There are currently at least 200,000 displaced citizens in Israel, among them tens of thousands of children who are without the comforts of home, without structure, and suffering from the trauma of the October 7th attack and its aftermath. They are experiencing uncertainty, fear, loss, and anxiety about what tomorrow may bring. Each one of them needs a space to process this experience and these complex feelings, to come together in order to share and to listen.
The act of baking offers a powerful opportunity to process these feelings, and to build resilience and strength among diverse populations with diverse experiences.
In a therapeutic baking context, we knead our way through the experience, using elements from the culinary world as metaphors that allow us to process our moments of difficulty as well as moments of strength.
Baking offers us the opportunity to create a safe yet open space, as we gather in small groups to introspect together and find ways to move forward, under the guidance of expert bakers with backgrounds in counseling, special education, drama therapy and more.
At Lehem Zeh, a unique social venture with a proven history of impact and a mission to bring people together through baking and bread, we are launching a new, emergency program to provide children and youth from displaced families, as well as other at-risk populations throughout Israel, with a series of baking therapy sessions in small groups, tailored to the personal experiences and needs of each group. This program comes at a time when there is a dire need to provide additional structure and support to children who have been displaced from their homes for an unknown period of time as a result of the Israel-Hamas war.
This 4-part series allows groups who have been more directly exposed to the trauma of war to form a safe space for sharing and building resilience through a hands-on encounter with different ingredients and recipes. Each session involves the creation of a new bread or pastry, which serves as a tool for exploring a different aspect of experience:
- Building a safe and trusting group experience
- Sharing moments of difficulty and of strength
- Processing the specific experience of war
- Tools for creating a secure emotional space within oneself
The purpose of this series is to offer an opportunity for deeper processing through continuity and trust-building. The creation of the kitchen as a safe space allows for continued healing with family in the context of the home kitchen in the future.
In order to bring this program into reality as soon as possible, we need your help! We need to raise funds in order to purchase additional mobile ovens and tools which will allow us to reach displaced children, as well as to pay for supplies and for the time of our baking therapists and counselors.
If you are passionate about food and about Israel, this is your moment to help. 100% of your donation will go towards making this program a reality and allowing it to reach as many children and youth as possible.
Project Implementation and Specific Use of Funds
In order to implement these new programs Lehem Zeh will partner with the non-profit organization Tzeirim Be Yeruham. This will facilitate fundraising and operations in accordance with the net social benefit aims of this project. Funds raised will go towards:
- Move to a larger workshop space which will enable us to comfortably and safely host groups of different sizes.
- Purchase of a mobile oven and other tools appropriate to take to locations where communities of displaced families are being housed (those outside of Yeruham without the ability to gather in our space).
- Ingredient costs, travel costs, and staffing costs
- Preparation of supplemental therapeutic materials such as discussion prompt cards customized to the baking context
Professional team
Rivka Lichtenstein - A graduate of Hebrew University and Tel Hai College, with a certification in drama therapy and a specialization in early childhood therapy. Group therapy and parental guidance counselor. Baker and leader of innovative workshops on mindfulness and baking.
Yehudit Ben Hamo - A veteran teacher with a focus on middle and high school students and teacher counseling. Graduate of the certificate program in Culinary Therapy at Kaye College. Expert baker with a focus on natural and healthful baking.
Adi Yosef - Experienced special education teacher and graduate of the Culinary Therapy program at Achva College. Baker with a focus on cultural breads and informal education through baking.
Betty Ben Shimon - Veteran educator with experience in special education and certification in parental counseling. Baker and workshop leader with a focus on early childhood and family workshops.
Project Founder
Ariel Pollock Star - Creator of the social venture “Lehem Zeh” and experienced social entrepreneur. Graduate of Columbia University and certified in culinary arts from the Jerusalem Culinary Institute. Doctoral student in Public Health with a focus on mental health and community.
