Healing across oceans

Over the past week, my family and I have had the profound privilege of welcoming HaGal Sheli into our home and our Melbourne community. Through this visit, we’ve not only come to know the organisation, we have also developed deep connections with the incredible people behind it and through this we’ve gained insight into the transformative impact HaGal Sheli is having on some of the most vulnerable communities in Israel. It has been a deeply humbling experience, one that has touched our hearts and made us reflect on our role in supporting Israel and its people, especially during these challenging times.

I first encountered HaGal Sheli in March during a trip to Israel, when I met Rachel Kaplan. With her warm presence, radiant sun-kissed blonde hair, and fluent English, Rachel immediately struck me as someone deeply committed to HaGal Sheli’s mission. She spoke with such passion about the impact of the organisation, especially in the aftermath of 7 October. Months later, it’s clear how far their reach has extended, and through our growing relationship with Rachel, and through the privilege of meeting Yaron Waksman and Klil Valiano, we have gained a deeper appreciation for the resilience of the people HaGal Sheli serves.

Rachel, who made aliyah at 18 as a lone soldier, was supported by a family on Kibbutz Kfar Aza, a community that has always been on the front lines geographically being so close to Gaza. In the wake of the October 7 attacks she, along with Yaron Waksman, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of HaGal Sheli, rushed to assist the Kfar Aza community who were evacuated from their homes. Rachel and Yaron’s deep connection to the community fueled their mission to bring support and healing to ‘survivors’—children, parents, and families alike—who were struggling to process unimaginable trauma.

HaGal Sheli has existed for the past 10+ years with a clear mission, “to offer genuine opportunities for diverse populations to find success through transformative experiences with the sea, particularly through the sport of surfing,”. Their work provides healing through surfing, offering a unique approach to helping youth-at-risk, individuals with PTSD, and those with special needs. Surfing, a tool for physical and emotional healing, had been the foundation of their efforts long before 7 October and in the aftermath of the attack, their work expanded to provide immediate support to the survivors of Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and many other communities, using their trauma-informed programs to help those dealing with loss and devastation.

During their visit I was struck by Yaron’s profound humility and grace, his intelligence and expertise and his values and commitment. In the three months after 7 October he felt an unwavering responsibility to stay with the community of Kfar Aza and others, giving up time with his own family. Yaron uses data to inform and make decisions for HaGal Sheli and has a global view of the work they are doing. His efforts are not just about offering aid but also about giving hope—helping the children and families rebuild trust in their future after everything had been torn apart.

The children HaGal Sheli works with faced horrors many of us can hardly imagine. Some lost parents or siblings, and all lost their sense of security. Yet, through the healing practices of surfing, skating, and other therapeutic activities, HaGal Sheli has been able to offer these children more than just respite from their trauma. They offer the possibility of hope. Water, as a tool for both release and recovery, symbolises the flow of healing, bringing these children and soldiers a sense of peace amid the chaos.

Klil Valiano joined Rachel and Yaron on this trip. At just 23 Klil embodies a maturity and spiritual grounding beyond his years. Klil’s own healing journey through HaGal Sheli’s trauma therapy program, ‘Tools from the Waves’, and his subsequent work as a volunteer coach demonstrates the power of HaGal Sheli as well as the ripple effect of healing—how one person’s recovery can lead to others’ restoration. His story, and those of the many others HaGal Sheli supports, reveals that healing is not just about recovery – it’s about rediscovering joy, reclaiming trust, and building a future grounded in hope. I had the honor of hearing Klil speak several times, and he had an ability to see the people in the room and make us feel that we supported his journey. He complimented our community when he remarked that he saw us as ‘family who lives overseas’ rather than the ‘diaspora’. 

For anyone in Israel or among our ‘family who lives overseas’ as Klil lovingly put it, I implore you to visit HaGal Sheli at one of their centres dotted throughout Israel, support them through a donation or share their story with others.

In Melbourne, this visit has left a lasting impact on my family. While the people we met expressed their gratitude for the hospitality and warmth we showed them, the truth is that the real gift was ours. The hope we’ve received from them, the inspiration they’ve shared, and the connection we now feel to the people of Israel is something we will carry forward. I am deeply grateful for this experience—for the conversations we’ve had, for the lasting impact HaGal Sheli’s visit has had on our home. It has reminded us that, even in the darkest of times, there are people like Rachel, Yaron, and Klil who embody resilience and serve as beacons of light. They have given us a renewed sense of purpose, reminding us that we, too, can be a source of hope for those in need—even from the other side of the world. Through them, we have found a meaningful way to contribute to a cause that is close to our hearts—and for that, we are truly thankful.