The animal-assisted post-trauma therapy center was established in Sderot in 2015 as part of the vision of Mayor Alon Davidi to create an alternative treatment option for post-trauma, especially among children and teenagers, outside the standard therapeutic framework provided by the Resilience Center.
The new expanded center will serve as a magnet for Sderot residents and the surrounding communities, offering a professional and high-quality facility that functions as a therapeutic, educational, and community center. It will promote learning, exposure, and the advancement of animal-assisted therapy for diverse audiences.
The primary goal of the expansion is to enhance the therapeutic response for Sderot's children through animal-assisted therapy. Treatment hours will be significantly increased, with an additional 500-600 therapy hours per month. The center will be able to accommodate approximately 50,000 visitors annually, including donor groups, tourist groups, the local community, tourists, and other visitors.
The center will offer individual or small-group (up to six participants) therapy sessions using animals, as well as individual or small-group therapy sessions incorporating nature-based treatments such as gardening, nature therapy, and yoga. Group therapy will also be available, either animal-assisted or nature-related, covering aspects of well-being, community, and education. Additionally, the center will provide professional training, including lectures, educational workshops on animal-assisted therapy, training programs for similar therapy centers, and a trauma therapy certification course.
Furthermore, the facility will serve as a modular visitor center, hosting events, resilience activities for residents, a petting zoo, extracurricular activities, and more. It will also collaborate with academia by supporting research in the field of trauma therapy.
As mentioned, the expansion is made possible thanks to the donation from "ZIM" and its collaboration with the Sderot Municipality and the Sderot Development Fund, which is contributing to the construction and maintenance of the facility for the benefit of the children and families of Sderot and the surrounding region.
The Ben Yehuda family stated: "Itamar was a person who connected people—to each other, to animals, and between children and adults. We hope his spirit will inspire the center and bring love, healing, compassion, and reconciliation."
Sderot Mayor Alon Davidi said at the ceremony: "The expansion of the animal-assisted therapy center is another step in strengthening Sderot as a leading city in resilience. We are pleased with the collaboration with 'ZIM Shipping,' which is making this project possible and helping us provide a high-quality and diverse therapeutic response to the city's residents, especially in the aftermath of the events of October 7. Thanks to this expansion, we will be able to assist more residents and reduce waiting lists."
Eli Glickman, President and CEO of ZIM, stated: "Following the events of October 7, the ZIM leadership sought ways to contribute to the national effort. We decided to donate tens of millions of shekels, primarily to medical institutions across the country. In addition, we wanted to support the city of Sderot and responded to Mayor Alon Davidi's initiative to help establish a center for animal-assisted therapy for children—a unique idea that took on new significance after the events. After meeting with the parents of Itamar Ben Yehuda, who fell heroically in battle on October 7, we decided to commemorate him through this center, which so fittingly reflects his special personality. Out of personal and collective tragedy, this initiative was born to provide emotional strength and support to the children of the region, who need it so much. It will be another beacon of hope and optimism in our shared effort to rise from the ashes, recover, grow, and fight for our future and the future of our children, here in the South and throughout the country."