After the events of October 7, Edmonton’s Jewish community was deeply shaken and needed to unite and stand by each other. Jewish Federation of Edmonton collaborated with Jewish Family Services of Edmonton (JFSE) to organize a support group to help people process their emotions and find strength in shared experiences. The Federation offered crucial financial backing for the counselling program designed to assist those affected.

Sarah Karesa, program manager for the Edmonton Healing Centre, which is the counselling arm of JFSE, remembered the meeting she had with her colleagues the day after October 7. “We talked about what can we do to support the community because this is a big call to action. We put ideas together collectively, and we realized one thing that we had heard from the community was the need for a place to come together and help each other,” says Sarah.  

JFSE initially set up a structured group format but soon realized that a more flexible approach, the Yahad (יחד) Jewish Community Support Group, would better serve the participants’ needs.  

One participant in the Yahad group was Anita Szuster. She says that the support group was a place where she felt understood and less alone.  

“I just want to commend the leaders of the Yahad group, Anna Jongeleen (counsellor at JFSE) and Meital Siva-Jain (manager of Outreach Services at JFSE), for doing an incredibly difficult job in steering people away from talking about politics in such a political situation and really doing a great job focusing on the intention of the meeting,” Anita says. “It was so valuable for me, and I thank them both and I would like to see more of that type of service in the community.”  

JFSE also recognized that some individuals needed more personalized support beyond the group setting. To address this, they offer private counselling sessions to members of the Jewish community struggling with the aftermath of October 7. It’s free for the first three sessions. Individuals who want to proceed beyond the initial appointments can do so based on therapist availability and a sliding scale fee structure. Considering the fees according to participants’ ability to pay helps ensure everyone can access the help they need.  

Feedback from the participants was positive, with many expressing appreciations for the safe and flexible space provided by JFSE. The program's adaptability allowed it to meet the growing needs of the community effectively.  

“This group is for anyone in the Jewish community who is looking for support, connection, and a safe space to explore what is going on in their worlds and be more resilient,” adds Sarah.  

Looking ahead, Sarah and the JFSE team plan to continue developing their programs. They have been working on new initiatives to further facilitate community building and resilience. Although details were still being finalized, the goal is to enhance their efforts and provide even more meaningful support.