Earlier this month, the Young Israel of New Rochelle hosted 18 chayalim and two therapists from the Golani Brigade as part of the “Peace of Mind” program. The program includes therapeutic intervention, where IDF veterans receive time and space to process their combat experiences. Run by the Metiv Israel Psycho-Trauma Center in Jerusalem, the program strengthens the soldiers’ emotional and mental well-being, allowing for a healthier transition from military to civilian life.
Each team and their facilitators travel to a Jewish community outside of Israel. This eight-day workshop is the core of the program and includes intensive full-day group sessions. Varied evening activities also give the participants quality time with each other and the host families. The distance from Israel during this phase of the therapeutic process plays a crucial role in creating a safe, quiet and supportive environment.
Randi Shane, coordinator for the YINR cohort, was first introduced to the Piece of Mind program in 2023, when she volunteered for a Riverdale-hosted group. As a volunteer, she thought this was an amazing and meaningful program, and was surprised she hadn’t previously heard of it and that New Rochelle had never hosted. “I thought this was a natural fit for the YINR community,” she said. “We’re so Zionistic and have sent many lone soldiers to Israel.”
Shane reached out to Peace of Mind, and a group was scheduled for November 2023. After October 7, the program was postponed to November 2024.
After each day’s sessions, there were evening events for the soldiers. On Monday night, the group watched the Brooklyn Nets play at the Barclay Center and on Tuesday night they gathered for a barbecue. After Wednesday’s tour of the NBA headquarters in Manhattan, they visited The Summit, atop One Vanderbilt. Staying local Thursday night, the group ate at the North End Grill before relaxing in a local backyard, complete with pool, hot tub and fire pit.
For Shabbat, the group interacted with the entire YINR community. After a spiritually uplifting Kabbalat Shabbat, 300 members of the YINR community joined the soldiers for dinner at the shul. On Shabbat morning, the soldiers attended the main minyan. The IDF members led the prayers for Tzahal and Medinat Yisrael. After the recitation of Tehillim at the end of davening, the chayalim formed a circle on the bima, arm in arm, and sang “Acheinu” with the community.
Shane reflected, “It was very moving for both the community and the soldiers. I saw they were getting really emotional.”
On Sunday, November 10, host families joined the soldiers for a closing ceremony. Shane described it as a “big family therapy session.” After grabbing boxed lunches, they headed to the airport to return to Israel.
Shane explained: “Peace of Mind is for elite combat (Sayeret) units. New Rochelle hosted a Sayeret Golani unit.” She noted that Sayeret training “is rigorous, mental, emotional and physical. If this is going to break you, then you are not a Sayeret.” A very small percentage make it to the end of the training. “There’s hyper-bonding between the soldiers. They’re like brothers. I think that’s part of why this program works for these guys.”
Noting that many of these soldiers have never been to a Jewish community outside of Israel, Shane described their group walk to the nature reserve bordering New Rochelle. Walking around the neighborhood, they were amazed by all the Israeli flags and “I Stand with Israel” signs displayed. They were taking pictures of these homes and signs, looking forward to sharing them with friends and family in Israel.
“At first, I don’t think they understood or knew what to do with the level of support coming from this neighborhood,” Shane said. “Over the course of the week, they started to understand that we’re not just Jews living our best lives outside of Israel. They saw how much we care and feel very connected to Israel. We all feel that Israel is our homeland. We might not be living there, but we all feel very strongly about Israel and are deeply connected to it.”
Shane shared that the soldiers came to realize how many connections people in New Rochelle and elsewhere in Chutz La’Aretz have to Israel. One of the soldiers became emotional when he saw that a Torah in the YINR Aron Kodesh is dedicated in memory of someone who died on October 7. “He couldn’t believe that a community outside of Israel would have that,” she said. “This experience made these soldiers realize we are acheinu kol beit Yisrael.”
To learn more about Peace of Mind, visit https://peaceofmind.org.il and to learn more about Metiv, visit https://metiv.org/en/peace-of-mind
