The National Council of Young Israel announced today that it has launched the Eye Squad, which is an initiative designed to assist the 7,000 post-high school North Americans who spend a year studying in Israel. The Eye Squad provides a confidential, independent 24-hour hotline for students who are experiencing any type of distress.
The phone number to reach the Eye Squad in Israel is *9111, which can be dialed from any phone throughout Israel, 24/7 (including on Shabbat if there is an emergency). Parents and others in the United States and Canada can reach the Eye Squad in Israel by dialing toll-free 866-550-4EYE.
The Eye Squad is under the auspices of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel, and is provided as a joint project with the National Council of Young Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel. The founder and director of the Eye Squad is Rabbi Aaron S. Tirschwell, whose work with Jewish communities and young adults has spanned the globe. He also serves as National Council of Young Israel’s Director of Israel Operations.
Tirschwell noted that approximately 7,000 North American young men and women elect to spend one or two years post-high program in Israel and enrich their Judaism and Zionism by living and studying in the land of our people. According to Tirschwell, there is a disturbing crisis that threatens to mar the “year in Israel” phenomenon.
“We are talking about young men and women who are experiencing living away from their home for the first time,” said Tirschwell. “The conservative estimate is that approximately 10% of these students suffer from some sort of psychological or emotional issue, including eating disorders, alcohol and drug use and abuse, and suicidal thoughts. This is a staggering number of young adults who are at risk and who desperately need help.”
While a number of education based programs in Israel have a dorm counselor, a rabbinic figure or even a therapist that students can approach for guidance, a young man or woman with concerns and issues will not automatically turn towards any person in an official capacity for fear of being dismissed from the school or program in which they are enrolled. In addition, the counselor and rabbinic figure are not necessarily trained to identify that an issue exists or to counsel the student on the specific issue itself.
Tirschwell said that similar to an emergency medical technician who has enough training to stabilize the patient for transport to a hospital and be treated by a fully trained medical professional, Eye Squad members will be able to “stabilize” a client in terms of his or her particular immediate distress and, once able to discuss the matter in a calm fashion, talk about the options available, such as counseling or rehabilitation, in order to confront the issue in a logical and realistic manner.
“The overall goal of this initiative is to provide the young adult with a number of different solutions to explore that address the specific distress he or she is experiencing,” said Tirschwell. “The uniqueness of the Eye Squad members initiating the process of assessing needs and providing options for treatment is what sets it apart from any other program or service available to this demographic group. In some cases, the Eye Squad is the only option available.”
“Members of the Eye Squad engage a young adult to communicate th
The National Council of Young Israel announced today that it has launched the Eye Squad, which is an initiative designed to assist the 7,000 post-high school North Americans who spend a year studying in Israel. The Eye Squad provides a confidential, independent 24-hour hotline for students who are experiencing any type of distress.
The phone number to reach the Eye Squad in Israel is *9111, which can be dialed from any phone throughout Israel, 24/7 (including on Shabbat if there is an emergency). Parents and others in the United States and Canada can reach the Eye Squad in Israel by dialing toll-free 866-550-4EYE.
The Eye Squad is under the auspices of the Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel, and is provided as a joint project with the National Council of Young Israel and the Jewish Agency for Israel. The founder and director of the Eye Squad is Rabbi Aaron S. Tirschwell, whose work with Jewish communities and young adults has spanned the globe. He also serves as National Council of Young Israel’s Director of Israel Operations.
Tirschwell noted that approximately 7,000 North American young men and women elect to spend one or two years post-high program in Israel and enrich their Judaism and Zionism by living and studying in the land of our people. According to Tirschwell, there is a disturbing crisis that threatens to mar the “year in Israel” phenomenon.
“We are talking about young men and women who are experiencing living away from their home for the first time,” said Tirschwell. “The conservative estimate is that approximately 10% of these students suffer from some sort of psychological or emotional issue, including eating disorders, alcohol and drug use and abuse, and suicidal thoughts. This is a staggering number of young adults who are at risk and who desperately need help.”
While a number of education based programs in Israel have a dorm counselor, a rabbinic figure or even a therapist that students can approach for guidance, a young man or woman with concerns and issues will not automatically turn towards any person in an official capacity for fear of being dismissed from the school or program in which they are enrolled. In addition, the counselor and rabbinic figure are not necessarily trained to identify that an issue exists or to counsel the student on the specific issue itself.
Tirschwell said that similar to an emergency medical technician who has enough training to stabilize the patient for transport to a hospital and be treated by a fully trained medical professional, Eye Squad members will be able to “stabilize” a client in terms of his or her particular immediate distress and, once able to discuss the matter in a calm fashion, talk about the options available, such as counseling or rehabilitation, in order to confront the issue in a logical and realistic manner.
“The overall goal of this initiative is to provide the young adult with a number of different solutions to explore that address the specific distress he or she is experiencing,” said Tirschwell. “The uniqueness of the Eye Squad members initiating the process of assessing needs and providing options for treatment is what sets it apart from any other program or service available to this demographic group.