AMCHA R'A
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Mission Statement
Amcha was established in 1987 by Holocaust survivors and mental health professionals to create a framework for mutual aid, memory processing and grief resolution. We provide a full range of psychological and social services to Holocaust survivors and their families and continue to be a home and safe place for them to unburden their hearts and share their stories with others.
About This Cause
Amcha is the largest provider of mental health and social support services for Holocaust survivors in Israel. Through 15 centers across the country we reach out to some 18,000 survivors and members of the Second Generation, children of survivors who grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust and of their parents' experiences. Our professional staff are psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists trained as psychotherapists, and expressive arts therapists. Every survivor receives a customized treatment plan based on mental health and social needs; in all cases the emphasis is on improving quality of life and alleviating isolation and loneliness. Every year we provide 60,000 – 70,000 hours of psychological support to more than 6,000 survivors, about a quarter through home visits. Our 13 social clubs provide crucial interaction for survivors with their peers and the wider community through social, educational, cultural, and recreational events. Activities in the clubs help survivors expand their intellectual horizons, express themselves through creative arts, engage with fellow survivors, and pass their legacy to young Israelis. The nature of activities varies from location to location, and can range from art workshops, performances and lectures to visits to museums or sites outside of town. A nationwide network of 380-400 volunteers make weekly home visits and maintain regular contact with 400 survivors. For survivors, the visits to the club, or the visit of their volunteer to their home, lift the fog of depression in which they live and are the impetus for them to get up and leave their homes. The encounters, in the clubs and in the survivors’ homes, are vitally important social activities, but they equally provide survivors with an opportunity to talk about their experiences, an opportunity that provides recognition and legitimation of their experiences, but that is also an educational tool for the wider Israeli public, particularly the younger generation. The direct encounter with a Holocaust survivor is, still today, the most impactful form of Holocaust education. Meetings with a survivor encourage the young to develop a sense of personal commitment, not only to the survivor with whom they meet, but also to Holocaust remembrance and its unique significance.