The Founding Story of SafeHeart
On the morning of October 7, 2023, what was meant to be a celebration of freedom, music, and community turned into an unprecedented disaster. As widespread terrorist attacks unfolded across southern Israel, festival-goers at Nova-Mushroom, Psyduck, and Midburn's setup event found themselves trapped in a terrifying ordeal. For many, the trauma was compounded by being under the influence of mind-altering substances, leaving them uniquely vulnerable and in desperate need of specialized, trauma- and psychedelics-informed support.
Out of this crisis, a dedicated group of eight friends and colleagues immediately came together to act: Guy Simon, Yair Grynbaum, Igal Tartakovsky, Tal Zagursky, Nir Tadmor, Karina Dessau, Roy Salomon, and Reut Plonsker.
The founding team brings deep expertise in therapy, trauma care, and psychedelic harm reduction, alongside a strong connection to the festival community. Several are national and international experts in managing mental health emergencies within psychedelic settings. Even prior to the attack, members of the group had been collaborating to advance harm reduction in Israel through parliamentary advocacy and partnerships with leading organizations, including Safe-Zone, Hof Mivtachim, Impulse, and the University of Haifa.
As the scale of the disaster became clear, the team reconnected instantly. They recognized that the survivors required a very specific form of care that did not yet exist in Israel: one that combined trauma expertise, a deep understanding of altered states of consciousness, and a completely safe, non-judgmental environment.
October 7, 2023
The response was immediate. By noon on October 7, a registration form for initial mental health support was launched. Hundreds of clinicians from the community, holding clinical training, trauma experience, and familiarity with substance use and festival culture, volunteered to help. By the following day, October 8, a dedicated website and intake coordination system were operational, connecting hundreds of therapists with thousands of survivors less than 24 hours after the attacks began.
October 7th in the afternoon
At the same time, the organization helped establish and clinically manage a community therapeutic space at Ronit Farm in collaboration with Merhav Marpe (Healing Space). There, hundreds of survivors were welcomed daily into a safe physical space to receive initial psychological and community support.
Thousands of additional volunteers rallied around the core clinical team. Experienced senior supervisors in trauma and psychedelics formed a volunteer training network to support care providers around the clock, while a tailored psychiatric support system was established entirely through volunteers. Alongside direct therapy, the organization also began supporting survivors' families and close support networks through specialized family meetings and coping guides led by senior clinical trainers.
October 8th, 2023
October 23, 2023
During this initial emergency phase, hundreds of certified healthcare professionals provided free, immediate psychological assistance to approximately 2,500 survivors.
2 weeks later
It quickly became clear that the psychological impact of this disaster would span years, not weeks. From the outset, the initiative operated with structural rigor, building robust information systems and forging strategic academic partnerships. Within the first few weeks, in-depth research studies were launched alongside Bar-Ilan University and the University of Haifa to track treatment efficacy and long-term recovery, research that continues to inform clinical protocols today.
While the purely volunteer model was crucial during the initial emergency, sustaining long-term, individualized care for thousands required a scalable infrastructure. To transition from a grassroots initiative into a formalized non-profit organization (NGO), the team was joined by Shiran Maor, who brought extensive executive management experience and assumed the role of Chairman of the Board.
By late October 2023, just three weeks after the attacks, SafeHeart transformed from a volunteer emergency initiative into a national-scale professional organization. The team built a nationwide network of trauma specialists and psychedelics-informed therapists offering continuous, long-term care in private clinics across Israel. In doing so, SafeHeart established Israel's only specialized clinical framework dedicated to treating trauma experienced under the influence of mind-altering substances.
Late October 2023
To anchor its work within the national health architecture, SafeHeart joined the Israel Trauma Coalition and became an official service provider for the National Insurance Institute and the Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the Ministry of Welfare. Today, SafeHeart stands as the primary state-recognized entity providing specialized clinical mental health treatment for festival survivors.
In early November 2023, Attorney Efrat Atun was appointed CEO and has led the organization ever since. She was joined by Noa Refaeli as Vice President, alongside an expanded team of dedicated professionals.
Early November 2023
Since its founding, SafeHeart has provided thousands of survivors and their families with comprehensive care across every stage of healing: long-term individual psychotherapy, psychiatric care, case management for complex cases, mind-body therapies, therapeutic groups, intensive retreats and workshops, family support systems, professional backing for care teams, and participation in groundbreaking academic research.
What began as an emergency registration form launched on the afternoon of October 7 by a festival community determined to help its own has grown into the primary mental health support provider for festival survivors and their families. The commitment born that day continues to guide our mission today and will remain for as long as it is needed.
Today
The Founders
Guy Simon
Nir Tadmor
Yair Grynbaum
Karina Dessau
Igal Tartakovsky
Roy Salomon
Tal Zagursky
Reut Plonsker
Filmed in mid-October 2023