Build Permanent Healing Spaces for PTSD Recovery in Israel
In 2026, we enter the Year of the Horse.
Across cultures, the horse represents strength, endurance, and forward movement.
Not force. Not isolation. But the ability to keep going — together.
For trauma survivors in Israel, that symbolism couldn’t be more real.
What We’re Building
We are raising $500,000 to expand Matanya Farm, a Ministry of Defense–recognized PTSD recovery center in Northern Israel.
This funding will build:
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Main Therapy and Treatment Building
Used for trauma therapy, group sessions, yoga, sound healing, and nervous system regulation.
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2–3 small recovery housing units
Short-term stays for participants during intensive healing periods.
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Expanded animal-assisted therapy areas
Including additional horses and small farm animals used in guided therapeutic programming.
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Agricultural and outdoor healing spaces
Gardens, land-based therapy areas, and shaded gathering zones for group work.
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Water and nature features
A small pond or water element designed to support regulation, grounding, and sensory therapy.
Endurance requires a Herd not just a Hero
The year of the horse reminds me that strength isn’t about gritting your teeth and pushing through the pain in isolation. Real strength is about endurance, movement and knowing when to lean on others. In Israel, the psychological toll of trauma is a heavy load. But no one should have to carry it alone.
Your support builds the spaces where healing happens. It allows those who are exhausted to finally rest and recover.
Help us carry those who have carried too much.
-Happy Walters
2,000+ Volunteers | 25 Specialist
Our specialist have served in the IDF and bring firsthand experience that informs their understanding of trauma and the healing process.
4.9/5
Yael Ben-Ami
Certified Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapist
20 years experience
5/5
Eitan Shalev
Therapeutic Woodworking & Craft Rehabilitation Facilitator
13 years experience
4.8/5
Noa Raz-Levy
Sound Healing Practitioner & Nervous System Regulation Specialist
16 years experience
4.5/5
Amit Koren
Agricultural Therapy & Land-Based Recovery Guide
11 years experience
Twenty months ago, there was no infrastructure. No permanent facilities. Only urgency—and people in need.
Since then, more than 5,000 individuals have received care and support through Matanya Farm programs. Now it’s time to elevate from response to scale.
Individuals
supported
meals
provided
Animals
Housed
crops
planted
Therapeutic Programs at Matanya Farm
Healing at Matanya Farm is hands-on, nature-based, and trauma-informed. Programs include:
Animal-assisted
therapy
Trauma-informed
yoga and movement
Therapeutic woodworking
and craft rehabilitation
Happy Walters
Israel Friends Co-Founder
Sound healing and
nervous system regulation
Agricultural and
land-based therapy
Group and individual trauma support led by IDF-experienced specialists
Build the Future of Healing in Israel
To donate via credit card, ACH, or Donor-Advised Fund, please use the form above.
For additional giving options or to discuss meaningful contributions and legacy opportunities, contact [email protected].
They didn’t just envision it. They built it.
In 2024, Happy Walters and the Israel Friends co-founders traveled to Balfouria in Northern Israel. They stood on this land before it was a farm, before there were structures, programs, or plans on paper, and saw what it could become.
Happy helped seed Matanya Farm and, together with the co-founders, planted a tree on the land in 2024. Today, in 2026, that tree is producing fruit.
we’re here to answer all your questions
Who is Matanya Farm for?
Israelis impacted by ongoing conflict — including soldiers, reservists, first responders, survivors, and civilians experiencing trauma and PTSD.
Is this clinical or alternative care?
Both. All programming is grounded in evidence-based trauma treatment, supported by licensed professionals, and enhanced through nature-based recovery.
Why not just fund therapy sessions?
We do fund therapy sessions through Healthy Mind. However, trauma recovery looks different for each individual. While traditional therapy is effective for many, it is not the right solution for everyone.
Matanya Farm offers an alternative approach, designed to meet people where they are. Healing often requires environment, consistency, and a sense of safety. Permanent infrastructure makes that kind of sustained recovery possible.
How will donations be used?
Funds raised on this page go directly toward building and expanding Matanya Farm’s physical infrastructure and treatment capacity.
