How SAHAR’s silent lifeline saves lives in Israel

A desperate message typed into a chat window can be the only outlet for someone in emotional crisis. On the other end, SAHAR-Online Mental Support volunteers are quietly ready – reading between the lines, responding with care, and sometimes, saving a life.

“We provide an accessible, immediate, and anonymous service for those in emotional distress and [having] suicidal thoughts,” says CEO Inbar Shenfeld. “We save people’s lives. That’s what we do, every single day.”

Shenfeld, who leads the organization with a calm sense of purpose, brings over two decades of experience in leadership roles, primarily in the nonprofit sector. Her career has always centered on organizations that aim to do more than just operate – they strive to change lives, improve realities, and make a lasting difference. At SAHAR, that mission is fulfilled, one quiet conversation at a time.

One of those forums even gave him instructions. “He followed them exactly,” she says. “After discovering this, his father, Dr. Avshalom Aderet, decided that something like this must never happen again. Out of immense emotional strength, he committed to doing everything in his power to prevent another such loss.”

SAHAR was born from that promise. Twenty-eight years later, it remains Israel’s central provider of anonymous, immediate emotional support via text, and it’s grown into much more than a chat box on a screen.

“We surround emotional needs from every angle,” Shenfeld says. “We have three core areas of activity: reactive support, proactive outreach, and self-help tools. All of it happens via text.”

SAHAR’s most prominent feature is its live chat support.

“Reactive support is available 24/7 in Hebrew and for six hours daily in Arabic,” Shenfeld says. “In December 2024, we increased Arabic support hours due to growing demand.”

This assistance is accessible via the SAHAR website or WhatsApp, with each message managed by trained volunteers and mental health professionals.

“Text-based support enables us to connect more effectively with our target audience – children, teens, and young adults. It’s much easier for them to express themselves this way. This is their mode of communication today. Making a phone call can even seem intrusive.”

While most helplines wait for calls, SAHAR’s Outreach Patrol Unit actively scans social media and forums for signs of distress.

“We monitor and identify posts indicating suicide or severe distress,” says Shenfeld. “We cover a wide range of platforms, mainly where teens are, but not exclusively.” When they detect a silent or subtle cry for help, they respond. “We are the authorized responders – since nowadays, anyone can comment, but not everyone should,” she explains.

This proactive strategy extends beyond individual help, creating a ripple effect. “Each post we address is seen by about 10 more people on average, amplifying our impact,” she notes. “We handle tens of thousands of posts annually.”

Recently, one reply led to a touching reply from a young woman, who shared that the heavy burden she’d carried was finally easing and thanked us for our life-saving effort.”

“Anyone can visit our website and access podcasts, articles, self-help resources, and a large directory of a huge database of other support organizations,” Shenfeld says.

SAHAR considers itself the initial point on a spectrum of mental health care. “We serve as the first contact in the mental health care continuum,” she explains. “From the moment someone starts struggling with long-term care, we refer people to other organizations as needed.”

SAHAR relies on over 400 volunteers globally, with nearly 100 in North America. “The volunteers are the core and driving force of this organization,” Shenfeld highlights, adding, “We wouldn’t be successful without them.”

Volunteering is not just honorable but demanding. She states, “All volunteers go through screening and a training process. We don’t accept just anyone. The process involves an interview, a take-home assignment, a CV review, and a four-month training program.” Once selected, volunteers commit to a weekly three-hour shift from home for at least a year. Shenfeld points out, “You can save lives without leaving your home!”

During the war with Iran, North American volunteers took on added duties. “They often handle the night shift (midnight to morning, Israel time), and during the war, when sirens and rockets sounded all night, they stayed online to let Israeli volunteers rest or sleep.”

That kind of solidarity, Shenfeld says, “was truly moving. During those 12 days, our volume of support increased by almost 30%.”

SAHAR’s support team is multilingual and multicultural. “The Arabic line was launched in 2011,” Shenfeld explains. “We strongly believe in DEI – diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

The Arabic-speaking branch has its own volunteers, internal communications, and customized training. “There’s no other way to do it properly,” she says. “We see changes in the types of issues that concern Arabic speakers – family difficulties, relationship problems, and the increasing violence in Arab communities. People are afraid to leave their homes, which raises stress levels.”

But anxiety is universal. “Think about teens and young adults. This is their world, their reality, and they are our next generation of leaders. We must equip them with tools for mental health.”

Supporting people in crisis, day after day, is challenging. For SAHAR’s volunteers and staff, the emotional weight is real, but they don’t bear it alone. “We’re always there for each other,” says Shenfeld. “We constantly work on providing our volunteers with tools to handle what they go through. The same applies to our staff.”

Behind that support system lies something even stronger: purpose. “What gives this organization its strength is knowing that we – both volunteers and staff – are changing lives every day. We are saving lives.”

It’s more than just a job. It’s a calling, and for many, that makes all the difference. “That sense of purpose,” Shenfeld says, “is incredibly empowering. Not many people or organizations can say they truly save lives in real time, especially during such turbulent times.”

Despite its expanding reach and increasing influence, SAHAR remains financially vulnerable. Most of its funding doesn’t come from the government but from generosity. “We receive limited support from the Health Ministry; the rest comes from philanthropy, corporate partners, and individuals. We couldn’t do what we do without them,” Shenfeld explains.

However, financial challenges haven’t dimmed the organization’s vision. Shenfeld’s hopes for the future are confident and ambitious. “My dream is that SAHAR will continue to be the digital lifeline, a place where anyone, of any age, can receive genuine listening. Even when there are no words, just signs of pain.”

And she believes technology should be used not to replace empathy but to enhance it. “I want us to harness technology not as a substitute for human connection but as a supportive tool for those who need it.”