The events of October 7 were unprecedented, leaving tens of thousands of Israeli children from both the Gaza Envelope and Northern Israel coping with trauma on an unimaginable scale.
In such a crisis, neither authorities, experts, nor decision-makers were fully prepared to respond.
The Hebrew University’s School of Social Work, together with the Haruv Institute—global leaders in child welfare research and training—developed treatment guidelines and trained professionals to identify and address trauma. Conversations with affected children revealed deep emotional scars, insecurity, and isolation, highlighting new challenges in trauma care.
Today, the National Center for Innovation in Children’s Resilience and Mental Health, in collaboration with the Haruv Institute and the School of Social Work, is pioneering new approaches to trauma recovery. The central question remains: How can we best support these children?
In a special talk, Professor Asher Ben-Arieh will discuss how the Hebrew University and the Haruv Institute helped shape Israel’s response. He will explore their collaboration with the government and the IDF in building a rehabilitation framework for children returning from captivity, as well as those coping with other traumas, emphasising the urgent need for early intervention.
Professor Asher Ben-Arieh
Professor Asher Ben-Arieh, Dean of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, holds the Haruv Chair for the Study of Child Maltreatment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he is a Professor of Social Work. He has published extensively on children’s well-being, with a concentration on the indicators of children's well-being and child maltreatment. He is also the founding editor-in-chief of the Child Indicators Research Journal and the Child Well-Being: Indicators and Research book series. Currently, Prof Ben-Arieh is one of the principal investigators of the International Study of Children’s Well-being research project.
