The Invisible Wounds of October 7: Shirel Golan and Israel’s Urgent Mental Health Crisis
- IMFoC
- Jan 7
- 5 min read
The physical atrocities of October 7, 2023, were broadcast to a horrified world in real-time. But as the smoke cleared and the initial shock transitioned into a protracted national trauma, a second, more silent wave of casualties began to emerge. These are the victims of the "invisible war"—the survivors who escaped the bullets and grenades only to find themselves trapped in the suffocating grip of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The tragic story of Shirel Golan, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival, serves as a haunting testament to the severity of this crisis and the systemic gaps that continue to leave Israel’s most vulnerable citizens in peril.
The Israel Magen Fund of Canada (IMFoC) recognizes that the resilience of the State of Israel depends not just on physical security, but on the psychological well-being of its people. Today, we share Shirel’s story not only to honour her memory but to announce a vital partnership with SAHAR (Online Mental Support) to ensure that no Israeli faces an emotional crisis alone.
Shirel Golan: A Life Stolen Twice
Shirel Golan was a vibrant young woman who loved music and family. On the morning of October 7, she and her partner, Adi, were among the thousands of people celebrating at the Nova Music Festival near the Gaza border. When the attack began, Shirel was faced with a split-second decision that would haunt her remaining days. She and Adi chose not to enter a vehicle—later dubbed the "death car"—in which 11 people were subsequently murdered or kidnapped by terrorists. Instead, they hid in a bush for three and a half hours, eventually rescued by police officer Remo Salman El-Hozayel, who saved over 200 people that day.
Shirel survived the massacre, but in the year that followed, her life became a cycle of withdrawal, dissociation, and clinical depression. Once a woman who wouldn't hesitate to drive an hour to help her family, she became a shadow of herself, rarely leaving her home. Her family provided constant vigilance, never leaving her side for a year. She was hospitalized twice for PTSD symptoms, including a stint in a closed psychiatric ward that her family claims only exacerbated her trauma. A state-appointed committee later found that her treatment in isolation included "unnecessary act of force," further shattering her trust in medical institutions.
On October 20, 2024—her 22nd birthday—Shirel was left alone for the first time in a year as her family prepared to celebrate. Her boyfriend found her lifeless in the family garden. She had become a victim of October 7, a year after the event. Her story is not an isolated tragedy; it is a symptom of a nation in the throes of a mental health emergency.
A Nation in the Grip of PTSD
The scale of the psychological distress in Israel is unprecedented. Experts describe the current state of the country as "a nation in PTSD." The numbers are staggering: 347 people were killed at the Nova festival alone, leaving behind hundreds of survivors struggling with survivor’s guilt, anxiety, and severe depression.
However, the crisis extends far beyond the immediate survivors of the massacres. The entire population has been exposed to secondhand violence, regional conflict, and the constant threat of war. In 2024, SAHAR reported a significant surge in crisis cases, up from 36,000 in 2023 to 53,000. By 2025, that number is projected to exceed 61,000.
The primary reasons Israelis are reaching out for help include:
Loneliness, Anxiety, and Depression: The leading cause of distress, affecting thousands.
War-Related Trauma: Directly linked to the events of October 7 and the ongoing security situation.
Interpersonal Crises: Family and relationship issues that are often amplified by environmental stress.
For many, the standard public mental health system is insufficient. Survivors of the October 7 attacks are often eligible for 36 sessions of therapy, yet many find that "the bureaucracy of getting compensation" and the limited number of sessions fall short of what is required to heal from the trauma of this magnitude. As Shirel's story illustrates, when individuals do not actively seek help or fall through the cracks of a burdened system, the consequences can be fatal.
The Science of Prevention: Opening the "Black Box" of Suicide
To combat this rising tide of despair, the Israeli mental health community is turning to advanced technology and psychological theory. SAHAR has been at the forefront of this effort, collaborating with academic institutions like the University of Haifa and Ben-Gurion University to identify the specific factors that lead to suicide risk.
Research conducted using SAHAR’s vast database of crisis chats has identified two critical psychological markers for suicide risk in the Israeli population:
Hopelessness: Identified as the single most powerful predictor of suicide risk, even more so than a history of suicidal behaviour. It acts as the bridge that allows mental pain to progress to a lethal level.
Thwarted Belongingness: The painful feeling of being socially alienated or "outside" one’s community. In a country that prides itself on social cohesion, the feeling of being "disconnected" or a "burden" is a major facilitator of suicidal ideation.
By using machine learning models, SAHAR can now analyze real-time conversations to detect subtle linguistic shifts. This allows their trained volunteers to intervene with "reflective listening" and clinical precision at the exact moment a user is most at risk.
SAHAR: The Digital Lifeline
Founded over 25 years ago following the suicide of soldier Eran Aderet, SAHAR was created to ensure that the internet would no longer be a vacuum for those in pain. Today, it is Israel’s only text-based, anonymous mental health service, providing support 24/7 in both Hebrew and Arabic.
SAHAR’s impact is quantifiable and lifesaving:
Daily Lifesaving: SAHAR saves an average of 2-3 lives every single day.
Outreach Patrol: Their "Sayeret" unit proactively monitors social media and forums to identify signs of distress before a user even reaches out. In 2025, they reached over 10,000 online posts for direct intervention.
Professional Oversight: Every volunteer is supervised by a mental health professional, ensuring that high-risk cases are escalated immediately to the Israel Police or emergency services.
Strengthening Israel’s Resilience: The IMFoC-SAHAR Collaboration
The Israel Magen Fund of Canada (IMFoC) is a registered Canadian organization dedicated to supporting vital healthcare initiatives and saving lives in Israel. We believe that the struggle for mental health is as critical to Israel’s survival as any physical defence.
We are proud to announce our official collaboration with SAHAR to provide anonymous emotional support and suicide prevention for youth and adults across Israel. By funding and evaluating SAHAR’s life-saving digital services, IMFoC is providing the resources necessary to scale its 24/7 operations and enhance its proactive Outreach Patrol.
This partnership allows IMFoC to deliver immediate compassion, guidance, and professional intervention when someone reaches out, often in their darkest hour. Our support ensures that SAHAR can continue to:
Maintain a 24/7 "silent lifeline" for those who cannot or will not speak over the phone.
Utilize cutting-edge AI to identify "hopelessness" in real-time.
Provide culturally sensitive support to the Arabic-speaking community.
Shirel Golan’s story is a tragic reminder that the wounds of October 7 are still open and bleeding. But through the collaboration between IMFoC and SAHAR, we have the power to turn that pain into hope.
IMFoC is reaching out to Canadians to help us ensure that no person in Israel faces an emotional crisis alone. Your generosity strengthens Israel’s resilience today and safeguards the emotional well-being of its future generations. Together, we can honour those we have lost by protecting those who are still fighting to survive.
