Surviving to Save Others: One Young Man's Mission to Combat School Bullying

"Anyone who watched my videos probably thought I was a successful and popular teenager. They couldn't imagine the dark hole I was in," says Lidor Dahan, now 19, who leads the organization "Living on the Edge" and also serves in the artillery corps. "I spent my childhood as an athlete, playing professional soccer with Maccabi Haifa for 15 years. I was well-liked and accepted, but that all changed for the worse when I opened a TikTok account."

Lidor opened a TikTok account and by tenth grade, he was regularly posting motivational and positive thinking videos. His followers quickly grew to over seventeen thousand, but despite the praise from online viewers, his classmates mocked him. "I became the joke of the school. Students shared my videos to ridicule them, leaving hurtful comments, and even formed WhatsApp groups dedicated to humiliating me. What started as a joke quickly turned into a school-wide bullying campaign."

Throughout high school, from 10th to 12th grade, Lidor endured shame and suffering, though online he was still the picture of success. "Ironically, the bullying fueled my online popularity. My peers shared my videos intending to mock, which only made them spread further, turning me into a known figure," Lidor recounts. Despite this, his true aim was to inspire positively, not to become famous. As the bullying persisted, Lidor felt unable to cope. He deleted his TikTok account, and when the situation didn't improve, he attempted to end his life. If not for his little sister, who intervened, he might not be here to tell his story.

"Entire Class Could Ostracize a Child Because of a Post"

Today, Lidor has recovered from that painful chapter. Just a year later, he is a social activist and founded "Living on the Edge" to support bullied children. The organization includes a team of volunteer psychologists, whom Lidor himself, despite his young age, has recruited. He even walks the halls of the Knesset, speaking with the Minister of Education and other officials to eradicate this awful phenomenon from schools.

"The main issue is that in secular schools, values like 'love of others' are neglected. The educational focus is on subjects like math and English, which are considered paramount, but what about our development as human beings?" Lidor is doing all he can to push for these values to be part of the curriculum. However, he believes social networks significantly impact young minds. "Platforms like TikTok and Instagram can be used for great things, but kids don't know how to use them for good, which amplifies the problem. A classroom bullying situation can start from a single post a child makes, leading peers to ridicule and ostracize him."

In sectors where social media is avoided, the problem doesn't exist, but in others where limiting kids' exposure is nearly impossible, Lidor advises at least restricting usage. "I think it's important for the Minister of Education to also limit social media, making it accessible only from a certain age, and to recommend value-driven apps so that our generation isn't lost both spiritually and physically. Sadly, I receive numerous messages from children in mental distress, at risk of self-harm," says Lidor.

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Bullying Isn't Just for Kids

What is called "bullying" in schools is known as "shaming" on social media and affects adults too. Many users feel it's acceptable to post hurtful comments to strangers. "An elderly woman might post an innocent video and receive a flood of negative comments," explains Lidor. "I often watch videos by Rabbi Zamir Cohen, and one thing I learned is about balance. In Proverbs, it says, 'Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit' (Proverbs 25:16). The idea is to maintain balance in everything, to not grow sick of what we love. This applies to social media too; we need to curate our content to avoid harmful material like baseless hatred and other toxic content. At Hidabroot, they've developed the Hidabroot Shorts app, offering only clean content, which I've downloaded myself, enabling me to view meaningful, value-driven content."

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Although Lidor grew up in a secular school, he speaks like someone observant, and not without reason. "I've always been traditional and spoke to Hashem, but during my darkest times, I realized handling such difficult situations alone wasn't possible without leaning on our Father in Heaven. My challenges directly influenced my return to faith. My mission is clear: I survived to save other children and make our world a better place."