Kwartin became CEO right after Oct. 7. She and her family live in Eliav, a yishuv she helped found, which is in the northern Negev, abutting the separation barrier.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Black Shabbat of Oct. 7 upended my life, like it did for so many others, and as we \u2013 individuals, families, communities and a nation \u2013 mourn, work to pick up the pieces, mend what can be repaired and rebuild where it cannot, I put my personal and professional background to use as the CEO of this one-of-a-kind haven,\u201d she told the Independent<\/i>.<\/p>\n Kwartin was born in the former Soviet Union and made aliyah in 1987, growing up in Jerusalem. \u201cAs an officer in the IDF, I served as a tatzpitanit <\/i>[spotter] in Nachal Oz and later as a founding commander of the Netzarim observation post, and the tragedy of the tatzpitaniyot struck me deeply,\u201d she said, referring to the female military unit that warned of a potential terrorist attack and whose soldiers were among the first killed and kidnapped on Oct. 7.<\/p>\n With BAs in law and psychology from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Kwartin earned an MA in conflict resolution from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Her book, Imprisoned<\/i>, came from her PhD dissertation on honour-based confinement, which she did at Bar-Ilan University. The stories have inspired activist initiatives across Israel and informed legislation, she said.<\/p>\n Kwartin lectured in law at Sapir College, where she built their legal internship placement program and founded a centre of legal activism, A House of their Own. \u201cMore recently,\u201d she said, \u201cI spent three years on shlichut in Los Angeles as the director of Jewish Agency operations on the West Coast. With the outbreak of war in Ukraine, I traveled to the Ukrainian border to help rescue Jewish refugees and bring them to Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n Kwartin\u2019s work at Healing Space Rishpon changes every day. \u201cThe programs are so varied and cover many groups of the Israeli population,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the most meaningful part is the people who work here \u2013 very similar to me, they left everything they were doing and started working at Healing Space to repair the emotional damage we all see around us. They work tirelessly, in uncertain conditions, long hours, doing the hardest work imaginable. It is thanks to the team that Healing Space makes such a big difference in people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Binder found out about Healing Space inadvertently.<\/p>\n \u201cI had heard there was a treatment centre you could go to, but I wasn\u2019t in a mental state that allowed me to reach out for it,\u201d she explained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLater on, I was looking for something that could get me out of the house in the mornings and help create a daily routine. By chance, I came across an ad for a new rehabilitative employment program at Healing Space and it sounded amazing \u2013 working with my hands, being in a warm and supportive environment, where I could focus on myself and begin a new movement in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n Binder worked as a beautician before Oct. 7 and, while not currently working, she is taking courses, most recently completing one in conscious psychotherapy. She started going to Healing Space early in the war. It \u201cwas the first time I realized that another way was possible \u2013 that someone was truly listening to me,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than that, I got to experience treatments I never imagined I\u2019d try, like sound healing and yoga therapy. These are treatments I still do to this day, to help maintain my emotional balance and regulate my body.\u201d<\/p>\n At Healing Space, she added, \u201cEven my mom, who was never really drawn to holistic healing, found a deep connection with one of the therapists and opened her heart to her \u2013 that really moved me.\u201d<\/p>\n From a place of not wanting to do anything or face anything, Binder said, \u201cI now want to grow. I want to move forward and live a good life. And none of this would have happened without the process I went through over the past six months.\u201d<\/p>\n Binder\u2019s Vancouver visit will be the first time she is telling her story publicly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHonestly,\u201d she said, \u201cit\u2019s a little overwhelming to come and talk about my healing journey. It also means recognizing my story \u2013 and that alone is a challenge for me. I feel both excited and nervous \u2013 telling my story for the first time and receiving acknowledgment for it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important for people to hear about the massacre because it was a Holocaust repeating itself,\u201d she said. \u201cThe Jewish people are once again in danger, and it\u2019s crucial to echo these stories, to make sure people know and remember.<\/p>\n \u201cBeyond that, the connection between Jews in Vancouver and Jews in Israel \u2013 to build strong, deep connections across Jewish communities around the world \u2013 that connection is what has always kept us strong as a people.\u201d<\/p>\n Binder attended the Nova festival with her sisters.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was actually the first evening that my sister\u2019s boyfriend was introduced to our parents,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom there, the four of us drove to the party in the south.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the morning, when the rockets started, I called my mom to let her know and said we were heading home. We got delayed near the party because one of our friends had a panic attack, and we waited with her.<\/p>\n \u201cWe made it to the car, but it took time to decide what to do. At 8:30 a.m., the boyfriend took the lead, called his father, picked us up in the car, and we escaped through the fields. His father navigated him over the phone throughout the whole drive, and that\u2019s how we managed to get out safely. Which is crazy in itself \u2013 the reality was so different for so many others. It felt like we were in a divine bubble that protected us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the scariest day of my life,\u201d said Shifer of Oct. 7. \u201cI didn\u2019t know if I would make it back home or not, and I didn\u2019t know which of my friends would survive. It was a feeling of helplessness, complete loss of control and sheer terror.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike Binder, who is only now beginning to share her story, Shifer \u2013 who is an actor, singer and artist \u2013 has been interviewed by media around the world and has spoken at schools, universities and synagogues.<\/p>\n \u201cI also found myself advocating and telling our story through music during performances,\u201d she said. \u201cIn addition, I led tours for people who came to the Nova site and shared my personal story with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Initially, Shifer refused to leave her house after Oct. 7.<\/p>\n \u201cFriends told me there was a place where survivors go to heal, but I was too afraid to go outside and couldn\u2019t bring myself to get there,\u201d she said. \u201cThen, one day, a volunteer came to my home and helped me take that first step \u2013 to leave the house and arrive at Healing Space. From that day on, something opened up in me, and I began coming every week.\u201d<\/p>\n Healing Space has helped Shifer cope with her trauma in many ways.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, the location,\u201d she said. \u201cYou arrive at a place full of trees and greenery \u2013 everything is peaceful and calming.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s something comforting about sitting among people who have been through something similar to me,\u201d she continued. \u201cThe therapists at the centre are kind and embracing. The shared music circles helped me find my way back to music. But, more than anything, it\u2019s the feeling that I\u2019m not alone. That I am seen. That there\u2019s a place that can hold me.\u201d<\/p>\n The body treatments have allowed Shifer to release some stress and start letting down her defences.<\/p>\n \u201cThe long-term project I joined under Healing Space gave me the tools to return to a routine and become an active human being again,\u201d she said. \u201cHealing Space is a deeply meaningful part of my recovery process \u2013 and I honestly don\u2019t know what I would have done without them.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"photo](\"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/apr-11-cov.11.Healing-Space_Kwartin.jpg\")
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