panic episode. The instructional team, trained in trauma-sensitive care, calmly supported her on shore, giving her space to regulate her breathing without pressure or judgment. Fifteen minutes later, she chose to return. Although the conditions remained challenging, she stayed until the session ended. Her greatest achievement was not catching a wave but finding the courage to face her fear and try again.
Bat Yam is one of our longstanding partner communities and is home to many vulnerable families facing persistent socioeconomic challenges. Nearly 35 percent of residents are immigrants from Ethiopia and the Former Soviet Union. Many Bat Yam families live near or below the poverty line. The city has a high concentration of at-risk youth with limited access to extracurricular and therapeutic opportunities, making early intervention and psychological resilience-building programs especially valuable. Through your support of UJA Toronto and our funding of HaGal Sheli, you are helping children and youth develop confidence, emotional resilience, and healthy coping skills using evidence-based surf therapy and experiential education.
Since October 7th, displacement, disrupted schooling, and emotional trauma have placed even greater pressure on vulnerable young people across Israel. Without timely intervention, these challenges can lead to isolation, substance use, and disengagement from education-deepening cycles of socioeconomic hardship. HaGal Sheli is helping to change this narrative by ensuring that the youth in Bat Yam are not left to face their trauma alone.
71 students across five cohorts in UJA’s partner community of Bat Yam accessed facilitated programming designed to strengthen their self-confidence, perseverance, and personal development-giving them tools to navigate challenges today and the potential to become mentors and community leaders in the future.
Through this program, young people who have experienced trauma and hardship are provided with a safe, supportive environment where they can confront challenges and recognize their own capabilities. Structured sessions combine surfing, guided reflection, and life-skills development, helping participants learn to cope with uncertainty, regulate their emotions, persist through setbacks, make independent decisions, and work as a team. Program leaders adapt their approach to the needs of each cohort and each individual, using lessons from the water to strengthen psychological resilience and build problem-solving and positive coping strategies that participants can apply in their everyday lives.
The impact of this care endures. HaGal Sheli alumni report sustained improvements in self-confidence, persistence, their belief in their ability to succeed, and effective study skills-even a decade after completing the program. Nearly nine in 10 participants over age 18 completed at least 12 years of schooling, compared with 55 percent of at-risk youth nationally. Among those who completed 12 years, 80 percent attempted and passed their matriculation exams, exceeding the overall national average of 76 percent.
HaGal Sheli alumni also pursue higher education and additional certifications at a higher rate than the reported national figure-78.9 percent for program graduates compared with 65.6 percent of the overall population-and many graduates continue their journey by returning as mentors and community leaders. While Israeli municipalities can spend more than $18,000 on interventions for each at-risk student, HaGal Sheli achieves these remarkable results at an average cost of just $500 per participant.
HaGal Sheli’s Lighthouse Program with Jewish Federations of Canada – UIA, funded by UJA, gives at-risk youth and trauma survivors in Bat Yam a safe place to heal, a caring community that believes in them, and a meaningful opportunity to build the self-confidence and emotional resilience they need to face the future with hope.