Al Hagal
We are thrilled to announce the opening of HaGal Sheli’s Zikim Surf Therapy Center, a space dedicated to healing, resilience, and community.
At a beach that witnessed tragedy – where seventeen civilians and two members of the security forces were brutally taken, our 12th center rises as a symbol of hope and renewal. Established in partnership with the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council and a committed network of donors and partners, the Zikim Center is designed to support emotional recovery through research-based therapeutic surf programs.
Here, the sea becomes a space to regain strength, find balance, and reconnect with life.
Support Us
We invite you to support us in creating waves of hope for thousands of trauma survivors.
Every amount helps restore hope, regain trust, and rebuild one wave at a time.
Why Zikim?
HaGal Sheli’s Zikim Surf Therapy Center represents one of the most extensive rehabilitation efforts in the Gaza Envelope and across Israel. Over the next five years, the center will welcome more than 7,500 participants through 500 therapeutic surf groups.
Who We Serve?
Trauma survivors | Gaza Envelope communities | Released hostages and their families | Survivors of the Nova Festival and other traumatic events | Bereaved families | Security forces | Medical and therapeutic professionals | At-risk youth | People with disabilities
Yaron Waksman
Co-Founder and CEO of HaGal Sheli (My Wave)
Opening the Zikim Surf Therapy Center is a deeply meaningful moment. In a place that has endured unimaginable pain, we are building, together with our municipal partners and supporters, a space for therapeutic surfing and emotional recovery. Every wave and every session helps participants regain a sense of control, awaken inner strength, and rebuild resilience. This center embodies our vision: to help those affected by trauma find balance, connection, and hope again, through the sea, through community, and through the shared space we create together." Every wave matters. Every session counts. Join us in bringing hope to Zikim.
Other HaGal Sheli Centers
The Zikim Surf Therapy Center is the newest addition to HaGal Sheli’s network of 12 centers across Israel, joining Ashkelon, Nitzanim, Bat Yam, Tel Aviv–Jaffa, Herzliya, Netanya, Hadassah Neurim, Ma’agan Michael, Sdot Yam, Kfar Galim, and Kiryat Yam.
For over a decade, HaGal Sheli (My Wave) has been providing research-based, therapeutic surf programs
that help participants build emotional resilience, coping skills, and personal strength.
Our centers create safe, supportive spaces where people affected by trauma, whether survivors, bereaved families, at-risk youth, or members of the security and medical sectors, can process emotions, regain a sense of control, and grow.
Surfing becomes more than a sport. It’s a tool for rehabilitation, emotional growth, and community connection.
Each session, each wave, is an opportunity to practice resilience, face challenges, and strengthen the inner resources that carry us through life.