NATAL: Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center is an apolitical, internationally recognized and award-winning non-profit organization.
Since 1998, NATAL has been providing vital assistance and training to over 400,000 individuals and professionals, helping them cope with traumatic events and everyday stress-related effects. NATAL’s reach includes veterans, law enforcement personnel, educators, first responders, community and business leaders, families, and faith leaders. The result is healthier societies, maximized employability, and increased performance amongst communities and workforces.
NATAL Global seeks to leverage NATAL’s expertise from our work in Israel to share and scale successful programs internationally. We work with local partners to build more trauma-informed societies and services across the globe by utilizing practical tools, online and onsite experiential workshops, ‘Train the Trainer’ programs, and capacity building projects.
To date, NATAL Global has worked in over 15 countries with a primary focus on partnerships within the American public, private, and social sectors.
American Friends of NATAL’s (AFN) mission is to support and strengthen NATAL’s important work, providing vital assistance to Israelis suffering from trauma primarily due to terrorism and war, and ensuring the vital health and well-being of Israel for now and for the future.
AFN proudly assists NATAL’s professionals and volunteers who respond to the ever growing needs and demand for help. With AFN’s support, NATAL’s Helpline, Clinical, and Mobile Units support hundreds of families weekly At the same time, NATAL’s Outreach Unit provides resiliency programming to thousands across Israel each year.
AFN also engages in innovative collaborations, partnering with US organizations who seek NATAL’s expertise in the field of trauma preparedness and recovery. In doing so, AFN brings NATAL’s groundbreaking work to aid Americans in returning to productive lives.
AFN unites a community of dedicated supporters who share a common goal: helping NATAL to ensure a brighter tomorrow by taking care of Israel today. Join us in creating a vibrant, more resilient Israel.
AFN is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code headquartered in New York City. Our federal tax ID number is 20-1914370.
American Friends of NATAL
Staff
Maayan Aviv
Executive Director
Kym O’Meara
Director of Outreach
Adina Brinn
Database Administrator
NATAL
Leadership
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NATAL Founder and Chairperson
Jude Yovel Recanati, NATAL’s co-Founder and Chairperson, is a social activist who has devoted her life to strengthening and empowering Israeli society.
Born in Tel Aviv and educated at the Herzylia Gymnasia, Jude was an active leader within the Israel Scouts movement, and served as a nursing officer within the Women’s Corps of the Israel Defense Forces. At the end of her military service, Jude studied psychology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During the Yom Kippur war she returned to the army and was placed in charge of caring for hospitalized and injured soldiers. In 1974 she married Israel Yovel and together they have 3 daughters.
In her 30’s Jude studied art therapy at Lesley College which provided her the opportunity to work with patients with head and spinal injuries at the Tel HaShomer hospital, and patients suffering from head injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at the Beit Loewenstein Rehabilitation Center. Upon completion of the course Jude began studying psychotherapy at the Bar Ilan university where she met psychiatrist Dr. Yossi Hadar, her thesis advisor. Together they initiated the establishment of NATAL, which officially opened its doors in 1998. -
CEO of NATAL
Efart Sharupt joined as CEO and Executive Director of NATAL in July of 2020, following four years as CEO of the Opportunity Fund in Israel. She is known for her extensive experience in managing nonprofit organizations, cross-sector collaborations, project development, and fundraising.
Efrat started her professional career as an attorney specializing in business and financial market law. In 2001, in order to suit her desire to make a change in Israeli society, Efrat left the law firm she was employed at and began working at ELEM – a nonprofit dedicated to youth in distress – where she filled a variety of positions, including legal advisor, director of fundraising and deputy CEO. Efrat was appointed CEO of ELEM in 2010 and served in that capacity until 2016. As CEO of ELEM, she spearheaded global processes aimed at social change, including the development of youth centers for Bedouin youth in southern Israel, the development of programs for homeless teens, the development of outreach vans catering to youth at risk in the ultra-Orthodox community, and the development of programs for treating teenage girls engaged in prostitution.
Efrat served as a member and chair of the tri-sector roundtable at the Prime Minister’s Office, and is a graduate of the Maoz Program – which fosters state change-making leadership in Israel. Efrat holds an L.L.B in Law, magna cum laude, from Tel Aviv University and a B.A. in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. -
Chair
Emi was born in Jerusalem and raised in Belgium, Norway and Argentina, before studying law at Hebrew University. She worked in various capacities at the Israeli Ministry of Justice, eventually serving as the Director General where she developed innovative employment diversity programs and worked towards the betterment of regulation.She initiated educational projects for the prevention of online assault and privacy protection for minors, and established the country’s Anti-Racism Coordinating Government unit.
For her longstanding contribution to advancing equality and coexistence between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel, Palmor was honored as a Champion of Shared Society by the Abraham Initiatives. She is currently an adjunct lecturer at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, as well as a strategic consultant and Chairman of the ‘Gesher’ Multicultural Film Fund, and a member of Facebook’s Oversight Board. Emi joined as Chair of NATAL in 2022.