Senator Hillary Clinton Meets with Head of Israel Center forthe Treatment of Psychotrauma

In the midst of ongoing violence in Israel, senator Hillary Clinton made a 48 hour solidarity visit to Jerusalem recently, for the first time since her election to the United States Senate.

One thing she insisted on doing was meeting with the head of the well-known Israeli Trauma Center at Herzog Hospital, which provides rehabilitation and psychological treatment to victims of terror suffering from “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder”.

 

Dr. Danny Brom, a world expert on the treatment of “PTSD” is the Dutch-born and educated director of the Israel Trauma Center, met with Senator Clinton and Susan Stern, Chair of the 2002 campaign of the New York UJA-Federation, during their visit to Jerusalem.

 

Senator Clinton, who was impressed with the extraordinary work of the Center, said, “I was grateful for the opportunity to express my solidarity with the Israeli people at this challenging time and to thank you for your efforts on behalf of those traumatized by acts of violence.”

 

Mrs. Clinton was accompanied on her visit by Susan Stern, Chair of the 2002 campaign of the New York UJA-Federation. A major benefactor to the Israel Trauma Center, the New York UJA-Federation has provided essential funds to initiate programs in Israeli schools to help students and teachers cope with the ongoing violence and for the establishment of a national trauma network. It was in that context that Susan Stern accompanied the Senator on her tour.

 

Herzog Hospital’s Trauma Center is in the forefront of the effort to deal with the psychological affects caused by the current suicide bombings, drive by shootings and general violence in Israel. The Center is serving as a key magnet to provide trauma services and therapy, not only to those who were directly affected, but also on a national basis, and recently opened a branch in Haifa.

 

The Center sponsors open meeting for the public to help individuals and to answer questions. Staff psychologists present seminars throughout the country to therapists, social workers, educators and other to give them guidance and tools with which to treat the many people seeking help.

 

Schools are a major focus of activities. Children and youth are in many cases terrified of the events swirling about them, are experiencing sleep disorders and nervousness. Many are afraid of leaving their homes to go to school each day, and once there, many are often not coping well with their school work.

 

The center, presently located in the heart of downtown Jerusalem on King George Street, is in urgent need of a move to other larger facilities, in order to treat the many people seeking for help. A new and much larger facility has been located in a safer section of Jerusalem, but funds are still needed to rent it on a permanent basis.

 

With the success of the Center’s various services and the continuation of violence and terrorism throughout Israel, there has been an exponential increase in the demand for counseling and educational services. Funding, however, is limited and the present staff and facilities are taxed to the maximum.

 

The current waiting list for service is months long, and to be effective treatment must be readily available to people suffering the pain and disorientation of PTSD. Left untreated, it becomes more serious and harder to cure. The center staff is enormously frustrated in its desire to provide full services to daily increasing number of citizens urgently requiring it.

 

Additional funding will enable the Center to expand its staff and services reaching the many people awaiting treatment for “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder”, said Steve Schwartz, Director of Resources and Development for Herzog Hospital, the sponsor of the Israel Trauma Center. “It’s the least we can do to help our brethren in Israel who are suffering”, according to Mr. Schwartz.

 

Attached to this message you will find a picture of

 

senator Clinton, Dr. Brom and Mrs. Stern,

 

as well as a letter from senator Clinton To Dr. Brom.

 

For further information on how you, your family foundation, your congregation or organization can help support the Center, please contact:

For West Coast to Chicago:

 

Dr. Efraim Warshaw, Israel Trauma Center, 12467 Carmel Cape, San Diego CA 92130, efwarshaw@earthlink.net, (858) 523-0927.

 

For East Coast:

 

Michel Seligmann, American Friends of Herzog Hospital, 800 Second Ave New York, New York 10017, (212) 499-9092, herzog-us@herzoghospital.org

 

In Israel:

 

Liat Grebelsky, Herzog Hospital, Tel: 972-2-5316862, liatgr@herzoghospital.org

 

For further information, visit us at www.herzoghospital.org

 

Further background information:

 

The constant drive-by shootings, suicide bombings and daily acts of terror

 

cause an enormous disruption in daily life and produces fright, insecurity,

 

sleeplessness, panic attacks, anxiety, loss of income, and great fear for

 

the future in both adults and children.

 

Israeli children suffer loss of appetite, nightmares, sleeplessness, loss of

 

confidence and a fear of leaving the house to go to school or play. Adults

 

suffer worries about their family’s safety, their ability to support the

 

family as businesses close on a daily basis, and are traumatized by the

 

events swirling around them and the constant funerals and loss of life

 

What can you do to help and alleviate their pain and trauma? Get them

 

treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at the ISRAEL TRAUMA CENTER.

 

Give them the coping skills to better deal with this terribly difficult

 

situation.

 

That’s the least we can do as fellow Jews!

 

$50 provides one hour of therapy

 

$100 covers the cost of two hours of treatment

 

$250 provides for five hours of treatment

 

$1000 provides for 20 sessions (minimum required)

 

$2,500 covers one additional psychologist per month

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