25/12/2024
Growing up in America, I remember seeing photos of missing children on milk cartons.
It deeply frightened me—
I couldn’t understand how a child could simply disappear.
Now days, living in Israel after October 7, that same fear has returned in a new, heartbreaking way.
Everywhere we look, we see posters of missing kids, teens, and adults—faces of people taken from their homes.
This unsettling reality has become a constant presence on our streets and walls.
Today, a child came to me to speak of her fear.
She shared that she struggles to fall asleep, terrified she might be kidnapped.
When I asked her where she had heard this, she said, “Everywhere I look, I see the pictures.”
Her fear reflects a new reality for so many children living in Israel—confronting things they should never have to face.
In this surreal, painful environment, I tried to help her find a sense of safety.
I asked her to imagine her own place of comfort— where her dog is by her side, a place where she can find strength and safety.
Together, we practiced a “safety dance” and created an imaginary container around her, filled with boundaries, prayers, and protection.
I believe that, even amidst her fear, she holds a power within herself to feel safe.
These unfortunate circumstances undermine our children’s sense of security.
My hope is that, one small step at a time, I can help her—and others—reclaim that sense of safety, even in the face of such unimaginable fears.
.Leetal Benzvi, Expressive Arts Therapist
From the blog of Leetal Caidar Benzvi at The Times of Israel