Camp Massad event on June 22, features a live band, dance party, bonfire, kosher food, swimming and tennis to raise money for this worthy cause
Psychologist Dr. Cathy Moser and her husband, Jeff Itzkow, have been spearheading a campaign to raise money for the Jerusalem Foundation’s new Resilience Centre in Jerusalem, which will treat patients from all over Israel. There will be a fundraising event at Camp Massad on June 22, featuring a live band, dance party, bonfire, kosher food, swimming and tennis to raise money for this worthy cause. Prior to the Massad event, Moser and Itzkow will host a brunch at the lake for those wanting to support the Clinic at a higher level. The Psychiatrist and Social Worker from the Resilience Centre will meet with sponsors and talk about their work. As well, a talk is being organized for the Directors to meet with Mental Health Professionals from Winnipeg.
The goal of the June event is to raise $250,000; already over $80,000 has been raised, with the Moser and Itzkow matching funds up to $100,000. After the Oct 7 Hamas attacks, Moser, who has been treating patients who have experienced trauma for over 40 years wanted to make a difference. When in Israel last July she became involved with a unique clinic called “Shaarey Nephesh” which is part of the Jerusalem Resilience Centre located on the grounds of the Shaarey Zedek hospital. The centre, which is made up of psychiatrists, social workers, physiotherapists, and body workers, treats trauma patients with both psychotherapy as well as therapy using psychedelic medicines, such as ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic.
Moser, who has treated victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and other traumatic life events, explains “Ketamine assisted therapy can be essential in helping patients, such as IDF soldiers and Zakah workers and others who are suffering from trauma including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).” As Moser adds, “Ketamine assisted psychotherapy opens up your subconscious mind and gives you an altered state of consciousness, which can lead to emotional breakthroughs, enhance introspection and provide new perspectives on problems. In circumstances such as those that Israelis experienced on Oct 7 and its aftermath, this treatment is often one of the only ways for an individual to have a more complete recovery. Its therapeutic effects can be particularly beneficial for individuals who have not responded to traditional therapies.” Estimates suggest that over half a million Israelis are suffering from PTSD as well as other psychological issues as a result of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct 7,2023. As Moser points out, “Those who have experienced trauma in Israel who have seen horrific scenes cannot un-see them.”
In July 2024 when Moser was in Israel, she met with Dr. Sinai Oren, the Director of the Jerusalem Resilience Centre and Pinni Baumol, a social worker at the Centre who spoke to her about this cutting edge treatment. They both will be in Winnipeg on June 22 to speak about the clinic and the cutting edge treatment it is providing. “When I met them in Jerusalem we talked about the development of the clinic, and how donors in North America could help,” Moser says.
Moser notes that she asked two friends Donna Weinstein and Gina Chodiker to help her fundraise for the Jerusalem Resilience Centre. For the Massad event, “we recruited a groiup of women who are dedicated to helping Israelis heal both physically and emotionally – Miriam Kohn, Jackie Winestock, Deborah Fleishman, Avis Raber and Gail Thau.”
Anyone reading this is encouraged to come to the event at Camp Massad on June 22, and/or to sponsor the Clinic at a higher level and meet with the Clinic Directors. The Jerusalem Foundation can also send out Tribute cards for special occasions, or a notes of support can be sent to friends and family in Israel. A donation to the Jerusalem Resilience Center can be made by going online and typing in https://jerusalemfoundation.org/. Hit DONATE – MOST IMPORTANTLY – in the box that asks that for the project that you would like to donate to, specify the Jerusalem Resilience Centre.
