Opening of the "Hibuki" Branch in Nazareth – The First Branch in the Arab Sector

The "Hibuki" Program Expands to Nazareth, Offering Emotional Support to Hundreds of Children.
Maariv Online
26/02/2025 15:52

Yesterday, the festive opening of the "Hibuki" branch in Nazareth took place – the fifth center of the leading early childhood therapeutic intervention in the country. The event was attended by over 150 people, including educators, therapists, municipal representatives, representatives from NGOs and government ministries, parents, and children. With the opening of this branch, which is expected to treat approximately 1,000 children, the "Hibuki" program is expanding for the first time into the Arab sector on a large scale.

The "Hibuki Intervention" is an emotional therapeutic method developed by Dr. Shai Hen Gal, the chief psychologist of the "Amal U-Maavar" group, following the Second Lebanon War, with the aim of providing immediate support to children who have experienced trauma. It is important to note that this is a completely free intervention, which includes a meeting with the child, during which they receive a "Hibuki" doll, parental guidance, and a "Hibuki" book to read with the child, and the authorized therapists participating in the program do so on a volunteer basis.

Since the beginning of the "Iron Swords" war, over 12,000 children across the country have been treated using this method, including evacuated children, bereaved families, children who were affected by the Majdal Shams disaster, and children in distress due to the war. The "Hibuki Intervention" has also proven effective around the world – from children in Japan after the tsunami, to children in Ukraine during the war, and children in Turkey following the earthquake. Over 150,000 children and their parents worldwide have already benefited from this method to cope with traumatic events.

"It is an honor for us to expand the Hibuki intervention to the children of Nazareth. We have set ourselves the goal of bringing the intervention to every child in need of it," says Dr. Shai Hen Gal, founder of the "Hibuki" program.

"The 'Hibuki' project is a magnificent initiative that serves the city of Nazareth. The importance of supporting the project and the active participation of the children is critical in order to provide them with full reinforcement through this meaningful and supportive initiative," says Chaled Bato, head of the Culture, Youth, and Sports Division of the Nazareth Municipality.

In recent months, the method has been adopted by several local authorities that operate "Hibuki" therapeutic centers for children. The branch in Nazareth is the fifth to open in cities across the country, following Ofakim, Ashkelon, Nahariya, and Maghar.

In Nazareth, approximately 250 welfare children and children in distress due to the war have already been treated, in hospitals, special needs children’s homes, and shelters for battered women. The project, established through cooperation between "Amal U-Maavar" and the Nazareth Municipality, with the participation of the New York Federation, has received great demand – all appointments for the next month and a half were filled within just three hours. The initiative has been enthusiastically received in the city due to the shortage of emotional treatment options for children in the area, and for many families, "Hibuki" serves as an important ray of hope during this challenging time.

For more details and to schedule appointments, you can contact via the "Hibuki" Instagram and Facebook pages.