"We Trembled with Excitement When the Helicopters Landed, and Began to Identify the Children"

Nearly a week has passed since the day the kidnapped children began arriving in the country, yet the overwhelming excitement shows no sign of subsiding. The entire nation is closely and sincerely following the condition of these young children who were held captive by Hamas for such a prolonged period, now finally reunited with their loving families.

Among those caring for them directly is Michal Dayan-Sherabi, a social worker at Schneider Medical Center, who has mobilized in a special way to accompany the families and children through the significant and unforgettable moments they have experienced.

Preparing with Anticipation

Michal, a mother of three, has been working at Schneider Hospital for 23 years in the oncology department. Additionally, she lectures at the School of Social Work at Bar-Ilan University. She explains that as soon as discussions about negotiating the hostages' release began, with the understanding that children would be released first, they started preparing at the hospital to receive them.

"Needless to say, we don't have a team 'specialized in receiving children released from captivity'," she explains, "because what we experienced here is unprecedented anywhere in the world. We designated a specific team at the hospital to work with the families, comprising social workers with backgrounds relevant to the subject, such as dealing with trauma, loss and bereavement, violence and child abuse, crisis interventions, and more. We relied on our knowledge in these areas and conducted thorough preparation over several weeks."

Michal emphasizes that to provide comprehensive support from all angles, the hospital also dedicated medical teams, nursing staff, appropriate dietitians, teams of psychologists, and everything necessary to assist in the children's reception. "We took care of everything—from the smallest detail to the largest," she elaborates. "We engaged in joint thinking and received guidance and consultation from Dr. Yael Gur, from the National Social Work Service at the Ministry of Health, and from Prof. Carmit Katz from the Haruv Institute, who devised protocols specifically for the issue we are dealing with. The military also accompanied and was involved in the process from the early stages, as all our work is ultimately carried out in cooperation."

The Helicopters Arrive

All preparations were accompanied by immense anticipation, but as Michal notes, it was nothing compared to the excitement that accompanied the news of the children's arrival in the country. "We were updated about the hostages' return almost simultaneously with the media," she explains, "and on that Friday, when the identities of the children who were to arrive with us were confirmed, each family was assigned a social worker to accompany them. Thus, we had only a few hours to prepare personally and privately for the family we were about to receive."

And what did you do during those hours?

"We gathered information from the welfare and military parties who had accompanied the hostages' families throughout the period, learning about them. We then arrived at the hospital area specially set up for the reception of the returning children. This is a sterile space separate from the hospital, carefully selected and pre-adapted for this purpose. We had a brief meeting with the multidisciplinary team there and waited eagerly for the families. As they arrived, each social worker accompanied her assigned family to get acquainted and understand their needs. We also prepared them for the reunion with the returnees, as they arrived in a state of high tension, not knowing what they were about to see and meet. It was crucial to prepare them for these moments."

Michal notes that even before the helicopters landed, there were very emotional moments when, after the children were transferred from the Red Cross to Israel, they were allowed to make phone contact with their family members and speak with them. "This was a crucial stage," she emphasizes, "as it slightly reduced the tension and made the meeting more gradual—the parents could hear their children speaking in their normal voices and also see them on the screen sitting with soldiers, eating with appetite and drinking. This helped them contain the subject."

Hugs After 50 Days

After all the preparations, the moment that all the staff had been waiting for arrived—the helicopters landed, the doors opened, and all eyes were on them. "In the ensuing moments, we witnessed emotional reunions and unforgettable hugs," Michal describes, "Of course, we allowed the families and children their initial privacy, understanding that these were deeply personal and private moments. Overall, we entered this project with a profound sense of responsibility and humility, understanding the need for the necessary balance to be present in the right moments and provide support where possible, while also allowing the family members their time together, to let them get re-acquainted and gradually digest what they have gone through. Unfortunately, there were also cases where we had to deliver hard news to the children, such as the death of family members. We employed all our knowledge in trauma and delivering difficult news, trying to do so in the most correct and precise way."

Did you hear stories and descriptions from the children about what happened in captivity?

"After the initial acquaintance, we spoke with the children and mothers who returned from captivity and heard from them quite a few descriptions of what they experienced. Due to privacy, I won't elaborate, but as time passes, things surface, and we hear more and more. As we initially expected, each child has different coping methods, reactions, and needs. We explain to the families that every reaction is legitimate, and it's essential to embrace and be attentive. Some children have already requested to meet classmates and go out with them, while others mainly prefer family time. Some wanted to be released from the hospital immediately, while others preferred to stay a bit longer until they felt secure enough to leave. We strive to remain highly attentive to them, providing each their time and pace."

Michal emphasizes that in preparation for discharge, they ensured to equip the family members with information and readiness for returning home, "because ultimately, after the initial days when they are surrounded and embraced from all sides, they will have to attempt to return to routine and rebuild life, which is undoubtedly the most significant challenge."

To Thank and Pray

Honestly, do you believe a child can return from Hamas captivity and manage to lead a mentally healthy and normal life?

"Families are now just at the beginning of the journey, so it's too soon to say, as we have no prior experience to rely upon. However, I personally have great faith in people's healing power, especially in children, from difficult and traumatic situations. With therapeutic work, support, and resources, I believe they will indeed manage to reintegrate into life from a healthy and joyous place."

Michal also shares on a personal note: "Since the massacre and the outbreak of the war, my family and I strive to act for the soldiers, the wounded, and the hostages. I joined a WhatsApp group that finishes several books of Psalms each day, and we divided among ourselves the names of hostages to pray for and to light Shabbat candles for one of the hostages' families each Friday evening. For several weeks now, I have been lighting Shabbat candles for a specific family, praying they return healthy in body and soul—truly heartfelt prayers. The amazing thing is that when the head of the social service assigned each social worker to a family, I was stunned to discover that the family I was assigned to was precisely the one I had been praying for all the time. I was so moved to not only pray for them but also see them return healthy and whole, and fulfill the mission of taking care of them and giving everything I could.